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Blog, Weight Loss, Weight Loss Tips

If you associate alcohol with nausea, vomiting and blackouts, you may be shocked to find out that you need more than the fingers on both your hands and your partner’s to count the ill effects of alcohol consumption. Did you count becoming obese? Yes, one such effect alcohol has on you is weight gain. Consumption of alcohol makes you obese. Hence, if you are planning to enter a weight loss program, you may want to refrain from alcohol consumption. Keen to know how alcohol can make you fat? Here you go.

Liver Disease And Weight Gain

 Cirrhosis is one of the most common risks faced by alcoholics. Being toxic to the cells in the liver, alcohol damages the liver so badly that liver performance is greatly reduced. Cirrhosis can cause weight gain. The poor performance of liver can result in obesity. The two major functions of the liver are detoxifying the blood and metabolising the fat. When the liver becomes sluggish, it results in weight gain. Remember that regular alcohol consumption can make your liver sluggish.

Higher Calorie Intake

You know that increased calorie consumption can cause weight gain. By consuming alcohol regularly, your intake of calories increases resulting in weight gain. Apart from the meals you eat, you gain more calories by drinking alcohol. You may want to know that 12 oz. of regular beer contains 150 calories, 1.5 oz. of whisky contains 105 calories, 1.5 oz. of rum contains 96 calories and 1.5 oz. of gin contains 110 calories.

Studies have proved that alcohol consumption before meals increases calorie intake at an alarming rate. Apart from the calorie, you gain from alcohol, you tend to get hungrier after consuming alcohol and end up eating more than you are supposed to be eating. Alcohol being an appetiser, you lose control over what you eat and how much you eat. The release of dopamine, the hormone for pleasure and addiction leads to further cravings for alcohol and food. You know where you will end up.

 Hormonal Imbalance Leads To Weight Gain

 Alcohol consumption increases cortisol levels and decreases testosterone levels. It does not matter whether you drink occasionally or regularly. Your cortisol level goes up nevertheless. While cortisol levels cause breakdown of muscles and suppress muscle recovery after exercise, lower levels of testosterone fail to burn fat leading to beer belly. Since cortisol breaks down muscles, your muscle loss will lead to weight gain.

Ability To Burn Fat Reduces

 Consumption of alcohol affects your body’s ability to burn fat. Studies have proved that fat metabolism is reduced drastically after consuming alcohol. Hydration is essential for your body for building muscle and burning fat. Since alcohol dehydrates the body, the fat burning process is affected thus leading to weight gain. Thus, you not only intake more calories by drinking alcohol, you also slow down the fat burning process, which inevitably leads to weight gain.

Stay Addicted To Health

 Being addicted to alcohol is nothing but ruining your health, wealth, happiness and in short, your life. It is better not to categorise such harmful acts as pleasures. The true pleasure lies in staying healthy. There is no better addiction than being addicted to health – physically and mentally.

Blog, Weight Loss Tips

Exercise, workout, and gym along can’t help you drop those extra pounds in your body. You need to adopt good food habits if you want to lose weight and to stay healthy. When you say good food, it doesn’t always mean those famous diet plans nutritionists and dietitians advise and monitor. Consuming more dairy products is one inexpensive and easy way to reduce your weight as well as stay healthy.

What are dairy products?

Dairy foods are products produced using mammal milk. Dairy products can be for drinking or eating. Examples are pure milk, yoghurt, butter, curd, cheese, etc. Dairy products are usually high in energy and calcium nutrition. Humans consume dairy products from the milk of cow, goats, sheep and camels.

For quite a long time, people have kept some dairy products such as cheese, butter out of their reach because they are high in fat content which accelerates weight gain. However, new researches release evidence that dairy products can help in losing weight fast. According to researchers, if adults start using 3-5 servings of some dairies in energy restricted meals, they can gain significant weight loss. Although, increasing the dairy food without reducing the intake of energy would not help a significant weight loss.

How do dairy products help in losing weight?

Despite the fat content, dairy products usually contain a lot of nutrition elements which are essential for the human body. Dairy products are good sources of calcium, protein, zinc and some forms of vitamin B. Calcium helps for healthy and strong bones. It also helps to break down the body fat, which helps in losing weight. With dairy products, weight loss is more felt around the waist.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study that reveals that if you take fat-free milk along with your breakfast, it can keep you full for a long time, so you will eat less compared to when you have a fruit juice. This study has revealed that a person who had a glass of milk during the breakfast will consume 50 calories less during lunch. The reason for this is that milk is rich in protein and lactose and it is really thick.

The biggest complaint about the dairy products is that they are high in fat, but now there are a plenty of low fat or no fat milk, yoghurt, butter, and cheese. However, they are still rich in calcium. Hence, switching to dairy products will indeed help you stay slim and in shape while keeping you healthy.

Blog, Weight Loss Tips

If you have been thinking that stress upsets only your emotional make-up, think again. Being stressed can cause you to add weight, probably making you more anxious. Stressed state of mind is one of the many factors that induce obesity and hamper your weight loss. Let us see why and how you can reduce weight caused by stress.

Stress And Its Types

Physical and mental response to a tough situation is stress. Stress can be long term or short term and it can be positive stress or negative stress. Positive stress enhances the level of your performance while you face a tough situation. Negative stress can cause just the opposite impact by affecting your health and performance. When you feel stressed while reaching for the winning lap in a race, it can be a positive stress that motivates you to come up first.

Chronic eustress and acute eustress fall into the category of positive stress. Chronic distress and acute distress are categorised as negative stress. Chronic eustress, the good stress, motivates you and it lasts longer. Acute eustress, on the contrary, is sudden and short. You are out of this type of stress immediately after the winning moment.

Bad Stress And Health

Chronic distress, the bad stress affects your health so badly that you are susceptible to various health conditions including weight gain, migraine, diabetes, digestive problems, insomnia and heart diseases. As you are well aware, bad stress can affect you psychologically. It can make you lose focus, anxious and sad. When you are hit by bad stress, you tend to overeat and this is precisely when you start adding to your weight and stress.

How Stress Results In Weight Gain

Cortisol and adrenaline, the stress hormones are released when you are stressed. These hormones cause your cravings for carbs as well as fatty foods to increase. Your blood sugar level increases as well. Stress influences your hormones to store fat and your ability to burn fat is reduced. Various studies have proved that people gain weight when they are stressed.

Techniques To Avoid Stress Eating

Since stress can work all the way down to increase a few inches in your waistline, it is essential that you stay stress-free to avoid getting obese. Here are some simple and effective tips to help you avoid stress eating.

1) Address Cravings The Right Way: Well, you are stressed and the stress hormones play their part. Now, you crave for sugary foods. Play along, but be wise with your choice. Do not reach for foods that contain artificial sweeteners. Instead, consume foods that contain protein and magnesium. Fruits rich in vitamin C can be the right answer as vitamin C strengthens your immunity when you are stressed.

2) Study The Signals: Don’t make a quick move before you study the signals clearly. Consider if you are indeed hungry or if it is stress-induced hunger. Taking some moments off to study your body’s language will help you identify the signs. If it is cortisol behind your hunger, you don’t need food to treat it.

3) Away From The Stressful Atmosphere: If you can help it, get away from the atmosphere that causes stress and thereby tricks you to eat more. You may go for a quiet walk or you may get involved in your favourite hobby to relieve you of stress. If you are at work and hence cannot as much move from your chair, remember that there can be no barriers for a mind travel. Visualise yourself in a pleasant atmosphere that is calm and soothing.

4) Breathing Techniques: Deep breathing techniques help to lower your stress. They calm your mind instantly. Sit comfortably with closed eyes. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Watch your breath as you do so. Regular practice of breathing exercises not only soothes your mind but also improves your immunity and makes you healthier.

Food might be a tempting option when you are stressed. Weigh the consequences of stress eating before you succumb to your cravings. The techniques mentioned above will help you overcome stressful situations. Regular exercise and breathing techniques will help to keep you stress-free. It is in your mind to control your weight.

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Yoga is a wonderful practice that improves your immunity, makes you strong and of course, it will help you to see signs of weight loss fat. It does not burn the fat but it tones your butt to make it tighter and shapely. However, the overall effect yoga has on your body works to not only reduce weight but encourages flexibility as well.

Here are the top 7 yoga poses to tone your butt.

1) Warrior Pose I

 It tones your butt, neck, shoulders, arms, hips and ankles.

Procedure: 

  • Stand straight with a distance of 4 feet between your feet.
  • Let your leg foot take a 90-degree angle towards left and your right feet a 45-degree angle towards left.
  • With the legs in position, turn your upper body towards left.
  • Bend your left leg as you lower your body. Just lower it enough to have your knee in alignment with your left foot.
  • Bring your arms from the sides over your head and place your palms against each other without bending your elbows.
  • Stretch your neck by lifting your face backward. If you have severe neck pain, you may just look ahead.
  • Remain for 30 seconds in the pose.
  • Return to position and repeat the same with the other leg.

Precaution: People with high blood pressure and heart problems should refrain from practicing this pose.

2) Chair Pose

 Chair pose works to reduce excess fat overall and tones your butt. It enhances your immune power.

Procedure: 

  • Stand erect.
  • Space out your feet to maintain hip-width.
  • Slowly inhale and lift your arms above your head and place your palms together.
  • While doing step 3, lower your body to the level as if you were about to be seated on a chair.
  • Remain for 30 seconds before returning to position.

Precaution: People with arthritis and chronic knee problems should not practice this pose.

3) Half Moon Pose

The Half Moon pose firms your buttocks, thighs, and waist. It tones your abdominal muscles and improves spine flexibility.

Procedure:

  • Stand straight with your feet together.
  • Raise your arms sideways and bring them over your head to let the palms contact each other.
  • Let your elbows be straight.
  • Now bend towards your left as much as possible.
  • Remain in the pose for 30 seconds before you bend towards your right.
  • After 30 seconds, return to the position.

4) Cobra Pose

The Cobra pose tones your butt, abdominal muscles and it is good for back pain.

Procedure:

  • Lie down on your stomach with your hands by your sides.
  • Place your palms by the sides of your chest and closer.
  • Pressing the palms down, lift your upper body. Let the waist be on the floor.
  • Straighten your elbows as much as possible by giving your back a perfect arch.
  • Remain for 30 seconds in the pose before returning to position.
  • Do it twice.

Precaution: People with carpal tunnel syndrome should not practice this pose.

5) Locust Pose

It tones your butt muscles and helps your liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

Procedure:

  • Lie down on your stomach with your hands by your sides.
  • Place your chin on the floor.
  • Inhale slowly and lift your legs. Do not bend your knees.
  • Return to the position after 20 seconds.
  • Do it twice.

Precaution: People with knee ailments and injury in ankle should avoid practicing locust pose.

6) Bow Pose

Good for butt, tummy, and cures intestinal disorders.

Procedure:

  • Lie down on your stomach.
  • Bring your feet towards your waist by bending your legs.
  • Hold your ankles and pull them upwards.
  • Now, your thighs and chest are off the ground and only your abdomen stays in contact with the ground.
  • Be in the pose for 30 seconds
  • Do it twice.

Precaution: Do it under supervision if you have a severe back condition.

7) Wheel Pose

Not just your butt, the entire back muscles are toned. The pose strengthens your whole body and aids in maintaining youthfulness.

Procedure:

  • Lie down on your back.
  • Bring your feet closer to your buttock by bending your legs.
  • Space out your legs to maintain hip-width.
  • Raise your arms and bring them over your shoulders.
  • Place them beyond your shoulders on the floor. The fingers should be pointing towards your shoulders.
  • With the palms firmly pressed down, lift yourself off the floor.
  • Straighten your hands and legs.
  • Remain in the pose for 20 seconds.
  • Do it twice.

There can be no ifs and buts if you want to have a heal