Wellness

Help keep cravings at bay with tempting foods that can aid weight loss goals.

Finding snacks and meals that satisfy hunger without piling calories onto a diet can be challenging, especially with so many pre-packaged and processed choices on store shelves. While most dieters engage in food martyrdom (and subsequently, food temptation), this process can be avoided with the right choices.

A few surprising foods are helpful when it comes to fighting temptation. Favorite snacks may not necessarily be off-limits since many possess fat-burning or low-calorie properties that help trim inches or minimize fat absorption while satisfying snack or mealtime hunger.

Cranberry Oatmeal and Cinnamon Yogurt

Oatmeal’s dietary properties are renowned, but a bowl of bland oatmeal without sugar and butter seems unappetizing. Dress up the grains with a sweet treat: dried cranberries. A healthful substitute for traditional sweet choices, the berries are a perfect choice when combined with a little low-fat milk in a bowl of hot oatmeal.

Stir up healthy yogurt from low-fat vanilla to a spicy cinnamon serving. The fat-fighting choice of cinnamon makes a great substitute for flavored fruit syrups or traditional ice cream toppings that dieters are tempted to add to bland flavors like vanilla or plain berry.

Swiss Slices and Avocado Spread

Enjoy a healthy snack of sliced Swiss cheese on wheat crackers for a side dish or craving response. Swiss cheese helps trim inches from the waist without piling unhealthy fat or calories into the average diet. Pair with low-fat sliced turkey or chicken for extra bulk without breaking a diet.

A savory spread made from avocado, a teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of salt make a perfect topping for crackers, salads, or crisp baguettes. Despite the reputation of store brand guacamole dip, avocadoes are a surprisingly healthy source of protein and nutrients, offering healthy fat alternatives to calorie-laden protein choices.

Pasta and Veggie Salad

Whole-wheat pasta is the latest fad in healthy diet choices, helping dieters cut calories while enjoying a favorite menu selection. Boil a cup of pasta, then combine with a dash of lemon juice, two equal tablespoons of melted butter and olive oil, and sliced tomato. Sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan cheese for a tasty pasta salad, or dress up with a little low-fat Italian dressing and a diced boiled egg for protein.

Making healthy choices without starving, breaking a diet, or bulking up with processed foods is half the battle in losing weight. Choosing a few favorite foods with positive diet characteristics can make sticking to a healthy diet a little easier.

The carb-free diet is one that has become popular in the last decade, due in part to a famous diet plan and also to the amazing results that some dieters have experienced while on this diet. For individuals who want to lose weight fast, the carb-free diet may prove to be the fastest weight loss diet on the market. The goal of this article is to help individuals understand the diet and how to use it.

Know Which Foods to Avoid

The carb-free diet has several foods that are not allowed; however, individuals are able to eat until they’re satisfied and don’t have to feel as though they are suffering. By understanding which foods to avoid, individuals can stick to the diet and get the results they want.

Some of the foods that should be avoided while on the carb-free diet include bread and other grains, fruits and fruit juices, foods high in saturated and trans fats, and some milk and dairy products. There are other foods that are perfectly fine to eat, and some which are highly recommended. It’s important to learn these rules before attempting a carb-free diet.

Learn to Recognize the Body’s Full Feeling

Another important thing that has helped the carbohydrate-free diet become the fastest weight loss diet on the market is individuals learning how to recognize when their bodies are full. Oftentimes, especially when one is hungry, it’s easy to eat past the full feeling, adding unnecessary calories and fat to the daily intake.

One way to learn to recognize this feeling is to eat slowly. As the stomach fills, it sends messages to the brain, and studies have shown that it can take up to twenty minutes for the brain to register that the stomach is full. By eating slowly and chewing the food more before swallowing, one can give his or her body time to catch up and realize that it is full.

Eat Less but More Often

The carb-free diet can be more of a success when individuals feel full and don’t feel as if they are being restricted. This restriction can often lead to binges or giving up on a diet completely. However, by eating less food more often, individuals will stay full for a longer period of time. This eating habit also allows the metabolism to speed up and kick in more easily, which will burn fat faster. Some individuals choose to split their daily allowance of calories into 6 meals and a snack. This would make the individual eat every few hours, keeping him or her full longer.

Obtain Support with the Diet

While many individuals consider the different points and what is allowed within a diet, they don’t consider obtaining support. With support, individuals are much more likely to stick to the diet and achieve the results they want. Having others that one can speak to who understands the process and the difficulties can really help. There are a number of online support groups and websites that offer this kind of support and allow individuals to connect with others who are on the same kind of diet. One of the websites that offers support like this can be found at Low Carb Eating.

Understanding the rules, learning to communicate with the body, staying satisfied, and finding support are all extremely important elements of the carb-free diet. When individuals combine these important elements, their chances of achieving success are far greater, and the chances of failing reduce significantly.

Exercise can mean anything from running a marathon to Samba dancing. When building exercise into your schedule, it doesn’t always have to mean signing up for a gym membership. A night out dancing is a great way to have fun as you burn calories. Walking the dog burns calories, so make the route a little longer! Engaging in a variety of activities will keep the pounds coming off more easily with less boredom.

Have a Plan Before You Start a Weight Loss Program

It is important to get organized and have a plan in order for your weight loss program to succeed.

 Consult with your physician if you have been sedentary
 Buy vitamin supplements that will assist in your weight loss program
 Clear out foods from the pantry that might tempt you to go off track
 Shop and stock up on healthy foods.
 Determine what exercise activities you will commit to.

Determining your starting point is also important. How many calories are you currently burning? What is your starting weight? What exercise are you doing? How will you track your progress?

Free Internet Tools for Losing Weight

No matter which diet or program you have decided to follow, the “Calorie Count” Website is an amazing, free website with a wealth of diet and health information to help you get started and keep your program on target. With free registration, it provides a daily log for tracking your food intake, activity, and weight.

At registration, the website asks pertinent questions about your weight, height, activity level, etc., to customize the tools in their site specifically for you. It will tell you how many calories will maintain your current weight and how much you will need to cut back to reach your ideal weight. They even have great recipes!

When you enter into your food diary, the site’s program estimates your food entry’s calorie count and breaks it down by fat, carbs, and protein. When you enter activities, it will add in the calories burned. At the end of the day, you’ll have your total day’s analysis and receive a grade.

Another website to check out is “The Health Status” website. This website has a multitude of tools and calculators that can measure your health status. You can take various assessments to determine cardiac risk, diabetes risk, fitness level, and more. They have calculators that estimate body fat, body mass index, frame size, and even blood alcohol!

Calorie Burning Activities

Health Status has a tool that estimates calories burned by activity also. Simply enter your weight and the exercise duration into the box next to the exercise activity to calculate calories burned. Using their calculator, the following are some examples for a woman who weighs 150, exercising for 30 minutes. (It’s important to incorporate at least 30 minutes 3-4 times per week to lose weight).

Calories burned during a gym workout – Many people. When trying to get into shape, they will visit a gym or purchase exercise equipment to help them burn those calories. Here’s an example of calories burned during a typical half-hour workout.

 Low Impact Aerobics – 206
 Weight lifting – 117
 Pilates Intermediate – 175
 Stair Step Machine – 238
 Step Aerobics – 238
 Elliptical trainer 386
 Jumping jacks – 153
 Water Aerobics – 135
 Yoga - 297

Calories burned during outdoor exercise – Others prefer getting out in the sunshine in their neighborhood for their thirty minutes of exercise:

 Running 5 mph – 288
 Bicycling leisurely – 135
 Badminton – 153
 Walking 4 mph – 175
 Hiking – 202

Calories burned around the house – Most of us don’t realize the calories we burn around the house. Here are a few examples.

 Walking up stairs – 274
 Housework – 99
 Brushing teeth – 85
 Ironing – 76
 Cooking – 90
 Mopping – 153
 Raking Lawn – 135
 Gardening – 184

Calories burned and have Fun – There are many hobbies and activities that help us burn calories as we are just having fun!

 Dancing - 170
 Bowling – 103
 Shopping – 80
 Billiards – 85
 Frisbee playing – 103
 Table tennis – 135
 Sex – 144

Getting healthy and losing weight requires the same planning as taking a trip; Know where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there. Then, once you’ve gotten started, you might even enjoy the journey!

With all the talk about exercise, fitness, and the long-term health benefits of getting fit, why does the rate of obesity keep rising in the U.S.?

When a car begins to run rough or erratically, it’s time for a trip to the local mechanic. When a body begins to perform at a level less than expected, it’s time to sign up and get a membership at a local gym or fitness club. It’s no secret that regular exercise is going to pay off big with lots of positive and healthy long-term benefits.

It’s not rocket science. It’s a simple fact that exercise is going to do more for the fitness, health, and quality of life of people who exercise regularly. It sounds like an easy choice, but the rising obesity rates in this country indicate that fitness and exercise are not being practiced as much as necessary to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or get back into shape to stave off disease.

Exercise Benefit – Weight Loss

Perhaps one of the most obvious benefits of exercise and fitness is weight loss. It’s really a quite amazing process in which the amazing human body can convert just about any junk crammed down the gullet into energy to be used immediately or stored for later use. Think what the body could do if it is nourished with proper nutrition and actually burns more fuel than it stores. That is weight loss, and it’s a huge benefit of exercise and physical activity.

Weight control is perhaps the second most useful benefit of a regular exercise routine or fitness plan. Without changing the diet, an average person could lose weight by simply walking four miles every day and lose about 12 pounds in six months, 24 pounds in a year. Four miles a day is easy to do if it’s broken up into shorter one-mile walks throughout the day.

Exercise Benefit – More Strength

All that walking is going to result in some stronger legs, core, and pulmonary system. Stronger muscles require more calories to function, so it makes sense to strengthen muscles through training in order to burn more calories overall. Other strengthening benefits will be an increase in muscle tone and definition, stronger bones, stronger heart, and a better complexion.

Because muscle mass is a metabolically active body tissue, it burns more calories even when not being worked. For every pound of muscle mass added to the body, an additional 35-50 more calories are burned as fuel. An extra five pounds of muscle burns as much as 250 more calories per day. Strength training includes weight–bearing exercises like walking, jogging, and dancing.

Exercise Benefit – Walk for a Bigger Brain

That’s correct, a bigger brain. The old stereotype of the big, muscular brute who is a little light in the head fat may be just that. The human brain benefits from the additional blood flow provided when exercising. That extra blood flow brings additional oxygen and nutrients to the brain, allowing for quicker firing synapses, which means quicker thinking.

Apparently, walking to clear one’s head is one of the best physical exercises for better brain function. According to The Franklin Institute, studies of senior citizens who went for a regular walk showed significant improvement in memory skills. Walking also improved their ability to learn, concentrate, and reason. The risk of stroke decreased by 57 percent in folks who walked just 20 minutes every day.

Getting enough water is essential to your health and weight loss efforts, but how do you get enough water each day and not feel waterlogged?

Your body is made up of 70% water, and your brain is 90% water. Without adequate water, your body does not function properly.

If you are not in the habit of drinking water on a daily basis, suddenly drinking eight glasses of water may make you feel like you will float away. The average recommendation is to drink eight glasses of water a day, but for others, it may be more or less depending on your activity level. The more exercise you do, the more water you need to drink.

Water has many benefits for your body, some of which you may not even realize.

Water is an appetite suppressant. Many times people feel hungry when they are actually dehydrated. If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water, then wait ten to twenty minutes and see if you are still hungry. If you’re not, it was actually dehydration.

Drinking cold water can help speed up your metabolism. Your body has to work to heat up the water, thereby increasing your metabolism.

Water can help prevent headaches. Many headaches are actually caused by dehydration. If you feel a headache coming on, drink some water and see if it helps to diminish or eliminate your headache.

Drinking more water prevents water retention. This may sound backward, but it is actually accurate. If your body feels like it is beginning to dehydrate, it will retain the water that is already in your body.

Water can help ease joint pain. The cartilage between your bones needs water to remain supple and keep your joints moving as they should.

Water can diminish facial lines and keep a clear complexion. Water helps oxygen flow to your face, and staying properly hydrated keeps your face plumped up and diminishes the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Knowing the benefits of water, how do you increase your water intake to get the healthy body you are striving for?

Try adding one glass of water each day. In just over a week, you will be drinking the eight glasses of water that is recommended each day.

If you are a coffee or soda drinker, replace one cup each day with a cup of water. For many people, suddenly stopping caffeine can cause severe headaches due to withdrawal. Gradually wean yourself off of caffeinated drinks to avoid the withdrawal headache.

If the lack of flavor in water has you hesitant to drink it, add flavor by putting a slice of lemon, lime, or orange in your water. There are several powdered mixes available now that you can add to your water to enhance the flavor. Some offer added benefits like extra fiber or protein. Watch the calorie content on these products, or you may be adding more calories during the day than you anticipate. Sugar-free sweeteners can sabotage your diet as well. Excess use of these mixes can cause water retention and, for some people, headaches.

Keep water bottles in your refrigerator, on your desk, or anyplace else you are on a regular basis. You will find it easier to drink the water you should take each day if it is readily available. Buy a refillable water bottle that you can quickly fill before you leave the house or office or have in your refrigerator-that you just need to grab as you go.

Drink your water through a straw. Most people have a tendency to drink faster and more through a straw.

Keep a large container or pitcher of water in the refrigerator that equals your daily requirement of water. Keeping track of how many glasses of water you have had each day can be difficult. If you find a jug or pitcher that holds the amount of water you need each day, it is easy to monitor the amount of water you have had and how much more you need.

Does the artificial sweetener Splenda cause weight gain? Find out what a new study shows about artificial sweeteners and the effect they have on body fat.

Artificial sweeteners are a topic of controversy. The FDA insists that sweeteners such as Splenda are safe, but a significant portion of the public remains unconvinced – and for a good reason.

Despite the fact that Splenda is almost calorie-free, animal studies have suggested it causes weight gain and raises blood sugar levels by increasing glucose absorption in the small intestine and by altering levels of intestinal hormones that suppress appetite. Now a new study in humans shows that Splenda may not cause weight gain in humans after all. Splenda lovers can breathe a sigh of relief.

Splenda and Weight Gain: Does It or Doesn’t It?

In a study published in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, researchers gave ten young adults either sucralose (Splenda) or glucose and its analog (3- OMG) by a catheter that was placed directly into the small intestine. A control group received only a saline solution. What did they find? There was no difference in blood glucose levels or the appetite-suppressing hormone GLP-1 between the three groups.

Keep in mind that previous studies on Splenda and weight gain were made on animals, and the effects could be different than in humans. This human study, although small, showed that human intestines might process artificial sweeteners such as sucralose differently than animal intestines do. Another recent study was done on children also showed no association between artificial sweeteners and weight gain or changes in blood sugar levels.

Artificial Sweeteners and Weight Gain

Previous animal studies did find an association between some artificial sweeteners and weight gain, which researchers attributed to the fact that artificial sweeteners have the taste of sweet, but when the calories don’t follow, the brain perceives a “mismatch” and fails to turn off hunger signals. This leads to the desire to keep eating more sweet foods.

Splenda and Weight Gain: Is It Okay to Use It?

Whether or not Splenda causes weight gain in humans, it’s a good idea to cut back on Splenda and other artificial sweeteners. Despite the fact that studies show that they’re safe, some people believe they make certain conditions such as migraines worse, and in some users, they cause bloating and intestinal upset.

To add a little sweetness to food, use fruit purees, fruit butter without added sugar, or a natural sweetener such as stevia. Stevia is carbohydrate and calorie-free, but buy the unprocessed kind; it’s all-natural.

By eating fruits like bananas, using flaxseed oil, and increasing one’s intake of protein and vitamins, anyone can start to see a healthier head of hair.

Many men and women out there are plagued by unhealthy hair. Some of the common problems are dandruff, split ends, dull-looking hair, and hair that just does not grow. To help fix these issues, all it takes is an increase in vitamin A, protein, flaxseed oil, and bananas. Most of these items are easily found at any grocery store.

Flaxseed Oil Reduces Dandruff

Dandruff is one of the most common hair issues that people face. The constant itching can be extremely irritating. While there are several different types of dandruff shampoo out there, just know that there is a more natural alternative.

Flaxseed oil “contains an ideal balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids needed for a healthy body,” making this not just a must for healthy hair but for a healthy lifestyle.

The presence of omega-3 fatty acids reduces oil secretions, which can lead to flaking. Flaxseed oil is now available at health food stores and nutritionists’ offices.

Vitamin A and Protein are Essential for Hair Growth

Another prevalent hair issue is the lack and speed of hair growth. To get one’s hair to grow faster, stronger, and longer, all one has to do is incorporate different vitamins and protein into the diet.

Eating protein is one of the easiest ways to help improve one’s hair quality. Protein can be found in meats, fish, cheese, and nuts. Vitamin A is also essential in “maintaining healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes,” according to The Vitamins and Nutrition Center. Eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes, and milk all contain vitamin A.

Eating Bananas Can Prevent Split Ends

Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid, as well as vitamins B, C, and E, and natural oils that promote hair elasticity. While eating bananas as well as other fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure one has healthy hair in the future, there is a home remedy to try that involves bananas as well.

Exercising doesn’t always have to be at a gym filled with lots of machinery or heavyweights. It can also be done at work or home — and anywhere, as long as you have access to some form of weights.

The weights don’t have to be heavy nor varied in size or shape. The exercises will determine what core muscle groups are being used, not the weights per se. The weights can be a single dumbbell weighing five pounds, or two of them to add variety and simultaneous workout to both arms with various multiple muscle groups between them. Here are some exercise tips that fall into two categories — either they are two-arm exercises designed for two dumbbells — or they are one-arm exercises useful for those who want to work a single arm at a time.

Using the Bow and Arrow with Two Dumbbells

In ancient times, bowmen were rally strong and athletic soldiers. This was because of the agility and strength required to be constantly pulling back on those bows — especially longbows. A way we can replicate that type of agility and strength is to practice the method of pulling back on a string with dumbbells instead of a bow.

Hold one dumbbell in front of you vertically with the other parallel to it and also outstretched in front of your body. Now alternate between the two arms in regards to pulling back slowly with a single one of your dumbbells to replicate the actions of a bowman. As you are pulling back, extend the outstretched hand forward as well.

Butterflies Using Two Dumbbells

Another exercise worth trying with two dumbbells is the butterfly exercise. Hold both dumbbells together vertically and your arms bent at the elbow while the dumbbells rest on your chest. Now outstretch both arms, with a dumbbell in each hand, while your chest slightly moves forward. Keep both hands vertical while you do this. Later if you want to add variety, switch it to a horizontal butterfly motion but when both hands meet — meet them at the center, not on your chest but in front of you with fists touching.

Outstretching a single dumbbell in front of you

This exercise is meant to train your muscle intensity or ability to keep the tension for more than a second. What you need is a dumbbell around three to five pounds (depending on your strength) and outstretch it in front of your face. As you do this, you can twist it from vertical to horizontal positioning. You can also change the angle and lift on your arm to work for different muscle groups. The aim is not to hurt your arm but hold it just tight enough where you feel comfortable with the weight but not too comfortable, so it takes more than a minute for you to feel any tension.

A Back-Bending Arch with a Single Dumbbell

This exercise may not be for everyone. It is useful, however, for wrestlers, gymnasts, and martial artists. Grab a very lightweight dumbbell and hold it in front of you with both hands. Now bend your back slowly or arch backward while holding the dumbbell. As you start to tip and balance toward the floor, lift the dumbbell above your head and backward. It is kind of like a back suplex in wrestling but with a dumbbell. This exercise will train balance and core body strength.

Conclusion

There are many other variations of these exercises. For example, you can combine some of them with movement and while switching your lead foot front and back, then switching the lead foot to the other one. These types of exercises condition aerobically and will be of benefit to any athlete.

They are also often taught at boxing gyms to get boxers’ hands ready for constant movement and strain, holding the gloves together for long periods. But really, it is possible to think of many others with creativity combined with light dumbbells or other tools.