Bulimia is a more common eating disorder than anorexia and often develops slightly later in life, from mid to late teens or the early twenties. Studies suggest that between 0.5 per cent and 2 per cent of young women in the UK have bulimia.

There are two main features of bulimia. Individuals regularly binge, which involves eating a large amount of food in private until they feel uncomfortably full. They feel they have little or no control during a binge and tend to eat ‘forbidden’ foods with a high carbohydrate content.

Bingeing is normally followed by intense feelings of guilt and shame. To compensate for the food consumed during a binge, the individual then uses other behaviors, such as vomiting, laxative misuse or excessive exercise. This is often termed as ‘purging’ behavior.

People with bulimia are locked in a regular cycling of bingeing and purging and usually have overwhelming feelings of shame about their eating disorder. The frequency of the cycle varies from one individual to another and there are also wide variations in purging behavior.

Teenagers who have tried unsuccessfully to diet but failed sometimes believe that this cycle of bingeing and purging will help them to lose weight successfully. But studies show people with bulimia are often of normal body weight and if untreated, over time, there tends to be weight gain rather than weight loss. Bulimia is often associated with low self-esteem or a general lack of self-confidence.

However, this cycle has a range of harmful effects on the body. Some of these side-effects will be evident from a fairly early stage in the bulimia. They can include:

• Frequent and major weight changes.
• Stretch marks.
• Sore throat, the erosion of tooth enamel and bad breath caused by excessive vomiting.
• Swollen salivary glands making the face round and puffy.
• Poor skin condition and possible hair loss.
• Irregular menstrual periods or loss or periods.
• Lethargy and tiredness.
• Abdominal pain and bloating.
• Chronic constipation and risk of bowel problems due to laxative abuse.

There are a range of very serious effects for people who continue to suffer with untreated bulimia during a long period of time. Many people with bulimia develop chronic dehydration, caused by vomiting and the use of laxatives. This can lead to low potassium levels, triggering a wide range of symptoms ranging from lethargy and muddled thinking to potentially life-threatening heart and kidney problems. Another serious complication of bulimia is the rupture of the stomach.

Bulimia has a lower mortality rate than anorexia. However, very rare and extreme cases, death can occur due to heart failure.

Fortunately, people with bulimia tend to want to overcome their eating disorders and feel less ambivalent about change than those with anorexia. The difficulty usually lies in seeking help, as people with bulimia often feel profoundly ashamed of their eating habits and worries that if they do seek support, their problem will be dismissed.

However, studies show that people with bulimia respond well to treatment. A form of cognitive behavioural therapy designed for eating disorders, called CBT-E is very effective for people with bulimia.

Potassium represents 5% percent of the total mineral content of a human body, even though only about one litre is found in the body at a time. Potassium is found in our bodies both inside and outside cells and is a very important mineral required every day to stay healthy. More than 98% of the body’s potassium is intracellular. The body easily absorbs potassium, but nearly 90% of it is excreted through the kidneys and bowels. Thus, potassium is a natural diuretic and is important for the elimination of body wastes, such as water and sodium.

Potassium is a primary electrolyte, it is a great alkalizer, and important for maintaining pH and water balance.

Benefits of potassium:

1. Along with other minerals such as sodium, chloride and calcium, potassium helps in normal cellular function, such as transmission of nerve impulses, digestion, healthy muscle contractions, proper cardiovascular functioning (heartbeat irregularities are normally a sign of potassium deficiency), and helping the body to convert glucose into glycogen (the body’s stored form of energy).

2. Potassium helps promote healthy cardiovascular health. It is strongly believed that potassium has the ability to pump sodium out of the body’s cells and reduce body fluid.

3. Potassium, along with sodium, helps to regulate blood pressure. Increasing potassium in the diet may protect against hypertension in people who are sensitive to high levels of sodium.

4. Potassium also affects blood vessel tone as well as the way blood vessels react to the flowing hormones, thus affecting pressure within blood vessels.

5. Potassium therapeutically assists in the treatment of alcoholism, acne, alleviating allergies, promoting the early healing of burns.

6. It also helps with problems such as congestive heart failure, chronic fatigue syndrome or kidney stones.

7. Potassium plays a vital role in cellular integrity by regulating the transfer of nutrients into the cell.

8. Potassium also attracts oxygen to tissues, helps correct positioning of vital organs. Potassium deficiency indicates that probably albumin, sugar, sodium, and chlorine are also in short supply or not being properly absorbed.

9. Potassium helps proper functioning of the adrenal glands. It helps support healthy sugar balance in the body.

Deficiency of potassium –

The kidneys excrete excess potassium from the body, and deficiencies are rarely found in people on a normal balanced diet. A deficiency may result in fatigue, cramping legs, muscle weakness, sluggish reflexes, acne, dry skin, mood swings and irregular heartbeat.

A shortage of potassium in body may cause a fatal condition known as hypokalemia, resulting from diarrhea, increased diuresis and vomiting. Hypokalemia can occur in people with a chronic disease or due to aging process. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness, ECG abnormalities, decreased reflex response, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia and respiratory paralysis.

If the fluid and electrolyte balance is not restored, the risk of heart failure increases.

Potassium deficiency increases acid levels in the body, lowers the natural pH balance, causes problems with the formation of connective tissue. Kidney diseases (such as acute renal failure), diabetes can also cause fluctuations in the levels of potassium. Many medications such as diuretics, cortisone, prolonged use of aspirin, and laxatives also cause depletion of potassium.

Dietary sources of potassium:

Eating a variety of foods that contain potassium is the best way to get the required amount. Individuals who eat a balanced diet do not need potassium supplements. Foods, which are rich sources of potassium include turnips, whole grains, molasses, fish, citrus fruit, apple cider vinegar, bananas, avocados, yoghurt, tomatoes, poultry, oranges, apricots, potatoes (especially their skins), leafy green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce; and meat. One large orange will supply one with 250 mg of potassium, one-eighth of a person’s daily need. Dried apricots contain more potassium than fresh apricots.

Steaming of foods helps to retain nutrients that are lost through other cooking techniques such as boiling (loss of about 50% of potassium content). Steaming results in only a 6% loss of potassium.

Recommended Daily Allowance of potassium:

There is no recommended daily allowance (RDA) for potassium, but it is advised to get between 2,000-3,000 mg per day. The range of intake for children is 780 to 1,600 mg per day.

This is not difficult, and most people meet this requirement on their own through a normal diet. In general, nutritionists recommend reducing salt intake and ensuring adequate supply by increasing the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet.

If one is into bodybuilding, he must increase the potassium intake, since potassium is needed to maintain muscles in good form, and also because potassium is lost from excessive sweating and urine.

Symptoms of high intake of potassium:

Excessive potassium can be toxic and will affect the heart. This is a problem especially when one is suffering from some problem such as kidney failure. Irregular heart beat and muscle fatigue is sign of toxic potassium levels. In healthy people, the kidneys in the urine excrete excess potassium.

Who requires extra potassium?

People who require potassium supplements include:

# women on oral contraceptives,

# chronic alcoholics or drug abusers,

# smokers

# people undergoing stress

# athletes

# people doing strenuous exertion,

# anyone suffering from any degree of mal-absorption syndrome

# people with eating disorders, especially bulimia and anorexia..

The Crohn’s disease could be best explained by the inflammation sensation in the digestive track. The digestive track starts from the mouth then the esophagus, then the stomach followed by the small and large intestine and ends into anus. The Crohn’s disease could affect any part of the digestive track mentioned. Though, in majority of cases, it affects the small intestine part called the ileum which is the lowest position that connects the small intestine to the large one. There is a good amount of people suffering from Crohn’s disease. This is quite typical for people with Northern European ancestry. This disease is not fatal, though exceptions could be ignored.

The exact cause of the Crohn’s disease is still not known for sure. Initially it was the poor diet and the stress which was considered the cause of the Crohn’s disease. But the researches have shown that these are not the culprit, though these make the situation bad. Now, researcher are focusing on inheritance and malfunctioning of the immunity system to be the cause of the Crohn’s disease. NOD2 is a gene which is common in patients with Crohn’s disease. This is believed to have been inherited from their biological parents. This is not a complex genetic but a simple one.

The Crohn’s disease could be caused by some bacteria or like which when is fought by the immune system, the inflammation sensation is caused. Researches have reasons to believe that the inappropriate response of the immune system causes the Crohn’s disease to surface.

The symptoms of Crohn’s disease may vary form mild to sever. The common ones would be Diarrhea, cramping and abdomen pain, blood in the stool, ulcers, loss of appetite and reduced weight. The other signs and symptoms would be fatigue, fever, eye inflammation, liver /bile ducts inflammation, delayed growth in children, delayed sexual development and arthritis. As these could be the result of some other concern other than Crohn’s disease as well. Hence, it is for the best that the doctor e should be consulted to know the exact cause for the same.

Depending upon the symptoms and diagnoses of the Crohn’s disease, your doctor is the best person to decide or suggest the treatment for the same. The Crohn’s disease treatment would include –

1-Taking Anti-inflammatory drugs like Sulfasalazine or Azulfidine; Mesalamine or Asacol, Rowasa; Corticosteroids and like could be taken as directed by the doctor.

2-Immune system suppressors could be another way of treating the disease. The drugs used for the immune system suppression would be Azathioprine or Imuran; mercaptopurine or Purinethol; Infliximab or Remicade; Adalimumab or Humira; Certolizumab pegol or Cimzia; Methotrexate or Rheumatrex; Cyclosporine or Gengraf, Sandimmune, Neoral ; Natalizumab or Tysabri.

3-Antibiotics are used in certain cases. Metronidazole or Flagyl; Ciprofloxacin or Cipro.

4-Other medication would include Anti-diarrheals; Pain relievers; Nutrition; Calcium & vitamin D supplements; Laxatives; Iron supplements and Vitamin B12 shots.

5-Surgery is another treatment option for Crohn’s disease. Though, the reoccurrence is possible after the surgery as well. ThusArticle Search, the doctors recommend surgery with medications.

Lettuce is one of the most delicate salad plants – there is usually nothing but disappointment to be gained from trying to bring a wilting specimen back to life. It has been cultivated since the earliest times, and varieties such as Cos or Romaine had become popular by the middle ages. Culpeper, the old English herbalist said, `The juice of lettuce mixed with oil of roses, applied to the forehead and temples procureth sleep and ease the head-ache’. He goes on to say that when taken ‘it abateth bodily lust’ this, it seems, is an accurate observation. Lettuce juice has been likened in effect to the sedative action of opium without the accompanying excitement. H.M. Evans of the University of California demonstrated in a series of experiments that whilst the lettuce had a calming effect on sexual ardour, there was a surprisingly strong compensatory effect in that the rate of fertility was greatly increased. So although the normal person might well find these two results to be incompatible (or at any rate inconceivable) lettuce is frequently suggested to help men who suffer from premature ejaculation. Pythagoras, the ancient Greek mathematician, therefore knew only half of this information when he called lettuce ‘The plant of the eunuchs: This compensation results from a mixture of tonic and sedative components in which the calming effect on the nervous system and digestive organs as well as the sexual is combined with a tonic action upon the glands. There is a slight laxative action with the unusual feature that the odor of ill-smelling stools is often much improved.

Lettuce contains a good spectrum of minerals, although these are present in average rather than exceptional quantities. The vitamin content includes a fair amount of carotene, but it is essential to bear in mind that the outer leaves may contain fifty times more than the white inside leaves, so juice everything. The strong therapeutic effect results from the many alkaloids present. These include asparagine (see asparagus), lactucine, lactucic acid and hyoscyamine. A mixture of lettuce and spinach juice is said to help the growth of hair if drunk to the extent of a pint or so a day. So much hair loss is caused by your genetic inheritance and not through deficiencies that this information is given for the sake of the desperate. There is much more evidence for its effectiveness in dealing with a nervous cough and as supportive therapy which might help but not cure the diabetic and the asthmatic and help ease those who have continuous pain.

The fruit flush three day detox diet can be particularly used for cleansing after festive season. Jay Robb’s methodology of helping the body get rid of all the impurities body would accumulate by piling up the body system by over stuffing oneself with all sorts of food and drink during the holiday season is quite a craze.

The objective of this diet plan is allowing the body to loose all those additional kilos gained by having the delicious meals and drinks during an extended party, a vacation or during festivals. Regaining the figure and vitality is the mantra of this diet. Due to over indulgence in food besides putting on weight, the system also gets clogged up and requires cleansing. The option to look for is the all fruit diet.

As the name suggests, the fruit flush is a 3-day diet consisting of just fruits. Fruits help in dissolving stored toxins, the water and fiber in the fruits help to flush out wastes aiding in weight reduction. It also strengthens the body and helps in improving the metabolism of liver which plays a vital role in discarding the toxins.

1st day: the pre-flush

On the first day of this diet plan between 8 am and 4 pm one has to drink protein mix (11/4 cup protein powder and 1 quart water), this has to be consumed every two hours. Make it a point to eat 3 to 6 cups of raw vegetable salad and 3 to 6 ounces of lean chicken, beef, fish or turkey at 6 pm. This food should have a topping of 1 to 2 ounces of olive oil or flax seed oil, or half avocado and half a lemon juice. After taking each protein milk or drink, one hour later drink water around 8-12-ounces.

2nd and 3rd day: fruit flush three day detox diet

On the second and third day between 8 am and 4 pm help yourself with fresh fruit serving, at an interval of two hours. At 6 pm, like the first day eat a single serving of raw vegetable salad. Along with this also drink one protein drink comprising of 12 ounces of water and 5 tablespoons of protein powder.

Unlike the 30-day detox diet or fasting, the fruit flush three day detox diet can be followed for a period of up to 12 weeks, by following the diet plan for 3 days and taking 4 days off alternately. The diet is based on natural fruits and vegetables and followed uninterrupted, definitely aids in considerable weight loss without any negative effects on the system and functions. The program has had very good reviews. The dieters say the diet is rich in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants and low in potassium and sodium. Hence this kind of diet apart from aiding in detoxifying the body and reducing body weight also improves energy level, ensures regular bowel movements and cleansing the system and improves skin tone.

The fruit flush diet program does not advocate use of any kind of chemicals such as preservatives, laxatives or pills; also Robb does not insist on any particular exercise regime during the course of diet. Inspite of all this there are a few negatives.

One of the important thing is it is a very low calorie diet, hence not a balanced one. It is not a program which can be continued for very long term for reducing weight. It is not ideal if you are on a fat loss program. Many individuals who have tried it are not very convinced with the recommendation of using Robb’s protein powder. The affirmative reviews definitely outweigh the negative noises and several dieters give their own handy protein mixtures to the people opting for this diet plan and manage to obtain the desired results of the fruit flush diet program!