Wednesday 10 October 2012

How do you explain weight gain when your lifestyle includes regular exercise and a healthy diet that is controlled in calories? Gaining weight is absolutely maddening, especially when you really don't understand why the needle on the scale 
keeps going up.

1.The body functions best when well rested. "When you don't get enough sleep, your body experiences physiological stress and, biochemically, you store fat more efficiently,

2.You May Be Gaining Weight Because of Stress

We live in a society that demands we do more, be more, and achieve more. Stress moves us forward and helps cope with life's demands, but it also affects our mood and emotions.

"Stress response, whether it is 'fight-or-flight,' juggling too many responsibilities, or coping with financial pressures, triggers a biochemical process where our bodies go into survival mode," "Our bodies store fuel, slow down metabolism, and dump out chemicals [cortisol, leptin, and other hormones] which are more likely to cause ... obesity in the abdominal region."

3.You May Be Gaining Weight Because of Medications

Some prescription drugs used to treat depression, mood disorders, seizures, migraines, blood pressure, and diabetes can cause weight gain, from a modest amount to as much as 10 pounds per month. Some steroids, hormone replacement therapy, and even oral contraceptives may also cause gradual weight creep. Your medicine cabinet might be the cause of your weight gain if you've gained 5 or more pounds in a month without a change in your lifestyle.
Experts say that some of the most common types of medications that may cause weight gain are:

Steroids
Antidepressants
Antipsychotics
Antiseizure medications
Diabetes medications
High blood pressure medications
Heartburn medications


4.You May Be Gaining Weight Because of a Medical Condition

The most common medical condition that causes weight gain is hypothyroidism. A deficiency of thyroid hormone can decrease metabolism, causing appetite loss and weight gain.Much rarer is a condition known as Cushing's syndrome -- a disorder caused by an excess of the hormone cortisol -- that can also result in weight gain.

5.Women reach menopause at a range of ages, but most are in midlife and are often less physically active than when they were younger. Along with aging comes a natural slowing of metabolism. At the same time, hormonal changes can trigger hunger, depression, and poor sleep.

"It is multifactoral. When women go through menopause, they lose estrogen, causing their shapes to change -- usually a loss of hip and thigh weight. And they start to gain more in the middleThe key to avoiding this extra belly fat is to maintain and increase the amount of lean body mass, which will, in turn, increase your metabolism or calorie burn rate.

"Women need to understand how critically important weight lifting and strength training is to their health,"

Friday 5 October 2012

Chicken tikka masala


Ingredients



INGREDIENTS:
Chicken Marinade
- Skinless boneless chicken breast cut into 1" pieces: 2 Pounds
- Whole-milk Yogurt: 1 Cup
- Cumin powder: ½ Tablespoon
- Ground Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
- Cayenne powder: ½ Tablespoon
- Ground Black Pepper: ½ Tablespoon
- Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Degi Mirch or Paprika: ½ Tablespoon
- Turmeric Powder: ½ teaspoon
- Lime Juice: 1 Tablespoon (~juice of 1 lime)
- Fresh Ginger finely chopped: 1 Inch
- small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

Tikka Masala
- Ghee (or butter): 2 Tablespoons
- Onions finely chopped (almost pureed): ½ Cup
- Garlic minced: 4 Cloves
- Ginger finely chopped (almost pureed): 1 Inch
- Cumin Powder: ½ Table spoon
- Cinnamon powder: ¼ teaspoon
- Cayenne Pepper: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: ½ teaspoon
- Turmeric powder: ¼ teaspoon
- Crushed tomatoes: 1 Cup
- Degi Mirch (paprika): 2 teaspoon
- Heavy whipping cream or coconut milk: ½ cup 
- Cashews finely chopped: ¼ cup (optional)
- fresh coriander leaves (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Marinated chicken
1) Mix all ingredients but chicken in a bowl; add chicken and put it in a refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Remove chicken from marinade.
2) Pre-heat oven to 450º F: line a baking pan with aluminum foil shiny side up. Put chicken in the pan, and baste the chicken generously with the marinate. 
3) Bake chicken for about 15 minutes. Turn over the chicken, and baste chicken again with the marinate. Bake another 15 minutes, until done.

Tikka Masala
1) Heat ghee or butter in a heavy bottom pan; once heated, add onions.
2) Sautee onions till clear; add Garlic and ginger. Continue sautéing. 
3) Add cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and turmeric powder; sautee another two minutes. 
4) Add chopped tomatoes, and bring to a boil; simmer about 10 minutes. 
5) Stir in Degi Mirch (paprika), cream and cashews if using;simmer on medium heat till you have a nice consistency of a thick gravy.
6) Add cooked chicken pieces into gravy.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/chicken-tikka-masala-48/#ixzz28UvqKryQ

THYROID?? - One Cause for Obesity

Life is all about balance and when it comes to your body and proper functioning this couldn’t be truer. Our body operates on a delicate balance of chemicals that it must maintain to function properly.

Som
e of the most important chemicals when it comes to weight and metabolism are the thyroid hormones, T3 and T4 aka triiodothyronine and thyroxine.

These hormones can be thrown out of whack by many issues. From a diet with too much or too little iodine, to toxicity from amalgam fillings, to an undiagnosed medical condition the thyroid can produce too much or too little T4 or thyroxine impacting your metabolism.

How to Know:


Hyperthyroidism (too much T4):

Nervousness
Insomnia
Racing heart
Unexplained weight loss
High amounts of perspiration
Muscle weakness
Multiple bowel movements
Thin, brittle hair
Hypothyroidism (too little T4):

Fatigue
Dry hair, skin
Unexplainable weight gain
Constipation
Muscle weakness and discomfort
If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms consult your health care practitioner to learn more.


The three most commonly used tests to determine if you have a thyroid condition are blood tests, a thyroid scan, and the radioactive iodine uptake test. Your doctor can determine which one is best for you after a review of your specific conditions.


What to Do:

Instead of turning to hormone replacement therapies with the use of pharmaceuticals, natural hormones using animal hormones, or in extreme cases surgery, first look at any nutritional deficiencies like iodine or toxicity from things like amalgam fillings in your teeth. Consider supplementing with kelp, and if you have amalgam fillings, I highly recommend you seek a natural dentist to have them removed.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

What Cardio Will Burn Male Belly Fat??


There is no such thing as spot reducing. When you want to lose weight in general and belly fat in particular, there is no one magic exercise you can do to pare the fat from your body and turn it into hard muscle. However, by doing cardio exercises and interval training, you 
have a chance to burn more calories and get the belly fat off of your body.

Hill Running

Running up hills is one of the best workouts for burning calories, getting your heart rate up and raising your metabolism. This is a difficult workout that asks you to sprint up hills to build strength and cut fat. This can be done by running a small hill (less than 150 yards) several times or running a larger hill once or twice. If you run down the hill, you can work on your speed training, but running up the hill(s) three or four times per week can help get rid of male belly fat.

Treadmill Running

You may not live in an area where there are hills available to run. One of the next best things you can do is running on a treadmill. While many fitness advisers will tell you to run or jog for 30 minutes, running hard or sprinting on the treadmill is better for you when it comes to losing belly fat, burning calories and getting in better shape. With interval training on the treadmill, you can set the machine to hard hill running. The bulk of your work will be done in 1-minute bursts done four times when you are on the treadmill.

Stationary Bike Workouts

If you are not a fan of running, one of the best exercise machines to use is the stationary bike. Use the upright stationary bike as opposed to the recumbent bike in order to get the most out of your workout. Instead of going for the long 30-minute stationary bike ride, do interval training on the stationary bike to get the most out of it. Choose the "hill" workout and make sure you sprint up those hills on the bike for one-minute intervals. You need to do this at least four times during your stationary bike workout.


Thursday 27 September 2012

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know??

Weight Training Vs Aerobics

Weight training stresses the muscles, making them expand in time but only up to a limit. Aerobics are meant purely for stamina and cardio vascular efficiency. Aerobics help in the uptake of oxyge
n into the body. If you want the maximum from your workouts, you have to combine both of them. It has been seen that weight training over a period burns more calories than aerobics.

Untrained Muscles do not Convert into Fat

Muscles generally undergo a different metabolic process vis-a-vis fat cells. If you stop working out your muscles and stop applying resistance to your muscles, they will simply adapt, i.e. they will shrink and come back to their original form but they will definitely not be converted into fat.

Women who Weight Train do not Become Bulky

This is pure hogwash. Women simply do not produce enough testosterone to build huge muscles nor can they lift heavy weights that will allow them to bulk up. They also have poor appetites in the sense that they cannot consume as much protein as needed to build bulky muscles. sO LADIES....dont stay away from those weights!

HOW TO LOSE WATER RETENTION WEIGHT


Water retention happens when fluid accumulates in body tissues rather than being flushed out. Weight gain from water retention may be a temporary effect of hot weather or of eating a salty meal, or it may be a chronic problem related to a medical condition or medication. Many women are familiar with feeling bloated as hormones fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. Menopause and taking birth control pills can also cause water retention. Luckily, losing excess water weight can be much easier and quicker than losing body fat.

Step 1

Eat a high potassium breakfast of oatmeal with banana, raisins and soy milk to start your day. Potassium regulates fluid balance and helps the kidneys to eliminate waste. Add a small cup of coffee for a diuretic boost.

Step 2

Add alternative spices like garlic, onion powder and thyme to your cooking for flavor, and eliminate processed and packaged foods. Plan to adhere to a low sodium diet by reviewing food labels and making sure that total sodium in your diet does not exceed 1500 mg per day.

Step 3

Drink a glass of water, put your sneakers on and go for a 30 minute speed walk or jog. Being active helps to mobilize fluid that has accumulated in certain body parts like hands and feet, while sweating will get some salt and water out through your skin.

Step 4

Drink another glass of water and relax in a cool, air conditioned room. If you retain water in your lower legs, sit with your feet elevated and let gravity drain the fluid away
.

Step 5

Prepare a sandwich using whole wheat bread, low-sodium turkey breast and low-fat cheese. This high protein, high potassium, low salt combination will help shed unwanted water weight and keep your fluid balance in check. Follow with a glass of water.


Wednesday 26 September 2012

Ever wondered why you need Protein to lose weight?

When we talk about about burning calories, we tend to focus on exercise. But our bodies are constantly using energy throughout the day and night. Even when we’re sleeping, we’re still breathing and pumping blood. Our brains are dreaming. We’re still digesting food and finding places to store it. And not all foods are digested equally. 

The components of food—protein, carbohydrates, and fats —require different amounts of energy to digest and process, just as different types and intensities of exercise burn more or fewer calories. Scientists call this metabolic cost the thermic effect of food (TEF). Protein has a much higher TEF than carbs or fat. That is, simply eating more protein means your body is burning more calories during the process of digestion. In some cases, doubling your protein intake will bump up the number of calories you burn throughout the day. That’s one reason why protein, all by itself, helps you lose weight.