• Burdock root – skin and blood cleanser, diuretic and diaphoretic, improves liver function, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
• Cayenne pepper – blood purifier, increases fluid elimination and sweat.
• Chaparral – strong blood cleanser, with possibilities for use in cancer therapy.
• Dandelion root – liver and blood cleanser, diuretic, filters toxins, a tonic.
• Echinacea – lymph cleanser, improves lymphocyte (type of white blood cell in the vertebrate immune system) and phagocyte (a cell, such as a white blood cell, that engulfs and absorbs waste material, harmful microorganisms, or other foreign bodies in the bloodstream and tissues) actions.
• Garlic – blood cleanser, lowers blood fats, natural antibiotic.
• Ginger root – stimulates circulation and sweating.
• Goldenseal root – blood, liver, kidney, and skin cleanser, stimulates detoxification.
• Licorice root – a great detoxifier, biochemical balancer, mild laxative.
• Oregon grape root – skin and colon cleanser, blood purifier, liver stimulant.
• Parsley leaf – diuretic, flushes kidneys.
• Prickly ash bark – good for nerves and joints, anti-infectious.
• Red clover blossoms – blood cleanser, good during convalescence and healing.
• Sarsaparilla root – blood and lymph cleanser, contains saponins, which reduce microbes and toxins.
• Yellow dock root – skin, blood, and liver cleanser, contains vitamin C and iron.

An estimated 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, which is often associated with people who are overweight. “As the person gains weight, especially in the trunk and neck area, the risk of sleep-disordered breathing increases due to compromised respiratory function,” say Margaret Moline, PhD, and Lauren Broch, PhD, two sleep specialists at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center.

If a person is overweight and suffering from sleep-disordered breathing, he/she may not be as motivated to exercise or to diet. When apnea leads to daytime sleepiness, it may be that much harder to begin or sustain an exercise program, which has been shown to help people begin or maintain weight loss. Not only does obesity contribute to sleep problems such as sleep apnea, but sleep problems can also contribute to obesity.

Sleep experts say there are a number of things you can do to lose weight and improve your sleep:

• Make healthy choices for your meals. Avoid fast foods. Eat more fish, fruits and vegetables; avoid foods high in carbohydrates or fats.
• Start getting consistent exercise, which will improve the quality of your sleep. Most experts, however, say to avoid exercising less than 3 hours before bedtime, because exercise is alerting and can make it harder to fall asleep.
• Examine your sleep schedule. Are you getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night? Do you wake up feeling refreshed or lethargic? Do you wake up frequently during the night? Are you underweight, overweight, or just right?

Information from National Sleep Foundation

Obesity is defined as having an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity is more than just a cosmetic concern, though. It increases your risk of diseases and health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Doctors often use a formula based on your height and weight — called the body mass index (BMI) — to determine if you are obese.

Being extremely obese means you are especially likely to have health problems related to your weight.

The good news is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity.

Causes of Obesity:

Although there are genetic and hormonal influences on body weight, obesity occurs when you take in more calories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. Your body stores these excess calories as fat. Obesity usually results from a combination of causes and contributing factors, including:

• Inactivity. If you’re not very active, you don’t burn as many calories. With a sedentary lifestyle, you can easily take in more calories every day than you use through exercise and normal daily activities.
• Unhealthy diet and eating habits. Having a diet that’s high in calories, eating fast food, skipping breakfast, eating most of your calories at night, drinking high-calorie beverages and eating oversized portions all contribute to weight gain.
• Pregnancy. During pregnancy, a woman’s weight necessarily increases. Some women find this weight difficult to lose after the baby is born. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women.
• Lack of sleep. Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite. You may also crave foods high in calories and carbohydrates, which can contribute to weight gain.
• Certain medications. Some medications can lead to weight gain if you don’t compensate through diet or activity. These medications include some antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, steroids and beta blockers.
• Medical problems. Obesity can sometimes be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and other diseases and conditions. Some medical problems, such as arthritis, can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain. A low metabolism is unlikely to cause obesity, as is having low thyroid function.

Watch this video: www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/ObesityEpidemic/

Information from MayoClinic.org and the CDC.gov