Thursday, January 26, 2006

Excess Skin - Can I Get Rid of It?

Email from Anonymous

The problem I have is that while your exercises are helping me a lot, I seem to have a lot of excess skin around my chest and stomach which appears imposible to move. Tell me, will this skin in time slowly shrink and disappear? I await your reply and thanks once again for all of your good advice.

Lisa's Response

I'm no doctor but if you have a lot of excess skin I think the only way to
have that removed is surgically. I've never heard of any exercises that rid the body of extra skin nor have I heard of it shrinking. I guess it also depends on how much skin you have.

I would really recommend consulting your physician.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Can Fiber Cause Stomach Bloating?

Email from Anonymous

What is the deal with fiber and stomach bloating? I know fiber can help you lose weight but it seems to give me gas.

Lisa's Response

Certain foods contain soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves easily and turns into a gel-like texture when it reaches the intestines. It can be found in beans, oat bran, peas and the flesh of many fruits. Soluble does not break down until it reaches the large intestine. The digestion process causes gas.

Insoluble fiber, passes essentially unchanged through the intestines and produces little gas (if any). Seeds, nuts, berries, the skin of some fruits, whole grain cereals and pasta contain this kind of fiber.

It has also been found that once your body gets used to consuming fiber on a regular basis, the "gas effects" may decrease.