Top Immune Boosting Foods

One of the most important steps you can take to maintain good health is to eat a healthy diet loaded with nutrients that will fortify your immune system. Eating wide range of foods can boost your immune system. Our immune system is a balanced network of cells and organs that work together to defend you against disease. Adequately feeding your immune system boosts its fighting power. There are a number of key foods we can consume to boost our immune system. Here are the list of Immune boosting foods that you should eat in your daily lifestyle.

Yogurt: Yogurt is considered as an Immune boosting food. Yogurt is a healthy snack that many people include it in their daily diet. It contains bacteria that your body uses to protect itself from infections and harmful bacteria. Eating yogurt rich in probiotics increases your white blood count, improving the response by your immune system.

Wheat Germ: Wheat germ is not only immune boosting food but it is also a good source of fiber — a dietary essential that keeps your digestive system on track. It’s also packed with protein and vitamins, including vitamin E, and is a great source of choline and zinc, which also help boost immunity. Add wheat germ to your bread, or sprinkle it over yogurt and fresh fruit or your breakfast cereal.

Mushrooms: If you are thinking about immune boosting food then add mushroom in your list. They’re a major source of the immune system-boosting mineral, zinc. Eating mushrooms will help fight off disease, and can boost your immune system.

Garlic: Known as Immune boosting food. Garlic has a long history of use as an immune system booster because of its antiseptic, anti-fungal and nutritive properties. It is a natural detoxicant protecting against bacterial and viral infections without any of the side-effects associated with antibiotics.

Tea: Green Tea or Black Tea, Both loaded with disease-fighting polyphones and flavonoids. These antioxidants seek out cell-damaging free radicals and destroy them. Caffeinated and decaf work equally well.

Broccoli:  Not only super food but broccoli also known as immune boosting food. Incorporate into meals, broccoli is an immune-boosting basic. One study reported a chemical in broccoli helped stimulate the immune systems of mice. Plus, it’s full of nutrients that protect your body from damage.  It has vitamins A, vitamin C, and glutathione.  Add some low-fat cheese to round out a side dish with immune-enhancing B vitamins and vitamin D.

Cauliflower: Cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are all cruciferous vegetables, which means they’re not only rich in antioxidant vitamins that give an immune system boost, but they also contain choline, a nutrient essential to a healthy diet. Include this immune boosting food in your diet and fight with illness.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is an antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial machine, so it does more than just boost the immune system — it actually fights the pathogens that cause illness. Cinnamon is versatile immune boosting food, making it easy to add to your healthy diet

Maintaining a strong immune system doesn’t have to be rocket science, just as long as you enjoy a healthy diet, rich in certain nutrients.  So include some healthy food items in your diet fight off the illness.

 

Healthy Foods That Keep You Full

Do you find yourself hungry 30 minutes after eating? Certain healthy foods can keep you full for sufficient hours, helping you avoid mindless munching throughout the day. No doubt about it, hunger is unpleasant. In fact, it can be downright embarrassing when your tummy grumbles for your attention at the most inopportune times. When you’re watching your calorie intake to lose or manage your weight, there will be days when you might experience ongoing hunger, even when you’re eating at the top of your calorie range. Eating healthy foods will be helpful to keep you full for a longer time and help you manage your appetite.

Here is the list of healthy foods that you should eat in your daily lifestyle -

Eggs: For just 70 calories, an egg delivers more than 6 grams of protein. Eggs will help you feel fuller longer-a lot longer. Add two eggs in your breakfast with whole grain bread. This combination of protein and complex carbohydrates helps to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels and keeps the digestive system engaged for a longer period, preventing you from feeling hungry soon.

Soups: Studies show that foods containing a lot of water can keep your stomach full. And when you start a meal with soup, you activate brain signals that begin to tell you’ve had enough to eat, so that by the time you finish your second course, you’ll be satisfied. Vegetable soups are one of the best healthy foods. Vegetable soups in which some green vegetables and spicy condiments have been added are perfect for keeping you satiated for at least a few hours. The water content of soups ensures that you feel a bit heavy. Fiber-rich soups, like those made from spinach, are particularly good for this cause.

Salads: Salads are an easy way to stick to a healthy diet. Just boost the stay-full factor by filling your salad bowl with fiber and protein. Foods containing fiber helps make you feel fuller. Adding more fruits and vegetables in it increase its fiber content, so your best bets are fruits, veggies, and whole grains. So, add these healthy foods in your meal and keep yourself full with fewer calories.

Whole Grains: Adding whole grains in your major meals helps you to feel full for a longer time. Eating whole wheat or multi-grain bread or rotis are recommended since complex carbohydrates release glucose slowly. They also adds fiber which helps in keeping the stomach full for a sufficient time since fiber slows down digestion.

Beans and Legumes: Beans and Legumes are one of the best healthy foods choices. They are nutritious, filling high-fiber foods that can be included in a number of different types of entrees and healthy snacks. Because beans can add up to a lot of calories if you eat more than a serving or two, you might want to combine them with vegetables and whole grains for a more complex meal that will keep you feeling full for longer.

Apples: Apples are great at suppressing your appetite, because they contain a lot of a bulk. This fiber has the ability to expand in your stomach, making you feel full and turning off your appetite longer than other fruits, and far longer than other processed snacks!

Green Veggies: Green Vegetables are all time healthy foods. Veggies have a very high concentration of soluble and insoluble fiber along with having a thermic effect. This refers to the overall effort exerted by the body in digesting foods. While proteins have a very high thermic effect, veggies like Spinach too have a high thermic value. When the metabolic processes are busy, trying to digest such foods, the tendency to feel hungry is automatically reduced.

Add all these healthy foods in your diet and keep yourself full for longer.

How to Lose Weight

How to lose weight is the most common question asked by people who want to lose their weight but are not sure how to go about it. Fundamentally, losing weight is about burning more calories than you eat. This seems simple enough, but if it were really that simple, none of us would have a weight problem.

The healthiest way to reduce weight is neither fad diets nor long exercise sessions. Weight loss works on the simple philosophy of striking an optimal balance between eating healthy food and exercising regularly. Human body likes slow changes in terms of food and exercise. Though weight loss goals by most of us are usually set in term of weeks, the end game is to maintain these changes over months and years, hopefully maintaining the lifestyle change for life. Permanent changes in your lifestyle and food choices are what will work to remain healthy in the long run.

 

The following weight loss tips should help. If you follow then, it will certainly assist you to lose your weight effectively:

Burn More Calories than You Consume to Lose Weight: The tips that follow won’t work if you are consuming thousand more calories into your body on a daily basis than you are burning.

Healthy Diet: Eating a healthy and nutritious diet is most important factor to lose your weight other than exercise. We have a daily nutritional requirement that we have to meet and anything extra than this gets stored as fat.

- Prefer Complex Carbohydrates: Avoid processed and refined carbohydrates, e.g. white bread, white pasta, and sugary baked foods etc. and choose complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, oats, and legumes. Complex carbohydrates provide dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which decelerate digestion and make you feel fuller longer period. Refined carbohydrates are highly processed and often full of added sugars.

- Emphasize on Fruits & Vegetables: The high water and fiber content in most fruits and vegetables makes them hard to overeat. You’ll feel full long before you’ve overdone it on the calories.

- Don’t Drink Calories, Drink More Water: You can easily cut down your daily calorie intake by replacing soda, aerated drinks with water. Do not drink milk or fruit juice. The juicing process that turns actual fruits into juice actually removes the edible skin & fiber, which contains the majority of the nutrients of fruits and thus reduces the nutrients.

But Caution…!

- Fried vegetables or that have been soaked in heavy sauces are no longer low-calorie and don’t help to lose weight. Choose healthier cooking methods, such as steaming, and use low-fat dressings and spices for flavor.

- Salads are very good unless you soak them in high-fat dressing and toppings.

- Be careful when choosing the dried fruit, which is high in calories and, often, in added sugar. If you do choose to eat dried fruit, keep your serving size small.

Exercises: You may control your diet and eat as per your daily nutritional values but to burn the extra fat you will have to exercise.  In today’s busy world it is very hard to find time to go to gym or even go for a run. Start exercising at least 30 minutes per day. Regular exercise coupled with a healthy well balanced diet is enough to lose your weight successfully.

How Exercises Help in Losing Fat -

- Exercises increase the number of calories you burn each day.

- Exercises increase your metabolism as your body builds new muscle tissues. Muscles use more calories than fat even when at rest!

- Exercises help to use glycogen reserves which trigger the fat burning hormone called glucagon.

Don’t forget that you should focus on sports that increase your heart rate (aerobics). Every extra step you take helps to reduce weight. Always use the stairs instead of the lift.

For a week or so, keep an activity journal and use a calorie calculator or heart rate monitor to know how many calories you burn throughout the day.

Motivation: Diet and exercise are the most important but being motivated is equally required. When we are used to the habit of eating without any restrictions then following a fat free diet and no junk food makes us give up the resolution due to high desire. But once we are motivated nothing can stop us. See what motivates you, maybe celebrity fitness or some friends who worked out and got into shape or the best – a lifestyle makeover. High Motivation is among the most important how to lose weight tips.

Reduce Your Stress Level: Stress diminishes the efficiency of human body as well as the mind. Often, when people are stressed they conquer it by eating something sweet or something that suits their taste buds which don’t help in losing weight. While there are everyday stressful issues you cannot keep away from, there are certain things you can still do to reduce your stress.

- Avoid arguments; whenever you differ to someone then simply agree to disagree.

- Try not to think too much and if you feel yourself starting to tense up then just do some activity that can take away or reduce your stress level.

Get At Least 7 Hours Sleep a Day: Human body needs to recuperate and reboot itself to be energetic again. Irregular sleep patterns spoil the body cycle and reduce the efficiency and recovery time for the body. Lack of sleep makes people want more food, eating constantly and not be able to control hunger. The less you sleep each day, the more tired your body gets which leads to a desire for sweet and high carbohydrate foods to replenish the energy that is missing.

Downsize Your Kitchenware: A simple way to keep your food portions under control and to lose weight! Use smaller dishes, serve meals on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate, and use teaspoons instead of serving spoons to dish out. Using smaller bowls, plates, and containers can subconsciously influence how much you serve yourself.

Chew Your Food Thoroughly: Various studies have shown that the longer time you spend chewing your food, the lesser calories you consume. Chewing food for longer prevents over-eating, by giving the brain more time to receive signals from the stomach that it is full. This is good for digesting the food. Try chewing your food 30 to 40 times for every bite.

Avoid Distractions while Eating: When you do multi tasking during your meal times, your brain can’t focus on the amount of food that you consume and you are more likely to consume more calories than you requires. Try to avoid having food while working, watching TV, using a computer, reading or driving.

Do Not Abandon Your Favorite Foods: Although, it’s not practical to reduce your body fat while eating lots of food, cakes and sweets. Then how to lose weight by including your favorites? Well, it doesn’t mean that you can never have any treats; in fact you need to learn how to limit these foods to small size, e.g. for special occasions.

Many people do neglect that we all have different body types with different metabolism. So, you need to make sure that your weight loss program is individually tailored for you.

Anyone considering a weight loss plan for effective results should seek  advice from a reliable weight loss service – where the weight loss plan is customized to your needs, should have worked for other people (look for weight loss success stories), and should use the latest research to help you lose weight.

In case if you are looking for professional help to get you started on customized nutrition and exercise plans then write to us at fitness@fitho.in.

Sample Weight Loss Plan

Losing weight is easier done than said with Fitho’s weight loss programs that are a combination of diet and exercise. To understand the program better Fitho launches a free one day sample diet plan to show how you can lose weight successfully without having to travel anywhere. All you have to do is visit www.Fitho.in register and get started absolutely free of cost.

Fitho’s weight loss programs are based on yogic philosophy of three well- balanced, nutritional meals a day.  Each program is customized to your food habits, medical condition and fitness levels making it easier for you to follow and see results. Unlike other diet programs Fitho’s diet is based on recommended daily dietary intake that stabilises the nutrition intake and exercise which helps burn the excess calories in the system. You get assured weight loss of 4 kg a month without starving yourself. That’s why 97% of our clients manage to keep the weight off for more than over a year.

The unique part of this program is that even the exercise routine that is customized to your fitness levels and workout routine preference for eg whether you wish to workout at gym, outdoor or home. Exercise routine is a combination of different exercise techniques for example: plyometrics, strength training, cardio, endurance training, interval training, isometrics etc. Read more

Health Benefits of Muesli

Muesli is becoming a popular breakfast option on the breakfast table of most urban households. It is by far one of the healthiest cereal options currently available in the market. Besides the fact this is a great healthy breakfast option , it actually tastes good! Muesli is a combination of rolled oats and wheat flakes that also contains added ingredients like dry fruits, nuts and seeds in it. Some of the pre-packaged muesli available in the market might contain added sugar in form of dried fruits and other preservatives. While buying the box make sure to read the instructions and look for “ low-sugar” or “no-added sugar” option.

We have told you many times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It contributes to 1/3 of an individual’s daily calorie & nutrition requirement. Muesli is one of the healthiest, high in nutrition that contains relatively low calories and easy to prepare breakfast option available. It is far superior to the regular cornflakes in terms of health benefits.

Most common mistake people make when they are trying to lose weight is that they skip breakfast, without realizing it is the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast over a period of time slows down your metabolism. Let us explain the logic: by missing breakfast you have automatically reduced the calories from your diet. After sometime your body gets use to the limited calories and in return slows the metabolism. So anytime you add it back to your routine it gets added to your system as extra calories (especially since the body is not use to it), making you believe that eating breakfast makes you fat.

Coming back to why you should add muesli to your diet. The health benefits of a bowl of muesli with added milk, fruits and seeds/nuts is a dish full of fiber, vitamins, protein, omega 3 and minerals and are the best way to start your day.  You can further increase the nutrition value of a bowl of muesli by adding fresh fruits &  seeds/nuts like apple, banana, strawberries, pear, almonds, walnuts, raisins, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed etc. If you get bored of adding milk you can choose from other available substitutes like yogurt, fruit juice, or even just plain water. All these ingredients along with muesli have multiple health benefits and will also promote weight loss by nourishing the body and regulating the metabolism.

Post Pregnancy Weight Loss Success Story

I am 34 years old and a  mother of two young daughters. All my life I have been thin. Even pregnancy didn’t add too many inches or kg to my body . But with age, average eating habits and an almost sedentary lifestyle I started putting on bad looking flab on my body. There was a paunch that hung over my jeans. I developed a double chin that made me look terrible in my pictures. Plus there was this perpetual lethargy that hung on me all the time. I knew I wasnt overweight but I didn’t feel like myself.

Gradually I started reading about diet, health, nutrition, exercise online. I came across www.fitho.in and subscribed to it. Over a period of time it became my source of information on health and fitness. With all the information on health I was definitely getting more aware about my lifestyle. But I still needed someone to help me put it in practice. I didn’t need a heavy duty diet but I did need professional guidance to get me on track, especially since I had my basic knowledge on health and nutrition in place.  After deliberating for sometime I decided to finally write to Fitho about their body toning program. Instantly I got a reply from their side and they got me started on the program. The best part of this was that I didn’t have to go anywhere and everything was given to my right in the comfort of my house.

The first step was filling an exhaustive questionnaire  about  my lifestyle, food habits, food preferences, fitness levels etc. Based on the information given by me I was delivered my diet chart and exercise chart within one working day, along with a personal health care manager (something similar to a personal relationship manager). My health manger was my mentor and my assistant who was  available for me round the clock, checking on me, monitoring my progress, giving me healthy recipes and just ensuring if I am comfortable with everything.

Joining Fitho has been the best  investment I have made in terms of my health. I lost five Kg in two months along with all that extra flab that totally melted out of my body (my main motive was to lose the flab and not the weight). I got all this without compromising on my favorite food. Plus there were no funny restrictions to eat dinner before 7:00 pm to lose weight! I could got out and lead a normal social life on this routine. Fitho understood my requirement completely and created a service that was completely personalized to my need and personal goal.

I finished the program three months ago and I have managed to keep all that flab off! Fitho helped me get a brand new lean and fit body. I almost the same size as I was before my daughters were born. Thank you Fitho for understanding and delivering what you promised to help me achieve. I would like to vote for Fitho as the most healthy, simple and easy body toning program that is completely natural and uses no fad or crash diets to help you get toned. I have  lost weight and gained health with Fitho

Eat Vegetables to Lose Weight

According to the recently released food plate the average daily dietary allowance one requires atleast 3 portions of  seasonal vegetables to meet the daily dietary intake. Most of us find it difficult to successfully meet this dietary requirement resulting in poor health, weight gain and nutritional deficiencies. Besides eating vegetables can actually help you lose weight.

There are many excuses for missing the most natural foods in their diet, some of which are eating greens is a task and we purposely skip them, they are tasteless, while some people assure you that they have vegetables in their diet and when asked to review their meals that’s the only thing that’s missing from the diet. Before we get started with the tips let us just give you a quick reminder on why vegetables are good for us:

• The most natural  and easily available food that contains different vitamins, minerals and thousands of other plant chemicals.
• Vegetables are low in fat and calories,
• Good source of dietary fiber and provide us with extra energy. Fiber keeps us fuller for long preventing us from overeating and  frequently eating.
• Vegetables provide more energy to the body in return helping us be active and burn more calories.

Vegetables are not tasteless and infact can have better flavor & texture than most meats if prepared well. Besides we know the health benefits of seasonal vegetables. If you are not use to eating them we can suggest easy ways of slowly  introducing them to your diet them and finally develop a taste for them. Once you have them as part of your diet trust us you will wonder what kept you away from them for so long!

Here are some quick tips to get more greens in your system without adding too much fuss.

Vegetable  Yogurt (Raita): Easiest and one of the most delicious way of adding raw vegetables to your diet without having to really taste them. Salt, mint and cumin powder is enough to camouflage the taste especially for those who cant stand the sight of them!

Salad: We are not talking about a boring garden salad on the side. Spice thing up by adding a healthy dressing to that boring salad. A dash of olive oil and some fresh lime juice is enough to get the taste buds excited. Besides you to get to add all the health benefits of raw  vegetables in your diet.

Poha: Easiest and the quickest way to add vegetables to your breakfast. Make sure your poha recipe has more vegetables than rice if you are watching your waist too!

Grilled Vegetables on the side: For all those non-vegetarians who enjoy the little grilled vegetable on the side of their meat dish can learn something from the restaurants. Try this simple recipe of grilled vegetable: Cut capsicum, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots into bite size pieces, put it in a foil, drizzle half a table spoon of oil, add salt and pepper and bake for 15-20 mintues on medium heat. These grilled delights can also be enjoyed by vegetarians.

If you are still not confident and sure how to get more vegetables in your diet then don’t hesitate and mail us at fitness@fitho.in. We will help you plan your diet better, improve your metabolism without depriving your body of essential nutrition. We also provide recipes with our diet plans to help you enjoy the good flavours of healthy food over and above just the benefits.

Healthy Seasonal Vegetables

Vegetables offer low calories, no fat (when eaten raw) and add lots of vitamins and minerals to the diet. Through out the year we see different vegetables in the departmental store or being sold by our local vendors. We encourage consumption of seasonal vegetables for two reasons, first they are cheaper and secondly they are fresher than those not in season. Most of the vegetables available in summer have high water content as they keep the body cool and replenish the lost nutrition caused due to sweating and general heat. Vegetables are also high in fiber content which keeps us fuller with a healthy digestive system.

Vegetables are not always tasteless and boring. If prepared well they can be better tasting than most of the processed food available. Besides they build immunity and improve the metabolic functions in the body. People especially watching their weight or suffering from any therapeutic condition or even just living healthy should include portions of vegetables in their diet either as salads or stir fried. You could eat vegetables raw, cooked, individually or in a combination with other vegetables, legumes, cereals, etc. Here are some seasonal vegetables that you can eat this season for good health.

Some summer vegetables and their benefits in keeping us healthy

Lady Finger/Okra/Bhindi: This vegetable is low in calories and it adds just 30 calories per 100 grams. It contains vitamins A, C, K and B vitamins along with flavnoids. It is rich in anti-oxidation properties and helps in vision. It contains important minerals as iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium. Healthy for people on weight loss as it makes you fell full and adds lots of nutrition too.

Tori/Ridge Gourd: It is beneficial for the stomach and helps reduce blood sugar levels. 100 gms of Ridge Gourd adds just 20 calories to the body. It is rich in nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin c, riboflavin, thiamin, iron and magnesium. The high fiber and low fat content make it effective for weight loss.

Pumpkin: A bowl of pumpkin will add just 30 calories to your diet besides supplying  a lot of vitamins and minerals to the body. It is rich in vitamin A, C and E along with iron, magnesium, potassium, niacin and dietary fiber for better digestion. It contains carotenoids which improve the immune system. It has anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory properties.

Bottle Gourd/Lauki/: Bottle gourd adds just 12 calories per 100 grams. It is 96% water and contains vitamin c and B vitamins. Sodium, iron, potassium are presnt in the vegetable and contains high amount of dietary fiber. It is extremely effective in weight loss, reduces constipation, improves complexion and has a cooling effect on the body.

Gavarfali/ Cluster Beans: Gavarfali (cluster beans) are rich in iron, folic acid, calcium and are an excellent source of fibre. They are best eaten with lentil dals. It only contains 25 calories every 100 gms. High in dietary fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. Also recommended for weight loss as it  improves metabolism.

What is Making You Fat

We know enough about the repercussions of being fat, unfit or eating unhealthy foods which can cause metabolic disorder and cause weight gain. Though we read about healthy food options to include in our diet and presume to have fixed all the factors for weight loss but yet weight loss seems to not happen.

Did you fix quitting junk food that adds only calories, fats and not nutrition ? Have you started eating foods that are healthier than what you were eating earlier? You are reading the best of advices and following them too but the outcome is not satisfying. Where is it that you are going wrong and what is it that you do to make weight loss happen and not get fat. Fix the loopholes where you are going wrong and correct it to lose weight.

Its not just about eating the right amount of calories , it is about ensuring they meet the daily nutritional requirement intake for a healthy metabolic rate. Read below for factors that probably are holding you back from losing weight.

Fluids: It is lots of water that you have to drink through out the day and not energy drink, iced teas, lemon drinks, sodas and sweetened beverages. Do you know how many packets of sugar are these pre-packaged drinks are adding to your diet  even if they are being marketed as healthy. These drinks might even sabotaging your fitness routine by increasing your daily intake of required calories. Instead stick to water to rev up metabolim and keep the body hydrated.Water is zero calories and preloading with it before a meal can help you lose weight fast.

Portion Control: You feel unsatisfied when you eat small meals. Large meals make more calorie intake which is over your daily nutritional requirement and gets saved as fat. Eat in small plates, chew slowly and stop eating once you feel full.

No Fiber: Fiber helps in better digestion of food and absorbs lots of water from the body. If you have water retention then add fiber to your diet. Fiber also keeps you feel fuller for a longer time without adding any extra calories.

No Exercise: Exercise boosts weight loss. You are eating to your requirement which will help you lose weight but exerise will accelerate the calorie burn in the body and give quicker results. As more muscles are improtant higher metabolism and weight loss, regular exercise will develop muscles in the body.

Missing Meals: Some people miss meals to fasten their weight loss presuming to save calories for the day. Missing meals makes the body go in the mode of starvation where the body burns the reserves slowly. Eat you meals at time as you would miss on the nutrition for that meal. Eating the next meal after the missed meal makes you consume more calories as you are hungry, which would get saved as extra calories as skipping meals slows the body’s natural metabolic rate.

Cheat Meals: It is alright to have a cheat meal once or twice a week but if you are cheating more unhealthy meals for healthy meals then you are slimming your chances of losing fat. It disrupts the weight loss process as the body takes time to adjust to a pattern before showing results.

Five best exercises for weight loss

Exercise is a weight loss booster as it accelerates burning of calories and the fastest mean to burn fat and lose weight. You can choose exercise according to your body type for losing weight from specific areas like glutes, thighs, belly etc. Playing sports or lifting weight is equivalently beneficial in dropping some extra pounds from the body. More muscles induce higher metabolic rate and exercise helps build muscle for you to burn more calories while resting.

The idea behind losing weight with exercise is to cut down on accumulated fat. As our body needs fuel for daily functioning we have to eat a certain amount of calories to meet the requirement. Diet can make us lose weight but exercise accelerates the weight loss process. Balanced diet with exercise is the best combination for weight loss. Start your exercise plan
according to your body type and shape up your self from losing the hanging belly to bulging biceps and a toned body.

Shake yourself and get started with your exercise plan for quick weight loss and define your own body. Here are some exercises for weight loss.

Planks: Start your exercise routine with plank exercises as it warms  up the body while stabilizing the muscles. Planks are one of the best exercise for building abs and building core strength. Core is required in anything that we do from lifting, walking etc. Strong core with help  move the body with ease and be active for intense workouts. Most of us have hanging bellies which start getting conditioned and toned with plank exercise. Include side planks to further increase the benefits.

Squats: Toned legs get many eyeballs rolling down and squats is a super exercise to work the legs. Less people work on their lower body which makes the body look uneven. Toned legs will give you are better and confident walk. Squats work the entire body and can be done in variations. It tones and burns fat in the glutes, thighs and hamstring areas. You can use weights to make squats intense or can do it using body. Check whether you are doing the right posture otherwise you could complain for back ache.

Push ups: The exercise works the upper body and increases the strength of forearms, wrist, upper arms, shoulders and chest. They accelerate the blood flow in the body and improves heart health. Using various grips like diamond pushups, close grip, wide grip benefit and work different muscle in the upper body. If you are a women you can do women pushups to slowly strengthen your upper body.

Russian Twist: If fat on your sides and belly is troubling you and you want to increase your enduarance  then do Russian Twist. This exercise works the core and obliques working for a flat and defined waist and stomach. Include the exercise in your routine and burn fat around you belly. Use swiss balls or snay thing to hold between your hands to increase the intensity of the exercise.

Bur pees: It is a great aerobic exercise that works the entire body and tests your guts too. It involves your legs, back, torso, neck and arms. It involves in jumping, squatting and stretching in one exercise. It accelerates the calorie burn as it involves many muscles and involves lots of fast movements. To intensify the exercise set time limit to perform a definite number of repetitions.

Improve Immunity with Exercise

Research is trying to figure out if better immunity can be achieved through exercise. As there are many factors involved in immunity like age, diet exercise etc. Exercise is vital in life as it keeps one active, maintain blood sugar levels, increases absorption of nutrients and for various other purposes. Diet and exercise form a great combination to increase immunity and keep us healthier and fit.

We eat foods that boost immunity but if the metabolism of the body is slow then the absorption of vitamins and minerals important to boost immunity will slow. Exercises help increase metabolism, so improving metabolism through exercise will help improve immunity through increased absorption of essential nutrients. Improved blood flow through exercise will help the immunizing nutrients to transport faster in the diseased area helping fight the infection, germs and bacteria and flushing toxins out of the body.
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How Unhealthy is Gluten

There is a lot of talk about gluten these days. Some people say it’s good for you, some people say its bad for you. So, we decide to decode this gluten madness for you, so can you really know if gluten really is that bad for you?

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is responsible for providing elasticity to the wheat, rye and barley flour which is also now very popularly being used in a larger number of processed food products. It is also used as a stabilizer in some popular products like ice-cream and ketchup.

Why has gluten suddenly become so infamous that people are writing and talking against it. Not only that the whole “Grain” category is getting a bad name. Let us explain to you how and why it all started. We consume food which is then broken down, through a series of complex process, in our digestive system. If there is anything that disrupts the smooth functioning of this process it results in deficiencies and other health disorders. Read more

Study says Lose Weight to Earn More

Could being fat make you lose your job or make you earn lesser than your co-worker? A recently published study shows a noticeable correlation between overweight and a decreased employment rate. This shows that a lean person could thin your chances for a job or a good salary.

It has been noticed that people have suffered monetary loss in getting appraisals, packages  and job offer. This stands true in companies where there is  direct interface between the company and client. Especially service industry like aviation, hospitality, beauty, marketing, PR employ attractive and fit employees as good presentation is critical to their business. This ideology is gaining relevance and is slowly been accepted and followed by many companies world over.

In fact a study by Judge and Cable tells that especially women who were underweight fetched a higher salary than their fat counterparts.

Besides the physical attributes employees that are fitter have better mental health, stronger immunity, are less stressed, are mostly happy which reflects in their performance. Employers want to invest in stable resources that help grow their business.You can also get an edge for yourself and demand a higher salary package by getting fit and looking good.

Tips To lose weight Read more

Dieting for Weight Loss?

Many of us want to lose weight and have tried unsuccessful tips for weight loss. Some tips that work with a few and some don’t work with many. Yo-yo diets find no place when it comes to gaining results. The general impulse to weight loss is dieting and people have their own mind behind it rather than the simple thought of weight loss by diet and exercise.

There is so much that you have read or tested for weight loss and the idea of another dieting tip would not be any better. But as there is logic to everything so is to weight loss. Lets understand it why weight loss is not difficult.

Reason for weight Gain: Have you ever thought of the real reasons for weight gain? Is it only due to diet or are there other factors than over eating? Well, eating could be the primary cause of wight gain but do you know eating healthy foods can cause weight gain too.

1. You don’t know what your daily caloric requirement is and thus eat according to your satisfaction which results in over consumption and storage of excess food as fat.

2. Skipping breakfast makes you eat more during other meals which is generally higher than the body requirement.

3. Some people skip a meal so that they can overeat in the subsequent meal. This is a terrible idea. In case there is a pending social occasion one should plan to eat lighter meals before and after to avoid weight gain and not skip the meal.

4. Food consumed should be in direct proportion to physical activity. If you have a desk job then avoid eating heavy meals. Also get some bit of exercise done everyday to avoid weight gain.

5. Planning is equally important to make weight loss really work for you. Remember next time  when you have to attend a social gathering, office parties and outside eating make sure you outline limits for yourself in terms of how many drinks you are going to have or how many helping of desserts you are going to allow yourself. This technique will help you sustain your weight loss routine over a longer period of time.

In case you find it difficult to get started and require professional guidance and motivation then find a professional weight management service that suits you.Yo-yo dieting might help in keep some kilos off in the short run but as you grow older it will start adversely affecting your health. Don’t take to shortcuts instead think about long term benefits of eating healthy. Healthy food is also tasty and easy to make.Why do you have to starve yourself if you can learn to manage your consumption of your food.

How to Build Muscles

If building muscle is what you want then here is some basic information on muscles and how to exercise them effectively to get the size or definition you are looking for.

What is the most basic function of muscle. Muscle apart from physical appearance is important for movement, to maintain posture and is known as the source of power in the body.

They take care of everything from walking to keeping the blood flowing. The best part about muscles are that they are  long-lasting, they are self-healing and are able to grow stronger with exercise.

There are three types of muscles in the body. Cardiac muscles in the heart take care of the pumping and functioning of heart, second type are the smooth muscles that are found in the walls of the arteries and intestines and lastly the skeletal muscles which cover our outer body, and are often exercised strength and physical shape.

The skeletal muscle is what we want to develop and not the other two smooth and cardiac muscles. Here are tips to build stronger muscle. Read more

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