Diet and Nutrition
How Many Calories Are Enough?
Recent polls show only one-third of people know how many calories they require every day. It's
imperative to know how many calories you should be consuming, whether you want lose pounds or not add any to the ones you already have.
Each pound of body fat contains approximately 3500 calories. You need to reduce your calories by 500 a day by eating less, exercising more or a combination of the two to lose one pound a week. To lose two pounds a week (the most many experts recommend), you have to cut out 1,000 calories daily.
First, figure out how many calories you require each day. This depends on what your goal is.
Several other factors will also determine your caloric needs, These include your current height, age, weight, and activity level.there are many calorie calculators available for free on the internet.
There are also many apps available for smartphones.
Once you've determined your calories needs, you should:
- Eat small meals and snacks every three hours to keep your metabolism going.
- Plan out your snacks and meals so you can control your portions.
- Become an avid label reader. Eventually you'll have a good idea of the calories in most foods without looking them up.
- Revamp your favorite foods to include lighter ingredients to reduce sugar, fat and calories without sacrificing taste. For instance, virgin olive oil is a good substitute for butter.
- Increase your consumption of fresh vegetables and fruit.
- Watch your portions. Even healthy foods can be bad if the portions are large enough.
- Drink water. In ounces, you should consume 1/2 your weight of water each day. In other words,if you weight 200 pounds, you should consume 100 ounces of water.
- Missing meals is not an option. Not only does it make your metabolism fluctuate, you may overeat at other meals.
It's not all that hard to eat healthy when trying to hit your weight goals. Once you get in the habit of
watching your calories and maintaining an exercise regimen, you won't think twice about it.
Tips on Avoiding Yo-Yo Dieting
What is yo-yo dieting? Yo-yo dieting is when people lose a significant amount of weight in a short
period of time only to gain it all back.it can be unhealthy for you physically it can cause problems with your body's metabolism and even damage some vital organs.
Your body is simply not designed to handle weight changes quickly. Mentally, you go from the joy
of losing all the weight to the depression of gaining it all back, sometimes just as fast as you lost it.
Here are some things which will help avoid yo-yo dieting:
- Don't diet - Sounds weird, but it's true. Most fad diets severely restrict the kinds of foods you can eat. Others require you to buy pre-packed food which is delivered to your home.The problem with both of these is that they are only good for a limited time. Severe calorie restriction deprive your body of necessary nutrients, which will lead to pesky cravings and the desire to eat more. The solution? Eat healthier food that will fit into your lifestyle.
- Change your lifestyle - Losing weight is more about changing your lifestyle than fad dieting. Dietary changes should just be one part of an overall program leading to a healthier lifestyle. Keeping motivated to lose weight is difficult when you are dieting. When it included with exercise and healthy living. it is easier to remain committed.
- Its a marathon,not a sprint- In today's give-it-to me now world most people fail to lose weight because they do not see immediate results. They buy diet pills and drinks which promise big results in the large print but provide caveats in the small print. Most doctors and experts say ideal weight loss is about two pounds (one kilogram) a week.
As with most things in life, there are no shortcuts for long term solutions.by thinking in terms of lifestyle changes rather than dieting, losing weight will be healthier for you and your body both
mentally and physically.
Food for the Immune System
Just as a plant needs fertilizer, the human body needs help to keep its immunity system healthy and strong.
First,the body needs plenty of fluids which arc good for you. Drinks that help the immunity system include pure water, herbal teas, raw fruit juices, and raw vegetable juices are just a few that are available.
The Spices and herbs, such as curry, cumin, dill, and oregano, help prevent diseases and to assist in the healing process when we do get sick according to studies. These spices and herbs have been, utilize for millennia in many cultures including Egypt, Greece,rome,china and many others.
Tubers such as garlic and onions should also be included. They have a component known as allicine which offers antibiotic properties much like the ones in penicillin.there are multiple types of onion and garlic to choose from.
These include shallots, scallions, and chives along with the garlic and onion bulbs everyone thinks of. Add them to your appetizers and entrees to enhance the flavor which also adding their naturally protective qualities.
These include shallots, scallions, and chives along with the garlic and onion bulbs everyone thinks of. Add them to your appetizers and entrees to enhance the flavor which also adding their naturally protective qualities.
Other spices which have healing qualities are coriander,turmeric, and cinnamon along with others previously mentioned. Turmeric is an effective anti-inflammatory along the lines of the Hydrocortisone.
Basil and dill weed are powerful anti bacteria agents.oregano is useful in battling various viruses. Among hot spices such as curry and cinnamon are thought to help increase the body's metabolism, which can help with weight loss.
These are only a few useful herbs and spices that can be added to your diet. Helping your food's flavor is just one benefit of them. When these immune-boosting foods are included in your diet, you lay the groundwork for a strong immune system, which helps keep us healthy. It shows that a preventative diet can help you stay healthy just as many doctors and scientists recommend.
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