Healthier Brews

December 5th, 2011

Who doesn’t love a soothing hot beverage on a cold weather? A lot of people would go to famous coffee shops to get their favorite brew, even it has a lot of calories hidden in whipped cream, flavored syrups and toppings that contains a whole lot of sugar. For those of you who would love to indulge on a hot beverage without disrupting your weight loss program, we have listed a number of delicious hot brews for you.

Peppermint Mocha

Many are quite into peppermint mocha, getting these types of hot drinks in their favorite coffee shops. However, did you know that you can enjoy this delicious drink by replacing sugary syrup with peppermint extract and not putting whipped cream on top? You can balance the minty flavor of your cup of mocha by having dark chocolate syrup and nonfat milk.

Cinnamon Coffee

If you’d like to have a dose of black coffee, but it doesn’t satisfy your “sweet” needs, you can enhance the taste by having a good dose of ground cinnamon. This kind of spice is high in calcium, fiber and iron. Cinnamon is also known to adding so much flavor, which can also be used as a replacement for sugar.

Matcha Milk

Matcha is a type of green tea that is famous in Japan. You can use this tea as a base of a creamy hot milk. Experts say that matcha increases metabolism and it also helps in reducing cholesterol levels.

Eggnog Made Healthy

Eggnogs are made with whole eggs and heavy condensed milk. With these two ingredients, you’d know how much calories are hidden and sneaked into your diet. Here’s a good diet tip and a good infusion to have a “healthier” dose of eggnog – skim milk and stevia.

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Myth Busted: Managing Your Cholesterol

December 2nd, 2011

Most people today are exerting a lot of effort to lower their cholesterol level. We know that having a high cholesterol level is bad for your health, that’s why you need to eat a balance diet. There are a lot of weight loss reviews available for us, but did you know that there are also many weight loss tips that you need to stop doing?

Here are some of the myths about managing your cholesterol:

If You’re Thin, Your Cholesterol isn’t High

Experts say that being thin isn’t a guarantee that you have a low cholesterol level. Maybe you can change your diet and exercise to be physically fit, but you can’t do anything about family history. If you have a history of having high cholesterol level in the family, you are more prone to having a high cholesterol level.

High Cholesterol and Kids

A lot of people believe that kids don’t get high cholesterol –wrong. Whatever your age is, you are prone to having high cholesterol. If a child doesn’t have enough exercise, doesn’t eat healthy food and diet, it’ll affect your child’s cholesterol level. If your family has a history of having heart disease, your kids may be at a greater risk for developing this kind of disease later on. It is best that everyone, including your kids should be screened for cholesterol levels.

You Can Eat Anything As Long As You Have Cholesterol Medication

Yes, myth busted –you cannot eat everything even if you have medication. Well, maybe you can eat anything as long as it is balanced. See, the bottom line here is you have to watch what you eat. If you don’t, you may need more medication, or worse, the medication might not be able to work even at maximum dose.

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The Wonderful Surprises of Green Tea

November 29th, 2011

As part of healthy living, we all know that we need to lower our cholesterol level. There are a lot of ways to do it. However, not all are easy to do. Here’s one that can definitely lower our LDL and total cholesterol levels – green tea. It’s not only limited to this, but it also contains a lot of health benefits.

Understanding Green Tea

Camellia sinensis plant is where green tea comes from. However, the taste and aroma depends on where the leaves grow and how they are produced. Compared to black and oolong, green teas aren’t oxidized which means that it contains more health-boosting antioxidants called catechins. It also contains epigallocatechin, an antioxidant known to fight cancer.

Green tea is also used as a common ingredient in Asia. This is a good way to incorporate the nutrition that green tea has into everyone’s diet.

So, if you want to include green tea in your list of healthy food & diet, here’s a list of different varieties and ideas on how to prepare each.

Matcha

These are leaves that are ground into a fine powder. It’s practically “powdered” tea; you can just add water to it and it’s ready to go. Since these are actual leaves, you’re consuming more antioxidants than any other form of green tea. Stir one teaspoon into a smoothie or even top a dash over vanilla ice cream or a bar of dark chocolate and you’ll definitely enjoy the strong and grassy flavor of this kind of green tea.

Sencha

This type of green tea is most popular in Japan. Sencha leaves produces a bright green color when steamed and are rolled into needle form. You can mix these leaves into a dough or batter for cookies, scones or muffins. Fold two tablespoons of dried sencha leaves into it and bake as usual – you’ll taste a mild and slightly sweet flavor that you’ll definitely enjoy.

Hojicha

A kind of green tea that is roasted at a higher heat than any other teas that results to a lower level of caffeine than any other type of green tea. Hojicha are leaves that are roasted until it’s dark brown. You can include this in your meal by having a cup of steeped hojicha tea over a mixture of brown rice and roasted vegetables like squash. By doing this, you’ll taste a roasted and nutty flavor that hojicha offers.

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Fight Flabs

November 28th, 2011

Many of us have weight loss programs to help slash of pounds, and to get rid of belly flabs. This is one of the main reasons why people engage in weight loss activities. So, how can you get rid of these flabs? Here are some ways:

Eat Good Fat

As part of healthy living, your best practice would be to eat a low-fat diet. However, believe it or not, eating a low-fat diet isn’t really the best way to reduce flabs. Experts suggests that people who want to reduce belly flab avoid refined carbohydrates that are low in fat, instead, add foods that have “good fats” in your diet. These foods are avocado, sea bass and adding olive oil to your dish.

Diet Every Other Day

According to a study, people who ate 25% fewer calories every other day lost 30 pounds in ONLY eight weeks. For everyone else, we can start by eating 1,200-1,500 calories in one day, and then eat normally the next day. Don’t overdo on the days when you can eat normally, because you can sabotage the whole thing. Aside from this, you should also keep track of your weekly exercise routine.

Sleep Well

A recent study showed that there is a direct correlation between sleep and belly fat. People who slept for five hours or less each night or eight hours or more gained more abdominal fat than the ones who slept between six to seven hours.

Coconut Oil

If you want to boost your metabolism and reduce belly flabs, make sure that you add coconut oil to your diet. Experts say that there is a direct link between coconut oil and abdominal fat reduction. See, coconut oil is a saturated fat that has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It’s also pro-thyroid that will help boost metabolism.

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Spice Up Your Life

November 22nd, 2011

Are you living your life eating bland food just to lose weight? Have you been strictly eating healthy food & diet to slash-off the pounds? If you’ve been doing the latter, good for you, but if you’re constantly doing it by eating foods that are tasteless,making it taste better to enjoy the food that you’re eating.

There are a lot of diet tips available for us, and there are also a number of ways to enjoy eating healthy. One way is to add some flavor by adding spices on every dish. Herbs and spices have always been known to add flavor to any meal. However, did you know that it also has benefits? Some of the benefits are they help in decreasing inflammation, reducing the risk of cancer, fights heart disease and many more.

To get most of these herbs, here are some of which that you can add to your meal:

Parsley

You would always see parsley as a garnish to some meals. However, not everyone knows that this herb is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K. It also contains antioxidants that keep your heart from certain diseases.

Basil

Basil leaves have always been used for pasta or pizza, and also for sauces such as pesto. Aside from its powerful taste, basil has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help prevent swelling and relieve pain that is caused by arthritis. Orientin and vicenin are flavonoids that are present in basil that protects your cells from radiation and other damage. It also has antibacterial properties that help prevent infections.

Garlic

Garlic contains anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. It helps lower cholesterol and the risk of cancer. It also has vitamins B6 and C which helps fight heart disease.

Cilantro

Cilantro is best used in salsa, salads and guacamole. Aside from that, it also has numerous health benefits. Cilantro is a good source of iron, magnesium and manganese. It contains inflammatory properties, and it also helps control blood sugar and cholesterol.

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Give Up Smoking Without Gaining The Pounds

November 21st, 2011

Most smokers wouldn’t attempt to quit smoking just because they’re afraid that they would get fat. Most women that decide to quit smoking to attain healthy living would complain that they gain a lot of weight. At often times, it ranges from 5 to 10 pounds. Most women would ask about this, and yes, the answer is simple – you’ve replaced a negative habit with another, which is excessive consumption of calories.

There are a lot of causes when it comes to gaining weight right after you quit smoking. One of the causes is that nicotine in tobacco slightly increases your metabolism, for you to be able to burn more calories than you usually would in a daily basis. When you choose to stop the habit, you’re metabolism rate would slightly decline, which will make you gain more weight.

Here are some tips that you can follow to minimize weight gain after quitting smoking:

Plan Ahead

When you know that you’ll crave for a cigarette stick, make activities that will stop you from doing so. Usually, having a cigarette break is part of your daily routine. You can go on a coffee break, take a walk, or do some errands just to fill up your time spent smoking.

Keep your hands full

This is helpful in the evening. If you have nothing else to do, you can do some activities such as knitting, log on the internet, or keep your nails clean by giving yourself a manicure, or  a daily polish change.

Water Bottle

Make sure you can carry a water bottle with you whenever possible. This will not only occupy your hands, but drinking calorie-free drink will help prevent weight-gain.

Move it

Make sure you stick to a weight loss program now! If you’re not exercising yet, now is the best time to do so. Working out will help minimize your hunger, boost your metabolism and will definitely help in burning your calories.

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Nutrition Myths Busted

November 17th, 2011

As humans, we cannot stop ourselves from following the trend. When it comes to weight loss, we follow whatever the trend is, because we think that it will help us lose weight. This isn’t a bad thing, because if you want to  lose weight to be fit and fabulous, then you really should find ways to do so. However, not all weight loss programs can help you, and sadly, not all are true.

Here are some famous busted nutritional myths:

Go Vegan

It is true that vegetarians and vegan consume fewer calories than those who aren’t. Choosing to go vegan just for weight loss isn’t the best thing to do because it can have negative results too. Many first-time vegans would tend to reach for more processed vegan foods such as cookies, chips or even vegan ice cream. So, if you really want to be vegan and have a healthy living, make sure that you keep snacks to a minimum and always plan balanced meals. If you’re not going for the green route, don’t give up eating vegetables every day, because it will result to good health.

Cut The Carbs

This is one thing that you’re not supposed to do – removing carbs from your diet. You have to remember that your body needs carbohydrates for energy. When you cut carbs from your meals, it will not only reduce whole grains, vitamin B, and fiber, but it will also greatly affect your emotion (feeling good).

Diet Drinks

Another trend –diet drinks. If you drink artificially sweetened drinks, you’re not doing yourself any good. According to a study, if you consume foods or drinks with “fake” sugar, you’re not providing your body with any calories to back up the sweetness. And, as a result, it will make you crave more.

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Abs Are Made In The Kitchen

November 15th, 2011

Naturally, everyone is dreaming of a toned, flat abs, and yes, most people are working hard to have a flat stomach. What is their secret? Healthy food and diet and a good exercise. Ever heard of the saying “abs are made in the kitchen”? Yes, it is true, and you don’t need to list down a number of foods for you to attain a lean stomach. All you have to do is to be careful with what you eat.

Famous Saying

See, it’s very easy to eat a lot of calories, but it’s very hard to burn them.  The famous line “abs are made in the kitchen” only means that what you eat has a big impact on weight loss than any form of weight loss program or exercise that you do. Many people wouldn’t believe in this saying, because they still continue doing a lot of crunches and laps in the gym.

Reveal Your Abs

The best thing to do for you to attain a flat stomach is for you to watch your diet. You need to think of the foods that you should be eating. Here’s a good tip: Whatever your goal is, you have to make sure that the foundation of your diet program are always fruits and vegetables, good protein sources, and a good blend of dietary fat. If you want to slash off pounds fast, keep eating green, fibrous carbohydrates such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale collard greens and asparagus. These foods are known for being the healthiest foods in the world.

The point is you do not only have to stretch your muscles and do your workout. You also have to make sure that you eat healthy foods to help reveal your abs.

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Control Temptation

November 14th, 2011

We all have a friend who would pass on a Friday night-out for 2 hours of workout. Or, you’ll hear a friend (or even you) say “I’ll stick to a salad, I’m skipping carbs.” However, not everyone can control themselves from tempting foods, but quite a number are now using willpower against tempting, luscious foods.

Most weight loss reviews would only inform you that the best way to lose pounds is to have the proper diet and of course, to exercise. By reading this, you’ll now find ways on how to control your cravings by just focusing and using your willpower.

Diet Tips that Work

Mind Over Matter

Yes, meditation works –even for your diet. If you do practice meditation, it will help you be aware of the choices that you make because you activate systems in your body that’s responsible for doing such. The more you activate the said systems, the more powerful they become. As a result, it’ll be easier for you to do the right thing. One good tip is to meditate for one minute everyday by sitting quietly with your eyes closed and count your breaths. When you reach 10, repeat again. Whenever your mind starts wandering around, start again at one. Do this for 5 minutes a day.

Easy Healthy Decisions

We’ve always talked about having “comfort foods”. However, you also have to make wise decisions with regards to your comfort food. For example you’re craving for a donut. Don’t go overboard and choose the ones with more calories. You were just craving for the plain ones anyway.

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Stress and Self-Deprivation

November 10th, 2011

You wake up later than the usual and realize that you’re late for work. You grab a piece of bagel and a large cup of coffee on your way to work, and when you get to the office all you can see is a pile of reports due by noon – that is above all the work you need to finish before the day ends. What’s the first thing that you’ll feel? Stress.

A lot of weight loss reviews would inform us on which foods you should eat. Another thing that should come with that is the proper exercise program to achieve desirable results. However, not all reviews would tell you about keeping yourself calm to lose weight. Did you know that feeling stressed which will later on result to self-deprivation can destroy your weight maintenance program?

Self-Deprivation

According to a study, people who are stressed are most likely to eat more. However, when they eat, they get stressed even more after they fill themselves up with “comfort food”. See, when you’re stressed, the cortisol levels in your body will increase, and will affect weight even more. That’s why one of the best diet tips is that you make sure that you eat some of the “unhealthy” snacks in a day, so that when stress kicks in, you’ll be able to moderate your “comfort food” intake.

We know that if you have a day full of things to do, you hardly notice your stomach growling. Sometimes, it isn’t the case, because most women would deprive themselves from eating because they feel that it’ll add up to their calories. However, experts say that the more you restrict yourself from eating, the more likely you are to gain weight.

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