Nutrition - How to lose weight Tip #1

Weight loss takes time but following simple rules can keep you on the right track and start to show you results within a few weeks.

Start off by tracking everything you eat. Every drop of juice that enters our body, to every tiny morsel of food you eat. Anything you put in your mouth, you should be adding to your food journal. This allows to see exactly what you are eating and what you can eliminate. Writing down what you eat can help you control your portions, which is a significant part of losing weight. This will allow you to see the mistakes you are making. Normally we think to ourselves and say all I ate today was a bowl of cereal and a sandwich when in reality we also had a small piece of a cookie, a small piece of some left over cheddar cheese, and the crumbs in the potato chip bag before throwing it out. All these extra items add up and sit on our bodies as fat, and we don't even remember where it came from!

Written by: Sadia Khan
Picture Source: Creative Commons 

Ways to cut calories every day for a healthy lifestyle.

In order to lose weight all you need to do is cut 150 calories from your diet and add 2500 more steps into your day, or burn 150 calories extra while doing a physical activity. You can cut calories from your diet by following these easy steps:

1) Switch to skim milk

2) Use small plates, bowls and glasses in order to control your portion size.

3) Substitute bagels, muffins and rolls for fresh fruit and oatmeal at breakfast.

4) Switch to non fat yogurt

5) Use nonstick cooking utensils to avoid using extra oil and fat

6) Use more vegetables in your omelette and decrease the amount of cheese

7) Increase the number of egg white in the omelette and you wont even notice the difference

8) Switch to whole wheat bread

9) Use fat free mayo in your sandwiches

10) Leave 4-5 bites on your plate

11) Trim all the fat from the meat before cooking

12) Eat 4 ounce portion of meat per meal

13) Eat salad without croutons

14) Eat slow and enjoy the food

15) Don't go for second helpings

16) Drink water before each meal

17) Share your dessert with someone, you will automatically end up eating less

18) Follow the low fat recipes on the cake, brownie and cookie mix boxes

19) Replace juice with water

20) Replace juice with fresh fruits

21) Drink 100% fruit juices without added sugar

22) If you feel hungry in between meals eat an apple, if you're not hungry for apple then you aren't really hungry

23) Choose broth based soups over cream based soups

24) Stop eating when you're almost full, it takes the mind some time to realize that your stomach is full

25) When you get a craving in between meals chew gum it will fool your brain into thinking that you are eating.

Written by: Sadia Khan
Picture Source: Creative Commons

Why you should be drinking more water

Water is very important to the human body and its health. It is a major component of food and nutrition. Since a majority of the human body is composed of water, it only makes sense that we need to replenish that water daily in order to be healthy. Not enough water in the body can keep the body and its complex system from working properly. Water is required by many systems in the body in order to function. Here are a few examples:

• Blood is composed of water and carries oxygen to the millions of cells in our body.
• Lymph fluid is composed of water, required by the immune system to fight illness.
• Water is required by the digestive system in order to properly digest food.
• Water is required to get rid of the body's toxins via urine, feces and sweat.
• Water plays a very important role in weight loss.

If you want to lose weight start by drinking 8 glasses of water a day. If you are not drinking enough water your body starts to store any water that enters your body through food or juices. All this collection of water remains in your body and adds to your weight causing you to gain 10-15 pounds. In order to lose this water weight you need to start drinking 8 glasses of water regularly so that your body knows that you have enough water entering your body and it no longer needs to store water anymore. You will instantly notice a change in your weight. Start off your day in the morning by drinking one glass on an empty stomach. Drink one glass before each meal, which allows your stomach to fill up on water and prevents you from over eating. Whenever you feel hungry get up and drink a glass of water, then wait 5 minutes. If you are still hungry then go ahead and eat your meal or snack but most times what we think is hunger, turns out to be thirst. There are two signs that you are not drinking enough water. One is if your urine is a bright yellow colour, and the other sign is that your tongue feels dry. Start drinking more water today and instantly you will feel and see the difference in your hair, nails, skin, and the rest of your body. Why are you still sitting there, get up now and drink a glass of water. You have no excuse not to!

Written by: Sadia Khan
Picture Source: Creative Commons