Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Monday, March 15, 2010

3 Weight Loss Super Foods to Help You with Quick Weight Loss



How nice it would have been if you could lose weight by eating, right? Well, your wish is about to come true. In this article I will tell you of three such foods that will help you lose weight. Sounds too good to be true? Well, just read this article to understand what I mean!

1. Lean meats: Lean chicken meat is one of the best weight loss foods you can ever have! Why? It contains a lot of amount of protein and very little fat, and as you know, protein will build lean muscles. Lean muscles will help you burn fat by accelerating your metabolic rate!

If chicken proves to be too expensive for your pocket, try turkey breast! In any case, make sure you eat only lean meats and stay away from red meat!

Fishes are also very good for quick weight loss. Fishes such as salmon and tuna contain Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids fall in the category of 'good fats' or unsaturated fats. You gained weight because of a hormone called leptin which stores fat inside your body. Omega-3 fatty acids will cut down on leptin; when that happens, you are bound to lose weight!

2. Olive oil: Replace your fatty oil with olive oil. Olive oil is almost free from the 'bad fats' (saturated fats) and contains a considerable amount of unsaturated fats. These unsaturated fats will not only suppress your appetite but also fight cholesterol. In short, olive oil will keep your cholesterol levels down.

3. Berries: Berries are also good for weight loss. There are several types of berries: blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, etc. All of them will help you with weight loss in one or the other way. Strawberry is especially the best among the berries: not only it tastes good, but also helps in suppressing your appetite. Once you get rid of hunger pangs, you can focus more on your weight loss goals and less on eating!

As you can see, just because you want to lose weight doesn't mean that you have to starve. Many people tend to starve or follow crash diets but nothing beats eating and losing weight. I firmly believe that if you eat the right foods, you will not only lose weight but also become healthy. Plus the foods I mentioned above are also rich in vitamins and antioxidants.
Also remember that these are not the only weight loss super foods that are available to you. Other foods such as nuts, oatmeal, eggs and almonds can also help you with weight loss. Add these foods to your diet and see how quickly you are able to get rid of your fat belly!
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2 Steps To Successful Weight Loss



You have probably heard a lot about the importance of positive thinking in weight loss. If you keep harboring negative thoughts, you will never be able to lose weight. On the other hand, if you become a positive thinker, weight loss will become easy for you. Let me give you an example.

Believe it or not, you are unable to lose weight because you believe that you are fat; chances are that, you even hate yourself for the same reason. Now, if you believe yourself to be thin instead. can you imagine the positive impact it can have on your weight loss goals? Your mindset and attitude can make or break your weight loss goals. In this article I will tell you how to develop a positive mindset.

Remember though that just as you cannot lose weight overnight, you also cannot transform your negative thoughts into positive ones within a very short time. So be patient with yourself and try to incorporate these changes slowly into your life!

1. The reason behind your weight loss: What is the big reason behind your weight loss efforts? Why is it that you want to lose weight? Is it simply because you are unable to bear with the taunts you receive from your office colleagues, or is it because you keep getting turned down for dates, or is it simply because you want a figure like your favorite celebrity whose photo you recently saw in a magazine? Whatever it is, write them all down on a piece of paper. Note down all the reasons behind your weight loss endeavors, no matter how small or big they are!

For best results, buy some Post--It-Notes(r) stickers and write down everything on such a sticker, and make copies of it on other stickers. Then stick those stickers at every corner of your house so that you are reminded of your weight loss goals everyday. Don't forget to stick them on your kitchen and refrigerator as well: those are the places where you are most likely to be tempted to eat the 'forbidden foods' or 'cheat' on your diet program!

2. Motivation and realistic goals: Now it is time to set some realistic goals for yourself. To do that, you need to know your ideal body weight, and then subtract that from your current body weight. The resulting figure you now get is the amount of body weight you got to lose to acquire the kind of figure you want.
Now, realistically, you cannot lose more than 2 pounds per week. Do the math and find out how many pounds you can lose a year from now. Again, be realistic in your goals, as unrealistic goals serve no purpose. If you weigh 100 pounds or more, don't expect to gain a svelte figure like Jessica Alba within a month!

Once you have set your goals, you now need some motivation that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. What you will use to motivate yourself will depend on the reason behind your weight loss. If you want to be like your favorite celebrity, hang the pictures of that celebrity all around your house. Side by side, also hang your picture with your current body weight! That would be more than enough to keep you motivated!
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2 Easy Ways To Conquer Weight Loss Plateau



You were probably losing weight successfully for the first few weeks after you joined a new diet program, only to be stuck to a certain point later. When people start a diet program they rapidly lose a few pounds, because most diet programs are created to offer you 'instant weight loss'. Sadly enough, this 'instant weight loss' is more often than not 'temporary' weight loss.

You will lose weight very quickly for the first few weeks but after that, you will suddenly discover that the scale is not going down anymore! You are not losing any more weight than what you have lost already! You have hit a situation commonly known as weight loss plateau! In such situations, the only remedy is a complete overhaul of your lifestyle habits.

You have probably done the same sets of exercises as well as ate the same types of foods over and over again during those first few weeks when you were losing weight. As a result your body got accustomed to your diet and exercise routine. When that happened, your weight loss methods failed to bring any sustainable results!

If you want to go beyond this point, you need to change your diet and exercise regimen.

Here are two methods you need to follow to get out of the weight loss plateau.

1. Calorie-counting is not the way to go: When you count your calories, you basically limit the intake of calories to an abnormally low level. When you eat low calorie foods, there is no incentive for your body to increase your metabolic rate since it has to burn only a few calories. The result is that your metabolic rate always remains at a very low level. When your metabolic rate is low, you aren't able to burn fat!

In order to burn fat and lose weight successfully, you need to forget about calorie counting and eat enough so that your body is forced to keep your metabolic rate at a high level. Your body needs fuel to burn fat, and it can get that fuel only from foods!

2. Exercise more: If you have been avoiding exercises altogether, or have been doing only light exercises, then you cannot lose weight. Weight loss is only possible if you perform high intensity workouts daily. Instead of being afraid of exercises, try to love them. Exercises are yet another powerful way of increasing your metabolic rate.

Follow these two methods and you will soon be able to acquire the slim body you desire!


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Friday, July 25, 2008

Did You Know You May Be Eating Chlorinated Chicken


If you are trying to eat healthy…you need to know this.Recent news about the importation of poultry to shops in Europe has brought to light an issue that some Americans didn’t know themselves. We are eating chlorinated chickens.

Big poultry producers in the United States do put their chicken in chlorine baths to decontaminate it as required by the FDA. Am I the only one that thinks this is crazy? Especially when there are other ways of decontamination?

Successful trials, including several at the University of Georgia, have shown that electrolyzed water is highly effective at killing food-borne bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, without affecting the quality of the food.

The export of poultry issue has some Europeans in an uproar. Europeans have stricter animal rights laws which they should want to uphold. But the biggest problem right now is that the US chickens are dipped in a chlorine solution to disinfect them after being slaughtered.

While there is little proof that this is harmful to human health, there is little proof that it is safe. However, according to the U.S. Council Of Environmental Quality, "Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine."

It’s not known yet the long term effects of chemical reactions that occur with chlorine and meat. These reactions might be mutagenic, which could lead to cancer with high enough exposure.

Organic Chicken… The Only Way Around It

Certified organic chicken is supplied by individual farmers. Organic production comes from a holistic system which actively manages the linkage between healthy soils, plants, animals, food and people and promotes environmental sustainability and animal welfare. Providers of certified 100% organic chicken are not required to use the same processing as the big companies.

This is an important reason to know your farmers and/or butchers whenever possible. Or, if this is not possible, spend the extra time to seek out trustworthy companies that provide completely organic chicken. You can find organic chicken in your local stores and on-line…but check out their processing techniques and read the label.

Chlorine should not be what’s for dinner and does not belong on a plan for healthy eating.


Tuesday, July 22, 2008

What You Should Know About Cardiovascular Disease In Women


Cardiovascular disease, also known as CVD, is the number one killer of men and women of all ethnic groups in the United States. Cardiovascular diseases include such problems as high blood pressure, arrhythmia, valve disease, congestive heart failure and stroke. The truth of the matter is that one in four women is affected with some form of cardiovascular disease.

Risk factors for cardiovascular diseases include high blood pressure, obesity, abnormal blood glucose, and even the use of tobacco, among other things. When addressed at an early age, these risk factors can be fixed to help prevent cardiovascular disease.


Altering ones lifestyle can help to lower the chances of cardiovascular diseases. Eating a diet that is low in fat and cholesterol, adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, drinking enough water daily and exercising for half an hour a day are all suggested ways to lower the chances of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular diseases are known as silent killers, as they often have no symptoms. If you think you may be having any symptoms of heart disease, you should speak to your doctor

In connection with cardiovascular disease are "’palpitations’. They interrupt the normal heart rhythm, which can feel like a missed beat. This can actually be harmless “quirk” of your body’s functions, or can lead to problems that are far more serious.

If a woman has these palpitations or any other symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, or shortness of breath, she should contact her doctor. A complete medical history, physical exam, and other tests will be run to determine the cause of these behaviors, which can be anything from stress-related behavior to something far more dangerous.

The advice and consultation of a physician where cardiovascular disease is concerned is the only way to go.

How Does Our Body Use Food For Nutrients

When a person eats food, the process of how the body gets its nutrients is called digestion. This breaks food down into its respective nutrients.

Carbohydrates get broken down into single units of sugars, protein into amino acids and fats into fatty acids.


This process of receiving nutrients actually starts when you chew the food. Then the food travels down into the stomach through the esophagus where it is liquefied by stomach acids.

When the food reaches your small intestines, this is where the nutrient harvesting begins.Most of the digestion and absorption of the food occurs here in your small intestine. Digestive enzymes called lipase, amylase and protease act on fats, carbohydrates and proteins to break them down into their nutrients for absorption.

Once the food has been broken down by the acids into their simple units, they are then absorbed into the blood stream for further chemical changes to make other compounds that the body needs.

Water and small fats cross the intestinal wall easily. Some nutrients such as water and fat soluble vitamins need a carrier to take them across the wall. Other nutrients such as proteins and glucose move across the wall and into the blood stream by themselves but use energy to do so. This is a simple explanation of how the body uses foods as nutrients.


Friday, June 20, 2008

5 Places That Are Full Of Germs



You may be the type of person who is very health conscious. You eat right, exercise, have quit smoking or never started and do all you can to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But do you know and are you careful about the 5 places that are full of germs?

There are common things that can make you and your family sick. Here are the top five places that are full of germs, and information on what you can do to keep those little pests at bay.

Clean Up Your Act:

1) Your toothbrush. The germ filled reality is that every time you flush the toilet, your toothbrush can get sprayed with bacteria. Experts say the average toilet bowl contains 3.2 million germs per square inch, and when you flush, these germs fly up to six feet.

How to fix it: Store your toothbrush as far away from the toilet as possible, or keep it in the medicine cabinet.

2) Your kitchen sponge. Lots of studies have shown that a sponge is one of the most germ filled objects in the house and can be home to billions of bacteria. These bacteria could even be staphylococcus or salmonella, which can cause you or your family to get very ill.

How to fix it: An article published in The Journal of Environmental Health states that dampening your sponge with water and then putting it in the microwave for two minutes will help kill the germs. Some experts say that it's better to rinse sponges with soap and water and let them dry out between uses. Either way, it's important that sponges be replaced every few weeks in order to prevent excessive bacteria buildup. As well, there are lots of ‘use and discard’ products on the market.

3) Your purse. Researchers at Nelson Laboratories say that women's purses can carry a host of nasty little germs including salmonella and E. coli. These little germs can cause gastrointestinal and eye problems. As well, researchers found trace fecal contamination on the majority of purses tested. Gross….but true

How to fix it: Don’t your purse on the floor of a train, bus, car, or public restroom. Also, wipe it down with antibacterial wipes at the end of each day. If your purse is washable, toss it in the washing machine every couple of weeks on a gentle cycle.

4) Your office desk. A study at U of A study showed that the average office desk contains 20,961 germs per square inch. The worst desktop germ holders? Phones, computer keyboards, and mousse. All of which can serve as a breeding ground for germs and the viruses that cause colds and flu.

How to fix it: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), you can cut down on these germs by wiping down the desk with disinfectant and not eating at your desk.

5) Your makeup. You might think that tube of lipstick is beautiful, but there may be more to your makeup than making you look good. Cosmetics and the applicators act like sponges. They harbor tons of germs, which could lead to eye and skin infections.

How to fix it: The American Academy of Dermatology recommends replacing powders and eye shadows every two years, foundation and lipstick every year, and mascara every three months. Applicators should also be washed regularly with soap and water.

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