6 tips to kick start weight loss

Now we can help you stick to that New Year's resolution of losing weight if you just follow these six tips.

1. Keep moving each day: all it takes to see a weight-loss benefit is 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily.
You don't need to be athletic. Just brisk walking or dancing to your favourite music or using an aerobic exercise machine like a stationary bike or treadmill is all you need to do – just try to do it each day. 
You can break it into 10- or 15-minute sessions throughout the day to get the weight-loss benefit,

2. Keep a food journal: By spending a little extra time to write down everything you eat and drink, you'll be able to see where extra calories sneak in.
There are lots of good online tools that can help estimate the calorie content of common foods and track your weight loss progress over time.

3. Set realistic goals: For long-term success, aim for a slow, steady weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. No one wants to lose weight only to gain it all back – and often more – a few months later.

4. Set specific goals: set several smaller but more specific goals, such as eating five servings of vegetables per day, taking a 15-minute walk at lunch each day or drinking six glasses of water per day.
Adding healthy behaviors to your routine is often easier than telling yourself 'don't do this' or 'don't eat that.

5. Don't let one slip-up derail your efforts: Don't throw your entire routine out the window after one bad day. Instead, try to identify the specific barriers that got in your way and think through strategies to avoid such challenges in the future.

6. Practice yoga: regular yoga practice and weight maintenance and weight loss are related, according to several studies.
It is found that regular yoga practice is associated with the prevention of middle-age spread in normal-weight people and the promotion of weight loss in those who are overweight.
A follow-up study published in 2009 found that regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese.
These findings fit with our hypothesis that yoga increases mindfulness in eating and leads to less weight gain over time, independent of the physical activity aspect of yoga practice.

Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss, such as dieting, counting calories and limiting portion sizes. Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective

Why using oregano is good

Oregano belongs to the mint family of plants. Besides culinary purposes, oregano can also be used for its medicinal properties.

Here are some of its varied benefits...

- Oregano leaves are a good source of manganese, iron and Vitamin A. Regularly eating these fresh leaves can help boost the immune system.

- Thymol and carvacol compounds present in oregano are beneficial in aiding digestion and treating stomach upsets. Drink a glass of water with two to three drops of oregano oil for relief.

- Oregano is known to relieve menstrual cramps. Chew a few leaves thrice a day to seek relief.

- Severe cold and lung congestion can be treated using oregano oil. Add a few drops of this oil to a glass of water and drink for about three to five days.

- Oregano oil contains antibacterial and antiviral properties, and is useful for treating skin infections.

Eggs for breakfast cut calorie intake

Eating eggs for breakfast everyday can reduce hunger and decreases calorie consumption at lunch and throughout the day, according to a new study.

The study found that men who consumed an egg-based breakfast ate significantly fewer calories when offered an unlimited lunch buffet compared to when they ate a carbohydrate-rich bagel breakfast of equal calories.

The study supports previous research which revealed that eating eggs for breakfast as part of a reduced-calorie diet helped overweight dieters lose 65 per cent more weight and feel more energetic than dieters who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories and volume.

There is a growing body of evidence that supports the importance of high-quality protein in the diet for overall health and in particular the importance of protein at the breakfast meal. On examining two typical American breakfasts, and the participants' self-reported appetite ratings reveal that a protein-rich breakfast helps keep hunger at bay.

Starting the day with a high-quality protein breakfast like eggs is a great tool to promote long-lasting fullness and reduced calorie consumption. For only 70 calories, eggs are a compact, nutrient-rich source of high-quality protein, and nearly half of an egg's protein, along with many other nutrients, is found in the yolk, so I always encourage eating the whole egg.

How veggies protect against cancer

A new research has shown how vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage help reverse or prevent cancers and other aging-related diseases.

"Your mother always told you to eat your vegetables" and she was right, But now we better understand why she was right — compounds in many of these foods suppress gene aberrations that over time cause fatal diseases.

Epigenetics is the study of the changes in human gene expressions with time, changes that can cause cancer and Alzheimer's, among other diseases. In recent years, epigenetics research worldwide, have identified specific food compounds that inhibit negative epigenetic effects. 

Those foods include soybeans, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage. Green tea, fava beans, kale, grapes and the spice turmeric round out the diet.

"The epigenetics diet can be adopted easily, because the concentrations of the compounds needed for a positive effect are readily achievable" 

"Compounds in the epigenetics diet foods can, at the very least, help us lead healthier lives and help our bodies prevent potentially debilitating diseases like breast cancer and Alzheimer's"

5 Foods every woman must eat

Leafy vegetables
It is not possible to meet your nutritional needs without having leafy vegetables in your diet. Spinach, legumes, asparagus, lettuce, fenugreek leaves, broccoli are available in abundance and are huge sources of fibre, Vitamin C and K, folic acid. It is also a vision protector and provides four essential minerals, i.e. calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. Try to have it daily in your diet and darker the better.

Whole grains
Whole grains have up to 96 per cent more fibre and essential nutrients and vitamins than refined grains. Advises diet expert Honey Shah, "I advise my clients to have whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice as they are high in essential nutrients and do not contribute to weight gain. You can start your day with whole wheat cereal or a whole wheat bread toast."

Nuts
Make nuts an essential ingredient in your diet. Sprinkle it on salads or breakfast cereals or stir them into yoghurt because they are an excellent source of protein, magnesium and B & E vitamins. They are useful in fighting heart disease and cancer. Nuts are high in fat calories, but their fat is the heart-healthy kind. You can also eat them as an evening snack. But make sure you don't overdo them. About a quarter cup or about 15-20 almonds, cashews, walnuts are good enough a week.

Yoghurt
Low fat or plain yoghurt is a great source of vitamins, protein and calcium. It also has healthy bacteria which can fight diseases. "Three to four cups a week is good enough for your diet. But make sure you don't add sugar to it. Instead choose plain yoghurt and add fruits or berries to it," suggests dietician Pinky.

Berries
Ever wondered why most of the diet fibre products have berries in them? Reason being berries are high in fill-you-up fibre and also helps curb weight. Berries have more protective plant antioxidants than almost any other food. These antioxidants not only lower your disease risks, but also help prevent memory loss. You can have a bowl full of them thrice a week. It could be fresh or frozen, benefits stay!

The benefits of stretching

Stretching will improve appearance, flexibility, health, and overall performance. First, warm-up for 5-10 minutes at a low intensity (such as the elliptical machine, exercise bike, or treading mill) and stretch the muscles used.

If your workout time allows it, a cardiovascular exercise for at least 20 minutes at a faster pace is recommended. Then, a 5-10 minute cooldown at low intensity should be completed. cool down for 5-10 minutes at a low intensity (50-60 per cent of your maximum heart rate). Now that you've warmed up, you should stretch every major muscle group.

Why should you stretch? 
It builds bigger, better-quality muscles.
Stretching helps prevent postural problems..
It results in far less muscle-pulling overextension injuries compared to not stretching.
Simple stretches increase range of motion.
It improves muscle appearance.
Flexibilty exercises help prevent overuse injuries from occuring.
Stretching gives you more flexibility, which prevents soreness, allowing for faster recovery and better muscle growth.
Stretching allows for a more active lifestyle later in life.
It invigorates the circulatory, respiratory and neuromuscular systems.

Don't go for coffee with fast food

Avoid coffee during a fast food meal because it could have dangerous repercussions for your wellbeing as it causes a spike in blood sugar levels.

"A healthy person's blood sugar levels shoot up after eating a high-fat meal, but that spike doubles after having both a fatty meal and caffeinated coffee - jumping to levels similar to those of people at risk of diabetes," says Marie-Soleil Beaudoin from University of Guelph.

"The results tell us that saturated fat interferes with the body's ability to clear sugars from the blood and, when combined with caffeinated coffee, the impact can be even worse," said Beaudoin, doctoral student who conducted the study, reports the Journal of Nutrition.

"Having sugar remain in our blood for long periods is unhealthy because it can take a toll on our body's organs," adds Beaudoin, who conducted the study with Guelph professors Lindsay Robinson and Terry Graham, according to a University of Guelph statement.

The study is the first to examine the effects of saturated fat and caffeinated coffee on blood sugar levels using a novel fat cocktail which contains only lipids.

This specially designed beverage allows researchers to accurately mimic what happens to the body when we ingest fat.

For the study, healthy men drank about one gram of the fat beverage for every kilogram of body weight for their first meal. Six hours later, they were given a second meal consisting of a sugar drink.

Typically when we ingest sugar, the body produces insulin, which takes the sugar out of the blood and distributes it to our muscles, said Beaudoin.

But the researchers found that the fatty meal affected the body's ability to clear the sugar out of the blood. The subjects' blood sugar levels were 32 per cent higher than they were when the men had not ingested the fat cocktail.

Bread may actually be good for you

Nutritionists have declared that bread, far from being something to avoid, is actually beneficial for your health.

It comes with vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals, especially if you choose wholegrain varieties with added nuts, seeds or dried fruits.

But even white sliced bread has some nutritional value, as it's a great source of calcium (essential if you've cut out that other modern dietary bogey, dairy).

Meanwhile, a new American diet book, "The Carb Lover's Diet", insists that bread, far from being fattening, actually helps to burn calories, the Daily Mail reports.

It says, wholegrain bread is rich in 'resistant starch', a type of carbohydrate that leaves you feeling fuller for longer because it's hard to digest.

"Studies show that resistant starch can help to curb cravings, control blood sugar levels and boost metabolism," say authors Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth.

As it has only 80-100 calories a slice, bread can be a positive aid to weight loss rather than a diet-buster, as long as you don't slather it with prawn mayo.

What's more, although it has been fashionable in recent years to claim to be allergic to wheat, the number of people genuinely affected remains very small, between one-two percent of the population, according to Allergy UK.

And sufferers' symptoms go well beyond a bit of temporary bloating - they may get headaches, nausea, aches and pains or hay-fever-like symptoms.

If you do feel a little bloated after eating bread, nutritionists say that's probably related to the effects of eating fibre and is good for you.

3 square meals a day curb hunger pangs

A new research has suggested that eating fewer, regular-sized meals with higher amounts of lean protein can make one feel fuller than eating smaller, more frequent meals.

"We found that when eating high amounts of protein, men who were trying to lose weight felt fuller throughout the day; they also experienced a reduction in late-night desire to eat and had fewer thoughts of food," said Heather J. Leidy, an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri who was a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue for this study.

"We also found that despite the common trend of eating smaller, more frequent meals, eating frequency had relatively no beneficial impact on appetite control. The larger meals led to reductions in appetite, and people felt full. We want to emphasize though that these three larger meals were restricted in calories and reflected appropriate portion sizes to be effective in weight loss," he added.

"Our advice for people trying to lose weight is to add a moderate amount of protein at three regular meals a day to help appetite control and the feeling of fullness," said Wayne W. Campbell, Purdue professor of foods and nutrition.

"Egg and lean pork products and soyabean for vegetarians are good sources for protein, and if they are incorporated at meals when people do not normally consume protein, such as at breakfast and lunch, they may prove to be a nice strategy to control weight; promote satiety, which is the feeling of being full; and retain lean tissue mass, which is essential for people as they age," he added.

Aerobics help improve sleep, mood

Regular aerobic exercise improves the quality of sleep, mood and vitality, according to a new study.

The study is the first to examine the effect of aerobic exercise on middle-aged and older adults with a diagnosis of insomnia.

About 50 per cent of people in these age groups complain of chronic insomnia symptoms. The study is scheduled for publication in the journal Sleep Medicine.

The aerobic exercise trial resulted in the most dramatic improvement in patients' reported quality of sleep, including sleep duration, compared to any other non-pharmacological intervention, according to a Northwestern University release.

"This is relevant to a huge portion of the population," said Phyllis Zee, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Northwestern University and senior study author.

Kathryn Reid, research assistant professor at Northwestern, who led the research, says: "Insomnia increases with age," Zee said.

"Around middle age, sleep begins to change dramatically. It is essential that we identify behavioural ways to improve sleep. Now we have promising results showing aerobic exercise is a simple strategy to help people sleep better and feel more vigorous."

The drug-free strategy also is desirable, because it eliminates the potential of a sleeping medication interacting with other drugs a person may be taking, Reid said.

Sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, like nutrition and exercise, noted Zee, a professor of neurology, neurobiology, and physiology at the Northwestern University.