Foods for Stamina Development

You need tons of energy to cope with your hectic lifestyle. A well balanced diet rich in nutrient dense foods, helps build up body stamina and increase energy levels, especially if you’re interested in sports and athletics. Good stamina is a result of good energy levels, and we get our energy from food. So the degree of stamina we have is largely just a reflection on what we eat.

Following is our list of foods for stamina development, to keep you active throughout the day with enough energy levels -

Bananas: Bananas are best eaten a few hours before you intend to exert yourself. Being a great source of carbs, they are so effective because they trigger the release of dopamine. Bananas are among top foods for stamina improvement. This is known to increase our concentration and drive and is one of the reasons that caffeine makes us so alert.

Green leafy vegetables: Packed with micronutrients, it is essential for building stamina and also to improve your RBC count. Green leafy veggies are rich in fiber and digest slowly while maintaining your blood-glucose levels.

Peanut butter: Peanuts are said to contain Omega 3 fatty acids that helps in reducing pain, boost heart health and develop your brain. Peanut butter is also an excellent food among foods for stamina building. It is high in calories and digests slowly. Consume peanut butter in combination with complex carbohydrates like whole wheat bread or as a dressing on green salad .

Beans: Beans are a powerful food for stamina building due to their high iron content. Iron is used by your body to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen to working muscles. Beans are also high in protein, which slows the digestion of carbohydrates and provides a sustained energy release. A traditional combination like beans and rice provides lots of sustained energy.

Beetroot juice: Consuming a glass of beetroot juice before exercising will make your body work for long hours without feeling exhausted. Beetroot is rich in vitamin A and C —making it the best food for stamina building and reducing fatigue.

Oatmeal: One of the best foods for stamina development. Oatmeal is an unprocessed carbs, which gets digested slowly and hence keeps you feeling full for a longer period of time.  A power-packed cereal, oatmeal provides sustained energy for hours. Due to high content of complex carbs, it breaks down slowly in your body and keeps the blood sugar at optimum level.”

Coffee: Coffee is known to be an instant energy provider. It is known to help fight against fatigue, as it triggers the central nervous system. Coffee keeps you energized and active throughout the day. Caffeine is almost always completely absorbed and used by the body once ingested. It also affects every organ of the body, increasing mental alertness and energy. Caffeine has a glycogen-sparing effect on the body. Glycogen is glucose that is stored in the muscles for long-term energy.

Foods for stamina building provide calories which serve as energy your body needs to function properly. These Foods also furnishe your body with nutrients and vitamins which help sustain energy. For improved stamina, the right choice of foods can keep you going all day long. So, pick from these power packed foods and experience the change in your energy levels!

Being Thin Does Not Mean Being Healthy

Increased body fat percentage and being overweight result in lifestyle disorders that cause heart disease, hypothyroid, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Excessive saturated fat consumption increases the cholesterol levels in the body. Certain types of fat are bad for health and some are  equally important which are commonly referred to us essential fat without which the body will fail to absorb and process nutrition in the body. Read here to know more about this.

The distribution of fat varies between gentics and gender. Women tend to store more subcutaneous fat which is under their skin. Distribution of fat in women is generally in their hips and thighs area while men tend to store more fat in the middle area or the abdomen. Once the person enters adolescence the fat cells don’t increase in number instead they only increase or decrease in size. Its the male and female hormone that decide the fat deposit destination in the body. For example women with big bellies are considered  to have higher levels of testosterone ( male hormone) in their system that causes fat accumulation on the stomach. While if men have large hips its due to the high levels of estrogen (female hormone) in that body part.

We presume that fat people are more prone to metabolic disorder ( also known as lifestyle disorders) but a study by Ruth Loos at the Medical Research Council in the U.K. found that lean people with a specific genetic variant were equally at risk of diabetes, heart disease even though the reports confirmed lower fat percentage in the body. Read more

How to Build Immunity

Are you tired of falling sick every time there is a slight change in the weather or being extremely vulnerable to other people with viruses or bacteria. Body produces antibodies that help identify and neutralize foreign bodies like bacteria and virus in the body thus providing immunity. Immune system is the body’s defence against organisms and foreign substance which have potential to cause diseases and health problems. The immune system is made up of cells, tissues and organs that fight together to protect the body.

There are three types of immunity in the body known as innate, adaptive and passive. Innate is the natural immunity that we all are born with for general protection. Adaptive immunity is the active immunity which develops throughout our lives and in some cases where the infection is too dangerous to fight we can be immunized through vaccination. Lastly, passive immunity is which is borrowed from other sources like mothers milk that provides immunity to child when he is born until he develops his immunity.

Lymphocytes, which are the white cells, are the key laborers of the immune system. The primary lymphocytes are B-cells, T-cells, natural killer cells, macrophages and dendritic cells.

You could strengthen your immune system naturally through balanced diet and exercise. Good nutrition with vitamins and minerals and other important nutrients will keep the immune healthy and ready to ward off invaders. A life style that indulges in the consumption junk foods, fear, worry, and anything that promotes stress will weaken and destroy the immune system. Here are some food options for building immunity.

Garlic: It is a powerful immune booster and stimulator which increases the production of infection fighting white blood cells, boosts natural killer cells and destroys antibodies.  Allicin and sulphides present in garlic boost immune system. Garlic is an anti-oxidant which fights free radicals in the body and helps clear out toxins from the body.

Carrots: Carrots, his food of choice, contain loads of beta carotene, which is a powerful phytonutrient that boosts the immune system’s production of infection-fighting natural killer cells and T cells. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases  and kills free radicals which cause aging and strengthens the immune system.

Yogurt :Ingesting live bacteria might not seem like the best way to stay healthy, but, on the contrary, your body needs certain bacteria to function properly. Lactobacillus acidophilus is an example of good bacteria that your body needs, because it produces lactic acid in your gut, which helps you digest food and break down complex compounds into usable bits.

Mushroom: Mushrooms increase white blood cells in the body to fight diseases and infections. They help build the immune system. Mushrooms contain beta glucans which are one of the best immune enhancing substance. They provide rich nutrition to the body and keep foreign substances away.

Citrus fruits: Vitamin C is an antioxidant which eradicates free radicals from the body and keeps the body in fighting mode from all foreign substances. Vitamin c increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies in the body fighting the immune system. Vitamin C has rich anti-inflammatory properties helping fight cold and bruises, wound healing cuts, swelling etc. It keeps a good body immunity fighting against the bacteria and fungi causing allergies.

Drinks lots of water to flush out toxins from the body and include vegetables, fruits which contain fiber beneficial in removing toxins from the body. Exercise to keep the body healthy and increase blood flow in the body and fight infections better.

Eating Disorder

A harmless remark by an educated parent on the physical attribute of their growing teenage girls resulted in a shocking “anorexia pact” by the duo at the age of 11. Now at the age of 33 and being doctors they don’t lead a normal life. Here are some news clippings of the twins story.  Eating disorders might start at a very early , if not identified and treated can stay with you for life.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common eating disorder that is associated with abnormally low weight achieved by extreme dieting, fasting and followed by compulsive exercising.  Mostly young girls are afflicted from this disorder especially in the absence of early parental care and support to inculcate healthy eating habits. Eating disorders have been around forever but finally society is accepting the seriousness of this ailment  and encouraging parents, friends to come together and support the person suffering from it.  There is a higher success rate of controlling and reversing it through family and social support .

Eating disorders mostly start from home and parents play an extremely critical role in stimulating and curbing them.  Children very closely watch and imitate their parents. If the parents fuss too much about their looks and being thin the kids will imitate them. Similarly if the parents eat a lot of unhealthy food the kids would be inclined towards junk food even when they grow up. Therefore it is mostly parent’s responsibility to inculcate healthy eating habits amongst children.

Eating disorder can have serious repercussions on health like weakness, fatigue,  anaemia, heart & kidney problems, osteoporosis, infertility, disruption of sugar levels  and even death. Nature and nurture is equally responsible for this condition. Therefore it is imperative to apply a three pronged approach to dealing with it.First restore the healthy weight of an individual, second to treat the psychological factors that may have caused this situation and lastly ensure there is total support and care to prevent relapse. Read more

How to fuel your workout

If you are doing a moderate workout of 30-50 minutes then fueling your body before workout is not required. The energy required for the workout session is enough from our daily consumption of meals. Fueling before workouts also depends whats your objective is , whether it is  losing weight, building muscles, toning up etc. Only if you are working out for a very long period like marathons then extra energy is required. Regular workouts do not require additional energy.

To increase efficieny in the body it is important to keep the fluid levels balanced. Dehydration and less fluid leads to cramping and decreased release of energy for the body slowing down the metabolism. Water is sufficient to keep you hydrated during your regular gym workouts. Energy drinks and bars are required for marathon trainers or bicyclers where they train for hours. Eating high carbohydrate food or drinks before or during the workout only adds to the calories.

Timing the meal is important as if you overload yourself then you would feel sluggish, vomiting, feel heavy to actively move around etc. If you haven’t eaten for much time before a strenous workout then you will feel fatigued and have a heavy head and not feel comfortable and concentrated. Plan your meals atleast two hours before the workout for effective results.

Diet: Choose carbohydrates before a meal as they are more important for providing energy for the workout and maintaing the glycogen levels. Choose complex carbohydrates which quickly breakdown for energy and eat less of fibre before a workout.

Fuel your self rightly and don’t experiment on yourself. Eat protein rich food post workout for muscle recovery and growth of muscles. Push yourself and reach higher fitness levels. Keep the water levels recovering and become all the more resistant.

Side Effects of Supplements

Supplements for bodybuilding are called dietary supplements used by people deficient of certain nutrient in the body or for building body or to balance the body nutrition for higher fitness levels. Supplements could be for building muscles, mass gain, vitamins and minerals, amino acids etc. Supplements are also used to accelerate metabolsim to gain fitness.

As more people are gearing towards getting a fit body they are considering adding supplements to their diet. People looking to build body are looking out for whey protein to build muscle fiber, mass gainer to gain mass and increase weight, fish oil tablets for vegetarians deficit of omega fatty acids, calcium supplements to add on to their natural dairy intake that is not sufficient to meet the daily dietary requirement. Read more

Weight Loss Diets

There are various fad diets for weight loss. Atkins diet, banana diet, GM diet to name a few and each of these diets have differnent approach to reduce weight. They work well on the calorie intake but are they providing you with enough nutrition for healthy functioning of the body. Lets understand a few diets and see how much beneficial are they as a weight loss diet.

High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have been widely promoted in recent years as an effective approach to losing weight. High protein diets typically contain 1g of protein per 1 pound of body weight. Some high protein diets will recommend a percentage of total calorie intake (such as 30% or more).

Drawbacks of High Protein Diet- Excessive protein consumption, particularly animal protein, can result in heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, and kidney stones- It is difficult to eat 6 small meals through the day especially when you are working or travelling- Too high protein can leads to renal (kidney) failure or stress.- Bone loss is also seen with high protein intake as it creates an acidic medium and calcium carbonate from bone will be leached out to balance the ph level of blood.- Consumption of protein more than the daily dietary requirement of the body results in protein being stored as fat in the body. Read more

Balanced Diet

We are all familiar with the concept of eating right. There is so much information about all sorts of healthy foods and their calorie value. There is enough being written about how vitamins are good for you and what are the rich sources of this nutrient. But rarely do we get to know the approximate quantity that is required by the body on a daily basis. What makes a balanced diet. To make it a little simpler for you we decided to give you an overview of what should make your daily dietary intake.

 

The key nutrients that are required for smooth functioning of the diet are proteins, fat, fiber, minerals, iron, carbohydrates, vitamins and calcium. A diet that includes all these essential nutrients, in correct portion, is known as a balanced diet. Based on the average calorie requirement for a male weighing 60kgs: 2700 or a female weighing 55 kgs:2100 here is a list of essential foods to maintain your weight :

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Weight Loss Diet Plan

Different people at different stages of their lives find it difficult to manage their weight. Everyone knows if you consume more calories than you burn you start putting on weight. The most popular reason behind weight gain is eating unbalanced food.

Sometimes our intake of food with high sugar, salt or the fat content is higher probably because they tend to satisfy us more easily than other foods. Besides these foods are also addictive, the more we have it the more we want it.  All this leads to weight gain. Extra kilos soon start to bother you  and you start finding your own pet solutions to get rid of them. Over a period of trial & error you give that up too and finally start searching for the most effective and healthy weight loss plan which makes you lose weight and keep it off.

Mostly everyone knows what is healthy and what is not.  The biggest challenge, and often the culprit to any weight problem, is identifying what works best for them. People find it difficult to get on a diet program because they think the food will be tasteless and consist of options that you wont enjoy eating. Fortunately there are diet plans  available that are tasty , healthy and promote weight loss without starving you. Which means you dont have to pay someone to starve you to lose weight!

The next question is “how to get started and find the right weight loss diet plan”.  The first step towards losing weight and getting on a weight loss diet plan is to identify a source that understands your daily nutrition requirement based on your lifestyle & food preferences. You must know that  no two people have the same bodytype, metabolic rate or lifestyle  and therefore no generic weight loss diet plans give the same results.

A good & successful Weight loss diet plan should be especially created for you and will help you lose weight by bringing a balance to your diet with the right intake of food as per the body requirements.

Experts at Fitho understand this individual difference and therefore create weight loss diet plans that focus on your eating patterns, routines and habits. The focus of the Weight loss diet plans is to ensure that you get enough food to eat to  maintain your adequate  nutrition intake that is required for the body to function correctly.

The Fitho Weight Loss diet plan is based around a healthy balanced diet, according to the age, taste and preferences and appetite.You get eat what you are used to eating  like vegetarian, non-vegetarians, Indian or non-Indian. We ensure that the diet is based around your individual eating habits for practical, effective and sustainable weight loss results. The food options are easy to prepare with a new menu every day.

For the first time you get a diet plan that makes eating a happy experience!

You can try  the Fitho weight loss diet trial  and decide for yourself.

For more information on Weight loss diet plans you can mail us at fitness@fitho.in

Yoga Poses to Curb Appetite

Curbing appetite is the biggest hurdle for anyone trying to lose or manage weight. Even if you get enough physical activity in your daily routine but do not manage to control what you eat then losing weight can be next to impossible. So how do you really get to the bottom of this weight problem and solve this problem of eating more than required by your body? Well here are some easy to do yoga poses that may help you control your urge to eat.  These yoga poses help control food cravings by helping the body regulate the release of hormones that control appetite (both the hormones that increases appetite as well as decrease appetite and cravings).

Warrior pose II : Stand straight with feet together. Take a large step towards the left and bend the knee as in a lunge. Keep the right ankle facing outwards. Bring both hands out on the side and hold it there for a few seconds.

 

Downward dog pose: Lie down on your belly and then raise your hips keeping your feet and hands on the ground.

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10 Foods to improve your mood

Ever wondered why is it that whenever we feel upset or depressed about something we binge on our comfort food and repent later? Most of these foods that provide us temporary comfort are high on calories and only adds to our woes by adding onto our weight.

Let’s see which healthy options can elevate our mood by keeping a balance of our calories as well.

1. Dark Chocolates: Chocolates, in general are loaded with chemicals that enhance mood, seratonin in particular.

2. Yogurt: Besides being a good source of protein, calcium and vitamin B12, yogurt also contains a whole lot of useful bacteria which keeps our immune system intact and helps our stress combating ability. And in studies has shown that yoghurt can improve fat loss.

3. Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes help in reducing stress levels as they satisfy body’s craving for carbohydrates and sweets.

4. Nuts: The next time you’re feeling down, help yourself to some crunchy nuts.

5. Water: Lack of sufficient consumption of water leads to dehydration and even a small case of dehydration can cause stress. So, drink up!

6. Fish: Fish is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and importantly, Vitamin B 12 which is an important component for producing serotonin also known as the happy hormone.

7. Asparagus :Asparagus is rich in folic acid and contains magnesium that are famed for their mood-lightening properties

8. Oranges: Oranges are a rich source of vitamin C containing up to 1000 mg of it. They also contain anti-oxidants which prevent the formation of free radicals that cause cell damage.

9. Green vegetables: It provides stress relief, helps enhance mood with regard to depression, panic, anxiety and other emotional disorders. Many green veggies contain potassium which greatly helps calm one’s nerves when stressed.

10. Dried Apricots: Apricots are a rich source of natural sugars and, hence, another perfect option to beat those sweet cravings. A handful of dried apricots are bound to make you happy and healthy.

So the next time you are under the weather include above mentioned list into your daily diet you are bound to notice some changes in your mood for sure.

Detox Diets for Weight Loss- Side Effects

Detox diets for weight loss are very popular, but they can have serious side effects. A British woman suffered permanent brain damage after a week of a prescribed detox diet. That’s not the standard, but you must be aware of the health effects these weight loss detox diets.

First, there is no scientifically proven reason to put yourself on a detox diet. Detox diets are nutritionally imbalanced. Some of them keep you on a liquid diet, depriving your body of basic nutrients. Others suggest herbal laxatives and colonics. Our bodies have natural detoxification methods that work very well, so we do we really need these?

Because these detox diets are Read more