Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
12 Tips to Cut Calories
Anyone who's ever tried to lose weight knows it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Fortunately, it's easier than you think. By cutting just 40 to 50 calories per meal you can enhance your weight loss efforts and achieve your targets much faster.
Nutritionists agree the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to modify your eating habits in such a way that you are taking in lesser calories and still you never feel deprived. Some people take this advice too seriously and go for fad dieting which can be dangerous. Taking extreme measures is not the answer but you may find that some calorie cutting initiatives need not be excruciating.
Cutting calories can be easy. It's a matter of making a few simple substitutions over the course of a day. Here are a few ways to proactively cut calories, which in turn will help you to reduce your weight:
Have fresh fruits: Choose fresh fruit instead of fruit juices. Fruit juices contain a lot of sugar to sweeten them up. A medium orange has 60 calories, while a cup of orange juice contains 120 calories. Adding to that, a fresh fruit always has more fiber, is tastier and satisfying than its juice.
Downsize on desserts: Cutting calories doesn't mean saying no to all deserts. You can certainly have them but in very small proportions. Small steps like skipping the cream on your bun or avoiding the chocolate topping can go a long way!
Choose water over soft drinks (soda): Replacing a sugary soft drink with water can save you hundreds of calories a day. If you cannot give up on soft drinks then try switching to diet soft drinks. Choosing coconut water over fruit juices can also help as coconut water is low on calories and high on natural vitamins and minerals. Limit your alcohol, dairy and juices.
Increase protein intake: The high-protein, low-carb approach may help keep fat away. Proteins require a complex procedure to be converted to energy and plus they can make you feel full very soon.
Use less fat in cooking: Instead of bathing your food with oil, try using a tablespoon of oil on a lower heat setting. Prefer stir frying over deep frying. Spread less of butter on your bread and avoid putting it in your food. Prefer healthy cooking oil like olive oil, flaxseed oil etc that provides less calories and more of Omega-3 fatty acid.
Load up on fiber: Fiber adds bulk, which is not only good for your digestive system, but also good for giving your stomach that sense of fullness so you eat less. So have more foods that provide you fiber like whole unrefined grains, carrots etc.
Reduce portion size: You don't have to eat 3 big meals a day. Instead you can reduce the portion size and have 4-5 small meals a day. This way your metabolism stays busy throughout the day. If you eat one and half bowl of rice, cut it to one bowl or even half for that matter. You can also eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.
Go for smaller plates: Change your plate size to a smaller one. The bigger the plate you have, the bigger the tendency for you to load it up and consume. So, switch to a smaller one and cut off those fats. It is easier to resist the temptation to fill the plate if the plate is not large enough to accommodate a heaping mound of food.
Eliminate starchy foods: Starchy foods like potatoes do tend to have a lot of calories so its best to avoid them or have less potions of them. Instead, replace them with peas and other legumes like chickpeas (chana) and kidney beans (rajma) which are rich in vitamins and fiber.
Choose whole grain: Whenever possible, eat whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, etc. instead of white. Whole grain gives you fewer calories and more nutrition. They are also rich in fiber and iron.
Eat at home: Restaurants and fast food places make it their business to get you to eat more food than you really need. We almost always get too many calories when we go out to eat. When you eat at home you choose exactly what and how much you eat.
When eating out, order smartly: When eating out in a restaurant, order an appetizer as your main dish. If you are still hungry, order a salad with it but without mayonnaise based dressing (choose vinaigrette dressing). Also, instead of pouring large amounts of dressing on the salad, just dip your fork into the dressing before taking the salad. When ordering a pizza, choose thin crust base with less of fat loaded toppings and more of veggies.
Cutting calories doesn't have to be painful, just use the above tips to do it in the best possible manner. By making these small changes to your diet, you should be able to lose weight and keep it off, without too much effort or hardship.
Anyone who's ever tried to lose weight knows it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Fortunately, it's easier than you think. By cutting just 40 to 50 calories per meal you can enhance your weight loss efforts and achieve your targets much faster.
Nutritionists agree the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to modify your eating habits in such a way that you are taking in lesser calories and still you never feel deprived. Some people take this advice too seriously and go for fad dieting which can be dangerous. Taking extreme measures is not the answer but you may find that some calorie cutting initiatives need not be excruciating.
Cutting calories can be easy. It's a matter of making a few simple substitutions over the course of a day. Here are a few ways to proactively cut calories, which in turn will help you to reduce your weight:
Have fresh fruits: Choose fresh fruit instead of fruit juices. Fruit juices contain a lot of sugar to sweeten them up. A medium orange has 60 calories, while a cup of orange juice contains 120 calories. Adding to that, a fresh fruit always has more fiber, is tastier and satisfying than its juice.
Downsize on desserts: Cutting calories doesn't mean saying no to all deserts. You can certainly have them but in very small proportions. Small steps like skipping the cream on your bun or avoiding the chocolate topping can go a long way!
Choose water over soft drinks (soda): Replacing a sugary soft drink with water can save you hundreds of calories a day. If you cannot give up on soft drinks then try switching to diet soft drinks. Choosing coconut water over fruit juices can also help as coconut water is low on calories and high on natural vitamins and minerals. Limit your alcohol, dairy and juices.
Increase protein intake: The high-protein, low-carb approach may help keep fat away. Proteins require a complex procedure to be converted to energy and plus they can make you feel full very soon.
Use less fat in cooking: Instead of bathing your food with oil, try using a tablespoon of oil on a lower heat setting. Prefer stir frying over deep frying. Spread less of butter on your bread and avoid putting it in your food. Prefer healthy cooking oil like olive oil, flaxseed oil etc that provides less calories and more of Omega-3 fatty acid.
Load up on fiber: Fiber adds bulk, which is not only good for your digestive system, but also good for giving your stomach that sense of fullness so you eat less. So have more foods that provide you fiber like whole unrefined grains, carrots etc.
Reduce portion size: You don't have to eat 3 big meals a day. Instead you can reduce the portion size and have 4-5 small meals a day. This way your metabolism stays busy throughout the day. If you eat one and half bowl of rice, cut it to one bowl or even half for that matter. You can also eat 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.
Go for smaller plates: Change your plate size to a smaller one. The bigger the plate you have, the bigger the tendency for you to load it up and consume. So, switch to a smaller one and cut off those fats. It is easier to resist the temptation to fill the plate if the plate is not large enough to accommodate a heaping mound of food.
Eliminate starchy foods: Starchy foods like potatoes do tend to have a lot of calories so its best to avoid them or have less potions of them. Instead, replace them with peas and other legumes like chickpeas (chana) and kidney beans (rajma) which are rich in vitamins and fiber.
Choose whole grain: Whenever possible, eat whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, etc. instead of white. Whole grain gives you fewer calories and more nutrition. They are also rich in fiber and iron.
Eat at home: Restaurants and fast food places make it their business to get you to eat more food than you really need. We almost always get too many calories when we go out to eat. When you eat at home you choose exactly what and how much you eat.
When eating out, order smartly: When eating out in a restaurant, order an appetizer as your main dish. If you are still hungry, order a salad with it but without mayonnaise based dressing (choose vinaigrette dressing). Also, instead of pouring large amounts of dressing on the salad, just dip your fork into the dressing before taking the salad. When ordering a pizza, choose thin crust base with less of fat loaded toppings and more of veggies.
Cutting calories doesn't have to be painful, just use the above tips to do it in the best possible manner. By making these small changes to your diet, you should be able to lose weight and keep it off, without too much effort or hardship.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Healthy Eating Tips for Women
For many working women, running a home, bringing up children and taking care of elderly leaves little or no time for themselves. Weight gain, breast cancer, osteoporosis, iron deficiency; all these are either unique to women, or are more prevalent in women. But making simple changes to your diet can significantly improve your health, from easing your menstrual and menopausal symptoms to strengthening your bones and protecting your heart.
Healthy eating is a way of balancing the food you eat to keep your body strong, energized, and well nourished. Whatever your age, committing to a healthy diet will help you look and feel your best. Here are a few health tips especially for women:
Eat a well balanced diet: Crisps, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, etc. do not constitute a balanced diet. Cut back on junk food and fast food takeaways. Junk food not only causes excessive weight gain, it can also bring the added annoyance of acne, headaches, cavities and bad moods. Try to have a myriad of healthy food like fruits, bread, cereals, rice, pasta, vegetables, legumes, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts etc.
More calcium: Women are more susceptible to osteoporosis (brittle bones) and hence, require a lot of calcium to support their bone health. After the age of around 30, the bone mass start decreasing at a rate comparable to men. But after menopause, you lose bone mass 2 to 6 times faster due to the loss of estrogen, a female sex hormone which plays a key role in building and maintaining bone calcium. By getting enough of the nutrients that support bone health, you can maximize bone building when young and maintain strong bones at any age.
Increase the consumption of calcium-containing foods. The calcium consumption should be stepped up even more when you're pregnant as you still need calcium for your body, plus extra calcium for your developing baby. Don't rely on dairy products alone for your calcium requirement as their animal fat and protein can accelerate bone loss. So, also include other sources of calcium like leafy green vegetables, cabbage, beans, tofu, fish, seeds and nuts. Along with calcium, include magnesium rich foods also as calcium can only work when taken in conjunction with magnesium. Good sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, oatmeal etc.
More Vitamin D: Vitamin D increases calcium absorption and is required for normal bone metabolism. Apart from exposure to sunlight, good dietary sources of vitamin D are margarine, eggs and oily fish.
More Iron: Many women don't get enough iron in their diet and on top of that, they lose a lot of it during menstruation (because of blood loss). Iron is essential for the production of red blood cells which helps in the transportation of oxygen throughout your body. Without enough iron, iron deficiency anemia can develop leading to symptoms like fatigue, pallor and headaches.
For women, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iron is 11 mg per day (which is 5 mg more than the RDA for men). You can get iron from both animal-based sources and plant-based sources. Animal products like meat, poultry and fish contain heme iron (a type of iron) which is easily absorbed into your system. Plant based sources like spinach, almonds, lentils, whole grains and iron-fortified cereals contain non-heme iron which is not as well absorbed as heme iron. By including foods containing vitamin C in your diet, you can substantially increases the amount iron absorbed from the plant sources.
Adequate protein: Your muscles need protein, and cannot function properly without it. Meat, fish, nuts, pulses, chicken, and similar foods are high in protein. But don't overdo it as eating too much of animal-based protein can cause calcium loss, particularly in postmenopausal women. Over time, this could lead to a decrease in bone density and osteoporosis.
More Folate: Folate (or folic acid) is a B-group vitamin which is important for women who are considering getting pregnant or are in early stage of pregnancy. Even women who aren't planning to have a baby should increase their folate intake as many pregnancies are unplanned and you don't find out that you are pregnant until a month into the pregnancy. Folate is essential in reducing the risk of having a pregnancy affected with spina bifida and other neural tube defects. You can increase folate in your diet by including green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, strawberries and legumes. You can also take folic acid supplements.
Cut down on saturated fat and trans fat: Rather than cutting fat completely from your diet, reduce the amount of bad type of fat you eat. Avoid food that is high in saturated fat and trans fat (especially junk food), and have foods that are rich in unsaturated fat instead, such as vegetable oils (including sunflower, rapeseed and olive oil), oily fish, nuts and seeds. Saturated fat and trans fat can increase your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease and stroke. On the other hand, unsaturated fat - polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat - contribute to your health. They are essential for healthy brain function, glowing skin and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins.
Cut down on salt: Fluid retention is common in the days leading up to a woman's period because certain hormones encourage the body to hold salt (sodium). Too much salt also increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. You should aim for no more than 6g a day. Use herbs and spices instead of salt in cooking and be very sparing with salt.
Moderate Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can, over time, damage your heart and raise your blood pressure. Also, drinking more than one drink per day increases the risks of certain cancers, including breast cancer. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum to enjoy its benefits.
These are just some healthy eating tips to help you and other women stay in shape and enjoy life!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
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