We are excited about our newsletter. The articles are designed to help you and your family have a healthy lifestyle.

This month we are discussing Obesity--What is it and What Causes it? and Some Simple Tips To Help You Eat Healthier!

We have also included a great recipe for Sweet and Sour Stuffed Cabbage. An unexpected, flavorful side dish.

Do not be confused about being overweight and being obese. Being overweight is weighing above what is medically considered your ideal weight. Being obese is having a large amount of exess weight and body fat. Obese people are extremelly overweight and at high risk for serious medical problems. Obesity can cause diabetes, high blood, heart problems, breathing difficulties and can decrease your life span.

Body mass index or BMI is a measurement used to determine if a person is considered medically obese. BMI is a figure based on your weight and your height. Once your BMI has been determined, it will be compared to other people with the same gender and age. If your BMI is greater than 95% of the other people in that category, you are considered to be overweight. An obese person is considered to be extremely overweight. Very muscular people will be the exception to this rule because their excess weight is muscle and not fat.

Weight gain is caused when a person does not burn off as many calories as they consume. These extra calories will be stored in the body as fat. Obesity does not happen quickly. Usually, an obese person has been consuming an excessive amount of calories for several years.

Genetics plays a large part in how our bodies metabolize food. Families can be predisposed to obesity. Also, the way a person is raised (being expected to eat everything on your plate) will have an affect on how you view eating and food. These factors considered, it is hard to determine if obesity is nature or nurture. I suspect in most cases it is a combination of the two. A very small percentage of people are overweight due to medical reasons.

One the biggest contributors to obesity is emotional eating. Eating because you are bored, upset, stressed out, nervous or sad will only lead to feelings of shame causing you to repeat the whole cycle.

Another leading cause of obesity is not enough movement. With the evolution of the "screen age" people are less active. People are more likely to drive than they are to walk. With today's lifestyle being much faster paced than in decades past, people are more likely to opt for convenience foods and fast foods than they are to take the time to cook a nutritious meal. These are all factors that can be overcome, but it will not happen overnight and it will not happen without some consistent hard work.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
Marjorie Salada is the owner of http://www.weightloss3000.com, a website that contains information on losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. If you are looking for information on weight loss, lap band surgery, zetacap, diet, nutrition and exercise this site is an excellent resource.

The first thing to think about which is rarely covered in diet books and programs is in regard to your grocery shopping habits. Grocery stores typically keep all the processed foods and junk foods on the interior of the store so just make a trip around the perimeter and load your shopping cart up with natural foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. When shopping for proteins opt for fresh fish and poultry. If you want red meat go with only lean cuts and eat red meats sparingly.

Another tip that many people cannot seem to get their head around is to eat more meals. Let me explain. Instead of skipping meals which slows down your metabolism or eating three big meals that leave you bloated and overfull eat several smaller meals. Ideally you should eat meals about the size of your open hand every three to four hours. This will allow for the most optimum absorption and will also help you to feel full.

Eat foods as close as possible to nature. Fresh raw foods are the absolute healthiest foods you can consume. If it comes in a box it is generally to be avoided. Eat fresh potatoes instead of mashed potatoes from a box for example. Raw natural foods are lower in calories and are rich in vitamins and minerals that your body needs to be healthy.

Keep your food from being boring by experimenting with a variety of different spices and cooking methods. Just because you are dieting doesn't mean that your food can't taste good. Grilling is a great way to add a different taste to your food and you can even grill vegetables by placing them in tin foil. One of my favorites is to take sliced squash and zucchini, sprinkle minced garlic over them, wrap them in tin foil and place them on the grill. Try this one, I promise you will like it.

Always watch your fat intake and be careful of products that say "reduced fat", that doesn't always mean that it is acceptable. There are many high fat products that offer a reduced fat version that is still way too much fat. Another issue with some low fat products is that they replace the fat content with a form of sugar that ends up adding just as many calories and will end up sabotaging your diet efforts. I urge everyone to only drink low fat or skim milk as well. This alone will significantly reduce your fat and calorie intake.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com
About the Author
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For more on health food products go to http://www.shop4betterhealth.com

Columbus University

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shredded cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomato puree, raisins, brown sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and ginger and stir. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer 15 minutes for flavors to blend.

While sauce is simmering, fill the cabbage leaves by placing about 1/2 cup of the filling into the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold up the bottom of the leaf to cover the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up to cover the top.

Place half the cabbage-tomato mixture in casserole dish large enough to hold the cabbage rolls in one layer. Place the cabbage rolls on top, and then cover with the remaining cabbage-tomato mixture. Cover the casserole with foil, transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:
Calories: 360M
Protein: 22 grams