Thursday, November 29, 2018

12 New Year’s Resolutions Health Experts Hate the Most

“I’m going vegetarian”

Vegetarian beetroot and black beans burger with melted cheese and thyme

Novice vegetarians sometimes gain weight because they don’t realize cheese, pasta, and other vegetarian standards are loaded with calories. Instead of becoming a full-fledged vegetarian, Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, LDN, a nutrition consultant and author of Walking off the Weight for Dummiessuggests eating a mostly plant-based diet while slowly reducing your meat intake. “Add puréed beans or lentils into ground beef to create a burger patty with less animal protein and more fiber,” she says. “This swap won’t leave you hungry. A study found that the protein in peas staved off hunger better than whey protein [from dairy], making it a filling option. Adding in vegetarian sources of protein like beans and lentils can be a good way to boost fiber in your meal plan, and that can help promote a healthy body weight.” She suggests snacking on roasted chickpeas instead of pretzel or chips, or tossing beans on pasta and salads. “You’ll add more protein to a vegetarian diet without increasing calories significantly,” she says.

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Tips to Stay Fit and Healthy in Ramadan

In Ramadan, it's important that you maintain your health while fasting. The first thing is to have a healthy eating habit. Given below are some tips that can help you stay fit and healthy in this holy month.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Here’s When Your Body Burns the Most Calories at Rest

Here's When Your Body Burns the Most Calories at Rest

Your body burns calories all day long to keep your organs humming, your blood pumping, and your lungs breathing—not to mention maintaining hundreds of other body processes. But a new study published in Current Biology reveals that there are times during the day when your metabolism really hums—and times when it slumps.

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston placed seven volunteers in a windowless room for three weeks, turning down the lights and waking them at different times while measuring their calorie use around the clock. The study revealed that we burn about 129 more calories—at rest—between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on average, compared to the early hours of the morning (2 a.m. and 8 a.m.). Even more intriguing is that the body seems to favor carbohydrates as an energy source early in the day and becomes more efficient at burning fat later in the afternoon.

Experts previously thought the body’s resting metabolism ran at a fairly steady rate around the clock; these findings indicate that calorie burn ebbs and flows with the body’s natural rhythms, reports lead study author, neuroscientist Jeanne Duffy, PhD, in a press release. One take-home message of the study seems to be yet another reason to avoid late-night snacking: The body’s energy demands are so low that those extra calories are likely to be converted to fat. Check out these 7 ways to cut calories if you’re trying to lose weight.

There may be implications for the best times to eat certain types of food—such as carbs in the a.m., more protein and healthy fats in the afternoon—but more research is necessary before anyone can make firm recommendations. Perhaps the most important lesson is that people should keep a regular eating schedule, according to Duffy. An irregular meal pattern can throw off the body’s rhythm, depress metabolism, and lead to weight gain, she says. Here are 23 more lazy ways to burn more calories every day.

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7 Proven Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

What is intermittent fasting?

clockIntermittent fasting—periods of voluntary abstinence from food and drink—is a broad term that can be applied to many different practices. This type of dieting has spurred many books and has received a lot of attention as of late as studies (mostly in animals) have shown that it may reduce the risk for several diseases. The most popular approach is the 16/8, which requires fasting for 16 hours a day. Another version, alternate day fasting (ADF) alternates 24-hour periods of fasting (or very restricted 500 calorie diets) with days of eating freely. The 5:2 approach limits fasting to just two days a week while the Warrior Diet follows a 20-hour fast with one large meal consumed at night. “Part of the confusion with intermittent fasting lies in the lack of a definition,” says Robin Foroutan, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “To some people intermittent fasting means that they fast every day while to others it means they only eat between 11 and 6.” Here’s everything you need to know about the Warrior Diet.

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Monday, November 19, 2018

15 Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions and How to Keep Them

Get in shape

Weight-lossGood choice! According to a 2015 Nielsen survey, the most common New Year’s resolutions have to do with getting in shape. If you’re resolving to hit the gym to improve your health or just your physique, you can avoid falling off the fitness cliff come February by enlisting a friend to exercise with you, or joining a regular class where you’ll be missed if you skip a session or two. Need additional motivation? Personal trainer Larysa DiDio recommends using fitness technology to stay on track. “Fitbits will tell you when you’ve been sitting too long and you need to move. Food apps will tell you when you’ve eaten too much and you need to stop. Exercise apps will tell you how many calories you’ve burned. All this information will keep you aware and working toward your goals,” said DiDio in an interview with TODAY.

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15 Things You Don’t Realize Are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

Over-emphasizing health food

Grocery-shoppingStart with the fact that there are plenty of unhealthy foods that masquerade as healthy. Although choosing healthy foods are the correct path, they can’t be consumed without keeping portions in check. “My patients often report eating low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets full of healthful foods like quinoa, green leafy vegetables and berries, but they are eating too much of these foods,” says Gillian Goddard, MD, an endocrinologist and certified nutrition support clinician in New York City. “What makes foods healthy is their nutrient content. This does not mean we can eat them in limitless quantities.” For example, a half cup of quinoa has 111 calories. “Most people are eating two or three cups of quinoa in a sitting which can come in at 400-600 calories. That doesn’t include, the nuts cheese and olive oil they are adding,” adds Dr. Goddard.

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18 Secrets of Women Who Manage to Work Out Every Day

Do it to feel good

If you think that every workout you do needs to be at 110 percent, you may get discouraged when you have an off day. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to go hard every single workout, just getting enough in to feel good,” says Sydney Stargatt, 27.

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The Best, Proven Ways to Keep Off Holiday Party Pounds

If it’s a party night, don’t let yourself think about it during the day

If you cut back by skipping breakfast or lunch, studies show you’ll eat more later. Also, you might get in the mindset that today is an “anything goes” day food-wise, which it isn’t. Don’t skip the gym, either.

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Saturday, November 17, 2018

15 Weight-Loss Motivation Mantras from People Who Successfully Slimmed Down

“You are who you’ve been waiting for.”

Mantras

“Often we look for answers to our challenges outside of us. Many times, we even blame our failures on other people or situations. The more I chanted this mantra to myself, the more confident I felt that I had exactly what I needed to support myself in my weight-loss goals. Bringing it back to me helped me stay on track and make permanent changes in my routine. Say it in the morning before your feet hit the floor, when you start to talk yourself out of exercising, before you make poor meal choices and while looking in the mirror before going to bed.”—Eva Santiago Reed who lost 25 pounds

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50 Ways to Lose Weight Without a Lick of Exercise

Get messy

candywrappersCandy wrappers, fruit peels, nut shells, chicken bones: When it comes to eating messy food, it may be better to let the garbage pile up on the table rather than demurely throwing it away as you go. Seeing the debris left from your food is a visual reminder of exactly how much you’ve eaten and can provide a reminder to stop when you’re full, according to research done by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. Don’t miss these weight-loss tips that nutritionists swear by.

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

11 Tricks to Avoid Holiday Belly Bloat

Reach for a smaller plate

Portion control is king during this time of year, says Gisela Bouvier, a registered dietitian in Port Charlotte, Florida. “Use a smaller plate and focus on loading it up with vegetables and lean proteins in the buffet line,” she advises. Try these daily habits that help you reduce belly bloat.

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Your Perfect Day of Eating Before a Holiday Party

Start with breakfast

You’ll be eating a lot of rich food at the party this evening, so you should save calories in the morning, right? Wrong. Skip breakfast and you’ll probably end up eating way more fatty food at the event, adding up to even more calories than you “saved” earlier. “When we’re starving, it’s harder to make healthier choices,” says Torey Armul, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson. “We want sugar for instant energy and fat to build calorie stores in case we don’t eat again soon. It’s an evolutionary response to going too long between meals.” Here’s how to avoid 15 other weight-loss mistakes everyone makes.

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Wednesday, November 14, 2018

What Nutritionists Always Buy on Amazon

Lorissa’s Kitchen Beef Sticks

Lorissas Kitchen Beef Sticks“When searching for convenient and nutritious snacks, it’s important to not only look for protein but also low sugar content,” says Christina Meyer-Jax, MS, RDN. “One of my favorites is Lorissa’s Kitchen grass-fed beef sticks.”

With six grams of protein but just one to two grams of sugar in each stick, Meyer-Jax says these meat sticks “meet all of my nutrition requirements.”

Buying these on Amazon is ideal for Meyer-Jax because she can get them in bulk—so she always has a snack on hand. Check out 17 nutritionists’ best healthy-eating secrets.

Buy Now

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13 Things Experts Won’t Tell You About Weight Loss

You have to eat fat to beat fat

foodWhile too much of the wrong fat (certain saturated fats in highly processed meats and trans fat found in some cookies and crackers) is bad for your health and waistline, a diet rich in the right fat—good unsaturated fats—can help both. Good fats, like monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in olive oil, nuts, and avocados have proven to be powerful reducers of belly fat. Other sources of good fat are the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs); found in fish and its oil, and in many nuts and seeds, PUFAs help release fat, too. A Dutch study found that consumption of PUFAs led to a higher resting metabolic rate (the calories used just to live), as well as a greater DIT, or diet-induced calorie burn.  PUFAs are also burned faster than saturated fats in the body. What’s more, fats help you feel full—they have 9 calories per gram compared to 4 for protein or carbs. So a small nibble of something yummy, like a handful of nuts or some peanut butter on whole wheat crackers, can help you feel full for hours. Check out these other 10 myths about fat that keep you from losing weight.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2018

This Is Exactly How Many Hours of Sleep You Need to Burn Fat Fast

Quick—what’s the best way to lose weight? If you said diet and exercise, you’re on the right track. But as it turns out, there’s a super effective method for burning fat, and you’re already doing it every day. In fact, the key to burning fat is so easy that you could do it in your sleep (literally!)

“One of the biggest mistakes that most people make [when trying to lose weight] is not sleeping enough,” Shawn Arent, director of the Center for Health and Human Performance at Rutgers University, told Business Insider. Here are 9 more ways to lose weight in your sleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, your body repairs itself by releasing growth hormones while you sleep. Those hormones stimulate muscle and protein synthesis, as well as a fat breakdown process called lipolysis. You’ll practically burn fat in your sleep if you eat this one food at night, too.

Since growth hormones tend to peak at night, not getting a good night’s sleep cuts that essential process short. Research shows that only getting four or five hours of sleep a night can lead to obesity down the road. Here are even more of the worst habits for belly fat.

The solution? Ideally, you should sleep seven to nine hours per night to keep your body burning fat while you snooze.

“Seven to nine hours seems to be a pretty consistent time frame for when we get the best repair and where we have the least relationship to obesity,” Arent said. “In other words, it’s kind of that nice window where you don’t oversleep, you don’t under sleep, and there’s enough repair that takes place.”

The National Sleep Foundation generally recommends that adults sleep for seven to nine hours every night, in order to wake up refreshed and alert for the day ahead. Next, read about these tricks to flatten your belly without a lick of exercise.

[Source: Business Insider]

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Monday, November 12, 2018

18 Ways To Win The Fight For Size

PUNCH UP YOUR MASS When it comes to training, are your gains coming faster than an Ali one-two combo? Or are you getting worked over in the corner like some washed-up pug, folding up under a rain of body blows?

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Friday, November 9, 2018

20 Ways to Beat Post-Holiday Weight Gain

Drink water

WaterPeople often mistake thirst for hunger, so next time you feel like noshing, reach for water first. Drinking also helps you feel full. Some experts suggest sipping water (or iced tea) just before you sit down to a meal. Continue drinking as you eat to add volume and weight to your meal. 

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Tuesday, November 6, 2018

13 Best Keto-Approved Thanksgiving Foods

Turkey

Sliced roasted tukey breast for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner with side dishes overhead shotTurkey Day without turkey would be a sad holiday indeed. Great news for ketogenic (keto) dieters: Turkey is entirely keto-friendly. Spice rubs and marinades are also typically keto-friendly. Just avoid any that use sugar or flour. “If you reach for turkey, grab a leg instead of a breast, since dark meat is higher in fat,” recommends Lindsey Bristol, MS, RD, of Swanson Health. Check out the 10 unexpected health benefits of the keto diet.

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Thursday, November 1, 2018

11 of the Most Inspirational Weight-Loss Transformations

“My wife’s courageous cancer battle inspired me to be healthier.”

Inspirational-Weight-Loss-TransformationsIn November 2015, newspaper editor Jon LaFontaine was faced with devastating news he never expected to hear: His wife, Emily, had leukemia. During this dark time, this couple fought together to win the scary battle, which included Emily’s two bone marrow transplants. Throughout his life, LaFontaine had struggled with unhealthy food addiction. But after witnessing the love of his life conquer leukemia—her doctors declared her cancer-free in December 2016—LaFontaine was inspired to change his lifestyle and prioritize his health.

Over the course of a year, he dropped 95 pounds, crediting much of his success to Subway, where he selected veggie-rich meals instead of more fatty options. Once he started exercising and burning more calories, he added low-carbohydrate snacks but always paid close attention to his calorie intake to ensure that he was burning more than he was consuming.

While the details might seem exhausting, LaFontaine believes that shifting his lifestyle and mental attitude is what made weight loss possible. “If you want to lose weight, it’s about committing yourself to choosing healthy options, moderating the portions, and forcing your body into action. It requires consistency, too,” he says, “actively squashing excuses to eat bad food, excuses to avoid working out, and excuses to ‘start next week.’ It took me eight months and one day to lose 95 pounds; however, it took me nearly 12 months to even start my healthy journey.” Need inspiration from more weight-loss transformations? Be sure to repeat these 15 mantras for weight-loss motivation.

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11 Things that Happen to Your Body If You Stop Eating Red Meat

01_Weight_Things_that_happen_to_body_when_stop_eating_meat_You may lose a few pounds

Red meat is calorie-dense, so cutting it out of your daily diet could mean a lower number on the scale. “Most portions of meat are more than the actual protein requirement, and these larger portions can be replaced by alternative protein sources that are much lighter in calories, still satisfying, and also easier to digest,” says Sally Warren, PhD, traditional naturopath at Metro Integrative Pharmacy. “A three-ounce serving of beef can be around 170 calories, but a portion of beans can be around 100 calories and tofu around 70 calories, each supplying the same amount of protein.” It may not seem like a huge difference at first, but it can add up over time. Fish, chicken, and legumes are lighter calorie alternatives, and good replacements to choose. A 2015 review article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reported that people on a vegetarian diet lost more weight than those on a non-vegetarian diet, although vegans shed more weight than people who still ate eggs and dairy products. Here are 13 more body changes you experience while eating a vegan diet.

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