Tea for Slimming

Researchers at Kobe University, Japan found that regular consumption of tea also suppressed damaging changes in the blood linked to fatty foods that can lead to type 2 diabetes, reports theDaily Mail. 

In the study some mice were given a high fat diet and others a normal diet. Each of these two groups were then split into smaller groups and given water, black tea or green tea for 14 weeks.

Both types of tea suppressed body weight gain and the build-up of belly fat linked to a fatty diet. 

But black tea, which is used in most ordinary cuppas, also counteracted the harmful effects on the blood normally associated with a high-fat diet. 

These included increases in cholesterol, high blood glucose and insulin resistance - a precursor to type 2 diabetes where the body does not efficiently use the insulin it produces. 

The study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 

Using a Fork helps you eat less...

There's no draconian reduction in calories for weeks on end. The only meal that has to be strictly controlled is dinner, when you are allowed to use only your fork.
And now a team of diet experts has checked that his theory really works, reports the Daily Mail.
The principle idea is that certain food types just won't make it on to any of those fork prongs. In particular, those containing fat or sugar.
According to nutritionist Ivan Gavriloff, who invented Dine With A Fork, it's the food we need to use a knife to eat that causes us to pile on the pounds: cheese, meat and sausages.
Also banned are the foods we eat with our hands: pizza, hamburgers, nuts and bread.
There are two versions of the diet to follow: the strict one means knifes, spoons and hands are even banned in food preparation. But it's not a crash diet - Le Forking is promoted as less of a diet, more of a way of living. The idea is steadily to lose up to 5lb a month, so you don't need to cancel your social life.
The theory of Le Forking is that if you eat a proper breakfast and a hearty lunch, you'll have no desire to binge on high-calorie foods in the evening.

Trick your mind ....tackle weight gain !

Trick your mind into doing the things you hate and battle weight. Excerpts from the book Change anything 

Mentally prepare your body to get back into shape 
Love what you hate 
Here's the motivation challenge you face. Right now, while you're reading this book and thinking your best thoughts, you have plenty of motivation to do the right thing. You think, "No big deal; I'll just tough it out." Unfortunately, later, when temptation strikes, your motivation will weaken, and you'll give in - overeating, eating the wrong foods, or ducking a chance to exercise. Human beings are simply horrible at predicting how challenging a future temptation will feel, even when they have faced it over and over for years.

To overcome this motivational mistake, learn how to tap into your existing personal motivation, especially in times of intense temptation.

Find what you love 
This obvious tactic is frequently overlooked because people can't conceive of the fact that eating healthy and exercising regularly could ever be enjoyable. Fortunately, when it comes to food and exercise you can find options that you actually enjoy. For example if you dislike vegetables, broccoli in particular, then explore the vegetable world more carefully. Maybe you'd like broccoli if it were prepared differently, or maybe you can find a different kind of vegetable that tastes better to you. In any case, don't keep suffering through a food you can't stand.

The same is true for exercise. For instance, Mary S loathed using gym equipment but found she enjoyed people watching along the bustling streets of Manhattan. She could walk from her apartment to Greenwich Village and back, logging four miles, and having a good time. Be equally inventive. Take the time to find the best of the worst. Keep experimenting until you find options that you actually enjoy. By all means don't commit to a plan you can't find a way to like.

Tell the whole vivid story 
Ask yourself why you want to lose weight or improve your fitness. Most people spend too little time contemplating the answer. They give themselves generic or vague excuses like "I want to look better," "I want to fit into my clothes," or "I want to have more energy." While these responses provide a starting point, they're too indistinct to carry you through moments of temptation - say a delicious piece of chocolate cake goes head to head with your "I want to feel good someday" reason to avoid it. When a murky vision is all you have to conjure, the crystal clear certainty of the cake will win every time. Here's what John H did to bring his vision into focus. He first described his motivation for losing weight and improving his fitness as "I want to look and feel better. I want to have more energy." This was not the whole story nor was it vivid enough to keep his attention. So he went further.

Visit your default future 
Fortunately, when John looked at what might lie ahead for him, he was able to fill in the details. In his case, he made a mental visit to a rather prominent person who faced similar physical challenges.

"I thought of Larry M." John explains. "He was a prominent local business, philanthropist, and family man. He was about my age and was also overweight like me. We even had the same body type. For the last several years I watched him suffer through diabetes, a heart attack and kidney failure. He lost both his legs to diabetes and then he died - still in his early sixties. Larry's unfortunate demise was my default future. So now, when I'm ready to order a T-bone steak, I focus in Larry M. I can see him right in front of me. Then I order the salmon instead.

Creating a vivid and believable image of your default future provides the detail you can draw on during moments of temptation. But it has to be specific and vivid. As John dug deeper into his reasons for changing he was able to provide the detail he needed. That's key.

Value your words 
After visiting your default future, distill some of your motivating insights into a Personal Motivational Statement you can use at crucial moments. Be sure to capture the feeling as well as the facts. "I'm doing this for my wife Louise. It's the most heartfelt thing I can do to show her my love. It's like Pearls and earrings times a thousand."

By visiting his default future, telling the whole vivid story, and selecting value words, John was able to craft a statement that if he meditates on it during crucial moments can profoundly affect his emotions. To ratchet up the power, he combined this statement with a photo of Louise. The measure of a good Personal Motivation Statement is whether your use of it jars you out of the spell of temptation. If it doesn't, then it is too anemic. Keep at it until it reconnects you with what you really want when it matters most.

Connect to who you're becoming 
Some people focus their Personal Motivation Statement on the person they want to become. For example think of someone or a group of people who do what you hate to do right now but who actually enjoy doing it. Then instead of dismissing them as crazy, become one of them. See yourself as one of them. As you follow through on your vital behavior, pause and mentally celebrate the fact that you're becoming one of them.

For example if you have trouble forcing yourself to work out, tell your self (out loud!), "I'm an athlete in training, and this is what athletes do." Make this identity even more specific. Say, "I'm a hiker," "I'm a runner," or "I'm a skier"; then dig into this new interest more deeply. Read a hiking, running or skiing magazine and imagine yourself in the pictures. Take your eyes off the sacrifice and place them on the accomplishment. Whenever you're tempted to revert to your old self, dispute the rationalizing thoughts with statements that tie you to who you are becoming.

Make it a game 
To finish off his motivation plan, John turned it into a game. He bought a device that displayed his calorie burn rate on a wrist watch. At first john tracked his burn rate; then he manipulated it. He learned that if he got up from his chair at work and walked up and down a few flights of stairs, not only did his burn rate double during the walk, but it took a full two hours to return to his sitting rate. Within two weeks John was posting his scores and celebrating his caloric consumption like an Olympic result. The behaviors themselves become more enjoyable because they were part of his achievement. 

Maintain your weight and stay fit and Healthy

Maintaining one's weight is just as tough as losing weight. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your weight from fluctuating constantly. 

A few simple points to keep in mind are:

1. Have breakfast: One should eat a proper breakfast before starting the day. Follow the old saying and eat a king size breakfast. It can have lots of oats, juices, milk. Make sure you avoid fried and oily food in the morning.

2. Eat slowly: It is said that one should chew one's food about 30 times before taking the second bite. It helps in proper digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more you chew; the easier will the digestion process be.

3. Have meals in break: Rather than having three huge meals a day, have small meals consisting of healthy fruits and vegetable dishes. Eat at least six small meals in a day.

4. Wash it down with water: Drink at least one glass of water at intervals of half an hour. One should consume three to four litres every day to keep the body cool.

5. Exercise: One need not necessarily join the gym. Even simple exercises like walking, running, jumping, skipping can help you maintain your weight. Make sure you do at least one physical activity for 30 minutes daily.

6. Late meals are a no-no: Avoid having your dinner late in the night, since the number of activities you perform is less. Have light meals during the night.

7. No binging: If one does feel hungry, they should avoid eating fast food and snacks like chips, oily food, pastries etc.

Such simple tips can help you to enjoy life to the fullest and fittest. 

'Weight Loss' is in the Genes !!

The secret to losing weight could be down to a person's genes rather than how strictly they adhere to a diet, a research indicates. 

According to the study, some women are genetically programmed to have more success in shedding pounds through certain weight-loss schemes than others. The findings could explain why some people swear by the fat-rich Atkins diet to slim down, while others do better by stocking up on carbohydrates, reports telegraph.co.uk. 

Researchers from Stanford University in the US have made this discovery after taking mouth swabs from more than 100 overweight women who had tried various diets. 

They then analysed the women's DNA for five genes linked to how the body uses fat and carbohydrate. 

The team found that women following diets that matched their genotype or genetic make-up, shed nearly 6 kg on average over a year - almost three times more than the other women. 

These women also saw their waistlines reduced by 2.6 inches on average, compared with 1.2 inches.

Christopher Gardner of Stanford University, who led the study, said: "The differentiation in weight loss for individuals who followed a diet matched to their genotype versus one that was not matched to their genotype is highly significant and represents an approach to weight loss that has not previously been reported in literature." 

He added that using genetic information would "be important in helping to solve the pervasive problem of excessive weight in our society". 

Want a flat tummy? Avoid low fat foods

Trying to lose weight by adopting a low fat diet? Well, you may be committing the biggest mistake of your ''weight loss regime,'' says an Oz fitness expert. 

Celebrity trainer James Duigan, whose clients include model Elle Macpherson, said, "I see so many people trying their best and it's just not working because they don't understand that it's not fat that makes you fat, it's sugar and it's carbohydrates."

"You need a healthy balanced diet with fish and chicken and meat and vegetables and berries and nuts and things like that. (Low-fat diets) just don't work - it's not sustainable. You need to look at how you can keep yourself happy and healthy throughout your life," Stuff quoted him as saying.

Duigan, whose second book ''Clean & Lean: Flat Tummy Fast!'' is out, has suggested some small steps one can follow for a flattened stomach.

Don't overcook your food as you'll kill off or reduce the nutrient content. Try to make sure around 50 per cent of the food on your plate is raw. If you can stomach it, eat all your vegetables raw.

Don't buy cheap meat - organic meat is more expensive, but it also contains less toxic junk such as antibiotics. If you can afford only one organic thing make sure it's meat.
Don't eat foods that weaken your abdominal wall, as this will make it slack and lead to a protruding stomach. Foods that can weaken your abdominal wall often contain gluten.

Avoid sugar, in all its forms, as it fattens your mid-section.

Make sure you eat enough fibre. A lack of fibre will lead to inflammation in the bowel. Eat plenty of vegetables (ideally raw) and drink at least two litres of still, room temperature water every day.

Duigan has suggested having the occasional ''cheat'' meal, so you can eat a piece of cake or a brownie and actually help your weight loss.

"Feed your soul because you can't live your whole life in denial. And it helps the fat-burning process, it can boost your metabolism and get you leaner the next day. The key is to keep it to one meal," he said.

Another factor for a healthy lifestyle is reducing stress, he added. 

Fix your fat belly now!

We share with you four easy ways to fix your belly fat. Mind you, they are not exercises... 

Are you also worried about your 'jelly' belly like millions of others around you? Have flat-abs diet failed you too often? We share some easy tips to drastically reduce belly fat. We are not suggesting exercises, only some quick lifestyle changes...

"Roll your shoulders back and down" 

By default when you haunch, your belly pooches out. This is a simple posture correction that helps your tummy to stay in. This posture also makes you look slimmest.

"Pull up your abs and up" 

Yes, you read it right. You don't have to go through the painful process of crunches and simply pull up your abs and then push them up.

"Keep your butt tucked in" 

Many of you must have heard this trick somewhere but never took it seriously. It's time you start doing it!

"Bend 90 degrees" 

Don't stress your back when you bend. When you pick up stuff ensure you bend 90 degrees. Do it few times a day and it will help push the belly fat in. 

A-Z of weight loss

A 
Avoid alcohol: You booze, you lose! Alcohol increases your levels of the hormone leptin, which in turn makes you crave sweets.Don't want to be branded a teetotaller? Order a glass of Sauvignon Blanc – 119 cals per 5 ounces.

B 
Breakfast: A good breakfast with fibre and protein will keep you full till lunchtime and help you avoid bingeing. Opt for multi-grain cereal, lowfat curd or fruits to kick-start your metabolism.

C 
Cortisol: Prolonged stress leads to high levels of cortisol which makes you crave junk foods. Solution: deal with long-standing stressors. As for short-lived ones, treat yourself to an oil massage.

D 
Density: Go for grub with an energy density of two or less. To calculate this, simply divide the calories by the weight in grams (per serving). Stay at it and watch the pounds melt faster.

E 
Eat at regular intervals: Go no longer than five hours between meals. Several small meals through the day lead to a better metabolism and greater control over binges.

F 
Fructose: Ditch the artificially sweetened juices and sodas and get your fructose from natural sources such as fruits. Because natural fructose is kinder to your waistline.

G 
Gum: Chewing on gum helps cleanse the mouth of bacteria, satisfies a sweet-tooth and reduces your urge to eat. The next time you feel the urge to reach for a biscuit packet, try a piece of sugarless gum instead for a zero-calorie treat.

H 
Heart-healthy foods: Overweight people face a greater risk of heart disease. So, switch to olive and vegetable oils. Fill up on omega rich foods like walnuts and fatty fish. Choose non-fat dairy products and lean cuts of mutton and skinless poultry.

I 
Insulin: The amount of insulin you secrete may dictate your diet. High insulin secretors shed more weight on a low-carb diet and less on a lowfat/high carb diet. Got a jelly belly? You secrete excess insulin and could benefit from fewer carbs.

J 
Journal: Write down everything you eat and you could cut your intake by 1,000 calories a day. Food journaling may seem boring but goes a long way in making you aware of what you eat and thereby helps you shed pounds.

K 
Ketosis: Ketosis refers to the point where your body runs low on carbs and burns fat for fuel. Therefore, ketosis jump-starts a diet. Restrict carbs and lose more initially. Later, allow yourself wholegrain cereals and roti, in moderation.

L 
Low blood sugar: This is often the reason for between-meal cravings especially for sweet. When it strikes, reach for naturally sweet foods such as fruits and accompany it with a little low-fat dahi for a healthy dose of protein. 


M 
Milk: Get better results from your workout by downing milk. Two cups of skim milk after intense weightlifting can build more muscle and burn twice as much fat as drinking fruit juice. But go with real cow's milk as it's more beneficial than soya milk.

N 
Numbers: Nobody enjoys weigh-ins, but people who hop on the scale once a day are more likely to lose and maintain their loss. Make a standing appointment for yourself. But try to strike a balance rather than obsess over the number you see.

O 
Omlette: Eggs are an ideal protein source. Protein helps build muscle, which will fry more calories per pound than fat. Bonus: You burn about 25 per cent of the eggs' calories just by digesting them.

P 
Peanuts = Protein: Take the edge off your appetite by snacking on a handful of peanuts everyday. Because, protein is the "secret" to weight control. Peanuts also boost your resting metabolic rate due to their fatty acid content.

Q: 
Q 10 
Coenzyme Q10 is one of the nutrients needed to produce energy. Most people an energy - mg a day. Other benefits include a stronger immune system. Besides, it's also a great antioxidant.

R 
Replacements: Replace any silly weight loss pills you have been advised to take, with a good low fat smoothie.You will lose just as much weight without the side-effects of a pill.

S 
Slip-ups: Slip-ups are bound to happen.Anticipate them. Instead of letting them derail your efforts, learn from them and get right back on track by simply keeping your eye on your target.

T 
Tea: The fat-busting benefits of green tea boil down to disease-fighting compounds called catechins. Max your results by steeping your tea for longer. The darker the hue of your brew, the more catechin-rich the cup.Add some lime to tone down the bitterness.

U 
User-friendly: There are a million fad diets around; your friends are probably trying some too. But what helps you lose weight isn't the type of diet but compliance with it. Find a plan you can live with so you'll stick to it.

V 
Vinegar: Studies show that consuming 4 tbsp of a vinegar mixture with a high-carb diet drops your calorie intake by 275 per day. If you can't stomach vinegar, mix into a low-fat dressing to add zing to your salad.

W 
Water: It quenches thirst without the calories. Infact, water also ups your caloric burn rate. Sipping six extra 8-ounce glasses a day can burn 17,400 more calories (about 5 pounds of fat) per year.

X 
Xylitol: Xylitol is a natural substance found in vegetables that tastes and looks just like sugar. But while sugar harms, xylitol protects against disease and has anti-ageing benefits. In its crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking.

Y 
Yoga: Normal-weight women who practise yoga for four or more years will gain three pounds less over 10 years than those who don't. Grab your mat and get breathing!

Z 
Zs 
When you skimp on sleep, your brain thinks  you're low on fuel and sends a message to your stomach to start growling.Women who sleep for 5 hours or less are an average of 5 pounds heavier than women who snoozed for 7 hours.Want to stay slim? Hit the pillow.

Foods that help you Loose Weight !!

Potatoes

You'll be surprised to know that baked or boiled potatoes eaten without fatty accompaniments are great for your diet. Have them mashed, adding pepper and a dash of lime makes for a great dish.

Salads

Make salads a mandatory part of your diet if you intend to lose weight. Tomato, beetroot, cabbage, capsicum, or cucumber salads are all low in calories. Plus, they also help fill you up.

Dark chocolate

It's good to indulge in chocolates to avoid binges. An occasional 20-gram chocolate bar helps prevent sweet-tooth cravings.

Fruits

Instead of munching biscuits or other high-calorie snacks, its better to have fruits like grapes, apples or oranges that give you the required energy and also work as great fillers in between meal

Fiber cereals

Chapatti, dhokla, idli, upma, brown bread provided bulk to your diet.

Sprouts

Eating raw sprouted pulses help gain vitamins and fiber. Moong, for instance, sprouts quickly and is beneficial for the health also.

Nuts

Nuts like almonds, packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, contain fats that lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes and also help you control your appetite.

Curds

Curds made from skimmed or toned cow's milk contain only 56 calories per 100 grams and are a good source of protein, calcium and vitamins.

Water

Water has no calories, so it's great for filling up. It also helps you digest food.

Whole grains

All types of grains are naturally low in fat, a good source of complex carbohydrates, and contain beneficial vitamins and minerals.