Tuesday 25 February 2014

Is Walking Good For Weight Loss???

Everyone wants to know is walking good for weight loss?
Walking is a great form of low impact exercise. It can be done at any time of day and does not require any special equipment.
The question is will you lose weight?
Let us have a look at the facts.
The idea of exercise is to improve your health. Walking is not one of the best ways to improve your health and lose weight. There are however certain benefits to walking. Flexibility improves as you walk. As you get older your flexibility decreases. In order to maintain your health, walking is a good exercise to do. The main thing to consider with walking as an exercise to help you lose weight you have to consider how many calories are burned.
A pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories. If you walk for an hour at an average pace you can expect to burn off around 500 calories. That means to burn off a pound of fat you would have to walk for 7 hours. That is right 7 hours to burn off 1 pound of fat.
Now do not be too disheartened.
There are ways to help you burn more calories.
To begin with you can increase the pace at which you walk. The faster you walk the more calories you will burn in an hour. Walking faster has several benefits. Apart from burning more calories you will also have to breathe a bit harder. The harder you breathe the harder your lungs have to work. They need to work harder to get more oxygen into your muscles. In order to get the oxygen into your muscles your heart will have to work harder. The harder your heart is working the stronger it will become. That is because your heart is a muscle too. The better you heart and lung get the healthier you will become. As your lungs and heart work harder the more calories your body will burn. As you burn more calories the more weight you will lose. It is at this point you have to decide how much effort you want to put into walking as a way of losing weight.
If you want to lose weight through walking you will have to get into the habit of walking faster.
Now walking is not the best way of losing weight but it can be used as an extra way to help you lose a few pounds.
So try walking to lose a bit of extra weight.
Walking is a great way to lose weight.

Friday 21 February 2014

Managing Weight With Oats


The oat plant is like a wheat plant only it contains a lot of fibre. Most oats are consumed as breakfast cereal and the rest are utilised as oat flour. Oat flour can be used in the same way as wheat flour. Additionally, it can be mixed with soy flour, corn flour or wheat flour to convert it to multi grain. Consuming whole grain diets is good for the body.
In case you are looking forward to reducing your weight, a wholesome oatmeal diet is a good option. Oats contain both soluble and insoluble fibres which keep the body's cholesterol and sugar levels balanced. This raises your energy for exercise program which burns your excess body fat.
The Oat Statics
Studies have shown that oats are effective in trimming down those extra tummy inches. They have a high content of fibre beta-glucan which is responsible for lowering cholesterol. When the soluble oat fibres take part in the digestion process, they convert themselves into gel forms which trap acids which contain cholesterol. So, instead of accumulating the fat, it is excreted through faeces. Moreover, oats have high tocotrienol levels which are helpful in inhibiting cholesterol synthesis.
Reducing cholesterol is not the only benefit of oats. They can also help regulate the blood sugar. The beta-glucan fibres slow down the digestion process, thereby prolonging the carbohydrate absorption into the main bloodstream. This prevents the carbohydrates from converting into sugar and getting stored in the body.
Regular Exercise Works Wonders
If you combine this oatmeal diet with an exercise regimen, it will work wonders. Exercising regularly speeds up weight loss. The oats help in this process by acting as pre-workout food. This is one of the sole reasons why oats are athletes' favourite food. They assist them in working out harder.
Oats help in reducing belly fat by regulating your bowel movements. This is essential for cleaning the guts and in avoiding bloating. Oats are high on density and low on calories. The best part about oats is that they help you in feeling fuller for longer durations of time. It curbs your needs for fat accumulating junk foods.
How to plan your typical oatmeal diet?
If you are wondering how to chalk your breakfast in a nutritional way, read on to find out how to acquire more from oats.
The oats consumed during breakfast are typically crushed oats, also known as rolled oats. It can be taken with milk or water, depending on your food preferences. It is advisable to consume it in a slightly raw form. This is because, the more rawness oats have, the more they are better for cutting down carbohydrates. Approximately three tablespoons of oats along with fruits and milk would be able to keep a person full till lunch.
The Oat Nutrition Chart
Calculating by statistics, oats are full of nutritional value.
100 grams of oats have:
  • 380 calories
  • 67 gram carbohydrates
  • 16 gram protein
  • 6 gram fat
  • 7 gram thiamine
  • 7 mg vitamin E
  • 4 mg iron
  • 474 mg phosphorous
How Does It Work?
Fibres take long to break down. Their breaking up also consumes a lot of energy from the body cells. Thus, when energy will be consumed, the fat will automatically burn. This will lower down your body's fat levels.
Thus, oats are a wholesome breakfast and a healthy diet for losing weight. All you need to do is include one cup of oats everyday to move up on your health cycle.

7 Psychological Distresses Obese People Face


Many are aware of the physical side effects that weight has on a person's health. But did you know obesity has psychological effects as well? The media has promoted weight-stigmas to be associated with anyone who is obese or overweight. These stigmas include characterizing obese people as being lazy, lacking willpower, being over-indulgent, taking little interest in diet or exercise and contributing to the rising costs of health care. These commonly held viewpoints have negative consequences to an obese person's psychological health.
Obesity Increases Risk of Social Isolation
Social isolation is the complete, or near complete, withdrawal from society. It involves staying at home for days or weeks at a time, lack of communication with friends or family and avoiding contact with people when interaction is available. Social isolation can lead to a multitude of conditions including: loneliness, increased stress, aggression, anxiety, fear, memory impairment, depression, etc.
Obesity is Linked to Behavioral Difficulties
Obesity has been shown to have a direct connection with behavioral problems, especially in children. Behavioral difficulties that have shown to have a correlation include aggression and delinquent behaviors. It is still under debate whether obesity is the cause of these types of behaviors or whether the behaviors contribute to an individual's obesity.
Obesity Promotes Negative Self-View
Many obese people have negative self perception. Self perception is an individual's idea of who they are as a person. It is often directly linked to how you feel others perceive you. Social stigmas can directly impact the way a person views themselves.
Obesity Effects Self-Esteem
Obese people tend to allow their weight to define who they are, what they are capable of and set the value on their self-worth. Obesity leads to intense feelings of self-doubt, shame and despair. Low self-esteem can lead to self-criticism, sensitivity to criticism from others, fear of making mistakes, always looking to please others, guilt, hostility, pessimism and envy.
Obesity and Depression Correlations
Research has shown that there is a direct correlation between obesity and depression. Depression causes a person to have persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, hopelessness and inadequacy. Like obesity it is associated with low self-image, low self-esteem, and social isolation. In addition to these similarities, both obesity and depression share many of the same risk factors and treatments.
Obesity Leads to Bullying and Victimization
People who are obese are oftentimes the victims of teasing, bullying and discrimination. The traumas associated with these types of experiences and lead to more weight gain. These acts also directly negatively impact a person's emotional health. These acts can contribute to a person's low self perception, low self-esteem and depression.
Obesity and Suicide
The psychological distresses associates with obesity can lead to suicide. Depression alone is a high risk factor of suicide. Other suicide risk factors that are associated with obesity are: feelings of hopelessness, aggression, social isolation, loss (inability to perform task you were once able to), physical illnesses associates with obesity and bullying/victimization.
The weight-stigmas associated with anyone who is obese contributes to the way these people view themselves and how other people view them. These stigmas directly impact an obese person's psychological health. Distresses caused by weight-stigmas include: social isolation, behavioral difficulties, negative self-view, low self-esteem, depression and bullying/victimization.

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Simple Ways To Burn Belly Fat With Exercise


It's no secret that one of the best ways to burn belly fat is with exercise. But that does mean more than doing a few sit-ups each day. Belly fat is actually connected to your genetics which means that some people are genetically preset to store fat around the midsection. While you can't determine where fat will be stored on the body, there are number of proven ways to burn belly fat from your body by following a consistent exercise plan.
Exercise With Aerobic Activity.
You need to include is aerobic activity to your daily routine. This is exercise where you move your body for at least 10 minutes at a time. It helps to increase your heart rate, condition your lungs, and burn fat.
Good ways to burn fat with aerobic activity include walking, jogging, swimming and cycling. If you prefer sports, try activities such as basketball, soccer or tennis that keep the body moving at a constant pace. Sports like golf or bowling help you to move, but not in an aerobic way.
As you add aerobic activity to your routine, you'll burn fat during the activity itself. Plus you'll raise your metabolism over time and that means you'll be burning more calories when you at rest after you have finished your activity.
Exercise With Resistance Training.
One of the best ways to burn belly fat is with resistance or strength training because muscles burn more calories, even while they are at rest. Women can be uncertain about exercising with weights because they don't want to develop big muscles. The best way to burn fat with resistance training is to do a mixture of exercises that work your entire body. Focus on training the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, back, and chest. That is what stimulates the fat burning hormones in your body that you need to get a flat stomach.
Many people think that one of the ways to burn belly fat quickly is to do lots of sit-ups and crunches. But this is not true. If you only do these abdominal exercises, and nothing else, you may get strong abdominal muscles, but with a full layer of fat on top, you will not get the results you really want.
How to Burn Belly Fat Successfully.
Exercise and a healthy diet are key components in any weight loss program. Choose an exercise regime that you enjoy and that you can do regularly. The key ways to burn belly fat with exercise is to include cardio and weight training. Belly fat can be unsightly, unhealthy and make you feel bad about your body but when you commit and stick with a good exercise program combined with a healthy diet, you'll find that you will be happier and will lose that unwanted excess weight.

Friday 14 February 2014

WOW - The Wonders of Water!!!!


Doctors recommend it, nutritionists recommend it but often we don't take their advice - Drink more water.
This is one great way to lose weight. Most nutritionists have recommended that we drink eight, 8 ounce glasses of water each day.
Some researches have said that in weight loss water is a vital part. Here's an idea - drink 3 quarts of water each day.
I know, you might be thinking, "Wow, that's a lot of water!" and it is, but some researches have determined that if you will drink three quarts of water chilled to only forty degrees then you will burn approximately 100 calories per quart consumed.
How?
Researchers have determined that when you drink cold water (1 quart) it lowers your body temperature and that your body has to work to bring it's temperature back to normal and as a result it burns 100 calories in the process. Do this three times per day and you will burn 300 calories in one day or the equivalent of walking a treadmill for thirty minutes per day.
Think about it: You burned 300 calories without exercise! There are 3,500 calories in a pound so if you did just this and did not change your eating habits then in just 12 days you can expect to burn one pound of fat off your body.
At first this estimate doesn't seem like too much but divide 365 days (one year) by 12 days and in one year you can expect to burn almost 31 pounds of fat and that is without dieting!
Water also is a natural diuretic so it helps you lose that water weight as well!
Add lemon juice to the water you are drinking and add even more fat burning power! Some researches suggest that lemon juice is a natural fat burner! Also it's great because it adds flavor to this all natural beverage and that helps if you are not so fond of its plain taste.
Drinking more water even helps promote clearer and healthier looking skin.
Doctors recommend drinking more water and so do nutritionists so start drinking more of it and get healthier today!

Can Yoga Cure Obesity?????


Yoga increases the concentration of mind and builds your focus and health. It also reduces the stiffness in your body thus making it more flexible.
One of the most common problems faced by this generation is obesity. Today, obesity is being cured with many advanced techniques like gastric bypass surgery, diet pills and squeezing the size of stomachs. For a shorter duration it may please, but it does not help in the longer run. Most of the obese people consume pills in the U.S. and it tackles the problem for a short duration. But once the intake is stopped the weight begins to increase again.
Studies have shown that yoga can reduce weight and that too within a month. Many of them think it incredible, but it holds true. But you need to follow a few steps such as drinking 5-6 glasses of water every morning. Practicing a lot of asanas such as Pranayam, which is a very beneficial exercise. It literally means the 'control of breath' in the Sanskrit language. The advantages of these exercises are innumerable. They enhance your memory, eyesight, and concentration and also bring down your excessive weight. You can sit anywhere and perform yoga, be it indoors or outdoors.
It makes the digestive tract function smoothly and allows quick digestion of foods. Due to these factors, the chance of obesity reduces. Yoga is indeed a fabulous program and for all age groups.

Cleansing Your Body !! Detoxifying



A cleansing diet is a way to rid your body of excess toxins or food stuffs. Most of the time this type of a diet could mean one of several different types of approaches. Some diets involve eating only one or two different types of foods. Some diets involve eating no food at all and drinking only liquids. Some types of cleanses allow the person to eat several types of foods. It is really very personal and individualized on what type of cleansing diet you select.
We are all exposed to chemical toxins in our every day life. We often do not stop to think about this, but it is true. By following a cleansing diet every few months or so it will rid us of these toxins and allow our bodily systems to function more efficiently.
A popular type of cleansing diet is drinking only bottled water and freshly squeezed juices. You would not want to stay on this type of a diet too long due to its intensity, but a popular length of time for a cleansing diet is between 3 to 7 days. This type of cleanse is also used before some testing of the lower and upper gastrointestinal tract.
Another common practice in a cleansing diet is a vegan type of diet consisting of uncooked, all natural fruits and vegetables. No meat or carbohydrates are eaten on this type of a diet. Beverages consist of either water or freshly squeezed juices.
It is important to remember that although a cleansing diet is a good practice every so often, if you do start to feel ill you should eat a little something more substantial. You do not need to eat a full course meal, but only to nibble on something that is a bit more filling. You should also remember that it is advisable to take a multivitamin every day, drink plenty of water, get an adequate amount of sleep or even a little bit more sleep than usual, and always check with your doctor first to get his approval on participating in a cleansing diet.
Cleansing diets were practiced naturally before people expected to eat 3 large meals a day. Farmers ate large breakfasts and dinners but often missed lunch because they were hard at work in the fields. Groups of people who lived through hunting and gathering often went a day or two without food when it couldn't be found. This type of eating plan naturally allowed the body to cleanse itself.
When you are nearing the end of your cleansing diet you should gradually introduce any food back in to your body a little bit at a time. You do not want to shock or overload your body all at once. Remember that your body has gone without its normal every day intake now for a few days or more. It will need time to readjust. Light eating is best after your body has readjusted. Your body does not need to be weighed back down with all kinds of heavy caloric intake.
A toxin-free body is an ideal goal to aim for. A toxin-laden body cannot work at peak performance and bodily systems will be prone to upset. Detoxify yourself every so often with a cleansing diet to keep your body machine running at its best.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Aerobics for Effective Weight Loss



According to a US study conducted recently, aerobics is the best solution for losing weight as it burns the excess calories. This is why aerobics remains one of the most popular ways to lose weight ever. Aerobic exercises not only help lose weight but also have long term health benefits. Also, aerobics can be fun and really enjoyable.
There are various kinds of aerobic routines, ranging from the step aerobics routine in which a raised platform is used to perform various exercises to the water aerobics in which movements are done in chest high warm water. Aerobics also include active sports like swimming, basketball, tennis, soccer etc.
Are you thinking of losing weight? Do you want to shed those extra pounds?
Here's why you should go for aerobics:
  • Burning Calories and Losing Weight:
It is a known fact that aerobic or cardio exercises help you maintain your weight. The excess energy required to perform aerobic or cardiovascular exercises is obtained from the calories that you get from consuming food and beverages. As a result, your metabolic rate is increased and high amounts of calories are burnt. Losing weight without any medical procedure requires you to burn more calories than you can consume. Along with reducing body fat, aerobics also reduces blood pressure.
  • Aerobics Help You Overcome The Sudden Cravings For Eating
Another reason why aerobics is such popular and effective in reducing weight is that it helps you overcome the erratic hunger pangs. This happens due to the increase in your leptin level which suppresses your desire to eat a lot. Leptin is a protein that balances appetite and metabolism thus regulating energy intake and expenditure.
Here are some statistics that would make the picture clear. An hour long low-impact routine can burn up to 545 calories and a more vigorous one can burn from 511 to 763 calories. Brisk walking for an hour can burn around 414 calories whereas running can help you burn up to 1,472 calories.
However, it must be kept in mind that if your aerobics exercise routine is not regular you might not be able to lose weight as desired. Also, if you consume enough extra calories to meet your increased energy needs you will fail to lose weight.
It is advisable to exercise at least three times a week for 20-30 minutes at a time in order to benefit from your aerobic exercises. Reduce intake of high fat food, sugary food and alcohol to avoid extra calorie intake.
Other benefits of aerobics are:
  • Releases the natural pain killers of your body.
  • Enhances immune system.
  • Increases agility and is also considered to increase your IQ.
  • Improves muscle strength.
  • Improves balance and coordination.
  • Reduces stress, thus resulting in better sleep patterns and no depression.
Aerobic exercises are certainly extremely beneficial not only for healthy weight loss but also for your overall well-being.

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Acupuncture And Weight Loss - Does It Work?



Does acupuncture really help weight loss? The answer is Yes! However, lets take a step back and look at some details. Americans spend over 33 billion dollars every year on weight-loss programs. Unfortunately, 95 percent fail in their attempt to lose the weight they need to maintain good health. The good news is that based on researchers from Korea, acupuncture in fact can help individuals loose weight. Researchers claim in a study published in the BMJ journal Acupuncture in Medicine that "Ear" acupuncture treatment can help people lose while being affordable
It is known that the ancient practice of acupuncture helps to heal a host of ailments. Even today's practitioners of Western medicine embrace this ancient practice to subdue chronic pain, postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure, and weight loss. Acupuncture can restore balance to ones body by increasing blood circulation, decreasing any inflammatory responses or inflammation and much more. Acupuncture from an eastern perspective can increase to the flow of energy along rivers of Qi (pronounced chee), or life force through fine, thin needles that are barely inserted into the skin along strategic points on the human's body.
To be more specific about weight loss, we need to focus on the brain. Our brain has a regulating center called the hypothalamus which regulates thirst and hunger along many other things. Weight gain could be the result of disturbed energy flow to and from the regulating center of the brain. As a result, different acupuncture methods can be used for weight control by tuning the disturbed energy flow and helping the body run like a finely tuned machine. Interestingly enough, acupuncture has the ability to influence obesity hormones by boosting metabolism, curbing appetite, improving digestion, decreasing cravings, regulating obesity related hormones and enhancing the way nutrients are used. Acupuncture also strengthens the function of the liver, the organ that produces many chemicals critical for digestion, processing nutrients and breaking down of fats. Finally, Acupuncture may also increase tone in the smooth muscle of the stomach to help people realize that they are full and stop eating. Furthermore, Skilled acupuncture practitioners or acupuncturists will zero in on specific body areas to effect weight loss. Beside the liver, other areas such as endocrine system and kidneys, which are addressed to treat water retention and to stimulate nerve and hormonal rebalance can be tapped into through acupuncture to help weight loss.
Acupuncture + Your Ear = Weight loss:
As mentioned earlier, in order to pinpoint the Qi or stimulate certain areas on the ear for effective weight control, acupuncturists take aim at four to five acupuncture points on the ear (results will be better if a practitioner stimulated five points instead of just one or two). These points include: the hunger point, Shen Men point, stomach point, and endocrine point. A few tiny sterilized needles are inserted along these invisible channels to decrease the "heat" generated along these meridians and to stimulate centers that trigger the release of neuron-chemicals and hormones. Sometimes the needles are covered with tape so that they can be left in place for a few days. Patients usually later remove them at home or have them removed during follow up visits to the acupuncturist.
It is important to note that ear acupuncture must be administered by a qualified acupuncturist

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Controlling Obesity with Vitamin Supplements



Metabolic obesity isn't a term most of us have heard of. Metabolic obese individuals are of normal weight. Their blood insulin and blood sugar levels, however, are much higher than would be expected.
Metabolic obesity is probably best described as "obesity that is waiting to happen." A recent clinical study at the University of Vermont offers a good example.
Doctors examined 71 women aged 21 to 35. Of the 71 women participating in the study, 13 were found to be "metabolically obese."
The difference was not weight, although the metabolically obese women weighed slightly more (an average of 132 pounds) than the normal women (an average of 129 pounds). Neither was the difference body fat, although the metabolically obese women had a slightly higher percentage body fat, 32% compared to 27%.
The fundamental difference between the two groups of women was the ability of the body to clear sugar out of the bloodstream after a meal. The longer the body takes to return blood sugars to normal levels after eating, the worse the metabolic obesity.
Why is this important?
The body moves sugar into cells with the help of insulin. This vital hormone moves more than just sugars. It also helps cells store fat. In fact, insulin is 300 times more effective at storing fat than it is for storing sugars.
If cells resist the effects of insulin, the pancreas secretes more. Before the onset of diabetes, the extra insulin eventually gets the sugar out of the bloodstream. But the additional insulin results in storing even more fat.
The metabolic obesity that is caused by insulin resistance may be related to antioxidant deficiency.
certain foods are extremely rich in antioxidants. Dried prunes and raisins are among the most sources of antioxidants readily found in the market. Beans, blueberries, dried apricots, pomegranate juice, artichokes, Russet potatoes, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, ground cloves, cinnamon, and oregano are also high on the list.
The fact is, unfortunately, most of us don't eat the antioxidant-rich foods our bodies need, and, frankly, we can eat them all the time, as any one who has ever feasted on prunes can attest. The most reliable remedy for antioxidant deficiency that leads to metabolic obesity is a simple, balanced, multivitamin supplement taken every day.
Over 340 published scientific studies confirm the role of dietary and vitamin supplement antioxidants in preventing insulin resistance and metabolic obesity. Beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and red wine catechins all provide antioxidants that prevent insulin resistance. Alpha-lipoic acid is especially useful for offsetting the insulin resistance induced by excessive consumption of fructose, the simple sugar found in corn syrup and most soft drinks and baked goods in North America.
So what's your best vitamin supplement?
As a general rule, it's best to avoid overdoses of antioxidant vitamin supplements.Very high levels of antioxidants, such as 10,000 mg of vitamin C or 3,000 IU of vitamin E every day, can alter the way your body responds to vitamins. If you abruptly stop taking a megadose of antioxidant vitamin supplement, your body will act as if you were nutritionally deficient. It is never a good idea to take megadoses of antioxidant vitamin supplements over a period of weeks or months unless you are treating a specific health condition--other than metabolic obesity--that requires them.The best way to get your "vitamin insurance" is to take a multivitamin formula. Formulas balance individual ingredients. You won't be getting your zinc without copper or your folic acid without vitamin B-6.

6 Quickest Ways To Lose Fat



We are all aware that obesity affects us in various ways. It does not only equate to serious health risks; but, it also lowers self-esteem which can be aggravated to depression. That is why many people want to lose fat quickly and start a new and active life.
Below are 6 Quickest Ways to Lose Fat that you can follow.
1. Change your diet plan. Eat right by cutting down or totally eliminating sugar, white flour and high fructose corn syrup. Sugar, flour and high fructose corn syrup are the number one cause of obesity in the world. These three immediately turn into fat in your body. As soon as you reduce or eliminate those three items, you will lose fat at a rapid pace.
2. Add more fiber to your diet. By eating more fiber, you will feel full for a longer period of time and not crave for more. Consider eating whole grains as they transport fat toward the digestive system quicker, allowing the body to be more energized and commanding the body to cease storing fat.
3. Avoid eating deep fried foods. If you want to lose fat faster, you must eat grilled fish and chicken. Make vegetables and salad as your side dishes. The oil used in deep fried foods is much harder for the body to breakdown, which in turn, gets stored in the body as fat if you do not exercise to burn it off.
4. Eat small meals often. In a day, it is recommended to eat 5-6 small meals. By eating often, you are taking your metabolism into a higher rate, which aids in burning more calories. Also, you will not be as hungry because you are constantly eating throughout the day.
5. Drink more water. The magic number is 8. It is recommended that you drink 8 cups of water daily. Drinking adequate amount of water will help you control your appetite. Also, drinking plenty of water daily helps aid your digestive system and flushes your body of harmful toxins.
6. Begin an Exercise Routine. At first, you can walk 15 to 20 minutes a day and increase it to 30 minutes a day. Perform some basic weight training with the use of bodyweight or light dumbbells. Remember that adding muscle to the body will aid in burning more calories, which will result to rapid weight loss.
If you have the discipline and consistency to do all these 6 techniques, then you are on your way to your ultimate goal-which is to lose that unwanted FAT and flaunt that new sexy and fit body.

Monday 10 February 2014

7 Quick Weight Loss Tips



As more and more people spend hours bound to their desks the obesity epidemic is only getting bigger and scarier. Statistics show that most adults and children are weighing more than their counterparts of a decade ago. The worrying fact is that these folks are not just overweight they are obese. Here we share 10 tips to help lose weight quickly.
1. Count the calories - That is right. Keep a tab on the calorie intake. Consume just enough calories to match your lifestyle. A 40-year old female weighing 67 kgs and measuring 150cm with a very light exercise schedule needs to consume 1214 calories/day to lose half a kilo per week. To maintain the same weight the person can consume 1714 calories. Work out your calorie intake using online calorie calculators and watch the weight disappear magically.
2. Drink water - Most often our brain signals hungry when it is actually thirsty. Through years of misuse our brain's signals system for thirst has been blunted. Try this. Drink water and wait for 15 minutes to see if you still feel hungry. Most likely you won't. Drink 6-8 glasses of water to keep your body hydrated. Drink more if you exercise a lot or out in the hot sun.
3. TV, laptops, game consoles, computers and smart phones are keeping people indoors hooked to them. Dump the devices. Decide to take action and get out. Walk, run, jog, swim, play a game of tag or basket ball with neighborhood kids. If you have to watch a particular TV program use that time to grab some exercise. Skip or dance in front of TV, walk on the treadmill or do your aerobics.
4. Stock your kitchen with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, cereals and low-fat dairy. If you feel hungry grab an apple or a bunch of grapes. If you want some variety include a few nuts like almonds, pistachios or peanuts.
5. If you want to have an occasional treat indulge yourself but exercise restraint. If you love cupcakes and pastries, go ahead but avoid the frosting if possible and stick to one cupcake not three.
6.Instead of buying a double cream latte, choose a low-fat version, instead of sandwiches from the office cafeteria which are loaded with calories, make your own home-made sandwiches with fresh cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and lean meats. Add salt, pepper, herbs and spices for added flavors. Vary the breads and the makings and you can enjoy an unlimited array of sandwiches. Just skip the mayo and butter.
7. Allot a fixed time everyday for your exercise routines or gym work. This helps form a habit and your body will crave for exercise after a few weeks of maintaining a regular schedule. If you are too busy then snatch a few minutes from different parts of your day. Take 5 minutes to skip in the mornings, 10 minutes in the after noon to walk around the office during the lunch break, a few minutes in the evening to do an intense 7 minute work-out and another 10 minutes to walk after dinner. Take the stairs, walk to supermarket, shovel the snow. Everything adds up

Friday 31 January 2014

3 Delicious and Healthy Low Calorie Snacks

 Low Calorie Indian Food: Dosa, Idli, Chapathi, Roti, Fulka Etc




During the past decade or so, Indian food has become popular globally. Nowadays my western friends are asking me this question: how many calories are there in chapati and dosa (Indian food)? The same friends used to ask six years ago: how many calories are there in coffee (or egg, apple, banana, pasta, bacon and so on)? It is therefore a timely task for me to help them burn or save calories by devising a tool to calculate calories burned by workout on one side and providing calories in Indian food in tabular form on the other. Indian food is different from western food in that the former has more carbohydrates, grains, less protein (compared to western diet, yet enough protein from nutrition point of view), less animal food. Twenty to thirty years ago Indian food used to be more natural and less processed, but in the last decade Indians are exposed to more processed, packaged and also more fast food. It becomes therefore necessary to provide nutrition chart for whole foods recipes of Indian style. Traditional Indian cooking methods make food tastier, more nutritious and less calorie-dense. This is ideal for people aiming to lose weight. Being based more on plants and less on animals, Indian diet is rich in natural fiber which is good for cholesterol lowering, better digestion, lowering the risk of colon cancer, and also fat loss.
1. Chapati:
It is also called roti. This delicious flat bread made from wheat flour has most of the nutrients in whole wheat dough. Compared to noodles or white bread, chapati is highly nutritious and healthy for weight watchers, diabetics and those suffering from heart disease. 1 chapati has only 80 to 110 calories depending on size, but it has 3.5 grams of protein, half a gram of total fat, no saturated or trans fat, no cholesterol, but it has vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, calcium, iron and fiber.
2. Daal:
This lentil and legume preparation is like a curry. If we look at the nutrition facts, we shall realize how nutritious and low calorie this humble but wonderful dish is! 1 bowl (100 to 120 grams or 3.5 to 4 oz.) of daal has only 117 calories, total fat only 1.7 grams, no saturated fat, carbs 19.1 grams, protein 7 grams, no cholesterol, calcium 27 mg, iron 1.8 mg, fiber 1.7 grams etc. I have given only two examples of Indian food articles in order to emphasize its richness in nutrients and leanness in terms of fat and calories. The reason why traditional Indian diet is so healthy is that unlike other diets, minimum processing and refining is done to it. Whatever small amounts of nutrients are lost in cooking are negligible compared to other highly processed and packaged foods.
3. South Indian Low Calorie Food:
In southern parts of India, in states like Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra idli, dosa and utthappam are very popular. Despite being very tasty when served with chatni and sambar, these dishes are low in calories, high in nutrients and fiber and can be part of heart-healthy weight loss diet. Dosa is a batter and idli is a boiled cake prepared from overnight fermented paste made by grinding a mixture of split black gram (daal) and rice.
One idli has 60 to 70 Calories and a plain dosa has only 100 Calories, whereas they both are rich in nutrients. Serving 2 to 4 idlis or 1 to 2 dosas can be sufficient to fulfill an average person 's hunger. Sambar is a delicious Indian curry served alongside dosa and idli. It very tasty and the taste varies from one state to another. Sambar is a low calorie curry made from split red gram (daal), spices, and pieces of various vegetables like drumstick, pumpkin etc.

4 Super Fat-Fighting Foods



We all want to lose weight fast while still enjoying the foods we love and not working out all day. Experts say it's impossible, but I'm an eternal believer in having my cake, and eating it - literally. Try these tips to optimise what you are already doing, but consuming less calories, and burning more at the same time.
Food Swaps
Instead of consuming one large cinnamon roll, have two mini cinnamon rolls and a cup of orange juice. Or replace your standard full-fat ice-cream with homemade icecream, easily made from frozen whipped coconut cream, which is low in calories and rich in nutrients with cocoa powder. You can even add some banans.
Exercise
If you live a reasonably sedentary life, the thought of exercise alone can be exhausting. However, take it from a fellow couch potato: any exercise is good. Two months of yoga had a tremendous effect on my blood pressure and energy levels, so much so that I'm ready to take on something new.
Exercise needn't be boring either. If you don't like walking, jogging, skipping of weightlifting, consider a fun exercise that you can do at home, such as Zumba, Yoga, Tae-bo or Pilates.
Foods
Every little change for the positive helps when you're trying to lose weight and including these foods into your diet will enhance the taste of your meals and have a positive, fat-burning effect.
1. Turmeric
Turmeric brings a delicious taste and beautiful yellow colour to curries. It also contains curcumin that is known to inhibit the growth of fat cells. It also prevents fat storage.
2. Black Pepper
Rich in piperine, black pepper also blocks the formation of fat cells.
3. Red Peppers
Chilli, paprika and cayenne pepper contain capsaicin which refs up the metabolism and helps to curb your appetite.
4. Ginger
Ginger helps to break down fatty acids in your food, and helps them to be eliminated, rather than stored in the body as fat.
The Reason Why You Struggle to Lose Weight
Many people don't understand why they are overweight, despite eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. The problem is that much of the food available to us today is either genetically modified or lacking in essential nutrients. That's why it's so important to find a quality supplement that addresses nutritional deficiencies and imbalances effectively.
The body needs optimum nutrition to be healthy, and it needs to be healthy before it can lose weight and keep it off permanently

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