Eat Nutritious Foods and Lose Your Weight

Everyone wants to be fitter and wants get a lean body. But getting a lean and fit body has much to do with what we eat. We definitely need to eat nutritious foods for losing weight and be healthy.

So here are a few very basic important nutrition tips that will help you to get the lean body that you want. Without these no fancy fat burners or exercise program will work because you don’t have the solid foundation.

Here are the tips:

• You have to prepare your meal in advance. So you don’t have to be in mercy of any restaurant or fast-food places. Remember they are not interested cooking you healthy foods they are interested in cooking foods that taste good and that keeps people coming back. 

• Eat about every three hours. By doing so you speed your metabolism up. It keeps your metabolism raving along tells your body that it’s okay to burn calories. This certainly helps you to be leaner. 

• Do not eat to get full. If you eat until you get full then you eat too much. So by eating small frequent meals you can keep your metabolism going and you’ll be ready for the next meal. If you eat too much in one sitting then some of that is likely to be stored in fat and then you don’t want to eat your next meal. 

• Try to eat lean protein with each meal. Make lean protein the hub or core of your each meal. You got choices like egg whites in breakfast, chicken breast, fish, fat free dairy products etc. Protein more than any other nutrients helps keep your metabolism going, helps keep you full longer and eating more protein helps to lose fat as well. 

• Eat natural foods. This is probably the best thing to do for a healthy body.  Eat foods that come from Mother Nature not from the boxes. For example, eat apples instead of drinking apple juice. Eat more whole grains, green veggies, fruits and lean meat.

• Do not drink beverages that contain calories. Do not drink sodas, juices or other calorie containing beverages. So, if you want to be lean or lose weight avoid these things completely. Drink lots of water and green tea. Green tea helps to reduce body fats.

It’s better not to have more than one cheat meals per week. This is just enough to give you the mental break; more than one cheat meal per week may sabotage all your hard work. So, stick with your one cheat meal.

Apply these to your nutrition program to lose weight or to get a leaner body. Remember these are very fundamental things to do and if you don’t follow these, no matter how much exercise you do that will not work.

Read more »

Lose Weight By Making Small Changes

If your goal is to lose weight, taking baby steps not giant leaps- is the best way to get lasting results. To get the best results, take one small step at a time. Your aim should be realistic. . Read on to know how to lose weight by making small changes.

 Image

If you get over-ambitious and aim to do 100% in one day, finally achieving only 10%, then you may get de-motivated. According to the experts, one should work on micro cycle- goal oriented workout for a short period of time like anything between 1-6 weeks.

When you focus on just a couple of small changes at a time, you begin to ingrain some healthy habits that last for a lifetime. Rather than trying an all-or-nothing approach that more often than not fails because it’s too hard to follow. Given below are the 11 simple steps to help you move more, eat less and look and feel better than ever.

Pick Up a Pen After Every Meal: Mindlessly munch on a bag of chips and you could easily polish off the whole thing; write down how much you’ve eaten and you’re more likely to practice portion control. Keeping a food log helps control extra calories in two ways – the combination of plain old reality check and awareness what you’re putting in your mouth will soon be recorded for posterity. Journaling also gives you an insight into your eating habits. Knowing your routine helps you figure out what changes are right for you.

Skip Through The Commercials: Get off your duff and move during your favourite TV shows. Skip, dance, go up and down some stairs, run in place- anything that gets your heart rate up so you feel somewhat breathless. Do it for each 2-minutes break during a typical 2-hour TV night and burn an extra 270 calories a day!

Limit High Fat Foods To One Per Week: Tag the high fat or high calorie foods that are typically your favourites (cookies, candy, ice cream, potato chips etc.) and gradually downshift. If you are eating six of these foods a week, try to get down to five. Each week, drop another until you’re at no more than one or two. At the same time add in some healthy foods like walnuts, sautéed broccoli, fresh fruits and veggies.

Sign Up For Healthy E-Newsletters: It’s a good idea to receive weekly emails about diet and fitness. Or you can read regularly health blogs and articles. Add them to your favourite list and keep your interest level high.

Walk Five Minutes More Every Day: Increasing daily activity levels by just a few minutes at a time helps to lose weight. Your goal should be to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day. But it doesn’t have to be all at once. Some simple ways to get moving like- you can walk around the perimeter of the grocery store at least once before heading toward the items you need. Move place whenever you are talking on the telephone. Go through or around the entire shopping mall instead of parking near the store you need. Also, take a walk around the block at lunch and after dinner.

Strength-Train In Mini-Bursts: Basic body-weight exercises like squats and push-ups are simple ways to build more metabolism-revving muscle in minutes. These functional exercises imitate your actual body movements. For example, squats imitate the action of sitting down and getting up. Moreover, each of these exercises is a power workout using a large group of muscles, burning calories faster and for a longer period of time. Try these workouts and gradually increase the number of reps it takes for your muscles to feel fully fatigued.

Climb Extra Flights OF Stairs Daily: Have a choice between riding and climbing? Including 2 or 3 minutes of stair climbing per day- covering about three to five floors, can burn enough calories to eliminate your annual weight gain of 1 to 2 pounds a year. It’s also good for more than just your waistline. Men who climb more than 70 flights of stairs a week had 18% lower mortality rates than who climb fewer than 20 flights a week (according to a study). Start with just a couple of flights a day and aim to add three or more flights to your daily trek.

Take A Pedometer Where Ever You Go: Just as you wouldn’t leave home without your cell phone, make a pedometer a must-have accessory. Research shows pedometer users take nearly 2,500 more steps a day (1 km or about 100 calories) than non-users. Over a year, that’s enough to burn off about 10 pounds.

Brown-Bag It At Least Once A Week: You’ll save thousands of calories over the course of a year. When you make and eat your own food, you not only control the quality and portion sizes but also reduce the amount of sugar, salt and fat that you are consuming, which can significantly higher in restaurant fare.

Obey The 1-Mile Rule- burn calories instead of gas by following this rule: if your errands are less than 1 mile away, vow to walk to them at a brisk pace instead of driving. Or park where you can run several errands within a mile instead of moving your car each time. Walk every day to lose weight.

Take 10 Minutes To Eat A Treat: Try this strategy to permanently reduce cravings: portion out one serving of your favourite treat, taking a minute to smell it, look at it and think about it. Take one small bite. Chew slowly and then swallow. Ask yourself whether you want another bite or if that satisfied you. When you take time to slow down and be more mindful of what something really tastes like, you feel more satisfied. Eating slowly has other benefits too. It makes digestion easier, prevents bloating and flatulence.

Read more »

Foods to Avoid for Weight Loss

If you are on a diet to lose weight then you should know the foods to avoid or limit during weight loss program.

 Image

When you are trying to lose weight, knowing what to eat is just not enough. You need to take note of what you should not eat at all or eat in moderation.

First, you need to avoid the foods containing hydrogenated fats. Because hydrogenated fats are very harmful for health and increase the chance of heart disease.

 Also, avoid the foods with high sugar content as these foods barely contain any nutrient and too much of sugar will increase your weight rather than helping in weight loss.

Avoid all foods which are high in saturated fats. Like animal foods, red meat, oil, margarine etc.; animal foods are high in calories though they may have some nutrients in them but you need to avoid those.

As you know fast foods and junk foods are extremely harmful for health so you should not eat convenience foods at all. These foods contain high amount of hydrogenated oils and also high in sodium.

Given below a list of foods that you should avoid completely or limit the intake- when you are looking for weight loss:

• Avoid alcohol as much as you can. Alcohol increases your weight. So avoid alcohol or limit your alcohol consumption.

• Health bars may have a lot of nutrients but high in calories and sometimes contain hydrogenated fats. So it’s good to avoid them.

• High fat meats, another food you would like to avoid, as these are loaded with saturated fats.

• Snack foods are very delicious and hard to resist but you should try to avoid eating snack foods or try it in a limit.

• Avoid butter, margarine and cookies completely. Don’t think of chocolate and milk bars because they are high in fats and calories.

• Avoid any kind of whole dairy products.  Avoid whipped cream or any other cream and only go for fat free ones.

• Stop eating ice cream and cakes. Also, forget about potato chips and candy!

• Try to avoid the eggs and if you are a big egg fan then only eat the egg whites.

• Nuts and peanut butter are great for health. But these are not weight loss foods. High calorie content in nuts and nut products are bad for weight loss. 

• Pies and donuts are very high in calories and loaded with fats. Avoid these foods completely.

Alcohol increases your weight. Do not consume alcohol if you are trying to lose weight. Avoid meat as these are loaded with saturated fats. You should limit on fat and sodium intake. Avoid foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition as they can destroy your weight loss efforts and may even potentially negatively affect your overall health.

Remember, when you are on a diet it is important to choose good nutritious foods and discard others. But how much you eat is also very important. Huge meals or large portion of anything won’t help your weight loss program.

Read more »

Healthy Ways to Lose Weight

Many of us think losing weight is a tricky thing and sometimes losing weight is hard too. But at the same time, lots of people are unhappy with their weight and the way they look. Overweight and fat appearance certainly reduces your charm. So if you want to get rid of that just follow some rules and lose your weight in a healthy way. Remember it's not that tricky. Losing weight is not very hard either. But you have to follow the instructions properly. So get motivated and start from today.  Healthy Ways to Lose Weight...

Here we go...

Drink Water... yes, this is what you have to do. Drink a lot of water. I know, you know this too, but you don't do it, so do it from now! Okay, you don't have to fill up yourself like a tub, but be sure that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water everyday. Your body should always be well-hydrated. Water also helps your body metabolize stored fat by helping the kidneys flush out waste. When you don't drink enough water, the liver which helps the kidneys to eliminate waste, becomes less effective at metabolizing fat.

Eat Regularly... sounds good! Doesn't it? This means eat five times a day and most importantly have breakfast. This is one of the best ways to lose weight. If you need to lose weight fast, be sure to eat a source of protein at every meal (eggs, meats, nuts, etc) since protein is the one thing that will keep you full until the next meal.

Eat Lots of Fibre... just like water, high-fibre foods make you feel fuller for longer. High fibre foods are typically low in calories and filling, so you are reducing your calorie intake overall. Good fibre foods include: strawberries, apples, figs, chickpeas, potatoes, (with skins) broccoli, brown rice, beans, bran and nuts.

Carbohydrates Can Help... surprised? You may have read somewhere that carbohydrates are bad for you but they are actually not! A diet containing good carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrain are moderate in fat and calories, will result in weight loss. When you're eating carbohydrates, eat them as fresh and natural as you can with no refining or processing.

Avoid Sugar... sugar is your weight-loss enemy. Avoid eating chocolates, candies, cookies etc. Sugar and its products increase your fat. Eliminate sugar from your diet as sugar also makes you tired.

Don't Eat Flour Products... don't eat products that contain white flour. The most important thing to do first is to realize how many products you eat contain white flour. White flour is now your weight-loss enemy and you must replace all white flour products with vegetables (preferably green leafy vegetables). Broccoli has protein and many health benefits so you can start with that, but don't forget the hundreds of other green leafy vegetables that are out on the market as well.

Please Exercise... if you are not interested doing exercise then forget the idea of losing weight fast. Find a idea of exercise you would like to do. Move your body anytime, every movement helps! Ideally you should "move your body" for 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week for best weight loss results.

Don't give up. Don't be too harsh on yourself. Allow yourself some type of indulgence once a week or so. This doesn't mean being undisciplined and eat the bag of chips... cookies. No way. What it means is that you can have a healthier snack to keep your weight loss on track. On this one day during the week, it's very important to indulge on something you like (it's your reward for the week!), but make sure you don't overdo it.

Remember, Weight management is about long-term success. People who lose weight quickly by crash dieting or other extreme measures usually gain back all (and often more) of the pounds, they lost because they haven't permanently changed their habits. Try to go steady. Always follow the healthy ways to lose weight.

Read more »

Top 10 Reasons of Why Should We Do Yoga

Top 10 reasons of why should we do yoga! Everyone is now familiar with Yoga. We do it or not – certainly know about it. Originated in India five thousand years ago, Yoga is a practice of using mind and the body to achieve balance in the life. Yoga is a way of life. Over the years, this ancient art form of exercising has become increasingly popular all over the world. Still, we- some of us, don’t do it. So here’s the inspiration again, a Ten Point listing, why should we do Yoga?

 Image

1. Increased Flexibility: Yoga helps to improve flexibility and mobility. Each yoga pose targets specific muscles while also keeping them warm and flexible, thus reduces the chances of injury. Yoga also helps to improve body alignment resulting in better posture. Back, neck, joint problems can be solved by doing Yoga properly.



2. Increased Strength and Stamina: Yoga postures use all the muscle in the body. This helps to increase strength of every muscle from head to toe. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation of the organs benefits us by keeping away disease too.
3. Greater Body Awareness: Yoga requires you to contract or relax specific muscles as you stretch in to each pose, thereby increasing awareness of the body’s weaknesses and strengths.
4. Weight Control: Yoga is a very good medium to control and manage your weight. By doing yoga you can reduce carbohydrate level as well as burn excess calories. Most importantly, this can be done much less vigorously.
5. Stress Reduction: Yoga helps to soothe and control the mind and lower stress level. Yoga helps us to focus on the present; it increases the concentration and improves our memory.
6. Better Breathing: Yoga teaches you to take slow and deeper breaths, this helps lung function; increase the amount of oxygen available in the body. Yoga is a very good practice for those who suffer from Asthma or any kind of breathing trouble.
7. Mind & Body Connection: Yoga helps to control mind and body so it increases your ability to focus on single object and subject. Yoga meditation dramatically improves your concentration level. This benefits both mind and body.
8. Increases Energy: Yoga exercises work to activate and balance your energy pathways, gives you the vitality and power you need to maximize your potential.
9. Better Circulation: Yoga poses are excellent for improving blood circulation to your legs, arms and the entire body. Yoga also helps in problems related to the brain. It increases the blood and oxygen flow to your brain thus making it function in a healthy manner along with the rest of your body.
10. Inner Peace and joy: The meditative aspects of Yoga help many to reach a deeper, more spiritual and more satisfying place in their lives. With the maturing of a Yoga practice, the beauty and depth of life become more apparent and spontaneous joy of existence emerges.

It is best to follow one master rather than getting confused with different schools of Yoga. Therefore, the first step towards learning this beautiful art is to join a master who can impart it to you. Some of the philosophies or techniques taught in Yoga may be new to you. It is a good idea to keep an open mind as it will help you broaden and enhance your Yoga experience.

Closing Note:Top 10 Reasons of Why Should We Do Yoga
So, whether we pursue Yoga for spiritual gain or for the psycho-physiological benefits, it always gives us a better life. We can feel a deeper and different experience of ourselves and the world. More precisely, it makes you really feel good.

Read more »