Excess weight has affects health in different ways, most particularly on cardiovascular fitness. Obesity is one of the risk factors for onset of hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD), i.e. ischemia. As these diseases progress, the risk of heart attack and stroke increases. To avoid such a downward spiral, patients should follow a special diet and take the vitamins and minerals included in VITRUM^® CARDIO.

Obesity exerts an influence on all organs and systems of the body, so obese persons often suffer from dysfunction and tenderness in joint, low back pain, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, atherosclerosis, inflammatory processes in skin folds, diabetes, gout, sleep disturbance, arterial hypertension, and venous disorders of the leg and leg ulcers.

Diets used in various treatments:

• Celiac or gluten disease affects only those who have an hereditary predisposition. The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet - which means avoiding all foods that contain gluten, i.e. wheat, rye, barley, and oat. This diet must be strictly observed. Unfortunately it is a lifetime diet. Cases of spontaneous recovery are exceedingly rare.
  
  
• Arthrosis and osteoporosis require that patients exclude from the diet any high-purine products: organ meats, meat sauces and broths, meat-jellies, sardines, herring, legumes and flavor additives. Dishes are to be cooked without fat, by boiling or steaming. Food should be ingested regularly, the last meal being eaten 3 - 4 hours before going to bed at the very latest, since the body retains more uric acid during sleep.
  
  
• Circulatory insufficiency, arterial hypertension, glomerulonephritis, nephritic syndromes call for restriction of table salt intake, to help compensate for potassium deficiency. One should restrict animal fat, sugar and confectionery intake to maintain the normal body weight. Corpulent persons may have a fasting day once a week, feeding then on vegetables and fruits only. One should have easily digestible meals 5 times a day, containing as much protein as the diet of healthy persons. Beverages that raise blood pressure - alcoholic drinks, robust coffee and strong tea - should be avoided. In renal diseases liquids and protein should be restricted. One should follow the diet only after consulting a doctor and under his continuous surveillance.
  
  
• Constipation can be alleviated by ingesting frequent small meals and plenty of fluids. Certain herbs can be helpful, but avoid any food causing flatulence.
  
  
• Chronic renal or hepatic failure requires protein restriction. The diet should contain animal proteins only, vegetable ones are to be excluded completely. Both the intake of salt and the quantity of liquid must be restricted, while still maintaining the energy from carbohydrates and fats that healthy persons need. This can include fructose in the form of honey and fruits.
  
  
• Pancreatic diabetes calls for a high-protein diet with restricted monosaccharide content, to maintain the patient's normal body weight. At least half of the protein intake should consist of animal protein, and high-energy starches and fats should be reduced. Refined sugar is absolutely prohibited, in favor of low-carbohydrate fruits and vegetables. The patient should be under the continuous care of medical personnel.
  
  
• Hepatopathy requires a low-fat and high animal-protein) diet. Alcoholic drinks are absolutely prohibited, and physical activity should be restricted. Fried dishes should be excluded from the dietary intake altogether. Carbohydrates should be consumed in the form of starches. The patient should eat dishes containing animal proteins 5 times a day.
  
  
• Atherosclerosis and coronary disease in the elderly people are treated with a diet low in fat and monosaccharides. Caloric intake in general needs to be decreased as well. Such a diet should contain vegetable oil, fruits, vegetables, brown bread in normal quantities, but a minimum of refined sugar and pastry. There should be 5 meals per day.
  
  
• Cholelithiasis, chronic cholecystitis, postoperative states after gallbladder surgery, biliary dyskinesia, chronic pancreatitis - For all these conditions, a low-fat and fiber-restricted diet is recommended. At the initial stage, just after colic attack, the diet should contain only warm drink, and later semi-solid dishes may be given, and then finally whole milk. Afterwards the diet can be gradually enriched with animal proteins. The energy value of the meals should be identical with that of any healthy person's. The diet should contain carbohydrates in the form of starch, though the fiber content should be low. Patients need to know what foods promote bile secretion and avoid those. Food should be served warm.
  
  
• Peptic ulcer, prolonged gastric and enteric catarrhs call for a diet that is gentle on the esophagus and the stomach. The diet should provide the body with sufficient quantities of mainly animal protein. Dishes should be easy to digest, served moderately warm and accompanied by only moderate quantities of fluids. Alcoholic drinks and smoking are prohibited.
  
  
• Acute stomach inflammation, accompanied by diarrhea, responds to fasting together with warm (and not sweet) beverages. In the case of frequent diarrhea attacks it is advisable to try an apple or rice diet for the day. Animal protein and small quantities of fiber can be added later. Products containing sugar and fat should be added last and sparingly.

Sport:
It is best to battle obesity by combining a low-calorie diet with sports. Try gymnastics, swimming or cycling; and even a simple hike can have great benefits. Swimming is especially helpful, since water decreases the work load for the spine and joints. Water also decreases the body temperature, so the body must consume more calories to move. It is important that physical activity be regular and sufficiently long - about 60 minutes daily is the target, though this must be approached gradually. The pulse rate during such physical exercises should not exceed 110 per minute.
It is best to do all the exercises within a single hour. The initial 20-30 minutes of physical activity consume the carbohydrates reserved for rapid body response in the event of stress. Only after exhausting this reserve will the adipose fat begin to burn off.