22 Cheap and Easy Ways to Eat Healthy

Proper nutrition is important every day, but now there’s even more reason to ditch the bag o’chips and go for the greens. Today, November 7, is National Eating Healthy Day, a holiday sponsored by the American Heart Association. And it just so happens we’ve found 22 ways to celebrate. So forget about the tempting smells from the pizza place down the block or how easy it is to pick up a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on the way to work. These tips make eating healthy not only easier, but often cheaper, too.

At the Grocery Store

1. Make a grocery list (and stick to it). By heading to the store with a clear list of what’s necessary, it’s much easier to avoid last-minute purchases. (Some studies say shoppers may still make impulsive buys… but the list can’t hurt.) Feeling techy? Try one of the many apps that can help with shopping, like GroceryIQ or Shopper.

2. Don’t go shopping hungry. Even after you take the time to write a meticulous grocery list, if that stomach is grumbling so loudly the people in the next aisle can hear it, chances are something surprising’s going to jump into the shopping cart. Avoid succumbing to last-minute cravings (like, say, for lardwiches) by eating a healthy snack (or meal) before heading to the store.

3. Buy more greens. On that weekly trip to the grocery store, grab some extra green vegetables for health benefits like a stronger immune system^[1]. They’re super-healthy (kale and spinach are bona fide superfoods!) and easy to fit into any meal!

4. Choose fresh or frozen over canned. For veggies, soups, and beans, nixing the can cuts out unnecessary sodium. For fruit, it avoids excess sugar. Plus, the fresh stuff always tastes better. And, perhaps surprisingly, canned produce can actually end up costing more (or at least the same amount) as the fresh stuff!

5. If you can’t grow it or raise it (theoretically), don’t eat it. Monosodium glutamate doesn’t grow on trees. Neither does high fructose corn syrup or Yellow No. 5. But at least one of these ingredients is found in many (if not most) of the processed foods on grocery store shelves, from chips to fruit juice. And these ingredients have been linked to everything from obesity and diabetes to brain and liver damage^[2][3][4]. If whatever’s in that grocery basket couldn’t theoretically come from your own backyard, swap it for something closer to the original. Choose whole potatoes over a box of mashed; pick plain ol’ oats instead of pre-sweetened packets.

6. Choose whole grains. When grains are processed — like, say, to become white flour used in crackers, cookies, or white bread — two essential parts of the grain (the bran and germ) are removed. The problem is these parts hold the most health benefits and nutrients, including vitamin E, major B vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Look for the “Whole Grain Stamp” on packaging or just opt for ingredients like whole grain, brown rice, and oats.

7. Avoid sweetened drinks. Added sugar is a big no-no. Not only does it pack on calories, but eating foods with added sugar has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and weight gain^[5][6]. Replace sweetened beverages (even artificially sweetened diet drinks) with water, seltzer, and fresh fruit, or 100 percent fruit juices diluted with water.

8. Eat naturally sweet food (and don’t add extra sugar to it!). Some of us have a sweet tooth, but instead of indulging in sugar-packed processed foods, choose naturally sweet ones to cut down on sugar cravings later. Start in the fruit section and choose naturally sweet vegetables like beets, corn, and sweet potatoes (just to name a few!).

9. Buy in bulk and divide into portions. Yes, this strategy is mostly a way to cut down on cost. Butbuying in bulk — anything from vegetables, to meat, to grains — can also cut down on shopping time, so there’s more time left to prepare healthy meals.

10. Stick to the edges of the grocery store. The outer edges are typically home to fresh produce, meats, dairy, and breads. The inner aisles usually feature highly-processed items packed with extra sugar and artificial ingredients. There are always exceptions, of course, but try sticking to the 80:20 rule (80 percent of the grocery cart from outside the aisles, 20 percent from inside the aisles) for a healthier diet.

Food Storage and Prep

11. Make grocery day “Food Prep Extravaganza.” To cut down drastically on food prep throughout the week, do it all at once after returning home from the store. Unwrap, clean, and cut up meat to freeze or refrigerate in portions. Wash and prep all produce. Chop and freeze anything that may be used at a later date. Pre-portion snack foods (see below), and yogurt or rolled oats for easy breakfasts throughout the week! (Overnight Oats are a favorite in the Greatist office!)

12. Prepare your own food as often as possible. We’re not talking give up eating out entirely — it’s no fun skipping those special restaurant dinners! But by preparing as many meals as possible on your own, it’s much easier to know (and control) exactly what’s going into your body, without any sneaky ingredients. Going to be at work during the lunch hour? Pack something to eat there. No time to eat before heading out in the AM? Bring something to eat on the way or at the office.

13. Pre-package snacks. When eating out of a family-sized potato chip bag, it’s easy to keep reaching that hand in until all that’s left are the greasy crumbs. Instead of wasting away in a bottomless pit of chips, try pre-portioning snack foods into single-serving plastic baggies or reusable containers.

14. Grow your own herbs. Fresh herbs (or freshly dried ones) are a great way to season food without excess salt, butter, or cheese. Growing a personal herb garden isn’t only good for that belly — it’s also an easy way to pretty up any space! All that’s necessary for a DIY herb garden is a few small planters and an empty windowsill (even the Greatist office has one!).

15. Store the healthiest food in the front of the fridge. When the fridge door opens, make sure you see the healthiest items first. If the leftover chocolate cake is shoved in the back corner, chances are theeye will gravitate towards the shiny apple right up front first. Bonus points for storing healthy options in transparent containers and unhealthy stuff in opaque ones so you see the healthy stuff before the stomach really starts grumbling.

Cooking and Mealtime

16. Sneak veggies into everything. We even have a few ways to fit veggies into dessert. Yep, we went there.

17. Forget about counting calories. Checking every nutrition label before chowing down is annoying (to say the least). Instead focus on meals that include a variety of nutrients, colors, and fresh ingredients. It’s much easier to keep a healthy, balanced diet this way than by counting calories.

18. Eat a healthy breakfast! Starting the day off right is key to eating healthy all day long. So what makes the best breakfast? One study found consuming protein for breakfast can help prevent overeating later in the day^[7], but another found that eating a big breakfast with dessert could help keep off excess pounds^[8]. Choose what works best for you.

19. Opt for smaller portions. When restaurants pile plates bigger than a human head, it’s easy to overeat. Limit those portions to less gargantuan sizes to easily eat a little healthier. Not sure where to start? Try these portion-size plates, or learn how to estimate serving sizes for certain foods. And here’s a great tip for eating out: To avoid eating more than planned, ask the server to wrap up half the dish beforehand and go home with a pre-made doggie bag.

20. Replace dessert with fruit. (…Or at least add fruit to dessert.) While some varieties can be high in sugar, fruit is a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth without breaking the sugar bank. Plus, it offers health benefits typical desserts can’t, like fiber and antioxidants. And opting for fruit can help avoid that dreaded sugar crash.

21. Pace your mealtime. When we eat quickly, our bodies don’t always have time to realize we’re full — so it’s easy to overeat^[9]. Enjoy what’s on the plate, and stop eating as soon as that stomach gives the first hint of being full. It’s always possible to eat more later.

22. Consider not buying unhealthy stuff in the first place. ‘Nuff said.

Learn to Love Morning Workouts

This post was written by guest contributor Angela Simpson, a Fitness Instructor Specialist, Nutrition & Wellness Specialist, and blogger at Eat Spin Run Repeat.  All views and opinions expressed in the piece are hers.

Throwing back the covers may feel like a Herculean feat when it’s still dark outside. But during my seven years (and counting) of commitment to my morning sweat date, I’ve come to find the effort is well worth it.

My family moved from Canada to the Middle East when I was 13, and due to culture shock, initial unhappiness, and just plain laziness, I gained a lot of weight. As a kid I’d been super active, but once we moved, the opportunities for physical activity weren’t as plentiful as they’d been for me back home. At 16, I decided to do something about it. I vowed to lose the weight I’d gained by replacing the junk in my diet with nutritious foods. I started running on a nearby track and played golf about five times each week. My family also purchased an elliptical trainer and a rowing machine, and I made a one-hour non-negotiable cardio date with these machines every morning. That hour before anyone else in my house woke up was my me-time. And it didn’t take long before I noticed the scale tipping – this time in my favor.

Two years and 70 pounds later, I was back in Canada, running races for my university’s varsity cross-country team and training to become a group fitness instructor. Even today, I find time for some physical activity well before the sun comes up — whether it’s running, strength training, teaching spin classes, or doing yoga. Sure, it’d be nice to lie in bed a little longer on some days, but that would mean postponing my workout until later when other commitments might get in the way.

And it turns out there are a lot of other early risers out there! Last year, a new member walked into my 6 am spin class and said to me, “I don’t know how you get up this early and have enough energy to work out.” Still, she was determined to develop her cardiovascular fitness. Since she didn’t have time to get to the gym after work, she turned up to my Monday morning class almost every week without fail. Now she even shows up at the gym before I do to squeeze in some strength training before we hop on the bikes. How’s that for a positive life change!

10 Tips For Becoming a Morning Gym-Goer:

1. Schedule it. You probably wouldn’t miss an appointment with your doctor, your dentist, or your hairdresser. Just like these appointments, make your morning exercise session something you can’t skip.
2. Get out your gear the night before. That way, you won’t arrive at the gym without socks or with your shirt inside-out.
3. Write it down. Jot down an exact workout plan before going to bed. When you wake up, you won’t have to think about what machine to do next or how long you’re going to run.
4. Consider a workout you have to pay for. I used to work out with a trainer at 5 am, and some days it was very tempting to stay in bed. But then I’d think about how much money I’d waste if I missed a session, and a few minutes later I was out the door and on my way. A commitment to personal training sessions or small group fitness workouts like TRX might help make sure you get out of bed.
5. Find a buddy. Maybe it’s a friend you already know, or maybe it’s someone you meet on your first early-morning trip to the gym. Make a commitment to each other that you’ll show up and hold each other accountable.
6. Make it a competition… with a reward, of course! If you and a gym buddy are both on a quest to make early exercise dates a habit, come up with a little challenge. Maybe you’ll decide the first one to miss a day has to do 20 extra push-ups. If you’re working out solo, treat yourself to new gym gear after a solid month’s worth of commitment.
7. Do a class. Many gyms offer one-hour classes that start around 6 am. Since no one wants to be the person that walks out in the middle of the class, I’d be willing to bet you’ll stay through the end.
8. Take baby steps. Start by setting back your alarm by five minutes this week. Next week, go for another five. You’ll be getting up an hour earlier before you know it.
9. Have something tasty to look forward to. Some experts say the golden window for post-workout nutrition is 30 to 60 minutes after we finish exercising, so make breakfast your next priority. Try a blended smoothie with greens, protein powder, and frozen berries or a parfait with granola, yogurt, and fresh fruit.
10. Preserve those endorphins! Make great feelings last by writing them down. The next time you think hitting snooze sounds like a better idea than lacing up, read what you wrote and remind yourself how on-top-of-the-world you felt last time. Then get moving!

Intense Abs

Workout Nurition

FIVE TIPS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH RUNNING

Yes, it is true.  YOU can fall in Love with running too. Yes, you. 

It occurred to me today that my blog, Running For Dummies, has yet to give any advice for new runners.  I am always quick to point out my blog name is tongue-in-cheek.  This blog is not intended to be an instruction manual for runners.  I'm the dummy here, sharing my growth experiences along the way.  I have such a passion for running and I wanted to share with you how I got there, so maybe you can fall in love too.

Here are my five tips to fall in love with running.

1. Step out of your comfort zone.  

The one thing I always hear from my friends who don't run is, "I can't run, I hate running."  

Lets first talk about why you might hate a certain exercise.  I used to hate planks. When I was in boot camp we did a one minute plank at the end of each session.  If one person in the group dropped before a minute, the whole group had to do it again!  I would stress-out over those planks.  I would spend the entire one hour boot camp class thinking about and dreading that one minute at the end.  Why did I hate it? Because it was hard! Why was it hard? Because I wasn't good at them.  Why wasn't I good at them? Because I hardly ever did them!  So I started doing one plank a day, every day, with no time requirements.  I would just hold as long as I could.  Sometimes back in boot camp I would struggle to hold it for that one minute.  After doing a plank every day over a period of a six months, my plank record is 7:30 continuous minutes!.  Do I hate planks now? No. Why not? Because I can rock a plank!  Is it still hard? Yes, sometimes. But do I love it? Yes! 

The moral of the story is that if you want to love to run, you have to do it.  You have to fight through the uncomfortable feelings in the beginning.  You have to accept the fact that it will be difficult at first. If you decide not to do something because you are not good at it (yet), you are missing out on the opportunity to grow.  You don't have to be good at it, you just have to do it consistently.  You will get better, it will get easier.  I promise.

2. Go Slow.

The biggest mistake I made as new runner all those years ago is that I started off too fast.  I would head out at a pace that is too fast to sustain and then get frustrated and ready to give up before I reached the end of the block.  Start off slow.  Go even slower than you think you can.  Give your body time to adapt to this new exercise.  You can worry about speed later, right now work on endurance.

3. Do Run/Walk Intervals.

There is no shame in walking.  The ultimate goal may be to run continuously without walk breaks, but in order to get there, you have to build up to it.  Start your run at a slow pace and maintain it as long as you can.  When you feel that you need to walk to recover your breath, take a walk break but keep moving forward.  As soon as your breath is recovered, pick back up into a jog again.  This is where it is important to be honest with yourself.  Only walk when you need a breather and start running again immediately when you catch your breath.  Don't stop and walk if your breathing is fine, just because it may be a place on your route where you usually stop and walk.  Don't walk a moment longer than you need to, because this is where the magic happens.  You will find that over time that your running intervals will get longer and your walk breaks will get shorter.  Before you know it, you won't need to take walk breaks at all.

4. Avoid Treadmills (at first).

I am not denying that treadmills have their place in training.  My treadmill runs were instrumental in my speed work training.  Treadmills can be beneficial in so many ways.  They allow you to have strict control over your pace and time, they provide shelter from the weather and a safe environment to run.  However, right now we are trying to fall in love with running.  I don't think anyone ever fell in love with running on the dreadmill treadmill.  When someone tells me that they hate running, but they only tried to run on the treadmill at the gym, I say D'uh!  Almost everyone hates the treadmill.  I love to run with a passion, but even I dread the treadmill.  It can be boring and monotonous and that clock staring you in the face can play major tricks on your mind.  Running is a mental game as much (or more than) a physical one.   I suggest starting your love affair by running in the fresh open air.

5. Buy Good Shoes.

When I first started running and some of my toenails fell off, someone finally enlightened me that I should be buying my running shoes at least a half size bigger than my street shoes.  Go to a running store, have them fit you for a pair of good quality running shoes.  Have your gait analyzed.  Specialty running stores usually perform this service for free.  If you are running in poor quality shoes that are too small and not the proper fit, you are needlessly making it harder on yourself.  The great thing about running is that it is free.  You don't need a gym membership or expensive equipment, you just need to invest in a good pair of shoes.

source: http://www.runningfordummies.net

Why Should You Do Interval Workouts?

Copyright: Shutterstock

What are Interval Workouts?

Interval workouts, also known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), consist of alternating intense bursts of activity with less intense aerobic activity. You do this off and on throughout an entire workout.

For instance, you alternate between sprints and easy jogs, counting 1 minute for sprints and 2 minutes for jogs, or you can just sprint for as long as you can and jog when you need to. 

How to stay forever young

Research shows that certain foods can lessen the degree to which the effects of ageing show. Stem the years with a well-balanced diet and an active lifestyle. Here’s how.

Eat more tomatoes

Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene – a powerful antioxidant that protects against coronary hear disease and cancer – especially cancer of the lung, stomach, mouth or colon.

Add garlic and ginger to your cooking

Garlic has antioxidants, antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral properties and can reduce high blood pressure, lower HDL (bad fats) cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce blood stickiness and dilate blood vessels. It is also helpful in treating intestinal, respiratory and skin infections. It is believed that eating a clove of garlic a day helps to protect the body against cancer and heart disease.

Replace two meat dishes per week with soybean alternatives

Complete protein and low in fat, soybeans (i.e tofu, edamame beans and legumes) contain isoflavones that help to prevent ageing due to hormone imbalances. Soy may protect against breast and prostate cancers, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis and heart disease. Soy helps to maintain oestrogen levels in menopausal women too.

Detox with berries

All black and blue berries such as blackberries, blueberries, blackcurrant and black grapes contain phytochemicals, powerful antioxidants.

Snack on nuts and seeds instead of high sugar foods

Nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium and essential fatty acids like omega-3 fatty acids (food for your skin!). Eat a handful, about 30 g daily. Note the nutritional details of nuts and seeds as some have a higher fat content than others.

Complete breakfast with a low fat yoghurt drink

Yogurt (and yoghurt drinks like laban) help to boost immunity and improve digestion and the absorption of nutrients from the gut.

Sweeten food with honey

The research carried out in 2007 on rats at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand revealed that honey could be used to combat the effects of ageing, including memory decline and anxiety. Researcher Nicola Starkey says: “Diets sweetened with honey may be beneficial in decreasing anxiety and improving memory during ageing.” Honey contains natural sugar so will help to satisfy your sweet cravings too.

Get out more

Alright, it’s not a food, but sunshine is good for you. Elderly people are at risk of developing heart disease and diabetes due to a vitamin D deficiency as a result of natural aging process. They can reduce their risk by spending more time in the sunshine to boost vitamin D in the skin, as revealed by the study done by Dr Oscar Franco at Warwick Medical School and published in Diabetes Care Journal 2009.

5 Best positions to get pregnant fast

Getting pregnant maybe the easiest of all things, however, some couples do find it hard to conceive for several reasons, including weak or insufficient sperm count.

In some cases, as when nature needs a boost, a little push from you and your partner can go a long way in getting pregnant. When it comes to the best position to get pregnant, the general rule is that the male sperm must be deposited as near to the female cervix as possible.

This has something to do with the life spans of the female egg and the male sperm. Once an egg is released from the ovary - a stage also known as ovulation - it begins its path down the fallopian tube to the uterus. A released egg typically survives for only 24 hours, while a sperm can last anywhere from three to five days in the female body. As such, the egg has to be as close to the egg as possible so they can meet and join before the egg dies.

While not a lot of people will agree that the sexual positions have anything to do with getting pregnant, the logical inference is that it makes sense to assume the position that can help the sperm meet the egg in the shortest possible time.

This is especially true when for couples who have problems or difficulty conceiving. Having said this, the first "best position to get pregnant" tip is to avoid positions that least expose the cervix to the male sperm, and that generally defy gravity such as sex while standing up, sitting down, or with the woman on top. When trying to conceive, it is best to limit the amount of sperm that flows back out of the vagina.

The woman's hips should also be positioned in such a way that the sperm released is kept inside, giving it enough time to swim up to the female cervix.

Consider the following positions instead:

1. The missionary position. Or man-on-top is said to be the position that's best for getting pregnant. This is because this particular position allows for the deepest possible penetration, making it possible for the sperm to get deposited closest to the cervix.

2. Raise the hips. Elevating the hips, which can be done by placing a pillow behind her, can also be helpful because this exposes the female cervix to as much semen as the male can release.

3. Doggy-style. The rear-entry position where the man enters the woman from behind is also a recommended position. In this position, sperm is also deposited closest to the cervix, thereby helping increase the chances of conception.

4. Side-by-side. You can also try having intercourse while lying side by side. This position likewise causes the most exposure of the cervix to the male sperm.

5. Orgasms. Finally, while this has nothing to do with sexual positions, there are also researches that suggest the importance of the female orgasm in conceiving. According to studies, female orgasm leads to contractions that could push sperm up into the cervix. The lesson: have fun while trying to conceive. 

How to get legs like Joanna Lumley

She still looks absolutely fabulous at 66, though her svelte legs owe nothing to the gym, but to walking everywhere.

‘I don’t exercise, but I rush up and down stairs and run around rather than ambling,’ she says. 

Joanna Lumley, 66, eats a vegetarian diet, never has a mid-day meal and rarely eats breakfast

She also credits her youthful appearance to vitamin supplements, flaxseed oil and a vegetarian diet on which she never has a mid-day meal and rarely eats breakfast. 

‘I find it helps not to wake my stomach up because if I had a good, big breakfast, I’d then be ready for a three-course lunch, then a cocktail and an enormous dinner,’ Lumley has said.

TRY THIS: Single leg circles for lean thighs. Lie on your back on a mat with your arms by your sides (palms down). 

Raise your left leg into the air, pointing your foot towards the ceiling. 

Rotate your leg out to the side (keeping it straight and toes pointed), then trace a circle on the ceiling. 

Move your whole leg leading with the foot, but keep your hips still. 

Don’t let the left hip come off the floor. Trace a clockwise circle five times on the ceiling, then five times anti-clockwise.

Return to start position and repeat with right leg.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2232011/Joanna-Lumleys-legs-Secrets-A-list-body.html#ixzz2C6aDXWd7 

Hazards of Diet Pills

Like most women, Michelle Rumsey thought that dropping a dress size would give her confidence a much-needed boost. At 5ft 5in tall and weighing 9st 6lb, she was hardly overweight, but hated the extra fat she had put on around her middle.

In search of a quick-fix one evening, she came across an internet forum on slimming pills where dieters talked about using a drug called Ephedrine to speed up their metabolism and help them lose weight.

Michelle, now 46, placed an order for the drug online — a decision that was to have tragic consequences. She developed a four-year dependence on the pills, causing a heart condition that has left her with a life expectancy of just ten years.

Devastated: Michelle Rumsay is only expected to live for another 10 years after she took an over-the-counter cold and flu remedy consistently to help her control her weight

‘I’m angry and depressed that I have effectively been handed a death sentence,’ she says. ‘It never occurred to me that these pills could be so dangerous.’

Shockingly, Ephedrine is legal in the UK and available without prescription. Marketed as a cold and flu remedy, internet chatrooms are awash with women waxing lyrical about its weight-loss properties.

It is one of several ‘diet’ drugs being used by increasing numbers of women desperate for a short-cut to weight loss.

Most are deemed too unsafe for doctors to prescribe in Britain, but are available online from overseas pharmacies.

Dr Ian Campbell, former chair of the National Obesity Forum and honorary clinical director of the charity Weight Concern, warns: ‘The great hopes we had for medication in the past decade have been dashed. My advice is not to use these slimming aids. I wish we had an effective and safe weight-loss medication, but at the moment there is only one — Orlistat. 

‘The alternatives are of little use or high-risk.’

So what is driving otherwise sensible women to take such desperate measures to control their weight?

'The pills made me feel sick and I could feel my heart beating erratically. It was frightening, but my appetite disappeared'

Until she reached her late 30s, Michelle, from Saxmundham, Suffolk, was the epitome of good health. At 8st 7lb and a size ten, she ran a horse yard and enjoyed running, cycling and climbing.

In November 2005, she met Michael Harrowven, a steel constructor, then 28. Michelle relaxed into her new romance, letting her healthy eating habits slip and swapping salads for Michael’s favourite fast foods. By the following May, she’d put on 13lb.

Michelle says: ‘Michael said I looked beautiful but I was 39 and 11 years his senior. I wanted to look like his girlfriend, not his mother.’

She researched slimming pills online, and on one forum, users recommended Ephedrine. 

A naturally occurring substance with amphetamine-like properties, it is not prescribed as a slimming aid, but is available as an over-the-counter cold remedy. 

It can increase blood pressure, however, leading to heart disease, anxiety and insomnia. Its dangers have not gone unnoticed by the medical profession. 

‘There is a move to make it prescription-only,’ says Dr Campbell. 

Michelle didn’t realise Ephedrine was available in Britain, so she ordered 50 tablets for £12 from a manufacturer in Canada, which was marketing it as a nasal decongestant. 

She bought two packets of 50 tablets every month and admits she should have known better.

‘I actually thought it was illegal, but didn’t see how it could be dangerous. Michael was against the idea, but I was determined to lose weight,’ she says.

She started taking two tablets a day, cut down on what she was eating, and was delighted when she lost 7lb in three weeks. By August 2006, she weighed 8st and was a size eight. 

‘I skipped breakfast and dinner and had a baked potato with a small amount of cheese mid-afternoon,’ she says. 

‘Michael said I was too skinny, but I liked the way I looked.The pills kept my appetite down and I was convinced that if I stopped taking them, the weight would pile back on.’

Word of warning: Lilla Allahiary developed sleep problems and suffered palpitations when she took the slimming pill Reductil

In February 2008 she and Michael broke up, but her addiction to the pills continued. Two years later, she started suffering side-effects after she’d taken her pill one morning.

‘I felt light-headed. The room was blurred and my heart was racing. After ten minutes, my heart rate went back to normal, but I was terrified. I was sure the pills were to blame and threw them in the bin.’ 

Despite her decision to stop taking the tablets, Michelle didn’t put on any weight. ‘I’d been spending £12 a month for nothing,’ she says.

In September 2010, Michelle met Mark Malster, 39, a mechanic, and they started seeing each other. They were out on a bike ride together that month when she suddenly developed chest pains. 

She says: ‘Over the next few weeks, I became more out of breath, and within a month I found it hard to walk up half a flight of stairs without gasping for air.’

In January 2011, Michelle’s GP referred her to the specialist heart and lung hospital, Papworth, in Cambridgeshire. She had scans and tests, and in September 2011 was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension — high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs which causes heart failure. 

Ephedrine had constricted the vessels in Michelle’s lungs, and the doctor said her heart was under so much pressure it wouldn’t be able to cope for much longer. 

It is illegal for shopkeepers and chemists to sell it in large quantities because it is dangerous if taken for long periods of time or in large volumes. But the drug is sold over-the-counter because it is intended for short-term use as a nasal decongestant. 

Michelle was prescribed a cocktail of seven drugs to keep her blood vessels open, her blood thin and the muscles in her lungs working. 

When they fail — and doctors can’t predict when — she will have to have a tube inserted into her heart to infuse drugs to keep it pumping. Her life expectancy is now just ten years. 

‘I couldn’t stop crying when the doctor told me what was wrong,’ she says. ‘I thought about all the experiences I’ll miss and the horrible death I’ll have, bed-ridden and breathless. Mark is supportive, but we are both devastated.’

Michelle no longer works at the horse yard, and even a simple walk leaves her exhausted. 

‘I’m so angry with myself,’ she says. ‘Nobody forced me to take them.’

WHO KNEW?

One-third of Britons are classified as overweight and the nation spends £11billion a year trying to get slim

 

Until recently, doctors were all too eager to dole out slimming pills. 

When she was just 11, Helen Hancock, now 45, was prescribed Tenuate Dospan — the trade name for diethylpropion, an amphetamine-derivative which suppresses appetite, but also causes anxiety and increases heart rate.

In 1978, Helen’s GP in Loughton, Essex, promised her and her mother Ruth that the drug would help her lose weight. She was size 14 and weighed 11st. 

‘I felt self-conscious compared to my skinny classmates,’ says Helen, now a mother-of-three from Steeple Bumpstead, Essex. ‘The pills seemed like a quick solution.’

Helen’s 15-year-old sister Louise Plant was put on Tenuate Dospan at the same time — despite weighing just 8st 13lb. ‘I was desperate to lose weight, and pushed Mum into letting me take them,’ says Louise, now 49, a mother-of-two and school administrator from Haverhill, Suffolk. 

‘They made me feel sick and I could feel my heart beating erratically. It was frightening, but my appetite disappeared and within a year I’d gone down to 7st 7lb.’

Where to turn? Helen's GP promised her that Tenuate Dospan would help her lose weight. But she suffered side-effects straight away and her weight rose from 9st to 11st within months of stopping (posed by models)

Helen felt the effects immediately. ‘I was permanently on edge. I couldn’t sit still,’ she remembers. Within a year she weighed 9st and was a size ten. She was 18 before she managed to wean herself off Tenuate Dospan, and within months she went from 9st back to 11st.

Helen fad-dieted throughout her 20s and 30s, but the weight continued to creep on. 

Louise, who had stopped taking the pills when she was 20, discovered six years later when she was pregnant with her first child that they had caused an irregular heartbeat. 

Louise, who is 5ft 3in and weighs 16st, says: ‘I didn’t need to take medication for it but I was furious with our GP for giving such a dangerous pill to a 15-year-old girl.’

By March 2008, Helen, by then aged 41, was 20st. She is 5ft 4in.

Her GP offered her a solution — a new slimming pill called Acomplia, which is the trade name for rimonabant. It blocks receptors in the brain to stop it sensing hunger. 

On its UK launch in 2006, it was prescribed to one in every ten obese patients. However, two years later it was banned because of side-effects which can include suicidal thoughts. 

‘It made me feel awful,’ says Helen. ‘I had headaches and heard a constant whooshing noise.’

That October, after seven months on the pills, she stopped taking them and quickly put back on the 2st she had lost. Later that month, rimonabant was banned. 

Two years ago, Helen finally learnt how to lose weight through diet and regular exercise.

Think twice!The side-effects are always worth reading and bearing in mind

Yet despite her healthier lifestyle, she was diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure in May. She was told she was at risk of a heart attack, and will have to take medication for the rest of her life. 

‘I’m very angry,’ she says. ‘Those pills could have killed me. It is shocking to think that there are women still taking these pills.’

Another slimming pill recently banned in Britain is sibutramine, which alters the serotonin levels in the brain to reduce appetite. ‘It was shown to cause heart disease,’ says Dr Campbell. ‘It also causes restlessness, anxiety, depression and insomnia.’

Lilla Allahiary, 27, from Hove, Sussex, suffered many such symptoms when she was prescribed Reductil — the trade name for sibutramine — in January 2002, at the age of 16. 

At 5ft 6in, she was 12st and a size 14. ‘I’d dieted unsuccessfully for three years,’ she says. ‘I didn’t think pills prescribed by my doctor could be dangerous.’

Within four months, she’d lost three stone — but she also developed sleeping problems.

‘I’d be awake until 5am with heart palpitations, sweaty palms and stomach cramps. I couldn’t concentrate, so my college work and social life suffered. I’d reached my target weight of 9st that April, so I stopped taking Reductil,’ says Lilla, a social media strategist.

Six months later, though, she’d put on two stone. Wanting another quick fix, she searched for slimming pills online and came across Xenical — the trade name for Orlistat. 

The only slimming pill in the UK now available on prescription, it stops the body’s absorption of fat.In April 2009, it became available in a lower dose, over-the-counter pill called Alli.

‘It works to a degree,’ says Dr Campbell. ‘Its side-effects, though unpleasant, are not dangerous.’

Lilla ordered it online. ‘It seemed easier than going to my GP,’ she says. ‘I wasn’t asked any questions about my weight.’ 

Ultimately, it failed to keep Lilla’s weight down. By the age of 22, she was a size 18 and weighed 16st. 

She went back to her GP who prescribed her Reductil again, but at a lower dose. 

‘He gave me a two-month supply, but after a month the palpitations and shakes started,’ says Lilla. ‘I knew I had to stop taking them.’ 

She has since lost three stone by eating sensibly. She now weighs 12st 11lb, and is a size 14.

‘I’m annoyed with myself for thinking slimming pills were a healthy solution,’ she says. 

Hopefully other women will heed her advice before they, too, put their health — and lives — at risk.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2205700/Ephedrine-Michelle-thought-diet-pills-safe-shes-got-just-10-years-live.html#ixzz270U08aMX 
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