Posted in Article on January 27, 2012
How much do you know about food? Lose weight by increasing your knowledge about what to eat. Only by educating yourself about the true nature of food will you be able to shed pounds. This article is going to talk about what you need to know about food to lose weight.
First of all, you need to know about calories. Calories are the fundamental item in any weight loss program. The basic rule is that to lose a pound, you need to burn 3500 calories than you eat. If you want to lose a pound a week, you need to burn 500 calories a day more than you take in.
Not all foods are created equal. While Twinkies are banned on every diet, some diets treat food lose weight differently. For instance, Adkins and the South Beach diets encourage you to restrict your carbohydrate intake while allowing you to eat as much protein and fat as you want. The Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, encourages you to eat complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while limiting red meat and most kinds of fats. Both schools have their food lose weight fans.
The next thing you need to know about is that the time of day that you eat is important. The old saying “eat like a King at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner” is very true for people thinking about food to lose weight.
A big breakfast is a good way to start the day because it will keep you full through lunch. Having a moderate sized lunch and a light mid afternoon snack will keep you going through the afternoon. But how much energy do you really need in the evening? Most people watch television, read, or surf the internet after dinner. That’s why a light dinner is all you need. Also, close the kitchen after dinner and don’t eat for the four hours preceding bedtime.
The kinds of foods you have can also be a factor in food weight loss. Scrambled egg whites are a great breakfast base. For lunch, you can even eat out if you know what to choose. Any of the foods on the Subway “under 6″ menu are perfect. For dinner, try a broth based soup to start followed by a salad with low fat dressing. Have a small serving of meat with a larger serving of vegetables.
Of course, you are going to want snacks, and that’s okay provided that you know what is good to eat. Hagan Daas can even be on your diet, provided that it is their yummy sorbet. Chocolate Dream cookies can substitute for your favorite chocolate chip type. But otherwise, stick to fruit, pretzels, and vegetables.
Another issue to consider is how much sodium you have in your diet. Your body only needs about 500 grams of sodium, but most Americans have between 3000 to 6000 grams a day. All that extra salt leads to bloating and weight gain. Drinking 8 or more glasses of water a day can help to mitigate this problem by flushing some of the sodium out of your system.
The food lose weight connection is real. I encourage you to try to learn as much as possible about what foods really have in them including their calorie, carbohydrate, fat, protein, and sodium contents.
Posted in Recipe on January 26, 2012
Ingredients
2 small mangoes, peeled, pitted, diced
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients in medium sized bowl; toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Posted in Recipe on January 25, 2012
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup Natural Apple Juice
Juice from 1 lime
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp Chicken Flavor Instant Bouillon
Directions
Spray large, nonstick pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook chicken, turning once, for 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove from pan and keep warm.
Combine Apple Juice, lime juice, cornstarch and bouillon in small bowl.
Add to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until thick. Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.
(Makes 4 Servings)
Posted in Video on January 24, 2012
Video: This exercise helps to strengthen your lower back, it is also good for your glutes and hamstring muscles.
Posted in Video on January 23, 2012
Video: Mountain climbers are great for the legs but will also get your heart rate going.
Posted in Article on January 22, 2012
For someone being obese, health problem risks are greatly elevated. The extra weight can cause physical problems like bone and joint problems. And things like diabetes, heart disease, cancers and other serious conditions are more likely to occur. For those who are being obese, health problem risks often center around a condition known as metabolic syndrome.
For someone being obese, heath problem risks are generally directly tied to this syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is just a term for a cluster of conditions that tend to occur together. The presence of these conditions is a pretty good indicator about future health.
For instance, someone with metabolic syndrome is going to have a much higher chance of heart disease, stroke or diabetes than someone who doesn’t have the condition. For people who have one or two of the conditions that make up metabolic syndrome, their risk of these serious diseases is still a little less than someone with a full-on case.
The conditions that are generally present in metabolic syndrome include:
- Obesity. People with metabolic syndrome are generally obese, often with much of their body fat centered in their stomach, giving them an “apple” shape.
- High blood triglycerides (fat).
- High blood pressure.
- Low HDL cholesterol levels. This is high-density lipoprotein, also known as the “good” cholesterol. Having a low good cholesterol level has been found to be more dangerous. than having a high “bad” cholesterol, or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) level.
- Insulin resistance.
A person can have one or two of those conditions without having metabolic syndrome. But their risks for developing the other conditions is very high. In fact, having just one of the conditions listed above makes it very likely that you’ll develop the others.
Being obese, health problem risks are elevated, but there are some factors in metabolic syndrome that a person can’t control. A family history of diabetes, for instance, puts a person at greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
Age and race are also factors. Asians and Hispanics tend to develop metabolic syndrome at a greater rate than other races. And the older a person gets, the greater the risk of developing the syndrome.
But for the most part, the conditions that make up the syndrome and the syndrome itself are preventable. And there are no special drugs or treatments required to prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome.
The first recommendation, whether you want to prevent the syndrome or reverse it, is to eat a healthy diet. Choose whole foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables and avoid carb-laden, starchy processed foods. Don’t drink sodas or other sugar-rich beverages, but opt for water instead.
The next step is to get some exercise. Walk for a half an hour or so each day. That’s all it takes. This along with a healthy diet can help you lose weight, the third thing to do to defeat metabolic syndrome. Being obese, health problem risks including that of metabolic syndrome are elevated if you smoke, so quit smoking and you’ll be on your way to preventing or reversing the disease.
Posted in Article on January 21, 2012
More and more teens are presenting as overweight and obese. It is becoming an epidemic that is putting a strain on the medical resources and the life expectancy of many young people. All of which, given the state of the average teenager’s diet, is no surprise. Therefore, finding a free weight loss for teens program has become a regular quest.
With this in mind, it is important that any program of weight loss that is going to work has to be one that does not exploit or offer unrealistic goals. Instead a weight loss program that takes into account the growing and changing body and mind of the teenager should always the preferred option.
Without a doubt, any free weight loss for teens program should start with the basics. A close look should be taken at what the teenager is eating on a regular basis and also, how much physical activity the teenager is taking.
As already stated, some teenagers do not have the healthiest of diets. Many of them exist on nothing more than junk food. If this is the case, then the first thing that has to go is that junk food diet. The more junk food that can be cut out of the diet, the more weight is likely to be lost.
Instead a diet made up of fresh fruits and vegetables is what is needed. This might not sound as interesting as a diet of pizza, fries and hamburgers, but the more fruit and vegetables that are eaten, the better the all round weight management and health. Does that mean no more pizza ever? Well no, it just means that pizza, and other considered junk foods, should be eaten sparingly and not eaten as the norm.
The next step towards finding a free weight loss for teens program, is to make sure that there is plenty of regular exercise being taken. That means getting the heart and lungs pumping and working at least three or four times per week for at least twenty minutes at a time. It doesn’t mean that any teen who is not gym orientated or who does not enjoy jogging has to start doing those particular activities. No, any sport or activity that is not preferred, should not be undertaken. Going for a vigorous walk a few times a week is considered adequate exercise. Whatever the exercise taken, it should be done so willingly, only then is it more likely to be continued.
Above all, a free weight loss for teens plan should be realistic and not set the teenager up for failure. Repeated failures are demoralizing and will only result in weight gain. Small, steady progress is always the way to go to see long lasting weight loss.
Posted in Video on January 20, 2012
Video: The chest press targets the chest and arm muscles.
Posted in Article on January 19, 2012
Okay, you have learnt about the ?Alternating Hammer Curls?, now let?s get started on the one arm dumbbell preacher curls. Yes, the words ?Preacher Curls? sound sort of ridiculous, but if you want to get that nice peak in your arms, then you should get your dumbbell and get each arm ready for the single arm dumbbell preacher curls.
The Preacher Curls happens to be the best isolating exercises, doing this exercise will help you isolate bicep muscles and makes sure that you pack weight on and achieve a really fast muscle growth in the most popular muscle group; and that is, the biceps.
What You Need to Do The One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curls
You will require a preacher curl bench which you can find in most gyms. If you do not have the time to go to the gym as often as you would like, you can invest in one for your home?s fitness room. You will also need a dumbbell.
How to Do the One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curls
Adjust the height of the preacher bench so that it is at a really comfortable level for you. If you have the bench too low, this will not give you adequate room to reach over and carryout the exercise. Adjust the height of the bench in such a way that you will be sitting comfortably with the back of your arm on the padded area which is right in front of you.
Take a dumbbell that you can successfully handle for 8 repetitions (at least). Use a lightweight dumbbell because this exercise is not so easy to perform ? just get used to the movement first before you switch to heavier dumbbells.
Position your arm (the one holding the dumbbell) stretched out and placed on the bench?s pad. Rest the other arm on top of the pad ? doing this will help stabilize your body during the process of carrying out the exercise.
Make sure you straighten your upper body and back and position your feet in a position that will lend you more stability.
Start the exercise by curling your arm upward till it?s a little bit above horizontal. The biceps should be the only muscles working with support from the forearm muscles. Ensure that your elbow does not slide or move and make sure you do not twist or tilt your upper body.
As soon as you have reached the top position, make sure that you hold for a second or two before you lower down the dumbbell to the starting position.
Important Note
For really big muscle growth, you will need to pack on more weight, but like it was mentioned earlier, start with lightweight dumbbells until you have complete control over the dumbbell.
You will of course work both arms in order to avoid one arm growing way bigger than the other. If you want to see quick results, you should make sure that you include the one arm dumbbell preacher curls in your regular exercise routine.
Posted in Article on January 18, 2012
Yoga is another exercise which doesn’t require a whole lot of equipment to start with. Basically all you need is a yoga mat. If you attend a local yoga class these may even be provided for you. Yoga is also a great exercise that can be done at home with just a DVD to follow.
Before starting any type of yoga it is a good idea to do some research and even watch a few DVD’s. There are certain poses that you will need to learn. Plus to get the most benefit you want to be assured of doing them correctly.
You will also want to learn breathing techniques as this will also enhance your performance. Your body is bound to get a little sore after your first yoga session. This is perfectly normal and the soreness can be reduced a little by stretching afterwards.
A good yoga class or video will take you through an entire yoga workout. This should include a warm up period, a breathing or meditation technique and then proceeds into the main yoga session. In between all of this you will be taught certain poses like the child pose that allows you to take a short rest period. The class or video will end with you performing a series of cool down poses along with stretching.
To get the most of your yoga class you should not wear any socks or shoes. You should also not eat a large meal before exercising and you will want to drink some water before your class.
Any good teacher will have the ability to help you adapt any of the yoga positions that you find too difficult. Remember not to compare yourself to others as they may be more advanced than you.
When first starting out with yoga you don’t have to rush out and buy yoga clothing. Just wear pants and a top that are comfortable and be sure your clothes don’t restrict your movements. Lightweight clothes are recommended as they will help keep the moisture away from your skin.
After a few yoga sessions you can decide if this is the type of exercise that you would like to continue with. If so then you can start to purchase more yoga equipment as necessary.
It is possible to find low cost alternatives for exercising. There are many low cost yoga classes that are available. If not you can get a library book or even look online for yoga videos if money really is an issue.
