The post Role of sleep in weight loss appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>Imagine a night you spent twisting and turning but that elusive sleep kept on being out of your reach. Remember what happened the day after? Probably you were hungry most of the day, and no matter how much you ate, you probably weren’t able to satisfy your craving. While you never consciously thought of its link, now scientists believe that your increase of appetite suddenly appeared because of lack of sleep.
Leptin and ghrelin are the two hormones in human body that control feelings of hunger and fullness. And it has been found that sleep has a great influence on these two hormones, intertwining sleep and weight loss.
If you want to lose a few pounds, now may be the time to consider if you are getting enough zzzzzs. Not enough sleep causes leptin levels to drop down and no matter how much you eat, you will not feel satisfied. On the other hand lack of sleep increases ghrelin levels, keeping your appetite stimulated at all times.
If this happened one day where you didn’t get enough sleep and ended up eating more the next day to compensate, you would not sleep the second night well either, as you would either be too full, or all those cups of coffee you drank would keep you up. Thus starts a vicious cycle. You hardly get enough sleep, are irritable throughout the day and your waist line keeps on expanding.
While many weight loss gurus might try to con you that if you sleep you will lose weight, what you really need to consider is the effect lack of sleep has on your metabolism. Sleep and weight loss are linked in such a way that if you don’t catch enough snooze, your metabolism slows down making you eat more and you end up with more pounds.
Here’s how a good night’s sleep will affect weight loss. Every adult needs about six to eight hours of good quality sleep, usually an average of about seven and half hours a night. If you instead sleep nine hours, in most likelihood you will not start losing weight as a result of that extra one hour. However, if you only sleep for five or five and half hours a night and are overweight, getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night would do wonders to your body weight.
How about the inverse? What happens if you sleep more than ten hours a day? Researchers have found that just like too little sleep; too much sleep can also result in weight gain. How much is too much sleep? Anything more than eight hours is considered too much sleep.
Sleep and weight loss? Is it more complicated than you thought? Not at all. To lose weight all you have to do is to find out how much sleep you need for a day, that is to say the optimum amount of sleep you need. For some it may be seven hours and for some others it may be eight hours. This would depend on your lifestyle and how active you are. If you are an active person you might need eight hours, while if you are a more sedentary type of person, you might need less.
Try to get a good quality sleep for the optimum duration that works for you, and watch the pounds fall.
The post Role of sleep in weight loss appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post Ways to Suppress Hunger appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>In the war on weight, cravings are definitely a diet’s number one enemy. Here are some simple ways to suppress hunger and make cravings a thing of the past. These easy steps will keep health buffs everywhere one-step ahead of the temptation to dig into the sugars and sweets.
It may sound simple, but drinking water is a proven way to suppress hunger. Drinking water not only makes you feel full, but it tends to keep you feeling full longer than liquids with high sugar content. Drinking a glass of ice water before a meal will assist in decreasing appetite and may even burn a few extra calories over time.
Indulging in a big bowl of leafy greens before a meal will not only trick your appetite into believing you’ve consumed more than normal, but salad is a proven hunger suppressant as it makes you feel full for an extended period of time. Be sure to top these salads with low-calorie dressing to keep in check with a healthy calorie count and maintain health goals.
Hunger cravings seem to pull us in the direction of sweets and salts. Far too often, we find ourselves reaching for the chips and chocolates that are resting within reach just inside the cabinet or on the countertop. While these sugary sweets will calm a craving temporarily, fruits and vegetable suppress hunger for a far longer period of time. Make sure to keep fruits and vegetable, particularly apples, within reach. If the first thing you come across is a healthy answer to hunger, you’ll be more likely to stave off those cravings until the next meal.
Finding effective ways to suppress hunger isn’t limited to middle or end of the day meals. Starting your day off with foods high in protein can help keep you full from first thing in the morning on. Low-fat yogurt, egg whites and Canadian bacon are all great sources of protein to fill you up through mid-day.
Consuming a sufficient amount of fiber on a daily basis is another great way to suppress hunger. If you don’t want to count fiber content in food you already have in the house, you can purchase fiber tablets over the counter at your local pharmacy. Taking a fiber tablet in combination with a glass of water before a meal can keep calorie intake down and your diet on track.
The post Ways to Suppress Hunger appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post Sleep and Lose Weight appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>If you want to lose weight you need to get enough sleep. A recent study from the University of Chicago found that people who sleep an average of 8.5 hours a night, lose 55 % more body fat than those who only sleeps 5.5 hours a night.
According to the Chicago study, the participants who slept longer lost more body weight compared to those who slept less, even though their food intake was exactly the same. Furthermore, the participants who slept longer also maintained their weight loss.
The experts explain that sleep deprivation interferes with both appetite and metabolism. If you don’t get enough sleep your body releases the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin makes you feel hungry and this hormone also tells your body to store more fat. This means that you can reduce your appetite and increases your metabolism by simply getting enough sleep, and sleep for about 8.5 hours a night.
Source: University of Chicago
The post Sleep and Lose Weight appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post Substitute Tips to Lose Weight appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>Learn 8 different ways to substitute, from the list below. Choose the substitution method that suits you the best, or choose more than one method and lose even more weight!
Start by choosing one or two of the substitution methods, and work with them until they become a part of your new habit. Then you can add a new healthy habit and lose even more weight etc. Here are 8 things you can do in order to lose 11 lb (5 kg) in less than 5 months!
Instead of drinking two cans of Coca Cola a day, substitute it with water or diet beverage, such as Diet Coke. This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 4 months and 1 week!
Instead of eating a pastry with your coffee every day, substitute it with a fruit, such as an apple. This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 4 months and 3 weeks!
Instead of eating three cheese sandwiches (soft bread, plain butter, 2 slices of cheese on each) a day, substitute them with two Ham sandwich (crisp bread, low fat margarine, 2 slices of ham on each). This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 2.5 months!
Instead of eating lunch containing 700 calories a day (such as cheese and ham pie and a sandwich), substitute it with nutritious and cooked lunch containing 400 calories. This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 4 months!
Instead of drinking two Coffee-Lattes a day, substitute them for two coffees with a dash of low-fat milk (2 tablespoons each). This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 2.5 months!
Instead of consuming a 700-gram-pack of cheese (28%) weekly, substitute it with a 400-gram pack-sliced ham. This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 4 months!
Instead of taking the bus all the way to and from work every day, walk the final 1.2 miles (2 km) to and from work (total 2.4 miles) instead. 1.2 miles back and forth will take you about 20 minutes of walking to work, and 20 minutes of walking from work. This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 4 months.
Instead of driving 6.2 miles (10 km) to and from work every day, ride a bike instead (total 12.4 miles, which takes a total of 1 hour. This substitution method will help you lose 11 lb in 3 months!
The post Substitute Tips to Lose Weight appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post Kelly Osbourne’s Amazing Weight Loss appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>Kelly Osborne says no to junk food and is making fitness her priority.
While competing on “Dancing with the Stars”, Kelly Osborne became interested in fitness. Kelly Osborne has been yo-yo dieting for years, but it now seems that the 25-year old reality star has found a way to maintain a healthy figure.
Kelly Osbourne weighed 160 pounds at her heaviest, but today she’s 112 pounds. So what’s her secret? Kelly Osbourne explains that there is no secret behind her weight loss instead it is the old-fashioned way of making a commitment to yourself and waking up every day and doing it. She works out every day of the week. She is committed to an hour long workout with trainer Sarah Hagaman, three times per week. She also do a 30-minute treadmill session by her own, on other days.
The reality star has switched over to a protein and veggie-rich eating plan. It is a low-carb, sugar-free diet, but she allows herself occasional indulgences, such as a piece of chocolate cake. Kelly Osbourne is making healthier food choices and thinks it’s easier than she expected.
She has replaced junk food with more nutritious choices and made fitness a priority. She looks at it as a lifestyle change.
“Compared to how I used to eat, it’s completely different,” she tells Us Magazine. “I don’t eat junk food. I don’t have it in my house anymore. I’m more inclined to go for a bag of carrots now than a bag of chips. I never thought I would turn into that girl, but I have!”
The post Kelly Osbourne’s Amazing Weight Loss appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post 10 Tips on Weight Loss appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>If you think that you are over weight and want to lose some weight, you could try to illustrate those extra pounds that you want to lose. For example, take a bag of potatoes or rice that weigh as much as you want to lose and lift the bag and feel how much it weighs. When you are lifting the bags you will get an immediate illustration on the additional weight that is affecting your heart and that may cause muscle and joint pains. This realization may serve as a wake up call.
The critical period, if you want to lose weight, is when you come home from work. You are probably hungry and a mistake is to start making dinner right away. With an empty stomach you are tempted to taste the food that you are preparing and before you know it you have eaten an entire meal. After that you still have to eat the meal you just prepared. So before you even start to prepare your meal it is better to have a fruit or eat some raw carrots. In that way you you will control your hunger.
Don’t eat the salad together with the meal. Instead, make the salad the first course, and your dinner as the second course. Eating raw vegetables before your meal is very healthy and it is a good recommendation from the food pyramid guidelines. If you don’t like grated carrots or other traditional raw food salads, you can shred a cucumber or serve crunchy cauliflower bouquets or even test new salad varieties.
It is easier to lose weight if you eat at regular times. This habit keeps blood sugar on an even level which means that you will not be tempted to eat unhealthy foods. Experts recommend breakfast, lunch and dinner and two healthy snacks. It is better to eat less, but do not skip any meals. Missing meals does not lead to weight loss; instead you will find yourself eating too much unhealthy foods later that day.
According to studies, people who are overweight tend to eat more in the afternoon and evening than people with normal weight. People with serious weight problems can stay up all night eating. If you know that you have this problem, the best thing is to determine a time when you will stop eating. For example, decide for yourself that you are not going to eat anything after 7 pm, not even a biscuit.
Anyone who wants to lose weight has to learn how to say “No”. This also applies when you are attending a party or gathering of some sort. One tip is to take a small portion of everything that is being served. Say “No, thank you” when you are being offered a second round. If you think it’s hard to take a small bite it is better to say “No, thank you” the first time you are being asked. The hard part is not to say “No” when other people offers a snack, it’s your own cravings that are more difficult to resist. Learn to say “No” to your unhealthy cravings and then quickly look for a healthier alternative. You can only learn to say “No” by practicing!
Do you pass a candy shop or bakery on your way home from your work, tempted to go inside the store to buy something? Or, do you go to that special hot-dog stand to grab a bite during your lunch break? Then it’s time to take a different route. Select new walking routs that are bakery free and free from fast food stands. If you absolutely must pass them on your way home from work, then make sure to bring an apple with you to avoid the temptations of the unhealthy food choices.
Obesity is becoming a major widespread disease in Western countries and obesity is now classified as an epidemic by the World Health Organization. To be overweight means an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Pain in joints, such as knees, can be alleviated or can even disappear when you get rid of the excess weight. In the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia, 15-20 percent of the population today are overweight and obesity now counts as a medical risk.
Set up goals for yourself and break down your goals into milestones. If you have lost weight and reached your milestone, then you are really worth a reward. Your reward should not have anything to do with food or drinks; instead you could treat yourself with a new CD, cinema visit, massage or beauty treatment etc. This type of encouragement will help you to continue with your weight loss program. If you have lost a lot of weight, then nothing is as fun as shopping for new clothes, in one or more sizes smaller!
It’s not easy to change eating habits, but it’s necessary. Changing your eating habits is the only way if you want to be slimmer. You should know that it takes at least one month before a new eating habit becomes natural, so don’t be discouraged when you get tempted and simply can’t resist that chocolate cake, or that cheese sandwich. Just don’t give up and don’t be too hard on yourself when this happens. Instead, tell yourself that it was just a stupid one-time event and go back to the healthy road. Little by little, in time, it will get easier and before you know it you will have changed your eating habits. You will succeed!
The post 10 Tips on Weight Loss appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post Adapt Stone Age knowledge to your diet appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>During the Stone Age, the diet consisted of berries, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, fish, eggs and wild meat. People lived close to the nature and were healthy. But then, people began cultivating the land and were getting farm animals. This meant that the eating habits changed and that milk, grain, corn, beans, lentils and peas became the ingredients in the everyday meal. Today, these very same ingredients are causing people health problems.
It’s not necessary to follow a strict Stone Age Diet to stay healthy. If we find out what is bad with the way we eat today and how we can correct it, we can come to a middle ground and still be just as healthy. Let’s talk about the food products that we have added into our diet since the Stone Age: milk, grain/corn, beans, lentils and peas.
Followers of a strict Stone Age diet don’t drink any milk at all, but milk is very nutritious and is also rich in protein and calcium which help build the muscles. One glass of milk provides nutrients that a child needs daily. But not everyone can drink milk because it causes problems such as colic, cramps and diarrhea. It has also been said that milk is connected to other illnesses such as iron deficiency anemia and allergies. If you don’t have any problems with milk than continue with your milk intake, but do it moderately, or try soy milk. Soy milk is high in protein, and because it is made from beans it also contains considerably more fiber than cow’s milk.
Followers of a strict Stone Age diet don’t eat any grain/corn at all, but it’s more important that you eat the healthier whole grain than skipping it all together. If you have too much of the grain/corn in your diet your carbohydrate level will be high. Other problem with eating grain/corn is the gluten which many people suffer from. To minimize the side effects, you should eat moderate amount of whole grain instead, or if you have problem with gluten, try gluten free products. Whole grain is very nutritious and has a low GI, which is good for your blood level. Another benefit with whole grain is that your stomach will feel full for a longer period of time.
Beans, lentils and peas are not included in a strict Stone Age Diet, but these food products are good for you. They contain proteins, fibers and carbohydrate with a low Glycemic Index (GI). You don’t have to exclude beans, lentils and peas from your diet if you make sure that you prepare and cook them the right way.
Now we know how to correct some of our “new” eating habits. Let’s continue our path to a healthier life style by finding out why we should eat more of the food products that were on the menu during the Stone Age.
Fish has always been important to the human diet and was very appreciated during the Stone Age. Fish is a great source of protein, vitamins and nutrients. It contains a lot of the healthy omega 3 which has many positive effects on the brain and heart. According to studies, you may prevent cardiovascular diseases if you eat a lot of fish.
During the Stone Age, people lived very close with the nature and ate whatever the nature supplied them with and berries were one of the earth’s many wonders. Berries are amongst the healthiest you can eat because they are filled with vitamin C and antioxidants. Eat as much berries as you can.
Fruit was also offered by the nature and was very much enjoyed during the Stone Age. Fruit contains carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals and a lot of antioxidants. Don’t peal the fruit because the peal contains most of the nutrition.
Salads and other kinds of leafs, such as spinach, contain a lot of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Something to be aware of is that the more colorful your salad is the healthier it is.
The human race has always eaten all kinds of eggs. Eggs have a lot of proteins. One egg provides about 10% of the daily protein needs where half of the protein in an egg comes from the egg white, while the other half from the egg yolk. The calories provided from eggs contain variety of important nutrients, so the calories you get from eggs are “good” calories and not “empty” calories that you find in snacks. If you eat eggs you will also get a lot of Carotenoids that are excellent antioxidants and protect the eyes from free radical damage originating from ultraviolet rays of the sun. Eggs are an important source of vitamin E and they are rich in folate, iodine and selenium. Eggs also contain iron and zinc.
Onions are one of the healthiest plants and can protect you against heart- and cardiovascular diseases, cancer and asthma. You can choose any kind of onion, they are all good, but don’t overcook them or all the good qualities will go wasted.
Root vegetables are low in calories and have virtually no fat. They contain fiber and some root vegetables also provide vitamin C, potassium, folate and iron. The deeper the root vegetable’s color, the more it contains antioxidants. Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes and cancer, are all contributed by oxidative damage and can be prevented with antioxidants in root vegetables. Purple potatoes are loaded with anthocyanins, pigments that act as antioxidants. Carrots are well known for their beta carotene (which forms vitamin A) and ruby red beets deliver phytochemicals that is good for the liver. Root fruits contain some amount of poison, but this is destroyed when you cook them.
It is believed that people ate mushrooms at times during the Stone Age. They are low in fat and high in fibre. Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins, selenium and they are a powerful antioxidant.
Nuts contain proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. They also contain unsaturated fatty acids, which is a healthy type of fat. Nuts are very good for your heart since it lowers the cholesterol level in the blood and reduces the risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack. Nuts are simply the perfect snack.
The scientists believe that people during the Stone Age only ate red meat on occasions. Red meat contains a lot of iron and protein and is good if you suffer from iron deficiency. If you don’t suffer from iron deficiency, you shouldn’t eat red meat more than a couple of times a week. If you suffer from heart- or cardiovascular problems, rheumatoid arthritis or cancer you should not eat red meat at all.
The post Adapt Stone Age knowledge to your diet appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post Weight loss with permanent success appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>Long-term program
If you want your weight loss to be successful you should avoid a quick fix. A long-term program for your diet and weight loss is a much more successful approach. If you have a long-term program with your diet and training, you should be able to reduce your weight by 1-2 lbs (0.5-0.9 kg) a week.
Your successful diet should be compounded so you are able to:
How to obtain a successful diet:
This doesn’t seem too hard, wright? Well, that’s the whole point. Begin with these small changes and see how it goes. Good luck!
The post Weight loss with permanent success appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post TEST: What do you know about weight loss and health? appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>When you are a vegetarian you will need more protein than you would get from fruits or bread. Correct answer is B: Beans and leguminous plants.
How large portion of your energy (in percent) should come from sugar?
Not more than 10% of your energy should come from sugar. This is important for your body as well as for your teeth. Correct answer is C: 10%.
Which nutrient has the most energy value?
Fat is the nutrient that contains the most energy. It contains more than twice as much energy, as carbohydrates and protein. One gram of fat contains nine calories, while both carbohydrates and proteins only contain four calories per gram. This means that fat is more energy rich than both carbohydrate and protein. Correct answer is B: Fat gives you the most energy.
What type of fat is best for your health?
Too much of saturated fat can increase the risk of diseases involving heart- and blood vessels (Cardiovascular diseases). Monounsaturated fat is somewhat better than saturated fat, but polyunsaturated fat is the best alternative for your health. Correct answer is C: Polyunsaturated fat is best for your health.
What is Functional Food?
Functional Food is any fresh or processed food claimed to have a health-promoting and/or disease-preventing property beyond the basic nutritional function of supplying nutrients. Correct answer is A.
How much fruits and vegetables should we eat every day?
Two cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a reference 2,000-calorie intake (with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level) is recommended for good health. This will reduce the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases. Correct answer is B: 5 daily cups of fruits and vegetables.
Is chocolate healthy?
Chocolate consists of calcium, protein and has an anti depressive effect, but you should not eat chocolate that has a lot of fat and sugar. Correct answer is C: Chocolate is healthy in moderate amounts.
Which of the following products have the lowest GI (Glycemic Index)?
Vegetable, apple, pear, orange, strawberry, leguminous plant and whole meal bread are products with the lowest GI (Glycemic Index). Correct answer is B.
The post TEST: What do you know about weight loss and health? appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>The post Eat right and lose weight during PMS appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>According to nutrition expert Debra Waterhouse we burn 150 extra calories during PMS. A study made by University of Adelaide in Australia, shows that we burn up to 30% more fat during period.
The problem is that women instinctively eat unhealthy food during PMS. We reach out of the food pyramid an look for junk food. Sugar, refined carbs, chocolate, cookies or ice cream are some of the things we crave. This unhealthy food only makes us feel worse because its quick upswing in blood sugar levels is followed by a rapid decline. The result is that the hunger strikes again.
If you want to take advantage of the benefits during PMS and lose weight faster, you should try and eat healthy foods. If you eat right you will ease your PMS symptoms and thereby lose weight faster.
Here are some tips on how to eat during PMS:
The post Eat right and lose weight during PMS appeared first on Food Pyramid.
]]>