Shopping For Cosmetics

The modern world has made cosmetics a much in demand product for both male and female and for all people no matter what their age and status in life is.  Some people have gotten so accustomed with using cosmetics that they would not be caught dead without them.

This growing dependence on the use of cosmetics is responsible for the booming cosmetics industry.  The industry is experiencing substantial growth every year, with more people being egged on to use cosmetics to improve their skin, their face and even their life!

Since almost everyone has the tendency to be sucked in into the never ending reliance to cosmetic products, it is important that a person knows what he is buying into.  He should also be able to decipher which cosmetic products he can live with and without.

Cosmetics is a wide term that can refer to almost any product that a person uses to enhance his looks.  It can cover the various skin moisturizers and skin cleaning products people use.  It can also refer to hair care products like shampoo, conditioners and creams.  Also add lotions, deodorants and other body creams to that list.

There are cosmetics that offer people the chance to become beautiful in the outside but there are also cosmetics that promise to make people feel beautiful inside and out.  These cosmetics, known as cosmeceuticals, allegedly have medicinal; powers.

When buying cosmetics that can alter the way a person's body works, it is best to make sure that such cosmetics is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.  Also check the ingredients of the cosmetics you are buying and make sure you use them according to specifications.

A person should be careful when buying cosmetics that are to be used directly on the skin, particularly on the face.  Test for allergens and make sure that it is particularly suitable for the skin type that the person has.  If not, the use of such cosmetics may just worsen an already existing skin problem.

When buying cosmetics, it is better to stick to products that a person has already tested and used for a long time.  Most often than not, a person who tries on a new cosmetic product will regret such buying spree later on when he finds out that such product is not suitable for his needs.

It is also advisable to veer away from make ups that are on sale.  When tempted to look at make ups that are on sale make sure to ask for their expiration date because most cosmetic products that are put on sale may already be nearing their expiration date.

It would be foolhardy to scrimp on costs and regret it later on when a person finds out that the product is no longer good for what it is intended for.

Every consumer must be discriminating when buying any product, particularly cosmetics.  Cosmetics can make a person look and feel better so he should spend more time buying these products so as to make sure that he is only buying the best cosmetics for his use.

A person who wants to look and feel beautiful should be careful when buying cosmetics.  Follow the instructions indicated on the package or wrapper as to the proper use of the cosmetics.  This will maximize the effects and benefits that a person can get from buying the said cosmetic products.

Cosmetic Surgery in Orange County

The best of cosmetic surgery can be found in Orange County. With the latest developments of cosmetic surgery, it is now fairly easy to become beautiful. Women who do not feel very much confidence about their bodies just need to save a few dollars and get themselves a trusted cosmetic surgeon. In a matter of just a few hours, you'll be able to remove that unwanted fat, increase your breast size or even make a few changes on your face.

It's really amazing how these cosmetic surgeons work. Gone are the days when you don't have any real solution to ugly scars but to worry. Now, several methods have been developed to make cosmetic surgery as efficient and safe as possible. Depending on what needs to be done, the price of cosmetic surgery in Orange County can be as low as several hundreds of dollars to a few thousand dollars.

Because of the popularity of cosmetic surgery, more and more people are considering getting one or more. Cosmetic surgery has drastically boomed in the past few years. In fact, you can find hundreds of cosmetic surgeons in Orange County alone. All of them would probably promise to give you the best results possible for your cosmetic surgery.

Because of the abundance of these cosmetic surgeons, the primary problem is not on finding a cosmetic surgeon to do the job but finding the one that can do the job right. Because of the rise of the number of people deciding on having cosmetic surgery, the number of cosmetic surgeons in Orange County has also increased.

In looking for qualified cosmetic surgeons, you should be willing to invest a lot of time and effort. You can start off by asking for referrals from your friends, family members or co-workers who may have had cosmetic surgery themselves. If they loved the results of the surgery and you also like what the changes you see on them, you might want to include their cosmetic surgeons on your list.

However, you should not just rely on referrals in getting that perfect cosmetic surgery. It would be most beneficial for you if you can do your own research. Try paying close attention to newspaper and television ads. Most professional cosmetic surgeons have the means to advertise their business extensively.

The internet is also a good source of cosmetic surgeons. You'll probably find several cosmetic surgeons who have their offices or cosmetic clinics around Orange County. You should try to shortlist at least three cosmetic surgeons. Make sure that these surgeons have good credentials.

Because cosmetic surgery has become a booming industry, some cosmetic surgeons nowadays may have only taken a crash course to cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is an intricate profession, and there's definitely no shortcut for mastering the art.

Once you have conducted your research, you would need to start visiting the clinics of these surgeons. In Orange County, every professional cosmetic surgeon would offer to give you a good walk around his clinic. He'll be proud to show you what's going on. You shouldn't immediately discuss money matters without a prior tour around the facility.

Also, another thing that would help you choose your cosmetic surgeon is the before/after pictures of his previous patients. A good cosmetic surgeon would be enthusiastic to show you the results of the previous job he has done. Check the photos carefully, just to make sure there are no alterations. Photos for medical purposes should not show any makeup.

Some cosmetic surgeons in Orange County would even go as far as agreeing to have you talk to his previous patients regarding their experience on his cosmetic surgery. If not, most will just have several testimonials on how they have done a great job. That just shows how competent these Orange County cosmetic surgeons are.

Once you have verified everything, including medical accreditation, then you can get down to business. Orange County cosmetic surgeons are professional, thus, you should also expect 'professional' prices. However, money should not be on top of your priority list. If you want to get the best cosmetic surgeon, there's a price to pay for it.

When you have cosmetic surgery, a saving of a few dollars should not entice you. Who would want to save $ 300 and risk surgery complications after? When you look for a cosmetic surgeon, look for a professional, not a discount. And you'll probably find the professional cosmetic surgeon you're looking for in Orange County.

Medical Advancements In Cosmetic Surgery

The History of Cosmetic Surgery

Cosmetic surgery has been around for so long that it actually has no traceable beginning. As far back as ancient Greeks and Romans there are depictions of cosmetic procedures occurring to fix disfigurements that occurred at birth, as punishment for a crime, or war injuries. Of course, there have been constant improvements since the very first nose job, but the fact remains that for as long as there have been people, they want to look and feel their best.

Cosmetic surgery was once thought of vanity procedures reserved for the wealthy and the famous. This is no longer true. With increased pressure from society to reverse aging and to lose weight, cosmetic surgery has been steadily increasing in popularity and accessibility. "Medical Advancements In Cosmetic Surgery" has made it accessible to any one who desires it.

Once upon a time cosmetic procedures were considered appropriate for aging women. Today, it is no longer a gender specific specialty. Men are having more nose jobs and even tummy tucks performed than it was ever once thought possible. Age is no longer a critical factor. People in their teens, although most surgeons don't recommend it, are having cosmetic procedures done. Those in their thirties and forties are quickly replacing the market and having anti aging procedures done as early as twenty seven.

Regardless of personal opinions about the popularity of cosmetic procedures and the "Medical Advancements In Cosmetic Surgery", the increased desire to fix ourselves has led to a revolution within the industry. No longer are simple procedures cost prohibitive as price reduction has made it possible for many more people to elect to have these procedures performed.

"The medical advancements in cosmetic surgery" that have taken hold within the cosmetic industry have decreased the associated risks as well as decreased the drastic healing time that was once necessary for these procedures. It is now possible for a person to have a cosmetic procedure done on a Friday and return to work the following Monday, depending of course on the procedure.

There has been a race among plastic surgeons to make their services more accessible by making them more attainable. Medical advancements have led to less intrusive procedures and of course, more quick and easy procedures.

The Most Popular Cosmetic Procedures

"Medical Advancements In Cosmetic Surgery" have made cosmetic surgery very popular some procedures more then other. No one can really answer why certain procedures in the cosmetic industry have become so popular other than their ease of recovery and their basic simplicity. Most of the popular cosmetic surgery procedures are simple and easy fixes that aren't nearly as dramatic as some of the more global enhancement operations.

The nose job, of course is ranked the most popular cosmetic procedure out there. A nose job is mostly a low to moderate intrusive procedure that dramatically alters the appearance of the face. A good rhinoplasty can significantly improve an individual's facial appearance.

Liposuction is a very close second in the cosmetic procedure popularity contest. Americans in particular are quite overweight. In fact between five and fifteen percent of the American population is dramatically obese while seventy percent is a least somewhat overweight. These are staggering numbers. Liposuction has become popular because the results are typically top notch.

A simple eyebrow lift can truly enhance a face and take years off tired eyes. It is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures because it is truly a simple procedure with dramatic results. Both men and women find eyebrow lifts to be worth the money for their combination of results and discretion.

Breast enlargements are the fourth most popular cosmetic procedure despite the scare of the early nineties when breast implants began to leak silicone into their clients' bodies. With the medical advancements in cosmetic surgery, the following year the plastic surgery community was able to produce safer breast implants and once again breast enhancement surgery was on the rise. Breast enhancement surgery has been a hot topic of social debate since the seventies when they first began their popularity ascent. Breast enhancement received a lot of attention for their medical advancements.

The face lift comes in at number five in the popularity contest regarding cosmetic procedures. While most clients are quite happy with the results, it is a more intrusive procedure and requires a longer recovery period than most of the more popular plastic surgery procedures.

Psychological Benefits of Plastic Surgery

Since its inception and "Medical Advancements In Cosmetic Surgery", plastic surgery has allowed people to feel better about their outward appearance. Though it originated as a medical process of repairing disfigurements, the medical advancements of plastic surgery have encouraged the world to embrace a more beautiful side to themselves.

Most patients who have undergone cosmetic procedures report having a higher self esteem and a better quality of life. It is difficult to say whether their improvements in the quality of life come from a prettier face or from their improved self esteem, but ninety seven percent of all plastic surgery patients report appreciating the difference and would do it again if faced with the same options.

There are of course risks that are involved with any cosmetic procedure. These risks include complications from anesthesia, incomplete improvement and even disfigurement. Most doctors will tell you that the "medical advancements in cosmetic surgery" have drastically reduced the chances of the associated risks.

Two Brand New Procedures

Two of the newest "medical advancements in cosmetic surgery" are captique and contour threads. Both of these new procedures were designed to minimize both the typical risks involved with cosmetic surgery and the invasive procedures available. The medical advancements in cosmetic surgery push through quickly in an effort to provide faster, less invasive options to the clientele.

Captique is a new procedure that has jest been introduced to compete with the face lift and Botox. It is a chemical filler that is injected into the skin which in turn drastically reduces wrinkle appearance. It is completely synthetic and not derived from any animal products. The entire captique procedure is a quick outpatient visit that can be completed in about fifteen to twenty minutes, and the patient is then free to drive home. It does not act as a paralytic as Botox does, so the patient can reduce wrinkles while still maintaining facial expressions. Captique is currently only available in a few select clinics.

Contour threads is a brand new procedure that resembles a facelift, but it allows for the patient to retain their more natural and relaxed appearance rather than end up with tight skin pulled back over the head. Contour threads have actually been used in various other medical procedures, but have only recently become available in the cosmetic industry.

Contour threads are made from a clear, soft polypropylene. This eliminates the dark stitch areas that traditional stitches are known to leave behind. In the correct hands, contour threads can produce a very soft face devoid of wrinkles and serious signs of aging.

These two "medical advancements in cosmetic surgery" have created quite the excited buzz in the cosmetic industry. With leaps forward such as these it may actually be possible one day to get anti aging procedures done in an afternoon and return to work the next day as though nothing extraordinary happened.

Continual Progress

The cosmetic industry will continue to have remarkable advancements in its field and continue to produce procedures that can create wonderful outcomes with minimal interference in daily life. The less invasive these procedures become, the more popular they will become as well.

The cosmetic industry is attempting to produce natural results that only those closest to the patient will ultimately be able to discern plastic surgery procedures. The surgeons and researchers have of course not forgotten the original intent of the cosmetic industry. They are continually prototyping advancements in correcting birth defect and accidental disfigurements as well.

It is an exciting age to live in. We are rapidly approaching another outstanding revolutionary period in the cosmetic industry. It is important to keep yourself informed is you are even contemplating having any cosmetic procedure done. Sometimes waiting as little as two or three months prior to committing to a cosmetic surgical procedure can allow enough time for a new product to finish being tested and hit the market. With each "medical advancement in the cosmetic surgery" industry, each procedure will become less invasive and easier to recover from.

Keep yourself informed of upcoming advancements and procedures that may very well benefit you. Visit lifeplasticsurgery to keep on top of the latest news and happenings in the cosmetic industry. Here you can learn about nearly every available procedure and even a few that are almost available. An informed client is a client that is truly ready to face cosmetic surgery and come through with reasonable but good expectations. The miracle of science will never stop creating these advancements and people will never stop wanting to utilize them. Don't be the last to know. Stop by the lifeplasticsurgery regularly and find out what's coming your way.

Cosmetic Products Free - How You Too Can Get Top Brand Cosmetic Products Free

You've often heard the phrase "there is no such thing as a free lunch", right? Right. But I can tell you there is such a thing as "free, top brand, cosmetic products".

You see, many of the brand leaders provide some free cosmetics for certain reasons that I explain below. And this is your opportunity to get your favorite luxury brands free of charge.

OK, first "why" and then "how". Well, there are three main reasons for the "why":

1- Market Testing

They may be "market testing" a new range. Who better to tell them what they think of the product than *you*. Think about it.

If you don't take a free bag of cosmetics or a high quality bag for say $1, then you are unlikely to go and buy the same products. But if you do take the products they provide for free or for $1, then you are more likely to later buy the product.

After testing, if you intend to buy the products later, then you obviously like the products. They will want to know what exactly you like about the products.

If you decide you won't be buying the cosmetics in the future, again they'll want to know how they can improve their cosmetics range. In short your opinion matters.

2- Market Stimulation

The cosmetics firm may be stimulating the market for a new product. So you will get a whole bunch of small samples or may be even full sized products. And if you're happy with the products, you will of course rave about it to all your frineds. Hey look, we all like to talk about the latest, biggest, best, most unusual, luxurious, etc, experiences we've had.

This is an age old technique used in marketing and you can benefit by knowing where to look and getting a regular supply of top brand cosmetics. Sometimes all it will takes is giving your opinion.

There are even times when the cosmetics firms will invite you to take part in their focus groups. In return for your detailed opinions the benefits can be huge.

When I say detailed, I mean you may have to fill in a 5 page form for example. They'll want to know what you thought of everything. The packaging, the product and even the way the cosmetics range was presented to you. Your rewards can be significant.

3- Marketing Boost

There are times when a cosmetics range has been around for a while and is well established. Even thought this cosmetics range is well liked, the newer competition and competitive marketing may be taking some customers away.

Many cosmetics firms run campaigns to give a bit of a boost to their existing ranges. This is why you often see TV and billboard advertisements for products that have been around for ages. But in those ads, they can offer free cosmetics to everyone nor can they let you touch, feel and sample the cosmetics.

Therefore the free offers are made through other means and the Internet has made this much easier and cheaper than ever. The result is that you too can benefit significantly as I will show you next.

How? Well, the free cosmetics products aren't advertised on the TV but they are widely publicized on the web. This makes it really easy for you to find them. There are specialist web sites that will list these offers for you.

Some offers last a long time and others come and go quickly. But by looking at these specialist sites you can pick and choose what you want when you want it.

All you need do is to conduct a search for the following terms: "free cosmetics", "cosmetics offers", "free cosmetics offers". But also try two variations:

A) Try repeating the above searches, each time replacing the term "cosmetics" with your preferred brand name(s).

B) Do as In A) but instead of replacing, try inserting your preferred rand name(s) in between "free" and "cosmetics" or before "cosmetics offers".

I have two more quick tips for you:

A) Firstly, read the details of the terms carefully. If they are asking you to jump through too many hoops and mailing it difficult for you to get the cosmetics then just move on.

"How much is too much" depends on you. You may find 15 minutes of form filling is great for what's being offered or you may hate giving your opinion for even 5 minutes, for $100 worth of products. In the end the choice is yours but read the details first.

B) Secondly, some cosmetics offers require your email address. This is not a bad thing as you may get those invites to participate in their focus groups etc.

Don't worry all the reputable brands will immediately remove you from their list any time you wish. All you do is click the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of their emails.

However, I suggest you set up a separate email account for this purpose. This means your offers are always clearly visible to you all in one place. Also the offers won't clutter your inbox for your private mail.

This also enables you to quickly participate in some offers. After they send you an offer, if the cosmetics offer is good, then you can read the details. This saves you a lot of time wastage before you opt in.

Which ever email address you use, make sure you add the sender's address to your address book or white list so that your ISP doesn't filter the offers into your junk mail folder.

Well, that's about it. By tapping into one of these sites you get a regular supply of your favorite cosmetics free of charge. And at times, all it can take is your valued opinion.

Are Your Cosmetics Safe?

Cosmetics are defined in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as:

(1) articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance, and

(2) articles intended for use as a component of any such articles; except that such term shall not include soap.

In the United States, cosmetics are being used by teens at a younger and younger age, and cosmetic safety has become quite an issue. Cosmetics can become contaminated with bacteria that the brush or applicator sponge picks up from the skin.  Wearing cosmetics to bed, sharing cosmetics, scratching yourself with a mascara wand, and aerosol fumes are the top dangers of cosmetic use.

The most irritating ingredients in cosmetics are talc, dye, fragrance and preservatives.  It is unfortunate that the preservatives which prevent bacterial build-up are also very bad for your skin.

It is not surprising, therefore, that there is an increased interest in natural and organic cosmetics.  The two main categories of safer cosmetics are mineral cosmetics and hypoallergenic cosmetics.

Mineral Cosmetics

Mineral cosmetics are quickly coming out of dermatologist clinics and high-end spas to retailer near you.  Certified organic products and non-toxic makeup are becoming more mainstream as they demonstrate that they are as effective as those of the leading cosmetic companies.  Women who use mineral cosmetics are said to experience fewer break-outs, as they are not affected by chemical preservatives.

This natural makeup is the simplest, most natural, and non-reactive form of cosmetics.  Mineral cosmetics are made from minerals and inorganic pigments that exist in nature. Because it is not made from organic materials it cannot produce bacteria and there is no need to add chemical preservatives.  Endless combinations of beautifully colored minerals, such as mica, titanium dioxide, zinc and iron oxides, and ultramarine pigments, can be used. These elemets are created to make every cosmetic from foundation to eyeshadow to shimmer powder for the body. They are finely milled and purified, treated or coated with other pigments to create different colors and effects.  Mica, for example, is a transparent mineral which is mined from the earth in thin sheets.  Due to the sheer, translucent, and skin-hugging effect of the mica mineral, your natural skin tone shines through.

With mineral makeup you get all of the coverage, color, and finesse, without the chemicals, synthetics, and dyes.  Mineral foundation looks and feels much more natural, without sacrificing any of the coverage.  It allows the skin to breathe while balancing and protecting all skin types.  The light mineral powders let skin breathe naturally and it does not settle into pores.  If you've ever had trouble finding a foundation that matches your skin tone or locating that perfect eyeshadow color, you will love mineral cosmetics.

Hypoallergenic Cosmetics

Hypoallergenic cosmetics are products that makers claim cause fewer allergic reactions than other products. They are a greathelp to those with sensitive skin.  Hypoallergenic cosmetics contain a minimum of allergenic ingredients, such as perfumes and preservatives, which will cause skin irritation and other allergic reactions.

However, there is a controversy about the labeling of hypoallergenic cosmetics.  Manufacturers of cosmetics labeled as hypoallergenic are not required to submit substantiation of their hypoallergenic claims to the Food and Drug Administration, (FDA).  For the past four years, the FDA has been working to clear up this confusion of claims by establishing testing requirements that would determine which products really are hypoallergenic.  A cosmetic would be permitted to be labeled hypoallergenic or make similar claims only if scientific studies on human subjects showed that the product caused a significantly lower rate of adverse skin reactions than similar products not making such claims.

The manufacturers would be responsible for carrying out the required tests.  The guidelines have not been finalized yet, and manufacturers may continue to label their cosmetics as hypoallergenic without any supporting evidence.  Undoubtedly most products that claim to be hypoallergenic actually are, but be an intelligent consumer; read labels carefully, do some studying yourself, and do not rely solely on manufacturers claims.

Consumers concerned about allergic reactions from cosmetics should understand that no cosmetic can be guaranteed never to produce an allergic reaction.  Even products that have natural ingredients can cause allergic reactions.  If you have an allergy to certain plants or animals, then you may have an allergic reaction to cosmetics containing them.  If you do have an allergic reaction to a cosmetic, you should stop using all cosmetics until you and your doctor can determine which ingredient or combination of ingredients caused the reaction.  Even if you have used a particular cosmetic for years with no problems, you can develop an allergic reaction.  This occurs as you become sensitized to one or more of the ingredients.

The Benefits Of Cosmetic Dentistry

In today's quest for beauty and eternal youth cosmetic dentistry is emerging into the forefront.  Many patients are choosing to utilize the many different procedures of cosmetic dentistry to improve the look of their smile.  While cosmetic dentistry does take into account the treatment of dental problems and even the prevention of dental problems the main focus is on improving the appearance of a patient's smile.  While cosmetic dentistry is not a modern day Fountain of Youth there are significant benefits to using cosmetic surgery. A wise consumer will consider the issue from all sides.  While it would be imprudent to state there are no drawbacks to cosmetic dentistry as of today most patients report being happy with the outcome of their procedures.  The field of cosmetic dentistry has many benefits.   Here are just a few-

1. Obviously the biggest benefit to cosmetic dentistry is that it produces results.  Patients who just a few years ago may have had to be satisfied with chipped, cracked or broken teeth can now have that fixed.  Teeth that have been deeply discolored can be whitened.  In fact most types of dental defects can be corrected with cosmetic dentistry. Cosmetic dentistry can even reduce signs of aging and leave the patient with a more vibrant and youthful appearance.  It can also repair dental damage caused by trauma, illness, infection, developmental abnormalities, or heredity.

2. Since cosmetic surgery is so successful it can leave the patient not only with a more attractive physical appearance but an improved psychological outlook as well.  Many patients report battling years of low self-esteem that is reversed when these types of dental problems are corrected or covered up.  They report being more comfortable not only with themselves but with others they have relationships with.

3. With the exception of patients who live in extreme rural or remote areas cosmetic dentistry is fairly accessible.  Unlike other specialties of cosmetic surgery, cosmetic dentistry has become fairly widespread even in smaller urban areas.  While many dentists choose to specialize in cosmetic dentistry most of the procedures of cosmetic dentistry are not beyond the scope of general dentists.  This leaves the possibility of utilizing cosmetic dentistry much more open to a wider segment of the population.

4. While it would be dishonest to say cosmetic dentistry is cheap the price of many procedures used in cosmetic dentistry is coming down.  This enables many more patients to be able to benefit from cosmetic dentistry.  In addition many dental insurances are choosing to cover cosmetic dentistry procedures when done to help with structural reasons.  Patients considering cosmetic dentistry should check with their insurance company to see if procedures are covered.

5. Cosmetic dentistry has long lasting effects.  Unlike many other cosmetic procedures many cosmetic dental procedures can last as long as upwards of 10 years.  This is a huge benefit to patients as it limits the amount of money and time that must be committed to maintaining whatever procedure that has been done.

6. The recovery time from cosmetic dentistry is fairly short.  Many other cosmetic procedures require a lengthy recovery time and involve a great amount of pain.  Most patients using cosmetic dentistry report not only a short recovery time but very little pain in the recovery.  In addition the success rate for these procedures is quite high with some studies showing success rates on cosmetic dental procedures up into the 90th percentile.

As with any other medical decision patients should weigh both the pros and cons and then make the decision that is right for them.   But the bottom line is dental technology has provided a fast, efficient and relatively cost efficient way to improve our smiles by the use of cosmetic dentistry.

Dangers of Cosmetics

Hi there, are you a regular user of cosmetics? Do you know that there are certain dangers associated with the use of cosmetics? Just like there are pros and cons in everything you do, the use of cosmetics can lead to danger in some cases or just hazardous to health, if you are using the wrong type of cosmetics or you are using bad and harmful cosmetics.

First of all, there is a saying do not drink and drive. It is not good when you have drunk alcohol above the legal prescribed limit but decide to drive after that. Similarly, drivers should also know that the use of handphones is not safe for driving. I know you may have also seen Mr Bean wake up in the morning and brush his teeth, change into his work clothes (including putting on his pants and socks) while driving.

While this may seem quite out of this world and may not happen, I think putting on cosmetics while driving may seem to be quite a real thing, hence there is some dangers associated with this and I would advise you to refrain from driving and putting on cosmetics at the same time!

Another danger of cosmetics is if you use cosmetics which has already turned bad and has turned bad and cannot be used anymore. If your cosmetics smells funny or looks funny, i.e. the colour has faded or instead of one colour you now see two colours, it may be an indication that the cosmetics is not to be used anymore. Always remember to close your make-up containers tight when you are not using the make-up.

This will help to preserve the make up and the cosmetics. In addition, do store your cosmetics in a cool dry place. Do not leave your cosmetics in an area which is exposed to sunlight or constant heat. Sunlight and heat can kill the preservatives used in the cosmetics that are added to preserve it and to kill off fight bacteria. That said, if your car is parked under the hot sun for several hours, it is best not to keep your cosmetics in the car while you are not on the road.

Oh another point is never to share your cosmetics and make-up with other people. This is due to personal hygiene reasons and is simple common sense really. Just like you do not share your clothes, towels or personal toiletries with others, please also do not share your cosmetics also. Beware too when you try out samples at a departmental store and always use a new sponge to apply these cosmetics. Please also do not apply the cosmetics directly to your lips, eyes, etc. It is best just to test it out on the skin of your hands.

How Cosmetic Brushes Affect Acne

Acne can be an extremely irritating, frustrating and embarrassing problem. Often women tend to blame their cosmetics or their diets, but sometimes the real cause of the problem can be something a little unexpected - your make-up brushes.

Cosmetic brushes are used more and more these days with the increasing popularity of high-end cosmetic use and mineral make-up. Generally using a quality cosmetic brush is much better to use in terms of overall cosmetic application and end result than using your fingers or a piece of tissue. However, you need to remember that without regular and thorough cleaning, cosmetic brushes can and often do harbour bacteria and dirt.

Your cosmetic brushes can contain millions of little bacteria and can cause various infections and skin problems such as acne. If you have been breaking-out often lately then take a look at your cosmetic brushes and see if they are as clean as they could be.

Think about it. When you wake-up each and every single morning you are putting your make-up on with your cosmetic brushes. You place them back in your bottomless make-up bag or your drawer and leave them there until the next time you apply your make-up. You may also occasionally set your cosmetic brushes on your sink which may not be pristine. Perhaps they momentarily fall on the floor. You might not be able to bring yourself to throw away that discontinued blush (now expired as well) that you have had for 3 years now.

Your counter, drawer, cosmetic bag, floor and potentially expired cosmetics can all deposit bacteria into your cosmetic brush which you, in turn, brush on your face. Day after day you are potentially buffing bacteria picked up from dirty surfaces bags and floors onto your face, infecting your skin and clogging up your pores at the same time.

What Should You Do to Protect Your Skin? So now that you know your brushes could be a problem, what should you do to help your skin? There are many cosmetic brush cleaners on the market. Some are washes that resemble a shampoo and others are alcohol based sprays. If you use one of these products keep in mind that any chemical based residue from the cleaner could end up on your face. If your skin is sensitive this could further irritate you.

Want to really clean your cosmetic bushes? A good wash will really help.

1. First rinse each cosmetic brush under warm water to remove the superficial cosmetics from the brush.

2. Place a dot of natural, gentle shampoo on the bristle of each cosmetic brush and massage between your fingers.

3. Fill the bathroom sink with warm water and place the cosmetic brushes in there to soak for a few minutes.

4. Once the cosmetic brushes have had a chance to soak, rinse each brush under warm running water.

5. Dry each brush by first gently squeezing out any excess water.

6. Allow the brushes to air dry on a clean towel.

If your brushes are really dirty then it is possible that they may have contaminated your make-up, regardless how well your make-up is preserved. If you suspect this, throw away your cosmetics and replace them with new products. Always use a clean brush with a new product to ensure that you aren't contaminating the new product.

Also, remember that the majority of cosmetics don't have an indefinite shelf life so be sure to mark the date with a pen when you first open your cosmetics and throw them away when you have reached the standard expiration date.

Overall cosmetic brushes really do come in handy but their usefulness is entirely counterproductive to creating that flawless look if they are causing acne or skin issues. Acne is just one of the many skin conditions you can develop through dirty brushes and so it really is important to keep them as clean as possible. Rinse all your cosmetic brushes under running water at least once a week and wash them properly as mentioned above at least once a month to prevent possible infections.

Choosing Cosmetic Dentist

Today more than ever, the choice of a cosmetic dentist is a critical decision that should be made with the utmost care. So how do you choose a cosmetic dentist? After all, in today's marketplace, many general dentists perform at least some types of cosmetic dental procedures. Over the past few years, there has been a dramatic influx of "cosmetic dentists" into the field so much so that in the industry, being a "cosmetic dentist" is almost a cliche?. . . passe?. Why? Because these days, any general dentist who does things as simple as whitening teeth can claim to be a cosmetic dentist. So when someone is looking to get a Hollywood smile, what should they expect? After all, aren't all dentists the same?

Choosing the right cosmetic dentist for you, one with substantial experience in complex cases, extensive hands-on training, and a gentle approach that compliments your needs and wants is critical to achieving the most successful outcome - your gorgeous new smile. Educated and discerning people will realize that most "cosmetic dentistry," (if done properly), is complex and a precise set of operative procedures that will dramatically affect their lives for years to come.

Selecting a cosmetic dentist can be a difficult and confusing process. In the end, it is a personal decision that each person must make for themselves. We can, however, offer some advice, which our clients have found helpful during the selection process. From discussions with our clients, we believe the most important of these tips include the following:

1. Take Your Time.

Most cosmetic dental procedures are elective procedures, not emergencies. Time spent learning about the dental procedures, different techniques and materials, and cosmetic dentists you are considering will pay great dividends in terms of your understanding and emotional comfort later. If in doubt, see a number of different cosmetic dentists for a consultation. This will clarify in your own mind those personal characteristics that you would like your cosmetic dentists to have.

2. Post Graduate Cosmetic Dental Training.

To perform these procedures at the highest level; technical skill, an artistic eye, and a rigorous program of post-graduate training in cosmetic dentistry is needed. It may surprise you to learn that the vast majority of dental schools don't teach any courses in cosmetic dentistry. For the few that do, they are usually limited to only a few introductory courses. Your mouth is not the place for on-the-job training. Therefore, it is crucial that the cosmetic dentist that you select continually completes series of hands-on courses in cosmetic dentistry. The field changes rapidly and what was state-of-the-art five or ten years ago is not anymore. In depth training is essential to learn the latest techniques and materials to get optimal results. The significance lies not only in developing the dentist's clinical judgment and technical skill, but also in demonstrating his/her commitment to practicing cosmetic dentistry at the highest level of excellence.

3. Professional Credentials.

In dentistry as in medicine, specialties exist that indicate a higher level of education, knowledge, and expertise in particular areas of focus. Presently, however, there is not an American Dental Association (ADA) recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry. In 1984, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) was formed and has filled the need for credentialing in this area. Presently, with 5,000 members in the U.S and in 40 countries around the world, the AACD is the largest international dental organization dedicated specifically to the art and science of cosmetic dentistry. The AACD also administers the leading accreditation program for cosmetic dentistry. The accreditation process is a rigorous program, which requires dentists to attend a number of continuing education courses in cosmetic dentistry, be tested, and submit a number of cosmetic cases to be judged by a panel of cosmetic dentistry experts.

4. Integrity.

Find a cosmetic dentist who is honest in his/her assessment of your needs and of their ability to meet your expectations. Be wary of the doctor minimizing your recovery period and telling you just how "easy and simple" everything is going to be.

5. A Caring Approach & Great Communication.

Find a doctor with a good chairside manner who conveys to you that they care about you as a person as well as a client. Cosmetic dentistry is a process not a single operation. Find someone with whom you can talk easily. It is just as important that he/she understands what you desire as that you understand what they are describing. To accomplish these goals, the first thing the cosmetic dentist should do is listen and make sure he or she understands all your concerns, needs and desires as they relate to your dental health and the look of your smile. Only then should they spend time diagnosing and consulting on the recommended treatment plan, which should be individualized for each client.

6. Perfectionism.

Find a cosmetic dentist who is accurate in his/her evaluation of your needs, precise in the execution of their operative plan, and meticulous in their craftsmanship. Although perfection is unattainable, this doctor will do whatever it takes to do the best job possible without cutting corners, not only to satisfy you, but also to meet their own personal standards of excellence. Make sure the dentist addresses not just the teeth but also gums, lips, facial structure and your specific requests.

7. An Artistic Eye.

While technical virtuosity is necessary to produce a great clinical result, it is not sufficient.
Excellent cosmetic dentistry demands a highly sophisticated aesthetic sense. In order to achieve an optimal aesthetic result, one must have a clear vision of what is artistically possible and appropriate. In this regard, it helps greatly if the cosmetic dentist has their own in-house laboratory with master ceramists. These special artists can then see you as the client first hand, see your facial complexion and shape and talk with you and the dentist about the desired aesthetic results.

8. Extensive Smile Makeover Experience.

Before you randomly select a dentist out of the phone book or rely on your long-time family dentist to give you the smile makeover of your dreams, think again. Great cosmetic dentistry is an art. The fact is, many dentists are generalists who simply have not performed cosmetic smile makeovers very many times or with a regularity that leads to mastery of this art. So, if you are considering veneers, for example, you should ask exactly how many veneers the cosmetic dentist has placed. Our doctors have placed not just a few or even a few hundred like many dentists, but rather place thousands of veneers a year. Placing this number of veneers allows our dentists to see a wide variety of many different types of smiles and bring this experience and expertise to enhance your case.

9. Be Sure You Review Before and After Photos of Work Performed by the Cosmetic Dentist.

You'll want to look at before and after photos of cosmetic dentistry that has actually been performed by the dentist that you are considering. Beware! There are commercially available photos and albums that show the possibilities for cosmetic dentistry. But, what you want to confirm is that you are seeing the actual work of the dentist you are considering and make sure that the before photos you look at are also cases similar to yours.

10. Other Things You May Want to Consider.

References from other clients, a tour of the office including sterilization areas, and asking about technology and materials used in the practice are all things you may want to look into. You may also want to check with the state to verify that the dentist does not have a history of complaints or adverse State Dental Board action. In New York, you can do this by logging onto the New York Secretary of State' website at [http://www.sos.state.ny.us].

Cosmetic Dentist Directories

Cosmetic dentist directories are web based services offering a fast, efficient way for finding a cosmetic dentist who practices dental aesthetics and dental restorations. These are designed to provide you and your family an opportunity for finding the right dental professional in your area. In these directories, the dentists are listed by location including state or city. Both free and downloadable cosmetic dentist directories are available.

Cosmetic dentists include oral surgeons, periodontists, endodontists, orthodontists, and prosthetic dental practitioners. They provide many types of services such as porcelain veneers, revitalizing cosmetic dentistry, bridges, fresh breath treatment, metal-free fillings, tooth whitening, crowns, and instant orthodontics.

For finding cosmetic dentists, you can search directly by name, map, zip code, or specialty. All the important cosmetic dentistry procedures and dentists' newsletters that emphasize the professional care and services are also included in these directories. These also contain articles and information that assist you to find a local professional dentist who fits your needs.

In most cosmetic dentist directories, the dentists listed are licensed to practice cosmetic dentistry. The directories provide their level of education, experience, and expertise when working with complex dental procedures. Most cosmetic dentist directories are updated daily, so you can collect the most updated listings.

In the field of cosmetic dentistry, not all cosmetic dentists are equally skilled. Many of the more talented cosmetic dentists simply advertise as general dentists. Usually, they avoid emphasizing the cosmetic area of their dental practice. But some dentists who advertise cosmetic dentistry are really no more talented than a standard dentist. But they charge a premium fee for all cosmetic dental work. For these reasons, before selecting a cosmetic dentist, consider some very important facts.

Cosmetic dentist directories are public recourses assisting you to find cosmetic dentists who are qualified to provide a high standard quality at a fair cost. Some cosmetic dentist directories give additional information about available dentists and a map of their office locations.

A Look at The Hunger Games Movie

The Hunger Games movie is set to be a worldwide phenomenon as the book trilogy hooked a lot of fans and the movie is sure to attract even more. Some people are even comparing The Hunger Games to Twilight and Harry Potter.

The first movie is set to be released on March 28 and there are theaters that have already sold out for the premier showing.

If you haven't read books you may not have any idea what the story is all about. Before you head off to see the movie, read on to learn more about this series and what the movie has in store for you.

The Hunger Games Plot

As mentioned the movie is based off The Hunger Games trilogy books by Suzanne Collins. The first book in the series is called "The Hunger Games."

The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world called Panem, which is where the current North American continent is located. The Capitol rules over all of the nation and is a very advanced state.

Each year The Capitol holds the Hunger Games, which pulls boys and girls from the ages of 12-18 from each of the 12 districts in Panem to compete in a survival of the fittest game in which only one person lives. The girls and boys are pulled from a lottery and everything is televised for everyone to watch.

The story follows Katniss Everdeen, who is from district 12 as she volunteers to take her younger sister Primrose's spot in the Hunger Games. The other tribute from district 12 is Peeta Mellark, who Katniss knows from school.

The movie follows the preparation of the tributes for the games as well as the actual game of life and death. There are twists and turns as Katniss, Peeta, and the other tributes try to stay alive in this game of survival. katniss ends up being more than just a girl trying to save her younger sister.

Although the movie deals with the survival of the fittest it does dive into politics and the control that The Capitol has over the entire nation and how they treat the people.

The Movie Cast

Here is a list of the main characters in the movie and the actors and actresses who will be portraying them in the movie.

Katniss Everdeen - Jennifer Lawrence

Peeta Mellark - Josh Hutcherson

Primrose Everdeen - Willow Shields

Gale Hawthorne - Liam Hemsworth

Haymitch Abernathy - Woody Harrelson

President Snow - Donald Sutherland

Caesar Flickerman - Stanley Tucci

Effie Trinket - Elizabeth Banks

The Hunger Games Sequels

There are already plans for the release of 3 more movies based off the trilogy. The next movie which will be Catching Fire is planned to be releases on November 22, 2013. It has been reported that the main cast including Lawrence, Hutcherson and Harrelson have signed on for all 4 movies. It would appear that the last book may be split into 2 movies.

Is "Head Hunger" a Loophole for Failure After Weight Loss Surgery?

Spend time listening to the talk among weight loss surgery patients and you're bound to hear the expression "head hunger." It's a popular term to describe a mental craving for food versus a physical hunger. Patients who regain weight and are not compliant with the dietary rules established by their bariatric centers often claim the head hunger was too powerful and forced them to eat foods known to cause weight gain or known to slow weight loss.  Foods such as pretzels, chips, sweets, pastas and baked goods are against the rules of weight loss surgery, yet these are the foods patients eat when suffering from head hunger.

The nature of the gastric bypass or lap-band weight loss surgery reduces physical appetite during the initial months following weight loss surgery. Most patients report a complete loss of physical appetite which of course is one of the components that makes weight loss surgery successful.

So why are so many patients regaining weight or stalling before reaching their weight loss goal?  Head hunger.  It seems to be the loophole that enables a patient to break the rules and not take responsibility for non-compliance.

While I understand there is an emotional attachment to food I also say using the head hunger loophole is self-defeating and unnecessary. Successful patients do not use the term nor do they indulge "head hunger."

Prior to WLS patients had another kind of "Head Hunger"- head hunger to lose weight, to be healthier, to be more attractive. That head hunger was so extreme nights were spent lying awake plotting the next argument to the insurance company, defending their personal obesity crisis and fighting for this miracle of modern medicine. Head hunger? THAT was head hunger.

It seems counterintuitive that patients who fought so hard for to have WLS now want to say "Oh, I'm so hungry for chocolate cake or Alfredo sauce or XYZ, just this once it's OK - I deserve one little treat!" This thinking is exactly what got us to morbid obesity in the first place! I say, forget about food head hunger - do not indulge it for one minute. Instead focus head hunger on the lighter, more attractive more confident person you fought to become. The chocolate cake is nothing, it has no power. Forget about it, it just doesn't matter anymore.

The Six Types of Hunger

Most people just think hunger is just hunger but sadly this a gross oversimplification. There are in fact six types of hunger. It is vital you understand what these all are otherwise you will find yourself addressing the wrong causes of your eating and be left wondering why you cannot control your eating.

In my experience the non emotional reasons account for way over 50% of most peoples' cravings and in some case 100%. This means that you may be blaming yourself for being weak willed and a bad person when the truth is you are simply miscalculating what you should eat.

The six types of hunger do not need to happen independently of each other. They can combine. When this happens you will find it very difficult to resist any temptations that come your way.

Normal hunger -

Natural hunger is a calm desire for food. It builds gradually and evenly. It can usually be battled against fairly easily until it rises to a high level. This is a natural feeling which should be listened to, this hunger will always be present throughout your life. This hunger is countered by eating an ideal meal for your body metabolic type® and ensuring you eat regularly.

The goal of any programme to get into shape should be to create a situation where this is the only type of hunger you experience in your life. When this is the case you will feel calm, controlled and have an easy relationship with food.

Water hunger -

A thirst for water is almost indistinguishable from a normal hunger feeling. It usually grows gradually and evenly. It will be like normal hunger in that it is a fairly calm request on the body and you can easily manage it. However, if you keep eating instead of drinking water when you are water hungry you may find yourself continually eating.

It should be pointed out that a water hunger is not the same as feeling thirsty. When hydration levels drop significantly and you will crave water. This is easy to spot. A water hunger is when you are slightly dehydrated but not enough to feel thirsty and hence you can confuse the signal as hunger.

This type of hunger is easily countered by drinking regularly water throughout the day. Ideally you would have some water every hour. Small quantities but regularly works best for the body. Look to consume around 200ml per hour. (just under half a pint) of pure water.

Cell energy hunger -

A cell energy hunger is one of the most common causes of hunger and perhaps the biggest reason people wrongly blame their eating on emotions when it is in fact biochemical.

A cell energy hunger comes when you eat a meal with the incorrect ratio of Protein: Carbohydrates: fat for your body. When this happens you will get a hunger feeling, often in the form of a sugar craving, anywhere from 15 minutes up to 3 hours after eating.

The hunger will appear quickly and can become very strong. The feeling is uncomfortable and there is a real desire for food. It is not in your head. Resistance to this hunger is difficult. You should not beat yourself up for eating poor foods in this state but I would beat myself up for letting it happen in the first place.

The best way to counter this is to eat each meal with the correct ratio of Protein: carbohydrates: fat for your body. This can be found out through experimentation and using food reaction forms.

Blood sugar hunger -

This is perhaps the most powerful hunger of them all. When your blood sugar levels drop below a certain value your hormone system begins to kick in to regulate your metabolism. This puts an unwelcome sress on your body long term and in the short term produces some very strong food cravings and hunger. The onset is fast. When certain values are hit in the blood glucose you will be hungry and this will come with a massive sugar craving.

Resistance to blood sugar cravings is very difficult. It is not just a natural hunger, but it comes with the body in a biochemical panic as low blood sugar means the brain may not get enough fuel and this is the highest priority for the body.

Most people associate blood sugar with diabetes and hyperglycemia. However, a large percentage of the population suffer with the other end of the problem with their blood sugar dropping too low (hypoglycemia) or find their levels are just too unstable and hence they are often fighting this hunger feeling.

Anyone suffering low blood sugar hunger should not be harsh on themselves for eating rubbish but should focus on how it got to the state of being low in the first place.

Low blood sugar problems can be resolved in the short term by eating regularly and ensuring you are eating in accordance to you following your ideal ratio of protein: carbohydrates: fat. However, blood sugar metabolism is a sign of many different biochemical inputs. Long term resolution of this needs to comes from addressing your body's function from the base up.

Addictive substance hunger -

An addictive substance hunger is another cause of a hunger feeling. This can come from non nutritional sources such as a smoker's withdrawal symptoms or from the removal of a food substance, e.g. sugar, wheat etc.

This hunger lies in the background, it is not a strong hunger like cell energy or blood sugar hungers but it operating at a consistent low level in the background. It is a sort of uneasy hunger feeling. The hunger neither comes nor goes, it is just there, in the background.

This type of hunger does not last too long, it occurs only when you are withdrawing from the addictive substance. During this time the feelings are fairly manageable as long as they are accompanied by the right mind set and you are free from cell energy, blood sugar or emotional hungers. The strange thing about the withdrawal hunger is it is specific to the person who has the addiction.

A non smoker does not withdraw against not smoking and neither does someone who does not eat sugar. Whatever you experience in terms of withdrawal hungers it will soon pass and you will barely notice it if you are addressing just this and normal hunger during the withdrawal process.

Where withdrawal pangs get their false impression as some huge barrier to succumb is when they are accompanied with the other types of hunger and a resentment towards giving up. This is then coupled with the many false beliefs about the substance and what it used to 'provide' you with. This accumulates into the 'difficulty' most people perceive with giving something up.

Emotional hunger -

True emotional hunger has nothing to do with nutritional cravings. An emotional craving has a very fast onset, often instantaneously. It is usually difficult to battle if you are unaware of your thought processes. Emotional eating can take many forms.

You see a picture of a chocolate bar in a magazine and all of a sudden you are craving it. You receive a phone call that makes you angry and immediately you are snacking on some biscuits. Often it is so subtle you will not notice the link, as you have this behaviour so ingrained.

You speak to someone about money then immediately you are having a cake. You meet someone who reminds you of a person from your past and you descend into a night of drinking. Often emotional behaviours are habits over pure emotional nutritional needs. Your husband comes home so you open the wine together, you meet your friends in the coffee shop for a cake and a catch up.

The interplay of the different hungers -

Most people just view hunger as hunger. However the six different hungers need to be separated out into their individual components. The different types merge together to form the general term most people describe as hunger.

It is when you experience more than one hunger that most people crack and end up eating rubbish. The most powerful combination is an emotional hunger and any other hunger in combination together.

Physiologically the worst hungers come from a combination of cell energy hunger and low blood sugar. I would defy anyone to not eat rubbish in this situation. Yet plenty of people go on day after day in this state. So no wonder they are eating rubbish foods.

It should be pointed out that hunger varies greatly between individuals. This is due to biochemical individuality. As a result you may find you are strongly affected by cell and blood sugar hunger which means you are always eating. Other people who know you may not experience these as much or at all and thus will wonder what your problem is, do not worry about what they think. They do not have any understanding of how these hungers feel and if they were to experience it they would behave similarly to you.

If you are someone who is confused by such people then the best description would be imagine really needing to go to the toilet while sitting in a room with 6 free cubicles. You can hold out for a while but it is only a matter of time before you cave in.

The key thing is for you to not allow situations where more than one hunger can hit you in combination. This is done by prevention. If you have a water hunger and a cell energy hunger, a withdrawal hunger and emotional hunger, natural hunger and blood sugar hunger they all spell disaster. Prevent these by drinking water, eating with the right amounts of protein: carbs: fat and regularly.

Weight Loss and Controlling Hunger

Secrets to Recognizing Hunger

The most important step for you to be able to control your hunger and cravings is to learn the difference between true hunger (being hungry is normal) and the numerous emotions we all have that we confuse for being hungry. Once we understand this basic concept, making changes is much easier. Thinking about being hungry only creates more feelings of hunger. Focusing on finding alternative foods that satisfy hunger shifts the mindset away from destructive to more constructive thinking and, therefore, more positive actions.

If you feel hungry all the time, your brain is definitely misinterpreting the signals and cues for real hunger. The real feeling of hunger does not occur all day, but only at times when the body is in real need of food. The following is a list of some of the emotional, and also external, cues telling us to eat and eat and that you should try to minimize:

Here is mental "check sheet" to see why you might be hungry:

1. Am I thirsty and not really hungry?

2. Did I skip a meal? Did I eat a meal that was too small?

3. Did I eat drinks or foods high in sugar?

4. Is it really hunger or stress, boredom, depression or anxiety?

5. It's normal to be hungry 5 hours after a meal and 2 hours after a snack.

Hunger and cravings are the result of brain chemicals telling us to eat or not to eat. Hunger is not a will power issue!

Simply recall the 1940s and 50s to see the effects of external signals on eating patterns. Back then, people did not have the difficulty with weight control, fast food was virtually nonexistent, and food portions were smaller. The rapid increase of obesity is a result of increased stress in our daily lives combined with external signals and cues to eat that surround us all day.

Stress is thought to be a major cause of overeating. However, numerous studies yield inconclusive results. Stress in the workplace is associated with overeating in two studies, and with less eating in two other studies. Stress at the time of college examinations has shown mixed results. In fact, the nature of the stress may play the most important role in overeating. Major stress appears to cause less eating and minor stress may cause increased frequent in our lives than "minor stressors"-possibly a significant reason for the preponderance of overeating.

Along with the type of stress, the type of foods desired while under stress plays an important role in overeating. people usually crave sweet or salty snack foods over meal-type foods, such as meat, vegetables, or fruits. Sweet and salty snacks are high in calories and rarely satisfy hunger, but create the need for more, regardless of whether a true physiological need exists. Stress-related eating leads to long-term weight problems and additional emotional problems.

Fatigue. Some people cannot distinguish between hunger and fatigue. When they're fatigued, they can be just as hungry after a large meal as they would be if they hadn't eaten for a whole day. A 1999 study at the University of Chicago found that sleeping only four hours a night for four days resulted in a decrease in metabolism and an increase in hunger.

Boredom, Depression, and Anxiety. These psychological problems are well-known causes of overeating. Since the signal to eat is not the absence of food or low blood sugar, food will not change the situation, and in a few minutes the individual is searching for even more comfort food. What to do? The first step is to say to yourself, "Am I eating because I am bored?" If so, you know that a cookie or two will not change the situation. Tell yourself, "I am going for a walk, I'll play on the computer, or even watch an old movie on TV. If I have the feeling in 20 minutes, I'll just get that cookie." If it's depression and anxiety, you need to take care of the situation. In the meantime, go shopping and get some low-calorie, portion-controlled snacks. Doing a little exercise will certainly help as well.

Habits, time triggers, and behavior patterns are among the most common triggers for what is perceived as hunger. Overweight people use their eyes to count calories and not their stomachs. Years ago, scientists believed that the body knew when to stop eating. However, in this era of unlimited access to very pleasant, comforting food, this ability may no longer hold true for many people. More than 60% of overweight individuals are habitual plate-cleaners: they eat everything on a plate

High sugar foods trigger hunger: Foods and drinks high in rapidly absorbed sugars such as soft drinks, juices,

and sports drinks cause almost instant hunger as blood sugar rises and falls. Other foods with sugar or those carbs easily converted to sugar also produce unusual amounts of hunger.

Skipping a meal causes hunger: The real reasons for not skipping meals has nothing to do with changing metabolism and a lot to do with preventing blood sugar falling especially late in the afternoon which causes hunger, often in an uncontrolled manner.

Respect Your Hunger to Achieve True Weight Loss Results

There is an old adage that suggests it is a cardinal sin or extremely poor strategy to go grocery shopping when you are really hungry. Well, when it comes to losing weight, the same can be said about being really hungry period. Many dieters feel that they need to suffer through a constant state of hunger and essentially limp along all during the diet process. Nothing could be further from the truth. One major key to weight loss is being attuned to your hunger and not allowing yourself to ever get too hungry.

If we can learn to focus a little more on the hunger, we can avoid so many of the unhealthy food choices we make when we are famished. Just like the example of the hunger shopper who fills the cart to the brim with anything and everything, the super hungry person will more likely eat indiscriminately when food becomes available.

For us to reach our weight loss goals we need to reeducate ourselves to recognize hunger. Many of us, because of our work demands, have learned to ignore hunger and keep pressing. Though we have become adept at wrestling with the burdens of deadlines and finish lines, we have deadened our hunger meters in the process. What we need now is to sharpen those senses anew.

Growling stomachs, headaches or light headedness, fatigue - these are some of the most common signs of hunger. Instead of fighting through those feelings and sensations, try to focus on recognizing when they first start to crop up. If you can nip the hunger in the bud, you will be far more likely to do it with a well thought out food choice as opposed to the first thing that you lay your eyes on. Furthermore, when you are able to notice the first signs of hunger, a little healthy snack will easily quell the hunger. You will be far less likely to eat with a vengeance, as is often the case when you wait too long to eat.

Don't wait for more than 15 to 20 minutes to eat once you have noticed the onset of hunger signs. There are some additional side benefits to eating before you are too hungry as well. Your focus will remain sharper if you refuel in little fueling stops along the way. You will be far more successful in meeting your deadlines by not suffering through the symptoms of being overly hungry.

Additionally, your body will keep burning calories at a higher rate if you eat at more regular intervals. Your body is brilliant at recognizing hunger. Its response is too slow down metabolism so as to conserve its store of energy. The problem is, if you wait too long and binge later, the body has gotten used to conserving instead of burning. Recognizing hunger and responding to it will keep you focused and keep the fat burning.

Get in touch with your hunger. Give it its due and give it some healthy fuel so you can maintain your momentum on your weight loss travels.

Tips To Ward Off Hunger

If you've just started on a fat loss plan, one thing that you might deal with is the dreaded hunger demon. Things may be going well but then as soon as hunger kicks in, the willpower you once showed so strongly flies completely out the window.

So what do you do in this instance? What's the best way to stay on your plan?

Below are the top methods that you can use to outsmart hunger and keep yourself on track.

Drink Some Hot Green Tea

First things first, one of the best methods to battle hunger is to simply sip on some green tea. Not only will green tea help to promote numerous health benefits with its antioxidant content, but it'll also help to boost your metabolic rate slightly as well.

Green tea will quickly fill your stomach and the hot liquid tends to calm hunger pains better than anything else.

Start With Some Soup

Second, another idea to help ward off hunger is to start each meal with vegetable broth-based soup. This is going to help to fill your stomach up, reducing your craving for more food. Since vegetable soup is so low in calories at only 30-50 per cup, you can eat quite a bit of this without it impacting your total daily calorie intake.

Snack On Nuts

Don't forget about nuts. A small handful of almonds is the perfect way to take the edge off your hunger and as long as you keep the serving size down to a ¼ cup, you will have no problem integrating this into your total calorie intake.

This is a great snack if you are on the road or in the office. If you feel hunger coming on and it's a few hours until your next meal, ¼ cup of nuts will tide you over.

Fill Up With Fiber

Fiber is another powerful tool that should be used to help you fight hunger. Fiber will slow down the digestion process in the body so that you feel satisfied for a longer period of time. Fiber is found most concentrated in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, so be sure that all of these sources are included in your diet plan. If you can aim for between 20-35 grams of fiber per day, you'll be right on track with where you should be.

Keep Yourself Busy

Keeping yourself busy can also help fight hunger. There's no question that boredom can play a role in prompting you to eat so if you can keep yourself occupied and your thoughts away from food, that too can help keep away the feelings of hunger.

Get up and go for a walk, meet a friend for coffee, or take a hot bath. Do anything to get out of the kitchen and away from the pantry.

Try these great hunger-busting tips to get you started today. It will get easier over time as these tips become habits. Each small step you take adds up and will bring you closer to your goal. After a few weeks of eating healthy on your new diet approach you will find that you're naturally choosing foods that help to fill you up better without adding a high level of calories to your plan thus improving your chances of seeing ongoing weight loss success.

The Current Status of World Hunger

Where does starvation exist in the world today?  What are some of the causes of world hunger?  Are citizens of developed countries donating monetarily to the ongoing relief efforts?  In this article I will address these questions with the hope that by creating an understanding of the current world hunger situation, morally conscious individuals will do their part in contributing to an eradication of this unseen suffering.

It is a well known fact that there is enough food in the world to feed every human being on earth.  Sadly, malnutrition and hunger still afflict one out of every seven people in the world today.  Or, from a slightly different statistical perspective, the current world population is 4,712,200,000.   The number of malnourished is 797,900,000.  Therefore 17% of the world population is currently malnourished or starving.  No matter how you examine the issue, a current crisis is at hand.  Why is this so?

The causes of starvation are complex, but there are some common threads that seem to be associated with this problem.  First and foremost, starvation is caused by poverty.  To address the problem of world hunger then the problem of global poverty must be addressed.  Therefore, the question that we should examine is what are the causes of poverty.  A thorough discussion on the causes of global poverty is outside the purview of this article.  Entire textbooks have been written on the subject.   For our discussion,  it is suffice to say that one of the major causes of poverty is governments pursuing policies that inhibit self sufficiency.

Areas of starvation are also characterized by persistent problems in cultivating food from lack of seed, arable land, and tools.  Those that can grow food, must deal with insects, drought, floods, and war, which can result in complete destruction of crops.  Historically, areas of Africa have experienced periodic locusts infestations, which can completely destroy crops.

Other causes of world hunger are related to the globalize system of food production.  The globalize system of food production and trade favors a reliance on export crops while discriminating against small-scale farmers and subsistence crops.   Many third world countries export out to much food while concomitantly not keeping enough food to sustain their own people.

AIDS is a significant cause of hunger.  In societies affected by AIDS, famine is more deadly and difficult to combat.  Why is this so?  AIDS attacks the most productive individuals within society.  Fewer productive people within society means fewer individuals to work the jobs that involve food production.  This is one contributor to the starvation currently taking place in Africa.

Weather plays a major role in terms of the prevalence of starvation.  Areas of drought leads to non-useable land with subsequent famine.  This is well known.  But less well known is that floods can also lead to starvation.  Crops can be flooded and therefore destroyed, which in essence produces the same result as drought.  In both cases, weather can produce a complete lack of self sufficiency.

Military conflicts, both internal and between neighboring countries, can lead to starvation.  These conflicts can result in destruction of crops.   Government money is directed at funding the conflict at the expense of the starving people.  Funds are diverted from social and economic development.  Military conflicts can also result in the displacement of large groups of people, removing them from their farms and their way of life.  People can end up in refugee camps, completely dependent on relief aid.

The causative factors of world hunger are numerous, and certain factors change from year to year, therefore at any given time, some areas may be more prone then others.  The extent of drought, flood, internal conflicts, and war with neighboring countries can vary over time.  Therefore, these factors incorporate a variable affect on the degree to which inhabitants of susceptible countries suffer from starvation.

A combination of these causative factors in a particular region is a formula for disaster.  When this occurs, large scale starvation can take place.  A case in point.  The Horn of Africa has seen severe drought coupled with internal conflicts.  This is leading to the development of a tragedy.  In this region currently 11 million people are on the brink of starvation.

Historically, certain areas of the world have had a high prevalence of hunger and starvation.  These areas are the central region of South America, large areas of East, Central, and Southern Africa, and regions of South Asia.  As of 2006, the current hot spots, those areas which are suffering the greatest degree of starvation, are as follows:

Niger:

This area in central Africa has been struggling to cope with the devastating impact of drought and locusts infestations.

Haiti:

In this region extreme poverty has been further exacerbated by a political crisis, floods, tropical storms, and hurricanes.

Horn of Africa:

An estimated 11 million people in the Horn of Africa "are on the brink of starvation" because of severe drought and war.  Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia need food aid, water, new livestock and seeds.  This is a major hunger crisis in development.

Afghanistan:

Poverty in Afghanistan, made worse by drought, has contributed greatly to their hunger problem.

Pakistan:

The recent earthquake coupled with a severe winter have produced starvation conditions.  Recently, mud slides have hampered relief efforts.

North Korea:

Food insecurity caused by the countries economic problems, is compounded by unpredictable and severe weather conditions.  To date, the North Korean government has failed in its duty to provide for it's starving people.  The North Korean government has actually refused foreign aid.

Columbia:

A 40 year civil conflict and the illegal drug trade have caused mass displacement and poverty.

Democratic Republic of Congo:

3.4 million people have been internally displaced as a result of a continuing internal conflict.

Mali:

They are struggling to cope with the devastating impact of a recent drought.

Southern Africa:

Erratic weather, lack of seed and fertilizer, chronic poverty, and AIDS have been contributing factors to starvation.

These are the areas of the world which are currently suffering the highest levels of malnutrition and hunger.  With this understanding of where relief efforts are needed, we must address the question of individual response.  Are individuals of developed countries donating to relief efforts?  Most morally conscious individuals donate to relief efforts when the problem is presented to them.

A major problem in the relief effort is the general population of developed countries not knowing about the current hunger crisis.  News organizations, more specifically television news, are not giving enough attention to the global hunger situation.  While an in depth discussion as to the reasons for this is outside the purview of this article, a few points can be made.

Evidently, the American TV news organizations, do not think world hunger is much of a story since starvation is a daily occurrence.  I suspect, from the perspective of these news organizations, that 24,000 people per day dying from hunger is not a big enough news story.  When 1,386 people died from hurricane Katrina, the news coverage was enormous.  Five months after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, TV news organizations were still squeezing all they could out of this story.  Granted this was an obvious tragedy, but an even bigger tragedy, much bigger, is going on in Africa and the general public does not even know about it.

I have seen little to almost no coverage given by American TV news organizations on the devastating hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.  I have only learned of this crisis through RSS feeds on the Internet.  Television news organizations such as CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC are thus far not reporting on this crisis.  Hopefully this will change.

It is evident that the American TV news organizations do not really provide total and complete news, rather they screen the events and only provide what they feel may be interesting to their audience.  News organizations should present the news and concomitantly maintain high journalistic standards.  Maybe these news organizations need to incorporate a higher level of moral obligation into their decision making process, when deciding which stories to cover.  In any case, people can not donate if they do not know the problem exists.

We have addressed some key questions in order to characterize the current status of the world hunger situation. We have examined where hunger is the most prevalent in the world today, and we have identified some of the causative factors which contribute to malnutrition, hunger, and starvation.  We have concluded that most morally conscious individuals would contribute to the elimination of hunger, if they knew about the crisis.  Finally, we have observed that the degree of world hunger coverage by TV news organizations is very much lacking.

Even though TV news organizations have not been covering the current world hunger crisis, by reading this article, you have developed an understanding of the degree to which starvation is prevalent in the world today.  If you are reading this in a developed country, which is highly likely since you are reading it on a computer which has Internet access, you have a moral obligation to donate either time or money to help in the elimination of unseen suffering.  Winston Churchill once said "we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."  We must all do our part to eliminate world hunger.

Emotional Hunger and Finding Nourishment

I've worked with many people who eat healthy meals and yet still struggle with their weight. It's the times when they are not actually hungry that is a problem. Eating for reasons other than hunger is challenging; it is subtle and not very responsive to logic or knowledge. I've come to realize that to change how we use food - especially when not hungry - we need to look at nourishment in a broader sense.

Sandra felt like she was filling a black hole: no matter what she ate, it wasn't enough. She'd start with fruits and nuts, and then progress to cookies or chips. Those helped - at first. But then she'd be looking for more. Her eating felt out of control and yet she still felt empty and unsatisfied.

When we think of nourishment, we usually think of food. It is easy to forget that food is only one form of nourishment. Often what we need the most has no calories at all - because it isn't food. At those times it doesn't matter what or how much we eat, it will never be enough. Food isn't the nourishment we seek.

In her book "Eating by the Light of the Moon," author Anita Johnston uses a great example to describe the different kinds of hunger. She suggests imagining that you have two different tanks inside of you. One is for physical hunger and you fill that one with food. The other tank is for emotional hunger and you fill that with the activities that feed your soul.

I find this a helpful visual. Most of us just think of hunger as hunger and we feed it with food. As long as we do this, like Sandra, we continue to eat when we are not hungry and wonder why we never feel satisfied. Once we understand we are using the wrong fuel, we have other choices.

No amount of food will fill emotional hunger. In fact the food is a red herring. Sandra thought it was about the food and that she was just just out of control, unmotivated, lacking will power: that something must be wrong with her. But that was not it at all. It is just that she was automatically filling her tank with food when what she craved was a different kind of nourishment.

Let me define what I mean by "emotional hunger." It can refer to emotions like happiness, sadness, loneliness, anger, frustration, or anxiety. It also includes feelings we may not typically think of as emotional, such as boredom, restlessness, fatigue, and unease. Emotional eating is a general term used for eating for reasons other than hunger. It is a useful concept even if you are not "emotional."

How do we fill our emotional hunger tank? Sandra discovered that she was nourished by reading and sitting in her garden. Also, instead of thinking of playing with her dog as one more thing to do when she got home from work, she let that time nourish her by being intentional about it and consciously relaxing and enjoying it.

Anita loves being with people, and when she shifted her focus from getting stuff done to really enjoying the human contact in her groups and meetings, she felt more nourished. Eric gives his time and attention to others all day long and what he really longs for is time to himself - his time at the gym became "Eric time".

Sandra, Anita and Eric were all using food in an unconscious way and then feeling frustrated with their lack of control. Once they became aware, they could separate their two tanks: physical hunger and emotional hunger. Instead of automatically eating, they were able to find other ways to nourish themselves.

Most of us lead busy lives that are filled with activities, deadlines and commitments. Even when it is stuff we enjoy, if all of our attention is on others or getting it done, we may not be filled by it. Even the good things in life, when it is just one more task, can drain us.

We are nourished by the things that replenish us. The same activities that are draining might be filling when we focus on the pleasure of the activity and tune in to how it fills us. We need to be aware and consciously refill our emotional hunger tank.

What, besides food, nourishes you? I think this is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself. What are you hungry for? Is your hunger physical or emotional? Keep asking the questions. It will help you use the right fuel and be more satisfied. It will help you enjoy what you eat more, and enjoy your life more.

That is what Sandra found. When she remembers to tune in, she recognizes emotional hunger as a reminder to slow down and pay attention to her own needs. When she uses hunger as a signal, instead of a feed-me command, she can take care of herself in more satisfying ways. She has peace of mind now that she doesn't feel so out-of-control with food.

Weight Loss & Fasting - Mastering Hunger

Hunger exists to keep us alive, but it also can morph into a destructive force that could lead us to deforming obesity and even an early grave.

One question people who are interested in fasting and weight loss always ask me is whether or not appetite suppressants work. This has led me to research much on hunger and weight loss. The question is: How can I master hunger and not gain back all the weight I lose through fasting and dieting?

Some of my findings are outlined in this article and I hope it will give you hope and motivation to follow your goals and never give up.

Not a Panacea

Appetite suppressants can be "somewhat" helpful when fasting - but from experience I can tell you that they are NOT a panacea or fix all to the natural hunger pains when fasting or dieting. The only one that I would feel comfortable recommending is Hoodia because it is made from a plant. I would suggest that you use Hoodia, but NOT any other product that has chemicals of any kind or even caffeine - or other stimulant.

Powdered Hoodia has been the one that has helped me the most by "calming" the hunger. You can go online and Google "powdered Hoodia" and you will find an ample selection to choose from. What I do is put a tablespoon of the Hoodia in a cup -- usually in the afternoon -- and mix it with some water and a squeeze of lemon.

It tastes quite bad, but this approach is the one that I have found produces the best appetite suppression. I also use decaffeinated green tea and seltzer water with lemon to calm hunger. This combination has carried me through 7,14,21,30 and even 40 and 60-day water and juice fasts. It works like a charm. Something about the hot liquid hitting my belly, the Hoodia, and then the effervescence of the seltzer.

Hunger Flagellation?

Do not look at the hunger pains you go through when fasting and dieting as a punishment, or even as a torture to be endured (even though it certainly can feel that way). Instead, welcome the hunger pains as the clear and indivisible sign that your body is working overtime to overcome the very toxicity that you want to get rid of.

The toxicity - or the worst of it at least - hides in between your fat cells. So the only way for the body to deep clean itself is to dig into these cells. The process actually releases these toxins directly into your bloodstream, which in turn can cause pretty violent hunger pains, as well as headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness, diarrhea and fever.

These symptoms - as well as the hunger pains - usually go away completely between the fifth and tenth day of water fasting. From then on, many persons feel as if they could go on fasting indefinitely. Confront your hunger face-to-face and realize that this very hunger is the one that will lead you back to your old ways if you do not learn to master it.

A Demanding Child

Many persons feel that it is bad to feel hunger and that any sign of it has to be addressed immediately. Learn to ignore it. Learn to live with it. Now please, I am not saying here that you should starve yourself in an anorexic way. What I am saying is that the belly can be like a demanding child who insists on getting what he wants, when he wants it or else it throws a tantrum.

Discipline it and you find freedom. Try to constantly suppress it and sooner or later it will blindside you and lead you back to where you started. The fasting and dieting process, especially when you are new, is one that can take months and even years. In my case, I fasted on and off for an entire year.

I would fast for 21 days, eat for about two weeks, then fast for another month, eat for 14 days, fast another month etc. IT is about forming life-long "discipline muscles" that will allow you to assume control of your stomach, instead of the other way around. Many persons fast once, break the fast, and within a short period gain all the weight back, and then some.

Toe-to-Toe

The only way to keep that from happening is by facing the hunger directly and becoming "comfortable" with it, to the point where appetite suppressant, or no appetite suppressant, you have the ability to choose what you are going to put in my body.

The real "breakthrough" is mastering hunger in the long-term and being able to say NO - regardless of how hard and loud my stomach yelled for that particular food that I know harms me. This is true freedom, and it is my sincere desire that you find it and experience health and wellness in every area of your life!

Weight Loss Basics - Hunger

Hunger is a very scary word for people who are about to commit to a weight loss program. I know because I hear the fear all of the time. My new clients implore me to tell them that they will lose weight without feeling hunger pangs, and I get that. However, you need to understand that what you perceive as hunger is not what you think it is. Bear with me for a minute and let's explore the sensation you label as "hunger."

What, I wonder, do you experience when you say that you are hungry? For instance, when I feel hungry, I feel... well...hungry. My stomach sometimes growls, and I experience a sort of empty feeling that tells me it's time to eat something.

Now your turn: When I feel hungry, I feel ______________?

My clients fill in this blank with words that sound nothing like mine. I had a client once casually say to me that if she had to eat smaller portions she would "turn into a bear" and her family might leave her. I had to explain to her, over many sessions, that simple hunger was not the larger issue. For her, hunger gave rise to major emotions. One was anger, and we needed to explore why she was angry. Why did the lack, or emptiness, within her bring up anger? Why did it turn her into a bear?

So, when I encourage my clients to go a bit deeper to describe what they experience, they area able, with some effort, to speak of feelings on a more visceral level. These feelings exist deep within us and we feel them physically in our stomachs. Coincidence? Is the gnawing feeling we have in our gut, which we perceive as hunger, really the emptiness we feel within our selves? Does the fruitless attempt to fill the void with food make the real emotions come up tenfold, tempting us to eat more, since we have no intention of dealing with them now?

My clients' answers gradually become more telling. They feel sad, deprived, angry, lonely, abandoned, anxious, and unloved. Well, this surely differs from what I experience as hunger, which is a physical sensation in my stomach! Interesting. Nobody ever reports feeling the simple physical sensation of a growling stomach. So, I must ask: Are you eating because you feel hunger, or because something else is going on?

While I would love to be able to tell you that you don't have to be hungry to lose weight, I cannot honestly do so. Here is the truth about hunger: If you want to lose weight, you must experience hunger. I'm sorry. However, you will not feel hungry all of the time. Does that help? Good. I can also tell you that you will rarely feel very hungry, and you will never, ever feel as if you were starving!

Okay, so the truth is out. Now that we have acknowledged it, we can discuss it without fear. Simply put, the time to experience the physical sensation of hunger is just before going to bed at night. By bedtime, you should feel as if you could have had a bit more to eat. You should feel just about satisfied, but not quite.

You see, the way you feel at night is the key to controlling your weight loss progress. For instance, if you go to bed feeling stuffed for 3 or 4 consecutive nights, the outcome of that feeling will be weight gain. If you feel satisfied for 3 or 4 consecutive nights, the outcome will be maintenance. And, if you feel a little bit hungry for 3 or 4 consecutive nights, the outcome will be weight loss! Therefore, if you monitor how you feel before going to sleep, the number on the scale will never again be a mystery. You will never again get on, fingers crossed, hoping to have lost weight. You will know what the number will be because the scale merely reflects back to you what you have felt throughout the week. If there has been a little bit of hunger all week, I guarantee the scale will reflect weight loss!

Wow! Can I really be bold enough to make such a guarantee? Yes, I can, because this is truly all you have to do. The question now becomes: How do you do it without feeling anxiety at the thought of feeling a just a little bit hungry? Well, that's the rest of this story. We make it so very difficult in our minds, when it is actually very simple. And this is where I would like to help. I can show you how to do this. I can be a resource for you to turn to as I break down the process of weight loss and show you the simple steps that will bring you to your goal. Know that I always will tell you the truth, and this is the truth.

I hope that this week you will decide to explore your experience of hunger. When you begin feeling hungry, sit for a second and try to determine if there is an emotion rather than a physical sensation that you are interpreting to be hunger. Are you perhaps feeling sad, anxious, lonely, unloved and unsupported? If you are, then that is what I want you to think about. Focus on the emotion and journal about it. Write exactly what you are feeling and keep writing until you understand that you are not physically hungry, that food is not what you crave. After a few journal entries, I'm certain you will discover that it's usually not hunger that you're feeling.

But what if it is actually hunger? You might want to ask. Ah! If it really is, then I want you to say to yourself, Good! That's the way I am supposed to feel if I want to lose weight! I need to feel a little bit hungry every night to get the results that I am looking for.

Embrace the sensation! Let it empower you! This is not deprivation! You are not being abandoned! This does not mean that no one loves you!! It's simply you making the choice to feel that physical sensation and tolerate it for the purpose of bettering yourself. This is a gift you give yourself: a gift of love, and of strength, and of perseverance, and of the occasional grumbling stomach! From now on, if your stomach grumbles, smile!

So, let me ask you again: What does hunger feel like?

Ah. Your answer is correct: It feels like weight loss!!