Best Indian Foods to Burn Fat

Indian foods are full of flavors. The wide mix of spices and condiments not only make the food palatable but also impart healthy components. Indian foods are believed to be rich, spicy and anti-weight loss but contrary to this, if cooked with less oil, they can benefit our body in multiple ways. Many studies have also shown that Indian foods and their components help in reducing risk of various medical conditions. They are also helpful in burning body fat. Here we tell you the best Indian foods that help you burn body fat, lose weight and keep your body healthy.

Chillies: Chillies can help burn fat. Chillies contain Capsaicin which is also a thermogenic compound, and increases the metabolic rate, which aids in the fat burning process. Studies reveal that eating chillies can raise your metabolic rate by up to 23% for about 3 hours.

Garlic: Garlic acts as an appetite suppressant as it gives the brain signals of satiety when it is eaten. Garlic contains the compound allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that help reduce cholesterol and unhealthy fats. Garlic even helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Mustard oil: This has low saturated fat compared to other cooking oils. Cook your meal in mustard oil. The fatty acids, essential fatty acids and antioxidants help you to burn calories & lose weight.

Buttermilk: Leave cola, drink buttermilk. Buttermilk is common accompaniment in most of the Indian diets. The probiotics food contains just 2.2 grams of fat and about 99 calories. Regular intake of buttermilk provides the body with all essential nutrients without adding too much fat and calories to the body & it is thus helpful in weight loss.

Curry Leaves: These leaves flush out fat and toxins, reducing fat deposits that are stored in the body. Curry leaves also reduce bad cholesterol levels. Eat curry leaves and start losing your extra body weight.

Green Tea: Green Tea increases your metabolism making you burn more fat. It’s a mild appetite suppressant that makes you eat less so weight loss becomes a natural process with green tea.

Moong Dal: Moong Dal is rich in Vitamin A, B, C and E and many minerals, such as calcium, iron and potassium and it has a very low fat content. It is also a rich source of protein and fiber which keeps you full and helps in weight loss.

Cardamom: Also known as “Queen of Spices”, Cardamom is a thermogenic herb which increases body’s metabolism by raising the core temperature. Cardamom is considered one of the best digestive and helps the body process other foods more efficiently

Honey: Honey could help you to reduce fat. Honey contains essential vitamins and minerals and is free from any type of fat source. These nutrients are essential to dissolve fats and cholesterol.  Honey being a good source of nutrients helps you in reducing weight.

Turmeric: Turmeric has powerful fat burning qualities that make it a great addition to any diet. Turmeric stimulates bile flow which leads to the body breaking down dietary fat. Regular intake may help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, increase blood circulation and prevent blood clotting, helping to prevent heart attack.

 

Does Low Calorie Diet Work?

Have you ever wondered why you have gained weight over a period of time? Many of your answers would point to not eating healthy food, not exercising or some would say it just happened. If you know the reasons that have resulted in weight gain then working on these factors could help you lose those pounds again. But does it work this way or there is more to losing weight than just eating food.

Lifestyle has a major impact on your weight loss or if you are gaining weight. You were lean before and were eating the same nutrition as now but how did you start gaining weight. Weight gain can happen due to many other factors than just by eating foods that are unhealthy. Your sleeping patterns, stress in work, late nights, changing eating patterns, hormonal change, skipping meals, alcohol, smoking, no workouts, no activity, leisure lifestyle etc. The list can go on as these are some of the factors like many others that are small but have a huge impact on weight management.

Exercise impacts weight management as it helps to improve blood flow in the body and accelerate metabolism for faster calorie burns. Most people who are really not into fitness walk for 20 minutes or jog for a while, do some hand and body movements wondering that they have done thier part. What happens after this workout? Drinking some energy drink to refill those calorie burnt and resting for the rest of the day! If you are looking to lose weight then you need to burn the stored fat to see weight loss.

It is difficult to count calories everytime as we eat regularly and can be boring at times. Knowing what are healthy foods and unhealthy food is also not enough. Unhealthy foods are fattening but healthy foods could also impact in gaining weight. Dairy is healthy but excess of it leads to weight gain. Eating food more than the body requirement will store the extra calories and over a period of time this will count as a pound and then many more. Read more

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.

Circuit Training Benefits

Circuit training is a great combination of high intensity workout in combination with resistance training. What does it exactly mean: There are 4-10 exercises ( mostly resistance training) that make a circuit or a single set. Each exercise is performed for a specified number of repetitions before moving on to the next exercise. The exercises within each circuit or set  are separated by a short rest period, and each circuit or set is separated by a longer rest period. Circuit training is highly effective in increasing strength, stamina and flexibility. Each exercise has to be done in a steady pace and maintaing the right posture while performing them.

Circuit training in not a fixed type of exercise pattern but can be changed according to the fitness level of the individual. The exercises in a circuit can be total body, upperbody, lower body, abs, combination of these body parts, biceps and legs etc . It can be designed to your body requirement hitting specific muscles if required.

Benefits of Circuit Training Read more

Liposuction – Post Surgery Fat Gain

Rising signs of obesity are making people very conscious and prompting them to take not so healthy steps to deal with the extra fat.  People have a tendency to gravitate towards all the possible shortcuts to get what they want. Hence Liposuction is gaining popularity as the quickest mean to lose fat from the problem areas. Through this procedure fat is sucked from your problem areas and leaving it look deflated. Many men and women are readily going for liposuction which is the fastest way out without altering the lifestyle naturally and losing fat by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But is liposuction a healthy option for fat loss.

Researchers at University of Colorado found in a study on the effect of post surgery liposuction, that the fat suctioned out had returned on the body but at different places like arms, shoulders, back etc. The process of liposuction surgically destroys the fat cell web from that area but the body instead compensates it by growing it on other body areas later. The study said that people who underwent liposuction of a area gained that fat again a year later at a different part.

Whenever the body loses fat cells new one replace it. But during liposuction the fishnet of that area is removed and very less fat cells remain. If your lifestyle routine and habits are not managed in a healthy pattern then fat would increase on other parts of the body. So it is important to manage your eating habits and exercise religiously to maintain that fat loss otherwise it will reappear on your body at different parts. When large amounts of fat are removed it leaves dents and marks on the body. There are limitations to getting a liposuction done. A person has to be above 18 years and certain health conditions are required to undergo it. Also one cannot undergo a tummy and abdomen liposuction together due to the repercussions.

Losing the entire body fat is difficult with liposuction and the chances of regaining the fat is more with it especially at different body parts. But its possible to lose fat from all your problem areas at once and keep it off for a longer duration by just adjusting your lifestyle. The lifestyle shift is nothing but eating healthy and exercising enough. Even if you were to compare the price points its cheaper to consult a professional for diet & exercise programs than go to liposuction specialist. Liposuction is an invasive surgery where the person is required to be admitted for atleast 2-3 days for the procedure. Besides Liposuction comes with a lot of side effects like sagging skin, lack of shape on the body part operated and post recovery period.

Next time excess fat on the body is troubling you before you consider going under the knife consult a professional weight loss company. It can be the best decision you make for living a healthy life.

How to Get a Six Pack

Reveal your six packs with the right combination of  diet and exercise. Everyone is born with abs but over a period of time they get covered by the layer of fat on our belly. Only exercising your abs will  make your stomach grow bigger and thicker. The secret to well defined abs is bringing down the body fat to 7-8 % and they will start showing itself. The fat percentage can be lowered by simply eating and exercising right.

Here are a very simple tips to get better abs:

1.Increase your water intake, drink cold water to rev up the metabolism.

2.Do high intensity interval cardio twice a week for fat loss and strength training to build muscles on your body. When there is more muscle then the body’s metabolism automatically increases even when the body is
not exercising.

3.Drink green tea as it is a natural metabolism booster and helps in fat loss.

4.Watch what you eat to cut down on the extra calorie intake. Avoid foods with fat, sugar and oil.

5.Don’t skip breakfast and eat lighter dinners. Keep some time between dinner and sleep. Read here for healthy breakfast ideas.

6.Work out the abs indirectly with exercises like planks, push ups, pull ups, legs ups etc. Working out the abs directly thickens your stomach taking you away from your abs and v shape.
8.Eat less sugar as insulin levels decrease the level of fat burn. Eat fish, fish oil tablets to drop the insulin level and increase fat burn.

Get started with your 6 pack abs resolution and achieve it this summers to enjoy your perfect body. Keep yourself motivated and every pound of fat loss will successfully reveal the  abs.

5 Big Mistakes of Weight Loss

You have tried everything to keep your fat away. You have a healthy lifestyle and are doing everything right to stay fit. Yet the weighing machine doesn’t make you happy. Even after knowing and following everything about a healthy lifestyle by the book certain loopholes in our lifestyle can cause situations leading to the imbalance in the body which causes fat accumulation. We have a few tips on how you can easily overcome these shortfalls and get on track towards being a slimmer you.

Unscheduled Meals: Quite a lot of people have the problem of untimely meals which is a big issue. With heavy work pressure, tight schedule, lifestyle and changing body psychology disturbs our eating cycle which slows down the metabolism Read more

Fire Up Your Metabolism

Firstly we need to understand what metabolism is and then can we have a picture of how metabolism effects weight loss . Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc… your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.

Metabolism is affected by your body composition i.e.  the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who are more muscular… Read more

Apple a day, to be healthy & fit

Looks like there might be some truth to the old adage: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Recently Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease stated that eating apples and drinking apple juice, along with a balanced diet can protect the brain from oxidative stress or age-related memory loss. Apart from being brain healthy, apples are delicious source of fiber (both soluble and insoluble), protect against diseases and improve daily functioning. Want more reasons to add an apple to your daily diet? Read on..

Weight Loss: One medium-sized apple provides 5 grams of fiber, equivalent to one bowl of oatmeal. Fiber slows the digestion process & provides the satiety to your brain and helps you moderate your hunger. As a result, you snack less.

Prevents Cancer: A study published in American Journal of Epidemiology linked Quercetin found in apple to have an anti-cancer effect. Quercetin also protect from prostate and colon cancer by almost 43%.

Prevents Infection: Apples contain tannins that reduce oxidative damage and have an anti-biotic effect, helping prevent from urinary tract infection (UTI) and gum disease.

Maximum functioning of lungs: Another piece of good news is that if you eating at least five apples per week then the disease fighting profile of apples lower the risk of respiratory disease.

Healthy Heart: Eating apples reduces the damaging effects of bad (LDL) cholesterol and thereby reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and even type 2 diabetes as improves insulin sensitivity.

Any reason you’re still not eating apples?

How to Lose Weight Fast

Show us a person who wants to lose weight slowly, and we’ll show you something really rare also

People gain weight over a long period of time, but they want to lose weight fast! Traditionally, the only way to lose weight was to diet and to exercise, but now that are supplements that claim to accelerate weight loss. These weight loss supplements, are either diet suppressants, or fat burners. There are two types- those that energize you with caffeine and its likes, and those that spike up your metabolic rate. Let’s look at them in more detail below:

Diet Suppressants: These pills contain ingredients that suppress your appetite. So, with a reduced diet, your calorie intake goes down, which can help you lose weight.

Caffeinated Fat Burners: There are plenty of such fat burners. These are loaded with caffeine, so they get you all energized. This makes people more active during their daily activities or their workouts. As a result, they burn more calories and fat. Guarana is a plant extract. Guarana based fat burners have caffeine in them- like Stim Trim and Fat Burner with L-Carnitine- these also claim to be appetite suppressants.

Non caffeine Fat Burners: This is a wide range of fat burners and diet pills, but let’s take a popular one- Chromium Picolinate. This supplement sounds complicated, but from our research has shown to be among the least controversial supplements. It is sold as a supplement to prevent or treat chromium deficiency. But its use has indicated that it helps to reduce carbohydrate craving, promote muscle growth and fat loss, aids in reducing insulin resistance, particularly in diabetics and might have antidepressant effects. If you want to buy Chromium Picolinate, click here for more information.

There are also water weight loss supplement. As the name suggests, these help you lose water weight- used for short term and temporary weight loss. These supplements will not help you lose the large fat deposits. For successful weight loss, the body should lose fat, not water.

Fat loss and Weight loss pills and supplements can possibly have side effects, especially at high dosage. So ensure that you get the right guidance on dosage and usage of these products. Consult your doctor for medical effects. Watch the dosage of these caffeinated fat burners, since excess caffeine in your body can have side effects- read more.

Whey Protein- For Healthy Diet & Fat Loss

Protein helps build/maintain muscle and perform biological functions. The Indian diet is high on carbohydrates and low on protein, so most Indians actually do not get their daily protein requirement. Its even harder for vegetarians- an egg contains 6 grams of protein, and a glass of milk contains 8 gms. The daily recommended intake for protein is 56 gms for men and 46 gms for women.

Without enough protein in your diet, your body will eat into its own muscle for maintenance. This slows down your metabolism- so you burn fewer calories, and store more fat! Worry not- Protein powder can supplement your diet to ensure you get the recommended protein intake. One scoop of whey protein delivers 20-25 gms of high quality protein. Mix it with juice or milk, yogurt, fruits and you get a delicious, nutritious snack! Here’s a protein packed delicious dessert recipe.

If you play sports, workout or have a physically active occupation, your protein requirements are higher- they can vary from 1.5-2 gms per kg of body weight. So an 80 kg athlete might need to consume 120-160 gms of protein per day. That much protein is hard to get without protein supplements.

A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that over a 12 month period, participants on a moderately high protein diet lost as much as 38% more fat, than those who followed the USDA Pyramid guidelines- more on how protein helps reduce fat

Myth: Whey protein is only for ‘body builders’. Fact: its for anyone who wants to ensure that they’re getting enough protein in their diet.

Note that not all protein supplements is equal. To make sure you get high quality whey protein- buy from a reputed international brand. Whey protein is higher quality than soy protein. Currently, Indian protein brands produce lower quality protein as compared to international companies like MegaPro.

Are Frooti drinkers fat and unhealthy?

Have you seen the new frooti ad? (watch below) It is full on unhealthy looking people. Most of them are really out of shape. Is Frooti trying to imply that its drinkers get unhealthy like that? Mango is healthy, but mango flavoured drinks like these are loaded with sugar, and we all know that Sugar Makes you Fat. If you keep drinking sugar loaded drinks consistently, you will promote fat storage in your body, and become unhealthy.

Indians are a higher risk of diabetes and hypertension- India is projected to be the diabetes capital of the world by 2050. Obesity is also on the rise in India. Indians already lead such sedentary lives, that its important for us to ensure we stay healthy and fit.

If the video doesn’t work, view it here- YouTube Frooti New Ad. On a side note, we think its an interesting ad film

Are you Indian? Careful about diabetes and hypertension

Research over the last several years has shown that Indian bodies and genetics are different from their western counterparts. Not in a good way- Indians suffer from abdominal obesity compared to people in the west, whose bodies are uniformly obese. As a result of this, Indians are at a higher risk of diabetes and hypertension.

There are currently 41 million diabetic people in India and this number is expected to rise by 170 per cent in the next 20 years. Even today, India has the largest population of diabetics in the world. By 2050, India is projected to be diabetes capital of the world. Today, one in every three Indians has high blood pressure, which is expected to shoot by 60 per cent in the next 20 years.

Not much can be done about the genetic risk of Indians, but a lot can be done to take measures about reducing your risk. First, get yourself tested for blood sugar and hypertension. Then, watch your diet and exercise. The Indian diet is very high on carbohydrates. Watch the type of carbohydrates that you put into your body- some carbohydrates promote fat storage. You don’t have to cut out fat from your diet. Just eat the healthy fat. Here are snacks that are delicious and healthy- Almonds keep you fit, Yoghurt reduces fat, Apple fights cancer, Guavas build immunity- read for their health benefits.

Need to lose weight. Call Fitho or email us at fitness@fitho.in. We provide effective diet and workout plans that are customized to your needs.

If you have not exercised in a while, then this is your chance to start- start with a walk, and graduate to a jog. There are innumerable benefits of running. Read these tips to start running. The classic pushup exercise, builds muscle and burns fat.

You’re never to old to get in shape! If you need to lose weight, get on a healthy weight loss plan, with a balanced diet and an effective exercise routine.

Myth- Sweating helps you lose weight

Its a common misconception that sweating helps you get fit. But that’s not really true. You sweat because its a mechanism for your body to cool down. So, you may weigh up to 1 kg less after an intense, sweaty workout because you’ve lost water weight. You will gain back all of that weight once you start eating and re-hydrate yourself. The key to losing weight and getting in better shape, is reducing the fat content in your body.

For years people have tried to use sweat suits, steam rooms and sauna belts to lose weight. We find it hilarious that people believe those sauna belt ads for weight loss. Excessive use of these might be unhealthy as over sweating can lead to dehydration and its effects. In fact, its always recommended to keep drinking fluids as you sweat. Keeping your hydration levels up helps you perform better.

The best way to get fit and reduce fat is to perform a mix of cardiovascular exercises (like running, cycling, etc) and weight lifting, with a balanced diet. So, work up a sweat, and ensure you hydrate yourself.

3 bite rule to lose inches

Are you one of those people who can’t avoid high calorie, fattening food even though you’re trying to lose that blubber around your midsection? Well, then you’re in the same boat as most people who are trying to lose the inches!

Don’t despair. We have hope for you. An idea where you can have the cake and still lose weight. I know sounds unbelievable, but its true.

Its called the 3-bite rule: When you’re really craving something that you shouldn’t be eating, like sinful chocolate cake, bring out a spoon! ..  Now, take one bite and slowly experience the sensation of that chocolate cake melting in your mouth, while your senses get overwhelmed with the cream, sugar and cocoa. The idea is to do this slowly, so you savour the experience of that chocolate cake. Take a second bite and slowly enjoy the flavour.

By eating slow, you’ll maximize your experience. Now, have a third bite to satisfy yourself. Again slow, and put the spoon away

Over the 3 bites, you would’ve experienced, enjoyed and satisfied yourself.

Try the 3 bite rule- with this you get to enjoy your indulgence and minimize the calorie damage to your diet or to your waistline!

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