Thursday, 7 July 2016

6 Tricks To Combat Hunger And Lose Weight

Most of us know where our next meal is coming from. Yet our reaction to hunger has not evolved with our convenience-centered world. This is why even the thought of being hungry may send you running to the mini-mart for sustenance. It's also why some people get so "hangry" when they're hungry.
The problem: A lot of different factors influence how hungry you feel—many of which have nothing to do with your body's energy requirements. Your eating habits and schedule, the types of food you swallow, and even how tired or stressed you feel can drive hunger. 
These six tips help you control hunger and feel satisfied when you eat. 
1. Silence your gut
silence your gut
PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN J LANE/GETTY IMAGES


While fatigue or stress can trick your belly into believing it craves unhealthy junk foods, there are a few proven ways to help chill out its "feed me!" pleas. It may sound counterintuitive, but expending a little energy can help. A yoga practice, gym workout, or even a 10-minute stroll can help quell those fictitious hunger pangs. Keeping food out of sight can help, too. Seeing food makes you crave food, shows research from Cornell University. (Here are 5 ways to kill your food cravings.) 
2. Plan your meals
While "grazing"—or eating lots of small meals—had its day in the sun, the bulk of the research suggests sticking to three meals a day is a better plan for weight loss and hunger management. First of all, the fewer chances you give yourself to over-eat, the better. Also, when you only have three meals to manage each day, it's a lot easier to plan ahead—and that's exactly what you should do. (Follow these easy meal-prep tips to keep on track.) Again, you can't trust your gut when it comes to judging your food needs. By deciding ahead of time what you're going to eat at each meal, you won't be subject to your stomach's unpredictable whims. (Follow this perfect day of clean eating to keep you on track.)
3. Eat breakfast without fail
A recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition tracked the diets of nearly 900 adults and found that when people ate more fat, protein, and carbohydrates in the morning, they stayed satisfied and ate less over the course of the day, compared with those who ate their bigger meals later on. Unfortunately, many Americans start off on an empty stomach: In one recent survey, consumers reported that even when they eat in the morning, the meal is a full breakfast only about one-third of the time. While it might seem tough at first, eating your biggest meal of the day in the morning—and cutting back at dinner time—can recalibrate your body's hunger cycles in ways that will lower your disease risk and help control your weight, shows research from the University of Southern California. 
4. Eat more healthy fat
healthy fat greek yogurt
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS GRAMLY/GETTY IMAGES


There's a reason you keep hearing this advice. Not only is dietary fat extremely filling, but it also tends to turn off your body's fat-storage processes. Healthy sources include pistachios and other nuts, olive oil, avocado, and Greek yogurt. 
5. Munch fiber all day long
Because the body processes a fiber-rich meal slowly, it will stay in your gut longer and keep you feeling satisfied long after you've finished eating. One review recently published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association linked a high intake of fiber with lower body masses—as well as a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Leafy greens, fruit, and whole grains are all good sources of fiber. 
6. Include healthy protein at each meal
When researchers at Purdue University asked 46 dieting women to eat either 30% or 18% of their calories from protein, the high-protein eaters felt more satisfied and less hungry. Plus, over the course of 12 weeks, the women preserved more lean body mass, which includes calorie-burning muscle. Eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds, and Greek yogurt are all healthy protein sources.






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Tuesday, 5 July 2016

What Role Does Sugar And Salt Portray In A Healthy Diet

It is only natural to like sweets. Many people have become used to having something sweet daily as part of their standard food consumption. Yet too many sweets in the diet can lead to weight gain and health risks. The fact the sweets contain refined sugars add to the complications in the diet.
Refined sugars have negative health effects including hypoglycemia, arthritis, diabetes, headaches, suppression of the immune system, osteoporosis, and depression. It also is stored as fat within the body increasing the weight of the individuals that consume it.
Replace the sweets containing the refined sugar with natural sweets such as fruits. Using the natural sweets to satisfy the sweet cravings will lead to weight loss and better health. Add grains and beans to the fruits to increase the natural goodness of the fruit. The natural sugar in the fruits provides the right kind of energy as well as essential fibers and nutrients.
Avoid consuming sugary drinks such as tea, coffee, and sodas. The average person will drink at least two servings of the beverages a day with the drinks containing about 10 teaspoons of sugar in each drink. The artificial sweeteners, used in the beverages, have been shown to interfere with the body’s natural ability to function properly; so even this type of sweetener is not good for a person. Instead of consuming the sweetened beverages, drink natural fruit juices, or water with a squeeze of lemon added as the sweetener.
Salt or sodium is another bad ingredient many people have in their diets. The issues with salt are that many people, highly over use it daily. They do not realize that they consume over 2,300 mg per day of the highly dangerous additive. Most of the foods consumed contain added sodium with processed, packaged, fast food, and restaurant foods. Even the canned soups and frozen meals have added sodium.
Sodium leads to weight gain, heart disease, and health issues related to the added chemical in the body and bloodstream. Sodium makes people retain water leading to the bloating of the body. It also tends to make people feel thirsty constantly, so when even consuming fluids, often times their thirst is not quenched.
Salt is not bad when used in moderation. There are high quality sea salts that have up to 90 minerals that are healthy for the body. Use sea salt that is either reddish or brownish in color or even the non-colored salt for the best type of salt to add to the diet. These types of salts do not have additives, chemicals, and are not bleached.
Your body does require a certain amount of sodium and natural sweeteners, in order to function properly. You should reduce the extra amounts you consume, to create a healthier life style and body. It is also important for you check with you doctor, prior to making major changes to your diet, in order to determine if it could affect your overall health adversely.