As the focus of most weight loss foods and meal plans is to reduce calorie intake while speeding up your metabolism, how about choosing metabolic cooking so that your food is ready to burn fat? A lot has been said and written about various fat loss diet plans and programs, but metabolic cooking is often not considered.
What is metabolic cooking?
In the process of weight loss planning and starting the latest fad diet plan, we simply ignore the fact that some of the most effective fat loss meals can be prepared at home. By using very common ingredients that are readily available in every kitchen, we can make tasty and healthy food. That is what metabolic cooking is all about. However, it requires knowledge of proper recipes and willingness to spend some time in learning this art so that you get the same or even better taste while enjoying the health benefits of fat loss cooking.
Why your diet plan is not effective
It is one thing to understand that an effective diet plan will reduce your weight and quite another to follow the plan to actually achieve the desired result. You will find many who could beat an expert dietitian on various aspects of eating right and how it can be combined with an exercise plan. However, when it comes to following the same formula to reduce their own weight, they simply fall flat on their face and make several excuses like lack of time, too much work pressure etc.
A cookbook you can rely on
Metabolic cooking is an effective attempt to bridge this gap. There are many fat loss cookbooks and recipes already available on the market. Still, there seems to be something seriously wrong with them as they don’t work the way they should or promise. In fact, many people start gaining fat and developing many other health issues after giving fat loss recipes a try. Why does it happen?
Why Fat Loss Cookbooks Fail to Deliver
They often recommend ingredients and techniques that are either unavailable or are very expensive
They are not structured and organized so that the users can prepare their meal easily. Obviously you don’t have the whole day to cook special foods for burning fat. You’ll rather take the easy and fast alternative so that your daily routine is not disrupted.
They are repetitive without encouraging you to be innovative. This results in you getting bored of your diet very soon and switching back to your regular cooking formulas.
About the Authors of Metabolic Cooking
A lot of effort, research and experimentation have gone into putting together metabolic cooking recipes. The author, Karine Losier has a strong passion for food, fitness, and culinary adventures. She is also known as the “Lean Kitchen Queen”. She challenges the most common techniques and looks for healthier alternatives without compromising on taste and quality of the food. She shares her life with Dave Ruel who is one of the most respected fitness cooks in North America. Dave Ruel and Karine Losier have been featured on many TV shows, radio programs, internet and magazines such as Men’s Health, Fit & Firm Females, CBC Radio Canada, BodyBuilding.com etc.
Does Metabolic Cooking Really Work?
Yes it works, because all of these recipes have been designed with high metabolic thermo-charged ingredients.
It is essentially a complete meal management system. It uses Metabolic Nutri System instead of complicated calorie counting that most weight loss aspirants don’t like. As the author holds a master’s degree in psychology, she is fully aware of all the psychological struggles that health and weight loss aspirants face. Calorie counting often drives your stress level through the roof. It actually turns out to be counterproductive as far as fat loss is concerned.
It fights Metabolic Adaptation Phenomenon, which simply means that it does not let your body get accustomed to a certain type of food every day. Once your body adapts to a certain type of food or diet plant, it slows down your metabolism and your whole fat burning plan comes to screeching halt. Metabolic Cooking encourages experiments so that your nutrient intakes vary frequently.
These recipes can be easily mixed and matched. And yes, they are super easy and fast to prepare using everyday food items and ingredients available in our kitchen.
User Testimonial
“I think most fitness professionals would agree that nutrition is the key to getting the body you want. Losing fat and gaining muscle certainly have a lot to do with training, but, as they say–abs are made in the kitchen.
Understanding that is the easy part–applying is much harder. There’s a difference between knowing what to do and figuring out how to do it; calorie formulas and macro-nutrient breakdowns are all well and good, but there is a huge gap between the basic idea of what to eat and actually putting it on the plate.”
Metabolic Cooking bridges that gap
A book that teaches you how to lose fat is pretty cool. One that teaches you how to eat, how to prepare it, and even how to look critically at everything else is unreal. Metabolic Cooking is unreal, because it’s just that good: what to eat, how to make it, and how to make it TASTE GOOD.
Awesome.”
-John Romaniello
NYC’s Top Celebrity Trainer
The Package Includes
More than 250 Fat Torching Recipes
A Built-In Nutritional System
Thinks you must know about Fat Burning Foods
Cooking and Nutrition Rules
Personalized Fat Loss Meal Plan
How to Manage Your Kitchen, Meal Plan and Budget
List of Resources
And Much more…
You will get restaurant grade fat burning meals at a fraction of the cost. The prices of this package is affordable for everyone. What’s more, you also get an iron clad, no question asked 60-day money back guarantee. You have full 8 weeks to evaluate this amazing Metabolic Cooking system. If you are not satisfied or are not getting the expected results, you will get a full refund. It is a complete win-win situation if you are really looking for a diet plan to burn your fat and say good bye to your weight related issues. Thousands of people have benefited from the set of 9 fat-loss cookbooks and guides. You can be the next one to write your weight loss success story. Check if you are eligible for today’s discount offer. Make sure that you go through the terms and conditions at the merchant’s site before ordering.
Do you drink black tea or green tea? Let’s talk about green tea effects. Well, tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and there are various types of teas preferred by people in different parts of the world. Whether you drink green tea or any other type of tea for weight loss, you cannot afford to ignore the following points.
Red Tea
Is green tea really good for fast weight loss?
Until a few years back, green tea was considered good for fat burning because of its ability to suppress hunger to some extent. However, a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 confirmed that green tea extract was not as effective for fat loss as it was advertised to be, by the media. It did not affect the resting metabolic rate of 12 normal-weight men.
green tea
Another research also confirmed that obese and overweight people, who consumed green tea regularly, did not notice any significant reduction in their weight only due to green tea. Also, it did not help them keep their weight off.
Is black or green tea bad for you? Fact 1
Usually, you add sugar to green or black tea, which means extra calories. Those who take tea regularly, often consume up to 300 extra calories every day from sugar alone. It goes without saying that consumption of this many calories will slow down your fat burning rate, if you are burning fat at all.
Real black or green tea effect-Fact 2
Black tea is essentially burnt green tea, which means it contains a lot of caffeine. Though some amount of caffeine is good for mental alertness and quick energy, it may increase heart palpitations, cause nausea and even jittery feelings in many obese people. Even decaffeinated tea is not recommended because de-caffeination robs tea of its many nutrients.
Black or green tea effects- Fact 3
Adding milk to black tea is very common in many parts of the world. Milk in tea slows down the rate of absorption of many nutrients, anti-oxidants and polyphenols. If you believe that skimmed milk is better than whole milk, then you must read new research findings and results. Skimmed milk is more effective in slowing down the absorption of nutrients than whole milk.
Voodoo tea or Red Tea offers the solution
Hormone Noradrenaline causes the action of the shrinking of fat cells. This hormone prompts your body to burn fat for energy. If Noradrenaline production is increased, you start burning fat naturally as your mind start playing a role in your fat burning efforts.
If you have been following traditional weight loss techniques and programs for years without getting any result, then give yourself a break. Now is the time to think and act differently if you are really looking for different results. That is exactly what Red Tea Detox program promises to deliver. As I have mentioned in my previous posts that your mind plays an important role in your fat loss program, I must say that Red Tea also works somewhat at your mental level to give your fitness goal the boost you really need.
Red Tea
Coming straight to the point, let’s talk about Red Tea, which has some remarkable fat-flushing properties not found in any other types of teas. It works in harmony with your brain and fat cells so that unwanted fat is burnt naturally without you having to put in any extra effort. Of course, you can see faster results if you incorporate exercise and physical activities into your weight loss program.
Red tea health benefits
Losing belly fat becomes quiet easy
Harmful toxins are flushed out of your body effortlessly
It eliminates soda addiction, which is a big plus
You sweat less and breathe easily
You never feel hungry if you drink red tea
Your sleep pattern and quality improves, and you wake up fully refreshed
Reduces stress remarkably and improves heart health
Boosts your energy without relying on caffeine
The list goes on. If losing weight is on your mind, then Red Tea is worth trying. Not only will you lose weight effortlessly, you’ll also get the usual boost and refreshing feeling that you enjoy by consuming your regular tea.
How is Red Tea different from other tea-based weight loss formulas?
Eat more, burn more fat
This is not a typo. That is what Red Tea Detox offers and relies on. According to the author, weight loss is not about deprivation, it is about detoxing your body first, which triggers your natural fat burning mechanism. Your body’s physiology is dependent on a perfect balance of hormonal levels, nutritional intakes, sound sleep patterns, low-stress and many other factors. Once all of these factors are taken care of, you gain your natural shape, and burning fat becomes a natural process, not a forced one. So you can eat as much as you want, but your body will absorb only what is required for your perfect health. The rest will be flushed out.
Less stress, more weight loss
Many people are not aware that stress plays a significant role in making you fat. If your stress level is low, you tend to deposit less fat. Its opposite is also true. If you are highly stressed, you will gain and deposit more fat. Regular consumption of red tea helps you keep your stress at low level, which results in perfect health and overall happiness.
Flush out toxins, make weight loss process faster and easier
Processed food contain a lot of toxins that accumulate in your body secretly, and become visible in the form of obesity. By the time you realize that you are obese, toxins have already made your metabolism slow making your weight loss program even more difficult. However, getting rid of toxins is not as difficult as you think. The sooner you start the better. Red Tea promises to flush out toxins gently and boosts your energy levels remarkably.
Hormonal rebalancing is the key to your weight loss success
No matter how much you try to burn fat by using traditional dieting or exercise programs, you won’t see the desired result unless you re-balance your hormonal secretions first. Fat cell shrinking hormone, Noradrenaline can be regulated by Red Tea consumption. There is clinical evidence that proves how this hormone can impact your weight loss program.
Exercise smarter not harder
Unleash your body’s full fat burning potential by exercising smarter than you normally do or what traditional methods recommend. Red Tea Detox program targets areas of stubborn fat such as belly and thigh. The program offers you effective exercise program that works in tandem with red tea detoxification inside your body. The combined effect is remarkable and noticeable within a few weeks.
However, the important thing is to choose the right type of Rea Tea, which has been tried and tested by many weight loss aspirants. Visit their testimonial page for reviews and more information before you click the buy button.
This post contains affiliate links. Please visit our disclaimer page for details.
Noom Diet
Have you tried various weight loss plans and programs that not only over-promise and under-deliver, but also backfire sometimes? Then,
here is the latest weight loss program for those looking to lose weight in 2019. If you have heard that Noom diet is targeted only for millennials,then you are far from the truth. Here is why Noom diet is not just for millennials.
When you book a taxi, flight, hotel room or just order something online, you prefer using an app on your mobile device than trying to login to your desktop account, don’t you? Well, for those who are not familiar with the word millennial, I’d quickly tell you who millennials are. Those born in late 1980’s or early 1990’s, which means they graduated by the year 2000 and are now 35-40 year old, are referred to as millennials. This generation uses mobile devices and is dependent on mobile apps for various tasks.
Keeping that in mind, Noom diet is an app based program to help mobile users take advantage of their mobility and access to the internet for weight loss. This makes the task easier, natural and in line with their daily routine. Highly practical isn’t it? No matter what your age, you can use this system if you can use the app, so it is not just for millennials, as is commonly misunderstood. Anyone who can use the app, can benefit from Noom program.
Noom Reviews 2019
Designed by behavioural psychologists, Noom diet plan targets your brain and works at psychological level to help you think in line with what is good for your weight loss and overall fitness. In fact, it will not be an exaggeration to say that it tricks your mind into making behavioural changes in your eating habits and patterns. As you start believing that healthy eating habits are good for you, chances of relapsing into your unhealthy habits is highly unlikely. Another good thing about Noom Diet is that this change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes its own time, and make you develop those habits that keep you healthy, slim and fit in
the long run.
As the app remains with you always, you can track your blood pressure, blood sugar and various other factors that must be monitored and controlled to achieve the desired result. You cannot make an excuse that you are running short of time or cannot spare time for exercise or cannot cut your calorie intake, as your real-time data is with you. You will use mobile phone anyway, so you can check your daily progress as well. It makes your fitness goal more practical and achievable than many traditional
methods and programmes.
Why Noom Diet Works
Unlike many other one-size-fits-all types of plans, Noom diet plan takes you as a unique person with unique eating habits and lifestyle, which is true. You need to answer a few questions based on your eating habits, current health conditions and medication, if any. The app checks your current caloric and other nutrient needs, and comes up with a unique diet plan, keeping in mind your exact requirements and fat loss goal.
4 facts about Noom or Millennial Diet
It focuses on behavioural change
Uses cutting-edge technology
Personalized coaching for your unique health needs
Unique color code based food lists to make the task practical and easy
In-app pedometer
Easy-to-follow food habits
The app calculates how much protein, carb and fat you need, and what types of food can offer you that keeping your taste buds satisfied. You need to log in what you eat during the day, and how much more you can eat. Though some changes in your eating habits must be made, they are not necessarily difficult to follow. In fact, they are much easier than what most other programs offer or recommend.
In-App Pedometer
You don’t need an additional pedometer to track and count your steps. Noom diet app offers a pedometer in the app itself. All you need to do is keep yourself motivated and energized to walk whenever you can during the program. The results will be noticeable within a few months. As per reports and user feedback, more than 70% of them achieved their fitness goals in 6-9 months by using this program.
Noom Diet Plan Cost
Such an effective and easy-to-use system doesn’t come cheap, does it? The same is true about Noom diet plan cost. However, at $49.50 a month, you develop habits that will guarantee great health and fitness for years. Every penny you spend on this plan is worth it if you are motivated enough to follow the program. I must say that if you simply buy the app and don’t use it, then you cannot wait for any miracle to happen. You must follow the system and stick to this relatively easy diet plan.
Hidden Power of Colour Based Noom Foods- Here is the List
Based on the analysis and volumetrics and calorie-density, Noom food list has been divided into three categories; green, yellow and red.
As you guessed it, green foods are those with highest concentration on nutrients, but with low calorie value. These are highly recommended for any Noom Dieter. In fact, this type of food is highly nutritious for anyone whether on this diet or not. Here is the list of Green Noom Foods
Cherries and berries
Apple, orange and watermelon
Tomato and cucumber
Green salad
Spinach, broccoli
Green Noom Food
Non-fat yogurt
Egg whites
Brown rice
Sweet potato
Whole grains
Oatmeal
Tofu
Corn
Sprouts
These food items are highly fulfilling and you can eat them freely without worrying too much about your caloric intake.
Noom Yellow Food List
Chicken
Noom Yellow Food
Turkey
Tuna
Cottage cheese
White rice
Beer
Eggs
Salmon
White bread and pasta
Diet soda
Lean beef pork and lamb
Baked beans
As you’d be aware that these food items items are slightly higher in caloric value, therefore Noom dieters should take them in moderate quantities. Often you can find low-calorie alternatives to these items, if you prefer.
Noom Red Food List
Ham
Noom Red Food List
Fried Meat
Sausage
chocolate
French fries
Butter and Mayo
Full fat cheese
Pan cakes
Sugar and flour
Honey
Potato
Chips
And more
A whopping 3.7 million food options to choose from
One of the most important challenges of sticking to any diet plan is the limited number of food options. The Noom Diet plan eliminates this problem by offering you huge database of more than 3.7 million food items to choose from. You get a clear idea of what your body needs and what food items will fulfil them. You can also select portion sizes to suit your needs. The app helps you make the right choices of food throughout your weight loss journey.
How much weight can you lose with Noom program?
According to a Noom coach, though results vary from person to person, on average you can expect to lose up to 18 pounds in 16 weeks, if you follow the program seriously. According to Noom, 64% of users lose 5% or more of their body weight, and 60% maintain the loss for one year or more. Read more about it
Noom Recipe
Noom app does not offer specific recipes for weight loss. However, you have thousands of food options to make your recipe from, as long as you stick to the calorie intake advice given by your GS. This is also one of the reasons that make Noom highly popular as you don’t have to stick to any specific Noom recipe. Once you are into the program, you’ll start making the best choice to suit your needs and taste buds. The color coding system makes the process of choosing food items easy and convenient.
Noom Pricing and Plans
Let’s discuss the price and discount offers on Noom diet plan or the Noom app to be precise. Noom offers various plans to suit different budgets and needs. You can choose their 2-month plan for $99 and check whether you can follow the system or not. For those who want to see results, Noom offers a 4-month plan at $129 . This is one of the most popular plans for serious weight loss and fitness enthusiasts. You can also go for their monthly plan for $59.00 a month, which is slightly expensive but worth it. The longer the program, the cheaper the price, and higher the chances of you achieving great results. As a general rule, great results need time, patience and consistency. The choice is yours. They also have 6-month, 8 month and annual plans at $149, $159 and $199 respectively. Check Noom’s detailed plans, pricing and other relevant information on their official page by clicking any of the Noom images on this page.
Noom 14-Day Trial $0.50
As Noom diet focuses on habit formation for long-term health and weight loss goals, you cannot expect miraculous results quickly.
However, what really makes it unique and effective is its effectiveness in a majority of users, who have tried various other programs in the past. As you change your eating habits, you maintain your weight, and in the process,prevent many other health issues that you may develop later such heart issues, diabetes, if you are not diabetic already. Noom also offers a diabetes management program, which is focused on carbohydrate density food. Make sure that you choose the right program for you. You’ll get
a 14-day trial offer, so that you can check if the program suits you. You can cancel it anytime during the trial period provided you don’t buy anything else using the app.
What you get with Noom plan
A personalised approach
Community support
Weekly monitoring
Noom Coach App- Personal coach on hand-The icing on the cake
As a Noom user, you will get a personal coach or Goal Specialist(GS) as they prefer to call it. The app’s messaging system allows you to get in touch with your coach at least once a week. Your coach will help you set your short-term goal and long-term goal.
You can also get in touch with your coach during weekdays if you need any specific advice or guidance. As individual guidance is highly important for the success of your program, the app ensures that your progress is monitored and improved as and when required to help you achieve your long-term goal. No cliched messages or tips, you will get the exact guidance your are looking for by a qualified National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) coach. Please note that Consortium for Health & Wellness Coaching (ICHWC) is known as NBHWC effective April 10,2019. Read more
Last but not the least, it is highly advisable that you get in touch with your physician if you are under any kind of medication. We wish you good health, lean and sexy body, healthy habits and complete peace of mind no matter how old or young you are. It all depends on your positive thinking, patience and discipline. Let us know about your experience with Noom diet, and feel free to leave your comments below.
We hope that you liked these simple diabetes prevention tips, which are not only easy but also suitable for almost everyone willing take his/her health seriously.
Diabetes prevention-Easier than trying to reverse it
It goes without saying that prevention is better than cure, not just for diabetes but also for any other ailment. Usually, after 30, anyone is likely to develop diabetes if their job is sedentary or they do not take care of their health. Let us know your views about our diabetes prevention video that you just watched.
If you tried intermittent fasting and got some positive results, then you can continue with your own style. However, here is a very popular and effective method to get similar or better results than what you expect from traditional fasting. This is called 5:2 diet, which simply means that you eat normally 5 days a week, but restrict your food intake to a minimal on 2 days. The slight difference between intermittent type and 5:2 diet is that you do not completely restrict your food intake when on a 5:2 diet plan. You essentially control your hunger systematically and in a controlled way.
Is 5:2 diet different form intermittent fasting?
Yes, the idea behind 5:2 dieting is to help you restrict your calorie intake or balance your additional calorie intake on weekdays by bringing it down to almost zero on the 2 fasting days. Care must be taken that you do not gorge on food or eat anything additional on normal days to make up for the calorie loss on fasting days. As it will defeat the whole purpose of dieting or appetite control, it is advisable that you limit your weekday diet to your normal diet.
Why choose 5:2 diet?
One of the most important features of this diet is that you need not restrict yourself on fasting days. You can consume up to 25% of your regular calories on fasting days. An average woman’s calorie intake per day is approximately 2000, which means women can consume up to 500 calories on fast days. An average man’s calorie consumption per days is approx.2400, so men need to restrict their calorie intake to 600 on fasting days. This is often not as difficult as following a complete fasting diet. You can eat 3 small meals spread throughout the day. As a smart dieter, you should choose fulfilling, natural and low-calorie food such as leafy vegetables and fruits.
Does 5:2 diet push your body to starvation mode?
Not at all. In fact, this is also one of the reasons that many people have achieved their weight loss goals by following this diet. Usually, your body kicks in starvation mode after 36 hours of reduced calorie intake, which is not the case with 5:2 diet. However, the trick here is to avoid fasting on two consecutive days. You can decide your normal and fasting days according to your convenience. Those fasting two days in a row may push their metabolism to starvation mode, which must be avoided to get the best result.
Benefits of 5:2 diet
An easy and effective fat loss plan
Improved metabolic health
Can be continued for long
Reduces fasting insulin levels in many diabetics
An effective solution for those who find restricting calories difficult
No additional or specific food is required
You can follow it regularly without any side-effects
Who should not follow 5:2 diet?
Pregnant women
Breastfeeding mothers
Children or teenagers (It is recommended for adults only)
Well, the idea behind this diet or eating pattern is to keep you full, whilst ensuring that your nutritional needs are met. It serves two purposes. First, you don’t need to fight your cravings because you feel full by eating your regular meals. Second, you give your body ample time to reset itself for your health journey. Though you can start this diet for weight loss as your primary purpose, you will realise soon that it helps you control your mind. As mind plays an important role in making you feel hungry when you are not actually hungry, you learn when you really need food. On regular days, you can eat
Eggs
Fish
Vegetables
Beans
Lean animal cuts
Salad
On fasting days, you can eat
All types of berries
Unsweetened tea of coffee
Soups
Eggs
What to avoid
Processed food
Carbonated drinks
Excess carbohydrate
Other popular intermittent fasting methods
24 hour fast
As the name suggests, you can fast for 24 hours and start eating your regular meal. This can be done once or twice a week. You can plan it from breakfast to breakfast, from lunch to lunch or dinner to dinner, whichever suits your lifestyle and eating habits. Those who cannot skip breakfast, may choose the first method as one healthy morning breakfast can give you enough nutrition to help you throughout the day while burning some fat before you eat your breakfast the next day.
No matter what pattern you choose, the idea is to avoid food for next 24 hours.
16/8 eating pattern
This method works for most people as you consume only liquid food for 16 hours and then one solid meal in the next 8 hours to suit your daily schedule. You can repeat this pattern once or twice a week for best results.
Alternate day fasting ADF
Another extreme form of fasting is alternate day fasting, which simply means that you fast one day and eat normally the next day. Though you cannot follow ADF for long, you can notice a remarkable difference by following ADF for short duration.
According to an American Heart Association’s (AHA) statement on fasting and heart health, ADF or fasting mimicking diet (FMD) have similar effects on lowering calories, sugar and protein levels. A group of Texas Tech University researchers reviewed the statement and data from 10 other studies, came to the conclusion that ADF can lead to an average weekly weight loss of 0.75 kg in some people. Read the full report here.
Skipping meals whenever possible
This is one of my favourite methods of intermittent fasting. It is about finding the best opportunity to skip a meal. Humans are naturally programmed to survive famines, therefore it hardly makes any difference if you skip a meal or two whenever you find an opportunity. The best and most convenient way to skip meal is while travelling. Skipping one meal while travelling is not only possible but also a healthy way to say no to junk or unhealthy food.
Alternatively, you can skip your breakfast if you had a heavy meal last night. In fact, whenever you don’t feel like eating, simply skip that meal. If you can skip two or three meals every week, then you can see the result within a month of so. However, the catch is that you must not overeat at other times to cover the skipped meal. Also read about one meal a day or OMAD.
What happens when you fast intermittently
Your body undergoes a lot of changes, when it is deprived of food. In fact, your cells start various repairs, which essentially means that dysfunctional protein is removed, and new cells start developing.
Making body fat accessible: As you don’t eat for long duration, your insulin level is reduced significantly. This process results in making the stored fat accessible for energy.
HGH gets a boost. Intermittent fasting helps you burn fat because your HGH or human growth hormone level goes up remarkably. This is good for overall fat burning and weight loss.
Autophagy and fasting- Cellular cleansing
What is autophagy and how is it related to fasting? The term autophagy was coined by the Nobel prize winning scientist Christian de Duve in 1962. Let’s discuss an analogy to make it simple for you to understand this natural metabolic procedure in our body, and how fasting triggers it.
Not long ago, and even today, desktop computers are highly popular, useful and cost-effective. When the hardware and software of our PCs get outdated, we have two options. We can either replace the whole PC with a new one or have some vital parts upgraded or replaced to achieve the desired performance. As it is always not possible to replace the whole PC, we choose an upgrade or repair option, which often involves repairing hardware as well. Once the old and outdated software or hardware is replaced, the PC starts working normally. This is exactly what happens at sub-cellular level in our body, known as autophagy. Our body has an in-built mechanism to identify and replace old cell membranes, proteins and organelles. The process of autophagy ensures that broken-down machinery at cellular level is taken care of efficiently.
Fasting to activate autophagy
Eating raises the insulin level in our body and reduces the glucagon level. Its opposite is also true. When we don’t eat, our glucogon level goes up and insulin level goes down. Autophagy is activated when glucogon level is up. Simply put, when you fast or don’t eat, your glucogon level goes up and autophagy process is activated. That is the reason why fasting is important to activate this natural cellular cleaning or autophagy process.
No autophagy results in many health issues
Let’s try to understand it by this analogy. If you don’t clean your house, debris will accumulate and make the appearance of your house ugly. You can bring and place something new only when you remove the junk. At cellular level in our body, if junk proteins are not removed, they keep on accumulating and may result in various health issues. In fact, this is often cited as one of the reasons behind Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and cancer. Read more
Fasting not just for weight loss
Though we cannot deny the fact that the primary reason behind fasting in any form is weight loss or fat burning in the modern world, it is recommended at least once or twice a month for renovation at cellular level. In fact, during Hindu religious functions and in many other cultures, the main performer of the ritual is supposed to fast for a specified period (usually the whole day). The scientific reason behind this tradition is obvious by the points mentioned above. The underlying reason is to cleanse your body at cellular level for the auspicious occasion.
Hunger control-key to fasting effectively
Not many of our readers will disagree that hunger control is at the core of any type of fasting, whether intermittent or any other pattern to suit individual needs. As fasting is nothing but a way of controlling hunger systematically, you must learn to skip meals whenever your get an opportunity. This practice will help you try fasting for whole day. Those who fast regularly are often healthier than those who don’t fast at all. Don’t make weight loss your only goal, but try to focus on overall health, which will reduce your weight naturally.
Effect of fasting on brain
If you are hungry, you are more energetic and vigilant
I need not emphasise that when you are hungry for power, hungry for excellence or hungry for recognition, aren’t you more energetic than normal to achieve your goal? Our brain is activated, energised or boosted to satiate that hunger by making us work harder, and focus on the goal with strong determination. We go the extra mile to achieve the goal. How does it all happen?
Improvement in cognitive functions
Professor Mark Mattson of The Johns Hopkins University has done extensive research on how fasting affects the functions of brain. The findings of his research confirmed that fasting causes many chemical changes in human brain, resulting in remarkable improvement of cognitive functions. As per his report, fasting poses a challenge to the brain, and the brain reacts to it by adapting response pathways so that it can handle the stress caused by lack of food or reduced caloric intake. Additionally, growth of neurons boosts learning and memory significantly.
He further adds that brain’s reaction to intermittent fasting is same as it is to regular exercise. Somewhat similar findings were reported after a clinical trial on old adults aged 60-79. Here is the result of their experiment.
“Significant increases in brain volume, in both grey and white matter regions, were found as a function of fitness training for the older adults who participated in the aerobic fitness training but not for the older adults who participated in the stretching and toning (non-aerobic) control group.” Read the full report here
Can intermittent fasting repair DNA?
As per Professor Mattson, his studies suggest strong indications of nerve cells’ enhanced ability to repair DNA during intermittent fasting. Though some studies have shown positive results, further research is required to confirm it.
Evolutionary point of view
Cavemen did not have a food counter everywhere when they stepped out of their caves. In fact food was scarce, and it required more energy and mental agility to search for food when they were hungry. Interestingly, nature has already prepared humans and many mammals to face this situation. In many mammals, during caloric deprivation, the sizes of all organs are reduced, except that of brain and male testicles. It clearly indicates that nature has designed human body in such a way so that cognitive functions remain unaffected or enhanced during starvation.
Do you feel restlessness when sleeping, without any specific reason? Are you anxious of thinking deeply about something that you cannot control? Don’t know why it is happening or are you looking for a tried and tested restlessness cure? No matter what your exact symptoms are, you can rest assured that you are not alone and there are people who have overcome their restlessness and similar issues by using natural methods such as relaxation, meditation and various yoga techniques. Also, there are many cases which require medical intervention. Let’s have a look at a few basic facts about general restlessness and RLS or restless leg syndrome.
Cannot sleep due to restlessness?
Do you find it difficult to sleep properly despite working very hard throughout the day? While insomnia or inability to sleep is one of the reasons of restlessness when sleeping, there are various other symptoms that can help you identify your issue. If you want to move constantly or your legs or arms get cramps while at rest, then read on. You cannot calm your mind or cannot stop thinking about something unpleasant, triggering more restless and anxiety. You may also feel the combination of both physical and mental restlessness.
Here are some common symptoms of restlessness
Inability to focus on anything
Unable to manage your time
Unconscious or conscious leg movement
Foot or hand tapping
Cramps in arms or legs, when at rest
Unnecessary palpitations
Inability to sleep or insomnia
Frequent distraction at work for no specific reason
Are restlessness and anxiety related
It goes without saying that when you are anxious about anything, your mind is working extra hard to reach a conclusion about the issue you are thinking. As it seems to be impossible, you become even more anxious, and it becomes visible in your behaviour, physical sensation and emotions. You can get annoyed at the slightest of provocation or even without any valid reason. Negative emotions will be more dominant and visible than positive ones, and you may feel that you are completely alright. Others can quickly identify your disorder and suggest a visit to your physician.
Positive or negative restlessness
On the other hand, restlessness is not always negative in nature. You can also be restless or over-excited to do or achieve something. Though it is true that most often restless is related to anxiety, which is negative in nature and is a kind of psychological disorder, it is not always the case. Positive restlessness is often visible in teenagers or adolescents, trying to experience something for the first time. From academic achievements and excellence in sports to first job interview or excitement of owning your first car, anything can be the reason for restlessness. We’ll focus on restlessness that needs treatment or attention.
Causes of restlessness
Excessive use of caffeine in any form such as coffee or carbonated drinks
Certain types of medication
Sudden changes in medication
Psychiatric disorders such as ADHD, or schizophrenia
Certain neurological issues can also cause restlessness
How to identify restless leg syndrome
Do you find it difficult to sit for long duration or do you move your legs unconsciously while sitting? Yes, you will not notice it because it happens unconsciously. If others have noticed your tapping feet or unnecessary leg movements, then consider taking action about it. You may be suffering from restless leg syndrome. Physicians and therapists take unique approaches to treat different patients depending on their exact health conditions and overall medical history.
Quick tips to IDENTIFY RLS or restless leg syndrome
Throbbing sensation in legs
Feeling of pins and needles in feet quite frequently
Painful cramping in calves
Burning or tingling sensation in legs
Moving the legs usually relieves the symptoms temporarily, but if it becomes frequent or worsens, then get medical help. You can also try a few yogic methods that work wonders for many people. However, yoga in general, requires discipline and regularity to give you any significant result. Just check what suits you the best.
Restless cure
There are various methods and home remedies to handle and minimise restlessness. If you believe that your problem is more of psychological in nature, then simply focusing on one task at a time can prove to be highly effective. Do not over-commit if you cannot deliver something within a certain time frame. In fact, under-commitment and over-delivering is the best possible way to control restlessness as you work within your limited resources without getting anxious about what if you’d not be able to deliver on time.
Restless leg cure
Mustard oil massage on both the legs, especially on calves
Soak your legs in warm water regularly
Cool and hot packs alternatively
Hamstring exercise also helps in some cases of RLS
Limit your caffeine intake
Identify your RLS triggers
Sitting for long duration is the most common trigger for RLS syndrome. However, there are a few other triggers as well. Have you noticed that when you consume caffeine or alcohol, your RLS aggravates. If you are on some kind of medication or special diet, then try to notice if you get restless leg after that medication. If that is the case, then consult your physician about the issue and try to get your medication changed, if possible. Alternatively, you can also give yoga a try for relief. If you can pinpoint the exact triggers that aggravate your situation, then you can manage your health more effectively.
Yoga for restless leg
A lot has been covered in our previous posts about various yogic postures and exercises that help people suffering from leg pain and cramps. Some of them are useful for restless leg syndrome as well. For example, one posture or Asansa I never forget to mention about is Pashchimottanasana or complete posterior stretch. This is essentially a forward bend pose in which the arms and legs remain parallel to the ground. The practitioner clasps his/her toes, and tries to touch the knees with his/her nose whilst ensuring that their knees don’t bend. This simple, but not easy asana is highly beneficial for not just restless leg syndrome, but also for back pain, spinal issues, digestive disorders, cardiac health and obesity. If you have any of these issues, then start practising pashchimottansana gradually. What I mean by gradually is that you must not force yourself hard to attain the perfect posture. Try to bend forward slightly more than the previous day so that your backbone becomes flexible enough for the position. You will notice a remarkable difference in your overall health if you can do this asana every day.
Second important and effective yoga postures for restless leg is a kind of standing version of the same pose, called Uttansana or standing forward pose. However, I must say that you won’t be able to do this Asana unless you are able do Pashchimottansana first.
Child’s pose (Balasana), Janu Sirasana and many other leg stretching postures are beneficial for leg pain, cramps or restless leg issues.
Harnessing the power of deep breathing to cure restlessness
Breathing happens so naturally and effortlessly that we often underestimate its power. In fact, I will not be exaggerating if I say that we hardly breath deeply, which is so powerful that many health issues can be controlled or cured by it. Simply deep breathing in the morning hours (preferably before sunrise and in natural environment such as parks, lake side or any open area with greenery) can remarkably improve your restlessness, and calm your mind. However, regularity is the key here. You cannot expect magical effects after a few days. Just start deep breathing regularly for a month or so, and see the results.
Meditation to control restlessness
With deep breathing, develops the power of meditation, which is essentially about training your mind for higher awareness, better focus and deep introspection about your inner self without cutting off from your current environment. At places of worship, no matter what faith or religion you belong to, you find an object, thought or word to focus on. The basic idea behind rituals or methods of worship is to train your mind to focus on your object/ idea of faith (God) so that you can discover your inner self and remain at peace for a few minutes that you spend there. If you worship everyday in any form, all you need to do is spend some more time and try to empty your mind from all thoughts, which is nothing but a meditative state. This simple practice can calm your mind and relieve your restlessness. If you want to learn how to mediate for better effects, then consider learning the art of breathing first. Get a copy of Breathing In Flow, displayed below.
Relaxation for 20 minutes every day
There are various relaxation techniques to suit your personality type and preferences. However, what I suggest is a highly effective method for everybody. This is called Savasana or corpse pose. Though it seems to be simple, it is not easy. You must learn how to achieve complete relaxation without falling asleep, which is not possible for beginners. Here is how you should do Savasana.
Place a soft yoga mat on the ground
Lie flat in the middle of the mat without using any pillow
Keep your hands on either side slightly away from your body and palms facing up
Feel every breath while inhaling and exhaling slowly
Feel that your lungs are expanding and contracting as you inhale and exhale
Let every part of your body feel relaxed starting from the toe to head
Do not let any other thought come to your mind, just focus on your breathing while keeping your whole body completely relaxed
Do not sleep as you are supposed to remain awake to feel the relaxation
After 30-45 minutes, your body and mind will be completely relaxed. Do not worry if your thoughts start wandering or you start feeling sleepy as you learn the techniques of Savasana gradually. After practising for a week or so, you’ll notice the difference.
Initial difficulties in performing savasana
Unless you are pregnant or have some severe backbone related issue that restricts you from lying flat of your back, it should not be difficult for you to perform Savansa. Pregnant ladies can put some soft pillow under their head or use something else for comfort. The idea is to completely loosen your muscles, joints and all stiff parts of your body so that you can relax completely. If lying flat is causing some discomfort, then hold off on this posture or asana until you get your discomfort issue cured. Those with backbone related issues must consult their physician before trying this posture.
Similarly, if you have discomfort in straightening your knees, then you can put a folded blanket under your knees for support. However, gradually your hamstring will be stretched fully and you’ll feel comfortable even without any support.
7 Benefits of Savasana
Relaxes your body completely
Calms your mind
Help you achieve a meditative state (after some practice)
Serves dual purpose, relaxation and meditation
Highly effective in reducing blood pressure and anxiety
Helps in managing insomnia
Stimulates and balances blood circulation
Savasana is recommended after all types of yoga sessions. This will relax your body and prepare you for the day with a calm mind and energised body. If you prefer to do this asana in the evening, then you will notice the effect in the form of sound sleep and complete freshness when you wake up next morning. Please note that you do not have to sleep in this posture. This can be practised in the evening hours before dinner. There must be a gap of some 2 hours between the end of your Savasana session and your bedtime.
Last but not the least, I’d like to mention my personal views about restlessness. If you can control your mind, whether by practising meditation, relaxation or any other technique, you can manage restlessness effectively. Medical attention is required only when the symptoms are very severe and you have already tried all possible natural methods of curing restlessness. Also, it is always advisable to seek expert advice if you are on medication or have any special health condition.
Am I not flexible enough to perform yoga because of my age? If that is what you ask yourself or believe in, then think again. You do not need to be naturally flexible for yoga. Yoga will make you flexible, once your joints and muscles become supple, you will feel the difference in your stamina, health, postures and overall well-being. Developing flexibility and gaining mental and physical health are the primary purposes of yoga. If you are 50 plus looking for flexible exercises for seniors, then start flexible yoga as soon as possible. The more flexible you become the healthier and longer you’ll live.
Flexibility Exercises for Seniors
It is understandable that senior citizens cannot do strenuous exercises or stretching workouts. Does it mean that you cannot or should not try to make themselves flexible? In fact, if you are a senior, you must make it a point to exercise every day and keep your body flexible. There are many types of flexible exercises for seniors, and you should choose the ones that suit your stamina and health condition. One good thing about these exercises is that no matter what your age is, there is something that will suit you. Check flexibility for women. Continue reading “Flexibility exercises for seniors-flexible yoga”
Do you know that rural Japanese people are some of longest living people in the world? In fact, it is quite common for people living in Okinawa to exceed 100 years without suffering from any mental or physical illness. What makes them live healthy? Is there any secret Japanese diet they follow? Well, that is partially true, but there is no secret. They believe in their ancient health traditions, and diet is just part of that. What if you also followed their diet system? You’ll be leaner, fitter and more active than you currently are. We’ll also talk about a one week diet that can help you lose 3 pounds in a week.
Is ancient Japanese diet effective and practical in today’s world?
In ancient times, people worked in harmony with their bodies and the environment they lived in. This lifestyle helped them maintain their body lean, fit, muscular and strong. It goes without saying that if you are physically and mentally healthy; your ability to work and overall performance goes up. That is the secret of an average Japanese’s good health. Though discovered by chance, Japanese diet has been proven by modern scientists and researchers for its remarkable health benefits, including weight loss.
What is traditional Japanese diet
The traditional diet followed by Japanese people is almost next to a perfect diet that you can imagine. While the emphasis is on vegetables, seafood and rice, you will find a lot of varieties to suit your taste buds. The flavoursome Japanese food is one of the healthiest diets for overall health. Do not be disappointed if you are a chicken or meat lover. You have a lot of varieties such as Chicken Tariyaki or Beef Yakitori. However, you might be slightly disappointed if you are a sweet lover as a Japanese diet does not include desserts, pastries or sweets.
It depends on your preferences. If good health, mental alertness or physical agility is on your mind, then Japanese food is an ideal option. However, those preferring taste over health, should go for standard European diet. We do not mean that traditional Japanese diet is bland, but it usually takes time for westerners to get used to this diet.
Are you above 40 and thinking that developing hip flexibility or spinal flexibility at this age will not be possible? If yes, then read on. Hitting 40 is not an excuse to deprive yourself of good health, stamina and joint-pain free life you really deserve. However, what is important is to understand and choose quality lifestyle and diet plans that work. Flexible yoga, as the name suggests is what you can try for back and hip flexibility, which is what keeps your overall fitness in good shape.
What is flexible yoga?
As mentioned in one of our previous posts that yoga is not just a set of asanas or postures, flexible yoga is also not just about physical suppleness, but also covers mental health and calmness. However, we’ll keep the topic limited to physical flexibility for now. The basic idea behind flexible yoga is to develop suppleness in muscles and joints by using the most suitable set of asanas. As your spine becomes more flexible, you start gaining more stamina and overall better health. We’ll discuss mental flexibility or adaptability in our other posts.
Flexibility starts diminishing from childhood
Yes, it is often true because modern children spend so much time sitting or doing sedentary activities that their bones and joints start losing their flexibility quite early in life. It speeds up later as they choose sedentary jobs and stop doing even simple tasks such as climbing stairs (at least up to 2-3 floors) because taking elevator is easy and fast. However, what they don’t understand is that it is causing more harm than any good to their joints and overall health. In fact, children should be encouraged for outdoor activities.
Flexible spine-key to overall good health
Many of us do not realise how important flexibility of spine is. In fact, many yogis or yoga practitioners also believe that simply by keeping your spine flexible, good health can be achieved. Though slightly exaggerated, this is often true unless you are suffering from any special health condition which calls for medical treatment. There are various stretching exercises and yogic postures that work wonders for those suffering from stiffness of muscles and joints.
Are you on a keto diet and smelling like cat litter? This could be due to your keto diet, which has many health benefits. However, every good thing has some downsides, and keto diet is no exception. Keto breath or keto odour is simply an unpleasant side-effect of keto diet.
Smelly sweat and urine-side effect of Ketosis
Once you start taking a keto diet, your body starts undergoing several changes as it has to process carbless food. You body suddenly starts relying on fat and protein for energy, instead of using carbohydrates. This type of protein or ketones have acetone, which is exhaled in the form of smelly sweat and urine.
