There are 10 letters in the words WEIGHT LOSS. What follows is a tip for each letter that will help you stay committed to your weight loss goals throughout 2012 and beyond:
Water A few of the most important reasons that drinking water and weight loss are closely linked is because drinking enough water to stay fully hydrated can (1) suppress appetite naturally, (2) speed metabolism and (3) increase calorie burning. Drink before and after meals. According to the researchers, drinking cool water (70° F) increases the rate at which calories are burned because the body has to use considerable amounts of energy to warm the cold water up to body temperature. Source - http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/drinking-water-and-weight-loss.html
After about three months, a new study found, obese dieters who drank two cups of water before each meal
Exercise Select 2 -3 physical activities that you enjoy and "Just do It!" 60 minutes at least 3 times a week[ 5-6 times week if you want to see results quicker!
Increase daily intake of fruit and vegetables (energy density)
Energy density is the relationship of calories to the weight of food (calories per gram).
Avoid high energy density foods (those containing 4 to 9 calories per gram of weight), such as low-moisture foods like crackers and cookies or high-fat foods like butter and bacon.
Eat small amounts of medium energy density foods (those containing 1.5 to 4 calories per gram of weight); such as dried fruits, bagels, broiled lean sirloin steak, hummus, grape jelly, whole wheat bread, and part-skim mozzarella.
Load up on low in energy density foods ( 0.7 to 1.5 calories per gram) and very low energy density foods (0 to 0.6 calories per gram); such as tomatoes, cantaloupe, broth-based soups, fat free cottage cheese, fat free yogurt, strawberries, broccoli, and turkey breast roasted with no skin. Most fresh fruits and vegetables fall into one of these two categories. Source - http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/rtp_practitioner_10_07.pdf
Ginger - Ginger promotes weight loss by assisting you in burning fat:
- Through it's ability to aid in the lowering of cholesterol because ginger seems to not only hinder the absorption of cholesterol, but also stimulates cholesterol conversion to bile acids. Lowering your cholesterol translates to weight loss.
- Ginger contains an acidic substance that stimulates gastric enzymes, which can aid in increasing metabolism. The better your metabolism, the more calories you will burn. Source - http://www.weight-loss-center.net/weight-loss-blog/2009/09/eating-ginger-promotes-weight-loss/
Herbs - There are two main types of thermogenic herbs for weight loss.
- Herbs teas such as nettle, cayenne and ginseng stimulant properties that helps to speed up the body functions, including the digestion, heart rate and respiration. The individuals feel more energetic and respond accordingly by keeping on the go.
- Herbs such as dandelion that have diuretic properties help to rid the body of excess fluids. The main downside of these herbs for weight loss is that the weight can return when the herbs are stopped.
Tea - Green tea is an excellent, effective, and safe weight loss ingredient that has the ability to oxidize fat in the body.
Laugh - Laughing helps burn calories by increasing your heart rate by 10 to 20 percent [Colmenares, Clinton. "No joke: Study finds laughing can burn calories." Reporter. June 10, 2005. http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=4030 ]. Your metabolism increases as well, meaning you will burn more calories at rest once you have stopped laughing.
Buchowski, MS. "Energy expenditure of genuine laughter." International Journal of Obesity. 2007 Jan;31(1):131-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16652129
Onions - Onions will help improve your health in several ways that will help you lose weight including help with the cardiovascular system lowering blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. This in turn helps you feel better and have more energy. Additionally onions contains vitamins, minerals, and other compounds that work in a well balanced diet to minimize your cravings for unhealthy foods. Onions are also a source of the antioxidant quercetin. Quercetin may help increase energy expenditure, or calorie burn, in your body while also reducing inflammation.
Source - http://www.livestrong.com/article/272594-benefits-of-an-onion-a-day-for-weight-loss/#ixzz1kN5n4wCx
Seaweed has been known to improve the metabolism and is a good source of trace minerals such as chromium and iodine. Seaweed is a natural thyroid stimulant, which can improve your ability to lose weight. If you suspect your weight problem is due to a thyroid problem, or if you currently take any thyroid medication, you should check with a doctor before taking kelp or seaweed.
Slow down - All we ever seem to do is rush, rush, rush. When it comes to food, one of the worse things you can do is rush things. Here are great tips to help slow you down and enjoy food again.
#1 – Chew your food 20 times before swallowing. Chewing does several things it breaks down the food into smaller pieces which means the digestion system can get more nutrients out of it. Chewing also takes time. The longer you take to eat, the less likely you are to overeat.
#1 – Chew your food 20 times before swallowing. Chewing does several things it breaks down the food into smaller pieces which means the digestion system can get more nutrients out of it. Chewing also takes time. The longer you take to eat, the less likely you are to overeat.
#2 – Put your fork down between bites. Putting the fork down makes you conscious of how much you’re eating as opposed to using the fork like a steam shovel.
#3 – Eat with a dinner partner and make dinner conversation a part of your menu. Talking slows down the rate of food consumption. Remember it’s bad manners to talk with your mouth full.
#4 – Don’t eat in front of the television. It leads to mindless eating. Your attention is on what’s going on in the program not what’s on your plate.
Source - http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/you-need-to-slow-down-to-lose-weight-167.htmlTo hear my extended discussion on this topic, please visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drrevely/2012/01/26/weight-loss-and-weight-management-month
Yours in health,
Email - drvelonda@gmail.com
Save the date! April 20, 2012 Book launch for Beyond Candied Yams & Sweet Potato Pie
