Category: healthy living

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Health benefits of running

Running is not only a great way to get in shape but it will also strengthen many parts of the body as well as lifting the mood thus boosting happiness. Just 5 sessions of 30 minutes a week can make a huge difference. Below are just a few of the ways running can help you lead a healthier life.

LOSE WEIGHT

Running will increase body temperature which causes hundreds of extra calories to be burned more effectively. Studies have shown that calories continue burning even after stopping. Covering big distances at a relatively fast pace will help shift fat from stubborn areas such as stomach and thighs making abs and glutes seem more defined.

IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH

Running can have tremendous benefits on health. It can boost the immune system, lower the risk of blood clots, improve lung and heart performance, lower cholesterol, etc. Contrary to some inaccurate reports, running will actually strengthen joints and improve knee health. In addition to this, running increases bone mass helping avoid fractures and osteoporosis.

BE HAPPIER

Whenever you feel down, anxious or stressed out, put on some running shoes and you will notice that just after a few minutes you will feel better. This is also known as a “runner’s high” and is caused by the release of endorphins from running. It is known to create a feeling of euphoria and well being.

REDUCE THE RISK OF DISEASE

Several studies have shown that running can help prevent certain cancers and several diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Running can also dramatically reduce the risk of having a stroke or a heart attack.

LIVE LONGER

As with other physical activities, running can add several years to one’s life. A recent study showed that individuals added an average of 3.5 years to their lives. Running can also improve brain function and helps defeat age-related mental decline.  It was also shown to prevent or slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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Getting Fit for Summer

If you’re not 100 per cent confident about your body weight or shape, and the sight of someone coming towards you in a T-shirt or shorts makes you feel anxious about the thought of revealing your body, then it’s time to start working on your summer diet. And although many people just want to look good for that short period of time when the sunshine arrives, there is no better time than to make the healthy living choices that will lead to long-term well being.

It’s more than vanity

Sometimes we dismiss our ideas of slimming for  a beach-fit body as vanity, but it is more than that. The reason why a well-sculpted body in a swimsuit looks so appealing is because it is a picture of health, and evolution has resulted in us being attracted to signs of health. Looking good in public also allows us to cast off our inhibitions and become more of the people we want to be. This makes us happier and improves everything from our intimate relationships, our role model as a parent and our working and social lives.

Three steps to fitness

There is, and probably never will be, no one diet that suits everyone. Instead there are two main principles and one extra helping hand that together will inevitably lead to improved health and fitness.

Depending on your circumstances, weight loss might be high on your agenda, so you’ll be pleased to learn that safe weight loss is purely a matter of sensible calorie control and moderate exercise. A healthy diet that is conducive to weight loss will do two things: reduce the conversion of calories to fat and ensure we have enough nutrients to keep us in good health. Reducing the overall number of calories we consume is, of course, the key behind calorie control, but there are also ways we can make our bodies less prone to storing calories as fat, while promoting the use of fat as a fuel source.

Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids (including avocados, walnuts and kidney beans) help to inhibit the storage of glucose in fat cells, while calcium binds with bile cells to help us excrete more fat; calcium is found in milk, broccoli and cheese.  Foods containing the carotenoid astaxanthin (prawns, langoustines, lobster, etc.) have a thermogenic effect, raising the body’s temperature and ensuring more fat is burnt. Catechin in green tea is also thought to have this effect on the body, as are diet supplements containing spices, chilli or caffeine.

The second element of a healthy lifestyle is moderate exercise, including running, swimming and cycling. Either of these activities, combined with a light weight-bearing element, will help you to convert fat into muscle. A pound of muscle burns up to an extra 50 calories a day compared with the same weight of fat – and looks a whole lot nicer too.

The third element to achieving a healthy lifestyle is the careful use of diet supplements. As the word ‘supplement’ suggests, these should be used as part of a healthy diet to boost results; after all, summer is getting very close.

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Why eating dark chocolate is good for you

Eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate may positively affect your health and well being…

It is Easter time and we all enjoy indulging ourselves. Lucky for us, dark chocolate is the food to do just that without all the negative effect of other sweet foods. It sounds like a dieters nightmare but eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate (minimum 85% cocoa) will actually positively affect your health.

Dark chocolate contains flavanols such as Theobromine which make arteries produce Nitric Oxide that helps improve blood flow to the heart and reduce the calcification of arteries thus lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of blood clots and other cardiovascular diseases.

Dark chocolate contains Phenylalanine which encourages the release of endorphins creating feelings of happiness. It can also improve cognitive function by increasing the blood flow to the brain. Dark chocolate also contains small amounts of caffeine which has been shown to help with concentration and energy levels making you feel more alert and focused.

Dark chocolate is packed with anti oxidants. Anti oxidants help combat free radicals which are reactive molecules in our bodies that cause damage to surrounding cells. It is believed that free radicals may cause certain cancers and speed up the ageing process. Eating dark chocolate may slow down ageing as well as reduce the risk of cancer.

Dark chocolate is rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains high concentrations of Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Copper and Manganese. It is also an excellent source of fiber which makes it great for the digestive system and feeling full thus assisting weight loss efforts.

It should be noted that dark chocolate also contains plenty of calories and sugar therefore it is best to keep to one bar a week for maximum benefits.

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Tips to help your weight loss diet

Find out how to boost your weight loss efforts when dieting just isn’t enough. Read more…

Our weight loss supplements can markedly increase your metabolic rate. However, the only permanent way to increase your metabolism so you burn more calories is to decrease fat content in your body and increase the proportion of muscle. Every pound of muscle added to the body burns an additional 35 to 50 calories per day.

Power training or even light weight bearing exercise is essential to muscle gain, which over time will help strip away fat by burning extra calories.

Other tried and tested methods include:

Chewing gum – On a recent study it was discovered that chewing a sugar free gum during the day can increase the daily energy consumption resulting in a weight drop of around 10 lbs over one year. For even better results try a 5-HTP gum which will help keep the serotonin levels boosted and experience well being while the caloric intake is reduced.

Eating spicy foods – Hot dishes such as curries will temporarily increase the body temperature and make the heart beat faster. The results are increased metabolism and sweating which will both contribute towards weight loss. Taking supplements containing chilli or pepper extracts will provide similar effects.

Drinking green tea – There have been several studies on the effect of green tea for weight loss. In experiments, a green tea extract taken with caffeine appeared to raise thermogenesis (the rate at which calories are burned off as heat) whereas caffeine alone didn’t have the same effects. The researchers believe a substance called catechin in green tea may be what causes the positive effect.

Eating little and often – Splitting the total daily calorie intake into 5 smaller meals may help burn more calories than eating 3 bigger meals. Every time we eat, the digestion process uses energy. Repeating this process 5 times a day rather than 3  will result in more calories being burned. An important point to note is that the total calorie intake must be the same for regardless of how many meals are consumed.

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How will Green Coffee accelerate weight loss?

It’s being hailed as a revolutionary weight-loss product that can melt pounds without the need for diet or exercise.

It’s no coincidence green coffee bean extract surged in popularity since being mentioned on The Dr. Oz Show. After being scrutinised by critics for calling green coffee bean extract a “miracle” product, Dr. Mehmet Oz conducted his own experiment on the supplement. Using 100 female volunteers, Oz said he found women who took the extract lost an average of two pounds in two weeks. Women who took a placebo lost an average of one pound during those two weeks.

What is it?

Green coffee beans are ones that haven’t been roasted. Green coffee beans are rich in chlorogenic acid, which studies claim slows the release of glucose into the body after a meal, thereby promoting weight loss. When coffee beans are roasted, most of the chlorogenic acid is lost. The unroasted extract with chlorogenic acid, is converted into a capsule form before being sold as a weight loss supplement.

The claims

Just type “green coffee bean extract” into an Internet search and you’ll be bombarded with companies advertising its ability to help you lose weight. Most of these products are unregulated and contain little to no chlorogenic acid. Our Green Coffee contains a genuine 20% chlorogenic acid as well as a helping of Green Tea which has been studied extensively for promoting weight loss.

A particular study, published in the journal Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, was conducted on eight men and eight women. They were each given a high dose and a low dose of green coffee bean extract, as well as a placebo, in three separate six-week-long experiments. Participants were provided a similar number of calories each day during the course of the experiment.

After 22 weeks, or about five months, the researchers found that, on average, participants lost more than 17 pounds.

The catch

Although results have been very positive, studies have shown that taking Green Coffee or indeed any other supplements will not work unless a change in diet and lifestyle is made. There simply are no magic pills that will melt fat without any effort. Granted there are prescription weight loss pills that will make you lose weight. These however come with many side effects and once a course is finished, you are almost guaranteed to pile the pounds back on.

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WBP: Steps to a Healthy 2014 – Start Today!

Explore our top tips and achieve the body you’ve always wanted! Read more…

STEP  1   

Take your time and eat slowly. Check your watch. Start eating. When you’re done, check your watch again. How long did it take? Your goal is at least 15 to 20 minutes per meal. You need that long in order to let your body tell your brain that you’re full. Spend time enjoying what you’re eating. You’ll enjoy food more, and get lean too.

 

STEP  2 

Eat yourself till “80% full”. It means you eat until you’re just satisfied. Don’t get hung up on exactly what “80% full” is, shoot for the general idea and feel satisfied with your meal. Remember: eat slow and be patience. But once you get the hang of learning your physical cues, this one will be a breeze and trust us it WORKS!

 

STEP  3

Eat and Drink Healthy. Water has zero calories and carbs and little to no sodium, making it the perfect slim-down drink. And strangely, it actually helps flush out excess water weight as well as jump-starts your metabolism. If it’s just too boring, add lemon wedges or mint leaves. Cutting out all white grain products — such as white rice, spaghetti, sandwich rolls — will instantly slim you down because the simple carbs in these foods cause bloating, especially around your belly. Try replacing these with vegetables. The complex carbs from vegetables are digested more slowly, so you remain full for longer. Eat salmon every other lunch. It is packed with nutrients that build muscle tone and give your skin a healthy glow. Some nutritionists claim that consuming a portion (doesn’t matter how it’s cooked) may immediately make your face look a bit more contoured.

 

Step  4

Shrink your portions! A portion of food on a smaller plate appears relatively large so you will end up putting less of it on. Studies have shown that changing from a 10” plate to an 8” causes people to eat on average 20% less. Try switching your plate sizes and see if it works for you. Don’t pile your plate up high and remember to eat SLOWLY. Taking time to eat your food will encourage you to enjoy each meal.

 

STEP  5  

Make One Food Sacrifice. Cutting out one indulgence — such as the chips you have with lunch or the chocolate dessert you eat after dinner — can subtract a few hundred calories from your diet, which translates into less flab.

 

STEP  6    

A small change can make a big difference! We have heard it countless times but little changes to your daily routine truly can make a huge difference to the way you look and feel. If you take the bus to work, get off one stop earlier than usual then walk the rest of the way. Or if you are presented with the option of taking the stairs or the escalator, go for the stairs. Same goes to eating healthy, try to use skimmed or semi skimmed milk rather than full fat, grilled food rather than fried, etc.

 

STEP  7    

Get some Zzzz! Sleep helps your recovery ability and how your body responds to nutrients, exercise, and stress. The more sleep you get, the leaner you are. At least 1-2 hours before bed, turn off the TV, computer, and cell phone. Prepare yourself for sleep and get into the forty-wink mindset. Try to sleep at regular times. Studies have shown that an erratic sleep routine leads to weight gain.

 

STEP  8    

You can get great results with about 3 hours of exercise per week. Make those hours count. We suggest:

1. Do cardio 30 Minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. Any workout that gets your heart rate up will burn calories. But you’ll use more calories if you pick a cardio routine that engages multiple muscles simultaneously, such as rowing or spinning. The best way to get maximum benefit from these 30 minute workouts is to do them on an empty stomach in the morning. By having no food in the system at this time, the body will automatically burn calories stored in fat reserves for energy.

2. Two days a week, do sprint intervals for about 15 minutes.

3. Do about 10 minutes of warmup each day. Ensure to spend time doing moderate movement such as walking, swimming, yoga etc.

 

STEP  9

Get social support! Willpower is a very limited thing so never count on it. Instead, build a support network that helps you get to your goals. Make key aspects of your healthy lifestyle convenient: Keep good foods in your house and ensure your gym location works within your lifestyle. Surround yourself with people who support your goals; take a class, join a group and build a strong social support network of fit and healthy people.