Is weightloss ever really that easy? Well in fact it's neither too hard or too easy, but it can be simple. You don't need fancy crank diets and dubious weight loss pills to lose weight quickly and easily.
You can get rid of unwanted fat pretty painlessly by following these two straightforward weightloss steps:
1. Stay away from fructose corn syrup:
Fructose corn syrup should be avoided for two reasons:
a) It will make you gain weight. Fructose corn syrup blocks the receptors that tell your brain whether you are full or not. When you eat foods that are rich in fructose corn syrup, you are very likely to overeat and gain some extra unwanted pounds!
b) It will spike up your blood sugar level! Even if you don't suffer from diabetes now, you will soon, if you continue to eat foods rich in fructose corn syrup, that is!
Foods such as chips, candies, soda, etc, contain fructose corn syrup. For this reason, these foods should be avoided as much as possible!
2. Small meals are the way to go:
People these days tend to devote the least amount of time possible to eating. Most people only have three meals per day, while some even wrap up the day with only two!
This is a great way to gain inches and pounds. In order to lose weight, you need to eat six small meals per day, instead of three large ones. You can simply split each of your meal into two, and eat each small meal at the regular interval of 3-4 hours.
Eating smaller meals has three major advantages:
a) Since you are eating frequently, you won't feel hungry at odd times. When you don't feel hungry, there is no reason to snack on junk foods!
b) Since you are eating frequently, your body will keep your metabolic rate high at all times!
c) Since you are eating small meals, your blood sugar levels won't spike up to abnormal levels. So eating small meals is also good for diabetics!
Eating small and frequent meals has many advantages, and won't cost you an arm and a leg to implement.
Follow the above two instructions and you will soon be on your way to permanent weight loss!
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Thursday, 24 May 2012
What's The Right Time to Lose Weight?
OK, you're overweight. Weight loss is important, if you don't lose weight your life span will be drastically reduced, you'll be more prone to diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, heart disease, stroke etc.
You will have heard this stuff many times from well meaning friends or your doctor, but just when is the right time to lose weight?
There is no magic formula "right time". This is an individual process that only you can know. You have to decide when the right is for you. However although you may well at some stage think "that's it, I'm fed up with carting all this lard around, I'm losing weight" you also need to bear in mind that timing is important. It can make or break your weightloss plan.
The best time to start your plan is when you feel that you're overweight. However if you have become morbidly obese then it's very likely that only surgical intervention will help. So you can see that timing is very important as you really don't want to let it get to that stage.
A well known fitness coach was friends with a man who was excessively overweight, suffering from sleep apnea and feeling dizzy and sleepy most of the time. Although it was obviously the weight causing these problems, the man never asked his friend the fitness coach for any help in the way of weightloss advice.
That is until he started to realise that people were no longer inviting him to social events, and pretty much ignoring him. Finally realising that his weight was the problem he asked the fitness coach to help him. A year later he has lost the excessive weight, sleeps properly, is more active, with an enviable social life.
The point here is that it was the right time for him to do something about it. The trigger will be different for everyone. Why do you want to lose weight? Can you not stand the sight of your belly any more? Do you think you've become lazy? Are you being passed over for promotion at work? Is your doctor nagging at you to lose weight?
Whatever the reason, when YOU decide that it's time to get rid of that extra luggage then take action, and you WILL succeed!
You will have heard this stuff many times from well meaning friends or your doctor, but just when is the right time to lose weight?
There is no magic formula "right time". This is an individual process that only you can know. You have to decide when the right is for you. However although you may well at some stage think "that's it, I'm fed up with carting all this lard around, I'm losing weight" you also need to bear in mind that timing is important. It can make or break your weightloss plan.
The best time to start your plan is when you feel that you're overweight. However if you have become morbidly obese then it's very likely that only surgical intervention will help. So you can see that timing is very important as you really don't want to let it get to that stage.
A well known fitness coach was friends with a man who was excessively overweight, suffering from sleep apnea and feeling dizzy and sleepy most of the time. Although it was obviously the weight causing these problems, the man never asked his friend the fitness coach for any help in the way of weightloss advice.
That is until he started to realise that people were no longer inviting him to social events, and pretty much ignoring him. Finally realising that his weight was the problem he asked the fitness coach to help him. A year later he has lost the excessive weight, sleeps properly, is more active, with an enviable social life.
The point here is that it was the right time for him to do something about it. The trigger will be different for everyone. Why do you want to lose weight? Can you not stand the sight of your belly any more? Do you think you've become lazy? Are you being passed over for promotion at work? Is your doctor nagging at you to lose weight?
Whatever the reason, when YOU decide that it's time to get rid of that extra luggage then take action, and you WILL succeed!
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Do Weight Loss Clinics Really Help?
Most overweight people want to lose weight, not only to become healthy but also to look good. After all, no one wants to be seen with a fat belly and a pair of flabby arms.
People also want to shed all those extra pounds of fat in the shortest time possible. Most people go the traditional diet route but some will resort to extremes such as gastric banding and liposuction.
Then again, some people need a bit of extra support to help them achieve quick weight loss! And here is where weight loss clinics come in.
There have been many weight loss clinics popping up in recent years but not all of them are worth your money.
Some are endorsed by celebrities, but just because a clinic is endorsed by celebrities doesn't mean that it is good. Most weight loss clinics will promise you the impossible, so it is important to do your due diligence before you join any of them.
Before you join a weight loss clinic, enquire about the following:
1. Presence of qualified physicians: Enquire if there are any qualified physicians present at the clinic. For one, weight loss cannot always be achieved by diet and exercise; in some cases, people gain weight because of medical complications and in such cases, the person will need medical attention.
For another, it is important that you don't suffer from some kind of side-effects after weight loss. In short, if there are no physicians available at the clinic, then don't join it!
2. Time taken: Enquire how much time it takes on an average to lose weight, and how much weight could be lost within that time period. The salespersons might try to offer misleading answers on this question so make sure to do local enquiries too!
Remember that if the clinic claims to help people lose huge amounts of fat within a very short time, say fifty pounds within two months, then that means they are using some unhealthy weight loss methods. Avoid such clinics!
3. Food: What food do they suggest you to eat? This is a crucial question you should ask yourself before joining a weight loss clinic! Most of them offer pre-packaged meals to their clients. Pre-packaged meals are okay if you can spend hundreds of dollars on them, but what if you don't have that much money?
Besides, what will happen after you lose weight successfully? Will you keep spending ridiculous amounts of money on food? Any weight loss clinic which limits you to their pre-made meals is not a viable solution for you! You should be allowed to cook foods on your own!
4. Exercises: Regardless of whatever people tell you, it is almost impossible to lose weight fast without the aid of exercises. Changing your eating habits alone won't yield any permanent results! Weight loss can be achieved only when you combine healthy eating with physical activity.
Exercises boost your metabolic rate, which in turn helps you burn fat fast. If the clinic in question doesn't include exercise in their weight loss program, this is not a suitable clinic for you!
There are excellent weightloss clinics out there, but it really is a case of caveat emptor. Do your homework before committing and you will find the one for you if you really think you need one!
People also want to shed all those extra pounds of fat in the shortest time possible. Most people go the traditional diet route but some will resort to extremes such as gastric banding and liposuction.
Then again, some people need a bit of extra support to help them achieve quick weight loss! And here is where weight loss clinics come in.
There have been many weight loss clinics popping up in recent years but not all of them are worth your money.
Some are endorsed by celebrities, but just because a clinic is endorsed by celebrities doesn't mean that it is good. Most weight loss clinics will promise you the impossible, so it is important to do your due diligence before you join any of them.
Before you join a weight loss clinic, enquire about the following:
1. Presence of qualified physicians: Enquire if there are any qualified physicians present at the clinic. For one, weight loss cannot always be achieved by diet and exercise; in some cases, people gain weight because of medical complications and in such cases, the person will need medical attention.
For another, it is important that you don't suffer from some kind of side-effects after weight loss. In short, if there are no physicians available at the clinic, then don't join it!
2. Time taken: Enquire how much time it takes on an average to lose weight, and how much weight could be lost within that time period. The salespersons might try to offer misleading answers on this question so make sure to do local enquiries too!
Remember that if the clinic claims to help people lose huge amounts of fat within a very short time, say fifty pounds within two months, then that means they are using some unhealthy weight loss methods. Avoid such clinics!
3. Food: What food do they suggest you to eat? This is a crucial question you should ask yourself before joining a weight loss clinic! Most of them offer pre-packaged meals to their clients. Pre-packaged meals are okay if you can spend hundreds of dollars on them, but what if you don't have that much money?
Besides, what will happen after you lose weight successfully? Will you keep spending ridiculous amounts of money on food? Any weight loss clinic which limits you to their pre-made meals is not a viable solution for you! You should be allowed to cook foods on your own!
4. Exercises: Regardless of whatever people tell you, it is almost impossible to lose weight fast without the aid of exercises. Changing your eating habits alone won't yield any permanent results! Weight loss can be achieved only when you combine healthy eating with physical activity.
Exercises boost your metabolic rate, which in turn helps you burn fat fast. If the clinic in question doesn't include exercise in their weight loss program, this is not a suitable clinic for you!
There are excellent weightloss clinics out there, but it really is a case of caveat emptor. Do your homework before committing and you will find the one for you if you really think you need one!
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
Four Foods That Can Help You With Weight Loss
Ever wondered why most people gain weight during their middle age? During middle age, a person's metabolic rate slows down; hence they are not able to burn as much fat as they used to during their youth. Eating certain foods however, can boost your metabolic rate and help you to lose weight.
1. Green Tea: If you are in the habit of drinking morning tea, replace it with green tea! Ordinary tea is not so bad, but green tea is better! It contains fat burning chemicals which will help you with weight loss. It is no wonder that many of the weight loss supplements available in the market have green tea as a common ingredient!
2. Peanut butter: Peanut butter is a great replacement for the ordinary butter. Unlike the ordinary butter, which is rich in fat, peanut butter is rich in protein and fiber, both of which will help you with weight loss. While protein will help you burn fat by building lean muscle mass, fiber will help in suppressing your appetite for a long time.
Peanut butter is widely available but I would recommend that you buy the natural ones and avoid the popular commercial brands. Or if you want, prepare it at home! Peanut butter makes for a great breakfast when combined with wholegrain wheat!
3. Almond: As you know,there are two types of fat, good and not so goods. Bad fats need to be avoided because simply, they make you fat! The good fats, on the other hand, supply your body with essential nutrients such as fatty acids. Almond is one such food. It is rich in fatty acids and protein. Almond helps you burn fat by boosting your metabolic rate!
4. Beans: How successfully you are able to suppress your hunger will determine how fast you are able to lose weight. Beans make for a great appetite supplement. Since they are rich in fiber, they help to keep your stomach full for a long time.
OK, they do have that sometimes unfortunate side-effect, but eaten regularly your system gets used to processing them in the most efficient manner, and it isn't such a problem.
So, if you incorporate these foods into your diet on a regular basis it will help you to lose weight without being too stressful.
1. Green Tea: If you are in the habit of drinking morning tea, replace it with green tea! Ordinary tea is not so bad, but green tea is better! It contains fat burning chemicals which will help you with weight loss. It is no wonder that many of the weight loss supplements available in the market have green tea as a common ingredient!
2. Peanut butter: Peanut butter is a great replacement for the ordinary butter. Unlike the ordinary butter, which is rich in fat, peanut butter is rich in protein and fiber, both of which will help you with weight loss. While protein will help you burn fat by building lean muscle mass, fiber will help in suppressing your appetite for a long time.
Peanut butter is widely available but I would recommend that you buy the natural ones and avoid the popular commercial brands. Or if you want, prepare it at home! Peanut butter makes for a great breakfast when combined with wholegrain wheat!
3. Almond: As you know,there are two types of fat, good and not so goods. Bad fats need to be avoided because simply, they make you fat! The good fats, on the other hand, supply your body with essential nutrients such as fatty acids. Almond is one such food. It is rich in fatty acids and protein. Almond helps you burn fat by boosting your metabolic rate!
4. Beans: How successfully you are able to suppress your hunger will determine how fast you are able to lose weight. Beans make for a great appetite supplement. Since they are rich in fiber, they help to keep your stomach full for a long time.
OK, they do have that sometimes unfortunate side-effect, but eaten regularly your system gets used to processing them in the most efficient manner, and it isn't such a problem.
So, if you incorporate these foods into your diet on a regular basis it will help you to lose weight without being too stressful.
Friday, 16 March 2012
The how to lose weight fast guide to telling good fats from bad fats.
Dietary guidelines…do they confuse you? How much protein should we eat? What about carbohydrates? Should we eat them at all? If your blood type is O, do you eat differently to your partner whose blood type is AB?
If there’s a more confusing and contradictory issue than human nutrition, I have yet to find it. Well maybe the psychology behind male and female relations comes close – anyone who’s single & online dating will know all about that!
But scientific literature on the subject of diet and nutrition is so conflicting that you start to question the value of anything you read. You take time to study, say, four articles on diet and you get four totally different opinions written by authors with lots of impressive initials after their names.
Let’s look at fats. What a maligned character is that of poor fat. The no-fat diet was huge in the 1970s (There are those who think that this could be a direct contributor to the huge surge in brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s that we see today).
This diet is making a pretty reasonable comeback in Generation Now. People avoid fat like a Scandinavian backpacker in a shopping mall collecting money for Greenpeace.
But this avoidance of a substance we need in fairly reasonable amounts (20-30 per cent of our daily caloric intake) in our diet is not only unhealthy but also pointless, as the liver converts carbohydrate to fat very simply and quickly.
A close relative of fat, cholesterol, is even more despised. But did you know that human breast milk has a higher proportion of cholesterol than any other food? It’s also 50 per cent fat, most of which is saturated. Hmmm.
Ok, so what is saturated fat good for? It:
- makes up 50 per cent of all cell membranes, so is essential for the health of all cells.
- protects the liver from alcohol and other toxins.
- has an immune function.
- is antimicrobial in the digestive tract.
- enhances essential fatty acid utilisation.
And what about cholesterol? It is:
- essential for sex hormone production and corticosteroids that help the body deal with stress and protect against heart disease and cancer.
- essential for Vitamin D production which in turn supports bone and nervous system health, growth, metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production,reproduction, immunity, digestion, and serotonin production.
To add to this, fat (good fat that is) in general is an anti-inflammatory and makes up the myelin sheath that covers your brain, spinal cord and nervous system.
So what’s the dietary take home message? We must increase our intake of good fats, ie coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, fish oils, etc. As long as the oil is pure, extra virgin and cold pressed it will be nutritionally beneficial.
Remember the only oil you can cook with is coconut oil or butter. All other oils are destroyed by heat. Eggs (organic) are a wonder food and should be eaten with confidence. The same goes for organic butter. Trans-fats should be banned for human consumption (animal consumption too for that matter).
But what if your doctor says you should cut out saturated fats and cholesterol from your diet? Is that right? Are they sure? Before you believe them, just take a closer look at your doctor…
So, the next time you’re dating someone & the conversion turns to diets, start talking about good fat if you need to cover a few of your own pounds hanging over your belt!
If only online dating guidelines could be broken down so easily…that’s impossibly more complex than dieting.
If there’s a more confusing and contradictory issue than human nutrition, I have yet to find it. Well maybe the psychology behind male and female relations comes close – anyone who’s single & online dating will know all about that!
But scientific literature on the subject of diet and nutrition is so conflicting that you start to question the value of anything you read. You take time to study, say, four articles on diet and you get four totally different opinions written by authors with lots of impressive initials after their names.
Let’s look at fats. What a maligned character is that of poor fat. The no-fat diet was huge in the 1970s (There are those who think that this could be a direct contributor to the huge surge in brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s that we see today).
This diet is making a pretty reasonable comeback in Generation Now. People avoid fat like a Scandinavian backpacker in a shopping mall collecting money for Greenpeace.
But this avoidance of a substance we need in fairly reasonable amounts (20-30 per cent of our daily caloric intake) in our diet is not only unhealthy but also pointless, as the liver converts carbohydrate to fat very simply and quickly.
A close relative of fat, cholesterol, is even more despised. But did you know that human breast milk has a higher proportion of cholesterol than any other food? It’s also 50 per cent fat, most of which is saturated. Hmmm.
Ok, so what is saturated fat good for? It:
- makes up 50 per cent of all cell membranes, so is essential for the health of all cells.
- protects the liver from alcohol and other toxins.
- has an immune function.
- is antimicrobial in the digestive tract.
- enhances essential fatty acid utilisation.
And what about cholesterol? It is:
- essential for sex hormone production and corticosteroids that help the body deal with stress and protect against heart disease and cancer.
- essential for Vitamin D production which in turn supports bone and nervous system health, growth, metabolism, muscle tone, insulin production,reproduction, immunity, digestion, and serotonin production.
To add to this, fat (good fat that is) in general is an anti-inflammatory and makes up the myelin sheath that covers your brain, spinal cord and nervous system.
So what’s the dietary take home message? We must increase our intake of good fats, ie coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, fish oils, etc. As long as the oil is pure, extra virgin and cold pressed it will be nutritionally beneficial.
Remember the only oil you can cook with is coconut oil or butter. All other oils are destroyed by heat. Eggs (organic) are a wonder food and should be eaten with confidence. The same goes for organic butter. Trans-fats should be banned for human consumption (animal consumption too for that matter).
But what if your doctor says you should cut out saturated fats and cholesterol from your diet? Is that right? Are they sure? Before you believe them, just take a closer look at your doctor…
So, the next time you’re dating someone & the conversion turns to diets, start talking about good fat if you need to cover a few of your own pounds hanging over your belt!
If only online dating guidelines could be broken down so easily…that’s impossibly more complex than dieting.
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Weightloss exercise tips for busy people.
The pressures of modern everyday life can sometimes make it difficult for busy working people to find the time to exercise regularly as part of their weightloss program.
I have been there myself, and there were times when the stress of a busy worklife and family life made it all but impossible for me to stick to my weight loss plan.
OK that's the negative side. But you must not let stress become an excuse for giving up on the exercise, which is after all an essential part of any weight loss regime. There are 24 hours in every day, so why can't you find the time to exercise?
You brush your teeth and shower every day don't you? And why? Simply because they have become part of your ingrained daily routine. You know that if you don't brush your teeth regularly you will suffer tooth decay and other dental problems.
You know that if you don't shower regulary, apart from being not pleasant to be around you will be prone to skin diseases and other results of poor hygiene.
By the same token, if you don't exercise regularly you will become sedentary and pile on the fat. It's just wrong to use the "I don't have time" excuse for avoiding exercise. Be honest with yourself here. You are either afraid of exercise, or you just don't know where to start. Here's a few tips to get you on your way.
Find a friend to work out with. Working out alone is not always enjoyable and it takes an enormous amount of self-discipline. However if you can find a friend to exercise with, chances are you will even start to enjoy it and look forward to the social aspect.
A big plus is that seeing your friend(s) exercising with you is a terrific motivator, you'll want to do a bit better than them as the competitive edge creeps in and you will both benefit. I say both of you, but several friends would work well, and there would pretty much always be someone to work out with if an individual occasionally drops out for any reason.
Get an mp3 player. Load it with your favourite music or even audio books, and take it with you whenever you hit the gym. This is a great way of kicking out the boredom from your exercise routine.
Do what you enjoy. There are bound to be certain exercises that you just don't like doing. Don't force yourself to carry on with them. You will rebel eventually and give up. There are dozens of exercises that essentially do the same thing. Find ones that you enjoy and you will stick with them and benefit enormously.
Start slow. It seems obvious, but as the saying goes "never overlook the obvious" If you have not exercised before, or only very little and infrequently it's only natural that you will be apprehensive about starting a regular exercise routine.
Ignore those who say you must exercise daily to lose weight. Nonsense, the key is regular exercise. You can start once or twice a week for maybe ten/fifteen minutes, and build up from there as you and your body become accustomed to it. Do it at your own pace and it will not be a chore and you will find you can fit it into your daily life.
Before you know it you'll be looking in the mirror and wondering where that fat person went!
I have been there myself, and there were times when the stress of a busy worklife and family life made it all but impossible for me to stick to my weight loss plan.
OK that's the negative side. But you must not let stress become an excuse for giving up on the exercise, which is after all an essential part of any weight loss regime. There are 24 hours in every day, so why can't you find the time to exercise?
You brush your teeth and shower every day don't you? And why? Simply because they have become part of your ingrained daily routine. You know that if you don't brush your teeth regularly you will suffer tooth decay and other dental problems.
You know that if you don't shower regulary, apart from being not pleasant to be around you will be prone to skin diseases and other results of poor hygiene.
By the same token, if you don't exercise regularly you will become sedentary and pile on the fat. It's just wrong to use the "I don't have time" excuse for avoiding exercise. Be honest with yourself here. You are either afraid of exercise, or you just don't know where to start. Here's a few tips to get you on your way.
Find a friend to work out with. Working out alone is not always enjoyable and it takes an enormous amount of self-discipline. However if you can find a friend to exercise with, chances are you will even start to enjoy it and look forward to the social aspect.
A big plus is that seeing your friend(s) exercising with you is a terrific motivator, you'll want to do a bit better than them as the competitive edge creeps in and you will both benefit. I say both of you, but several friends would work well, and there would pretty much always be someone to work out with if an individual occasionally drops out for any reason.
Get an mp3 player. Load it with your favourite music or even audio books, and take it with you whenever you hit the gym. This is a great way of kicking out the boredom from your exercise routine.
Do what you enjoy. There are bound to be certain exercises that you just don't like doing. Don't force yourself to carry on with them. You will rebel eventually and give up. There are dozens of exercises that essentially do the same thing. Find ones that you enjoy and you will stick with them and benefit enormously.
Start slow. It seems obvious, but as the saying goes "never overlook the obvious" If you have not exercised before, or only very little and infrequently it's only natural that you will be apprehensive about starting a regular exercise routine.
Ignore those who say you must exercise daily to lose weight. Nonsense, the key is regular exercise. You can start once or twice a week for maybe ten/fifteen minutes, and build up from there as you and your body become accustomed to it. Do it at your own pace and it will not be a chore and you will find you can fit it into your daily life.
Before you know it you'll be looking in the mirror and wondering where that fat person went!
Thursday, 8 March 2012
How to lose weight fast with these 3 Super-Foods
Wouldn't it be great if you could lose weight by eating? Well, your wish is about to come true. In this post we will look at three foods that will help you lose weight. Sound too good to be true? Well, read on to understand what I mean!
1. Lean meats:
Lean chicken meat is one of the best weight loss foods you can ever have! Why? It contains lots of protein and very little fat, and as you know, protein will build lean muscles. Lean muscles will help you burn fat by accelerating your metabolic rate!
Chicken has the advantage of being readily available and is one of the most economical meats in the store. If you're not too keen on chicken try turkey breast! In any case, make sure you eat only lean meats and stay away from red meat!
Fish is also very good for rapid weight loss. Fish such as salmon and tuna contain Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids fall in the category of 'good fats' or unsaturated fats. You gained weight because of a hormone called leptin which stores fat inside your body. Omega-3 fatty acids will cut down on leptin; when that happens, you are pretty much bound to lose weight!
2. Olive oil:
Replace your fatty oil with olive oil. Olive oil is almost free from the 'bad fats' (saturated fats) and contains a considerable amount of unsaturated fats. These unsaturated fats will not only suppress your appetite but also fight cholesterol. In short, olive oil will keep your cholesterol levels down.
3. Berries:
Berries are excellent for weight loss. There are many types of berries: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc. All of them will help you with weight loss. Strawberries are one of the best among the berries: not only do they taste good, but also help in suppressing your appetite. Once you get rid of hunger pangs, you can focus more on your weight loss goals and less on eating!
As you can see, just because you want to lose weight doesn't mean that you have to starve. Many people tend to starve or follow crash diets but nothing beats eating and losing weight. I firmly believe that if you eat the right foods, you will not only lose weight but also become healthy.
As a plus, the foods I mentioned above are also rich in vitamins and antioxidants. And remember that these are not the only weight loss super foods that are available to you. Other foods such as nuts, oatmeal, eggs and almonds can also help you with weight loss. Add these foods to your diet and see how quickly you are able to get rid of that surplus fat!
1. Lean meats:
Lean chicken meat is one of the best weight loss foods you can ever have! Why? It contains lots of protein and very little fat, and as you know, protein will build lean muscles. Lean muscles will help you burn fat by accelerating your metabolic rate!
Chicken has the advantage of being readily available and is one of the most economical meats in the store. If you're not too keen on chicken try turkey breast! In any case, make sure you eat only lean meats and stay away from red meat!
Fish is also very good for rapid weight loss. Fish such as salmon and tuna contain Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids fall in the category of 'good fats' or unsaturated fats. You gained weight because of a hormone called leptin which stores fat inside your body. Omega-3 fatty acids will cut down on leptin; when that happens, you are pretty much bound to lose weight!
2. Olive oil:
Replace your fatty oil with olive oil. Olive oil is almost free from the 'bad fats' (saturated fats) and contains a considerable amount of unsaturated fats. These unsaturated fats will not only suppress your appetite but also fight cholesterol. In short, olive oil will keep your cholesterol levels down.
3. Berries:
Berries are excellent for weight loss. There are many types of berries: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc. All of them will help you with weight loss. Strawberries are one of the best among the berries: not only do they taste good, but also help in suppressing your appetite. Once you get rid of hunger pangs, you can focus more on your weight loss goals and less on eating!
As you can see, just because you want to lose weight doesn't mean that you have to starve. Many people tend to starve or follow crash diets but nothing beats eating and losing weight. I firmly believe that if you eat the right foods, you will not only lose weight but also become healthy.
As a plus, the foods I mentioned above are also rich in vitamins and antioxidants. And remember that these are not the only weight loss super foods that are available to you. Other foods such as nuts, oatmeal, eggs and almonds can also help you with weight loss. Add these foods to your diet and see how quickly you are able to get rid of that surplus fat!
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
10 Foods To Help You Lose Weight
Although some of us might not think so, especially here in UK right now, summer is on the way (honest) and we are going to be spoilt for choice with healthy, tasty natural foods to help us in our healthy eating weight loss program.
Here I've put together a list of ten of my favourite vitamin rich foods to include in your diet to ensure that you never run the risk of deficiencies, not to mention helping out your brain, heart, vision, joints and just about everything else by consuming them....
Dark Leafy Greens
Dark green is the key, with examples of amazingly vitamin rich, leafy vegetables including spinach, mustard greens, beetroot greens, turnip greens and kale as just a few. Adding these to a salad will give you high amounts of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and carotenoids.
Mustard greens themselves have an incredible array with vitamin A, C, E, and B6, folate, dietary fibre, tryptophan (one of the essential amino acids that the body uses to synthesize the proteins it needs), manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and copper all being found in this green.
Asparagus
These fleshy spears are extremely high in vitamin K and folate and are also high in protein for a vegetable. It is also a superior source of vitamins C, A, B1, B2 and B6. It's high in essential minerals as well including copper, phosphorous, potassium, iron, manganese and magnesium.
Plus, asparagus is also a natural diuretic that provides benefits for the heart and also prevent birth defects (thanks to folates ability to protect against spina bifida!).
Blueberries
The blueberry is one of the healthiest fruits in the world, as well as being one of the tastiest. It has incredible amounts of vitamins C and E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, dietary fibre and riboflavin. Because of its dark blue/red flesh, it contains some of the most potent antioxidants around.
The phytonutrients contained in this amazing berry help to destroy free radicals that damage the body's tissues. They can help prevent heart disease, cancer, dementia, ulcers, varicose veins, cataracts and glaucoma. Blueberries also have anti-inflammatory abilities that can also protect brain cells from damage.
Other Berries
Berries are abundant in summer so consider having a berry fruit salad first thing in the morning or for a mid day snack. Cranberries are proven natural healers of the urinary tract (number one in fighting UT infections!) and as a digestive aid. They have incredible amounts of vitamin B2 alongside a few other B vitamins. They also host high levels of fibre, vitamin C, iron, manganese and copper.
The raspberry is rich in tannins, elagic acid and flavonoids. With potent antioxidants and antimicrobials, research has suggested that the mighty raspberry can even help fight cancer. They are high in fibre, vitamin C, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate, manganese and impact minimally on blood sugar levels.
Strawberries are well known for their phenols, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. Jam-packed with more than 12 essential minerals and vitamins, strawberries are very high in vitamin C and K and in dietary fibre.
Rock Melon
Although this beautiful melon peaks in summer, it is often available all year round. It offers an excellent supply of beta-carotene, potassium, and vitamin C. One cup of rock melon has under 60 calories, but is already well above the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.
The orange flesh of the rock melon boasts vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, folate and great source of dietary fibre. The B vitamins combine to make a great energy producer for the body, helping to control carbs and blood glucose levels through processing the carbohydrates and slowing digestion with its fibre content.
Spelt Grain
Just two ounces of this ancient whole grain contains more than your daily requirement of vitamin B2. Though largely unknown to many, spelt can be found in cereals, crackers, breads and baked goods.
Your local health food store will have it in the form of grain, flakes or flour. It has a wide range of nutrients for a whole grain including an excellent source of niacin, thiamine, manganese and tryptophan. It also packs a decent amount of fibre, zinc, copper, protein and iron.
Broccoli
Broccoli, possibly my all time favourite veg is a nutritional wonder. The exceptional nutritional value of broccoli is most visibly seen in its vitamin K levels. It is also very high in vitamin A, folate and dietary fibre not to mention protein, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
This is a vegetable not to be missed! Who said Mum didn't know what she was talking about?
Lentils
Lentils can provide an upward of 80% of your daily value of iron in one cup! The same amount of this amazing food contains 230 calories and hardly any fat. Whilst its iron levels will boost the body's energy and help prevent anaemia, its fibre content will stabilize your blood glucose levels and also net you four B vitamins, seven other essential minerals and a heaping amount of protein.
All of the mighty lentil's nutrients can be found in high levels. As a note of interest, the history of lentils dates back 8,000 years! Found in archaeological sights in the Middle East, it is possible that lentils could be one of the first foods ever cultivated.
Black Beans
Also known as Mexican or Spanish black beans, they have a phenomenal source of molybdenum, a trace mineral that detoxifies sulfites in your body. Black beans (like most beans) are good for your heart, and contain an excellent source of dietary fibre, folic acid, magnesium, and polyphenols that bring down cholesterol levels.
They are also high in vitamin B1, tryptophan, phosphorus, iron, manganese and potassium. Each cup of black beans carries 15g of protein too!
Brussels Sprouts
Although a tough vegetable to get any child to consider (or some adults for that matter), the active constituents of Brussel sprouts are cancer fighters, great for skin, boosts the immune system and ensures the colon stays healthy. Best boiled or steamed, they contain gigantic amounts of vitamin K as well as high levels of vitamins C, A, B6 and B1, and fibre on top of a good amount of 14 other major minerals and vitamins.
And the best part for those needing to lose weight, you can eat as much of these as you want to alleviate those hunger pangs and not feel the slightest bit guilty.
Here I've put together a list of ten of my favourite vitamin rich foods to include in your diet to ensure that you never run the risk of deficiencies, not to mention helping out your brain, heart, vision, joints and just about everything else by consuming them....
Dark Leafy Greens
Dark green is the key, with examples of amazingly vitamin rich, leafy vegetables including spinach, mustard greens, beetroot greens, turnip greens and kale as just a few. Adding these to a salad will give you high amounts of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and carotenoids.
Mustard greens themselves have an incredible array with vitamin A, C, E, and B6, folate, dietary fibre, tryptophan (one of the essential amino acids that the body uses to synthesize the proteins it needs), manganese, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and copper all being found in this green.
Asparagus
These fleshy spears are extremely high in vitamin K and folate and are also high in protein for a vegetable. It is also a superior source of vitamins C, A, B1, B2 and B6. It's high in essential minerals as well including copper, phosphorous, potassium, iron, manganese and magnesium.
Plus, asparagus is also a natural diuretic that provides benefits for the heart and also prevent birth defects (thanks to folates ability to protect against spina bifida!).
Blueberries
The blueberry is one of the healthiest fruits in the world, as well as being one of the tastiest. It has incredible amounts of vitamins C and E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, dietary fibre and riboflavin. Because of its dark blue/red flesh, it contains some of the most potent antioxidants around.
The phytonutrients contained in this amazing berry help to destroy free radicals that damage the body's tissues. They can help prevent heart disease, cancer, dementia, ulcers, varicose veins, cataracts and glaucoma. Blueberries also have anti-inflammatory abilities that can also protect brain cells from damage.
Other Berries
Berries are abundant in summer so consider having a berry fruit salad first thing in the morning or for a mid day snack. Cranberries are proven natural healers of the urinary tract (number one in fighting UT infections!) and as a digestive aid. They have incredible amounts of vitamin B2 alongside a few other B vitamins. They also host high levels of fibre, vitamin C, iron, manganese and copper.
The raspberry is rich in tannins, elagic acid and flavonoids. With potent antioxidants and antimicrobials, research has suggested that the mighty raspberry can even help fight cancer. They are high in fibre, vitamin C, B2, B3, B5, B6, folate, manganese and impact minimally on blood sugar levels.
Strawberries are well known for their phenols, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. Jam-packed with more than 12 essential minerals and vitamins, strawberries are very high in vitamin C and K and in dietary fibre.
Rock Melon
Although this beautiful melon peaks in summer, it is often available all year round. It offers an excellent supply of beta-carotene, potassium, and vitamin C. One cup of rock melon has under 60 calories, but is already well above the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.
The orange flesh of the rock melon boasts vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, folate and great source of dietary fibre. The B vitamins combine to make a great energy producer for the body, helping to control carbs and blood glucose levels through processing the carbohydrates and slowing digestion with its fibre content.
Spelt Grain
Just two ounces of this ancient whole grain contains more than your daily requirement of vitamin B2. Though largely unknown to many, spelt can be found in cereals, crackers, breads and baked goods.
Your local health food store will have it in the form of grain, flakes or flour. It has a wide range of nutrients for a whole grain including an excellent source of niacin, thiamine, manganese and tryptophan. It also packs a decent amount of fibre, zinc, copper, protein and iron.
Broccoli
Broccoli, possibly my all time favourite veg is a nutritional wonder. The exceptional nutritional value of broccoli is most visibly seen in its vitamin K levels. It is also very high in vitamin A, folate and dietary fibre not to mention protein, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
This is a vegetable not to be missed! Who said Mum didn't know what she was talking about?
Lentils
Lentils can provide an upward of 80% of your daily value of iron in one cup! The same amount of this amazing food contains 230 calories and hardly any fat. Whilst its iron levels will boost the body's energy and help prevent anaemia, its fibre content will stabilize your blood glucose levels and also net you four B vitamins, seven other essential minerals and a heaping amount of protein.
All of the mighty lentil's nutrients can be found in high levels. As a note of interest, the history of lentils dates back 8,000 years! Found in archaeological sights in the Middle East, it is possible that lentils could be one of the first foods ever cultivated.
Black Beans
Also known as Mexican or Spanish black beans, they have a phenomenal source of molybdenum, a trace mineral that detoxifies sulfites in your body. Black beans (like most beans) are good for your heart, and contain an excellent source of dietary fibre, folic acid, magnesium, and polyphenols that bring down cholesterol levels.
They are also high in vitamin B1, tryptophan, phosphorus, iron, manganese and potassium. Each cup of black beans carries 15g of protein too!
Brussels Sprouts
Although a tough vegetable to get any child to consider (or some adults for that matter), the active constituents of Brussel sprouts are cancer fighters, great for skin, boosts the immune system and ensures the colon stays healthy. Best boiled or steamed, they contain gigantic amounts of vitamin K as well as high levels of vitamins C, A, B6 and B1, and fibre on top of a good amount of 14 other major minerals and vitamins.
And the best part for those needing to lose weight, you can eat as much of these as you want to alleviate those hunger pangs and not feel the slightest bit guilty.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Fat in the front can mean a pain in the back!
There are many people that struggle with weight loss on a regular basis, but the fact is, it may be more than a simple cosmetic issue.
Lots of people who are overweight experience back pain, and are suffering needlessly, simply because they are having a difficult time in getting rid of the extra weight that they are carrying. The truth of the matter is, if you are carrying around an additional weight in the front of your body, your back is going to suffer as a result.
The simple reason for this is because the spine was not designed in order to carry a load that is heavier than our body at its natural, lean weight.
As you put on additional pounds, the spine begins to distort and to compress, causing a lot of the pain that you may be experiencing. It can also have an effect on your pelvis, tilting it forward and perhaps causing it to pinch your sciatic nerve.
This is one of the main reasons why people who are overweight tend to have problems with their lower back, either because of sciatica or because of the distorting of the spinal column.
If you are experiencing this problem then there is really only one thing that you can do in order to overcome it. You need to get rid of some of the additional weight that you have been carrying around, and your spine will begin to ease up and go back into its regular position.
Unfortunately, weight loss is not something that is simple and it is a bit time consuming but the benefits of losing weight far outweigh any inconvenience that you may experience from the effort.
Two things that you can do in order to lose weight naturally are to get a little bit of exercise, and to modify your diet so that you are taking in fewer calories than what you are using throughout the day. Start exercising slowly, especially if you're having problems with back pain.
You should also do stretching exercises as well as concentrating on your core body muscles so that it will help to strengthen this area of your body, further reducing the amount of pain that you are experiencing.
Within just a week or two of being on this weight loss program, you should begin to notice differences in the way that you feel.
Lots of people who are overweight experience back pain, and are suffering needlessly, simply because they are having a difficult time in getting rid of the extra weight that they are carrying. The truth of the matter is, if you are carrying around an additional weight in the front of your body, your back is going to suffer as a result.
The simple reason for this is because the spine was not designed in order to carry a load that is heavier than our body at its natural, lean weight.
As you put on additional pounds, the spine begins to distort and to compress, causing a lot of the pain that you may be experiencing. It can also have an effect on your pelvis, tilting it forward and perhaps causing it to pinch your sciatic nerve.
This is one of the main reasons why people who are overweight tend to have problems with their lower back, either because of sciatica or because of the distorting of the spinal column.
If you are experiencing this problem then there is really only one thing that you can do in order to overcome it. You need to get rid of some of the additional weight that you have been carrying around, and your spine will begin to ease up and go back into its regular position.
Unfortunately, weight loss is not something that is simple and it is a bit time consuming but the benefits of losing weight far outweigh any inconvenience that you may experience from the effort.
Two things that you can do in order to lose weight naturally are to get a little bit of exercise, and to modify your diet so that you are taking in fewer calories than what you are using throughout the day. Start exercising slowly, especially if you're having problems with back pain.
You should also do stretching exercises as well as concentrating on your core body muscles so that it will help to strengthen this area of your body, further reducing the amount of pain that you are experiencing.
Within just a week or two of being on this weight loss program, you should begin to notice differences in the way that you feel.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Lose Weight The Easy Way!
Do you want to lose weight without having to eat boring meals and ironing it out for hours at the gym? OK silly question, you probably wouldn't be here if you weren't at least interested right? Anyway, there are ways that can help you do just that. Here's just a few.
Get rid of hunger: Getting rid of hunger is one of the most important things you need to do in order to lose weight successfully. If you are always hungry, you will always eat, and weight loss will never happen. You should eat foods that can keep you full for a long time. Fiber-rich foods such as lentils, legumes, nuts, apples, peas, etc. are good foods that not only suppress your hunger but also keep your digestive system healthy!
Drink more water: You're probably fed up with hearing it, however believe it or not, you can lose at least 7-10 extra pounds just by drinking enough water. How? When you don't drink enough water, your body stores water inside, so as to meet any future water scarcity. Your body won't hoard water like this if it feels that there is an abundance of water. To assure your body of this abundance, you should drink at least eight 8ounce glasses of water daily!
I have found that people managed to lose a minimum of seven pounds once they started drinking more water! Once your body gets water regularly, it will stop hoarding water and flush out any excess water that it has stored! I'm willing to bet that although you have heard this dozens of times you still don't drink enough water.
But this is not where the many benefits of water end. Water also boosts your metabolic rate, which helps you burn fat and lose weight. Water also detoxifies your body. When your body has gotten rid of all the toxins, you will not only lose some more pounds, but also feel better into the bargain!
Hula Hooping: If you want to lose weight without exercises, hula hooping is a fun way to do it. All you need is an inexpensive weighted hula hoop (try e-bay). Just twirl it around yourself for at least one minute at a time. You need to do this exercise for ten minutes everyday, but if you cannot do it all at once, don't worry. Just do it whenever you find a little time.
If you do it only ten times per day, each time spending just one minute on it, you will be able to lose weight. Plus it is fun to do!
As you can see, weight loss doesn't have to be hard and scary. Follow the three tips above and see how easily you shed those extra pounds!
Friday, 24 February 2012
Simple and Powerful Techniques to Help You Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals
Many factors that determine the success or failure of your weight loss goals. Here are a few things you can do in order to lose weight successfully.
Set small goals: Most people are unable to achieve their weight loss goals because they always think big. There is nothing wring with thinking big, but don't make your goals so big they become overwhelming and intimidating to you! Don't stretch your weight loss goals so far that you feel tempted to quit altogether! Start slow and you'll see how easy it is to shed those obstinate pounds!
You know that you need to make huge lifestyle changes in order to lose weight successfully. Now, keep in mind that you cannot make these changes overnight! For example, if today I ask you to avoid eating junk foods altogether, will you be able to follow my advice? You will probably try hard to avoid junk foods for a day or two, and by doing that, you will be all the more tempted to take a bite of your favorite fatty foods. As a result, you'll end up gaining more pounds than what you started with! What a waste!
Here's an easier way to do it: Instead of trying to cut down on your junk food intake entirely, try to replace one junk food with one good food. Do you eat butter? Well, replace that with peanut butter. Next day, replace burgers with raw carrots! If you eat white breads, replace that with wholegrain wheat breads.
You won't be able to accomplish all of these changes overnight, but you will be able to achieve your goals if you do it slowly, bit by bit. Eventually you will realize that you have completely replaced your bad foods with the healthy foods, but without going through any stress or temptation!
Replace bad habits with good ones: Remember that you gained weight because of certain bad habits. Ideally you should break those old habits in order to lose weight, but I know that breaking an old habit is easier said than done. What you can do instead is modify your bad habit enough so that it becomes a good and healthy habit.
If you are like many people, you have a habit of snacking in the afternoon. Instead of trying to break your afternoon snacking habit, try to replace the snack itself!. If you eat chocolate soups and cookies as snacks, replace them with low-fat yogurt and raw fruits!
Get rid of temptations: Unless you learn to control your temptations, you won't be able to lose weight successfully. Whenever you are tempted to eat, do something that distracts you from the thought of food. You can do anything such as dancing, driving, walking around your house, doing some sit-ups, or drinking a glass of water. All of these things will help keep yourself away from the food cravings!
Set small goals: Most people are unable to achieve their weight loss goals because they always think big. There is nothing wring with thinking big, but don't make your goals so big they become overwhelming and intimidating to you! Don't stretch your weight loss goals so far that you feel tempted to quit altogether! Start slow and you'll see how easy it is to shed those obstinate pounds!
You know that you need to make huge lifestyle changes in order to lose weight successfully. Now, keep in mind that you cannot make these changes overnight! For example, if today I ask you to avoid eating junk foods altogether, will you be able to follow my advice? You will probably try hard to avoid junk foods for a day or two, and by doing that, you will be all the more tempted to take a bite of your favorite fatty foods. As a result, you'll end up gaining more pounds than what you started with! What a waste!
Here's an easier way to do it: Instead of trying to cut down on your junk food intake entirely, try to replace one junk food with one good food. Do you eat butter? Well, replace that with peanut butter. Next day, replace burgers with raw carrots! If you eat white breads, replace that with wholegrain wheat breads.
You won't be able to accomplish all of these changes overnight, but you will be able to achieve your goals if you do it slowly, bit by bit. Eventually you will realize that you have completely replaced your bad foods with the healthy foods, but without going through any stress or temptation!
Replace bad habits with good ones: Remember that you gained weight because of certain bad habits. Ideally you should break those old habits in order to lose weight, but I know that breaking an old habit is easier said than done. What you can do instead is modify your bad habit enough so that it becomes a good and healthy habit.
If you are like many people, you have a habit of snacking in the afternoon. Instead of trying to break your afternoon snacking habit, try to replace the snack itself!. If you eat chocolate soups and cookies as snacks, replace them with low-fat yogurt and raw fruits!
Get rid of temptations: Unless you learn to control your temptations, you won't be able to lose weight successfully. Whenever you are tempted to eat, do something that distracts you from the thought of food. You can do anything such as dancing, driving, walking around your house, doing some sit-ups, or drinking a glass of water. All of these things will help keep yourself away from the food cravings!
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Positive Steps To Successful Weight Loss
You have probably heard a lot about the importance of positive thinking in weight loss. If you keep harboring negative thoughts, you will never be able to lose weight. On the other hand, if you become a positive thinker, weight loss will become easy for you. Trust me, this isn't bunk, as Henry Ford might say.
Believe it or not, you are unable to lose weight because you believe that you are fat; chances are that, you even hate yourself for the same reason. Now, if you believe yourself to be thin instead. can you imagine the positive impact it can have on your weight loss goals? Your mindset and attitude can make or break your weight loss goals. Here's how to develop a positive mindset.
Remember though that just as you cannot lose weight overnight, you also cannot transform your negative thoughts into positive ones within a very short time. So be patient with yourself and try to incorporate these changes slowly into your life!
1. The reason behind your weight loss: What is the big reason behind your weight loss efforts? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it simply because you are unable to bear the taunts you receive from your office colleagues, or is it because you keep getting turned down for dates, or is it simply because you want a figure like your favorite celebrity whose photo you recently saw in a magazine? Whatever it is, write them all down on a piece of paper. Note down all the reasons behind your weight loss endeavors, no matter how small or big they are!
For best results, buy some Post-It-Note stickers and write down everything on a sticker, and make copies of it on other stickers. Then stick them in strategic places in your home so that you are reminded of your weight loss goals everyday. Don't forget to stick them in your kitchen and refrigerator as well: those are the places where you are most likely to be tempted to eat the 'forbidden foods' or 'cheat' on your diet program!
2. Motivation and realistic goals: Now is the time to set some realistic goals for yourself. To do that, you need to know your ideal body weight, and then subtract that from your current body weight. The resulting figure you now get is the amount of body weight you need to lose to acquire the kind of figure you want.
Now, realistically, you cannot lose more than 2 pounds per week. Do the math and find out how many pounds you can lose a year from now. Again, be realistic in your goals, as unrealistic goals serve no purpose. If you weigh 100 pounds or more, don't expect to gain a svelte figure like Jessica Alba within a month!
Once you have set your goals, you now need some motivation that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. What you use to motivate yourself will depend on the reason behind your weight loss. If you want to be like your favorite celebrity, hang the pictures of that celebrity all around your house. Side by side, also hang your picture with your current body weight! That would be more than enough to keep you motivated!
Stick with it, and believe in it. I promise you, this stuff works!
Believe it or not, you are unable to lose weight because you believe that you are fat; chances are that, you even hate yourself for the same reason. Now, if you believe yourself to be thin instead. can you imagine the positive impact it can have on your weight loss goals? Your mindset and attitude can make or break your weight loss goals. Here's how to develop a positive mindset.
Remember though that just as you cannot lose weight overnight, you also cannot transform your negative thoughts into positive ones within a very short time. So be patient with yourself and try to incorporate these changes slowly into your life!
1. The reason behind your weight loss: What is the big reason behind your weight loss efforts? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it simply because you are unable to bear the taunts you receive from your office colleagues, or is it because you keep getting turned down for dates, or is it simply because you want a figure like your favorite celebrity whose photo you recently saw in a magazine? Whatever it is, write them all down on a piece of paper. Note down all the reasons behind your weight loss endeavors, no matter how small or big they are!
For best results, buy some Post-It-Note stickers and write down everything on a sticker, and make copies of it on other stickers. Then stick them in strategic places in your home so that you are reminded of your weight loss goals everyday. Don't forget to stick them in your kitchen and refrigerator as well: those are the places where you are most likely to be tempted to eat the 'forbidden foods' or 'cheat' on your diet program!
2. Motivation and realistic goals: Now is the time to set some realistic goals for yourself. To do that, you need to know your ideal body weight, and then subtract that from your current body weight. The resulting figure you now get is the amount of body weight you need to lose to acquire the kind of figure you want.
Now, realistically, you cannot lose more than 2 pounds per week. Do the math and find out how many pounds you can lose a year from now. Again, be realistic in your goals, as unrealistic goals serve no purpose. If you weigh 100 pounds or more, don't expect to gain a svelte figure like Jessica Alba within a month!
Once you have set your goals, you now need some motivation that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. What you use to motivate yourself will depend on the reason behind your weight loss. If you want to be like your favorite celebrity, hang the pictures of that celebrity all around your house. Side by side, also hang your picture with your current body weight! That would be more than enough to keep you motivated!
Stick with it, and believe in it. I promise you, this stuff works!
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Why Low Calorie Diets Don't Work
If you are planning to follow a low calorie diet plan in order to lose weight/fat, here is some information you may find interesting, as to why they generally don't work.
So many people follow certain popular low calorie diet plans for a few weeks only to find out that they haven't lost much weight. They then feel that weight loss is impossible and they quit the diet program altogether!
The number one reason why low-calorie diet plans don't work is that when you eat low-calorie foods, your body basically remains malnourished. You feel sick and tired at all times. Forget about exercises, you don't have enough energy to complete even your regular activities. All these things happen because your metabolic rate is low!
If you want to lose weight successfully, you need to bear the following in mind:
Calories are not your enemies: Calories are not what you should avoid, calories are required to supply your body with the necessary nutrition and energy. When your body gets enough food, it'll increase your metabolic rate, which will automatically result in weight loss!
The bad calories are those that are contained in junk foods. So while you won't accumulate fat by eating 10 apples per day (even though a single apple contains almost 100 calories), you will surely get fat by eating 10 burgers!
That is the basic difference! You need to avoid empty calories (that is, junk foods) and embrace negative calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Now negative calorie doesn't mean that there are no calories in these foods, it only means that in order to digest them, these foods will force your body to burn more calories than they provide! This results in calorie deficit which will ultimately result in weight loss!
Muscle building is important: Do you know that in order to maintain themselves, muscles burn a lot of your calories? This in effect means that the more lean muscles you have, the faster you will be able to lose weight!
Eating protein-rich foods is a good way of building lean muscles; working out regularly in the gym is another. There is another advantage of eating protein-rich foods: you won't feel hungry as often, which reduces the likelehood of overeating.
When you eat low-calorie foods, you are not able to build muscle, instead you lose muscle. When your body doesn't have enough lean muscle it is not able to burn fat, since your metabolic rate remains at an abnormally low level. One more reason why low calorie diets don't work!
Most of these low calorie diets will only help you lose water and muscle. While you maybe misled into believing that you have actually lost several pounds, you have not lost the single most important thing that is keeping you from becoming slim: and that is FAT! Unless you lose fat, there is no way you can become fit!
So many people follow certain popular low calorie diet plans for a few weeks only to find out that they haven't lost much weight. They then feel that weight loss is impossible and they quit the diet program altogether!
The number one reason why low-calorie diet plans don't work is that when you eat low-calorie foods, your body basically remains malnourished. You feel sick and tired at all times. Forget about exercises, you don't have enough energy to complete even your regular activities. All these things happen because your metabolic rate is low!
If you want to lose weight successfully, you need to bear the following in mind:
Calories are not your enemies: Calories are not what you should avoid, calories are required to supply your body with the necessary nutrition and energy. When your body gets enough food, it'll increase your metabolic rate, which will automatically result in weight loss!
The bad calories are those that are contained in junk foods. So while you won't accumulate fat by eating 10 apples per day (even though a single apple contains almost 100 calories), you will surely get fat by eating 10 burgers!
That is the basic difference! You need to avoid empty calories (that is, junk foods) and embrace negative calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Now negative calorie doesn't mean that there are no calories in these foods, it only means that in order to digest them, these foods will force your body to burn more calories than they provide! This results in calorie deficit which will ultimately result in weight loss!
Muscle building is important: Do you know that in order to maintain themselves, muscles burn a lot of your calories? This in effect means that the more lean muscles you have, the faster you will be able to lose weight!
Eating protein-rich foods is a good way of building lean muscles; working out regularly in the gym is another. There is another advantage of eating protein-rich foods: you won't feel hungry as often, which reduces the likelehood of overeating.
When you eat low-calorie foods, you are not able to build muscle, instead you lose muscle. When your body doesn't have enough lean muscle it is not able to burn fat, since your metabolic rate remains at an abnormally low level. One more reason why low calorie diets don't work!
Most of these low calorie diets will only help you lose water and muscle. While you maybe misled into believing that you have actually lost several pounds, you have not lost the single most important thing that is keeping you from becoming slim: and that is FAT! Unless you lose fat, there is no way you can become fit!
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Motivate Yourself To Get Rid of Belly Fat
Everyone knows that weight loss, to a large degree is all about modifying your lifestyle habits. What many don't realize that this cannot be done overnight! If you try to make significant changes in your lifestyle within a very short time, the chances are that you will only be frustrated and disappointed with your weight loss efforts. Also, there is more to weight loss than just diet and exercise. For today let's get beyond the world of strict diets and rigorous exercise routines!
Avoid self-destructive thoughts: Self-destructive thoughts will do you more harm than fake diet pills. Just imagine, if you always think that you cannot do the things you need to do in order to lose weight, how can you ever achieve your weight loss goals? If you think that you cannot do sit-ups and push-ups, you are probably jumping to conclusions and being too self-analytical even before you have tried these workouts!
If you think that doing thirty push-ups is overwhelming for you, start small. Start with 10 push-ups, and thank yourself once you have done it successfully! Then try to add one or two extra push-ups every day to your routine until you reach your target of thirty. You see, when you start small, it becomes much easier to reach your goals!
Instead of thinking too much, just take action and DO it! The amount of time you spend on thinking and criticizing yourself, you may as well as spend it on some exercise. While the former will do you no good, the latter will help you burn fat and lose weight!
Get support: Proper support is essential in order to keep you determined and motivated. Without support, you won't be able to lose weight successfully. That is why it is essential that you enlist the support of your friends and family who understand you and support your goals.
It is also essential that you choose a weight loss program which offers support to its members in the form of a support group or forum. In a forum, you will get support and tips from your peers and experts alike! Surround yourself with supportive people and stay away from the negative people who can only find faults with you!
If you follow these tips there is no reason why you won't be able to lose weight! Remember that you can achieve whatever you believe in your mind. If you believe you can lose weight, you WILL! Remember the famous words of Henry Ford, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right".
Avoid self-destructive thoughts: Self-destructive thoughts will do you more harm than fake diet pills. Just imagine, if you always think that you cannot do the things you need to do in order to lose weight, how can you ever achieve your weight loss goals? If you think that you cannot do sit-ups and push-ups, you are probably jumping to conclusions and being too self-analytical even before you have tried these workouts!
If you think that doing thirty push-ups is overwhelming for you, start small. Start with 10 push-ups, and thank yourself once you have done it successfully! Then try to add one or two extra push-ups every day to your routine until you reach your target of thirty. You see, when you start small, it becomes much easier to reach your goals!
Instead of thinking too much, just take action and DO it! The amount of time you spend on thinking and criticizing yourself, you may as well as spend it on some exercise. While the former will do you no good, the latter will help you burn fat and lose weight!
Get support: Proper support is essential in order to keep you determined and motivated. Without support, you won't be able to lose weight successfully. That is why it is essential that you enlist the support of your friends and family who understand you and support your goals.
It is also essential that you choose a weight loss program which offers support to its members in the form of a support group or forum. In a forum, you will get support and tips from your peers and experts alike! Surround yourself with supportive people and stay away from the negative people who can only find faults with you!
If you follow these tips there is no reason why you won't be able to lose weight! Remember that you can achieve whatever you believe in your mind. If you believe you can lose weight, you WILL! Remember the famous words of Henry Ford, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right".
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Overcoming Weight Loss Plateau
You were probably losing weight successfully for the first few weeks after you joined a new diet program, only to be stuck at a certain point later. When people start a diet program they usually rapidly lose a few pounds, because most diet programs are created to offer you 'instant weight loss'. Sadly enough, this 'instant weight loss' is more often than not 'temporary' weight loss.
You will lose weight very quickly for the first few weeks but after that, you will suddenly discover that the scale is not going down anymore! You are not losing any more weight. You have hit a situation commonly known as weight loss plateau! In such situations, the only remedy is a complete overhaul of your lifestyle habits.
You have probably done the same sets of exercises as well as eaten the same types of foods over and over again during those first few weeks when you were losing weight. As a result your body got accustomed to your diet and exercise routine. When that happened, your weight loss methods failed to bring any sustainable results!
If you want to go beyond this point, you need to change your diet and exercise regimen.
Here are two methods you need to follow to get out of the weight loss plateau.
1. Calorie-counting is not the way to go: When you count your calories, you basically limit the intake of calories to an abnormally low level. When you eat low calorie foods, there is no incentive for your body to increase your metabolic rate since it has to burn only a few calories.
The result is that your metabolic rate always remains at a very low level. When your metabolic rate is low, you aren't able to burn fat!
In order to burn fat and lose weight successfully, you need to forget about calorie counting and eat enough so that your body is forced to keep your metabolic rate at a high level. Your body needs fuel to burn fat, and it can get that fuel only from foods!
2. Exercise more: If you have been avoiding exercises altogether, or have been doing only light exercises, then you cannot lose weight. Weight loss is only possible if you perform high intensity workouts daily. Instead of being afraid of exercises, try to love them. Exercises are yet another powerful way of increasing your metabolic rate.
If you were expecting a magic answer, I'm sorry. Whatever you may read there is no such thing. However if you follow these two methods they will help you to get the body you desire!
You will lose weight very quickly for the first few weeks but after that, you will suddenly discover that the scale is not going down anymore! You are not losing any more weight. You have hit a situation commonly known as weight loss plateau! In such situations, the only remedy is a complete overhaul of your lifestyle habits.
You have probably done the same sets of exercises as well as eaten the same types of foods over and over again during those first few weeks when you were losing weight. As a result your body got accustomed to your diet and exercise routine. When that happened, your weight loss methods failed to bring any sustainable results!
If you want to go beyond this point, you need to change your diet and exercise regimen.
Here are two methods you need to follow to get out of the weight loss plateau.
1. Calorie-counting is not the way to go: When you count your calories, you basically limit the intake of calories to an abnormally low level. When you eat low calorie foods, there is no incentive for your body to increase your metabolic rate since it has to burn only a few calories.
The result is that your metabolic rate always remains at a very low level. When your metabolic rate is low, you aren't able to burn fat!
In order to burn fat and lose weight successfully, you need to forget about calorie counting and eat enough so that your body is forced to keep your metabolic rate at a high level. Your body needs fuel to burn fat, and it can get that fuel only from foods!
2. Exercise more: If you have been avoiding exercises altogether, or have been doing only light exercises, then you cannot lose weight. Weight loss is only possible if you perform high intensity workouts daily. Instead of being afraid of exercises, try to love them. Exercises are yet another powerful way of increasing your metabolic rate.
If you were expecting a magic answer, I'm sorry. Whatever you may read there is no such thing. However if you follow these two methods they will help you to get the body you desire!
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Handy Weight Loss Tips That Work
Here's your first weight loss nugget: Just because somebody has muscles doesn't mean you should automatically take their weight loss advice.
I'm going to give you a few tips, some weight loss tips that really work. Use this advice and you will lose weight.
One: Never begin a diet with a half-hearted attempt. The mere thought of giving a new a diet a "try" is good enough reason why you will fail. Like Yoda once said to Luke Skywalker, "There is no try. Only do or not do." Live by those words.
Two: Prepare yourself in advance to focusing 100% for 3 weeks on your weight loss efforts. That means planning your meals, planning your workouts, making sure you write down your goals. Keep your head down and focused for 3 weeks. By the end of that time you will see your first results.
Three: Do not live on the scales. They are one of the biggest culprits for derailing weight loss success. If the scale doesn't read how you'd like it to read, your whole day has a chance of being destroyed. And so does your weight loss.
Bonus tip: You can expect to lose 5-10 pounds in the first 2 weeks if you only increase your water intake and begin walking.
Four: As the song goes, eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive. There will be weight loss doubters. There will be people who secretly wish you to fail behind you back. Don't fret. Just recognize it and remove it as quickly as you can.
When you do lose the weight, don't hold a grudge. Just smile and hope for better things for those that doubted your weight loss power.
Five: When disaster strikes in the form of depression or a diet breakdown. Pick yourself back up immediately and begin again. Seize the moment and renew your weight loss commitment. Rededicate yourself by writing a letter of forgiveness to yourself. Remember the words of Winstone Churchill, "never, never, never, never give up."
That's some weight loss advice that really works. Use it and go out and grab your new tighter, slimmer body. Hey, you deserve it, right?
I'm going to give you a few tips, some weight loss tips that really work. Use this advice and you will lose weight.
One: Never begin a diet with a half-hearted attempt. The mere thought of giving a new a diet a "try" is good enough reason why you will fail. Like Yoda once said to Luke Skywalker, "There is no try. Only do or not do." Live by those words.
Two: Prepare yourself in advance to focusing 100% for 3 weeks on your weight loss efforts. That means planning your meals, planning your workouts, making sure you write down your goals. Keep your head down and focused for 3 weeks. By the end of that time you will see your first results.
Three: Do not live on the scales. They are one of the biggest culprits for derailing weight loss success. If the scale doesn't read how you'd like it to read, your whole day has a chance of being destroyed. And so does your weight loss.
Bonus tip: You can expect to lose 5-10 pounds in the first 2 weeks if you only increase your water intake and begin walking.
Four: As the song goes, eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive. There will be weight loss doubters. There will be people who secretly wish you to fail behind you back. Don't fret. Just recognize it and remove it as quickly as you can.
When you do lose the weight, don't hold a grudge. Just smile and hope for better things for those that doubted your weight loss power.
Five: When disaster strikes in the form of depression or a diet breakdown. Pick yourself back up immediately and begin again. Seize the moment and renew your weight loss commitment. Rededicate yourself by writing a letter of forgiveness to yourself. Remember the words of Winstone Churchill, "never, never, never, never give up."
That's some weight loss advice that really works. Use it and go out and grab your new tighter, slimmer body. Hey, you deserve it, right?
Monday, 6 February 2012
Low Carb Cooking For Weight Loss
Around the world people are paying more attention to their bodies and their health than perhaps at any other time in history. One method that has shown great success in helping people quickly drop those unwanted pounds is through low carb cooking and dieting. This method of weight loss (The Atkins Diet springs to mind) seems to have taken the world by storm promising quick results for the simple (or not so simple) lifestyle change of eliminating as many carbohydrates as possible from our diets.
The notion of low carb eating is appealing, not only to women hoping to drop those vanity pounds but also men who welcome the idea of eating all the steaks they can handle throughout the year. Low carb cooking is becoming a way of life for many families as a result. Although the idea of this particular lifestyle change and the reality of it do on occasion seriously collide with one another.
If you are interested in dropping those unwanted pounds and keeping them off, this is a method that without doubt gets results. The problem is that you must stick to the diet in order for the results to remain consistent even after you've met your weight loss goals. This means that you are not really embarking on a diet so much as a complete re-think in the way you eat.
One great thing about low carb cooking is that it is so widely popular. This means that you will have no trouble finding resources, tips, tricks, advice, and even amazing substitutes for those things you often miss most when engaging in the low carb lifestyle.
Popular stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joes are great places to go for specific foods that are low carb in nature and designed to meet the chocolate or breading needs of those who feel more than slightly deprived by the rigorous restrictions of a low carb lifestyle. Many mainstream grocery stores are also beginning to see the value of catering to this 'high end' market of consumers and offering a wider variety of low carb friendly foods to consumers.
You can find recipes that are low in carbs by the sackfull at your local libraries and bookstores around the world. You can also find many resources on the Internet to help assist and encourage you in your low carb lifestyle incorporation.
In addition to the cookbooks, recipes, and encouragement you also need to weed out the fact from the fiction when it comes to low carb cooking. The best way to do this is to go straight to the source. If you are going to incorporate this lifestyle altering diet into your way of life, you want to make sure that you are following it to the letter and not some knock off version that may not be as effective.
When it comes to low carb cooking you have the perfect excuse to use your grill well and often. In fact, I highly recommend a George Foreman grill (or similar low cost version) for your home for those days when grilling outside simply isn't an option.
In some homes I know, those are the days when the snow reaches the bottom of the grill, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Most importantly about low carb cooking you should keep your goal in mind. If you aren't making progress, check what you are doing and adjust your cooking and eating accordingly.
The notion of low carb eating is appealing, not only to women hoping to drop those vanity pounds but also men who welcome the idea of eating all the steaks they can handle throughout the year. Low carb cooking is becoming a way of life for many families as a result. Although the idea of this particular lifestyle change and the reality of it do on occasion seriously collide with one another.
If you are interested in dropping those unwanted pounds and keeping them off, this is a method that without doubt gets results. The problem is that you must stick to the diet in order for the results to remain consistent even after you've met your weight loss goals. This means that you are not really embarking on a diet so much as a complete re-think in the way you eat.
One great thing about low carb cooking is that it is so widely popular. This means that you will have no trouble finding resources, tips, tricks, advice, and even amazing substitutes for those things you often miss most when engaging in the low carb lifestyle.
Popular stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joes are great places to go for specific foods that are low carb in nature and designed to meet the chocolate or breading needs of those who feel more than slightly deprived by the rigorous restrictions of a low carb lifestyle. Many mainstream grocery stores are also beginning to see the value of catering to this 'high end' market of consumers and offering a wider variety of low carb friendly foods to consumers.
You can find recipes that are low in carbs by the sackfull at your local libraries and bookstores around the world. You can also find many resources on the Internet to help assist and encourage you in your low carb lifestyle incorporation.
In addition to the cookbooks, recipes, and encouragement you also need to weed out the fact from the fiction when it comes to low carb cooking. The best way to do this is to go straight to the source. If you are going to incorporate this lifestyle altering diet into your way of life, you want to make sure that you are following it to the letter and not some knock off version that may not be as effective.
When it comes to low carb cooking you have the perfect excuse to use your grill well and often. In fact, I highly recommend a George Foreman grill (or similar low cost version) for your home for those days when grilling outside simply isn't an option.
In some homes I know, those are the days when the snow reaches the bottom of the grill, but they are the exception rather than the rule. Most importantly about low carb cooking you should keep your goal in mind. If you aren't making progress, check what you are doing and adjust your cooking and eating accordingly.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Lose Weight Fast Diet Plan
Get ready to lose 10 pounds! By paying attention to the amount of food you eat, eliminating unnecessary sugar and fat from your foods and making sure you include absolutely delicious meals and snacks to keep your taste buds happy. Use this easy-to-follow and super healthy diet plan to lose the first 10, the last 10, or any 10 in between! Because it’s a balanced and flexible program, you can stay on this diet as long as it takes.
Top Fast Weightloss Lucky 13 Secrets.
1.
Keep track of everything you eat and drink. No need to estimate calories – just write down the type of food or beverage and the amount. Don't cheat. Write down everything.
2 .
Cut your fat intake in half, that means half as much margarine or butter on toast, vegetables and your muffin, half the mayonnaise on your sandwich, and half the oil in the pan when you saute foods. You get the idea!
3.
Limit the sugar treats to three times per week maximum.
4.
Include good sources of protein at meal, chicken, fish, legumes, peanut, cottage cheese, eggs or yogurt.
5.
Eat at least one meatless lunch and dinner each week to reduce fat, increase fiber, and get yourself into the habit of building meals around whole grains, beans and vegetables.
6.
If you’re not currently using skimmed milk, halve the level of fat content in the milk you use. For example, if you currently use two percent, use only one percent. If you insist on whole milk, try two percent.
7.
Eat at least two servings of fresh fruit every day. Choose whatever type of fruit is in season.
8.
Instead of fruit juice for breakfast or snack, drink water. Add a slice of lemon or lime for zest.
9.
Include two servings of vegetables with lunch and dinner, for a total of at least four servings per day.
10.
Choose one to two servings of foods made from whole grains with every meal.
11.
Shut off the TV whenever you eat – that includes meals and snacks. Studies show that we eat larger portions when we snack in front of the tube, and typically those foods are high in fat and sugar, which means excess calories!
12.
Choose calories you can chew – that means only calorie-free beverages (except for milk) Sodas are loaded with empty calories, and fruit juices provide less fiber and vitamins per calorie than the fruit they’re made from.
13.
Plan ahead for meals and snacks so you know exactly what you plan to eat. Last-minute choice tends to be higher in calories and lower in satisfaction.
Top Fast Weightloss Lucky 13 Secrets.
1.
Keep track of everything you eat and drink. No need to estimate calories – just write down the type of food or beverage and the amount. Don't cheat. Write down everything.
2 .
Cut your fat intake in half, that means half as much margarine or butter on toast, vegetables and your muffin, half the mayonnaise on your sandwich, and half the oil in the pan when you saute foods. You get the idea!
3.
Limit the sugar treats to three times per week maximum.
4.
Include good sources of protein at meal, chicken, fish, legumes, peanut, cottage cheese, eggs or yogurt.
5.
Eat at least one meatless lunch and dinner each week to reduce fat, increase fiber, and get yourself into the habit of building meals around whole grains, beans and vegetables.
6.
If you’re not currently using skimmed milk, halve the level of fat content in the milk you use. For example, if you currently use two percent, use only one percent. If you insist on whole milk, try two percent.
7.
Eat at least two servings of fresh fruit every day. Choose whatever type of fruit is in season.
8.
Instead of fruit juice for breakfast or snack, drink water. Add a slice of lemon or lime for zest.
9.
Include two servings of vegetables with lunch and dinner, for a total of at least four servings per day.
10.
Choose one to two servings of foods made from whole grains with every meal.
11.
Shut off the TV whenever you eat – that includes meals and snacks. Studies show that we eat larger portions when we snack in front of the tube, and typically those foods are high in fat and sugar, which means excess calories!
12.
Choose calories you can chew – that means only calorie-free beverages (except for milk) Sodas are loaded with empty calories, and fruit juices provide less fiber and vitamins per calorie than the fruit they’re made from.
13.
Plan ahead for meals and snacks so you know exactly what you plan to eat. Last-minute choice tends to be higher in calories and lower in satisfaction.
Exercising Properly To Lose Weight
There are two main types of exercise that you can do - aerobic and anaerobic. The first one, aerobic, means with oxygen. Aerobic type exercise has an important distinction, it burns fat as the main fuel.
Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the main source of fuel. Despite common myths, exercise doesn't have to be drastic in any way to provide massive benefits. Even if you choose light exercise, you will still burn fat.
Light exercise will clear out lactic acid, which is a waste of the body, and stimulate your cells to regenerate. To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it's very important to make sure that you are doing several things as you exercise.
The most important thing you can do as you exercise is breathe deep. You should always breathe in deep into your stomach through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and then exhale hard through your mouth.
Second, you should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise. You should do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then you'll begin to notice just how much your energy will increase.
Even if you don't think you have the time to exercise, rest assured that there is always time. If you have to, use the time that you would normally spend sleeping. With exercising, you'll find that you actually need less sleep than before.
You can also use the time of your lunch break to exercise as well. The increase in productivity will have you more on the ball, and you can save your time through the dramatic increase in your overall productivity.
Cellularise, or rebounding, is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is. If you have access to a rebounder, you shouldn't hesitate to use it. Use any break you have at work to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing.
Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and larger as well. There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease or ailment.
Movement of the joints will promote proper blood flow and create energy, as sitting down all day will rob your body of much needed energy. If you sit down all day, it's very important that youpromote blood flow, circulation, energy, brainflow, and the strength of your heart. With just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you'll find yourself healthier, and leaner, than you have ever been in the past.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Weight Loss and Cooking Oils/Fats
Everyone knows the foods to eat that improve health,although how we cook the food can be just as important. With there being so many oils and butter products claiming to be the best, it can be quite difficult to know which ones to use and which ones to avoid. So here's a brief guide on just a few to help you.
1. Canola Oil.
Canola oil is a popular oil, with many physicians claiming that it has the ability to lower the risk of heart disease. The oil is low in saturated fat, high in monounsaturated fat, and offers the best fatty acid composition when compared to other oils.
You can use canola oil in sauteing, as a marinade and even in low temperature stir frying. It has a bland flavor, which makes it a great oil for foods that contain many spices. Unlike other oils, this one won't interfere with the taste of your meal.
2. Olive oil.
Olive oil offers a very distinct flavor with plenty of heart healthy ingedients, and just happens to be one of my personal favourites. The oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, helps to lower cholesterol levels and reduce risk of cancer. It's also rich in antioxidants and has a very long storage life.
Even though it can be used in cooking, it's the healthiest when uncooked, such as with a salad or dipping sauce. When you use it with cooking, you should heat it on low to medium temperatures, making sure to avoid high heat.
3. Butter.
Butter is one food that has been around for many years. Butter tastes good, and offers sources of Vitamin A and other fat soluble vitamins such as E, K, and even D. Butter is also made from natural ingredients and not chemically or artificially processed.
You can use butter with cooking, baking, or as a spread. You can also pair it with creamy sauces, marinades, baked dishes, and of course, bread. Again one of my favourites. As long as you don't overdo it!
4. Margarine.
Margarine was first introduced as an alternative to high fat butter. When it was first created however, it was loaded with trans fat, a substance that we now know raises bad cholesterol. As a cooking medium, margarine tastes good, it's lower in fat than most oils and butter, and it's quite easy to spread. It's available in a variety of different products and is a good source of vitamin E.
When it comes to cooking with oils, there are several to choose from. Certainly many more than those mentioned here, although the ones above are the most popular. Eating healthily involves cooking healthy food - which is where your cooking oil really takes center stage.
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