Best Vitamins for Weight

The body's weight-control or weight-related functions - like appetite, hunger, metabolic rate, metabolism of fats and sugars, calorie-burning, and so on - operate more efficiently with an optimum intake of vitamins. All of them play a part in maintaining optimum health and weight, and many operate together, so it's not really accurate to single out certain vitamins as being "best" for weight loss. That said, certain vitamins are worth a special mention.

Diet To Reduce Fluid Retention

Water Retention

We retain extra water for a variety of reasons. Most commonly the cause is eating too much sodium. Hot weather, and standing for long periods can also lead to fluid retention, which can also occur as a side effect of certain medications. Water retention may also be the result of a serious medical condition, involving major organs like the kidneys, the heart, the liver, as well as the lymphatic system. Women have a higher risk of water retention due to fluctuating hormone levels. Premenstrual swelling and menopausal edema are both believed to be caused by the impact of hormones on fluid balance.

General Diet Advice To Reduce Water Retention

Eat less sodium and salt. Ideally, reduce your daily sodium intake to about 1000 milligrams a day, until your water retention problem goes away. The only way to achieve such a reduce sodium intake is to avoid processed foods and eat more fresh food. When buying packaged or canned food, always check the label for sodium content. Most important, do NOT add salt when cooking or eating food. Choose alternative spices, or add lemon juice, or low-sodium chili sauce. A good diuretic herb is parsley.

-Drink at least 8 glasses of fluids, per day. Mineral water, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice and herbal teas (eg. nettle and dandelion) are good choices. Paradoxically, the more hydrated the body, the less water it retains.

-Aim to eat six small meals/snacks a day. Do not go longer than 3 hours without eating.

-Enjoy plenty of good diuretic fruits in your regular diet. The best are melons and citrus fruits. They are rich in potassium which balances sodium and helps to eliminate fluid.

-Include lots of good diuretic vegetables in your daily diet. Choose leafy green, celery, cucumber, watercress, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and onions. Like fruit, most vegetables are rich in potassium which helps to maintain a healthy fluid balance.

-Include regular amounts of starchy wholegrain carbs in your daily diet. Some people find they do better on rice, pasta, couscous and potatoes, rather than wheat.

-Include unsalted nuts, seeds, bananas, wholegrain unsalted crackers in your snacks.

-Aim to take in 1200-1350 milligrams of calcium, per day, until your water retention eases. Two 8oz glasses of 1 percent milk (600 milligrams of calcium) plus one cup of low-fat yogurt (415 milligrams of calcium) will give you most of what you need.

-Substitute salmon, tuna, sardines or any other oily fish for red meat, at least twice a week. Oily fish has numerous health benefits, especially for women who suffer from PMS.

Sample Daily Diet Plan To Reduce Water Retention

Breakfast
A large bowl of chopped fresh fruit (eg. citrus, berries, melon), topped with 4oz/120g of low-fat bio-yogurt, sprinkled with seeds or chopped nuts.

Snack
Handful of unsalted nuts or seeds. One small banana.

Lunch
A salad of brown rice, slices of orange, sliced avocado, sliced cooked chicken, topped with chopped walnuts. Add vinaigrette, made without added salt and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

Snack
Handful of unsalted nuts or seeds.

Dinner
Portion of chicken baked with garlic and lemon juice, served with steamed broccoli and carrots.
For dessert, a slice of cantaloupe melon.

source : annecollins.com

How Water Is Related To Weight Loss

Water Contains Zero Calories

Because the calorie-content of water is zero, drinking water instead of milk, fruit juices or regular sodas helps to lower the calorie content of your diet and thus helps weight reduction. That said, water contains no nutrition either. By comparison, soft drinks like milk and fruit juice have significant nutritional content. Milk is a good source of calcium and protein, while citrus fruit juice (like orange or grapefruit juice) is an excellent source of vitamin C. In fact, one glass of citrus fruit juice can meet all your daily vitamin C needs.

Water Can Fill You Up

Some dieters find it helpful to drink a glass of water when they feel hungry between meals, or just before a meal. However, I do not recommend this as a regular appetite-reduction tactic. Firstly, because hunger is an important indicator of low blood sugar, which water can do nothing to correct. And if blood sugar falls too low, it can lead to irresistible urges to eat junk food or binge. Secondly, drinking water purely to fill up your stomach is merely an artificial short-term measure which does nothing to help create the sort of eating habits that are essential for long term weight control.

Nutritional Alternatives to Water

If you wish to increase your fluid intake, a good option is to eat more fruit, like any citrus fruit. As stated above, as well as being rich in water, these foods are highly nutritious and rich in fiber. They help to fill up your stomach, satisfy your sweet tooth and boost your intake of vitamin C. Eating fruit is definitely a great eating habit to increase your chances of losing weight without regain.

Low Sodium Diets Reduce Water Retention

The body maintains a healthy fluid balance by a complex cell mechanism involving sodium, potassium and other electrolytes. In simple terms, if you eat too much salt (sodium) you will retain more water, leading to weight gain. Anyone who suffers from fluid retention and accompanying swelling (edema), especially women who experience premenstrual symptoms (PMS) or obese men with high blood pressure, is advised by dietitians to follow a low sodium diet (eg. the DASH diet). Ideally, limit your intake to 1000 milligrams of sodium per day, until the water retention eases.

Low Carb Diets Reduce Water Retention

Very low carb weight loss plans also reduce fluid retention, but not in a healthy way. In simple terms, because carbohydrate binds with water in the body, the fewer carbs you eat the less 'water weight' you carry. To many dieters this sounds a very effective way of reducing weight. Unfortunately, as soon as you return to eating a normal diet, the water weight returns. Meantime, by not eating healthy carbohydrate, most low carb dieters run an increased risk of nutritional deficiency. And an unhealthy body frequently leads to an inefficient metabolism and slower weight reduction.

Best Way To Reduce Excess Fluid Retention

Here are three tips to reduce unnecessary water retention.

- Reduce your sodium intake, (to 1000-3500 mg per day).
- Raise your calcium intake, (to 1200-1350 mg per day).
- Drink plenty of fluids, (8-10 glasses of water per day).
- Eat plenty of diuretic fruit and vegetables.
- The healthier your daily diet, the less water retention you'll have.

source : annecollins.com

Careful with that Alcohol

Alcohol can add hundreds of calories to your daily intake, which can make the difference between weight loss, maintaining your current weight, or gaining weight. A single glass of beer or wine can contain at least 100 calories. Having a few drinks 3-4 nights a week could be adding 1,000 unforeseen calories to your diet. Alcohol also acts as an appetite stimulant, and can lead you to eat or crave foods that are not within with your weight-loss plan. If you are dieting or are simply having trouble getting rid of that last little bit of fat, keep your alcohol intake to a minimum.

source : health-fitness-tips.com

Best 10 Dieting Tips for Summer

As the air starts losing the cold bite of winter, you are happy in anticipation of the summer. You start planning holidays to sea resorts with friends and family. Until that fateful moment when you realize you have been too lax with your body and you are not in shape for the summer activities and swimming trunks or bathing suits cannot accommodate your body any more!

Still don’t despair! Summer weight loss is still possible. Remember that losing weight is influenced to the extent of 70% to 80% by what and how you eat and the balance by the physical activities and exercises. Cut down intake of excess calories which increase fat in the body and exercise the body which will help in to burn body fat and to lose weight. 

The following simple natural weight loss suggestions if implemented can help you with summer weight loss and shape up your body to face summer with confidence in a matter of three to four weeks.

Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water per day. 

Water plays very important role in our body functions. Body fat and bones account for 20% of water each, lean muscle tissues are 75% water and over 80% of our blood is water. Water helps kidneys remove toxins allowing liver to metabolize more fat. It works as a natural suppressant of appetite;

Put alcohol on highly restricted list if you are serious on losing weight. Alcohol helps body in storing fat by slowing down metabolism;

Main culprits causing excess weight are saturated fats. Saturated fats and sugar are strictly no-no for weight watchers. Avoid desserts, ice creams, etc;

Include low fat milk products such as yogurt, skimmed milk, cottage cheese in diet; they contain “good proteins” which help suppress cravings for food. They are essential in building muscles; 

Vegetables, beans, whole grains and fruits contain “good” carbohydrates which are moderate on calories and fats, they are consumed slowly by the body and thus they help suppress hunger naturally; 

Omega 3 fatty acids increase metabolism and energy levels of the body. Eat fish such as Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines and Herrings; they are rich Omega 3 fatty acids which help prevent blood clotting, regulate blood pressure, and lower risk of heart failure. They are helpful in weight loss;. 

Eat four or five meals of smaller portions instead of the normal three meals. Smaller meals at shorter intervals help metabolism and burn fat; it helps to lose weight;

Eat adequate fiber food. Fiber food is more filling and it suppresses hunger. It takes longer in digestion and passing through the body it attaches to some fats and proteins in our food and thus keeps them from being digested. Whole grains, brown rice, figs, Apples, broccoli, peas, lentils, beans, fresh vegetables and fruits and nuts are high on fiber content; 

Spices such as ginger, mustard, pepper, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, etc decrease sugar cravings and are helpful in weight loss;

Avoid late night meals within the two to three hours before going to bed. Allow time for digestion of the meal before going to bed.

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Water Works for Weight Loss

Nothing quells the appetite like water, lots and lots of water. Start out with two quart bottles in the morning and carry one with you to work or wherever you go. If you like, divvy up the 64 ounces of water into eight (8-ounce) bottles or four pint (16-ounce) bottles to carry around with you all day. Freeze half of them the night before and they will last all day, even in a hot car. Keep some unfrozen so they will be ready to drink immediately.

Yes. You will have to make more frequent bathroom trips, but it is worth it. Drink your 64 ounces of water before dinner, if possible, so you're not up half the night going to the bathroom.

Water not only fills you up and lessens your appetite, it prevents those "hungry horrors" we all encounter when our blood sugar drops and we reach for cookies, candy, ice cream, fries or other high-calorie treats. Water also flushes out the system, rids the body of bloat and toxins and rosies up the complexion. Now, start splashing.

source : health-fitness-tips.com

10 Ways to Heat Up Your Fat Burner

Do you know how to get the most out of your routine? On a walking work-out, the following ten tips can help you turn up the burn: 

1. Keep your arms bent at a 90-degree angle and "pump" them as you walk. It helps you propel yourself forward faster. 

2. Lean forward from your ankles, just a bit. 

3. Drink ice cold water. Your body has to work harder to heat it up to 98.6 degrees inside of you. 

4. Remember good posture. By walking tall and long, your body must work together to keep it straight. 

5. Throw some spice in your life. Vary your routine to keep it interesting. 

6. Pretend the whole world is watching. When performance counts, you tend to keep it sharp and precise. 

7. Take your dog for a walk with you. Not only will it give your pet some exercise as well, but he /she can be great company and help keep you moving! 

8. When the dinner bell rings, charge up with lots of fresh fruits and veggies, rather than breads and pastas. Also, choose lean meats as much as possible over other protein choices. And skip the sauces. 

9. You know how you work best. Whether communing alone with nature or one on one with a buddy, choose the routine that you will be most likely to stick with. 

10. Go off the beaten path. Every so often, take a hike that will challenge you, and give you a varied terrain.

Can coconut oil promote weight loss?

Coconut oil has been touted by some as a way to lose weight. Proponents of coconut oil and weight loss claim that coconut oil can boost energy, provide a feeling of fullness, and decrease cravings for carbohydrates and sweets. However, to date, there are no clinical trials to show that coconut oil is effective for weight loss. In fact, some researchers suspect that coconut oil may actually contribute to weight gain. One tablespoon of coconut oil contains nearly 120 calories and more than 13 grams of fat. Gram for gram, coconut oil has 10 times more unhealthy saturated fat than does olive oil.

If you're hoping to lose weight, remember that there's no replacement for a healthy lifestyle. The foundation of every successful weight-loss program is a healthy diet and regular physical activity. To lose weight and keep it off permanently, enjoy a variety of healthier foods and include physical activity in your daily routine. 


source : mayoclinic.com

Tips On…Weight Management

The most effective diet is not a diet at all, but a gradual change in eating and physical activity habits that you can continue for the rest of your life. The best way to find a safe, healthy and effective weight reduction and maintenance program is to seek the advice of your health care provider.

An efficient way to lose weight is to reduce the number of calories and improve the quality of the foods you choose. It is best to lose weight slowly but steadily, so you can maintain your ideal weight after you have reached your goal.

A weight reduction diet needs to provide adequate nutrition, a good variety of foods and a reduction in calories. This is usually best done by limiting fat, especially saturated fat, in the diet. Pregnant women should not go on a weight reduction diet.

Other Helpful Hints
• Sit down and relax while you eat your meals 
• Avoid distractions such as the telephone and television 
• Chew your food thoroughly to help digestion 
• Eat small, frequent meals. 


source : Sisters of Mercy Health System

Bike For Beauty!

Ride a Bike, Eat Right and Loose Some Extra Pounds

Weight loss is the biggest obstacle between most people and current standards of beauty. Part of the problem is that our current standards are based on the less-than-one-percent of the population who manages to stay 15-20 pounds underweight, but the weight loss situation in the U.S. in particular has worsened drastically because we eat like pigs. Food is cheaper in the U.S. than anywhere in the world, junk food makes up a large part of the national diet, and most of us are addicted to sugar. Add this to the fact that most Americans now get about as much daily exercise as the average bookend, and the big mystery behind the explosion of heart disease and intestinal problems experienced by so many Americans is explained with utter clarity.

The common understanding is that combining diet and exercise is the best weight-loss solution. If I had to pick one, I'd choose increased exercise. Exercise raises your metabolism for hours after you're done working out, increasing your fat-burning capacity. It also makes you feel good, keeps your bones strong and reduces stress. A half-hour of aerobic exercise three or four times a week is the general prescription for good muscle tone and healthy aerobic capacity.

Dieting works, to an extent. The drawback to dieting is that, once the diet is over, the weight tends to return. For people who undertake strict diets that limit their caloric intake without considering their daily nutritional needs, the weight comes back and then some, so that someone who loses twenty pounds on a crash diet may very well gain back thirty. Furthermore, strict diets tell the body that there's a famine on, and the body is a very smart machine. When you start eating again, your body remembers the recent famine, lowering its metabolism to conserve fuel. Your body hangs onto the new calories like grim death, storing away fats, converting carbohydrates to yet more fats, trying to save you from starvation. And there you are, hungry still, but fatter than ever.

The other problem with dieting, especially for kids and teens, is that dieting greatly increases the chance of acquiring an eating disorder. Teaching kids correct eating habits is one way to prevent childhood obesity, but between school lunches and a culture entirely focused on snacking, that had better not be your only strategy. Raising kids who think it's fun to go canoeing, who'd rather go swimming than play a computer game is a better way to keep them at a healthy weight.

My friend Gerald tried every diet under the sun, but nothing seemed to work. He blamed himself: he'd get so hungry that he'd binge within a week, then feel like there was no point in continuing. He had a funny metabolism, I guess: even on a high-protein diet, he was always starving. He decided that diets weren't going to work. He hated to exercise: he joined a gym, but quit out of total boredom. He tried jogging, but it messed up his knees.

Finally, Gerald went to a nutritionist. She took a look at what he was eating (she had him keep a food diary), and she explained calories and told him about how many he should be eating to lose weight at a normal rate. But once she was done talking nutrition, she spent a lot of time talking to him about exercise. And then she did a remarkable thing. She took him bike riding.

I guess she figured he wasn't motivated enough to go alone, and since she knew his low opinion of all things physical, she didn't even tell him the plan. She just told him to come to their next appointment dressed for exercise, and she had two bikes hooked to the back of her station wagon. She drove him over to a bike path, adjusted the second bike to fit him, and they rode about four miles while she talked to him about calorie burning and oxygenating the blood and the benefits of sunshine and fresh air on the average male couch potato. She talked about how no-impact biking still strengthens bones and builds muscle, which then burns calories more efficiently. (And all the time, young women in Lycra were running past them, bouncing tightly along on perfectly-toned calves. The scenery couldn't have been more conducive to Gerald's conversion.)

Gerald bought a bike and started riding three times a week. He visits the nutritionist once a month, mostly to brag, because the weight started coming off right away and he looks great. He still eats a lot, but it doesn't much matter because he burns it right off. One of his complaints about exercise had been that he didn't have enough time, but the nutritionist helped him make some practical changes, such as substituting an online grocery delivery service for the two hours a week he used to spend shopping and standing in line. He tricked out his bike with a new seat and ergonomic handlebars that he got at www.nashbar.com,and although he'll never have the interest to be a triathlete, he accomplished his goal and found a new way to meet women.


source : freebeautytips.org