Sitz bath using juniper and lavender oils

If you have swollen hemorrhoids, a sitz bath can help you
reduce them and speed your recover. Fill a tub with warm
or hot water. Use the temperature that will not irritate your
hemorrhoids. Fill it so water reaches your hips or stomach,
6-8 inches. Then add 22 drops of juniper and 22 of lavender
essential oils into the bath.

Stir in the oils with your hand and then sit in the bath with
your knee raised for 10-15 minutes three times a day. This
position helps to bring more blood into your hemorrhoid
area, which brings in more nutrients and to pulls out toxic
waste.

After 15 minutes, take a shower with water as cold as you
can take.

After this sitz bath and shower, you can use one of the herbal paste or ointments directly on your hemorrhoids and leave it on over night.

Sitz bath using Shepherd’s Purse

The herb Shepherd’s Purse can be used in sitz bath. This
herb is useful in treating hemorrhoids by reducing,

* Internal and external bleeding

* Reducing blood pressure

* Relieving hemorrhoids

* Repairing wounds

* Reducing prolapsed rectum

Here’s how to use it,

Place 1 oz of shepherd’s purse in two quarts of distilled
water and let it sit for 12 hours. In the morning or evening,
boil this mixture for 2-3 minutes and then strain it. Pour the liquid into a sitz tub or into a full bathtub. Stay in the tub for around 20
minutes and do this 2-3 times a day.

After the sitz bath take a cold shower to stimulate blood circulation in the hemorrhoid area.

Witch Hazel and a Basin

Prepare a small tub, container or basin that you can sit in
and add some warm distilled water. Add 1/4 cup of witch
hazel liquid to the water. Sit in the small tub as long as you
can and do it as often as you can. This will relieve your
hemorrhoids in 3 to 4 days.

0r, you can freeze witch hazel into small ice cube, then wrap
them with cheesecloth and press them against your
hemorrhoids for 10-15 minutes every hour. This will reduce
the pain and swelling of your hemorrhoids.

Use the sitz bath only for the time you need to eliminate or get relief from your hemorrhoids. Remember that using herbs longer than necessary can cause the condition you’re trying to eliminate.

Rudy Silva has a Physics degree from the University of San Jose California and is a Natural Nutritionist. He writes a newsletter called “natural-remedies-thatwork.com” and he has written an ebook called “How to Relieve Your Constipation with 77 Natural Remedies.” You can get more information on this ebook and more hemorrhoid remedies at this site. http://www.hemorrhoid-remedies.for–you.info

Eating right to suit your blood type” is a subject that is come up a lot in the chat rooms lately, so as promised, here is more information about the topic.

First of all there are two bibles on this subject written by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo. The first is “Eat Right 4 Your Type” and the second, “Cook Right 4 Your Type”. If you are really interested in pursuing this lifestyle, I STRONGLY recommend you buy both of these books and read them from cover to cover to see if these diets are for you. For those of you who have cancer, low blood sugar, are on medication or are diabetic, check this plan out with your doctor before embarking on any new diet. Below I have summarised the basic principles behind the Eat Right 4 Your Type, which is intended to spiritually and physically heal people by feeding the body’s blood the “right” foods.

D’Adamo’s theory is that certain blood types represent an older strain of mankind. Your blood type, which you can find out from your doctor, can represent a certain stage of evolution and also indicate how much ancestral history you are carrying in your DNA

People with Type O blood were thought to be the earliest humans on earth and were mainly carnivorous cavemen. Type O dates back to the ascendance of the Cro-Magnons and is still the most common blood type in the world. People with Type O blood are thought to have extremely high acid content in the stomach, which enables them to digest protein-heavy foods.

Red meat is the most recommended source of protein for Type O’s followed by chicken and fish. Eggs and dairy are considered to be a poor source of protein for the Type O. Olive oil is the cooking medium of choice but they gain a lot of weight if they eat nuts. They do not digest beans and vegetables well and are allergic or intolerant to wheat or other grains. Vegetables from the cabbage family cause digestive distress for Type O’s, as do melons, cantaloupes and citrus. Corn causes them to become overweight or diabetic. Good fruits for the Type O are plums, and figs and optimum vegetables are the leafy green ones such as kale and spinach.

Type A blood type did not evolve until about 25,000 B.C. These humans were cultivators who mainly thrived on a diet of plants, grains and fish. They were different than the Type O hunters who needed red meat to keep their bodies in optimal working order. The Type A blood human being could convert plant material into protein much easier.

Type As can’t digest meat very well, so soy and fish should be the main sources of protein. Most of them can’t tolerate dairy products at all, only small amounts of yogurt. Type A’s should avoid corn or safflower oils as it raises their cholesterol. Type A’s are big seedeaters and thrive on almonds, walnuts and peanuts. They also tolerate beans and grains well. All vegetables are a crucial part of the Type A diet with the exception of potatoes and peppers which aggravate their digestive system. They can also tolerate any kind of fruit, except persimmons and pomegranates.

Humans with Type B blood did not begin appearing until about 10,0000 B.C. This is one of the best blood types to have, as they are basically the hybrid blood type created by the mixing of both Type A and Type O blood types. This blood type, which is known as the nomads thrives and survives eating just about anything.

Type B’s take well to any kind of protein; except for chicken and that can lower their immune systems. They should also avoid shellfish. Type B is the only blood type that can fully enjoy all dairy products, as the lactose in the milk is the primary sugar that supports their blood nutritionally. They should avoid corn oil and avoid eating nuts and seeds, which can interfere with their blood sugar levels. They should avoid all beans except for kidney or navy beans. Type B’s should avoid wheat and rye, which causes them to gain weight and stick to rice and oats. They should also limit soy. They can eat any vegetable except for the tomato and any fruit except for pineapple

Approximately ten centuries ago, a new, rare blood type emerged called AB. This is the evolution of Type A and Type B bloods through evolution and people with this blood type are thought to have strong immune systems but weak digestive systems.

The primary sources of protein for AB should be seafood and tofu, except they are to avoid the lighter coloured fishes such as halibut and cod and shellfish. Dairy products are not agreeable to this blood type at all can make them very sick with illnesses such a asthma. They are to avoid nuts, which causes gallstones for them. They are usually allergic to wheat and corn. Lentils are an important cancer fighting food for AB’s. They tolerate every vegetable except for the tomato and avoid all tropical fruits and stick to grapes, plums and berries to alkalinise their acidic blood.

For those of you who are interested in pursuing this further please remember to read D’Adamo’s books first and check this plan out with your doctor before embarking on any new diet.

Samantha Steven’s articles have been published in many high-standing newspapers and she has published several books. If you wish to buy Samantha’s books about metaphysics click here
http://www.insomniacpress.com/author.php?id=110
You can meet Samantha Stevens at http://www.psychicrealm.com where she works as a professional psychic. You can also read more of her articles at http://www.newagenotebook.com

When it comes to our weight and the appearance of our bodies, most of us are concerned about one thing or another. We have a hard time fitting into our clothes and we want to do something about it. Hard work and dedication usually work the best, but somehow we are fascinated by the easy way out.

Dieting is not supposed to be easy, but many of us will do what we can to make it easy on ourselves. There are more diet plans than ever before, each one promising more results with less work. You’ll see from diet pill infomercials that these pills work for anyone wanting to lose weight and get slim.

There are some diet pills that work better than others, but there are also some things to be concerned about. Your weight loss goals are the most important factor in considering diet pills. People that are in the obese range should stay away from over-the-counter diet drugs. The first step is getting together with a health care professional to discuss more conventional diets. If pills are prescribed, it is important that they are used under the supervision of a doctor. Lifestyle changes may be necessary to lose the weight and keep it off.

If you are looking to drop just a few pounds, take careful though in buying diet pills. There are a couple of basic functions that weight loss and diet pills attempt to accomplish. They attempt to suppress the appetite, and to make the digestive process more efficient.

The major problem with diet pills is that most of them are unregulated. Physician prescribed pills are monitored by your doctor and the FDA. The monitoring doesn’t make the perfect, but makes reporting easier to control. Statistics are evaluated and the drugs are tested to maintain safe standards.

The dangers associated with dieting pills are many. This is not to say that all pills will bring about dangerous side effects, each person will react differently. Side effects can include a feeling of nervousness, increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, and even shakiness. The effects may have a lot to do with the amount of food in your stomach and brain activity.

Some diet pills work by changing the activity in the brain, while others work on the stomach. Your individual case may vary, but the simple recommendations work the same:

• Use common sense. Some advertisements sound too good to be true, and probably are.
• Do the pills follow your weight loss goals? Do they make promises for the long term?
• Do you know anybody who has tried them? Can you find other research on the pills?
• re there other methods for losing weight and controlling your diet?
• Follow directions and usage amounts very carefully. Don’t take more than suggested. Even all-natural and herbal diet supplements can have bad reactions on the body.

Whatever you decide largely depends on the weight loss goals you have in mind. Just be careful to cover all of the bases in your decision making process. Gather all the information you can to make sure you are making the right decision. Not all pills work the same for all people. Common sense is the best method of finding the best solution for your needs.

Robb Ksiazek writes and publishes information on healthy diets and body at Body-Mass-Index-4U.com. He believes that taking care of your body now will provide longevity and fulfillment.

Many of you probably think that aging is something that is just part of the normal life cycle. If your concept of the life cycle is then something like “you’re born, you age and then you die” then it’s not surprizing that this is where you are headed. Although you are likely not alone in believing this I would like to challenge you to take a step back from this belief for a moment.

What I’d like you to try now is to repeat the statement to yourself again once, and as you do try not to listen to the words. Instead listen to how the words make you feel inside. I know that this may sound strange or feel a bit callenging but try it anyway. Alternately you can allow someone else to read it to you as you focus on and listen to the feelings it evokes within you.

So again the statement is:

(A) “You’re born, you age and then you die”.

Now if you are a sensitive individual I can guess that the feelings that emerged with hearing such a statement were not exactly pleasant. For instance did you feel any of the following: saddness, heaviness, frustration, anger, hopelessness, helplessness, a sinking feeling, feeling limited or trapped?

If so, what do you think these feelings are trying to communicate to you about statement(A)? Well, if you consider this long enough, you’ll probably agree that these feelings are suggesting to you that that statement is not good for you i.e. it is toxic to you. Just think about it.

When you eat something that isn’t good for your body how does it react? Not well, right? That reaction is your body telling you “that’s not good for you”! In the same way the feelings you may have had about statement (A) are telling you the same thing about the statement itself.

So you see, your body reacts not only to foods, it also reacts to beliefs that happen to be inside you that are not good for you. A belief is simply a statement that you choose to keep inside of yourself because you think it is going to be useful to you in some way. I’m only guessing that all this may be a new revelation for you. If not, I congratulate you on your wisdom.

Now when you eat something that isn’t good for you, what do you do? Well, you make sure that that food never finds its way back inside you, don’t you? So my next question is: Why have you persisted in keeping statement (A) inside you if it makes you feel so bad? In other words why do you believe statement (A) is useful to you?

Well you might now say something like, “It’s not a question of whether it’s good for me or not, it’s just a fact, I can’t change it”. Well this last statement is another belief, isn’t it? How does it make you feel? Probably the same way statement (A) made you feel, correct?

So are you beginning to see how many “toxic” beliefs you have inside you? By “toxic”, I mean something that makes you feel uncomfortable, uneasy, sick, sad etc.. It’s no wonder you’re body is deteriorating i.e. aging. After all isn’t aging what happens to you when you take something toxic inside yourself and it stays there for a long period and undermines the normal functioning of your body so that it breaks down?

Now that you’ve followed me so far I want to add that the choice to take something toxic into ones’ self is an issue of “Self Esteem”! That is, if you like yourself sufficiently, you are unlikely to choose to take into yourself something that is toxic to you, correct? Whether it’s bad food, cigarettes, toxic chemicals, drugs or beliefs, the effects are the same.

You may even be surprized if I said to you that the latter are probably more toxic than all the others.

What’s interesting about all of this is that you actually “do” have a choice! If you want to know more about how you can exercise this choice you may wish to visit the web site below in my bio.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is a Key Note Speaker, Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in e-book format at: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/ebook.htm), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Personal URL: http://www.telecoaching4u.com

Vinyasa is a Sanskrit word, which refers to breath and movement. For example each Yoga posture is matched by one breath. This is what you do when you perform Sun or Moon salutations, and these are also a form of Vinyasa Yoga.

So, any sequences of postures that are synchronized, with your breath are classified as Vinyasa. There are many forms of Vinyasa and even the gentle ones are vigorous. The postures are not held in a fixed position for long and classes flow with rhythm, similar to music.

The energy used in flowing from one movement, to the next, continues throughout a typical Vinyasa Yoga class. This type of Yoga class will challenge aerobic endurance, enhance flexibility, and build overall strength.

There are many variations of Vinyasa Yoga classes. Some are related to or offshoots of Ashtanga Yoga, some are very gentle, and others are variations of extended Sun or Moon sequences. The variety of Vinyasa classes is further expanded when you consider different sequences, pace of the class, and the temperature of the room.

What about heated Yoga classes; is this hot Yoga? The temperature can vary depending upon the policy of the Yoga studio.

At our wellness center in North Providence, RI, the temperature can be near 80 Fahrenheit during winter months. During the summer months, we keep the temperature in the low 70’s. That is a far cry from a 105-degree hot Yoga or Bikram classes.

Most of the heat generated in a typical Vinyasa class is internal body heat. As a result of all this internal heat, you will most likely sweat. Therefore, bring a towel and a bottle of good quality water.

When used for personal health maintenance, Vinyasa Yoga is the ultimate cross training system, with low impact movement, aerobic, and muscle toning benefits. Your body will go through an incredible transformation, but it does require determination. This explains why Vinyasa Yoga attracts so many type A personalities.

Even if you don’t have a type A personality, it will rub off. As a “by product” of Vinyasa practice, your self-esteem will be improved. You will manage stress and develop a much more calm personality.

Now, where do you start? Find a local school with at least two levels of Vinyasa practice. If you have been on the couch for a while, it will be best to take some gentle Yoga classes first.

However, if you are very active, you may want to jump right in. You should have an honest talk with your Yoga teacher, before starting Vinyasa practice. It’s always best to be honest with yourself, about your level of fitness. Have fun, but do not push yourself, when you are in unfamiliar territory.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

The humble soybean boasts some extraordinary benefits. This nutritional powerhouse has stayed under wraps for too long. Apart from being the only vegetable protein with all 20 amino acids essential for our health and well being, the humble soybean has many other virtues…including an excellent foundation for fast, safe weight loss program.

According to Dr David Heber in “The LA Shape Diet”, women who are on a weight loss program need about 100 grams of protein per day to fight against hunger and to build their best personal lean muscle shape whilst still losing weight. Without the appropriate level of protein in a low calorie diet, people and women in particular, risk losing 1 pound of muscle for every 4 pounds of weight lost! This potential muscle loss can be very dangerous as it can cause a weakening of the heart and other vital organs.

Dr Heber recommends soy-protein shakes or soy-protein fruit smoothies as a safe and healthy way to achieve fast and permanent weight loss. Apart from some absolutely wonderful health advantages, soy is a safe protein source - without the unwanted cholesterol and saturated fats that accompany animal protein sources. Soy will support and does not sabotage a low calorie weight loss program.

Read on to discover some other wonderful health benefits of this incredible this food source.

1. Soy contains health enhancing isoflavones. Isoflavones are compounds found only in plants which have strong antioxidant properties. These compounds repair, and help prevent damage to cells caused by pollution, sunlight, and normal body processes. Free radicals can easily cause harm to the immune system, whose cells divide often. They may also be responsible for some of the changes of aging.

2. Reduce risk of heart disease. Soy’s protein and isoflavones lower LDL cholesterol and decrease blood clotting, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. In one study, people who drank a “milk shake” containing 25g of soy protein for nine weeks experienced, on average, a 5% reduction in LDL cholesterol. And people with the highest LDL levels experienced a 11% drop. (For each 10% to 15% drop in the LDL level, the risk of a heart attack decreases 20% to 25%).

3. Protection against cancer. Soy’s soluble fiber protects the body from many digestive related cancers, such as colon and rectal cancer. While its isoflavones may protect the body from many hormone related cancers, like breast, endometrial (uterine) and prostate cancer. Isoflavones act against cancer cells in a way similar to many common cancer-treating drugs.

4. Counter the effects of endometriosis. The isoflavones in soy products may help to offset the action of the body’s natural estrogen, which is often responsible for instigating the monthly pain, heavy bleeding and other symptoms of endometriosis.

5. Protect against prostate problems. Eating soy products may protect against enlargement of the male prostate gland. The size of the prostate gland tends to increase with age, causing various types of urinary difficulties, including frequent nighttime awakenings.

6. Guard against osteoporosis. Soy’s protein enhances the body’s ability to retain and better absorb calcium in the bones, while its isoflavones slow bone loss and inhibit bone breakdown, which helps prevent osteoporosis. There is evidence to suggest that isoflavones may also assist in creating new bone.

7. Control symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Soy’s isoflavones help the body regulate estrogen when this hormone is declining or fluctuating, which helps alleviate many menopausal and PMS symptoms. Research has shown that soy isoflavones can reduce menopausal hot flushes in women.

8. Help control diabetic conditions and kidney disease. Soy’s protein and soluble fiber help regulate glucose levels and kidney filtration, which helps control diabetic conditions and kidney disease.

What an incredible little bean! With such profound health benefits how can you overlook this wonderful food source? If you haven’t yet noticed, gone are the days when the only way soy products came were in strange tasting meat substitutes. You can now access a wide range of soy products and use soy in a variety of ways to suit any taste palate.

(c) Kim Beardsmore

– Kim is a successful weight loss coach who will cut through the diet-hype and help you reach your goal weight. No public ‘weigh-ins’, meetings that cost you money or fads…simply results you will love! You can receive a free consultation. Visit today: http://tinyurl.com/4p3br Are you interested in earning money from home? We can help you grow a profitable home business: http://free2liv.com/?refid=sy-567883383

The total calories that you should be consuming depend on whether you are a women or a man. It depends on your body structure and your activity level. So you need to make some adjustment on the numbers I present.

If you have been eating around 1800 calories per day you can slowly move your intake down to 1600. Work down from this level over a month’s period to 1400 calories. Don’t go below 1200 calories per day. Otherwise you can over stress your body.

If you have just started out and are eating 2400 calories, decrease your calories to 2000 or 2100. If you don’t lose weight in 2-3 weeks reduce your calories lower. Over a month’s time you can move down to 1600 calories and see if you start to lose weight. If you do, stay at this level.

It’s not a good idea to make a drastic shift in your consumption of food since your body can react and get into a “starving mode.” In this mode your body will store more fat making it difficult for you to lose weight.

Remember not to eat junk food. When you eat quality food, it takes less food for you to become satisfied as compared to eating junk food.

Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fat

There are many ideas about what combination or percentages you should eat of the various nutrients - protein, carbohydrates, and fat. I don’t believe that exact percentages exist, which will provide weight loss and good health for all individuals. Each one of you will require different percentages depending on your weight, health, body structure, emotional make-up and a variety of other conditions. For this reason some diet programs work with some people and not with others.

One of best eating habit programs that will help you to lose weight is to eat:

* quality protein

* low glycemic carbohydrates

* quality fats

* high fiber

* high water consumption

Quality Protein - is essential for the body to survive. There 8 essential amino acids and 14 non-essential. Protein is used to regulate certain body processes by contributing to various chemical reactions and by creating a number of body chemicals.

Eating excess protein results in an acid body, which favors disease. Protein eaten alone causes a 25% increase in your metabolism. When combined with fat and carbohydrates there is only a 10% increase. What this means is that eating more protein and less fat and carbohydrates gives you a boost in metabolism.

It is recommended that around 30% - 35% of your eating habits consist of protein.

Carbohydrates - consist of simple and complex sugars. When carbohydrates are eaten they are broken down into sucrose, which is readily accepted by your cells. Sucrose is converted into energy in your cells. If you eat a lot of high glycemic carbohydrates, your bloodstream becomes overwhelm with sucrose. The excess sucrose in your cells will be converted to fat and stored.

Because most people have been adding weight eating high glycemic carbohydrates, it best to change your eating habits and decrease your intake of these carbohydrates. In general people have been eating 80% high glycemic foods (HighGF) and 20% low glycemic foods (LowGF.) You need to change that to 80% LowGF and 20% HighGF.

This means that you should limit eating foods like potatoes, bread, corn, pasta, muffins, and any flour products.
HighGF encourages the storage of fat since the more sucrose you have in your blood, the more sucrose is escorted into your cells by insulin.

You need to concentrate on foods, which are LowGF. Many of these foods are vegetables with small amounts of carbohydrates and high fiber content.

LowGF discourages the storage of fat since less sucrose is in the blood and less is escorted into your cells.

Quality Fats - which are eaten with your meals, prevent sugars from moving quickly into your blood stream.

You need to eat more of the good fats. It’s these fats that will help you lose weight. The good fats are omega 3, omega 6, and medium chain fatty acids, MCFA.

Here is the breakdown on the quantity of each type of fat that you should be eating. These percentages are what you should be working towards so that fats provide you with good health and help you keep your weight down.

* saturated fats 10%

* polyunsaturated fats 20%

* monounsaturated fats 60%

There you have it, the numbers and percentages of protein, carbohydrates, and fats that give you a balanced diet so that you can lose weight.

Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He writes a newsletter call “Natural Remedies Thatwork.com.” For more information the on the essential fatty acids, visit his web site at http://www.fatty-acid-remedies.for–you.info

The age of your skin has no bearing on whether you should moisturize. Even women in their 20s should us a good moisturizer to keep their skin young and supple for many years, and of course to help stave off those wrinkles.

Dry skin can occur at any age. When your skin is dry it is unable to retain enough moisture. Dry skin results in flaking, red blotchy patches, and it may be itchy. There are many causes of dry skin ranging from cold dry air especially in the winter months, to medication you are taking, to hormones.

Research has also shown that yo-yo dieting can cause severe stretches to skin resulting in lost elasticity. This can cause the face to wrinkle and sag prematurely. Sun tanning is also known for causing premature aging and wrinkling of the skin.

Experts believe the skin is a smart organ that has a memory. That is why some people have crows feet around the eyes from squinting or smile wrinkles from smiling. If the face forms a specific expression over time, the skin remembers and automatically folds to that form. So stop frowning!!

Women are under the misconception that if the skin is dry it need oil. Actually what it needs is water or moisture to rejuvenate it. That’s why too much cleaning can do more damage than good. The best time to apply moisturizer is on damp skin. It then traps the moisture between the cream and the skin so it can be absorbed.

The best moisturizer is really dependant on your skin type. There are plenty of products to choose from all claiming to make you look younger. However there is no research available to actually determine which creams work or don’t work. There is no question some are better than others but don’t believe for a moment that because it cost more it’s superior.

The best moisturizers are non-comedogenic, non-greasy and non-irritating formulation that contains a superior system of emollients and natural ingredients to nourish the skin.

So don’t wait until your 40 or 50 to start moisturizing. Rather start young and keep those laugh lines and fine wrinkles at bay. Be good to your skin and it will reward you with years of youthful healthy looking skin!

© Copyright Sher Matsen, All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
Sher has been serving customers for over 20 years, providing affordable estate jewelry, and a wealth of information on jewelry, fashion, designers, and beauty with on staff industry professionals. Please visit us at Estate Jewelry International.

If you’re looking for a power-packed entr

Sharing our bariatric stories is as personal decision as electing to have the surgery itself. Some of us are very private and others of us are very open. Overall I think we do the best we can on any given day. There are times when the moment is right to share and times when it is best to keep quiet. Here are a few things this bariatric zealot has learned the last few years:

It is well known that when a person affects a tremendous change in their life they often experience a great spirit of sharing and a desire to convert others to the new belief system. This is an altruistic desire to bestow upon others their wonderful new life. Think of converts to religious beliefs or former addicts graduating from recovery programs; often these people reach out enthusiastically to others who are as they once were. The recovering alcoholic is a champion of reform to the drunken and depressed. The born again believer is a champion to the sinners and downtrodden. So it is with the bariatric zealot, a champion to the fat and hopeless.

The desire to share our stories - to make converts to the bariatric persuasion - is sincere and well intentioned. But just like the recovered addict or the new believer, we must tread lightly when it comes to proselytizing this new wonderful way of life. First, we cannot assume that every obese person we meet is in a place where they wish to hear about our weight loss success. Second, it is quite easy to hurt someone’s feelings by suggesting weight loss surgery - it implies inferiority, even coming from a formerly obese person.

Think back to when you were overweight and hopeless. Didn’t you sometime feel betrayed by a former fatty gone thin? Chubby folks stick together and when one betrays the band to join the tiny tummy league the others can feel exposed and vulnerable. They can feel like failures because one of their members has succeeded where they have given up hope.

On the other hand, a bariatric patient is an inspiration for the heavyweight hopeless among us, a living breathing shrinking miracle overcoming the obstacle of obesity right before our very eyes. It is my experience that this metamorphosis is the greatest inspiration of all. Let the physical manifestation do your talking for you and tread lightly on tender feelings. We all share a great empathy for the obese and should never forget where we came from, even after the giant clothes have long been tossed on the garbage heap.

When asked about the wonderful transformation weight loss surgery has affected, the opportunity is ours to empathetically inspire others with hope. It is an opportunity to commiserate. Obesity is a lonely place to be. Sharing an intimate understanding of that loneliness will go far to ease another’s pain.

Copyright © 2005 Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved.

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com

Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.

To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter “You Have Arrived” click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.