Puasa cara bersih minda dan fizikal paling berkesan

Oleh: Suria Mohd

RAMAI penulis Barat telah menemuinya. Berjilid-jilid buku ditulis untuk merakamkan keberkesanannya ke atas manusia dari segi mental dan fizikal.

Faedahnya tidak terhingga hingga ramai orang Barat yang mengikutinya dengan tekun.

Apakah yang saya maksudkan?

Penemuan yang saya maksudkan adalah puasa, suatu sistem yang telah dipraktikakan beribu-ribu tahun dahulu hingga kini oleh umat Islam.

Malangnya terdapat banyak perbezaan antara puasa yang asli diajar Islam dan puasa budaya.

Puasa asli adalah satu sistem menyeluruh yang dapat membersihkan tubuh manusia, merehatkan sistem penghadaman, membuang toksin, memperbaharui kesihatan tubuh selain daripada memberi kesan spiritual yang mendalam.

Itulah sistem yang diajar Rasulullah dan apabila saya membuat kajian atas sains pemakanan di sebalik saranan Baginda, ia amat menakjubkan.

Puasa budaya adalah puasa ikut-ikutan di mana aspek pemakanan langsung tidak dihiraukan sekadar makan melayani tekak perut sahaja.

Sistem puasa sebenar: Kepentingan sahur

Sahur merupakan pemakanan pertama setelah kita bangun daripada tidur. Sewaktu tidur tubuh kita juga dalam keadaan puasa sementara dan untuk menggerakkan jentera tubuh setelah bangun ialah mengisinya dengan makanan.

Daripada situlah timbulnya istilah sarapan pagi iaitu makanan pertama dalam seharian untuk memecahkan puasa setelah bangun daripada tidur.

Banyak kajian membuktikan pentingnya sarapan pagi atau makanan pertama setelah kita bangun daripada tidur.

Pemikiran lebih tajam, daya tenaga dan produktiviti lebih tinggi dan lebih mudah untuk langsing. Orang yang tidak bersarapan akan mempunyai sistem metabolisme yang rendah.

Oleh itu, dalam waktu berpuasa amat penting kita makan sarapan yang dinamakan sahur.

Puasa tanpa sahur akan memudaratkan kerana tubuh menjadi lemah dan tidak berupaya meneruskan kerja harian dengan optimum.

Bukan sebarang sahur

Sahur yang tepat adalah sahur yang dapat menepati ciri-ciri berikut:

1. Mengenyangkan (tinggi serat)

2. Berzat lengkap dengan zat tenaga, protein, vitamin dan galian

3. Ringkas dan mudah dihadam

4. Mempunyai cecair

Contohnya sahur yang tepat adalah seperti berikut:

1. Oats bersama susu rendah lemak (mengenyangkan dan tinggi serat serta diperkaya zat protein)

2. Badam dikisar ditabur atas oats (kaya protein serta lemak)

3. Kurma di buang biji, dipotong-potong dan ditabur atas oats (berzat, kaya zat tenaga, vitamin dan galian)

4. Jus lobak merah dan epal (tanpa gula) cecair yang kaya dengan zat vitamin.

Contoh sahur yang tidak tepat:

1. Roti putih disapu jem atau kaya makan dengan air coklat yang dikacau dengan susu pekat manis.

2. Sahur dengan minum air teh atau air coklat dengan susu pekat manis.

3. Bahan gorengan, bahan yang diproses seperti burger dan hotdog.

Ini adalah contoh pemakanan kurang seimbang. Puasa adalah masa untuk membersihkan sistem fizikal.

Makanan proses tinggi dengan lemak tepu yang kurang baik, pengawet, pewarna serta garam yang tinggi akan mengotori tubuh kita kembali.

What is flax seed oil and what are the benefits?

Flax Seed Oil is a blue flowering plant that is grown on the Western Canadian Prairies for its oil rich seeds. This natural oil (also known as Linseed Oil) is highly recommended for the general well being and whole body nutrition and is considered to be nature's richest source of omega-3 fatty acids that are required for the health of almost all body systems.

Flax Seed Oil contains omega-6 and omega-9 essential fatty acids, B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fiber, protein, and zinc and also provides approximately 50% more omega-3 oils than what you could get from taking fish oil, minus that horrible "fishy" after taste. Sounded good to me already!

Should you add flax seed oil to your diet?

Some nutritionists, researchers, and scientists believe that it could be the most important health-promoting supplement next to a multi-vitamin. Nearly every system in the body can benefit from flax seed oil's natural properties, including the cardiovascular system, immune system, circulatory system, reproductive system, nervous system, as well as joints.

Just look at this list of facts and studies of what Flax Seed Oil can and may accomplish:

- Research shows low incidence of breast cancer and colon cancer in populations that have high amounts of lignan in their diet. Flax is 100 times richer in lignan than most whole grains.

- Studies show that Omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and prevent clots in arteries, which may result in strokes, heart attacks and thromboses.

- Helps protect the body against high blood pressure, inflammation, water retention, sticky platelets and lowered immune function.

- Shortens recovery time for fatigued muscles after exertion.

- Increases the body's production of energy and also increases stamina.

- Accelerates the healing of sprains and bruises.

- Eases weight loss in people afflicted with obesity.

- Stimulates brown fat cells and increases the metabolic rate making it easier to burn off fat.

- Improves the absorption of Calcium.

- Strengthens finger and toenails.

- Can improve eyesight and perception of colors.

- Can often improve the function of the liver.

- Can relieve the side effects and stop development of many forms of cancer.

- Can relieve some cases of Asthma.

- Helpful in the treatment of Eczema, Psoriasis, and Dandruff.

- Can relieve the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It can relieve the symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus.

- Can alleviate some allergies.

- Helps prevent Atherosclerosis (the accumulation of fatty deposits inside the blood vessels, especially the large and medium-sized arteries, that many people experience during the aging process).

- Lowers high blood pressure in Hypertension sufferers.

- Has been scientifically proven to treat some cases of depression.

- Can improve the mental function of many old age pensioners.

- Can help in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

- Has been proven to improve the behavior of Schizophrenics.

- Can relieve some cases of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in females.

- And more...!

Unfortunately, our current diets do not come close to meeting our daily EFA (essential fatty acids) requirements. The richest sources of EFAs such as flax seeds, cold-water fish, and soy and canola oils are rarely found in our regular meals. In addition, more typical foods like red meats and egg yolks can actually encourage the body's production of bad prostaglandins. Flax Seed oil can help restore the body's natural balance of good and bad prostaglandins.

How much do I take a day?

The recommended daily dose for most people is at least 1,000 mg taken one to three times daily. Even better is adding flax seeds into your diet in breads, muffins or on salads. Scientific studies have used up to 30 grams of flax seeds a day safely and without side effects.

What do I look for when buying Flax Seed Oil?

It's important to buy high-quality flax seed oil as it is prone to rancidity. Light and oxygen will slowly breakdown the essential fatty acids. Look for flax seed oil capsules (dark coated soft gels) or oil that is bottled in amber-brown bottles, as these are more resistant to the light and oxygen. Make sure you refrigerate your flax seed oil to help extend its shelf life.

Flax seed oil takes a bit of time to be absorbed into the body before the full beneficial effects begin, ranging anywhere from a few days to as many as six weeks, depending on your overall well-being.

Add Flax Seed to your diet and watch what it will do for you! If you're unsure about trying Flax Seed, contact your physician and ask for more inf

8 Proven Weight Loss Tips

Weight Loss Tip 1
Don't skip breakfast. Whatever you do follow this advice, because otherwise you are much more likely in fact prone to binge later in the day.

Weight Loss Tip 2
Don't eat anything for at least an hour before going to bed.

Weight Loss Tip 3
Don't snack while watching TV. It's acceptable to eat a meal while watching television, but never is snacking at this time acceptable.

Weight Loss Tip 4
Substitute fruits like; bananas, watermelon, plums, peaches, and oranges for sugary treats like; cookies and candy.

Weight Loss Tip 5
Substitute honey for sugar, and carob powder for chocolate in all recipes. These taste just as good if not better when used properly.

Weight Loss Tip 6
Eat more vegetables. This can even be enjoyable if you have a good cookbook like Good housekeeping's latest edition.

Weight Loss Tip 7
Avoid unnecessary high calorie foods. Instead of a high calorie salad dressing for instance try cottage cheese or yogurt to improve the salads taste and peel of the pounds.

Weight Loss Tip 8
Exercise at least a half hour each day for five days out of the week. Biking on a stationery bike while reading is a great form of exercise to slim legs.

Tips for improving your salad

1) Dress up your salad with a good mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and squeeze some lemon for that extra zing.

2) For a fruity salad, chop some apples, add walnuts, golden raisins and yoghurt

3) Sprinkle pine nuts onto your salad for that added crunch.

4) Add some goat’s cheese to your mixed greens, as well as macadamia nuts and sliced avocado for a creamy salad.

5) Throw in some fresh succulent prawns and chopped ripe mangoes for a tropical and seaside salad.

6) Go healthy with a bean salad – combine black beans, pinto beans, green peas and chickpeas and add orange juice, Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar.

7) Combine greens like arugula and lettuce, add pomegranate seeds, sliced oranges, grated lemon rind and a generous dose of olive oil.

8) Mint does wonders on a hot day and all you have to do is to throw in some chopped mint leaves

Juicing and Juice Fasting: 12 Practical Pointers

We all know that juicing and juice fasting using raw vegetables and fresh fruits is a way to provide our body with nutrition, energy, and health. Raw juices supply the body a substantial amount of vitamins, minerals and enzymes, and help maintain the PH level in our body. The phytochemicals in them also help to remove carcinogens from our body. The anti-aging properties in many vegetables, such as cucumber and carrots, help improve our skin, hair, and nails. During juice fasting, fresh juices also act as an appetite suppressant, and help curb cravings. As a result of juice fasting, many have experienced healing of various illnesses such as cancer, leukemia, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney disorders, skin infections, liver disorders, and alcoholism.

Some people prefer juicing only vegetables as they are low-calorie and helpful in stabilising blood sugar levels. Fruit juices have more sugar and about 50% more calories. For me, I juice regularly with celery as the primary vegetable and a smaller amount of fruits like orange and green apples to make my juice more appetising. For a good morning body detoxification, I also use a Japanese vegetable and fruit juice recipe consisting of bitter guard, Japanese cucumber/green marrow, celery, green apple, and green pepper.

I don’t know everything under the sun about juicing, fruits and vegetables like the nutritionists or raw foodists, but along the way, I have learnt some very practical and beneficial tips on juice fasting and juicing of certain fruits and vegetables:

1. Fresh juice is very perishable. It starts losing nutrients, including its enzymes, as soon as it is made. Drink it immediately to maximise its benefits in juice fasting. Most of us prefer icy cold juices, but juice is best consumed at room temperature.

2. If fridge storage cannot be avoided, reduce nutritional decline by storing juice in an airtight glass jar with a minimum amount of air in the jar (ie fill juice to the top of jar), as oxygen in the air will oxidize and damage the juice. Wrap the jar with aluminium foil to further block out light which can damage the juice.

3. Peel off the skins of oranges and grapefruits as they contain toxic substances. However, retain as much as possible the white, pithy part just below the skin, as it contains valuable bioflavonoid. For apples, remove the seeds as they contain small amounts of cyanide.

4. Juicing leafy greens becomes much easier if you roll the leaves into a little ball, before feeding it into the machine. Generally, darker green vegetables are more nutritious but less palatable. Cucumber can help disguise the strong flavours from leafy greens.

5. Wheatgrass is exceptionally helpful in cleansing the lymph system, removing toxic metals from the cells, nourishing the liver and kidneys, and restoring vitality.

6. Cabbage juice is a popular remedy for gastric ulcers and intestinal tract infections as it is a huge source of vitamin U.

7. Celery, cucumber, and watermelon are very palatable and extremely helpful in cases of water retention in the body.

8. Fresh ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that can relieve stomach irritations, nausea and motion sickness. It is also an excellent addition to give your juice a “punch”, if you can tolerate it.

9. Cranberries have an antioxidant content that’s five times more than broccoli. They are also full of phytonutrients which help women prevent urinary tract infections.

10. Fresh coconut not only adds a delightful exotic flavour but also carries the nutritional benefits of medium chain triglycerides.

11. Drink at least 2 litres of water per day even when you are juice fasting. You can also include herbal teas, home-made barley, red bean or green been soups. Use raw honey as a sweetener.

12. Reduce the amount of citrus fruit juices in the morning. Avoid them if acidic juices tend to cause stomach cramps for you. Melon or vegetable juices are best if you wish to drink in big amounts.

Source: Internet

6 Great Reasons Why We Need to Exercise

1. Helps Strengthen Your Heart
Aerobic exercises benefit the circulation of your blood through your heart and blood vessels, that is, your cardiovascular system. They make our heart work harder, pump more blood, and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. With each beat of your heart, a surge of blood is pumped into your body's intricate web of blood vessels. The pressure exerted on your artery walls as blood passes through helps keep the blood flowing smoothly (what you know as ‘blood pressure’). A build-up of plaques in your arteries, caused by cholesterol in your bloodstream can affect your blood flow and cause serious damage to your cardiovascular system.

A workout on a regular basis benefits your heart because it helps lower the build-up of plaques in arteries by increasing the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and decreasing the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood, while keeping the blood pressure at the optimal level. As a result, your heart is able to do a better job in delivering oxygen to all parts of your body. Blood travels more efficiently, bringing much-needed oxygen from your lungs and nutrients to the rest of the body. That’s why people generally feel more refreshed and energetic after exercising.

Want to consider some aerobic activities? Try swimming, basketball, rope skipping, jogging (or brisk walking), in-line skating, soccer, or biking.

2. Maintains Strong Bones and Muscles
I am sure most of us have tried doing push-ups, weight lifting in some form, or repeatedly used your muscles to counter some kind of resistance. These are called resistance exercises which the experts believe could strengthen our muscles; preserve bone mass, increase bone density. Regular resistance training can help prevent the bone-weakening disease, osteoporosis.

Walking and jogging are also important activities that bear your body's weight and help build strong muscles and bones. Other resistance workout include pull-ups, running, biking, and rowing.

3. Helps Manage Your Weight
This benefit is well-known to all who are weight conscious or trying to lose the extra pounds. Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day just to function. If you eat more calories than your body needs, it may be stored as excess fat. For instance, if you have an excess of 10kg fat, and each gram has some 9 calories, then you have 90000 calories for your body to use!

Exercising helps you achieve or maintain a healthy weight by stoking our metabolism, utilizing and burning the extra calories. And if you exercise, your body works harder and needs more fuel. Even after you stop exercising, your body continues to burn calories at a modestly increased rate for a few hours. The more intensely you workout, the more calories you burn. By burning more calories than you take in, you can reduce body fat, giving you a healthier body composition. Losing body fat can make you look and feel better and can reduce your risk of obesity.

4. Induces Quality Sleep at Night
Many people who have problems sleeping find doing moderate exercise at least three hours before bedtime help in relaxing and sleeping better at night. The recent Hibernation Diet Theory teaches that regular exercise could activate production of recovery hormones during sleep, increases our body’s metabolic rate and promotes fat-burning. It makes a powerful association between poor sleep and obesity, a disease that has been rising dramatically in developed countries and has reached epidemic levels in the United States. While most of us would associate poor weight control with aging, low metabolism rate, and poor eating habits, many other research studies have also reported and pointed to the relationship between insufficient sleep and weight gain.

So start today, get a good night's sleep, aim for eight hours a night if you can, and add resistance workouts will speed up your weight loss and the body will worker harder at night.

5. Puts You in a Better Mood
We all know that it definitely feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the activities you enjoy and be able to move your arms and legs freely without feeling tightness or pain. But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood.

Exercise combats depression by activating the neurotransmitters, which are basically chemicals used by our nerve cells to communicate with one another and often associated with avoiding depression. The balance of these neurotransmitters, namely serotonin and norepinephrine plays a role in how we respond to daily events. When experiencing stress, our level of serotonin, norepinephrine or both may be out of equilibrium. Workouts may help synchronize those brain chemicals.

Exercising also stimulates the production of endorphins, another type of neurotransmitters that produce feelings of well-being, provide for "natural" pain relief, and help you relax.

Sounds good? If you just had a tough day at work and need to let off some steam, go for a workout or a brisk 30-minute walk to calm yourself down.

Well, if you have not any form of physical training for a long while and find it a pain to do so, I suggest that you start doing it 2 times a week and slowly increasing to 3 and then 5 times or more a week. You can do 10 or 15 minutes bouts of workout each time to make up a 30 minutes session a day.

6. Inspires Your Lymphatic System to Work Better
Now, this is a relatively new knowledge for me and thus has become my latest edition to this page (which was previously known as "5 Great Reasons Why We Need to Exercise"). While the above reasons have given us enough incentive to workout, there is yet another reason which I never knew before, the extremely essential lymphatic system. It is a vital network of vessels and nodes responsible for regulating fluids, distributing proteins and filtering out poisons in the fluid between the cells. It is a protector and a defence system against infection, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and disease. The three most important methods of lymphatic circulation are external massage, muscle expansion and contraction, and intense exercise. This means the more you move, the livelier it becomes. When the lymph is not overloaded, our health is maintained with nature’s own detox design. But if the lymph is running sluggish and there is too much waste, a blockage in the lymphatic system happens, leading to symptoms like chronic fatigue, water retention, allergies, eczema, arthritis, and infections. For a more detailed account on this topic, read "Exercise Inspires Your Lymphatic System to Work Better".

Source: Internet

10 Stupidest Ways to Make Your Metabolism Sluggish

Most obese people have a trouble with metabolism. I am not sure how many of them actually know at which point in time they start to make the wrong choices in their diet and lifestyle and how they get messed up in the kind of health issues they face today.

Well, here are 10 things we should strive not to do, if we are serious about keeping ourselves in the pink of health, or if we know the importance of keeping up our metabolism, which is basically about how our body uses the food we eat, by bringing about chemical reactions in the body to convert the food into energy.

1. No time and appetite for breakfast!
It’s popularly believed that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, for one reason or another, many of us still have the habit of skipping breakfast. Many dieticians believe that people who eat breakfast are more successful in losing weight. And studies have found there is for both adults and children a correlation between eating breakfast and learning ability, attention span, and general well-being. Eating a good breakfast fuels the body and sets the tone right for the rest of the day; it jumpstarts our metabolic activities and bring the body into a calorie-burning mode to burn the most calories possible. Furthermore, skipping breakfast increases the likelihood of bingeing on whatever food is available when those hunger pangs finally hit during lunch time. So, have a healthy combo of carbohydrates, protein and fat for breakfast, but dodge all the sugar coated donuts, croissants and cereals.

2. Pursue crash diets, and starve yourself!
Our body is smarter than many of us actually realise. We humans are designed with a survival mechanism, such that when we starve ourselves by skipping meals or going on a crash diet, our body metabolism automatically drop to conserve energy and becomes more efficient in storing what we eat as fat. And for those who have gone on very brief fasts or dieting plans, you probably know that the initial weight loss is basically water and muscle tissue and not fat. A popular tip is: Eat three nutritious meals in smaller portions and eat healthy snacks in between the meals. It’s theorised that by eating more meals with smaller portions you will not feel as hungry or deprived in between meals. This prevents our body from going on 'starvation mode' and trying to hold on to calories. Having frequent meals keep your body from storing as many calories as it senses a steady supply of food.

3. Stop all forms of exercise!
One of the best ways to slow down your metabolism is to put away all exercise programs, avoid walking, spent time watching TV, and do couch-slouching the whole day. The more sedentary you are, the more body fat you will carry. 60-65% of calories we eat are used to support our bodily functions and keep us alive, 10% is used in processing and digesting food, and a significant 25% goes to support our physical activities. You can learn how to stoke your metabolism by exercising, increasing the amount and intensity of your physical activities, getting aquainted with resistance exercises such as swimming and cycling, and using up stored fat in the process. This will not only normalizes sleep and metabolism, it also increases working capacity, vitality, and rises mood.

4. Come on, only bodybuilders and weight trainers need to build muscles!
I am not taking about building six-pack abs. But if you think the topic of muscle building is only relevant to professional bodybuilders, you have got it all wrong. Muscles are ‘metabolically active’; they burn more calories than other body tissue and increase our ability to burn fat more efficiently. Exercises like weight-lifting can raise our heart rate and boost our resting metabolic rate for hours as muscles burn to calories to recover and repair. Remember, if you don’t use your muscles, your body gets rid of them.

5. Who fancy eating vegetables and fruits!
High-fibre carbohydrates like beans, fruit, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and whole grains gives your thermic metabolism a boost. They take longer to digest, and therefore help burn more calories compared to simple carbohydrates. Fibre also prolongs the feeling of satiety. Hence, to satisfy your hunger with fewer calories, eat more high fibre carbohydrates.

6. Eat as much processed foods as possible!
Processed foods such as flour no longer require the body to extract the fibre and nutrients, and to break down into tiny units for absorption into the blood. The body digests them quickly, burning fewer calories in the process as a result. Also, processed foods like sausages and ham are often outrageously high in fat and salt content. The natural enzymes produced by our bodies to help metabolize foods are outnumbered by the amount of processed foods that we out into our system, the result is a slow metabolism and consequently, weight gain.

7. Glorious high-fat diet!
You have to know these two facts: 1) Fat is the most concentrated (energy-dense) source of calories (nine calories per gram of fat compared with four calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates) and 2) Fat is a lot more difficult for your body to break down than carbohydrates or protein. By following a high-fat diet, you are forcing the body to slow down and burn fewer calories, and putting yourself at many health risks such as heart diseases, diabetes.

8. Deprive yourself of sleep
We are well aware that sleep restores, rejuvenates and energizes our body and mind. Lack of sleep retards our body ability to perform metabolic functions such as breaking down carbohydrates and producing hormones. The power of quality sleep can perhaps be very well described in the Hibernation Theory which argues convincingly for the proper fuelling of the liver through diet to achieve optimal repair of the body system during sleep, and has taken this world by surprise in a making a powerful connection between poor sleep and obesity.

9. Stress yourself out!
Our body releases a chemical called cortisol when we experience stress. This constitutes a hormonal signal to the fat cells in the abdomen to store as much fat as possible, leading to weight gain over the long run. The metabolic imbalance created by stress explains why some people tend to indulge in food excessively when they are under stress as their appetite increases, while others find it so hard to achieve a breakthrough in their dieting program.

10. Hate drinking water!
Dehydration can contribute to an efficient metabolism by affecting our body temperature. When dehydrated, our body temperature drops slightly, causing the body to store fat as a way to help raise or maintain our temperature. Even mild dehydration will slow down your metabolism, speed up aging, reduce resistance to disease, and reduce muscle recovery after exercise. To avoid this metabolic pitfall, have lots of fluid throughout the day. Green tea, a beverage brimming with antioxidants, is an excellent metabolic stimulant. Its extract is commonly used as an ingredient in many digestion and weight loss pills. Lastly, never indulge in drinking artificially-sweetened drinks and caffeinated, carbonated soft drinks, which contain an unbelievable amount of refined sugar that disposes the consumer to great health disasters, including the metabolism disorder of carbohydrates, namely, diabetes.

Source: Internet

Know How to Count Calorie?

In my attempt to count calorie in food, I was confused by the units - calories and kilocalories. I came across food labels that told me you that a small 30g serving of cereal gave me 300kcal, and this kept me wondering if this was the same as 300cal since we all knew that an average adult required about 2000 calories of intake. And if “kilo” equates to the amount of “1000” units and 300kcal actually meant 300 000 calories, then 30g of cereal would be sufficient to sustain many days of activities! How logical is that? Surely, there is more than it meets the eye...

I did a bit of research to demystify the kcal and calories and realised this:

Scientifically, 1 kilocalorie=1000 calories=1 kcal= the energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1kg of water by 1°C. 1 Calorie is equivalent to 1 kilocalorie; the capital C in Calories denotes kcal. However, in dietary nutrition context, while values are given for the number in kilocalories in a food, they are usually simply referred to as calories. As a result, this creates much confusion over the term calories. On food labels, calories and kilocalories are used interchangeably to mean the same thing. In other words, it is just as normal and acceptable for people to use the small "c" instead of big "C" and say “1 gram of fat gives us 9 calories” in the nutrition world as “1 gram of fat gives us 9 kilocalories or 9000 calories” in the physical science world. (In some instances, you might have also seen food packaging displaying kJ values, which is kilojoule. 1 kilojoule = 4.2 kilocalories.)

Source: Internet

Using a Calorie Counter to Lose Weight

Nutrition Facts

To count your calories, you need to know the following basic nutrition facts:

1 gram of fat = approx. 9 calories

1 gram of protein = approx. 4 calories

1 gram of carbohydrates = approx. 4 calories

4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar

Kcal and Calories Demystified

Have you ever wondered why a 30g serving of cereal contains 300kcal, as stated in its food packaging? Does it mean 300 000 calories? But how can it be? Read "Know How to Count Calorie?"

Source: Internet

Honey and Lemon: Weight Loss Diet Tip

Going on a honey and lemon diet can help relieve you of your weight problem. Obesity is the physical condition of the body when excessive deposition of fat takes place in the tissues, putting a strain on the heart, kidneys, liver and the joints such as the hips, knees and ankles and thus, overweight people are susceptible to several diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, liver and gall bladder disorders.

Honey is an excellent natural home remedy for obesity and lowering of cholesterol levels. It mobilizes the extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy for normal functions. Fasting on honey and lemon-juice, an alkaline food, is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite.

For this natural cure , mix one teaspoon of raw honey (unheated) with the juice of two teaspoons of lime or lemon juice in a glass of room temperature or lukewarm water (not boiling water!). Take this remedy once in the morning on a empty stomach. Commonly taken after a big and oily meal, this simple delicious tonic is an effective digestive and detox tonic. And of course, in every successful weight loss program, do bear in mind that principles such as forming healthy eating habits and diets, and keeping to a regular exercise regime over the long run are extremely important as well.

Source: Internet

Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Remedy

The health benefits of the apple cider vinegar and honey drink are widely known. This recipe has traditionally been used as an at-home self remedy for many ailments, and even an anti-aging elixir. Many people have smartly made use of its cleansing and disinfecting properties to self-detoxify their body. It is seen as a powerful cleansing agent and natural healing elixir with naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs and bacteria.

Alkaline-Forming Diet
So, how does this vinegar and honey remedy actually work? A person's bloodstream tends toward becoming acidic with our modern diet of fats, starches and processed foods, (e.g fast foods, meats, peanuts, seafoods, alcohol and coffee) and if your body is acidic, disease can flourish; if it is alkaline, it is in balance and can fight off germs and ailments such as bladder and kidney conditions, osteoporosis, brittle bones, joint pains, aching muscles, low energy and chronic fatigue, and slow digestion. Raw fruits, leafy green vegetables, legumes, and tea are examples of alkaline forming foods. Interestingly and ironically, a food's acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For instance, lemons and limes are very acidic, however the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are very alkaline so lemons and limes are alkaline-forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves very acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is very acid-forming. It is important to know that stomach acid or the pH of the stomach is an entirely different matter from the pH of the body's fluids and tissues. The body has an acid-alkaline (or acid-base) ratio called the pH which is a balance between positively charges ions (acid-forming) and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming). When this balance is compromised many problems can occur. The body is forced to borrow minerals—including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium from vital organs and bones to neutralize the acid and safely remove it from the body. And severe damage can be done to the body due to high acidity. Ideally, for most people, the ideal diet is 75 percent alkalizing and 25 percent acidifying foods by volume. Allergic reactions and other forms of stress also tend to produce excessive acids in the body.

The alkalinity of apple cider vinegar can correct excess acidity in our system and help prevent and fight infection. Honey added to the vinegar naturally makes the mixture more drinkable for people. And the good news is that unprocessed raw honey has been classfified as an alkaline-forming food. (Processed honey is only little acidifying and artifical sweetener is very acidifying). When you first drink the apple cider vinegar formula, it might taste horrible to you, but as your body becomes less acidic and more alkaline, it would begin to taste good. The ailments that could be cured by this apple cider vinegar and honey treatment include:

1. Premature aging
2. Obesity
3. Food poisoning
4. Heat exhaustion
5. Heartburn
6. Brittle nails
7. Bad breath
8. Arthritis
9. High blood pressure
10. High cholesterol level

Try this healthy and refreshing vinegar and honey drink! Essentially, to prepare:

* Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a tablespoon of raw honey. (Apple cider vinegar is actually made from fresh, organic, crushed apples that are allowed to mature naturally in wooden barrels, but you can get it easily from the grocery shops or supermarkets.)

* Dissolve in a glass of chilled water.

* Take it twice daily.

Note: For this vinegar and honey remedy, do not get commercial distilled vinegars as they do not contain the same health values of organic, raw apple cider vinegar. The powerful enzymes and minerals like potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, sulphur, iron copper, fluorine, silicon, pectin and natural malic and tartaric acids, which are important in fighting body toxins and inhibiting bacteria growth, are all destroyed during the distilling process.

Source: Internet

How to kick-start a weight loss diet!

Tips:-

1) Reduce the size of your meals by eating smaller but more frequent meals instead of three large meals, and avoid snacking in between. Pay attention to your portion sizes for each meal. Eat about one cup of complex carbohydrates or starches, such as potatoes, rice, and breads, but look for whole-meal varieties, not the over refined white stuff, the best is to be able to bake your own fresh breads (they last for only about two days, but are worth going for - free of preservatives and full of vitamins!.

2) For protein, take a small palm size of lean meat for each meal and keep it to just 3 or 4 times a week. Substitute fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids instead of meats high in saturated fat like hamburger. Take fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. In your weight loss diet, avoid saturated fat, trans fat and high cholesterol foods by replacing them with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as canola oil, olive oil or liquid margarine. Animal fats are saturated fats that get stored in layers of fatty tissues, our body doesn’t need them. Egg is rich in protein but take just two or three times a week as too much of it can raise cholesterol and is not good for any weight loss dieting program

3) And of course, for each meal, establish an anti-aging, health-promoting alkaline diet consisting of a fist-full of raw fruits and vegetables to give your stomach a sufficient dose of antioxidant and that "full" feeling it craves. Take fresh fruit and not those you find in convenient cans, and don't overcook your vegetables.

4) Grab a healthy snack for the road, and always have fruit, carrot sticks, or another healthy snack handy which you can use to fend off the urge for quick, high-fat food such as chocolate chip cookies, ice-creams, and sugar-filled rolls. Keep a stock of healthy snacks around your house and workplace such as seeds, dried fruit, and wholemeal crisp bread. Try to cut down on chips and takeaways as far as possible.

5) Avoid using white sugar in your daily foods such as tea, coffee, bread and toasts and replace it with natural sweetener, honey. A glass of honey water or tea helps to fill your stomach, hold cravings at bay, and is as good. Don’t rely on artificial sweeeteners for weight loss and to cut calories. They are worse than table sugar! These sweeteners not only give us an acidic waste removal problem and throw off our pH balance and but also introduce toxins and damage our body in serious and irrepairable way.

6) Keep bottled water within reach at all time and take a swig whenever feel hungry. Water is an important nutrient which is vital for a variety of bodily functions and processes including removal of waste products, carrying nutrients, and regulating body temperature. It helps reduce fluid retention, and keep bowel functions normal. Drink plenty of water - at least eight cups of water or fresh juices each day and put away coffee, alcohol, and sodas. A can of coke contains almost 10 teaspoons of sugar or the entire daily recommended amount of calories from sugar, and takes 32 glasses of water to neutralize the phosphoric acid (which weakens our bones) from your body.

Start today, gradually work to improve your good eating habits and replace bad ones, and you are on the way to achieving fitness!

Besides committing to a weight loss diet, slowly establish a start an exercise regimen. You don’t have to be an athlete to stay fit. Health and fitness experts believe that 30 minutes of moderately intensive activity, like fast walking at least three days a week, will gradually improve our fitness level. A higher fitness level will benefit you physically several ways. You will have more energy, a higher metabolism, more lean muscle and less fat. You will have more strength and energy all day. And of course, very importantly, there is cosmetic benefit of a healthy weight; you'll feel better about yourself and your appearance. An improved self-image and self-esteem give you more confidence in social settings. Begin with manageable goals, track your progress, and find creative means and ways to cheer and motivate yourself to press on each day.

Source: Internet