Showing posts with label weight loss tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss tips. Show all posts

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Fast Food And Obesity:The Hidden Connection

6:43:00 PM
Is there a connection between Fast food and obesity?
The answer to the above question is a big yes! Research scientists say that:
"fast foods increase the risk of obesity in regular consumers by encouraging intentional overeating."
Fast food and obesity are closely linked. Studies have shown that fast foods are very high in energy density (the amount of calories different foods contain weight for weight) and these high density foods can cause people to accidentally eat more calories than they need.
A typical fast food meal has an energy density 150% more than an average traditional meal. A fast food meal contains many more calories than a similar-sized portion of a healthy meal.
Many supermarket ready-meals and convenience foods are also very energy dense. To stem the tide of obesity, it's important that we don't just swap one unhealthy meal for another.
Fast foods also contain high amount of sodium(salt), oil, refined sugar and refined flour which are no good to the body. This combination of the foods is the most health harming and causes obesity.
Ayurveda medical science says that refined sugar causes obesity, acidity, dental cavities, osteoporosis, high cholesterol levels, migraine, kidney deseases etc. and leads to metabolic disorders.
Fried fast foods cause acidity and indigestion. Refined flour is made by removing the outer cover of the grain. This reduces the nutritional value of the grains by removing fibre. Foods deficient in fibre give rise to constipation and irregular bowel habits.
Many diet and weight loss programs which advice fast foods for weight loss are greatly mistaken in their approach.You are advised to always keep away from such fad diet plans.
Health and weight loss can be easily achieved by following a healthy weight loss program which recommends lots of health foods like fresh fruits,vegetables etc. in your daily diet.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

7 Homemade Detox Drinks for Weight Loss

1:19:00 PM
These homemade detox drinks for weight loss are a natural way to melt the fat fast. Detoxification removes toxins and helps you reach your weight loss goals in a relatively short period of time. So naturally it's a good idea to detox your body on a regular basis.
It's important to note, if you plan on drinking only detoxification drinks for more than a few days, make sure your current health status allows you to change from your normal diet to a detox diet. Before doing any kind of long-term or drastic detox you should consult with a doctor.
With that said, here are 7 homemade detox drinks to help you lose weight:
  1. Tea: Tea is a natural detox drink that expels toxins from your system. Dandelion tea, green tea, peppermint tea, and ginger tea are especially effective in supporting weight loss. Drink 3-5 cups of tea daily to support your weight loss efforts.
  2. Cranberry Juice: Cranberry juice enhances the body's metabolism, which is essential to converting fats into energy instead of excess weight. Along with eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, drinking cranberry juice is a very effective way to lose weight. Plus, this detox drink also helps clear nicotine and alcohol from your system in just about four days. Drink at least 32 ounces of 100% natural organic cranberry juice every day.
  3. Cabbage Juice: Cabbage is very effective for detoxifying your liver. And because your liver is responsible for the detoxification of your body, it is an essential part of your detox and weight loss plan. If you have a juicer, juice up some cabbage, carrots and pears for a deliciously refreshing detox drink.
  4. Cabbage Broth: For a satisfying hot drink, simmer a head of cabbage along with carrots, onions and a pinch of salt, then strain and drink. You can also add other vegetables to pack more nutrients into this hot detox drink, which is very effective for detoxifying your liver.
  5. Cucumber and Lemon: This might seem like a surprising combination, but the effects of these two ingredients was tested by professional nutritionists and found to be a very effective detox and weight loss drink. All you have to do is use a blender to mix 1 cucumber sliced into tiny pieces and the juice half a lemon. Drink at least 2 times per day. This detox drink boosts your metabolism, which is essential for losing weight quickly, and you'll notice how it loads you with energy.
  6. Master Cleanse Lemonade: This is probably the most popular detox drink for weight loss in the industry. It was made famous by celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé Knowles because it is an extremely effective detox drink for weight loss and for improving your skin complexion. This is a perfect homemade detox drink to lose weight fast. Mix lemon juice, organic maple syrup and a dash of cayenne pepper into a 10 oz. glass of water. Sip on this drink all day for best results.
  7. Salt Water Cleanse: At the start of your detox, you might want to do a salt water detox to cleanse your digestive system and prepare your body for weight loss. Do this on a day when you have plenty of time to stay home near the bathroom as it will run through your body very quickly. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of natural sea salt into one quart of lukewarm water. Do not use table salt; it will not have the same effect. Stir or shake until the salt is dissolved. Drink and then relax. Most people report a bowel movement within 30 minutes to two hours and several more may follow. Once you have cleansed your system, restore it by eating yogurt to replenish the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract, drink juice, and eat fresh, soft-cooked and steamed fruits and vegetables.
In addition to these detox drinks, make sure to eat lots of veggies, fruits and whole grain foods that fill you up and give you the best chance for quickly losing weight.

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Friday, June 14, 2013

Weight Loss Through Simple Home Remedies

9:28:00 AM
Being overweight is quite certainly one of the greatest health risk people over the world are facing today. Medically, this condition is known as obesity. Obese people are very vulnerable to a large number of lethal diseases, such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems, diabetes, paralysis and gangrene. Hence, doctors and medical experts all over the world stress on maintaining a healthy weight to keep most diseases at bay.
In Ayurveda, there are several dietary and herbal techniques by which people can reduce weight. Just like it does in other treatments, Ayurveda does not believe in any kind of debilitating treatment methods; instead its treatments are centered on making the person lead a healthier lifestyle. The following article is about some of the best remedies and methods that people can do within their homes to achieve a healthier profile.
Treatment with Simple Home Remedies
Remedy # 1
This one is not actually a remedy, but it is the most important thing you must do in order to keep your weight in a normal level. And that is, stick to a healthy diet. The following are the dietary guidelines you must follow in order to keep your waistline healthy: -
1 Do not overindulge in eating any one type of food. Keep your diet balanced.
2 Keep the intake of sugars and fats to a minimum. The fats to be avoided are the saturated fats and the trans-fatty acids.
3 Too much carbohydrates build weight. Hence, the intake of rice and potatoes must be reduced. Wheat, barley and maize are ideal substitutes for rice in people who has weight problems.
4 You must have at least one bitter vegetable per day. This helps in the proper metabolism of fats and do not allow them to accumulate in the body.
5 Never eat to full capacity.
6 Consume a lot of fluids in the day. This helps to eliminate the undigested foods effectively.
7 Exercise is extremely important. It is necessary to indulge in mild physical activity after each meal even if you cannot make time to go to a gym.
Remedy # 2
Have a totally salt-free diet once a week. This helps reduce weight. Also skip a meal once in a month.
Remedy # 3
Prepare chutney of mint leaves. This must be taken with every single meal. It helps in the proper breaking down of the fats. Also begin your day with a cup of mint tea.
Remedy # 4
Vitamin C is very good for people who are looking to reduce their weight. Since amalaki (Emblica officinalis, Indian Gooseberry) is the best source of vitamin C in the world, it is good to eat two three fruits of the amalaki each day. Also have a glass of any one citrus fruit - orange, lemon, etc. - each day. Green leafy vegetables also have good vitamin C content. They can be consumed raw in the form of salads.
Remedy # 5
Honey is very good for mobilizing the fats in the body. Take a spoonful of honey half an hour after every meal. A good remedy is to mix a teaspoonful of honey and lemon juice and have it twice a day. Alternatively, you can take a bowl of warm water, put a teaspoonful each of honey and lemon juice and drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. This is a very good remedy to dissolve the excess fats.
Remedy # 6
The Indian plum, i.e. jambula, is renowned for its weight controlling properties. Jambula dissolves the excess fats and gets them properly utilized in the body. Take four leaves of the jambula plant and soak them in a glass of water overnight. In the morning, discard the leaves and drink the water on an empty stomach. If you do this everyday, then you will find a positive reduction in your weight in three weeks or a month.
Treatment with Special Ayurvedic Methods
Ayurvedic experts would first try to ascertain what dosha type the patient is, because the treatment of obesity depends on that. Generally, Vashti Karma is prescribed, a therapy that is quite like giving an enema. This flushes the toxins from the body. Then other methods are employed to reduce the excess fats.
There are various herbs and preparations that are prescribed in order to treat obese people. Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) and the Triphala choorna are definitely prescribed. It must be noted that the Triphala contains amalaki, bibhitaki and haritaki; all of which are extremely potent in dissolving the excess fats. Shilajit is also prescribed quite often, as it removes the unwanted constituents from the digestive system and provides the body with a good mineral balance that it requires. Most importantly, the significance of a healthy diet and an active lifestyle is stressed upon the patient.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Weight Loss Benefits of Massage

3:05:00 AM
There is no question that having a massage makes you feel great. Even having a deep-tissue, sports massage makes you feel wonderful afterwards. Massage can relieve stress, help you recover from hard physical activity or injury and even reduce anxiety, but can it help you to achieve your weight loss goals?
Research shows that massage can have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increases your capacity to control or loose weight.
Healthy strong muscles burn calories and give you the freedom to participate in all sorts of sports and activities that can help you burn excess calories and improve your overall fitness and wellbeing.
Massage has the following benefits that can directly influence your ability to control or loose weight:
1. Massage has been shown to improve circulation and the supply of nutrition to the muscles. Massage increases the interchange of vital substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied to them so that they can recover and rebuild themselves. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the muscles to grow and burn more calories as a result.
2. Massage improves your muscles' range of motion and their flexibility. This allows them to maintain maximum power and performance while active, and burn the maximum number of calories in the process.
Improved range of motion and flexibility also reduces muscle soreness during periods of recovery and muscle repair.
Having a wide range of motion and maximum muscle flexibility also reduces the danger of experiencing injuries during exercise which can severely limit activity, exercise and weight loss progress.
3. Massage helps to shorten the recovery time needed between your workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles during and after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxic debris buildup caused by these waste products and in doing so shorten recovery time.
Shortened recovery time means you can safely have more workouts over a given period of time, which in turn means that you have the opportunity to burn more total calories in your effort to achieve your individual weight loss goals.
4. Massage can also help reduce the chance of you over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a sedative effect on the nervous system. By helping you to rest, which is a very important element of any exercise program, massage can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing over-training syndrome, which is known to limit your ability to build strong healthy muscles and therefore loose weight with maximum efficiency.
5. In addition to all of the above, massage may directly aid in fat loss. According to some research studies, massage is thought to be able to burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, massage may actually help in weight loss.
6. As we have already touched upon, massage helps prevent and heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions and scar tissue that result from muscle tears and other common muscle injuries. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) that aid in tissue repair. Fast and effective recovery from injuries means that you can begin exercising sooner after suffering an injury and getting your weight loss progress back on track.
So there you have it. Massage has a lot of benefits that can indirectly and possibly even directly aid you in achieving your weight loss goals.
Regular massage is just as important a component as regular workouts and correct nutrition in any comprehensive fitness and weight loss program, which is great news for those of us who thought that exercising and losing weight was all hard work! Remember, weight loss is all about leading a balanced lifestyle and massage is an essential part of any balanced lifestyle.
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Friday, May 3, 2013

20 Ways to Lose Weight

10:38:00 AM
1. Take it one step at a time
Start by paying attention to what you eat. Cut back on fat and sweets and add more fruits and vegetables. After you have that under control, add exercise. If you hate to exercise try it for only 15 minutes a day at first, then a 1/2-hour. Keep in mind that while you are exercising you are burning calories and not eating. Also, it will be easier if you chose an activity that you enjoy.
2. Find a friend
It is always good to have support when you are trying to lose weight. Find a friend who wants to lose weight and compare notes, weigh-in together and maybe even have a contest.
3. Use weights
Working out weights will build muscle and raise your metabolism so you will burn more calories. Also, muscle takes up less space than fat so you will be smaller (but probably weigh more).
4. Eat fewer carbs
Don't eat as much bread and pasta and you will see a difference.
5. Set a goal
Set a deadline to lose the weight and write it down. For example, ' By Dec 14/04 I will weigh 150 lbs or less'. Put it somewhere you will see it daily.
6. Give up soda
If you drink a soda or 2 a day you are adding empty calories. If you find it hard to stop completely, cut back at first and drink water instead.
7. Grill or boil
Avoid fried meat, grill and use lots of spices. You will get used to it and probably enjoy it more.
8. Don't buy junk food
When you go shopping, don't go on an empty stomach and you will be less likely to buy junk food. Keep your home 'junk food free' so you won't be tempted to indulge.
9. Eat breakfast
Consume most of your calories early in the day and always eat breakfast. Don't eat after 8pm and not only will you avoid those added calories but you will sleep better.
10. Give yourself a treat
When you tell yourself that you can't have something you want it more. Give yourself a treat once a day (ie. half a cookie) and you won't feel you are missing out.
11. Use smaller plates
Trick yourself into believing that you are eating more by using a smaller plate.
12. Drink lots of water
Drink water when you are feeling hungry and you will get that 'full' feeling.
13. Don't eat everything on your plate
Many times we eat just because it's there. Pay attention to when you have had enough.
14. Eat five or six meals a day
Eating more frequently will keep you from getting too hungry.
15. Plan your workout sessions
Write your workout sessions in your journal or planner.
16. Stay away from fad diets
Fad diets don't work. If you lose weight fast chances are that you will gain it back (and more) just as fast. It takes time to put it on and time to take it off.
17. Do several workouts a day
While you are watching TV do crunches and leg lifts.
18. Measure your food
If you decide to have junk food for a snack - be sure to measure and control what you eat.
19. Keep pre-cut vegetables
... and ward off those cravings.
20. Create Good Habits
It is a known fact that when we do something twenty-one times it becomes a habit. Create good eating habits.