Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

Reduce obesity through home remedies and herbs

Saturday, September 10th, 2011

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. (Wikipedia)

If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 25 and 29.9 you are considered overweight. If your BMI is 30 or over you are considered obese. (Medical Definition)

The BMI is a statistical measurement derived from your height and weight. Although it is considered to be a useful way to estimate healthy body weight, it does not measure the percentage of body fat.

Health hazards involving Obesity:

Obesity is a major health threat to person of all age. People who are obese face the following threats to their health.

•           Bone and joint problems

•           Gallstones and liver problems

•           Heart Attack

•           High blood cholesterol

•           Diabetes

•           Sleep apnea

•           Gout

•           Gastro esophageal reflux disease

•           Infertility

•           Back Pain

How to check weight gain:

It is very simple to check weight gain. Diet control and regular exercise immediately result in weight loss. While going in for diet control care has to be taken that you take all the necessary nutrients required by the body.  If they are not taken you will not only reduce your weight but also the energy. You will start feeling fatigue which may lead you to numerous other health hazards. At least half an hour of rigorous exercise is necessary to remove the accumulated fat in the body. Another main reason fro weight gain is irregular eating. Instead of skipping meals if we plan our meals and be regular we may not put on more weight.

Some home remedies which will help in burning excess weight:

•           Add a spoonful of honey to fresh lime juice (of half a lime). Make a solution of the mixture by adding warm water. Drink it regularly. This will help in burning the excess weight accumulated around the stomach.

•           Make it a habit of taking cabbage in your regular diet. Cabbage has a chemical called tartaric acid which inhibits sugar and carbohydrates to fat.

•           Eat ripe tomatoes in the breakfast. This will help in weight reduction.

•           Add mint leaves to the salad. This will help in reduction of weight loss.

Herbs which assist in weight reduction:

•           Cayenne: It contains capsaicin that can stimulate digestion, increase metabolism and aid fat burning. Adding 20 gms of it to your daily diet will help in speeding up of metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. But caution must taken before adding it to the diet as it may lead to running nose and watery eyes. Persons having ulcers, heartburn or gastritis should avoid taking it.

•           Green Tea: Green tea being thermogenic in nature increases oxidation of fat molecules in the body. Consumption of 4-5 cups of green tea a day will burn 70-80 calories a day.

•           Dandelion: It replaces minerals, takes away bad cholesterol and fatty acids before they enter into fat cells through the bloodstream, increases our body’s metabolism but is a mild laxative. Continuous use of this may lead to electrolyte imbalance.

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Increase Metabolism to reduce weight

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the process by which our bodies combine nutrients with oxygen to produce the energy our body needs in order to maintain normal bodily functions. This energy is measured in calories, and calories are considered fuel to our bodies.
In other words, metabolism is the process of breaking down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats stored in the body, to yield the energy your body needs to maintain itself.

What is Metabolic Rate?
In a common language metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns the calories stored by it. It is faster in lesser weight people when compared to over weighted people. The rate of your metabolism depends on the interaction between the number of calories you consume, the number of calories you burn while eating and exercising, and the calories you burn based on your individual genetic makeup.

Metabolism and Weight Loss
Metabolism has an upper hand in loosing the extra weight that you have put on. And once those pounds are gone they will stay off because an increased metabolic rate will keep burning any extra fat before your body can store it away.

What influences the metabolic rate of your body?

• Age. Metabolic rate decreases by 5% every 10 years after the age of 40.
• Sex. It is higher in men than women
• Genetics. It is a hereditary.
• Disease. Thyroid disorders will affect the rate of your metabolism.

Some dos which decrease your metabolism rate:
• Skipping meals
• Having a low calorie diet
• Snacking on foods high in sugar

Some dos which will help you to increase your metabolism
• The day with an early and healthy breakfast.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Do regular aerobic exercise
• Get a good amount of blissful sleep
• Exercise in the evening
• Have protein rich food as it helps in stabilizing the insulin level
• Do muscle building exercise through weight training exercise or resistance exercise
• Drink ice chilled water

Herbs that help in increasing the metabolism:
• Whey Protien is a high quality protein and at the same time helps in increasing the metabolism
• Green Tea helps in burning fat and increases the metabolic rate.
• Fresh fruits that are high in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B12, potassium, and phosphorus help in the efficient operation of your metabolism
• Ginger and garlic raises your body temperature and helps to stimulate your body’s fat burning mechanisms. Regular intake of garlic boosts your immune system and helps prevent cold and flu.

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How simple changes in our daily routine can help in reducing Obesity

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

We live in the modern world where the science has improved and provided us with various machines to do most of the work. No doubt we should be proud of it. But do you it is one of the reasons for our becoming over weighted. If you are serious about shedding a pound or two then follow the following simple steps in your day to day life.

1.  Lock up all the machines in your house and start working by yourself. If you have maid to do the work sack her. You wash the dishes, wipe the floor and mix batters. Instead of using a drier hang your clothes on the line. If you do so you will end up burning a large amount of calorie.

2. Try out using soft butter instead of a hard one. With a small amount of soft butter you can spread on a larger area when compared to the hard one.

3. When you are offered food at the time you are not feeling hungry feel free to say, “No Thank You.” If you take even a little bit of food then you are just adding the unwanted calorie in your body.

4. If you think your friends or co-workers will be offended if you deny to their dinners offered then speak out to them and tell them why you are doing so and ask them for their moral support. They will only feel happy in helping you with your ambition to reduce weight.

5. Instead  of sitting and watching T.V better go out and play something which will burn your calories like- dancing, bowling, golfing, cycling, or may be even brisk walking.

6. If you are on an outing drink no calorie water instead of alcoholic beverages.

7. Analyze and set realistic goals which you think you can accomplish so that you can taste the success and set new goals. If you are not able to accomplish the target you will feel frustrated and will be tempted to quit your plan of reducing weight.

8. Even while watching T.V. you can take a walk in the 3 minutes commercial break.

9. Eat at fixed times and leave the table as soon as you have finished instead of lingering over the last bites.

10. Use good plate psychology. Select the plates with colors which will not increase your       appetite. Yes some colors like violet, lime green increases our appetite. The design of the plate also matters. If the plate is bowled shape then it will be better as it gets filled up soon.

11. Eat smaller portion of food

12. Remove all the food stacked at appropriate places like candy bar in the drawer.

13. Eat slowly and chew your food properly. Can you imagine we do not chew our food   properly? We have to chew each bite of food 32 times before swallowing it.

14. Do not try to skip your meal. If you do so then you will surely over eat the next time.

15. Do not try to taste the food while preparing it.

If you follow these simple steps for a weak you are sure to reduce your weight by a few pounds. Just try it out!

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Right way to shop if you want to loose weight

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Loosing weight is not as easy as one thinks. Many people trying to lose weight are seen having “fad diet” that are found around. But beware of it.  It will only help lose weight fast but it is not good for your health.

Remember that you have to reduce your weight gradually and not over night. When you start to diet you will find that your weight is reduced much and then the amount of weight loss is reduced. It is because at first you loose more water weight. If you are on the right path then your weight loss will slow down to 1 pound per week.

Never fast to lose weight. Make a habit of eating in small quantities if you wan to reduce weight and eat the right food. For this you would have to shop the right food!

If you are really interested in losing your weight then you have to remember the below points while purchasing bread and cereal.

  1. First thing to keep in mind is to Shop right after breakfast or lunch when junk food and rich desserts won’t seem to appeal you.
  2. Try to consume whole grain varieties which include whole wheat, multigrain, rye, millet, oat and cracked wheat.
  3. If you are to consume bread daily check out the label and go in for the variety which has at least 2 grams of fiber per slice. You can also go in for wheat bread.
  4. If you want to reduce weight then select low calorie bread for yourself.
  5. While selecting the cereals go in for those varieties which have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving. In order to do this you have to check the components of the pack.
  6. In some packets of cereals the quantity of sugar and salt is more than the required one. That is they are excess of salty or sweet. In order to avoid ending up buying them check the total amount of carbohydrate in the label. It is always preferable to buy those packets which tell about less than 6% sugar in a serving.
  7. Do pick up some unsweetened hot cereals. You can sweeten them with the help of the fresh fruit. These unsweetened cereals may be either instant or to be cooked as it makes no difference when it comes to reducing the weight.
  8. Only purchase those cereals which are having less than 2% fat in them. You can get a variety of packs of cereals. Avoid the ones which add nuts, seeds and oil.
  9. Lastly do not forget to check the ingredients on the label. Have a look at the order of the list. The thing with the maximum percentage is to head the list. So in the items you purchase- wheat, oats, rye, or corn should be on the top as they are the ones you are looking for.

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Loose weight by changing your eating habits

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

All of us eat food to get energy. If the energy is not used up then it is stored in the form of fat for future use. If this keeps on accumulating then you tend to grow fatter. This is the common belief which persists in the mind of a common man. But even after doing proper exercise you may be surprised to find that you do not seem to reduce weight. Have you ever given a thought for the reason for this? This is the time you look into your eating habit as the way you eat your food also has a high hand in the weight assimilation. Does not seem true? If you actually want to loose weight the two important things which you should have is the will power and a positive attitude. Just read on to see how the way you eat is a reason of your weight gain and how minor changes in your eating style helps you to lose weight.

Chew slower: In this busy life how much time do we give to ourselves to have our food? Generally we grub something while traveling or in the break, quickly and continue our work. We hardly chew our food. We have almost forgotten what we learnt in the primary classes—Chew your food properly before swallowing. If you chew your food properly your digestive system will start functioning immediately and you will feel satisfied with the little amount of food you have taken While on the other hand if you do not chew your food you will be wanting more amount of food to feel satisfied. .

Color me hungry: Some colors increase our appetite. You will find eating more if you eat in a brightly colored plate. The color of the kitchen will also stimulate your appetite. So go in for some light colored utensils and also have your kitchen colored with light shades.

Eat your food in silence: In this busy world, we make important decision and discussion over food. Whenever we want to make any dealings it is quite natural to go in for a lunch or a dinner and finalize the dealings there. But we never think of its side effect. While finalizing we get so engrossed in talking and do not pay attention to what we eat and how much we eat. As a result we eat much and add up to the calorie level. So we should eat in silence, concentrating on what we eat.

Be realistic: It is often seen that it is easier to constrain ourselves  70% of the time with your food plan every single day than just being perfect 3 days per week. Every individual is unique and his food pattern is different. This is said because there is a lot of a possibility for you not to be able to hold on to the nutrition plan you have set if you have not taken into considerations the nature of your food pattern.

Planning the meal: Every single meal which you take must have adequate quantity of protein as it is a well known fact that protein stimulates the metabolism and helps you to feel full. If enough amount of protein is not taken then you will end up eating a large quantity which will make your fight with weight a lot harder.

Do not over eat: Do not over eat. Once when you have a feeling that you are full,  stop eating. What ever is on the dining table do not touch it. There is a good old saying practiced in India   that you will not die if you eat less but are sure to die if you eat in excess. Changing your food habits to loose weight also includes the need to eat as much as is required and neither too much nor too less. Over eating will make you feel lazy and eating less will create a situation wherein you will have no energy left in you to do any work. So eating a proper amount of food is very essential

Control your carvings: Each and every individual have his own carvings when it comes for food. And it is seen he eats those food which he has carvings more than what he requires. Even though he feels full he helps himself with one or two servings of it. And this happens generally with those foods which are generally called as bad food when concerned with health point of view. In such cases it should be made a point to make extra effort to restrain yourself to have small quantities of that food which you carve for. It is really difficult but necessary.

Eat whole grains: Try to choose food with complex carbohydrates to simple carbohydrates as they will help you feel full for a longer period. Wild rice or brown rice is a better option to regular rice. Simple carbohydrates should be included in your diet but only in small quantities, if you are serious about losing weight.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables: If you are in habit of taking juices then switch over to take fruits instead of juices as the juice secreted while digesting the fruits and vegetables helps in increasing the metabolism and there by burning up of the fat accumulated in the body.

Choose the least bad food: It may some time happen that you have to take snack or dinner at some places where you are compelled to take all those bad food ( bad related to health point of view) then choose the less bad ones for yourself. And make it a point to compensate it with the next meal.

Do not munch in between meals: Make it a point of not eating in between meals. At least have a gap of three hours in between your two solid intake of food. This will not only help you in digestion but also in losing your weight.

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