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weight loss fast diet

Everyone knows the feeling; you feel too fat and you want as quickly as possible to do something. Nowadays there are so many crash diets on the market that promise to lose weight ten pounds a week, that you sometimes do not know where to look. Too bad there is not always mentioned what the dangers may be of such diets. Do you have a special occasion then it is quite understandable that you want to quickly lose a few pounds, but obviously not at the expense of your health. But is a crash diet really that dangerous?
The dangers of a crash diet

The Best Way to Lose Weight in a Week - Lose Weight Fast

Crash Diene Teen crash diet usually consists of very few calories and is often the case that you only can use a number of foods that do not provide enough nutrients to sustain your body. That is also the reason why you have started a few days after you such a diet, feels very weak. Your body gets so few calories that it also saves or the number of calories burned. You literally slows down your metabolism. Once you start eating normally again slightly, you’ll recover quickly.

But that’s not all. You simply can permanently damage your metabolism if you follow a crash diet. The result is that you often in the future when you will have more difficulty following a diet to lose weight. A further problem is the degradation of muscles. During such a diet is barely burn fat. What you lose weight is mostly water and muscle. But it is precisely the amount of muscle in your body which are largely causes many calories you burn.

By the breakdown of muscle is your metabolism significantly less. So you go back to your normal life after your crash diet, you find scary time later that those jeans no longer fit because you have built more vetpolstertjes. Such a diet will help you so not lose weight. It seems at first just because you lose so much moisture. One study found that people who have followed such a diet, after a year often double to come. With crash diets you come so precisely in!
Crashdieet2Schade to your body

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It is well known that rapid diets provide the so-called yo-yo effect. Unfortunately, there are still more negative side effects if you follow such a diet for a long time, or does often. Your body has namely essential nutrients nosig that it does not get as during a diet. Di can ensure that there is a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, with severe health problems. So you can for example, feel very tired and groggy when a shortage of iron and other essential nutrients. this is more common, it can be a chronic shortage of harmful effects to your health.
An alternative to crash diets

Crash diets have many dangers because you lose weight too quickly, and get a nutrient deficiency. Want to lose weight long term, then it is better to change your lifestyle. This can be done for example through a low carbohydrate diet and exercise. Would you at least still shed a few pounds in a quick manner without crash diets, then a detox diet might be a solution for you. A detox diet lets you eat nutritious products, which include fruits, juices and vegetables to cleanse your body and prepare for a healthy diet. A detox diet can be quite healthy if you do it for a few days and then switch to a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, you can lose with such cleaning more often a few pounds, while still getting all the nutrients that your body needs.

WEIGHT LOSS: A potato extract to reduce body fat

To control obesity through an apple extract of land would be a low cost solution or miracle. This track is nevertheless we proposed this very serious study of McGill University that highlights the richness in polyphenols and effective “weight loss” of the vegetable starch could not be more ordinary. Surprising results, presented in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, surprising if they were double checked.
Mice fed a diet for 10 weeks, weighing 25 g initially take only 7 grams vs 16 when they receive in addition, a small supplementation of this highly concentrated polyphenol extract.
A daily dose of extract equivalent to eating 30 potatoes! It is not a matter of eating 30 potatoes a day that would represent too many calories, but to test the extract in the form of supplementation. With a weight advantage, the very low cost of this vegetable, which is already part of the staple diet in many countries.

Of course, if humans and mice metabolize food similarly, further clinical trials are needed to validate these benefits and identify the optimal dose for humans.
However, this natural track, without a priori possible side effects of already seems very promising as adjunctive therapy in a medical diet weight loss.

source : http://feldan.us/weight-loss-fast-diet.html

Important Health Tips To Consider

If you have been feeling a little under the weather lately, there are some important health tips that can help. Sometimes people do not always feel their best and usually it is because of the way they live their lives. Taking better care of yourself is the first step to feeling your best each day.

Eating right and getting enough exercise are great health tips for people of all ages. People often are caught up in their busy lives and do not take the time out to eat right and exercise. You need to set time aside every day to exercise by walking, bicycling, jogging, working out at home or going to a gym to keep in better physical condition.

Taking away junk foods and foods that are processed out of your diet and adding fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats will give you the vitamins and minerals, you need each day in your diet. You will have more energy and be in better health if you follow these important tips.

Another thing you can do is try not to worry so much about things that you cannot control because it can lead to depression or anxiety following substance abuse.  If you find yourself in that state of mind, dual diagnosis treatment programs are available to address the needs of those who need the help.  Not worrying so much will take stress out of your life, improving your health. These are a few of the many health tips that can change your life for the better.

source : http://www.kamamaspirit.com/important-health-tips-to-consider/

Dr. Mercola's Natural Health Tips Infographic

source;http://www.mercola.com/infographics/natural-health-tips.htm

Healthy Eating

Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet and Sticking to It

Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and stabilizing your mood. If you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advice out there, you’re not alone. It seems that for every expert who tells you a certain food is good for you, you’ll find another saying exactly the opposite. But by using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create a tasty, varied, and healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

• Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety, and freshness. This way it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.
• Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.
• Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy, and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Think of water and exercise as food groups in your diet.

Water. Water helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins, yet many people go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy, and headaches. It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying well hydrated will also help you make healthier food choices.
Exercise. Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries, or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. But what is moderation? In essence, it means eating only as much food as your body needs. You should feel satisfied at the end of a meal, but not stuffed. Moderation is also about balance. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

The goal of healthy eating is to develop a diet that you can maintain for life, not just a few weeks or months, or until you've hit your ideal weight. For most of us, that means eating less than we do now. More specifically, it means eating far less of the unhealthy stuff (refined sugar, saturated fat, for example) and replacing it with the healthy (such as fresh fruit and vegetables). But it doesn't mean eliminating the foods you love. Eating bacon for breakfast once a week, for example, could be considered moderation if you follow it with a healthy lunch and dinner—but not if you follow it with a box of donuts and a sausage pizza. If you eat 100 calories of chocolate one afternoon, balance it out by deducting 100 calories from your evening meal. If you're still hungry, fill up with an extra serving of fresh vegetables.

• Try not to think of certain foods as “off-limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty, or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. If the rest of your diet is healthy, eating a burger and fries once a week probably won’t have too much of a detrimental effect on your health. Eating junk food just once a month will have even less of an impact. As you reduce your intake of unhealthy foods, you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.
• Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entree, split a dish with a friend, and don't order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms, and start small. If you don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, try adding more leafy green vegetables or rounding off the meal with fresh fruit. Visual cues can help with portion sizes–your serving of meat, fish, or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards and half a cup of mashed potato, rice, or pasta is about the size of a traditional light bulb.

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

• Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.
• Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of our food. Reconnect with the joy of eating.
• Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.
• Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.
• Avoid eating at night. Try to eat dinner earlier in the day and then fast for 14-16 hours until breakfast the next morning. Early studies suggest that this simple dietary adjustment—eating only when you’re most active and giving your digestive system a long break each day—may help to regulate weight. After-dinner snacks tend to be high in fat and calories so are best avoided, anyway.

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet. They are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Unfortunately, most people are falling short of the recommended daily minimum of five servings of fruit and vegetables. In fact, most of us need to double the amount we currently eat.

Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day and with every meal—the brighter the better. Colorful, deeply colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits, so eat a variety. Aim for a minimum of five portions each day. Try adding berries to breakfast cereals, eating fruit as a healthy dessert, and snacking on vegetables such as carrots, snow peas, or cherry tomatoes instead of processed snack foods.

• Greens. Branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce. Kale, mustard greens, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options—all packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.
• Sweet vegetables. Naturally sweet vegetables—such as corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, onions, and squash—add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets.
• Fruit. Fruit is a tasty, satisfying way to fill up on fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

The importance of getting vitamins from food—not pills

The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases. And while advertisements abound for supplements promising to deliver the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables in pill or powder form, research suggests that it’s just not the same.

A daily regimen of nutritional supplements is not going to have the same impact of eating right. That’s because the benefits of fruits and vegetables don’t come from a single vitamin or an isolated antioxidant.

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables come from numerous vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals working together synergistically. They can’t be broken down into the sum of their parts or replicated in pill form.

Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart.

A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar, and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

Tips for eating more healthy carbs

• Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your favorites.
• Make sure you're really getting whole grains. Be aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran can be deceptive. Look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat” at the beginning of the ingredient list. In the U.S., Canada, and some other countries, check for the Whole Grain Stamps that distinguish between partial whole grain and 100% whole grain.
• Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to whole grains. If whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta don’t sound good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.

Avoid: Refined foods such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart, and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood, and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:

• Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans), and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).
• Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

• Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.
• Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

What is a healthy daily limit for saturated fat and trans fat?

Experts recommend you limit the amount of saturated fats you eat to less than 7 percent of total daily calories. That means, for example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 140 of them should come from saturated fats. That’s about 16 grams of saturated fat a day.
No more than 20 of those calories should come from trans fat. That’s less than 2 grams of trans fat a day.  Given the amount of naturally occurring trans fat you probably eat every day, this leaves virtually no room at all for industrially manufactured trans fat.
Source: American Heart Association

Healthy eating tip 7: Add calcium for bone health

Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. Your body uses it to build healthy bones and teeth, keep them strong as you age, send messages through the nervous system, and regulate the heart’s rhythm. If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, your body will take calcium from your bones to ensure normal cell function, which can lead to osteoporosis.  

Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Try to get as much of your daily calcium needs from food as possible and use only low-dose calcium supplements to make up any shortfall. Eat plenty of calcium-rich foods, limit foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores (caffeine, alcohol, sugary drinks), do weight-bearing exercise, and get a daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job.

Good sources of calcium include:

• Dairy: Dairy products are rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Vegetables and greens: Many vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.
• Beans: For another rich source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, black-eyed peas, or baked beans.

For more on the importance of calcium, see Calcium and Bone Health.

Healthy eating tip 8: Put protein in perspective

Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs. While too much protein can be harmful to people with kidney disease, the latest research suggests that most of us need more high-quality protein than the current dietary recommendations. It also suggests that we need more protein as we age to maintain physical function.

How much protein do you need?

Protein needs are based on weight rather than calorie intake.  Adults should eat at least 0.8g of lean, high-quality protein per kilogram (2.2lb) of body weight per day. A higher intake may help to lower your risk for obesity, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.

• Older adults should aim for 1 to 1.5 grams of lean protein for each kilogram of weight. This translates to 68 to 102g of protein per day for a person weighing 150 lbs.
• Divide your protein intake equally among meals.
• Nursing women need about 20 grams more high-quality protein a day than they did before pregnancy to support milk production.

Source: Environmental Nutrition

The key to ensuring you eat high-quality protein is to try different types, rather than relying on red meat and whole milk dairy products which are high in saturated fat. Replacing processed carbs with high-quality protein can improve your good cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. You’ll also feel full longer, which can help you lose weight.

• Replace red meat with fish, chicken, or plant-based protein such as beans, nuts, and soy.
• Replace  processed carbohydrates from pastries, cakes, pizza, cookies and chips with fish, beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu, chicken, low-fat dairy, and soy products.
• Snack on nuts and seeds instead of chips, replace baked dessert with Greek yogurt, or swap out slices of pizza for a grilled chicken breast and a side of beans.

For more, see Good Ways to Get Quality Protein.

Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar and salt

If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar and salt.

Sugar

Sugar causes energy ups and downs and can add to health and weight problems. Unfortunately, reducing the amount of candy, cakes, and desserts we eat is only part of the solution. Often you may not even be aware of the amount of sugar you’re consuming each day. Large amounts of added sugar can be hidden in foods such as bread, canned soups and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, fast food, soy sauce, and ketchup. Here are some tips:

• Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it, more than the daily recommended limit! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.
• Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened iced tea, plain yogurt, or unflavored oatmeal, for example, and add sweetener (or fruit) yourself. You’re likely to add far less sweetener than the manufacturer would have.
• Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter to satisfy your sweet tooth. Keep these foods handy instead of candy or cookies.

source :http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthy-eating.htm

Here’s how you can lose weight, reduce belly fat in 20 ways, in 20 days

If you’ve been trying hard but still left wondering how to reduce your weight but haven’t been able to, here are some simple, practical tips. Just practising these sincerely for 20 days at a stretch is sure you start showing results and you will losing weight in no time!

1. Write down your weight loss goal – Most people do not do this, but believe us, it works. Whether you want to lose 10 kilos in 3 months, just reduce your tummy or maybe just increase your energy levels, write it all down in a weight loss diary or journal. The first step to reduce weight is to know and tell yourself how much you need to reduce.

2. Burn more calories than you consume – It may sound very simple but it does need some planning. To get an idea – a

 single hour of walking at a brisk pace of 5 km/h burns just 145 calories, whereas a single McVeggie Burger contains 465 calories. 

3. Replace sugar with stevia or meethi patti – This zero-calorie natural wonder is now available in almost all chain superstores. 

 It is also useful in lowering blood sugar and curbing diabetes.

4. Use brown rice instead of white – Not only does brown rice have fewer calories, it also has more fiber which makes you feel fuller for longer. Brown rice also retains the bran which helps lower cholesterol levels.

5. Never starve to lose weight – If you go on a strict no-food or a reduced food diet, your body thinks you are starving and tries to save calories instead of burning them. Eat ‘negative calorie’ foods which actually have very less calories.

6. Replace fried food with baked food – We Indians love our bhajias, samosas and jalebis. But these are very calorie-rich and can completely wreck your weight loss plans. Go for baked versions instead. Or use an air-fryer.

7. Alcohol is weight loss’s worst enemy – Not only does it add unnecessary calories because it is a drink and you do not realize how much you are consuming, it can also damage your exercise plans the morning after. So, stay away from alcohol or even mocktails with high sugar content. Fresh lime soda with no sugar or just plain lime juice is your best bet. Vegetable juices are also available in most places these days.

8. Eat fruits and veggies 5 times a day – These are low-calorie wonder foods which also supply you with great nutrition. Eat a fruit in the morning before breakfast, eat a mid-morning fruit instead of snacking. Eat a big portion of fresh vegetable salad in the afternoon before you eat lunch. Have a fruit in the evening instead of snacking on fried food and oodles of coffee. And eat either a big bowl of vegetable soup, a quick stir-fry with very little oil or a salad in the evening.

9. Eat your dinner by 7:30 PM – We Indians are used to eating a heavy and late dinner. Since there is very less gap between your dinner and sleep time, the digestion is affected and can wreck your weight loss plans.

10. Reduce your intake of salty food – We know you love pickles, papads and other salty snacks. But the salt is very bad for your weight loss plans as they can cause water retention and bloating. Stay away from them as much as possible.

11. Eat at home more often – We know this is very difficult and boring but you need to make up your mind for this. If you have a credit card, keep it under lock and key. Set yourself a withdrawal limit. Try cooking some of our healthy recipes. Not only do you learn new recipes, you also lose weight and are more conscious about what you eat. It is also a great idea to eat to your fill before you go out for parties, weddings.

12. Add more spices in your food – Spices have metabolism-increasing properties. Adding spices like pepper, chilli, cumin (jeera), turmeric, mustard, etc not only increases the flavour, it also helps you reduce weight.

13. Eat more nuts – Dry fruits and nuts like almonds (badam), pistachios, walnuts have good fats in them and can improve your overall health and also help reduce weight.

14. Reduce intake of red meat like mutton and beef – Stick to chicken instead. It contains lots of proteins and can fill you up for longer. If you are working out in the gym, it can be a great way to fuel up. Fish also is a healthier option as it has the good fats. Try turkey. It has lesser calories than chicken.

15. Whenever you feel hungry in between meals, drink water – Most of the time, when we ‘feel’ hungry, it is really just thirst and our body craving for something. Filling it up with water can help beat the hunger pangs.

16. Workout in the morning – Before you get involved in the day-to-day humdrum, go for your workout or jog. It is a time when you are fresh and charged after a long night of sleep and is the best to workout. If getting up in the morning is a problem, try this –  pack your gym bag or workout clothes and keep them near your bed. Record your own voice reminding you about your weight loss goal and set it as your alarm tone.

17. Eat a heavy breakfast – Most people end up skipping breakfast to lose weight. But this is the worst thing they could do. Traditional south Indian dishes like idlis, dosas, upma, etc. are great options. Avoid sweetened cornflakes and muesli. Here are some healthy breakfast recipes.

18. Exercise for at least 45 minutes a day – Studies have shown that this is the optimal time to exercise. Yoga, aerobics, weight training, swimming, zumba or any other form will do. But 45 minutes is key to weight loss.

19. Include weight training in your regime – This will help build lean muscle, which in turn increase your metabolism and make your body a fat-burning machine.

20. Do not let exercise get monotonous – Do not go to the gym every single day. Join a dance or zumba class, go for a morning jog, try martial arts. Plan a Sunday swim with friends. Whatever works for you!

source:http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/how-do-i-lose-weight-and-reduce-fat-around-my-tummy-fitness-query-of-the-day/

Beware! Your work could be killing you

Accepting a job in today’s world, especially corporate ones, means compromising on health. With poor nutritional status, lack of physical activity and increasing levels of stress, early onset of heart disease has become a common phenomenon among employees. The workplace does serve as a mediator or a catalyst that increases the risk of heart disease. Here’s how your work is damaging your heart.

Working in shifts:  If you think accepting a job that requires you to work in shifts is a good decision to save time, you’re wrong. Shift work could instead reduce your lifespan by increasing your risk of suffering from lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes and sleep disorders that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Rotating shift employees like doctors, nurses and those working in BPOs not only report higher job stress but also show clinical signs of progression towards heart disease. A study by Wong IS and colleagues[1] showed that people who worked in shifts had increased levels of biomarkers usually found in those suffering from heart disease. They exhibit high levels of daily cortisol and a reduced function of endothelial cells lining the blood vessels.

Having a desk job: A typical 9am to 6pm job, involving hours in front of the computer screen apart from a few hours in the conference room and the rest of the time answering calls, is a perfect set up for heart disease. Desk jobs make people lethargic and ruin dietary habits in numerous ways.

Nature of work: It’s not only corporate employees who should be worried about their heart health. The more stressful your job is, the greater is your risk of suffering from health problems. According to findings from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those working in the wholesale trade were identified with a greater risk of heart disease, while people working in finance and insurance sector had the lowest rate of heart disease.

Long working hours: Lack of time management at work is one of the main reason people end up spending a few extra hours at work. But workaholics too cannot escape the ill-effects of overtime on the heart. A recent study by researchers at Seoul National University found that those who worked for 61 to 70 hours a week had a 42% increased chance of developing the disease. Further the risk increases with the increase in the number of hours. Working long hours increases levels of stress, resulting in irritability, exhaustion and depression.

Poor work culture:Today, there’s a growing trend of mixing meetings with luncheons, smoking to deal with work stress and celebrating success at work with parties. This has led to an increase in poor lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking alcohol and eating junk food. Unfortunately, those few employees who are health conscious also fall prey to the effects of unhealthy work culture that influences their habits. A study in China[2] showed that passive smoking at workplace increased the risk factor for coronary heart disease in non-smoking employees.

Poor workplace wellness:If you work in an organisation that does not are for health of its employees, you’ll end up eating unhealthy food served in the office canteen and feel tired at the end of the day due to lack of any recreational activities. Prolonged unhealthy food choices and physical inactivity can easily increase your cholesterol levels and lead to heart disease.  

Strained relationships with colleagues: Whether your boss targets you every time for not meeting the deadlines or your colleagues are involved in so called ‘workplace politics,’ stressed relationships have the worst impact on heart health. You lose your interest in your job and start losing focus. Spending quality time with family members can be stress-busting and relaxing but stressed workplace relationship can be counter-productive, indirectly affecting your behaviour at home and giving you sleepless nights.
source : http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/7-things-at-work-bad-for-your-heart/

Coconut — reduce hair loss with this home remedy

Coconut is a classic home remedy with a host of ingredients which naturally condition and accelerate hair growth. The milk of the coconut and oil contain nutrients essential for healthy growth of hair, thus reducing hair hair fall. It is beneficial for scalp protection as it has antibacterial properties and serves as a natural moisturiser to  nourishes the hair follicles well.

Coconut hair benefits 

• The milk of the coconut is packed with proteins, the needed fats and minerals such as potassium and iron. These help reducing breakage of hair.
• Coconut oil possesses similar ingredients like its milk that strengthen the hair right from the root, right to the tip. Regular coconut oil massage on the scalp has a protective action against hair loss.
• Using coconut oil also helps protects the scalp against infections and resolves lice and dandruff problems due to its antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral nature.
• It gives the hair the needed moisture and conditioning from the roots. This helps protect the hair from excessive environmental and sun exposure.

Coconut hair packs 

Coconut milk hair pack

Grate coconut and squeeze out the milk by mixing in a little water. Apply this to the specific area where you notice thinning or balding. Leave it overnight and rinse off with water the next morning. Read about other oils which help prevent hair loss.

Coconut with fenugreek seeds

Take about 100 ml of coconut oil and add a paste of fenugreek (methi) seeds, amla powder and curry leaves (kadi patta) to it. Apply it at least once in a week. Once you’ve applied it well, leave it overnight and wash your hair the next day with a good shampoo. Additionally,  this pack will prevent your hair from greying too soon. Try out some more home remedies for hair loss here. 

Coconut oil with olive oil 

For a haircare regimen that gets the best of nutrients for healthy hair, using coconut oil with olive oil is a good option. Take some coconut oil as per the lenght of your hair and mix it with just one teaspoon of olive oil. Stir the oils well and gently massage it your scalp and roots. Wash your hair using a mild shampoo after an hour. Know more about other beauty benefits of coconut here.

source : http://www.thehealthsite.com/beauty/coconut-reduce-hair-loss-with-this-home-remedy/

Vegetarian? Get protein from these plant sources

Protein is an essential nutrient that is required for performing vital functions of your body and also for muscle repair. You don’t always need to eat meat to consume protein, consuming plant-based sources of protein can also be a good way to fulfill your daily protein requirement.

Here is a list of plant-based foods that pack a protein punch apart from fibre and other nutrients.

Green peas

Peas or matar can provide you with the necessary protein if you are following a vegan diet or simply trying to cut down on animal foods. They are a complete source of protein that can supply amino acids to your body. Peas are a good source of arginine, an amino acid that is vital for building your muscle. 1 cup of cooked peas can provide you as much as 8 grams of protein.  You can enjoy fresh or frozen peas with your side dishes, soups, salads, and stews. You can also serve it asmatar paneer or make a green pea sandwich. You can try this healthy green peas soup.

Spinach

A diet rich in spinach can contribute to your protein intake. 1 cup of spinach contains 5 grams of protein. When cooked, a cup of spinach can provide more than 5 grams of protein. Being low in calories and high in vitamins, it is one of the most nutritious foods available. The nutrients in spinach improve blood flow in your body and prevent your arteries from getting blocked. Being low in glycemic index, it can be an excellent source of protein for diabetics. Pairing spinach with rice orroti can provide you with a complete nutritious meal. Here are some more health benefits of spinach.

Broccoli

Another vegetable that can give you a good dose of protein is broccoli. Broccoli contains collagen, a protein that is helpful in strengthening your connective tissue. 1 cup of raw broccoli can give you nearly 3 grams of protein. Boiling the broccoli can provide you with a total protein intake of 4 grams. Cooked broccoli will also have a lot of fibre and will provide you with other essential minerals. You can stir fry broccoli or blend it into your soup.

Beans

Beans are considered high protein food. Beans are a good source of amino acid lysine, which other plant-based foods, such as grains, lack. Soybean is a complete protein and can provide you amino acids. 1 cup of soybean can provide you 15.8 grams of protein. If you are in a lookout for lean protein, kidney beans can be one of the best options. Read 5 reasons to eat rajma or kidney beans.

Corn

Besides being a good source of antioxidants, corn also contain a good amount of protein. 1 cup of yellow corn contains 5 grams of protein. You can add the corn to your pastas or add it to your salad.

source : http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/5-best-plant-based-sources-of-protein-ta1214/