The Relation between Weight Loss and Metabolism
June 12, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Metabolism
Anyone who is on a weight loss program cannot afford to ignore his/her metabolism. Metabolism is the process through which food is converted into energy. This process occurs in the cells of our muscles and organs and helps in burning calories. And this is why a good understanding of our metabolism can help us in weight loss. Let’s take a closer look at the relation between weight loss and metabolism.
The process of metabolism
Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are broken down in our digestive system to be used by the body. They are then transported to the cells of the body through the blood stream, where they are metabolized. During this metabolism process, the calories released are combined with oxygen and released in the form of energy to help your body function. When considering the role of metabolism in weight loss, it is this burning of calories which plays an important role.
Weight loss and metabolism
It is a well known fact that weight gain occurs due to consuming more calories than what your body burns. For maintaining your weight, you need to calculate your daily caloric intake. This can be calculated by calculating the amount of calories expended on the three essential components of metabolism. So, your daily caloric intake should be equal to the calories expended on your basal metabolism (calories required for the basic functioning of your body), your physical activity, and the digestion of food. For weight loss, you need to reduce your caloric intake and/or increase the amount of calories that you expend.
Besides this, an increase in metabolism helps in weight loss. If you increase your physical activity and exercise regularly, your weight loss routine can be a success.
By increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity of your physical activity, you boost your metabolism and burn more calories. Strength training and aerobics activity build muscle tissue. An increase in the lean muscle tissue means increase in metabolism. This will again lead to faster burning of calories.
Your eating habits also play an important role in increasing your metabolism and promoting weight loss. Contrary to popular beliefs, skipping meals actually slows down your metabolism. If your body doesn’t get its regular calories, it will go into starvation mode and your metabolism will slow down. You will lose muscle tissue and excess energy will actually be stored as fat. Therefore, the right thing to do to increase your metabolism is to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. Combined with drinking the necessary 8 glasses of water a day, it will help in raising your metabolism and induce weight loss.
As you can see a weight loss routine is aimed at faster burning of calories and your metabolism is the process that is actually responsible for burning them. Calculating your daily caloric intake and taking steps to boost your metabolism can help you in losing weight in a healthy way.
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Foods That Boost Your Metabolism
June 9, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Metabolism
Most of us know that metabolism has a key role to play in weight loss. Anything that we do to boost metabolism will help in losing weight.
- As most of us know, metabolism is the process through which our body converts food into energy and this it does by burning calories.
Raw Vegetables Boost Your Metabolism
- Increasing physical activity and exercising daily increases metabolism and we burn more calories.
- But do you know that there are certain foods that boost your metabolism? Here are a few foods that can be included in your regular diet to raise your metabolism.
Oatmeal
Steel-cut or rolled oats are a good source of complex carbohydrates and fibers. Oatmeal slowly breaks down in your stomach which keeps the insulin levels in your body low after you eat and ensures a slow release of glucose into your bloodstream. This helps boost metabolism, preventing storing of fat and helping you burn more calories. It also makes you feel fuller for a longer time, provides you with the necessary energy for your daily workout routine, and is great for your heart.
Chilli, Cayenne, and Jalapeno
If you are fond of adding cayenne pepper to your sauces and soups, you are actually increasing your metabolism by approximately 20%. Peppers contain a compound called capsaicin that speeds up your heart rate and raises your metabolism. In fact, you can actually continue burning calories even after 3 hours of eating a meal including chilli and cayenne pepper. So, don’t forget to include peppers in your food.
Fish
Essential fatty acids, in particular omega-3 fatty acids, boost your metabolism. And fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout are the best sources of these fatty acids. Essential fatty acids alter the levels of a hormone called leptin in your body. Leptin has a direct impact on your metabolism and have an influence on whether the calories are burnt or stored as fat. Lower levels of leptin mean higher metabolism. This is why fish is considered to be one of the best foods to boost metabolism. You can even try fish-oil supplements to get your daily dose of essential fatty acids.
Chicken, Turkey, and Lean Beef
If you are wondering how these foods boost your metabolism, then the word you need to know is ‘protein’. These foods are high in protein and our body needs more energy and more time to digest the protein found in meat. So, a high-protein diet translates into more work for your body in digestion, higher metabolism, and more calorie-burning.
Fruits and vegetables
Raw fruits and vegetables are often recommended for weight loss because they are high in fibers. Your body finds it difficult to digest and extract the nutrients from fibers. So, it works harder and increases your metabolism. About 8-10 servings of these foods is enough to boost your metabolism.
These are not the only foods to boost your metabolism. Foods such as grapefruits, broccoli, and celery contain low calories, but require high calories to digest. Herbs such as green tea have also proven to be great diet supplements to increase your metabolism. So, include foods high in fibers, protein, complex carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids and raise your metabolism.
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Yoga Weight Loss
May 15, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Yoga Poses Beginner
Today with several techniques available for losing weight, an effective and popular weight loss method is undoubtedly Yoga i.e. Yoga weight loss. With all Weight loss programs, you need to include both dieting techniques combined with exercise. Remember to reduce and control weight, control the intake of calories.Many people have shed pounds with the help of yoga alone.
- Yoga not only helps in reduction of weight but also in developing flexibility by way stretching muscles.It also gives the person a more positive and balanced approach towards life. This in turn helps in stress reduction.
Yoga also helps in toning body apart from weight loss. Yoga weight loss can be combined with walking, running and even other forms of aerobic exercises, which helps one in reaching the goal of reducing weight.
- Yoga weight loss may not be the quickest way to reduce weight. One may reduce weight gradually but the additional benefits that a person starts getting with yoga are really surprising. Yoga weight loss method will not only have positive impact on the life of the person practicing it, but is also good for balancing between one’s mind, body and soul.
Apart from Yoga, one should also try to a lead stress free life in order to stay healthy. Moreover, apart from weight loss, peace of mind can also be attained by practicing yoga.
- To reduce weight and to maintain that attained weight loss, one has to regularly follow an exercise regime for doing yoga about 3 to 4 times a week. It brings within the person, self awareness and it becomes lot easier to nurture one’s body. Practicing Yoga ultimately results in better self esteem.
- Practicing yoga is a great experience because it is not competition based. Yoga weight loss is a personal journey. It not only focuses on the mental development but also helps in physical growth and spiritual growth.
- As yoga weight loss is considered to be gentle, yoga is also practiced by pregnant women, and it helps in shedding extra weight gained after pregnancy.
As you start doing yoga weight loss programs you will see that craving for food will reduce, and in fact your taste starts changing, one will look for better food choices. Many “asanas” as well as breathing techniques are included in it. Breathing technique helps the intake of oxygen necessary for human and throws out carbon dioxide. Yoga includes sun salutation, yoga for arms and legs. Other yoga is Ashtanga Yoga which is considered good for weight loss. The other yoga is Bikram Yoga which is also known to be good. Exercise using Yoga and see the difference in your body and attitude towards life. Click Here to take survey
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Holistic Fitness Find The Right Fit
May 11, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Exercise & Fitness
Create a comprehensive and systematic approach to your holistic fitness. Many people who are overweight or lack energy struggle with their chosen exercise routine.
There are many choices to get in shape, lose weight and tone: cycling, swimming, jogging or yoga. One of the most important aspects of a healthy life is selecting activities you enjoy. If you love something, you will be able to participate and integrate it into your lifestyle.
Why you torture yourself? The trick is finding an exercise that is effective and fun. Whatever your choice, start slow and make sure you have enough skill. You may need to book a session with a personal trainer or private lesson with instructor. Take the time and select a good trainer who is good for you, understanding your goals and current fitness level.
- A holistic approach incorporates your weight loss and fitness goals. In addition to your fitness goals, notice your stress. It may be the reason why you have too much fat around your belly. Stress hormone cortisone fluctuates during the day. Many people nowadays have stress and eat later at night. You are familiar with the results: weight gain, thyroid problems, sleep disorders, an increase in the production of cholesterol and heart attacks.
Holistic fitness addresses both your nutrition and exercise choices. Eat healthy, the right foods and remember to eat enough food if you want to lose weight. Eat too little and the body stores more fat to protect itself from starvation.
Other resources of interest:
http://www.holisticfitness.com/index.html
http://holisticfitness4u.com/
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Review: Yoga for Weight Loss for Beginners and Essential Yoga for Inflexible People
May 11, 2009 by Gail Grannum
Filed under Yoga Poses Beginner
“Yoga For Weight Loss for Beginners
Maggie Rhoades is a certified Yoga and Pilates instructor and her DVD “Yoga For Weight Loss for Beginners” (Amazon affiliate link)
Maggie Rhoades begins the DVD with an introduction to yoga and how it can help attain harmony and balance in your life. The video offers routines for yoga beginners. The viewer can choose a routine according to his/her interests and requirements. The basic poses are demonstrated in a step-by-step manner. The instructions clearly specify how each pose is to be done along with the benefits of each pose.
There are basically three sections in the DVD. And each section has multiple workout routines.
- The first section is specifically meant for yoga beginners. The poses in this section involve slow and continuous movements and flow from one to the other. Clear instructions about when to breathe in and out make it easier for a beginner to understand the importance of proper breathing in a yoga session. The pace of the workout is neither too slow nor too fast. The poses included work wonderfully well in shedding extra pounds and promoting flexibility, balance, and strength.
- The second section of the video gets more challenging. This section also includes poses that flow from one to the other, but they are of varying length and the focus also keeps shifting from one part of the body to the other. The workouts in this section are ideal to lose extra pounds and provide a good workout for the muscles.
- The third section gets more interesting. The workouts in this section combine yoga poses with the use of light weights and resistance band. It’s a unique approach to yoga and is ideal for more strength training. You get all the benefits of yoga with some extra toning for your muscles.
Clear instructions, poses that promote strength and flexibility, and routines designed to easily lose weight even for yoga beginners makes this DVD a worthy buy. Combined with the beautiful landscape and the relaxing sounds, the workout routines in the video not only promote weight loss and muscle toning, but also leave you more relaxed and more energetic at the end of it. So, if you are looking at losing weight with some yoga, this Maggie Rhoades DVD is highly recommended.
Another DVD by Maggie Rhoades which is highly recommended for yoga beginners who are really inflexible is “Essential Yoga For Inflexible People (Amazon affiliate link) “
If you have tried a few videos which claimed to use simple yoga poses, but found them to be too fast paced and too difficult, this DVD is just right for you. The years of yoga experience that Maggie Rhoades has can be seen in the clear instructions and her understanding about the body of highly inflexible individuals.
- It is, therefore, perfect for yoga beginners who have a low level of physical strength and endurance and who want to improve their flexibility.
- The video is slow paced and allows a yoga beginner to progress at his/her own pace. The pace of the video allows the viewer enough time to move slowly into the pose and get the proper alignment of the body.
- Maggie Rhoades provides clear instructions about how to perform a pose and also provides information about its purpose and benefits.
The video is divided into three sections and each section is more challenging than the previous one. Different routines are provided in the various sections.
- Some routines are as short as 6 minutes, whereas a full routine can be as long as 90 minutes. So, you can pick up a routine depending on the time available with you.
- The shorter routines often focus on one type of yoga poses (for example, sitting poses or standing poses) or one body part.
- The full routines provide a complete workout for each and every part of the body and include different types of yoga poses.
The instructor also uses props such as a chair and a blanket while performing the yoga poses. This makes it easier for an inflexible yoga beginner to move into a pose easily and at the same time aids in stability.
In summary, if you never tried yoga or gave up on it because you found it too difficult, this Maggie Rhoades DVD is perfect for you. The Yoga Poses Beginner workouts are slow-paced. Clear instructions make it easy to move in and out of the different yoga poses. You can pick a routine depending on how flexible you are and how much time you have available. Combined with beautiful scenery and the soothing voice of the instructor, the routines in this video will leave you relaxed and energetic. Click Here to take survey
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