If you pay attention to entertainment media, you may recall reports of Britney Spears being spotted with modafinil, a prescription stimulant used to increase mental alertness. Sold under the trade name Provigil in the U.S. by Cephalon, Inc., modafinil was also featured on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” The show’s resident bad boy, Warrick Brown, was caught abusing the drug during a stressful time in his life when he wasn’t sleeping well and was having trouble staying alert at his night job.

Modafinil is FDA-approved in the U.S. for treatment of narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and shift work sleep disorder. However, the drug is gaining popularity for its promising treatment of many “off-label” medical conditions, such as ADHD, depression, fibromyalgia and weight loss. 

Modafinil Promotes Wakefulness

Although modafinil has been compared to amphetamines in action, the two stimulant drugs are distinctly different. Amphetamines (both legally prescribed and illegally sold) increase heart rate, increase breathing rate, increase blood pressure and in some cases, dilate the pupils and interfere with sleep - effects that are decidedly undesirable. But the stimulant effects of amphetamines also decrease appetite, which makes it easier to lose weight. And that’s why many people continue to take amphetamines, even though they have proven harmful health actions.

Clinical studies have shown that, like amphetamines, modafinil improves wakefulness and mental alertness without disrupting normal sleep patterns and without the other harmful side effects. So, how does the drug work? According to Cephalon, “Although its exact mechanism of action is not known, it is believed to work selectively through the sleep-wake centers to activate the cortex of the brain, which is essential for wakefulness. Provigil promotes wakefulness without causing generalized stimulation in the brain.”

The Clinical Evidence

A quick search on Pubmed, a database of peer-reviewed medical research studies, reveals nearly 600 references to modafinil. When reviewing the scientific literature, some studies report unexpected weight loss as an unanticipated outcome among research participants. Like amphetamines, this is attributed to appetite-suppressing properties and stimulant effects. But, unlike amphetamines, modafinil does NOT typically increase heart rate at therapeutic doses.

A study in the “Annals of Clinical Psychiatry” reported that one test subject experienced modafinil-associated weight loss of 40 pounds over the course of one year. The authors conclude that this finding warrants additional study to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug for weight loss.

Another study conducted by the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania found that, “Like amphetamine, modafinil reduced the amount of food consumed and decreased energy intake . . .” The authors state that, although further studies are needed, the drug may be a good treatment for obesity because it provides a positive weight loss outcome with few adverse health reactions.

A Magic Bullet to Lose Weight

Although the best formula for weight loss is a healthy, portion-controlled diet combined with regular exercise, it’s exciting to anticipate the possibility of modafinil becoming the next magic bullet for the treatment of obesity. An overweight person that loses just 10 percent of her body weight reduces the risk of developing serious health problems like diabetes and significantly improves quality of life.

Modafinil is a serious prescription drug that requires close monitoring by a physician. If you’re interested in trying this magic bullet to help you lose weight, talk to your doctor about it. Do your research about the off-label uses for this drug to make an informed choice. And don’t forget to eat right and exercise!  

It’s tough to lose weight alone. Get all the guidance and support you need to lose weight and keep it off - forever - at 5 Minute Self-Help.  

“We are a lot like Mother Earth,” Hope Faith, naturopathic physician, licensed midwife and colon therapist told me when I asked about her philosophy of detoxification. ”We are loading down the earth with toxins and we are starting to have problems.”

Comparing the overload, overuse and mistreatment of the earth to what we have done to our own bodies, Dr. Faith refers to the book, The Secrets of the Soil, which talks about the havoc that is wrecked on the earth from over processing the soil until it has become diseased.

“Our bodies,” she explains, “are becoming overwhelmed by our environment. There’s so much out there in the way of toxicity and pollution that we’re starting to see more degenerative and immune deficiency diseases. Chronic fatigue is rampant and of course there’s AIDS.”

Dr. Faith believes that now, more than ever, detoxification should be a vital part of every person’s health maintenance program. People would not be so vulnerable to disease if their systems weren’t so overloaded. Periodic detoxification helps take some of that load off, similar to taking regular vacations from work.

Toxins Weaken the Body

“The body,” Dr. Faith states, “has a normal detoxification process. It would cyclically detoxify on its own if we were living an easier life.  But people are working 12 hours a day, grabbing food whenever they can and they don’t have time to slow down. So the body’s detoxification ability is suppressed.” This translates into more colds, flus, sinus infections and upper respiratory problems - just to name a few illnesses that start with toxic overload. 

Because the system has nowhere to dump its toxins, it starts to overgrow bacteria, becomes more susceptible to circulating viruses and activates viruses that are already in the body.

The process of detoxification is very individualized. “If you take a person who’s really ill,” Dr. Faith reasons, “you can overwhelm their system by detoxifying too fast or too strong. You really need to know what condition a person’s health is in and what’s impacting their lives already.” She finds that the best route is to follow the lead of her patients. Many of them have educated themselves about their bodies and like to have control over their health. 

The Pitfalls of Detoxification

When asked about the pitfalls of detoxification, Dr. Faith responded with a very common stumbling block encountered in today’s world.  “In our society, we have this ‘push-it’ attitude that implies that more is better. What happens in detoxification is that people expect way too much from their bodies. They’re working a lot of hours, not eating great and all of a sudden they decide they want to do a cleansing program. I think they can weaken the system if they push too hard and they might quit because they become discouraged.”

Other common errors people make, says Faith, is to break their detoxification with the worst kinds of foods or go into it thinking that fasting is a magic pill.  ”Most people are living a pretty fast-paced lifestyle and fasting takes a lot of preparation. I think if it’s not done in a gentle way, it doesn’t help the body.”  Dr. Faith encourages an approach that includes resting, decreasing stress and fasting of another sort: from work!

Detox Diets: A Better Way to Go

“I think detoxification diets are more effective in this day and age,” Dr. Faith admits, “than fasting.”  This would entail a diet that is very low in fat and would exclude animal products, dairy and fast food. “Food it would include is vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, juices (especially live juices), herbal teas and cereal.”

She suggests a minimum of two weeks on this kind of diet, with modification if the person is having trouble adhering to the protocol. Staying on this diet for an entire month would be even more ideal, especially if someone is using things to cleanse the bowel and work on the liver to get an overall detoxification of the system.

There are benefits of extending a detoxification diet. “I’ve had people do that detox and find that it is really easy to move into a different kind of eating style because they stopped habits like coffee and sugar. They find that they can do without or they actually feel better without those things.”

Dr. Faith does caution those thinking about detoxifying to make sure that it is an appropriate time in their life for this process.  ”There’s been many times,” she says, “when I started at detox and realized, hey, this is not a good time.  I’m under too much stress, it’s too cold for me or I’m not ready mentally or spiritually right now. And so I wait until my body says it’s time.”

Colon Hydrotherapy

Are there options if you’re not ready to embark on a detoxification program, but would still like to cleanse the body?  Dr. Faith feels that colon hydrotherapy can fill this need.  As an example, she talks about an elderly patient with terribly arthritic knees to illustrate the benefits of colon hydrotherapy.

“I talked to this woman about diet and herbs. She wouldn’t take anything, she wouldn’t make any changes in her diet. But she had colonics every week and they were the only things that helped her to be able to walk up and down her stairs. When she didn’t have her colonics, she’d be really stiff and in a lot of pain.” Cleansing the system with colon hydrotherapy, Dr. Faith explains, is another way to create a positive impact on your road to optimal health.

A Spiritual Experience

As for her own experience with detoxification and colon hydrotherapy, Dr. Faith relates an element of spiritual uplifting. “I did an extensive detox and moved an incredible amount of stuff out of my colon. I felt lighter in my body. I felt alive and energized. I felt this incredible peace inside.”

After all, when your body is weighed down, and in survival mode trying to deal with all the toxins, it’s hard to be spiritually uplifted.

* * *

If you like this post, you can get more interviews and articles like this one — plus unlimited self-help coaching — at  5 Minute Self-Help.

If you’ve ever heard the term “detox diet,” you may have wondered if this was something you should incorporate into you weight loss, weight management, or health maintenance routine. Before you can make that decision, however, you must first understand the basics of detox dieting. Because what you don’t know, could hurt you.  

The Detox Diet Explanation

The main purpose of a detox diet is to help your body eliminate stored toxins. What, exactly, are toxins? These are substances like preservatives, pesticides, heavy metals, and your own waste products that the body has been unable to eliminate.

There are many ways to approach detoxification dieting and each approach requires the dieter to undergo lifestyle or dietary changes for a period of time. Detox diet tactics include:

• Water or juice fasting
• Food combining for optimal digestion
• Calorie restriction/elimination of specific foods
• Herbal supplements to assist the body in detoxifying

If you’re thinking about trying a detox diet, there are a number of things you should consider first.

Timing: The process of detoxifying the body usually makes you feel worse before you feel better. That’s why it’s important to time your detox wisely. Don’t embark on a major body cleansing program if you’re working 10 hours a day, six days a week or are going through a major life change like a death in the family, a divorce, or a home move. Instead, try to time your detox around a long weekend or quiet time of the month.

Research: Do your research about specific diet options to ensure that you are prepared to make the commitment and sacrifices outlined in the program you choose. If you decide to try a live juice fast, for example, can you truly afford to buy the organic raw produce required to make your own live juices several times a day? Or would it be easier to detoxify using herbal nutritional supplements while eliminating specific food groups?

Side Effects: Detox diets are designed to cleanse your body while giving your digestive and elimination systems a “break” from their daily routine. Because of this, a detox diet will probably leave you feeling extremely hungry and low on energy, especially during the first day or two. Headaches, irritability, and insomnia are common side effects as your body begins to eliminate the toxic waste it has accumulated. The good news is, these rather negative effects are only temporary, and when they are gone, they’ll be replaced with feelings of lightness, well being and increased energy.

Start Slow: If you’re new to cleansing diets and detoxification, consider choosing an option that lasts only a day or two your first time around to see how your body handles the process. If things go well, your next detox diet could be a longer program that is designed to produce more dramatic results.

Consult Your Physician. Detox diets are a shock to you’re a system and should always be preceded by a visit to your doctor to ensure that you’re healthy enough for the diet you choose. You doctor may be able to suggest a detox diet that is safe for your system and will support your current state of health.  

Defining Your Detox Diet Goals

One more aspect of detoxification that should be considered before beginning is: What are your goals around a detox diet? Do you want to lose weight?  Have more energy? De-bloat after a vacation? Or maybe this is your first step toward a more natural lifestyle. These are all common - and valid - reasons to consider a detoxification diet. Answering honestly will help you discover which diet will help you realize your goals. 

It’s important to be realistic in your expectations around a detox diet - a five-day juice fast, for instance, won’t make up for 15 years of yo-yo dieting or erradic exercise habits. Education, preparation, and commitment are your best tools for success. Research your choices, understand the side effects, create your goals and make sure that, whatever detox diet you choose, you’re supporting better health rather than putting yourself at risk.

With warmer weather just around the corner, it’s time to shed winter weight gain. Forget fad diets and fasting, a new approach to eating will help you lose weight and keep it off. Volumetrics, developed by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. and outlined in her book The Volumetrics Eating Plan (Harper Collins 2005), doesn’t eliminate food groups. Instead, it uses common sense and simple math to help you calculate the energy density of foods and make choices based on the numeric outcomes.

Energy density relates to how many calories a food contains in a portion size or volume. Fried foods, cookies and chips have high density. Fruits, vegetables and fat free dairy products have low density. Lean proteins fall somewhere in between.

Studies have shown that people tend to eat the same weight of food each day. By choosing less dense foods, you consume fewer calories in your quest for fullness by volume. For example, a three ounce portion of lean ground beef has approximately 190 calories. The same size portion of skinless chicken breast is 140 calories. And three ounces of tuna canned in water has only 98 calories. The tuna is the least energy dense choice, followed by the chicken breast. But the quantity of each example is exactly the same.

Fat and water are factors that help determine density. At nine calories per gram, fat is the most energy dense food. At zero calories, water is the least energy dense. Cutting fat and adding water-rich foods will leave you full and satisfied - and one step closer to fitting into your warm weather clothes! (This is especially helpful if you hate to cook because raw fruits and vegetables - which are not energy dense - need minimal preparation.)

Calculating the Energy Density of Foods

Calculating a food’s density is easy. On the nutrition label, find the serving size weight in grams and the calorie count. Divide the number of calories by the number of grams to find that food’s energy density.

Foods with a density of less than one are ideal. Foods between one and two should be eaten in moderation. Foods that calculate two or more should be consumed in limited quantities.

Not surprisingly, a four-ounce portion of raw carrots (113 grams, 22 calories) packs a .2 energy density. The high water and fiber content and zero fat in carrots make them an ideal choice.

Fat free pretzels, on the other hand, have an astonishingly high density for a food that is touted to be diet-friendly. One ounce of pretzels (28 grams, 100 calories) has a whopping 3.57 density. Attribute this to lack of water and fiber.

One cup of fat-free cottage cheese (113 grams, 70 calories) is a smart lean protein choice at just .67.

Three Courses to Volumetrics Success

A three-course meal following the Volumetrics principles can be a highly satisfying way to cut calories without cutting enjoyment. Savor each course, eating slowly and deliberately.

Course 1: Soup

One serving of fat free broth-based soup

Course 2: Salad

Hearty mixed greens and chopped vegetables topped with low-fat or fat-free dressing

Course 3: Entree

3-4 ounces of lean protein

One serving of whole grain rice (or similar)

One or more servings of steamed vegetables

Need dessert? Opt for fresh fruit or a fat free pudding or Jell-O cup.

Consider getting your meals delivered if you’re having problem coming up with appropriate Volumetrics meals. Bistro MD or Chef’s Diet are two great resources for meal delivery.

What About Indulgences?

Everybody has a favorite food vice. But before you indulge, consider the following:

• A Hershey bar has a high energy density of 5.58
• A 12 ounce, 150 calorie beer is only .44
• A 4 ounce, 100 calorie glass of wine scores a .88
• One ounce of honey roasted peanuts delivers a whopping 5.82 energy density

When treating yourself, the key is to practice moderation and portion control.

An herbal body wrap provides both therapeutic and beautifying benefits by cleansing the body of toxins, smoothing the skin, and sometimes removing measurable inches off your body simply from the natural detoxification process. Clay-based body wraps are an excellent treatment for anyone that would like to improve the tone and texture of their skin. The process can also help tighten the skin, which is very beneficial for people who have loose skin from recent weight loss or pregnancy.

Professional herbal body wraps for detoxification usually start at around $100. But if a visit to the spa isn’t a luxury you can afford (or you’re too self-conscious to be wrapped by a stranger), you can make your own herbal body wrap to detoxify in the privacy of your home.

To make a simple, clay-based body wrap, you’ll start with the basic recipe below and add essential oils or herbs as desired.

Basic Clay Body Wrap Recipe

• 1 cup bentonite or green clay
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups water

Directions: Boil the water, add the sea salt and stir gently until the salt is completely dissolved. Add the olive oil and clay and mix thoroughly. Add additional water if needed to create the consistency of wet paste.

Although this basic recipe makes a fine body wrap on its own, adding essential oils or herbs will provide greater detoxification and therapeutic effects. Add several drops of oils to your clay paste or up to two tablespoons of herbs. Not sure which additions to try? Below are some suggestions based on ingredients used in actual spa body wraps.

Essential Oils: lavender, sage, lemon, sandalwood, lemongrass, rosemary, and grapefruit.

Herbs: alfalfa leaf powder, ground basil, chamomile flower powder, rose petal powder, and rosehip powder.

Preparing for Your Detoxifying Body Wrap

Experiencing a body wrap is not a process that can be rushed. So make sure that you schedule at least an hour and a half of uninterrupted bathroom time before you begin.

Gather together:

• Your clay mixture
• Thin cotton towels, spa wrapping sheets or a clean, 100% cotton sheet for wrapping
• An inexpensive thermal foil blanket (optional)
• A tall glass of chilled drinking water (with a lemon wedge if you have it)
• Soothing music
• Scented candles

Take a warm shower to open your pores and pat your body dry. Apply the clay mixture onto your body part-by-part, wrapping yourself snugly as you go along. The object of the wrapping is to create gentle pressure on the body to compress the tissue together for greater release of toxins. (Spa wrapping sheets are specifically designed with this end result in mind, so if you can find a source to buy them, it’s not a bad idea.)

As you can imagine, covering your body in clay can be a messy endeavor. That’s why, when your application and wrapping process is complete, you’ll want to relax in an empty bathtub while you detoxify.

If you haven’t done so already, light your candles and turn on your soothing music. Grab a hand towel to support your neck, climb into the tub and relax for 45 minutes to an hour. Sip your lemon water and enjoy the feeling of pampering your body head to toe. If you start to feel chilled, cover yourself with a thermal foil blanket if you have one, or a clean cotton throw.

When your herbal body wrap process is complete, discard the wrappings and take another warm shower (without soap) to rinse the clay from your body.

Following your herbal body wrap, drink plenty of water to help your tissue continue to detoxify. For optimal results, avoid caffeine, sugar, alcohol, fried foods and artificial ingredients for 24 to 48 hours after your wrap to give your body a “break” from these common toxins. 

To learn more about detoxifying your body or get answers to your specific detox questions, you should consider joining 5 Minute Self-Help.  It’s only $5 and it comes with unlimited personal coaching so that you can look and feel your very best.

NutriSystem has been around for a very long time - 35 years according to the official Web site. I actually used the program 20 years ago when work and stress made healthy eating a challenge. Since then, the food quality and choices have improved dramatically.

The question is, why does the NutriSystem diet plan work?

For starters, this weight loss system combines healthy eating in regular intervals throughout the day with portion control. When you do the math to lose weight, the basic formula is calories in vs. calories burned. NutriSystem takes the guesswork out of the ‘calories in’ portion of the equation. (This is especially helpful if you hate to cook.)

But that’s not the only reason why the NutriSystem diet plan works.

NutriSystem removes the temptation to make un-healthy food choices by outlining your meals and snacks for the entire day ahead of time. By knowing exactly what you’ll be eating all day long, you’ll be less likely to cheat.

Lifelong Weight Loss Begins with the Basics

Lifelong weight loss is all about learning to how to eat properly in order to maintain a healthy weight. And I truly think that programs like NutriSystem help you learn the basics of a balanced meal, how much food you should consume at any one time, and how to distinguish between being full and being stuffed. (Eating until you’re stuffed is one of the reasons why you need to lose weight in the first place!)

Once you reach your goal weight, the challenge becomes how to maintain that weight after transitioning off of the NutriSystem foods and back to “regular” eating. Hopefully, you will have learned a thing or two about healthy eating while you’ve been on the program. But if you pick up your old, bad habits right where you left off, the weight you lost will come back faster than you can say “Marie Osmond.”

Overcoming the Gain-Back Challenge

Some people overcome this challenge by continuing to eat NutriSystem meals one week out of every month or two days out of every week. Or if they creep up a few pounds, they jump back on the system to nip the gain in the bud.  

If you’re overweight, making a commitment to a weight loss plan is one of the best health choices you can make. Although NutriSystem is just one program on the market today, it does work if you follow it.

If you need help selecting a diet plan for your needs and budget, or just want personalized support during your weight loss journey, head on over to 5 Minute Self-Help. The life coaches will be there for you every step of the way.

Have you ever said to yourself, a friend, or a loved one, “My life is great. I have nothing to complain about, but I just feel so sad!” Everyone experiences feelings of depression, anxiety, and sadness once in a while. Although most people can pinpoint the cause of their blues, such as experiencing hard times, needing more money, receiving bad news, living with rainy weather, or even having hormonal changes, some people feel sad or depressed without really knowing why.

I recently had lunch with a friend and when I started listening to the negative stories I was telling her about the current state of my life, I had an epiphany: I was stuck in a sad cycle that was creating a steady stream of negative thoughts in my mind!

When feeling sad leads to day after day of feeling blue, it’s time to take self-help action before full-blown depression sets in. So I created a plan for breaking my sad cycle in just three days.

Day 1

One Day 1, I decided that, instead of being sad, I was going to be wealthy! In a small notebook, I wrote down a list of the many ways that wealth touches my life:

• The money in my bank account
• My beautiful family
• My lovely home
• My home-based business
• My generous clients
• My just-for-emergencies credit line

Throughout the day, every time a negative thought crept into my mind, I stopped what I was doing and read through my wealthy list. By the end of that day, my veil of sadness was beginning to lift.

Day 2

On Day 2, I decided that, instead of being sad, I was going to be wealthy and grateful! In my notebook, I wrote down a list of the many things that I’m grateful for.

Just like Day 1, every time a negative thought crept into my mind, I stopped what I was doing and read through my wealthy and grateful lists. By the end of Day 2, I realized I was no longer wallowing in sadness. In fact, I was beginning to feel hopeful about my future again.

Day 3

On Day 3, I decided that, instead of letting sadness creep back into my life, I would focus on sharing joy with everyone I came in contact with. In addition to reviewing my wealthy and grateful lists, I looked for ways to spread joy to others. Here are some things I came up with:

• I waved to the neighbor getting her morning paper and to the kids waiting at the bus stop by my house
• I held the door for an elderly woman at the post office
• I smiled randomly at strangers (and they smiled back!)
• I hugged my kids and told them I was happy to be their mom
• I answered the phone with, “Good morning!” and “Happy Friday!” instead of simply, “Hello.”

By the end of Day 3, I actually felt lighter in my body, as if the weight of the world was no longer sitting on top of my shoulders. I was also eating healthier because I didn’t crave comfort food.

Each day since then, I choose another positive aspect of my life to focus on and look for new ways to uplift others. Sure, the bills keep coming in and the housework still needs to be done, but worrying about them only makes me feel sad. And I would rather feel wealthy, blessed, abundant, and grateful! Depression is a serious illness that should be treated by your doctor. But if you’re feeling blue, try my 3-Day plan for breaking the sad cycle - before depression sets in!

Hay House and TUT are two great resources for books and DVDs that can also help you break the sad cycle. And if you need a little one-on-one mentoring to put this 3-day plan into action, the personal life coaches over at 5 Minute Self-Help are awesome. the cost is only $5 and they can help you stay on track and truly beat the blues forever.

We live in a toxic world. From the air we breathe and the water we drink, to the artificial ingredients and preservatives in our food supply, our bodies have to work overtime just to eliminate enough toxins to continue operating smoothly.

When your body gets overloaded with toxins, your immune systems becomes weaker and you become more vulnerable to everyday viruses or even more significant health issues like cancer or liver disease. That’s why it’s important to cleanse your body by incorporating simple daily detoxification practices into your life.

When people hear the word detoxification, or detox for short, they often think of treatment programs for drug or alcohol abuse or spa retreats that only the wealthy can afford. But there are simple things you can do each day - no matter how much money you make - to detoxify your body.  

Below are three daily detoxification techniques you can perform each day to help eliminate toxins and beautify your body.

Lemon Water

Fresh lemon has amazing internal cleansing properties. Not only does it help eliminate water retention, but it also helps detoxify the liver. Plus, it’s high in vitamin C.

Each morning, before you eat or drink anything else, heat six to eight ounces of pure, clean water and squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the water. Sip slowly, giving your body at least 30 minutes to digest the warm lemon water before having coffee, tea or breakfast.

Beauty Bonus: As an added detox boost throughout the day, squeeze a thin slice of lemon into each glass of water you drink.

Dry Skin Brushing

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and plays an important role in the body’s ability to eliminate toxins. Before you shower or bathe each day, add dry skin brushing to your skin care regiment to unclog pores and clear a path for elimination.

Using a dry loofah or a natural bristle brush, gently brush your skin using short, upward strokes in the direction of your heart (to assist the natural flow of your body’s blood). Start at your feet (make sure you brush in between your toes!) and work upward toward your belly. For hard-to-reach areas like your back, try using a long handled loofah. Avoid sensitive skin or areas where the skin is broken (like a cut) or rashy (as with eczema).

Beauty Bonus: Daily dry skin brushing exfoliates skin and increases circulation, leaving your body smooth, glowing and touchable!

Fiber Up Your Diet

Fiber is an important nutritional element that helps the body naturally detoxify and eliminate waste. As it moves through the digestive track and intestines, fiber absorbs toxic waste and carries it out of the body through the bowels.

The problem is, with our over-processed food supply, most people don’t get anywhere near the recommended daily requirement of 20-25g of fiber each day. With low fiber intake, our intestinal track can get congested and actually release accumulated toxins back into the bloodstream!

Getting adequate fiber each day does require a bit of planning. To get a jump start on your RDA, begin your day with a high fiber breakfast such as fiber-rich cereal and a piece of fruit. Snack on things like nuts, seeds, baby carrots and dried fruits. Make sandwiches with high fiber bread. Add beans to soups, stews and taco meat. And serve a green salad with chunky vegetables with dinner each night.

Health Note: Because fiber absorbs water as well as toxins, make sure you increase your water intake when you begin eating more fiber.  

Beauty Bonus: Increasing fiber intake has been shown to help promote weight loss. So if you need to shed a few pounds, adding fiber to your diet should help.

There are many nutritional supplements and fiber preparations on the market designed to detox your body and it’s not a bad idea to follow a more significant cleansing program from time to time. But for easy daily detoxification, the three things listed here will help you cleanse and beautify your body every day!

If you want to learn more about detoxifying your body or get answers to your specific detox questions, the personal life coaches over at 5 Minute Self-Help are really helpful.

In any given year, an estimated 13 million to 17 million Americans will suffer from some form of depression. Women are twice as likely to be depressed as men. And, in fact, one in every five women is expected to develop clinical depression at some point in her lifetime.

With startling statistics such as these, it’s no wonder that the drug companies continue to pump countless resources into developing new drugs to treat depression. But with a myriad of side effects, prescription antidepressants aren’t always the answer for people suffering from sub-clinical depression.

Although it’s always best to seek appropriate medical treatment when you’re depressed, for symptoms of mild to moderate depression, which is sometimes characterized as “the blues,” there are several self-help steps you can take to feel better fast. By focusing on these things each day instead of your sadness, you will be better prepared to battle the blues.

Step 1: Get a Complete Physical

Sometimes an underlying health condition, like hypothyroidism or a vitamin D deficiency, can induce or mimic feelings of depression. That’s why it’s important to get a complete physical with comprehensive blood work before you begin a depression self-help regimen.

Step 2: Exercise at Least 30 Minutes a Day

Exercise is your body’s built-in antidepressant. Just 30 minutes of mild to moderate activity a day (such as a brisk walk) will prompt your body to release hormone-like chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins create a feeling of euphoria and well-being in the human body and can even mask mild pain. If you’re feeling particularly blue, instead of wallowing on the couch, get up and get some exercise!

Step 3: Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks

Fluctuations in blood sugar can intensify feelings of depression. Because of this, nutrition is an important component of your depression fighting self-help system. To give your body the energy it needs to feel good and face life’s daily challenges, eat three small meals and two or three small snacks each day. Make sure you get plenty of lean protein and at least seven servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. If you need a sweet treat, dark chocolate (in moderation) has been shown to have depression-fighting characteristics. Hate to cook? Consider a food delivery service such as NutriSystem or Bistro MD to ensure that you’re getting healthy, balanced meals.

Step 4: Take Dietary Supplements

No matter how well you eat, it’s hard to get the recommended daily requirements (RDA) of all vitamins and minerals. At a minimum, take a high quality, high potency multi-vitamin each day. You may also want to take extra vitamin C and consider taking additional nutritional supplements that are known to have mood stabilizing properties (St. John’s Wort and 5-HTP are two examples). Not comfortble talking to your local health food store about supplements that fight depression? Online resources such as Swanson Health Products let you shop in the privacy of your own home.

Step 5: Avoid the News

If you’ve watched the news lately or checked the headlines on CNN.com, then you know there’s enough negativity in the world to make even the happiest person sad. If you’re battling depression, the news will only make you feel worse - so avoid it! If you need to check the weather report, try one of the online weather agencies because they don’t give you a helping of doom and gloom along with your forecast.

Step 6: Get Fresh Air and Sunshine

Depressed people tend to hibernate, shutting themselves off from the world. But this only makes them feel more sad and isolated. A great antidote to feeling blue is spending time with Mother Nature. Go to the park, the beach or your backyard. But get a little fresh air and sunshine each day.

Step 7: Get a Daily Dose of Spirituality

Doing one thing (or more) each day that lifts your spirits is essential when you’re fighting depression. Need a few suggestions? Watch your favorite feel-good movie, laugh out loud during a half-hour sit-com, read a few pages from a spiritually uplifting book, listen to a spirit-based instructional CD or DVD, spend 30 minutes playing with your pet or call a friend to catch up. Choose an activity that feeds your soul and leaves you feeling joyful. Two great resources for all-things-spiritual are Hay House and TUT.

Although severe depression should always be treated by a qualified health care professional, only 20 percent of depressed people actually receive the treatment they desperately need. By following the simple, self-help steps outlined in this article, you may be able to turn around your state-of-mind before clinical depression sets in.

The steps outlined in this article are the just the beginning when it comes to self-help for depression. To get more tools and resources designed to help you beat the blues naturally — and gain access to a personal life coach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, visit 5 Minute Self-Help.

Losing weight feels great and can help prevent serious health issues like diabetes and heart disease. But with so many weight loss diets to choose from, it’s hard to know which program is right for you.

To put this in perspective, let’s look at jusAt some of the different diets that are on the market today.

Low Carb: This type of diet combines high protein (and high fat) with a minimal amount of carbohydrates and is very successful, at least in the short term, for many people. I like the protein choices at Bistro MD.

40-30-30: Similar to the low carb approach, this eating lifestyle focuses on balancing protein, fat and carbohydrate ratios each time you eat. Not sure how to balance your meals? You can  get perfectly portioned, gourmet 40-3-30 meals delivered to your door.

Portion Control: This diet teaches moderation in meal sizes and often focuses on adding larger portions of fruits and vegetables with moderate amounts of protein and minimal intake of starchy carbs like potatoes and white bread. NutriSystem is a great diet that promotes healthy eating and perfect proportion control.

Points System: Assigning different point values to foods helps these dieters meal plan by the numbers. No food is off limits here, but a piece of full-fat cheesecake might take most of your points for the whole day! Weight Watchers is the most obvious choice here, but I also like NutriSystem as a similar option because it provides easy meal planning without all that math!

Calorie Counting: This could be thought of the old fashioned way to lose weight. A specific daily calorie intake is set and you count the calories consumed throughout the day in order to meet, but not exceed, this number. The Medifast diet is one that you should check into when calories count.

High Fiber: This approach to weight management focuses on eating a high fiber diet filled with whole grains, beans/legumes and fruits and vegetables. The general theory here is that, if you focus on eating high fiber foods, you will naturally eat fewer empty calories that contribute to obesity. Dr. Siegel’s Cookie Diet is one to watch for high fiber intake. (Plus, who wouldn’t love to eat cookies as a weight loss tool?)

Exercise / Muscle Building: Using aerobic exercise and muscle building techniques is yet another approach to weight loss that involves less focus on what you eat and more on what you do with your body. I like the home exercise option offered by Bodylastics because it’s small, portable and extremely affordable compared to other home gym setups or club memberships.

Diet Pills / Supplements: Diet pills and weight loss supplements are available in many different formulas, with or without stimulants such as caffeine, and can be used alone (with healthy eating and exercise) or in conjunction with a structured weight loss program. You can shop online for weight reducing nutritional supplements at Swanson’s Health Products — they have fantastic prices.

The truth is, ANY diet that combines healthy eating with exercise has the potential to promote successful weight loss. Yet many dieters fail time and time again - no matter what program they choose.

The Reason Why Diets Fail

Although most diets have solid nutritional elements that result in weight reduction, they are missing the secret ingredient to permanent weight loss success: personalized SUPPORT.

The best way to understand how support can help you succeed at losing weight is to look at the reality television show, “The Biggest Loser.” Why are the candidates on this show so successful at achieving life-changing weight loss? Because they aren’t just put on diets and exercise programs, they also have a personal coach working with them side-by-side, day-after-day to keep them motivated and on course!

The journey to lasting weight loss is filled with pitfalls, distractions and plateaus. In fact, many people give up before ever reaching their goal weight (and gain every pound back - and more!). That’s why it’s so important to have someone supporting you every step of the way. Someone that will keep you on track when the going gets rough, talk you through weak moments, provide encouragement and motivation when you’re ready to quit and to share your joy as you reach each milestone.

Finding the Best Support

Your best support system will be a friend, spouse, parent or other loved one who is willing to provide motivation and encouragement as you lose weight - and provide tough-love (or a kick in the butt) when needed! However, many of us don’t have someone who can that kind of support. Those that are close to us may be too emotionally connected to us or simply too busy to provide the honest and ongoing support we need. Or they may have their own personal issues to deal with and won’t be able to fully commit to our support.

The good news is that there are Web sites, like www.5minuteselfhelp.com, where you can connect with a personal mentor that will keep you on task and make you a success at weight loss. There are other services like 5 Minute Self-Help available online and in your area, but they are usually pretty pricey. 5 Minute Self-Help is only $10 per month and comes will unlimited coaching support that can work with any diet program you choose.

Any diet can help you lose weight. When choosing a program, make your choice based on the foods you enjoy and the lifestyle you lead - and make sure you add personalized support to ensure your success.