Because of diet culture and companies trying to sell their products, “belly fat loss” has been promoted in extremely unhealthy, unsustainable, and sometimes dangerous ways. These fad diets and weight loss products can harm people both physically and mentally.

Flat belly teas are some of the clearest examples of this, which market themselves as helping to promote weight loss and are often made with natural laxatives that can lead to stomach and gut lining issues.

Not only is something like this potentially harmful, but it’s misleading as well. Belly fat diets may help you get rid of some bloating or shed a few pounds, but these results are temporary and never actually address the issue at hand.

So are there healthy ways to lose belly fat and keep it off, while still giving your body the nutrients and care it needs? And what does the science actually say about abdominal fat loss and how it’s connected to your diet?

Read on, and for more on healthy eating, check out 5 Best Eating Habits For Your Blood Sugar.

The different types of abdominal fat

Not all types of fat in our bodies are the same, nor do they carry the same level of potential health risk. Subcutaneous fat is the fat located just beneath our skin and outside of our abdominal wall. According to Harvard Health, subcutaneous fat makes up about 90% of our body’s fat.

Visceral fat makes up the other 10% of body fat, and this type of fat is what experts warn should be monitored. This is because visceral fat is located beneath our abdominal wall and around our abdominal organs. Too much of this type of fat has been linked to heart disease and other serious illnesses.

Unfortunately, there is no “quick fix” for visceral fat. But research suggests a healthy diet and sustainable weight loss can help you shed this type of belly fat.

A balanced, nutrient-dense diet is your best bet

While many people may be searching for that miracle solution to belly fat loss, there isn’t one. This is because even though our culture has marketed the ability to specifically target belly fat with the right foods and exercise, it’s more so about your overall weight management. And researchers have found that losing and maintaining weight loss through a balanced diet and regular exercise can also help keep visceral fat at healthy levels.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Harvard Health states that eating plenty of fiber and complex carbs like whole grains, vegetables, and protein sources like lean meat and legumes can help overall weight loss. They also suggest limiting your intake of added sugars and refined carbohydrates, as this can contribute to weight gain and therefore more belly fat.

It’s not just about your diet, though

Diet is certainly one of the major factors in weight loss. In a study published in BMC Public Health, participants that lost weight through diet and exercise didn’t actually have that much of a difference in visceral fat loss as the participants who lost weight through diet only. The exercise and diet group did see a bigger change in subcutaneous fat, though.

Exercise is still an important aspect of weight loss, as are other areas of life. Harvard lists five ways of tackling visceral fat: movement, diet, lowering stress, avoiding tobacco, and getting enough sleep.

One recent study from Mayo Clinic found that lack of sleep was in fact associated with more visceral fat. In other words, make sure you’re getting enough rest every evening.

The takeaway

Even though our society is constantly telling us that there are quick and easy ways to get rid of belly fat, the science says that it takes a more holistic approach, one that involves losing body fat in a healthy, sustainable way by making helpful changes to our diet and lifestyle.

Source link

The post What Science Says About the Best Foods for Losing Belly Fat — Eat This Not That appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

Have you and a friend parted ways? 

Maybe your friendship ended because of betrayal and hurt feelings.

Or perhaps one of you moved away, and the distance has taken a toll on your once-close connection.

Losing a friend is painful, no matter what the reason – especially a friend you’ve known and loved for years. 

If you’re looking for a lost friend poem that speaks to your feelings and pain, look no further than our collection below. 

You’ll find something that validates the sadness and loss you’re feeling. 

15 Heartbreaking Poems About Losing a Friendship

Poetry is a universal language that allows us to define the meaning and power of our experiences. These poems about broken friendship will help you distill your thoughts and feelings so you can move forward in self-awareness.

A Poison Tree by William Blake

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole,
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

Oh, Oh, You Will be Sorry for that Word by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Oh, oh, you will be sorry for that word!
Give back my book and take my kiss instead.
Was it my enemy or my friend I heard,
“What a big book for such a little head!”
Come, I will show you now my newest hat,
And you may watch me purse my mouth and prink!
Oh, I shall love you still, and all of that.
I never again shall tell you what I think.
I shall be sweet and crafty, soft and sly;
You will not catch me reading anymore:
I shall be called a wife to pattern by;
And someday when you knock and push the door,
Some sane day, not too bright and not too stormy,
I shall be gone and you may whistle for me.

We Never Let Go by Jocelyn Soriano

We do not really let go of love;
We hold on to it.
We hold on to what remains
After all the dross is put away.
And after all the pain has
Purified the heart,
We know that we need only part
With things that cannot last.
But we hold on to what is pure;
We cherish the truth we’ve found.
And what is beautiful shall always remain
Because we never really let go of love.

Recovery Is: by Juansen Dizon

Letting go of your current life
By accepting your pain
As you create a new atmosphere
For yourself where you’re less likely
To be triggered. Where you’re more likely
To fill your emptiness with things that are healthy
For you.

It Was When I Stopped Searching by Rupi Kaur

It was when I stopped searching
For home within others
And lifted the foundations
Of home with-in myself 
I found there were no roots more intimate
That those between a mind and body
That has decided to be whole.

A Broken Friendship by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Alas! they had been friends in youth;
But whispering tongues can poison truth;
And constancy lives in realms above;
And life is thorny, and youth is vain;
And to be wroth with one we love,
Doth work like madness in the brain.
And thus it chanced, as I divine,
With Roland and Sir Leoline.
Each spake words of high disdain
And insult to his heart’s best brother:
They parted – ne’er to meet again!
But never either found another
To free the hollow heart from painting –
They stood aloof, the scars remaining,
Like cliffs which had been rent asunder;
A dreary sea now flows between; –
But neither heat, nor frost, nor thunder
Shall wholly do away, I ween,
The marks of that which once hath been.

Goodbye, My Dearest Friend by Leilani Hermosa Petersen

The hardest part of any friendship
is when it is time to say goodbye,
and even though I wished I could make you stay,
I know I have to let you spread your wings and fly.
For life is a journey that needs to be traveled,
and I am certain you’ll make it through.
I just want you to know and never forget
that I will surely miss you.
So follow your heart and never give up,
as dreams and wishes do come true.
I know that someday we’ll meet again,
so never forget I will be praying for you.

Friendship Broken by John Russell McCarthy

Confused and driven in a place bright,
black, big these two daringly seemed
almost to understand; their awareness caught
at each other like whirling midges and clung;
their clinging governed somewhat the whirl, assured
the laughter, fogged the terror.
Suddenly a wrong
turn breaks the grasp; these two eddy
apart bewildered, rubbing bruised hands;
even they add anger to the confusion and the drive
endlessly impelling.
Soon the power, finishing
with these two awarenesses, will drop them as bird lime
for the chaste resolvement of worms.
Can a stone know?

In Blackwater Woods (Excerpt) by Mary Oliver

To live in this world 
you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

Don’t Surrender Your Loneliness by Hafiz

Don’t surrender your loneliness so quickly 
let it cut more deep.
Let it ferment and season you
as few human or even divine ingredients can.
Something missing in my heart tonight
has made my eyes so soft
my voice so tender
my need of God
absolutely clear.

More Related Articles

99 Of The Best Quotes About Having Regrets

20 Signs Of Fake Friends And How To Deal With Them

11 Top Reasons People Talk Behind Your Back And What To Do About It

Betrayal by Dan McDonald

An echo fades into the night,
an eerie mournful sound.
A shooting star disappears from sight,
and I crumble to the ground.
There is no life within this garden;
my sobs are the only sound.
I have poisoned the honeyed fountain
where your love could be found.
Dazed, I stare at the stars above,
my grieving howls fill the night!
Unintended betrayal of love
has hidden you from my sight.
I remember how it used to be
when we shared our fears and delights.
You are a treasured friend to me.
How can I make things right?
Feeling afraid, cold and lonely,
I long to tell you how I feel,
but you don’t want to hear me.
The pain for you is much too real.
Should I back away and build a wall
and block away how I feel?
Or, should I give you a call?
We both need some time to heal.
An echo fades into the night
as our friendship disappears.
How do I know what is right?
How can I ease my fears?
If I do call you again,
would the old wounds reappear?
I can’t stand to cause you pain.
Hurting you again is my worst fear!

Tug o’ War by Shel Silverstein

I will not play at tug o’ war.
I’d rather play at hug o’ war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.

Shake Hands, We Shall Never Be Friends by A.E. Housman

Shake hands, we shall never be friends, all’s over;
I only vex you the more I try.
All’s wrong that ever I’ve done or said,
And nought to help it in this dull head:
Shake hands, here’s luck, good-bye …
But if you come to a road where danger
Or guilt or anguish or shame’s to share,
Be good to the lad that loves you true
And the soul that was born to die for you,
And whistle and I’ll be there.

Dear Friend by Grinnell Wills

Dear friend, ’tis hard to say farewell,
And harder yet it is to tell,
In parting words, how strong the tie
We sever now in this good-bye.
We all shall miss thy gentle grace.
Thy willing hand and cheerful face;
No other friend thy place can fill.
Though absent we shall claim thee still;
God bless the work thou hast begun,
And guard thee in the years to come.
And when thy heart is weary, or alone.
Come back and rest in this thy home.

Feeling the Loss of Him by Raymond A. Foss

Standing, walking, coming through the line
greeting you, for a moment, sharing
but a snapshot, a burst, of what I was feeling,
so small compared to the enormity
the reality of your loss.
Feeling so small, standing in the line,
before I approached you.
Thinking of what his loss
means to me, to so many,
as written in the paper
Murmured in the court, on the phone
with out practitioners.
Reading so many stories,
so many telling words,
the lives he touched, changed
for the better, truly.
Of his help to me,
guidance and rebuttal,
chastised and cajoled
Feeling the loss of him
so acutely, still.

The Uses of Sorrow by Mary Oliver

Someone I loved once
gave me a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand that
this, too, was a gift.

Did you find a lost friend poem that speaks to you?

Remember that losing a friendship doesn’t always
mean your friendship was in vain. You have grown
because of the relationship and learned what you
need in a true friend.

Source link

The post 15 Heartbreaking Poems About Losing a Friendship appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

A significant increase in blood volume, amniotic fluid, and a growing baby add to the mother’s total body weight. Women who are already overweight or suffering from obesity will eventually gain some weight during pregnancy. However, they can lose problematic body fat and get rid of weight-related complications via safe applied methods & naturally during pregnancy. They become nauseous or have food aversions and unintentionally start losing weight during pregnancy (especially at the early stages). Regardless, one should always share all the symptoms with the doctor or health care provider.

Opting for extreme diets during pregnancy to lose weight is not advisable. You should eat enough to provide the baby and yourself with sufficient nutrients. It is essential for your overall health. At the time of pregnancy, going on diets, cutting calories or restricting food groups can impact the development of the foetus and deprive the body of required nutrients. It is essential to learn the risk associated with being overweight and the risk involved in losing that weight through unsolicited methods.

Risks of Being Overweight During Pregnancy

Obesity during pregnancy links to poor health outcomes for both the mother and the child. A study claims that the probability of conception decreases, starting from a BMI of 29 kg/m2. The same study claims that a high body mass index also increases the chances of various other risks like:

• High BP or blood pressure
• A severe form of gestational blood pressure or preeclampsia
• Gestational diabetes
• Intrauterine death
• Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where you stop breathing for short periods during sleep.

Obstetricians watch blood pressure and blood sugar levels during pregnancy and lookout for signs of high blood pressure or gestational diabetes. Such women are given specific diets or exercise advice to mitigate such conditions to promote a healthy pregnancy & delivery. 

Can you Safely Lose Weight when Pregnant?

Medical experts usually encourage women to eat enough nutrients and exercise daily to keep their babies healthy. In addition, most healthcare experts do not recommend pregnant women to follow a weight loss diet as it can increase complications for the baby. However, with more research and advancements, some healthcare experts believe that there are safe measures that one can take during pregnancy to lose or manage healthy body weight. Ideally, women should try to ward off the extra kilos before becoming pregnant to avoid unnecessary risks to their health and babies.

If the woman does not gain any weight during the pregnancy, she will start losing the fat stored. As a result, her body weight might reduce than before the pregnancy. If a woman loses weight during her first trimester of pregnancy, it is due to nausea or morning sickness. Severe morning sickness can also deprive the body of nutrients, and being on call with a doctor during the entire period is advisable. Weight gain is usually experienced by women during the second trimester when they slowly start to feel better. 

Optimal Weight Gain Recommendations During Pregnancy

Women often meet with an obstetrician or their doctor to develop a care plan when they become pregnant. Your first visit will involve discussions regarding nutrition and physical activity. The weight gain guidelines will follow your starting weight as per your pregnancy. BMI may not be the perfect indicator of health, but according to the Institute of Medicine, there are different weight gain recommendations for women under different weights. Your BMI does not consider body composition, ethnicity, race, gender, or age. It is quite an incomplete measure but an easy method to analyse your potential health status and outcomes. It is pretty quick and hence holds value in the medical community. However, not all doctors follow BMI guidelines but use IMOM recommendations to guide women towards ideal weight goals. 

Considering Weight Pre-Pregnancy

It would help if you considered your weight at the pre-pregnancy stage. Take guidance from the doctor or health care regarding shedding off any extra kilos or gaining an ideal weight to promote fertility & healthy pregnancy. People of all shapes & sizes can get pregnant, but as per studies, prematernal obesity can cause various complications. These complications include the risk of preeclampsia, preteen birth, and macrosomia, where the foetus is larger than the standard size. In addition, it can cause injury during childbirth. Therefore, one should consider positive, sustainable lifestyle changes to support a healthy weight and boost fertility. 

Safe Ways to Manage Weight During Pregnancy

Eat Small Meals

Pregnant women should eat small but continuous meals throughout the day and keep snacking too but healthy. Ginger honey paste or ginger candies are said to ease nausea. 

Avoid Fatty Foods

Morning sickness is a common symptom during pregnancy which increases because of deep-fried, heavy and oily food items. 

Know Your Body Mass Index

If you want to make changes in your diet, you should keep track of your BMI or Body Mass Index. A normal BMI range is between 18.5 to 24.9, and thus it is advisable to not gain more than 10-12 kgs during your entire pregnancy. But if your BMI falls under 18, you should gain around 10-12 kgs. So weight gain should be 7-10 kgs with a BMI range between 25-29.9 and only 5-9 kgs if overweight. 

Don’t Miss Your Dose of Vitamins, Minerals and Calcium

It is essential to consume your vitamins and iron or calcium supplements daily. It is crucial for the optimal growth and development of the baby. Also, please note that you do not combine iron and calcium for best absorption. 

Exercise

If you unintentionally start losing weight during your pregnancy, you may feel weak and feel like staying away from physical activity. In that case, talk to your doctor. Then, once you get the go-ahead, start a gentle form of exercises like walking or prenatal yoga. It would help if you kept at physical activity to eliminate pregnancy woes and abnormal weight gain. 

Be Aware

You should be conscious of what is happening to your body. A gradual weight loss during the first trimester is average, but a sudden loss of 4-5 kilos can be dangerous, and you should immediately reach out to your doctor. 

Cut Down on Calories

Be mindful of the number of calories you consume to keep the extra kilos at bay for your baby to remain healthy. A pregnant woman should consume at least 1700 calories per day. You should keep track so that you do not exceed the count or go below it. Stay hydrated.

It is always a good thing and beneficial for the body to stay hydrated – pregnant or not pregnant. However, if you indulge in physical activity during pregnancy, you need to add a few extra glasses of water. Drinking 1-2 litres of water will keep you full and keep overeating at bay. 

Eat Healthy Snacks and Stay Active

You already know that you should avoid junk food and fill your platter with fresh fruits and vegetables. Go for whole-grain cereals and bread & low-fat dairy products. Spinach, strawberries and beans are rich sources of folates, while high-fibre foods help in better digestion. It also prevents constipation which is a very natural occurrence during pregnancy. 

It is also necessary to stay active and go for at least 30 minutes of mild physical activity on most days of the week. You can discuss it with your doctor to find out that it also has a lot of stress-relieving benefits. Ensure you consult your doctor once as not all kinds of pregnancies can accommodate physical exercise. It might be a problem if you weigh on a heavier scale. If recommended, you can go walking, swimming, cycling, plus low-intensity exercises. Avoid exercising on higher altitudes and let go of any forms of exercise that require you to lay flat on your back – as it affects the blood flow to the foetus. 

Tips for Diet and Exercise During Pregnancy

It is a given that a balanced and nutritious diet with a well-planned exercise plan is the need of the hour during your pregnancy. Your healthcare professional team should provide you with optimum advice for taking care of your baby. A few tips for the same include: 

Tips for Healthy Eating

Always opt for a balanced diet when pregnant, while watching your portion and meal size. It is a healthy practice if you are worried about your weight. One should not go on a crash diet. Consult your physician if you consume any supplements or medications for weight loss. 

Do not fall for the age-old concept of eating for two, i.e. including the baby, as the baby is tiny during the first trimester. Instead, one should eat balanced meals. 

It is advised not to skip any meals and frequently eat for adequate nutrition. Go for lean protein like fish and chicken along with seafood. In addition, your diet should comprise less processed foods and sugar. 

Refined grains vs whole gains? Go for whole-grain wheat, millets, quinoa, rice etc. but not white, refined grains. Your vegetable intake should be more and hence, fill your plate with lots of it during mealtime. 

A registered dietician will always give you the best advice. Avoid sugary food items like ice cream and candies but go for apples, peanut butter etc. and high fibre fruits like berries or pears. Keep your sugar intake in check. 

Pregnancy Exercise Tips

Physical activity is good for the body during pregnancy. One should never adopt a sedentary lifestyle and not go for strenuous physical activity. Walking has always proven to be an excellent and easy way of weight maintenance, and even sedentary women can benefit from it. Pregnancy yoga classes or prenatal fitness programs are also preferable. Keep in mind to follow a light to a moderate exercise regime. It will also help to deal with labour and postpartum recovery. Do not push too hard and find your comfort level with physical activities. Your primary focus should be on staying healthy during pregnancy. Something is better than nothing – do not sit idle. 

Distribution of Weight During Pregnancy

As per studies, the pregnancy weight gained gets fairly distributed where the baby weighs around 3 to 3.5 kilograms when the pregnancy ends. Also, the amniotic fluid and the placenta come up to 1.5 kgs. An additional 2 kgs are due to the enlarged uterus and breasts. 

Body fluids & blood: 4 kgs. 

Fat & other nutrients: 3 kgs.

Total weight gain is around 10-15 kilos. 

Conclusion

Pregnancy is a phase where you should take good care of yourself for your baby’s well-being. Put in your best efforts to lose the extra weight if you are overweight but always try to do so by healthy means. Your pregnancy can prove to be a good time for you to look at your health positively. It should not have any adverse effects on your body. It is a time for you to practice self-care and be alert and physically active. A healthy diet and exercise can avoid complications like gestational diabetes or high BP. Make sure to maintain a healthy weight and support a healthy pregnancy. 

Take the help from a nutritionist to plan a nutritious meal & snack routine for your health. If you are worried about your baby’s growth, you must know that your baby is too tiny to absorb nutrients in the first trimester. Your baby will only grow via your fat reserves. 

The very first priority of your body is the nourishment of the baby. However, it can also happen that you cannot digest all of the food due to morning sickness or nausea. Thus, it is better to consult a doctor in such situations. Being mentally fit is also equally essential to get through the pregnancy. You should be happy and send positive vibes to your baby. Avoid stress as much as possible and stay active. Pregnancy can be the happiest time for you. Stay active and positive, have proper food and get plenty of rest, and it will be a breezy phase for you. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Q. Is it OK to lose weight during pregnancy?

A. It is OK to lose weight during pregnancy as long as it is healthily and safely. However, doctors do not recommend it. 

Q. Can an overweight person lose weight during pregnancy?

A. Overweight women can lose weight during pregnancy by doing sufficient exercise and consuming a healthy diet. It will not negatively impact the baby’s well-being. 

Q. Can I lose 10 pounds in the first trimester?

A. You can lose weight in the first trimester due to nausea and vomiting sensations. It’s not uncommon for women in their first trimester to lose weight due to bad bouts of nausea and vomiting that preclude them from eating normally. However, if the weight loss is severe, consult your doctor. 

Q. How do models stay skinny during pregnancy?

A. Models can stay skinny during pregnancy because they begin their pregnancy journey at the desired weight, usually due to their healthy eating habits. So, it is easier for them to go back to that weight post-pregnancy. The idea is to eat healthily and not eat for two and pile on kilos. Therefore, you need to know what is good for you and how much you should eat. 

Q. Can you get in shape while pregnant?

A. Yes, you can stay in shape when pregnant by incorporating moderate physical activities like walking, swimming and yoga. 

Q. Do you lose weight when pregnant with a boy?

A. Compared to a woman carrying a female fetus, women with a male foetus have significantly increased maternal weight gain. There are certain studies available which correlate pregnancy weight gain with the gender of the baby. However, it is not gospel truth and is indicative based on the size of a sample. 

Q. Do you burn more calories while pregnant?

A. No, you don’t need to burn more calories when pregnant. Your intestine muscles move slowly and slow down your digestion. It leads to a gas build-up with bloating, burping and flatulence. 

Q. What is a plus-size pregnancy?

A. A pregnancy is said to be plus-size when your BMI or Body Mass Index is between 25 – 29.9, and you are tagged obese when you cross 30. 

Q. Is it normal to lose weight at 32 weeks pregnant?

A. It is normal to lose weight at the end of your pregnancy. However, it will not affect the baby’s weight and happens due to increased physical activity and lower levels of amniotic fluid. 

Q. How can I control my weight during pregnancy?

A. You can control your weight during pregnancy by consuming healthy food rich in vitamins and low in calories and fat. Consume cereals and crackers made of whole grains. Incorporate healthy protein and essential fats. Also, pregnancy does not mean eating double the quantity of what you usually eat. Please assess your nutritional requirement and look for a healthy plating method to fill your meals with colourful veggies, whole grains and lean proteins. 

Source link

The post Is Safely Losing Weight during Pregnancy, Healthy?- HealthifyMe appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

We come across friends, family, peers, and colleagues. The majority of them want to lose weight. Unfortunately, due to lifestyle changes and food intake, people are gaining weight across age groups. However, weight loss is more challenging than gaining weight. Somehow, the weight creeps in through our bodies, and when we realise that we are overweight, it becomes tough to shed our set patterns. However, the secret is dietary modification and lifestyle changes. 

Weight reduction is often associated with sophisticated meals such as salads and drinks. But one can approach it differently. Interestingly there is an easy way out. Even though it seems monotonous and excessive, eating the same foods daily can help you lose weight. 

How Does it Work?

A more varied diet can be related to fat storage and weight gain. It is especially true when one consumes a variety of snacks rather than just one. Furthermore, diverse tastes and textures might lead to overeating. Eating a broad range of meals might lead to eating more and consuming more calories in general. If you don’t get used to what you eat regularly, you’re more inclined to consume food for pleasure. Instead of curbing hunger, food becomes an outlet for a sensory experience. Also, our customs and cultures associate food with togetherness, celebrations and expression of emotion. So, we embrace overeating as a habit that ultimately leads to weight gain. When we restrict ourselves to eating a few food items, we tend to eat less. 

When you have fewer options, it’s easier to pay attention to your body’s signals and recognise when you’re full. Binge eating and not knowing when you’re full are two common reasons for weight gain.

Pros of Eating Same Food

Increased Intake of Nutrients

A diet consisting of a few nutrient-dense items can easily outperform a diet composed of many less nutritious options. Since eating the same meal can be restrictive, you’re more inclined to stick to home cooking rather than going out. This meal should consist of quantities of vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids. On the other hand, it should reduce the intake of processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugar-sweetened drinks. 

Reduced Calorie Intake

When it comes to weight gain, calories are a significant determinant. As per studies, food habituation lowers total calorie intake in people when they repeatedly eat the same meals. Habituation refers to learning wherein a person’s response decreases with repeated exposure to stimuli. The presence of an extensive range of foods to try leads to inadvertently postponed feelings of fullness or contentment from your meal, causing you to eat more. As per research, consuming the same meals daily assists 66 % of American adults who are overweight or obese lower their calorie consumption.

Reduces Stress

Consuming the same item daily reduces the stress of meal planning and food preparation and establishes a routine and an order. Due to the busy modern lifestyle, adults today already have plenty of prior engagements. Therefore, not worrying about deciding on the type of meal helps relieve stress and simplify things to maintain a balanced diet. Furthermore, concentrating on limited types of products and using them to make meals throughout the week is a good strategy. It ensures that all the food items you purchase get utilised and nothing goes to waste.

Cons of Eating the Same food

Increased Pesticide Exposure

There are also drawbacks to lowering diversity in your diet: increased pesticide exposure. Our source for specific food items like vegetables or fruits remains the same. These food items can have chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides. Repeatedly buying the same food item for consumption can result in the constant intake of these chemicals. Therefore, if you eat the same food items every day, getting the most excellent quality is essential. It’s a good idea to buy organic foods. It will lead to fewer pesticides and other toxins. Aside from opting for organic, it’s crucial to be mindful of foods that might be dangerous in large concentrations. 

Contributes to Food Intolerance

The gut microbiome may suffer due to a lack of diversity in your diet. Your microbiome alters when you consume a substantial amount of the same diet over a longer time. A lack of diversity may exacerbate intolerances and sensitivities. Food intolerances and sharpness can increase by a diet that is extremely limited in variety. Your stomach may produce less of the enzymes needed to break them down. Moreover, this can further result in experiencing physical problems such as pains, etc., when eating items you don’t eat otherwise.

Slowed Metabolism

Eating the same meal daily might result in a slowed metabolism, which is bad in the long term. The things you consume regularly affect your metabolism. Food digestion is a metabolic factor that contributes to your daily energy requirements. Therefore if you consume the same item regularly, your daily metabolic output will be the same. On eating more food than needed, the body’s basal metabolism increases slightly to compensate. Eat less, and your weight will drop, but your energy consumption will decline. As a result, it decreases your basal metabolism to compensate for your intake shortage.

Foods to Add to Your Daily Diet

Lean Protein

A high-protein diet can assist you to control your hunger, allowing you to lose weight. You can lower the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin’ and increase multiple satiety hormones by substituting carbs and fat with protein. As a result, there is a significant reduction in appetite, which is how primarily protein aids weight loss. It can make you instinctively consume fewer calories. Protein is essential for healthy growth and development and the maintenance of muscular mass. Having protein-rich food in every meal can help maintain blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar spikes. It is a regular occurrence when you consume carbohydrates exclusively. Intake of protein daily can boost concentration and energy levels in a person.

Protein requirements vary depending on gender, age, and weight. Furthermore, protein requirements differ depending on the amount and type of activity a person engages in and whether or not they are pregnant or breastfeeding. As per studies, an adult requires 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. Food items containing protein include eggs, chicken, soy, legumes, beans etc. 

Cruciferous Vegetables

Add cruciferous vegetables. They have low-calorie content and are rich in fibre. They give the feeling of being fuller for longer and prevent overeating. Intake of vegetables keeps the calorie count under check. With time, this can result in a reduction of overall caloric consumption and weight loss.

Glucosinolates are sulphurous chemicals found in cruciferous plants. These are good for your health. As per studies, glucosinolates have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties, influencing cell networks and genes. Glucosinolates prevent cancer from spreading by changing the enzymes involved, avoiding the transcription process, and stopping cellular proliferation. It also protects against myocardial infarction and other inflammatory illnesses due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The chemicals could also aid in the treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome. 

According to the USDA, people should consume 1.5 to 2.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables every week. As per studies. Three servings of vegetables slow down ageing and a reduced risk of diseases such as slowed cognitive activities, Alzheimer’s etc. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, radish, cauliflowers etc. 

Nuts and Seeds

According to research, eating nuts can be helpful to one’s health. Nuts are nutrient-rich foods that have no negative impact on weight. Indeed, when they are used to substitute other less nutritious items in the diet, they can aid in weight loss. Even though nuts contain many calories, research suggests that our body doesn’t absorb all these fats. It is due to a percentage of fat staying within the nut’s fibrous wall during digestion. It’s a common belief that nuts lead to weight gain due to fat content. However, fats related to health concerns are saturated and trans fats. Most nuts are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are healthy fats.

Olive Oil

Olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil, is an effective weight-loss component. Crushing or cold-pressing olives and removing the fresh fat from the fruit yields extra virgin olive oil. It is the best grade olive oil. It is unrefined and unadulterated, and rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids aid weight loss, maintain a healthy heart and keep blood sugar levels constant. In addition, it encourages satiety, which keeps people from binge eating other processed or trans-fat sources that are high in empty calories.   

Yoghurt

Yoghurt, which is high in calcium and protein, provides various benefits to overall gut health and weight loss. It enhances metabolism due to its high protein content. As a result, it aids in burning a significant amount of calories throughout the day. Yoghurt’s protein helps lose weight by giving the feeling of being full for a long time. Therefore, protein in yoghurt can help with weight loss by promoting fat and calorie burn and managing the appetite.

Precautionary Measures

It’s advisable to buy organic food items. Organic will reduce your exposure to chemicals and pesticides whether you eat the same item every day or a diversified diet. Ensure that all key dietary groups are included in your daily meal: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and healthy fats. Having the same hearty diet every day can help with weight loss, but only if you follow it for a short period. If you wish to stick to the diet in the long run, talk to a dietitian beforehand.

The Bottom Line

Eating the same food regularly helps to boost the weight loss process. However, it’s essential to include only healthy foods in your daily meal. Furthermore, you cannot undermine the importance of physical activities and an active lifestyle for weight loss. Therefore, it’s essential to balance and consume healthy food and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I eat the same three meals every day?

A: Yes, you can consume the same three meals every day. The intake of the same meals daily for an extended period has added advantages. These include weight loss and sticking to a nutritional diet. Increased dietary variety can lead to fat storage and higher body weight. 

Q: What is the best food combination?

A: There are few healthy food combinations to switch between daily. You can have rice and beans as an alternative to meat for protein intake. You can have cheese and eggs for vitamin D. Milk and eggs is also an excellent combination to have daily as they provide calcium and protein. 

Q: What food burns fat while you sleep?

A: Chamomile tea aids with weight loss and glycemic control. So, before going to bed, drink a cup of warm chamomile tea and lose weight as you sleep. Additionally, methi seeds aid in weight loss by generating body heat. It’s also a good antacid, so if you have stomach problems, this is a fantastic method to keep them under control.

Q: Is it ok to eat the same breakfast every day?

A: Although it’s alright to have the same breakfast every day, it’s also important to switch between different food items for better nutritional intake. A good breakfast consists of anything high in protein and fibre, which will keep you satiated for longer and provide energy to burn extra calories. 

Q: Should I eat at the same time every day?

A: Consuming food simultaneously every day keeps the body active during the day. You can increase your energy level and high concentration by adhering to your schedule. On the other hand, skipping a meal can impair your metabolic activities, temperament, and everyday functioning.

Q: Can you eat eggs every day?

A: Healthy people can eat up to one entire egg daily. Because eggs provide multiple nutrient values, are accessible, and are affordable, the recommended egg dose for older persons is up to 2-3 eggs daily. 

Q: Should I eat the same calories every day?

A: There is no requirement to eat the same number of calories daily until you have a calorie deficit. Your calorie requirements alter daily, based on your physical activity, the foods you consume, and your lifestyle. As a result, your calorie requirements will fluctuate.

Q: Is rice good for weight loss?

A: Rice contains low fat and is suitable for gluten-free diets. Rice has two types of starch: digestible and resistant. The resistant starch component not digestible by human enzymes is known as resistant starch. It can help people lose weight by managing hormones, regulating hunger, and conserving lean body mass.

Q: What foods should you not combine?

A: Different foods don’t fit together, and one should avoid them. They include two high protein foods. For example, eggs and bacon are separately popular food items, but you should not eat them together. Similarly, avoid milk and banana together as they are difficult to digest. 

Q: What drink helps burn fat?

A: Various drinks boost the fat burning process. Some include apple cider vinegar, green tea, black tea, vegetable juice, grapefruit juice, cumin tea and coconut water. 

Source link

The post Losing Weight by Eating the Same Food- HealthifyMe appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

Many folks try to lose weight and it is no easy feat—those who do shed off pounds tend to regain it back. Oftentimes people intend to change their lifestyle habits only to break these healthy habits soon after. So what does it take to keep those habits in your life?

We spoke to a behavior change expert to find out why people have such a tough time losing weight and what are the best behaviors to follow that can help enable successful weight loss.

“For nearly all of us, there is often a gap between what we intend to do and what we end up doing,” says Allison Grupski, Ph.D. and Vice President of Behavior Change Strategies & Coaching at Weight Watchers. “This happens because we’re human—which means that pretty predictable things get in our way. But there are ways to bridge that intention-action gap, especially for those looking to lose weight or get healthier.”

Here are five behaviors that can help make your healthy goals doable. Then, for more on long-term weight loss tips, take a look at This Diet and Exercise Combo Is the Key to Long-Term Weight Loss, New Study Says.

“We often think that to lose weight, we must entirely change our lives,” says Grupski. “We imagine some version of our future self who is doing all of the ‘right things’ and living our best life. And for most of us, the distance between today-us and that imagined best-self-us is not insignificant.”

Behavioral theories suggest that the less attainable a goal seems, the less likely we are going to take action. Instead of envisioning a complete transformation, Grupski says to set goals that have a 95% chance of you completing and repeating. In order to do that, get really specific about what you will do and when; focus the goal on something you will get some enjoyment from doing; and make sure your approach is one that genuinely fits into your life as it is today.

Grupski explains that we tend to think about what we will or won’t eat or whether we’ll start jogging again or try a new workout. But we often stop short of really figuring out “how” to make it happen.

“This is why it’s important, when we’re deciding on what we want to do differently, to focus even more energy on precisely how we’ll make it happen,” she says. “We should ask ourselves questions like: what exactly am I going to do? When will I do it? What might get in the way and how can I plan for that?”

“We often have an all-or-nothing thinking style when it comes to making healthy changes,” Grupski says. “So when we miss the mark of what we planned to do, we think of it as a ‘mess up’ or as evidence that we ‘ruined’ the good stuff we already did.”

This way of thinking makes a big impact on what we do. For example, when we think “well, I already ate 2 cookies … might as well finish the sleeve.” This is where noticing our thinking patterns, gently challenging them, looking at the big picture, and practicing self-compassion come in.

Many folks like to see those numbers drop on the scale, especially when the results are quick. When weight loss occurs slowly, plateaus, or even reverses people tend to get discouraged and don’t want to continue on their weight loss journey—even though this almost always tends to happen along the way.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“This is where keeping the big picture of health in mind and focusing on off-the-scale progress—like improved energy and mobility—come in,” Grupski explains. “And some research even suggests that focusing on process more than the outcomes can help you stay on track.”

When it comes to eating behaviors, here are several behavioral strategies that Grupski suggests to help support your weight loss journey.

• Practice self-compassion: Most folks fall off the wagon or “mess up” and that is 100% normal and inevitable. Recognize that you’re human, talk kindly to yourself, and move forward.
• Track what you eat: Research shows that tracking what you eat is a powerful behavioral strategy for weight loss and maintenance. You don’t have to count every morsel or figure out how many calories you just ate in a meal. It’s a simple form of self-monitoring and developing awareness. Tracking what you eat gives you a chance to start noticing patterns and can be very empowering. Research from the WW Success Registry suggests that food tracking can help members successfully lose weight and keep it off says Grupski. “Specifically, 74.4% of WW Success Registry members (those who lost at least 20 pounds on WW and kept it off for at least a year) reported tracking what they ate “most of the time” or “always” compared to 7.4% of the weight stable control group.”
• Plan ahead: You’re much more likely to eat whatever is in reach when you get hungry. That’s when planning comes in handy. Having healthy foods inclusive of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, low and nonfat dairy available make them more likely to be included in your meals and snacks. Even better if you can pre-plan your meals and snacks so you don’t have to think twice when it’s mealtime.

READ MORE: These Behaviors Increase Your Dementia Risk, According to Doctors

Source link

The post The Best Eating Behaviors to Follow for Finally Losing Weight, Says Expert — Eat This Not That appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

When people believe age-related weight gain is inevitable, they tend to turn to comfort food, which often leads them to turn that belief into reality, according to a new report in the International Journal of Environmental Research.

Researchers interviewed eight men between the ages of 35 and 58, asking about their relationships with food and diet, as well as their thoughts on why they may have gained weight. They were also asked whether they were concerned about their health, if they’d made previous attempts to lose weight, and how they felt about being overweight or having obesity.

Related: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians

These discussions often revealed discouragement about their weight and a loss of self-esteem, especially if they’d been a lower weight when younger. This attitude caused many to turn toward high-calorie comfort food, which caused even more weight gain. However, that wasn’t the only habit that proved problematic, according to the study’s lead author Mark Cortnage, PhD, senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K.

“Although they often mentioned comfort eating, participants also showed poor awareness of other factors that cause weight gain,” he says in a statement. “Many men would benefit from an education around food, such as food selection, integration of diet, and sustainable weight management practices, as a way to develop a more complete understanding of the relationships between food and lifestyle.”

Although the recent study focused only on men, many women also tend to believe that weight gain is inevitable when aging, and that might cause them to turn toward comfort food as well, even though research suggests that metabolism stays steadier for much longer than previously thought.

The study was also limited by its small sample size, but this perception tends to be widespread, according to trainer Ronnie Lubischer, CSCS, who often works with older adults.

“What I see most is sheer mental frustration and a feeling that they’re personally failing if weight begins to creep on as they get older,” he tells Eat This, Not That! “Instead of feeling discouraged, a better approach is to see this time as an opportunity to reset your health, including your eating habits, to support yourself for decades to come. That’s more important than focusing only on weight loss.”

In addition to a different mindset, Lubischer suggests men and women do strength training to build muscle mass, focus on sleep quality, and reduce stress since feeling overwhelmed has been associated with increased accumulation of belly fat.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

He also advises talking to a dietitian who can help you develop the best strategy for healthy eating. Most of all, remember that even if you don’t lose weight, changing your body composition can go a long way toward better health, which means increasing your muscle mass and lowering body fat—even if the number on the scale doesn’t budge.

Source link

The post The Worst Eating Habit for Losing Weight As You Age, Says New Report — Eat This Not That appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

Over time, having too much fat around your abdomen can become harmful to your health. That’s because this type of fat, also known as visceral fat, grows around the internal organs in our stomach area.

Too much belly fat like this can increase our risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even complications like cancer or strokes. While this fat can sometimes be difficult to lose, there are ways to do so in a healthy, sustainable manner.

We talked with a few dietitians to get their advice on how you can begin setting goals for your health and losing belly fat today. And for more healthy weight loss tips, check out High-Protein Lunch Recipes for Weight Loss.

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your goal of losing belly fat is making sure you get enough protein throughout your day. One mistake that people sometimes make is that they cut too many calories to try and lose weight, but they end up not getting enough protein in their meals because of this.

“There are a few key benefits that protein provides in terms of losing weight. First, protein helps build muscle mass and reduce fat, especially in the abdominal area. Second, protein helps you feel full longer, helping you curb your appetite throughout the day and maybe not reach in the pantry for some extra unhealthy snacks. Lastly, eating enough protein daily also provides energy, which you’ll need to perform cardio or strength training workouts to help reach your goals,” says Courtney D’Angelo, MS, RD, author at Go Wellness.

Having a glass of red wine every now and then can potentially provide you with some benefits, but too much alcohol over time can increase your chances of having abdominal fat. In fact, according to a study from the International Journal of Obesity, light to moderate consumption of alcohol was associated with increased visceral fat in adult women.

“Consuming too much alcohol can result in accumulation of belly fat, so instead of drinking martinis and glasses of wine, opt for a glass of 100% pomegranate juice served in a fancy glass or a flute of sparkling water,” says Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Cookbook and Fueling Male Fertility.

It’s almost pointless to follow any of these other guidelines if you’re not getting enough water in your body throughout the day, especially if you can use that water to replace sugary drinks that may be leading to more weight gain.

“Most people are drinking too many sugary sports drinks, soda, and specialty coffees throughout their days. If you drink more water instead of those drinks, you’ll drastically reduce the amount of sugar and calories that you’re currently consuming. Water also helps you stay hydrated, triggering higher energy levels, which can help cause you to take more action on your overall health and wellness,” says D’Angelo.

RELATED: The #1 Best Drinking Habit to Shrink Abdominal Fat, Says Dietitian

Similarly to getting enough water and protein during the day, getting enough sleep is also a foundational tool in helping to lose weight.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

A report from the Canadian Medical Association Journal concluded that inadequate sleep was not only linked to a greater risk of obesity but was also found to commonly interfere with weight loss attempts.

“Not getting enough sleep can result in weight gain and fat accumulation, so allowing yourself to sleep 7-8 hours every single night may help you lose some stubborn belly fat,” says Manaker.

This method may not work for everyone, so it’s important to talk with a doctor or dietitian first. But counting macros has been found to be a successful method in helping some people lose belly fat, and it can allow you more freedom than something like counting calories or other restrictive methods of weight loss.

“Counting macros can help you lose stubborn belly fat, maintain lean muscle mass and keep your body full of energy. This wouldn’t be effortless if you had to jot it all down on paper and do the math yourself. However, today there are plenty of legitimate apps out there that can easily help track your macros. The science behind counting macros is that there’s not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ number. Everyone is going to have different weight goals and will need the proper amount of calories, protein, fats, and carbs. This is now easy to do with apps like MyFitnessPal or 1st Phorm,” says D’Angelo.

Source link

The post Effortless Ways to Start Losing Belly Fat Immediately, Say Dietitians — Eat This Not That appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

Last year was a transformative one for Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman. The star has lost 55 pounds since January 2021, and has since kept it off after she decided she wanted to start before her daughter’s wedding in May. Little exercise and a hectic work schedule had led the Food Network host to her highest weight ever—but not for long.

In June, she was 43 pounds lighter and explained how cutting calories, building muscle, increasing her protein intake, eating less sugar, eliminating alcohol, logging her weight with an app, and other habits were essential. She admits in a new blog post that she thought it would be a final weight loss recap, but she’s since lost even more pounds and is sharing everything the experience taught her.

Related: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians

Starting in January, Drummond went all-in and focused on the changes like calorie counting and exercising that once the summer came around, felt like daily life.

“The initial, more intense, stage doesn’t have to last forever,” says she is “glad I’d been so strict for that first stage, because it wound up being a nice crash course that equipped me going forward. Starting out with that discipline actually allowed me more freedom later in the process.”

“I can’t emphasize this enough,” Drummond says in the blog post. “Building muscle—not just the smaller muscles in your arms, but the larger muscles in your legs and butt—will turbo charge your weight loss like nothing else and set you up for more success.”

Moves she says helped burn the most calories in the initial months were squats, lunges, and deadlifts. Good news—these are also some of The 5 Best Exercises to Build Better Glutes, Trainer Says.

Once she started paying more attention not only to what she was putting in her body, but how much, Drummond started breaking the spell. “I trained my body to get used to smaller—well, I should say more normal—portions,” she says noting that a year later she is still “eating all the foods I love, but my body is satisfied with much less of it.”

Although she cut alcohol in the first half of the year, Drummond admits that having a social drink once in a while is not a bad thing at all. She says she swaps sugary, caloric drinks like daiquiris and margaritas and other sweet cocktails for things like Ranch Water—which is clear tequila, lime juice, and sparkling water over ice—or a White Wine Spritzer—made up of a small amount of cold white wine, sparkling water, and lemon slices—because they are more hydrating and help her to not drink as much. Basically, it’s like having “two drinks for the calories of one,” she says.

In addition to building muscle and getting used to exercising, Drummond explains in her blog post that movement every day helped her achieve her goals. After the initial weight loss, she found herself sidetracking from her routine, and was only exercising two or three times a week—but on the days when she wasn’t, she could feel the difference.

“So I made sure to stay more committed than ever to using my standing desk, stepping away for frequent breaks, and putting myself in a position to move more,” she says, noting that little habits like this have stuck. “Today, I’m still using a standing desk and not letting myself collect too much dust during the day.”

The act of stepping on a scale can be triggering, Drummond admits, but seeing the number for her wasn’t about obsessing over each ounce she wanted to lose. “Before I decided to lose weight last January, I don’t think I’d stepped on a scale for two years,” she explains. “I willfully hadn’t weighed myself because I never wanted to know. Without seeing that number go up over time, it was easy for me to tell myself that it was probably just a few pounds.”

Instead, it now helps her identify trends in her body. She includes screenshots of her weight tracking via the Happy Scale app. Here’s what she says about what the habit is like now:

“I’m settling in just below the original goal weight I imagined for myself—which, by the way, was intentionally realistic! I wasn’t striving for pre-marriage, pre-baby, pre-thirties weight! 😊 Just a good weight where I thought I’d feel and look better, and where I felt I’d be able to maintain and have longer term success.”

“There’s nothing on my list of banned foods!” Drummond says about her life after weight loss. Yep—nothing! Like the first lesson she learned, the first few months of 2021 were stricter in terms of her diet of a few sugary foods and no alcohol consumption. Now she follows two thoughts—”First, my portions are much more reasonable. Second, I do still pay attention to the daily proportions I’m devoting to both high protein foods and foods with wasted calories.”

Drummond says in her blog post that she looks at some foods now as calories that aren’t as beneficial and nutritional as others. These “wasted calorie” foods include sugary soft drinks, cookies, cake, potato chips, donuts, and other similar foods. Now she tries to think of eating a “Rhode Island” sized portion of these foods instead of a “Texas” size.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

“Using the doughnut as an example, some days I eat half the doughnut. Some days I decide not to eat the doughnut. Other days I’ll pinch off a bite of the doughnut. Heck, there will be a day now and then when I will eat the whole doughnut,” she says, noting that “There’s no hard and fast rule, but I’m just more mindful of it now.”

While 53-year-old says her daughter’s wedding in May was a great motivational tool for her initial weight loss, Drummond says that being steady with adding in more exercise and controlling portion sizes, and changing how she eats is easier than focusing all efforts on one thing.

“I’ve been able to experience different approaches: building muscle, eating more protein, moving/standing more, exercising on the rowing machine, logging my daily weight, etc.” she explains. Doing this has allowed her more control over the changes that come with life.

The star hesitates to say her weight loss was a “lifestyle change” because she never wanted to change her lifestyle. Instead, she says the experience has been a sort of perspective shift on portion sizes, movement, protein intake, and more, as she sees those things differently a year later.

She then shares a before and after picture, not to label one as “bad” and the other as “good”, but because “it is helpful for me to see the distance I’ve come, and to know that the changes have been good for me,” she says.

Her lifestyle is the same—she is doing the exact same things every day like “living on the ranch, filming my cooking show, working on cookbooks and my product line, and being a wife and slightly weird mom” as she was a year ago. The only difference is her weight loss and the lessons she has learned!

“Today I feel stronger, more in balance (both physically and mentally), and I have more spring to my step. I am wearing clothes I wasn’t comfortable wearing a year ago, I feel better about the way I look, and I’m smiling more,” she ends the post staying. “But to come full circle…it hasn’t changed my life itself. I still have cow manure in my yard, for example. It’s on top of snow, and it’s ruining the dreamy winter vibe. 😂 Gotta go clean that up now, but at least that’ll help me get out and move!”

For more, here are 15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.

Source link

The post The Pioneer Woman Shares 10 Things She Learned About Losing 55 Pounds — Eat This Not That appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

Although losing weight might affect how your belly looks, the more important change could be what’s happening right beneath it. A recent study in the journal JNCI Cancer Spectrum found that even a modest amount of weight loss could reduce your risk of colorectal cancer.

Researchers looked at about 17,000 participants in a study on prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancer screening and discovered that those who lost weight during the 5-year research period were 46% less likely to develop polyps in the colon. 

These growths, also called adenomas, are strongly associated with cancer development, and that’s why they’re removed during screening colonoscopies.

Related: Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians

How much weight loss made a difference? As little as 1.1 pounds, the researchers noted. In part, that’s because weight maintenance seemed to play a major role. Participants who gained about six pounds were 30% more likely to have polyps.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women, the overall rate has been declining in the past 20 years. Many experts believe that’s likely due to more screening, including new recommendations that colonoscopies should start at age 45 instead of 50.

That decrease in cancer rates isn’t the same across all age groups, however. For people under 40, the trend is headed in the other direction, and that’s a huge problem, according to Yi-Qian Nancy You, MD, in the department of colon and rectal surgery at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at The University of Texas.

She says that if current trends continue, it’s likely that colon cancer will increase by 90% in people under age 35, and rectal cancer could increase by about 125% percent by the year 2030.

“Higher prevalence is a significant concern, but another serious issue will be treatment,” she tells Eat This, Not That!. “About 60% of these young patients are diagnosed with stage III and IV colorectal cancer, which is harder to treat.”

That means putting any lifestyle strategies in place, at any age, is a crucial part of lowering risk, she adds. In addition to losing weight, other ways to reduce colorectal risk are getting regular exercise as well as eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Source link

The post Losing Weight May Prevent This Pre-Cancerous Condition, New Study Says — Eat This Not That appeared first on Heal your health yourself.

Losing belly fat can be a long, hard process. While losing weight in other areas of the body may easily come off, belly fat is harder to budge. So it’s important to understand why.

“There are three types of fat: triglycerides, the fat that circulates in your blood, subcutaneous fat, the layer directly below the skin’s surface, and visceral fat (also known as abdominal fat or belly fat),” explains Colette Heimowitz, MS, Vice President of Nutrition & Education at Simply Good Foods Company. “Visceral fat is located beneath the muscles in your stomach and poses risks to your health when there is too much of it.”

She adds that visceral fat produces excess hormones and chemicals, which negatively impact almost every organ in your body, and increase your risk for health issues such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer.

Unfortunately, it’s this visceral fat specifically that contributes to the extra weight you may carry in your mid-section.

“The body tends to store visceral fat, or abdominal fat, easily and resist ‘losing’ it since it is in such close proximity to almost all of our vital organs,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and consultant for MyFitnessPal. “It is an easy source of quick energy for organs, so it makes sense the body would want to ‘keep’ it around.”

Palinski-Wade notes that everything from stress to lack of sleep to aging to a diet rich in simple sugars can increase these fat stores, and it can be hard to shed it without making consistent lifestyle adjustments.

If you’re struggling to lose abdominal fat, here are 8 things to try. Read on, and for more on how to eat healthy, don’t miss Eating Habits to Lose Abdominal Fat As You Age, Say Dietitians.

“Stress hormones can cause the body to store more fat in the midsection, even if your body weight doesn’t change,” says Palinski-Wade. “One of the best ways to reduce stress quickly is by simply practicing ‘belly breathing’—breathing in through the nose into the abdomen, holding for a few seconds, and then exhaling deeply through pursed lips like you are whistling. This can help to slow heart rate, calm the body, and reduce circulating stress hormones.”

“Protein helps trigger the release of leptin, which helps us feel fuller, longer and can slow calorie consumption leading to more belly fat gain,” says Cory Ruth, MS, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist, women’s health expert, and CEO of The Women’s Dietitian. “Easy ways to add more protein into your diet include protein-packed smoothies with Greek yogurt or protein powder in the morning, grilled salmon or chicken for lunch, lentils, or black beans for dinner, and hard-boiled eggs and roasted almonds for snacks.”

“Your body is built to handle the equivalent of only one to two teaspoons of circulating blood sugar at a time, and anything more than that has the potential to be converted into body fat,” says Heimowitz.

“Simple sugars in the diet can cause belly fat to accumulate quickly. Too much added sugar can also increase insulin resistance, which leads to excess insulin in the bloodstream, encouraging even more fat storage in the belly.,” says Palinski-Wade.

“The largest source of added sugar in the diet is sugary beverages, like soda. By swapping soda for sparkling water with a splash of juice, you can enjoy all the same refreshing carbonation without any added sugars.”

“A short, brisk daily walk helps encourage lower cortisol levels,” says Ruth. “Studies show even a quick walk can help regulate your insulin levels more effectively, leading to less fat storage in your abdomen.”

“When you cut down on carbs, especially refined carbs like white bread, rice, bagels, pasta, cookies, candy, and chips, and focus on nutrient- and fiber-rich carbs such as vegetables, and low-glycemic fruits, you start to lose belly fat, because your body is burning fat for fuel,” says Heimowitz.

“Reducing belly fat doesn’t have to be overwhelming, but it takes consistency especially when it comes to food choices,” says Palinski-Wade. “So many of us eat without realizing what we’ve actually eaten or how much. When you track your food, you can see how what you eat impacts everything from your energy, mood, stress levels, and even sleep – it doesn’t have to be hard to do.”

“Lemons are known diuretics that can help reduce stomach bloat, and upping your hydration can help keep your appetite at bay, meaning a lower calorie intake and less belly fat,” says Ruth.

Source link

The post Effortless Ways to Start Losing Abdominal Fat Immediately, Say Dietitians — Eat This Not That appeared first on Heal your health yourself.