Maybe a few of us dream to look like a supermodels, but absolutely everyone aspires to be fit and look good! It’s really interesting how a little change in your fitness routine can accelerate your chances of achieving your goals. Exercise and a balanced diet plan will not only get you a fit body, but even a sharp mind! Contrary to what many people think, strength training is as important, maybe more important to successful fat loss than aerobic exercise. Spending hours a day doing cardio workouts may not be the best solution to tone and trim your body; you burn calories, yes, but you are mostly burning your muscle instead of fat, which would make you look flabby and leave you tired. This is where adopting a serious weight lifting routine comes to your rescue, especially for women, who find it harder to build muscle. So read on to find out why is weight-training important, and how should you go about it.(img credit: google images)

Muscle vs Fat
“Losing weight” is synonyous with “losing fat, not muscle“. Muscle tissue is very active–it burns a lot of calories. Every pound of muscle burns about 35 calories per day. Since there are 3500 calories in a pound of fat, you would gain almost one pound of fat per month just from the muscle mass that you lost! Inactive adults lose around one-half pound of muscle per year, or five pounds per decade. Since most people continue to eat as much as usual, if you take in more calories than you burn, the extra calories get stored as fat. Fat is less dense then muscle, which means that as you lose muscle and gain fat, your weight might remain the same over the years, but your waistline will continue to expand!

Strength Training Versus Aerobic Exercise
How can you lose and keep off extra fat? You need to increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the pace your body burns calories at rest. Your RMR is closely linked to the amount of muscle you have. Depending on the intensity and your weight, an aerobic workout (walking, cycling, stair stepping) will burn approximately 300 calories per hour, elevating the RMR temporarily up to a few hours, compared to strength training which elevates the RMR permanently. The RMR accounts for 60 to 75 percent of your daily calorie expenditure, so even a modest increase will help burn off more fat. This does not mean that overweight individuals shouldn’t do aerobic exercise; it should be a part of a successful weight loss program. It’s just that aerobic exercise by itself may not be the best solution for permanent weight (fat) loss.

So here are some basic requirements to get a fit and well-toned body:

Lower Body Workout
To improve your lower body, you must perform compound weight lifting exercises using a sufficient amount of weight. You should choose weight that allows you to do 5-10 repetitions before your muscles give up. Your lower-body workout should mainly include squats, deadlifts, leg press, and lunges. Free weights are the best, but if they are a bit too much for you, the exercise machines can surely help, though they are not as effective as free weights. Most importantly, Do Not be afraid of bulking up! As long as you don’t eat more calories than your body is burning, it will not get bigger by weight lifting!

Upper-Body Workout
Your back, abs, arms, and shoulders all have the potential to carry a significant amount of muscle mass, too. Like with your legs, it’s important that you choose a heavy-enough resistance, or weight. The heavier the weight and the more intense the workout is overall, the greater your post-workout caloric burn will be.

Repetitions and Intensity of Weights
Every individual’s body works differently, so talk to a trainer and decide on how much weight you should lift and what would be the deal number of repetitions to do. Always start with lower weights with 2-3 sets comprising of 7-13 repetitions per set. Keep breathing (do not hold your breath) normally and lift and lower the weights slowly to get the maximum benefit. The basic rule is to Exhale while lifting weight and Inhale while lowering it down.

Combine with Cardio
As unfair as it may seem, it’s common for men to be able to get and stay lean just by working out with weights and following a healthy diet. But for women who have a lower metabolic rate, cardio combined with weghts is very important. So try aiming for 30-40 minute of cardio workout at least 3 times a week. Try alternating between machines or routines to achieve maximum benefit.

Don’t be afraid of weights; as long as you do it wisely, a consistent 30-minute workout as described above performed 2 -3 times per week is enough to get you lose those inches and make you fit and strong. It will keep you energetic and mentally alert too. But always remember that your body is your best guide. If you feel sore or weak, stop immediately and evaluate your program again. Talk about this with your physician and personal trainer and add strength-training to your workout routine today!! Compliment this with Healthy Eating and you would be ready to take the first step to a healthier body!

NOTE: The author is not a licensed nutritionist or physical trainer. Please use this article as a reference and discuss the best solution with your physician or trainer before following these tips.

The suggestions below will not be new to a lot of you, and yet, as I said, it’s always a good practice to revisit your eating habits. Just take a printout and put it on your fridge where you and your family can look at it every day. Its also a great way to make your kids aware of how important it is to watch what you eat! These daily dietery changes can keep you away from obesity and a lot of other health problems!

Never Skip your Breakfast - This is the most important meal of the day, and try to incorporate fresh fruit, unsweetened fruit juice, cereal with skim or 1% milk, low-fat muffins, oat and whole wheat breads in your breakfast. Cut your intake of syrups, whip cream and butter to half if possible.

Order Smaller Portions - It’s not forbidden to eat out, but try to go for smaller portions or share dishes with friends. Also limit high-fat, high-calorie toppings and condiments, such as bacon, cheese, mayonnaise, sauces and dressings.

Space out Your Meals - Its very important to eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in over-eating. When you’re very hungry, it’s also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Have at least 4-5 meals a day and divide your calorie intake between them.

Choose Broiled or Grilled over Fried - This option cuts out so much fat and calories with just a little compromise on the taste. And with proper seasonings and sauces, you might not even know the difference!

Choose Lean Meat and Green Salads - Salads are healthy, but they can become high-calorie because of the dressings and other additions. Load your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables, or healthy lean meats like turkey or chicken. Choose low-fat or fat-free dressings and limit cheese, eggs and croutons. Try home-made dressings so you can choose what gos inside!

Beware of Sauces and Condiments - You’d be surprised at how many calories are loaded in mayonnaise, ketchup, sauces and condiments, and they have a very high sodium content too! Avoid these or go for lighter options when possible.

Switch to Olive Oil - Even when you are sauteeing your veggies, use wine or olive oil or canola oil instead of regular vegetable oil. Use nonstick cookware or cooking sprays to eliminate the need for oil or butter.

Enjoy Your Food - Sounds silly, but this is really important. Science has proved that it takes at least 20 minutes for the brain to register that you have eaten enough and it sends out “I am full” messages. So chew your food instead of gulping it down; relax and enjoy your meal as it can even psychologically elevate your moods.

These are simple daily habits that you can incorporate slowly. Changing your eating style can do wonders for your body and mind. Get to know your Healthy Foods and add them to your meals. Its alright to indulge in your favorite foods, but just make sure you don’t over-do it, and make up for it the next day. Just keep these tips in mind and enjoy your food. Your body will definitely thank you for it!

For more articles on Food, Recipes, Health and Nutrition, visit Fun and Food

I know a lot of us rely on sodas to quench our thirst during the day, but the more I look at those soda cans, the more revolted I feel, and wish they would all be replaced by fresh fruit or vegetable juices! The world would be a much more healthier place if only we understood the importance of water and juices. Sodas have incredibly little nutritional value and in addition to that they have huge amounts of sugar, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors that do no good to your body. The sugar will give you a major energy spike, but that will soon wear off, leaving you more tired than you were prior to drinking the soda. This is due to your body burning some of your energy reserves during the spike, without having them properly replenished.

Fresh juice, on the other hand, has large quantity of nutrients, minerals and vitamins, something that your body really needs, and can absorb very easily as they are easy to digest. The water content also helps keep up your meatabolism and eliminate waste and toxins.

Citrus fruits have substances that make it easier for your body to remove carcinogens, thus decreasing the chance of contracting cancer. Grapes contain a phytochemical that appears to protect each cells’ DNA from damage.

Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnip greens, red beets, peppers, garlic, onions, leeks, and chives are but a few of the vegetables that appear to have cancer-preventing phytochemicals.

Enzymes are your body’s work force, acting as catalysts in hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions that take place insode the body. Fresh juices are a tremendous source of enzymes, which are lost in cooked food as the latter are destroyed by heat.

In addition, fruit and vegetable juices are good sources of the traditional nutrients. Citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, lemons,etc.) provide healthy portions of vitamin C. Carrot juice contains large quantities of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene. A number of green juices are a good source of vitamin E. And most of them are a good source of essential minerals like iron, copper, potassium, sodium, iodine, and magnesium.

But again, the key point here is that you can avail all these benefits, only when you intake Fresh Juice (consumed immediately), which is best available by using a standard juicer at home or work. Any juice that is taken within 5-6 hours after it is made retains all its essential nutrients and is the most benefecial to the body. Whether you are on a diet, or just need to maintain a healthy and fit body, look to fresh juices as an alternative to coffee and sodas.

Here are a few fresh juice recipes to kickstart your day!

Beetroot-Cucumber-Ginger Juice

Tropical Fruit Punch Lemonade

Feed your body what it deserves to be fed, and march towards a healthier you!

For a long time now, I’ve been hearing about the health benefits of Green Tea, and when I see the skinny Chinese and Asians roaming around in my office sipping tall cups of green tea or herb tea, I am all the more intrigued to find the truth behind the hype of this tea, and why it is labeled to be “healthy,” and whether there is any real substance to this claim. I finally decided to get all the information about this herbal concoction, and here I present to you the facts, with the associated myths, to help you make your own choice.

Ordinary tea, as most people know it, comes from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. There are three main types of tea: green tea, oolong tea, and black tea, categorized according to their oxidation levels (called the fermentation process). Green tea is steamed, baked, or pan heated to prevent oxidation and thus the leaves remain green. Unlike green tea, oolong tea is partially fermented, and black tea is fully fermented. So why is green tea getting all the attention in the health world? It’s mainly because of the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG), the main component considered good for one’s health which is preserved in green tea but lost in oolong and black varieties when fermented. Antioxidants are thought to prevent free radicals.

A little scientific knowledge is in order here. What is a “free radical,” you may ask. Well, in scientific sense, a free radical is any molecular species capable of independent existence, that contains one or more unpaired electrons not contributing to intermolecular bonding, and is, in that sense, “free.” In the human body, oxidized free radicals are believed to cause tissue damage at the cellular level, causing damage to our DNA, mitochondria and cell membrane, and have often been referred to as one of the causes attributed to aging, cancer, heart disease, and other human ailments harmful to one’s health, which are aggravated by things such as excessive alcohol intake, smoking, and various chemical exposures. To prevent free radicals from damaging the body, the latter uses a defense system of antioxidants.

The Truth
Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged, and green tea has EGCG as an anti-oxidant which is found to be 100 times more effective than vitamin C, 25 times more effective than Vitamin E and twice as powerful as its peers!

Limited studies have shown gargling with green tea may prevent cavities, and it may slow the course of arthritis by reducing inflammation and retarding cartilage breakdown. Early research on a product called FertilityBlend, which contains green tea extracts, shows it may help women to conceive. Regular consumption of green tea is purported to possibly reduce the risk of heart attack and clogged arteries. This drink may also help asthma sufferers. Because it contains theophylline (a muscle relaxant), it can help the muscles surrounding bronchial tubes to relax easily. It is also seen to aid in lowering blood pressure by preventing blood clots.

Myth: Green Tea is a Miracle Fat Burner
Green Tea definitely helps boost your metabolism, but the story ends there. There are two reasons why it CANNOT cause your body to burn large amounts of fat. First, the actual increase in your metabolism from Green Tea is very small, even if you take multiple doses of Green Tea each day. And second, your body probably gets used to this. It can be a prudent choice as it is free of sugar and calories that other beverages may be loaded with. So drink it for its other health benefits, not because someone told you that it’ll help you lose weight fast!

Myth: Green Tea Prevents Cancer
There is some supporting evidence to this statement, but most of the supporting research has been done on animals, and not humans. It’s not hard to believe, considering the antioxidant properties of tea, but that it prevents prostate and other cancers is still disputable, and has not yet won the FDA approval. NCI - National Cancer Institute recently did a study which concluded that drinking green tea has limited antitumor benefit for prostate cancer patients.

My Conclusion: The fact that there are several health benefits packed in these tiny green leaves is irrefutable. Some have already been publicized, but there are plenty that are still to find fame. The ongoing research suggests that in the coming years, we will surely see this player make its impact in the health industry. Meanwhile, besides the fact that it isn’t a real tasty drink, I see no harmful effects in drinking green tea, and I am going to continue drinking it. Hope this article helps you in making a right choice too.

For source and more details about this article, click here.