ARMY STYLE:SOME INTENSE WORKOUTS

 

Water Nutrition Facts

Ever notice how lifeless a house plant looks when you forget to water it? Just a little water and it seem to perk back up. Water nutrition is just as essential for our bodies because it is in every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. That is why getting enough water nutrition every day is important for your health. Water is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. It is the basis for the fluids of the body. Water makes up more than two-thirds of the weight of the human body i.e. the body is made up of 55–75 per cent water. Water forms the basis of blood, digestive juices, urine and perspiration and is contained in lean muscle, fat and bones.

Here are some facts about water nutrition:-

- Water is the main constituent of the body and forms 50-60% of body weight and around 75% of volume. The exact amount varies with age and sex and also depends on body fat content.

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Miss Universe Olivia Culpo: Her Diet and Workout Program

As millions watched on Sunday evening, Miss USA was officially crowned the new Miss Universe 2012-13. Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island managed to beat her 50 fellow aspirants by stunning judges with her charm, enchanting looks and bubbly personality.Culpo’s deep love for music, that’s also shared by her parents, led her to perform at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Culpo admitted that she wasn’t always the beauty queen type and that as a child she was a bit on the chubby side. She naturally blossomed after a growth spurt later in her life. She credits her now-toned 5-foot-7 physique to a much disciplined and dedicated diet and fitness regimen.

Olivia’s diet emphasizes portion control. “I eat small, healthy meals every two to three hours, and stay away from liquid calories,” she said. “Juice is a killer. The sugar will go straight to your butt.” Read on to know what the radiant role model eats every day (well, almost) to keep her figure so fit and fab!

Almonds: The newly Miss Universe is nuts over nuts! “I love unsalted almonds, especially if I’m about to do a photo shoot or compete. There’s no mess, and they’re so easy to pack to take with you,” Culpo says. “It’s my number one go-to-snack!”

Sweet Potatoes: For Culpo, life is so much sweeter with sweet potatoes! “I love them! I cook them in the oven, take off the skin, and then mash them. You can also put them in the microwave, which is really easy,” she says. “I top them with cayenne pepper and a little salt… but not too much. Greek yogurt on top is also delicious.”

Veggies: Olivia Culpo like eating healthy veggies especially when they are steamed. She says “I think it’s easier to digest them when they’re steamed, as opposed to raw,”

Pineapple: According to the stunning star, pineapple is perfect for pageants. “Pineapple reduces swelling. You’re filmed that one very special day of the pageant, and you want to make sure you’re as ready to go as you can be.”

Banana: Olivia Culpo is truly bananas… over bananas! “We have little bags we pack specifically for touch-up makeup if you’re chosen for the top 16. I knew I had to sneak in my banana because nothing calms my nerves like it! I don’t know if it’s the potassium, but I need it before I get on stage because it always calms me down.”

All of that food is fueling a reasonable workout regimen, which is also helping to shape her slender figure. Resistance training and cardio are each done three times a week. For her cardio she prefers running and the Latin-dance-inspired Zumba.

 

Get Fit in Five Minutes

HT City : Ready to get fit in five minutes.

Fitho Wellness shares with the readers of HT City the most effective  High Intensity Interval Training  program to lose weight and get fit. A quick, high intensity five minute workout routine chart for beginners and people with moderate fitness levels that can be done at home.

For more read our article.

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

Stay In Shape Even During Harsh Winter Months

Fitho featured in Mail Today : At Fitho we believe fitness is not a one time thing, its a continuous process. Read the complete article here.

 

Weight Loss for Overweight People

People struggling with excess weight or simply being over weight find it the most difficult to lose weight even though they know that all they need to do is eat healthy and exercise to lose weight. But despite that why are overweight people considered lazy? Maybe they are not as active as thin people but there is a definitive reason behind it.

As one starts putting on weight is gained it gets difficult to move the body with ease and the easiness that a fit man would experience. The weight is exercising pressure on all the joints in the body impairing agile movements. Carrying excess weight overtime can result in hormonal imbalance causing disorders like hypothyroid, diabetes, PCOS etc. Overweight people also find it maintain body balance . This might prevent them from participating in activities like jogging, running etc. For most over weight people exercise is very stressful for the body. Besides they suffer from high blood pressure, their joints are under pressure and they tend to get tired very easily.

Here are some easy ways to get you started on a weight loss plan with ease:

Managing Nutrition: The ideal way forward is by revising your daily nutrition intake. The idea is not to suddenly cut your calorie intake by half but to slowly start reducing the non-nutritional foods from the daily diet. The main point to be  calorie intake has to be reduced over a period of time yet as all these problems surface before a overweight person while losing weight, there are ways that you can start losing weight. Read more

Best Exercises for Abdominal Fat or Love Handles

After belly, thighs and arms and butt the other common weight gain area is your waist. Over a period of time weight starts to collect on the side of your stomach which is also known as “love handles” or “tyres”. All these terms are nothing but common slang for abdominal obesity.

Eating unhealthy food and no exercise is the most common cause of love handles. These tyres were mostly seen on women in the past but now more and more men seem to develop it in their late twenties & early thirties. Indians are genetically inclined to accumulate fat around their waist which is also linked to Type 2 diabetes and heart health.

The simplest way to check for abdominal fat is to measure your waist. Run a tape measure around your waist at about the level of your navel. Breathe minimally, and make sure not to pull the tape measure so tight that it depresses the skin. The average BMI  (Body mass Index) of an Indian woman ranges from 18-24.9 , a waist circumference greater than 34-35 inches is considered high risk to lifestyle diseases.

Another way to measure abdominal fat is by calculating the waist to hip ratio. This is done through simple calculation of taking the ratio of the waist and hip. The healthy range in women is less than .7 and men is less than 1.

The best way to lose weight is to exercise and watch what you eat. Ensure that your body is getting adqeuate nutrition to improve the metabolism. Do not resort to fad diets as they might show you weight loss in the short term but in the long term you put the weight back on besides depriving your body of important nutrition resulting in multiple deficiencies in future. For healthy weight loss consult a good professional weight loss expert to help you lose weight and get fit.

Here are a list of exercises that are very effective to lose abdominal fat or love handles:

Running: Love handles are fat accumulated on your sides. So it is more about burning the fat in the body. You can lose maximum fat by running or doing any cardio exercise. Running allows you to burn maximum fat in a workout other than boosting metabolism. So do running in variations and or push your self more for quicker results. Include sprinting, bounding,
German drills, etc in your plan. Burning maximum calories starts burning fat gradually from the body. Manage your diet and eat adequately according to your daily requirement to allow fat to burn faster.

Crunches: Love Handles are part of your core and require core to be worked to exercise the area and build some muscles underneath. Crunches are highly beneficical is strengthening your core for better balance in the body and provides strength for intense workouts. Do crunches on medicine ball and see the muscle gain.

Side Crunch: Working the obliques help in reducing the love handles on the side and side crunch is very effective for oblique muscles. Lie down on right side of your body with right arm over your chest. Crunch your left armpit towards the left hip and raise your legs while crunching. Repeat and do both sides.

Elbow to Knee Crunch: You could do elbow to knee crunch either standing or while lying down.Lie down on the floor with knees bent and arms over your chest. You have to touch your right elbow with the left knee and alternatively. While doing the exercise move your torso for the exercise. This works the rectus abdominis and obliques while the standing one works the entire mid section and hip flexors.

Side Bends: Stand straight with dumbbells in your hands by your side. Alternatively bend your side and stretch the other side holding for a few seconds and then do the other side. This execise stretches the love handles and improves blood flow in the area.

Burpees: It is a aerobic exercise which is a combination of a few exercises mixed together for greater fitness. To perform the exercise stand straight in the first step. Then get down to squat position. Third put your hands on the floor and throw both your legs back stretching your back and looking up in the air. In the fourth step bring back your legs to the sqaut position and lastlt jump up to starting position. Repeat. This exercise not only stretches the core and works the entire body but the faster version of it burns many calories too.

Russian Twist: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and hold your  arms straight in front of you and lean your back a little while your torso is at 45-degree. Brace your core and rotate to the side and as far as you want. Repeat for both sides and mind the posture. This exercise also helps build the muscles on the side and works the core. To make this exercise more intense hold a weight between your hands or lift your feet in the air and perform the exercise.

Wood chop: It is again one of the finest twist exercise which can be done with a object, cabel, dumbbell, bat, base ball bat etc. As you pull the weight across your body, you rotate your hips and bend forward slightly so the weight ends up slightly below your hip. Keep your torso, chest and head in line with your hips. Do it for both sides.

Does Sweating Result in Weight Loss

One of the most common myths in fitness is that sweating helps you lose weight and burn more fat. There are lot of weight loss companies that use the technology of steam/sauna baths to make you sweat for weight loss. In reality the weight loss experienced with high temperature is water weight lost through sweating.  Sweating is our body’s natural way of cooling the system. Whenever there is rise in temperature which could be due to physical activity or general increase in temperature we break  in to sweat.

Let us give you an example of what we mean by losing water weight. Start with weighing yourself. Then sit in a room, in the middle of summer, without a fan and ac. You will sweat a lot due to the heat. After one hour you go and weight yourself. You will see you have lost a few grams on the weighing scale. Now go and drink a litre of water and then weigh your self. You will see that the weighing scale is back to your original weight. A note that it is impossible to put on weight with drinking water as it has zero calories. So now you might be more wise before you sign for a spa weight loss program.

There are genetic and fitness reasons why some people sweat more than the others. For-eg men sweat more than women because women sweat at higher temperatures than men. Then fitter people tend to sweat lesser than non-fit people doing the same physical activity  and lastly overweight people tend to sweat the most is because fat acts like an insulator under the skin that raises the body temperature a lot faster.

Our body is constantly working and therefore it burns calories, this phenomenon is also commonly known as body metabolic rate. The idea here to make you aware that sweating has nothing to do with weight loss. It is right kind of exercise and diet that help you lose weight. Exercise should be planned around the fitness levels and bodytype of an individual. Lot of people also consider walking as an exercise but it actually a form of physical activity. And you do not lose weight with just walking everyday. Walking is good when you are looking to manage your weight and lose it. Read here to know why walking doesnt help in weight loss.

Lastly one must be careful what you eat when on a weight loss program. Exercise alone will not give you the desired results. Half of your weight issues stem from unhealthy eating. Stay away from generic fad diets easily available everywhere. Not only do they not help in weight loss they also deprive your body of key nutrition. Make sure your diet is well-balanced. Dont hesitate to take professional help to understand what diet is best for you.

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 their 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 every time 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.

If you are looking to lose weight and get fit then look out for a healthy weight management course where the plan is made according to your lifestyle. A successful plan should be able to offer you flexibility as well as a structured routine to compliment your fitness level. This is key to keeping you motivated. Your goal should be fitness and not simply weight loss because the main incentive to lose weight is to be healthy.  Going after only weight loss might deprive you of key elements like exercise and nutrition that might make you look thin on the weighing scale but not fit.

Best Exercises for Butts

We have written a lot about how to work your abs, biceps and even back and whip them into shape in our various articles on Fitho’s exercise routine. Its time we gave the “butt” the importance it deserves. A good butt doesnt only look good on women but men need it as much to complete the look. You can work your butt according to your body shape, meaning whether you are a pear shape or straight shape this routine will even out your minus points and highlight your plus points.

The idea is to target the relevant muscles directly to first lose the fat  and then tone up. These set of exercises can be done any where at anytime without any equipment. 15 minutes a day for 5 days a week and you should see results in just two weeks.

Squats: One of the best exercise which will not only train your butts but your hips and thighs. They also help build body strength. Stand with feet apart and bend your knees while going down. Keep your butt out and torso straight. Do 10-12 reps and 2-3 sets in a day. You can do it in the morning before leaving for office or in the evenings. This exercise will tone your butt quickly.

Lunges: Another highly effective butt exercise which works the hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. It is easy to perform and its intensity can be varied by holding weights in the hand. To perform this exercise stand straight. Take one step forward and bend the front knee along with the back knee.  Keep the front leg put and move your back leg up and down. You could do lunges while walking, doing alternate legs in the same exercise.

Step-ups: You could do this exercise on any platform that is not very high. On stairs on a step box. Like we climb steps put your feet on the platform and pull your body help pushing the heels. Do as many reps you can though 30-40 would be sufficient for the day.

Hips Raise: Lie down on a floor and keep the knees bent while keeping your back touching the floor. Slowly raise your from your butts and hold it for a few second. Get down to normal and repeat 10-15 times. You could not let the body touch the ground holding it in the air. Count it as one everytime you near the ground. Keep your glutes squeezed while doing the exercise.

Planks: This is a great core exercise as it works your abs, obliques, legs and your butts. Lie down on the ground on your stomach. Place your forearms on the ground and lift your body with it keeping toes on the ground and keeping the body straight. They help build strength and stamina.

Include these exercises in your schedule and see the difference. Do the exercises in the correct posture. Stay tunned if you want to increase the intensity and graduate to the next level of fitness.

 

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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Eat to lose weight

Weight loss and diets arn’t really about not eating and starving yourself to burn  fat. You could eat the same quantity and lose weight. Not eating is unhealthy for our body as it effects the immune system and the body’s power to fight infections and slows down the metabolic rate. Would you rather eat healthy and lose weight or not eat and get unfit.

There are certain foods that are low calorie and some foods provide no calories at all. Our bodies require a certain number of calories per day and eating beyond it would store the calories. Usually when we are eating we give less importance to the calorie intake but rather eat till we feel full. So here are food options that will fill you up and keep the calorie intake balanced and low.

Fresh foods: If you want to eat choose natural food options like fruits, vegetables, cereals and pulses etc. The cheese burgers, pizzas, patties, fried foods, heavy snacks, empty calorie food provide less nutrition and are fattening. 1gm of fat provides a lot more calories than whats carbohydrates or protein provide. So changing your habits and eating healthy food will help you consume less calories,keep you full and fat especially which gets difficult to burn.

Fruits and vegetables Salads Read more

Weight Management Tips

People who are overweight, weight loss is the most obvious first step and but once that has been controlled the most critical and difficult step is to manage the weight. Most people find managing weight more difficult than to actually losing weight. There are simple ways of weight management and we will share them with you through this article.

There is a basic logic behind weight imbalance i.e. you are eating more than you are burning. Simple to say but that is the biggest hurdle. Here are some easy tips on how to get started.

Watch what you buy to eat: Opt for more natural and fresh foods as they not only provide essential nutrition to the body but also keep you fuller for long. Even while shopping for packaged foods that claim to be made of natural ingredients read the ingredients carefully. Insure the first ingredient is natural and the main ingredient is the actual  food instead of sugar or some artificial flavouring used.

Be smart while eating out: Its not that there are only unhealthy options available when you are eating out. Every cuisine can be cooked in a healthy way or has healthy options. Learn to know whats the healthiest option available on the menu. If need be ask the chef on how the dish is prepared or to recommend something healthy for you.

Stop when you feel full: Listen to your stomach and not your heart. Even if the food is delicious and its your favorite dish learn to draw a line. You can have that dish anytime you want and its easily available. Gone are those times where you didn’t know when you will get to eat your favorite food next. With the food revolution your favorite dish is available at every corner or can be easily made at home. This will help you control your portions more effectively.

Get Active: You can simply start this by conditioning yourself to not sitting in one place for more than 2 hours. Some people have desk jobs are bound to get stuck to the chair. You can still work around it. Get up and get yourself a glass of water or tea. Walk to your colleagues work station to discuss the work instead of speaking on the intercom. There is a study that shows that people that are more active have lesser weight issues than people who are not. Get active to be a part of the fit list.

Hunger Pangs: Your body needs food but if you have three proper meals eaten on time and eaten well  this will take care of these recurring hunger pangs at odd hours. Also you feel hungry as often as you condition your body to eat food. The more food you will eat the more hungry you will feel over a period of time. Its all about setting a routine. That doesn’t mean that you eat your dinner before 7: 00 pm, it simply means that ensure you finish your dinner at least 2 hours before your bed time.

With these easy weight management tips you will see managing weight will be a lot easier. You can also look at friends and family for support to help manage your weight better. Involve them in your quest to get fitter. This will help not only push you to staying on track but also get your support group healthier.

Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most popular nutrients in the body. It is water soluble in nature and cannot be stored by the body. Since it is predominantly required to protect the body one needs to ensure that the diet includes this essential nutrient on a daily basis. The most important benefits of Vitamin C is that it protects the body by building immunity and fights the body inflammation helping reduce colds, coughs, heart disease and cancer.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant which eradicates free radicals from the body and keeps the body in fighting mode from all foreign substances. It is also responsible for producing collagen present in muscles and bones useful in wound healing of all types. Therefore is a very popular for beautiful skin and is used in lot of cosmetics. The most popular  sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits like orange, tangerines and grapefruits and Fresh green leafy vegetables and lemon, strawberries, and lime.

Benefits of Vitamin C

Absorption of iron Read more

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