Fit Yummy Mummy ~ How to lose belly fat for Moms

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Archive for the 'Nutrition' Category...

Filed under Nutrition

The primary reason a lot of people decide to start working-our regularly is to lose weight and tighten their bellies. A less than solid stomach is a sign of lack of exercise and having a potbelly is one of the most potent confidence busters a person can get.

Most exercise buffs, despite having spent years in the gym or working-out at home are still unsatisfied with their physique. An overwhelming number that don’t see clear results even stop going to the gym- disheartened and bored with their workouts.

Since fat-loss and a lean, well-defined abdomen is the goal of most fitness buffs across the globe, more folks should be doing exercises that maximize movement of the midsection. The more muscles involved in movement, the faster the results and the easier it is to keep stay consistent with one’s workout program.

Developing the center or core of the human body is arguable the best way of forming the contours and striations that give that 6 pack appearance to the abdomen. Conventional workout sessions should be augmented with exercises for the core muscles in order to hasten calorie burn. The more calories burned, the faster the fat loss and abdominal muscles exposed.

An overwhelming number of fitness buffs go about core based exercises the wrong way by focusing just on the abdominal muscles. If the other core muscles (lower back and obliques) are left out, this can throw the body’s balance out of whack and cause back sprain.

Strengthening the abdomen, lower back, and oblique muscles means stabilizing our body’s center, its foundation. A stronger core will give us better balance, flexibility and endurance. It will give extra support for our spine and hence give extra protection against injury.

Because more muscle tissue are involved in movement in doing core exercises, doing these in tandem with aerobic and weight-training will produce significantly faster effects. Isolating body fat for caloric energy and maintaining a high level of metabolism will result in flatter stomach in less time.

True, the proverbial road to 6 pack abs is paved with a lot of sweat, hardship and sacrifice. Knowing which exercises are most effective in eliminating body fat can help speed-up your journey however and get you to your goal of a lean, rippling midsection faster.

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Comments (0) Posted by Kareem Samhouri, DPT on Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Filed under Nutrition

The South Beach Diet is a diet well known for being followed by many celebrities and is frequently linked to other low-carb diets, most of which have received considerable bad press.

It is important whilst following the South Beach Diet that you follow the basic rules of the program to ensure that you lose weight and maintain good health. Most importantly, if you want to achieve success, you must make sure you consume the right types and amounts of carbohydrates and fats.

The South Beach diet has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and some claims have even been made that the diet can also reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Following a weight loss program often results in unwelcome food cravings that are a common side effect of many diets. However, the South Beach Diet is said to avoid this problem because if you stick to the meal plan, you simply dont feel hungry.

It takes a high degree of motivation and determination to follow the South Beach Diet plan in order to succeed with weight loss.

As well as losing weight, learning to eat healthily on the South Beach Diet plan and discovering which are the good carbs and fats, will help you to care for your heart too.

The South Beach Diet is not a low-fat, low carb diet like so many of the other high profile diet fads and whilst on the South Beach Diet you will discover that not all carbohydrates and fats are bad for you.

Incorporating the right proportion and the right types of fats and carbohydrates may seem a little confusing when you start out. However, it is fundamental to the effectiveness of the South Beach Diet program and will ensure that it works for you. You will quickly adjust and soon find that eating this way becomes a way of life.

The initial two weeks of South Beach Diet program is when weight loss of up to13lbs can be expected. After this period, you will find that things slow down but you will continue to steadily lose weight.

It is entirely possible to achieve long-term weight loss, rather than just losing weight in the short term, if you are determined to stick to this healthy eating plan.

Highly effective at ridding your body of unwanted, excess weight, the South Beach Diet plan will also help you maintain general health and well-being.

Working in stages, similar to the Atkins diet, the South Beach Diet program is really more of a lifestyle choice as opposed to just another weight loss diet. The plan will guide you in eating three meals plus two snacks, chosen each day from the simple menu planner provided.

To help you achieve your weight loss goal whilst on the South Beach Diet program you should first write down how much weight you would like to lose. The written goal should then be placed somewhere highly visible so that it can act as a constant reminder of why you are on the diet.

Clearing your kitchen cupboards of all foods forbidden by the South Beach Diet is a good idea. In moments of weakness, there will be nothing in your house to tempt you so you will be more likely to stick to your diet.

Remembering to drink plenty of water is recommended with most diet plans. Not only will water help you to feel more full, it will also help flush away toxins that might be released whilst following the South Beach Diet program.

It is important, regardless of whether you are following a diet program, that you make the time to fit exercise into your schedule. Regular exercise, as well as improving your fitness levels, will help to speed up your weight loss.

Its hard to stay motivated all the time and you may occasionally slip up when on the diet. If this happens, don’t be tempted to give up. The South Beach Diet works so simply pick up where you left off and you’ll soon start to see the weight dropping off once more.

The South Beach diet is followed by celebrities such as Bill and Hilary Clinton and Bette Midler.

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Comments (0) Posted by Errol Gollands on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Filed under Nutrition

People now prefer natural anti-inflammatory to treat their health problems. There are also many options for treatment. They are well available online and even at your local health products store.

Listen to the cues of your own body. Keep a diary. Take note when the inflammation occurs. Detail the food intake during that time. Observe the vitamins, prescription drugs, and supplements you are taking. Over a period of two months, you will see a pattern in regards to your inflammation problems. This will help you find out what are the causes of your periodic inflammation. If you are experiencing chronic inflammation, however, you should always seek the care of a physician.

Taking a daily multi-vitamin supplement containing B vitamins and vitamins C, D, and E may not have a proven effect on inflammation. However, by increasing the level of nutrients in the blood, it is always a good start in any treatment. Vitamin supplements also increase the levels of antioxidants to augment the lacking nutrients in the patient’s diet. This actually reverses some of the damaging effects of inflammation.

Bioflavonoids or flavonoids are also what make the natural anti-inflammatory treatment works well. Flavonoids are the chemicals found naturally in plants. The human body metabolizes flavonoids in a manner which allows them to have an antioxidant effect. This makes it useful against cancer, allergies, and inflammation. For the best anti-inflammatory effects, ensure the supplements you take contain rutin, quercetin, and procyanidins. These substances may be listed on the label as pine bark and grape seed extracts.

Natural anti-inflammatory supplements can provide relief by helping you feel your best quickly. There are a wide variety of supplements available today. You can find them online and even at your local health products store.

Nz Pure Health is a specialist in New Zealand Green Mussels as a natural dietary supplement. Green Lipped Mussel Capsules have been growingly popular as a great way to combat joint pain, learn more details at NZ Pure Health Natural Anti Inflammatory cures.

For more free information about natural remedies and cures, check out this Natural Cures blog. As mentioned, Green Lipped Mussels are found effective as natural treatment to arthritic pains, log on to treatment arthritis.

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Comments (0) Posted by Paul J. Easton on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

Filed under Nutrition

Coronary Artery Disease is commonly known as Heart Disease or Atherosclerosis. In coronary artery disease, plaque builds up inside the arteries. These plaques are formed by fats and cause the arteries to harden. The deposits are made of fat that came from the food that we eat. These fat deposits narrow the arteries and impede circulation. The narrowing of the arteries also causes high blood pressure because the body tries to compensate for the inadequate supply of blood throughout the system.

Atheromas are very dangerous because they impede blood circulation to the heart. We all know that the heart is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. With the heart muscles receiving less oxygen rich blood and increased cardiac workload, they will surely function less and will cause a patient to experience pain. The pain experienced by the patient is medically termed angina.

Angina occurs when the heart doesn’t have enough supply of oxygen for it to function properly. The heart muscles need oxygen for them to function because it is necessary for the energy formation of muscles that it uses for working. Without adequate energy, muscles will fail to work. Angina is described as a painful squeezing feeling in the chest that is also felt in the jaws, extremities and the back.

Usually, after an angina, a possible heart attack is expected. The heart attack happens because of the lack of oxygen supply in the heart muscles causing it to form necrotic tissues. With necrotic tissues present in your heart, it will not be effective anymore in pumping blood throughout your system. Your heart will be tired of pumping ineffectively, causing it to fail. Without prompt treatment, a heart attack will cause death.

Now that you know all about the disease process of coronary artery disease, you should also know what its risk factors are so that you’ll be able to prevent having such a disease. If you have a family history of coronary artery disease, you will have a greater chance of developing it. Smoking can also increase the risk of developing heart disease because nicotine causes blood vessel constriction which further narrows the arteries.

If you are living a sedentary or inactive lifestyle, it is now time to change your ways and to do some serious physical work. A sedentary lifestyle will increase your risk of developing heart disease because without physical activities, your heart muscles will become flabby and weak. You need to do some simple exercises to tone your heart muscles and make it strong.

Those who are overweight need to drop those extra pounds because they are also at risk for developing heart disease. People who are overweight have too much fat in their body which causes their muscles to be weak and not toned. Fats can also form plaque in the arterial walls which causes coronary artery disease. Exercise and proper diet should therefore be their approach to prevent developing heart disease.

Major lifestyle changes have to be made in order to prevent coronary heart disease. Living an active lifestyle is important to maintain good health. Coronary artery disease is a lifetime disease. Medications will be needed for maintenance and prevention of heart attack. Although there are a lot of procedures available to treat heart disease, these are only for management and not cure.

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Comments (0) Posted by Katie A. Price on Thursday, March 12th, 2009

Filed under Meal Planning, Nutrition

Is it possible to eat healthy fast food? The busier we get the more it seems there just isn’t enough time in the day.  How many times have you gotten to the end of the day and thought, “what’s for dinner?”  It’s in that moment we choose between grabbing something fast, or making something at home. More and more grabbing something fast is winning out.

If you have to choose fast food you can still make some choices to make healthy fast food choices.  Here are some tips to help you make healthy choices when eating at fast food restaurants.

Watch Your Portion Sizes

In this super sized world you can still find healthy portions. Remember a healthy hamburger portion is that of a regular child size hamburger. You know there’s nothing wrong with grown ups eating a happy meal. If you choose apples and milk you have a perfect portion sized and somewhat healthy meal.

Watch the Salt

Fast food is always made heavy with salt.  Don’t make it worse by adding more at the table.

Choose Carefully

Choose grilled foods over fried, mustard over mayo. Leave off extra fattening sauces. Even when ordering salads you need to be careful, and aware of the dressing and toppings on your salad. You can end up with a higher calorie meal with a salad than with a burger if you’re not careful.

Do Your Homework

If you know you are going to be eating at a fast food restaurant do some homework. Check out their websites. You can find all the nutritional information available for all the choices online. Look up your favorites and see if they are within the calories and fat levels you should be eating. If they aren’t look through and find something that is.  Armed with a healthy decision you can order a good choice when you get there, instead of ordering on impulse because you are hungry.

Don’t Be Afraid to Special Order

You can always ask for sauces to be left off or substituted for something else. You can also at certain places ask for grilled meat instead of fried. Don’t be afraid to ask for healthier options.

Avoid the Buffet

Even the salad bar.  The buffet is an invitation to overeat, even if it is salad, you can end up eating more calories than you expected or wanted. There is something about “all you can eat” that makes you feel like you should eat ALL you can eat. It’s something about “getting your money’s worth”. If you must eat at the buffet, take small portions, and stick to grilled or steamed items.  Once you have finished your first plate resist the temptation to go back for more. If you feel like you want more food, wait at least 15 minutes and see if you are still hungry.

Eat Mindfully

This means simply enjoy your food. Think about eating as you eat. Be aware of what you are eating, and how you feel while you are eating it. Stop eating when you are satisfied, instead of mindlessly finishing all of your food and feeling stuffed.

If you must eat on the run there are ways to eat healthy fast food. Armed with these tips you can make better choices and choose healthier options for fast food.

Comments (0) Posted by Jackie Lee on Monday, September 8th, 2008