Tag: Diet

10 Best juices for your weight loss journey

Posted on by Roy Okwu

It isn’t easy to decide what foods to let go of when you embark on a weight loss journey.

One thing that many diet experts encourage us to consume is juice cleanses, that don’t contain the extra sugar others have.

Homemade juices that combine leafy green vegetables and certain fresh fruits can add essential fat burning vitamins and minerals to enhance your diet and boost metabolism without adding a lot superfluous sugar.

The following list represents the best of the best when it comes to veggies and fruits with juice that contains essential ingredients for a healthy diet. Of course, restricting calories and maintaining an active lifestyle are the main components for weight loss, but combing any of the following juices is a great way to supplement a diet and fast track yourself to a healthier body.

  • Grape Fruit

Keeps hunger at bay and speeds metabolic rate to help burn fat faster. If you’re buying grapefruit juice, however, it’s important to make sure the juice isn’t loaded with additional sugar, which will derail your diet.

  • Kale

Feeling sluggish? Toss some kale into the juicer. Kale makes a great add-in for your homemade juice because it’s packed with B-complex vitamins, which actually help you derive energy from other nutrients

  • Celery

If you thought that it couldn’t be a beneficial veggie, think again. Celery juice is actually a great post-workout add-in because it’s a good source of natural organic sodium, which replaces the electrolytes you lose when you get your sweat on.

  • Cucumber

Not only is cucumber water delicious and refreshing, cucumber is a natural diuretic, so it’s perfect if you’re looking to shed that last couple of pounds of water weight.

Low calorie diet can reverse type 2 diabetes for at least two years

  • Romaine

I know what you thinking, juicing lettuce? Trust you me you may never know until you try it out. The darker the lettuce, the more nutrition packed, and the chlorophyll found in romaine juice fights anemia and boosts energy.

  • Watermelon

Is the new workout regime killing you? Then watermelon juice will help you out. Trust me you will love it and it works magic.  According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the amino acids found in watermelon helped to reduce muscle soreness in their test group of athletes.

  • Coconut water

Coconut water is a great way to add sweetness to your juice without blowing your diet. It increases your metabolic rate and acts as a diuretic, making it healthy and delicious. Just make sure you add unsweetened coconut water and not coconut milk, which is packed with calories and nowhere near as nutritious.

  • Spinach

My mom always pressured me to always eat my greens and mostly spinach, then I didn’t know the benefits until recently. Spinach is one of the most densely nutrient-packed veggies around. It’s got A, B, C, E, and K vitamins as well as iron and potassium. Its cleansing effects on the digestive system make spinach the perfect juice for a pre-diet detox.

  • Carrots

Raw carrot juice is full of antioxidants and phytochemicals, which help with the regulation of blood sugar. If you’re prone to midday crashes that lead to doughnut cravings, try a carrot juice-based drink; it could help pep you up and keep you on track. Also carrots helps with your eyesight so do not neglect the nutritious vegetable.

  • Ginger

As much it may be bitter and disgusting as some may say, this tiny vegetable is way more nutritious than you thought. A little ginger goes a long way. In addition to spicing up your fruit juice, ginger is packed with potassium, which helps build muscle and can even aid your body in breaking down carbohydrates.

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Gwyneth Paltrow under fire for promoting ‘extremely damaging’ advice on how to lose weight

Posted on by Elizabeth Ngigi

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop has been heavily criticised for its bizarre and unfounded health and wellness advice.

Now the brand has come under fire for publishing a Q&A article with celebrity personal trainer Tracy Anderson, entitled ‘how to lose weight fast’, in which she shares her meal plan to lose 14lbs in four weeks.

A Harley Street nutritionist has branded the story ‘extremely damaging’ because she said it has the potential to harm the mental and physical health of readers.

Medical experts recommend a slow weight loss of around 1lb and 2lb a week – and say quick diet fads risk malnutrition, gallstones, exhaustion and can lead to eating disorders.

The exercise guru and pal of Gwyneth, who helped her lose her ‘baby weight’ after her second child, also recommends cutting out gluten and going ‘very low carb’.

But studies have suggested gluten-free products are laden with sugar and fat and have scant protein, while high-protein, low carb diets are feared to harm your heart.

A host of other celebrities swear by the Tracy Anderson Method, including Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Lena Dunham and Kim Kardashian.

But food expert Rhiannon Lambert has hit out at Ms Anderson advocating quick weight loss results.

‘I am in complete shock that this article has been published as this has the potential to harm a lot of relationships with food,’ she told The Independent.

‘Firstly it is important to note that fast “weight loss” is often not body fat but the number on the scales shifting, often from water weight, which is why I always advocate a healthy balanced approach over time to losing actually body fat as weight.’

Gwyneth Paltrow3NHS Choices recommend the safe weekly rate of weight loss is between 0.5kg and 1kg (between around 1lb and 2lb a week).

It states: ‘Lose weight faster than this and you’re at risk of health problems that include malnutrition and gallstones, as well as feeling tired and unwell.

‘Fad diets associated with very rapid weight loss, which involve simply changing your diet for a few weeks, are also unlikely to lead you to a healthy weight in the long term.’

The controversial diet plan 

In the Goop article, Ms Anderson said: ‘If you have weight to lose, you can effectively do a fourteen-pound weight loss in four weeks.

‘This requires focus and physical, mental, and emotional willpower. You will experience short-term stress (particularly during your cycle if you’re a woman) – but this can end up being less stressful than living with the stress of excess weight.

TRACY ANDERSON’S 14-DAY PLAN TO LOSE 14 POUNDS

DIET

For breakfast, choose one of the following:

  • 10 ounces of chilled Yogi peach detox tea with two scoops of vanilla ResTArt protein powder
  • 2 poached eggs with a sprinkle of rosemary sea salt; side of sautéed chopped kale and cherry tomatoes in rice wine vinegar
  • 1 TA organic Ultimate CLEAR bar
  • 10 ounces chilled Yogi cinnamon vanilla tea with 2 scoops of vanilla ResTArt protein powder
  • 1 cup of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries

For lunch, options included:

  • Salad: chopped romaine, spinach, scallions, raw broccoli tops (shave the top off), cucumbers, yellow onion, sauerkraut (I like Garlic Dill Pickle from Farmhouse Culture), rice wine vinegar; plus 1 snack pack of Eden’s organic tamari almonds
  • Grilled chicken: Have a grilled chicken breast with a side salad of chopped organic iceberg and butter lettuce, chopped scallions and cucumbers, with rice wine vinegar and lemon.
  • Bone broth mix: Put bone broth in a pot to simmer (I do two cartons of lemongrass chicken bone broth from Pacific). Chop 1 cooked chicken breast and add to the broth along with scallions, celery, carrot. Once vegetables are cooked, add chopped curly kale to only slightly soften.alt
  • Fish: Get 1 can of tuna in water and add mustard and capers. Eat on sliced cucumber.

Ms Anderson suggests having bone broth mix for lunch which is said to be nutrient-dense (stock image)

For dinner

Any of the following fish (wild-caught), or an organic chicken breast simply grilled or steamed:

  • Tilapia
  • Rainbow trout
  • Salmon
  • Arctic char
  • Wild Chilean sea bass
  • Alaskan cod
  • Black sea bass
  • Sole

With any of the following vegetables, steamed or sautéed:

  • Broccolini
  • Cherry tomatoes and onions
  • Zucchini and onions
  • Sweet peas with rosemary and pearl onions
  • Spinach with lemon and capers
  • Collard greens (try sautéing in rice wine vinegar)

Snack

Aim for a half bar of Alter Eco’s Dark Velvet chocolate. Full bar is okay, too. But if you can do without the chocolate bar some days, that’s great.

Other suggested guidelines

  • Try to eat all/as much organic as possible
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Opt for zero-calorie, fresh-brewed tea (as opposed to be pre-made); can have flavor and/or be caffeinated, but no additives
  • You can add one Nuun tablet to water during exercise if you’re looking for a boost
  • Don’t eat eggs twice in a day
  • May have 1 to 2 glasses of wine per day.

Exercise

Movement is key; you really want to get a solid sweat in for one hour, every day. If you’re in for TA [Tracy Anderson Method], but not able to come to the studio, check out the streaming options. You could stream a master class each day, or even do the beginners version twice a day.

 Gwyneth Paltrow

But Ms Lambert stresses that ‘quick fixes never last’.

She said: ‘They are just that: quick and not sustainable. In fact, they may end up affecting how you manage your weight long term.’

Experts say the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is to lose it gradually.

Ms Lambert also said one of Ms Anderson’s recommended breakfast options contained  ‘detox tea’ and her own protein powder which she says contains cane sugar and sunflower oil when ‘there are much better options out there’.

Concerns over gluten free and low carb advice

Ms Anderson also recommends cutting out gluten from your diet and going ‘very low carb.’

But according to Ms Lambert, the claim that doing these two things will lead to weight loss is ‘utterly scientifically incorrect’.

The demand for gluten-free has exploded in recent years, but experts have warned about the dangers of excluding nutrients and argued such products often contain  more fat and sugar to help create the texture that is lost when gluten is excluded.

Low carb diets have raised alarm among experts because they tend to be high in saturated fat, potentially raising cholesterol and your chance of heart disease.

Ms Lambert points out that many studies have shown that people tend to lose weight on any diet that restricts a whole food group because overall calories are lower – but it’s not healthy.

She says that it is not sensible to eliminate whole food groups because you may end up deficient in micronutrients as well as risking messing up your guy bacteria.

Ms Anderson also claims in the piece that you can ‘jump-start’ weight loss by working out every single day.

But Ms Lambert, whose book Re-Nourish is published on 28 December, argues that working out every day can actually hinder your results as you don’t give your muscles time to recover.

‘In some cases the stress on the body alone may delay and hinder any desired weight loss,’ she said.

Since its launch in 2008, Goop has urged we try sex dust, vaginal steaming, vaginal jade eggs, cupping, earthing (walking barefoot) and consulting shamans.

The site’s controversial claims have now earned the company the first ever ‘Rusty Razor’ award as the ‘best’ promoter of the ‘worst pseudoscience of the year’.

The accolade was issued by The Skeptic, which describes itself as the UK’s only magazine taking a scientific look at pseudoscience and the paranormal.

4 Easy Tips To Help You Lose Weight As A Couple

Posted on by Michelle Wangari

Will weight loss work out better if it is tackled alone or together as a couple? And how can couples embark on a healthy habits lifestyle together? These are questions anyone who’s looking to slim down asks. And we have answers!

Here are four easy tips for couples looking to loose weight together:

1. Communicate. And do it well
Get started, find a time to talk about the deeper values of going on a diet. Mistrust is easily created if thoughts like these come up: He wants to attract a new mate. She will make me change my hamburgers and quit drinking beer, and I will hate it.

A conversation about losing weight should, at first, be about inner values. What are the main reasons for losing weight? To live long to be great grandparents one day? To eat in a way that is sustainable for the planet? To set a good example for the kids? Agree on your goals first before discussing the way to get there.

2. Start small
It is a good idea to make initial change where it is easy. One partner might want to try out a new juicer or breakfast smoothie, while the other might prefer going to the local tennis club to pick up some class schedules. Small changes are the best way to start, leaving room for small corrections along the way.

3. Find balance and maintain it
There are just as many weight loss motivators in the world as there are diets. But it’s important to connect with your own inner desire to be well.

Who are your role models? What’s important to you? What are you obstacles? Now, compare them to your partner’s and create balance.

4. Focus on your attitude
A positive attitude goes along with positive mental, emotional and physical health. Setbacks come up, but it’s how you handle them that’s important. Stay positive (with an attitude of joyful discovery) and your parter will too!

-yourtango.com

Why you should add butter to your shopping list

Posted on by Michelle Wangari

The article in BMJ’s Open Heart journal argues that the advice was based on flawed data and “very limited evidence”. The warning, adopted by British authorities in the early 1980s, was based on research that focused only on unhealthy men, with the reports authors arguing: “it seems incomprehensible that dietary advice was introduced for 220 million Americans and 56 million UK citizens.

“Dietary advice does not merely need a review; it should not have been introduced.” Men were advised they should consume no more than 30g of saturated fat per day, while women were told to consume no more than 20g.

So what foods should you be adding to your shopping basket?
Butter and lard
Full fat yoghurts
Full fat milk
Pies
Cakes and biscuits (within reason, of course)
Fatty cuts of meat
Sausages
Bacon
Cheese and cream
Chocolate

And what’s out? Experts claim that it is carbohydrates, sugars and processed foods that contribute to heart disease and recommend avoiding foods such as:
Fructose (except that naturally occurring in whole fruits)
White rice
White bread
Sugar
Processed foods

The worst eating habits revealed

Posted on by Michelle Wangari

They are the things we do without thinking twice – but could have an adverse effect on our health. From eating lunch at a desk to skipping meals, these and other bad eating habits have been revealed in a new infographic.

Not planning meals in advance, taking the weekend off from eating healthily, drinking a glass of wine before bedtime, not drinking enough water, overeating on the days you work out and adding salt to everything also feature on the list of what not to do.

The infographic, which was created for website evoke.ie, advises to start planning the week’s meals on a Sunday and ensure that the kitchen cupboards are stocked with healthy items such as whole grains, eggs and yogurts. When attempting on a healthy diet always plan your meal in advance as putting together a meal when you’re hungry is not a good idea.

Break the habit of the pre-bedtime glass of wine by replacing it with a low-calorie drink such as tea. Or you could just ease yourself into it by swapping to a smaller glass.

Hungry in the morning? Choose a high protein breakfast such as eggs instead of a bowl of cereal to start the day as the latter contains high-levels of sugar which will only make you hungrier as the day goes on. Whole grains, artificial sweeteners, crisps and fruit juices are also on the list of foods to avoid.

Watching what you eat but still want to dine out? Remember to check the restaurant’s menu before you leave home to find out what the healthiest options are. Also ask for water when ordering drinks or choose low-fat milk, unsweetened tea or drinks without added sugars. Start your meal with salad to help control hunger and order grilled, steamed or broiled dishes instead of those which are fried or sautéed.

When you are at the restaurant, always ask the server what’s in the dish and how the meal is cooked. And try not to reach for the bread basket before your meal starts or opt for a buffet option as they can both make you consume more than you intended to.

Finally, to keep on the straight and narrow, steer clear of all desserts and just have healthy options like sorbet or fruits.

 

Study suggests brain could coach body to burn fat

Posted on by Michelle Wangari

The brain could be a powerful fat burning tool, say scientists at Monash University in Melbourne who discovered that two naturally occurring hormones interact to convert energy-storing white fat into energy-burning, “good” brown fat.

“Turning white fat into brown fat is a very exciting new approach to developing weight loss agents,” says lead author Professor Tony Tiganis from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “Eventually, we think we may be able to help people lose weight by targeting these two enzymes.”

One of the enzymes, leptin, is an appetite suppressant that’s generated in fat cells and the other is insulin, which comes from the pancreas when levels of glucose in the blood start to rise.

Professor Tiganis’ research shows that the two hormones act together and persuade a group of neurons — called proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons — in the brain to convert the fat from white to brown, thereby igniting the fat-burning process.

“These hormones give the brain a comprehensive picture of the fatness of the body,” says Professor Tiganis. “Because leptin is produced by fat cells, it measures the level of existing fat reserves — the more fat, the more leptin. Whereas insulin provides a measure of future fat reserves because glucose levels rise when we eat.”

If all this has you wondering why you can’t just think your way skinny, chances are enzymes called phosphatases that inhibit the actions of leptin and insulin could be working against you.

 

10 Foods to Eat so You Never Have to Diet

Posted on by Fred Indimuli

These powerhouse foods help keep unwanted pounds at bay, and it has nothing to do with counting calories and fat grams.

Garlic
This herb does more than just give meals extra flavor and scent–it can also help keep your tummy flat through its naturally occurring chemical allicin, says registered dietitian and Nutritious Life founder Keri Glassman.

READ MORE: https://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/10-foods-eat-never-diet-151700336.html