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Nutrition Tips for Working Women

Nutrition Tips for Working Women   Watch our Nutrition expert Dr Padmaja Prasad give tips as to how to maintain the right diet for women who are working and find difficulty in eating food on time. She speaks about the common problems like acidity and low vitamin D and calcium levels among women and how to avoid these problems apart from weight  gain.

Right Diet

Right Diet   Watch Nutritionist, Dr. Brindavani from Rainbow Hospital, Hyderabad  speak about the  Right Diet to follow and how to reduce carbohydrates from your food and also find a healthy alternate to your regular diet. She speaks about the importance of a healthy diet and how much to eat as you grow older.  

Reduce the Muffin top

  Reduce the Muffin top   Excess Belly fat that gathers on the belly in the shape of a muffin can be exceeding odd to look and tough to reduce. The muffin top can also lead to medical conditions like stroke, heart diseases, BP and sometimes diabetes too. With a calorie free diet and regular exercise you can quickly reduce this flab. Presenting a 3-point exercise program to reduce the muffin top: Cardio- Step: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests doing 150 to 300 minutes of moderate cardio per week. Engage in cardio activities like bicycling, jogging, swimming or exercising on an elliptical machine or stair climber. HIIT Step: Incorporate high-intense interval training, also known as HIIT, in to your cardiovascular workout sessions. HIIT boosts your metabolism for hours after finishing your workout, resulting in more calories burned. Strength Step : Strength training maintains and increases muscle tissue, which uses up more energy than fat to sustain itself. You burn more calories, even after finishing your workout. Target all your major muscle groups with two to three sets of each exercise and eight to 12 repetitions per set. Apart from the above you can also add different exercises to your routine like circuit training, which increases your caloric burn. During circuit training you're doing a series of strength-training exercises without resting in between sets. You can combine both cardio and strength training.

Fitness Secret Of Bipasha Basu

Fitness Secret Of Bipasha Basu       Among all Bollywood heroines, Bipasha Basu is one of the most fittest lady. Her stats have always been a source of envy and a dream of every girl and that is 36-28-36. The 5 feet 8 inches dusky beauty maintains a strict fitness regime. Her food habits are disciplined and her daily routine is also organized. Bipasha works out in the following pattern.  1. Treadmill - 20 Minutes 2. Cycling - 20 Minutes 3. Cross Trainer - 10 Minutes.  Bipasha takes a day off from the entire week.  Day 1 - Upper Body Workout Day 2 - Concentration on abs Day 3 - Lower Body and Legs Workout Day 4 - A fixed gluteus regime Day 5 - Upper Body Workout again Day 6 - A combo of abs and gluteus exercise  Bipasha's Diet :  Egg whites in whichever form possible, steamed fish, nuts, green tea, vegetables like broccoli and mushrooms etc. Fresh fruit juices and coconut water for a glowing beautiful skin. 

Pray to get rid of our flabby arms

Pray to get rid of our flabby arms     Flabby upper arms are the toughest part to work on and the last to go for those working out on a weight loss program. We have to admit it that they are a bit stubborn to work on. There are many exercises to get rid of those flabby arms like arm stretches, vigorous rolling of the hands and the classic windmill rotation where you move your arms like the fans of a windmill. Another exercise which can be done anywhere, at home, at work, at the park or if you are simply doing nothing is the Prayer Pose exercise. This exercise is highly effective  on the upper arms and is easy to do. The Prayer Pose Exercise Join your hands in a praying pose above your head. Bring your joined palms down to the front of your chest. Raise your joined hands again and repeat this up down motion. Joining the hands together like you are greeting a person with a Namasthe, engages your triceps and when you move your hand up and down will help you work on your biceps. The combined effect will help in toning your arms. But this has to be done in a set of 30 to 40 repetitions each, for you to have the desired results. You need to feel the burn in your upper arms which is an indication that you are doing it correctly. If you are doing Yoga/exercise early in the morning, you could try combining this exercise as another Salutation to the Sun!

Summer Pool - Fitness

Summer Pool - Fitness   Summer is the best time to  work out and lose weight and Swimming is one great way to that. Splash ,swim and work out with no fancy gadgets .All you need is a swim suit and if your are sacred of water –it doesn’t matter , just stick to the shallow side. But you never know you could also end up learning how to swim and for those who already know, it’s time to brush up the other styles of swimming. When it comes to working out in the pool first get in and get accustomed to the water. After walking around you could start by holding on to the side bar/rod of the pool and work on kicking your legs - do flutter kicks and frog kicks. You can also use the edge of the pool to keep your balance while doing leg lifts to work the muscles on your tummy, legs and bottom. Do 10 sets each of lifting your leg in front of you, to the side, and behind you. Run in the water to increase your heart rate. If you think you are going to lose balance and fall just hold on to the rod. And if you do just hold your breath and you will get back up. While standing you could also do vigorous jumping and twisting while holding the rod for improving your muscle strength. Face up and hold the rod and cycle in the water .You could increase the push and test yourself as to how fast you can do this.The added advantage is that you wont feel the pressure on your knees and it is good for people who are slightly on the heavier side. Enjoy Summer and splash in the pool along with your friends or kids and also get into shape!

Freeze your fat away

 Freeze your fat away    A new way to cut down your fat by freezing away fat.This process called  cryolipolysis, uses cold instead of heat to break down fat cells. It has been around for a few years but the latest treatment uses a new technology to make it more effective and pain-free. The ProShock Ice combines two technologies to eliminate fat and tighten skin.  First, a small plate-like device is placed directly on to the skin over the areas to be treated and then rapidly cooled. This process destroys the fat cells which are then eliminated from the body naturally over the following weeks. The second stage of the treatment uses high-pressure acoustic waves to smooth and tighten the skin. To derive good results you need to take a course of four to six treatments and not to forget mentioning, pay a bomb for this treatment. Source: lesleyreynolds.com

5 benefits of lemon, Honey and Warm Water

5 benefits of lemon, Honey and Warm Water   Drinking a glass of warm water with honey and lemon early in the morning is good for health. A age old adage which is prescribed by naturopaths, fitness instructors and dietitians. Check these 5 reasons why drinking warm water with lemon and honey is good for your health. The benefit of drinking this mixture early in the morning is that it helps hydrate your system and also improves your immunity. Improves digestion: Lemon, honey and warm water combined help give your digestion an instant boost. Lemon helps your digestive system by adding to the already present acid and assists it in flushing out unwanted toxins. Antibacterial: Honey acts as an antibacterial and beats any infections that might be present in your body. It also helps in the production of intestinal mucus which aids in the flushing out of toxins from the body. Cleans lymphatic system: Lack of water and essential fluids in the lymphatic system can make you feel sluggish and fatigued, lead to constipation, disturbed sleep, high or low blood pressure, stress and an all-round lack in mental function. Energy booster: The honey-lemon-warm water  concoction acts as an instant energy booster – minus the calories. Water helps clear your mind by providing fresh blood to your brain, and lemon activates negatively charged enzymes in your stomach – a great way to combat positively charged enzymes that react with the food you eat adversely, leading to it being digested poorly. Helps in weight loss:  Apart from its properties of cleansing the stomach, lemon present in the mixture contains a type of fiber called pectin that helps make you feel full and keeps cravings at bay. The warm water, honey and lemon also creates a more alkaline atmosphere in your stomach helping you lose weight faster.

All about Phytonutrients

All about Phytonutrients   Phytonutrients are natural plant chemicals and nutrients, found in fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and legumes. They naturally protect their plants against viruses, bacteria, and fungi. As a result, they act as scavengers of free radicals in our cells, slow the aging process, strengthen the immune system, and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.  Cooking and processing can destroy the phytonutrients in foods. Some remain in cooked foods, but the best way to get them in their most useful form is to eat raw or slightly steamed. The optimal function of any of these phytochemicals depends on the other chemicals normally found along with them. That's why vitamins and minerals taken by themselves sometimes just doesn't seem to work, they should be taken with whole foods for effective use.  Phytonutrients are present in:  Flax seeds, a good source of Omega-3 fats, lowers cholesterol and can inhibit the growth of estrogen-stimulated breast cancers.  Citrus fruits, as they contain phytochemicals with anti tumor and antioxidant properties.  Red wine and grape juice, as they contain phenols and red anthocyanins that protect against heart disease. Garlic and onions, as they are rich in allylsulfides, which reduce cancer risk and blood clotting. Green tea, as it has antioxidant flavonoids called Catechins.

5 minute Fitness for your Lower half

5 minute Fitness for your Lower half   We found this interesting routine which you can do in 5 minutes which focuses on your lower half of your body especially you legs and buttocks. For this 5 minute routine you need to go for each of the five moves as hard as you can for 50 seconds, rest for 10, and then go right into the next one. All you'll need is a pair of heavy dumbbells and sweat it out with these moves given below. 1. Glute Bridge Raise one leg, and switch legs after 25 seconds. You can also raise your arms so they're pointing straight up or lift your toes off the ground. 2. Swing with Dumbbells Hold the heavier-weight dumbbells as you swing your arms forward. 3. Alternating Curtsy Lunge Hold the heavier-weight dumbbells as you lunge forward. 4. Low Sumo Squat Hold the heavier weight as you squat. 5. Iso-Explosive Squat Now this is the toughest one and a test for your endurance. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back naturally arched, lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause for 4 seconds. Then jump explosively as high and as fast as you can. Once your feet hit the floor, lower your body and repeat. And all this with your dumbbells. The routine may be for 5 minutes but the magic lies in the dumbbell that you use for working out which has a great impact on the legs and lower body.

Eat healthy while you Work

Eat healthy while you Work      One of the travails of a working woman is missing out on good meal either during breakfast or lunch. Most of us prefer to skip the breakfast due to lack of time in the morning or in an effort to lose weight. It is a known fact that eating breakfast can keep you healthy throughout the day so make sure to enjoy a nutritious breakfast like fresh fruit slices, oats, cereal and a slice of whole-wheat toast if you don’t have the time to make an elaborate breakfast. Skipping breakfast decreases your metabolism so whenever you don’t have time to eat, make sure pack your breakfast or lunch. Drinking orange juice, skim milk and plain brewed coffee can help you stay healthy while at work. Avoid those vending machine Tea and coffees as they are packed with sugar and can cause weight gain. Drink lots of water and stay hydrated come summer or winter.  Choose a healthy lunch like brown rice along with vegetables gives you the extra dietary fibre and has many health benefits compared to white rice. You could alternate with Rotis and brown bread sandwiches for keeping your tummy full and  can keep you healthy while at work.  

Lovingly Handle those Love Handles

Lovingly Handle those Love Handles    There isn't much to love about those love handles and they can be pretty challenging to get rid of. Since love handle fat is on the side of the abdominal area, you need to target the abdominal muscles and really work hard on them to target them precisely.  So here's a good strategy for lovingly let go of your love handles . Apart from having a fat free diet ,do a rigorous 30-minute cardio session every other day and do it for 6 days a week. Now for the love handles add these 4 –sets of exercises specifically for a 10-minute each to work on the love handles.    1. Standard Sit Ups  To perform this exercise properly, start by laying flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Bring your hands together behind your neck, supporting your head. Look up to the sky. As you exhale your breath, use the muscles in your abdomen to lift your chest towards the sky. Inhale your breath, and lower your body back to the starting position.     2. Oblique Sit Ups  The oblique sit ups are more tough compared to the standard sit ups. Position your body in the manner like the Standard Sit Up. Now allow your knees to fall towards one side of your body. Perform the sit up by raising your chest towards the sky and do two sets of 10 repetitions of the oblique sit ups.    3. Side Planks   To do this exercise, start by laying on your right side on an exercise or yoga mat. Make sure your legs are extended completely out to the side. Rest your right elbow on the ground, with your forearm on the ground. Look straight in front of you. As you exhale your breath, use the muscles in your abdomen and obliques to lift your torso and upper legs off the ground. Keep your hips and core elevated. 4. Cycle Crunches  To perform this exercise, lay flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground. Bring your hands behind your neck, supporting your head. Exhale your breath deeply, and raise your chest towards the sky while at the same time twisting your torso slightly to one side. Bring your right elbow to your left knee, and then lower your body back to the ground. Next, lift your chest towards the sky, bringing your left elbow to your right knee. Repeat all these exercises until you have performed two sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise.

Goat's Milk?

Goat's Milk? Not all of us are open to even thinking of goat's milk to drink. A few of us might have heard a voice in the streets selling Goat's milk, early in the morning. There are quite a good number of families in India who still prefer it to Cow's/ Buffalo's milk. They even feed it to infants. I have personally heard some American friends tell me that they have tasted Goat's milk and cheese and liked the taste and richness of the texture. Research and Doctors state that  Goat's Milk can be a good replacement for breast milk for the first ten to twelve months, but only in diluted form, 3 parts goat's milk and 1 part water.  Goat's milk is believed to be more easily digestible and less allergenic than Cow's milk. Unlike Cow's milk, goat's milk does not contain Agglutinin. As a result, the fat globules in goat's do not cluster together, making then easier to digest. Goat's milk contains more of the essential fatty acids Linoleic and Arachidonic than Cow's, in addition to a higher proportion of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids; these are easier for intestinal enzymes to digest.    Doctors are recommending Goat's milk for Infants who  are allergic to Cow's milk. It contains only  trace amounts of an allergenic casein protein Alpha that is found in Cow's milk. Casein in goat's is similar to human milk and hence creates not much digestive trouble in the child's tummy. Goat's milk forms softer protein clumps by the action of the stomach acid, which makes the protein more easily and rapidly digestible. Less reflux is seen in Children on goat's milk compared to Cow's milk. Many mothers who tried Goat's milk have described their children tolerating goat's milk better than Cow's.

Shoes that fit Right

Shoes that fit Right     Choosing the right shoe for your work out can be real headache .If you are the running and jogging type you need to buy something that suits both and if you are into doing floor exercises you need to buy what suits the hard floor. Choosing the right shoe is very important to avoid any kind of damage to your feet and muscles. Catherine Cheung, DPM, a podiatrist and foot surgeon with the Post Street Surgery Center in San Francisco, says runners land more on their forefoot while walkers have a heavier heel strike. "So for running," she says, "you want a shoe that has more cushioning on the forefoot, while walking shoes should have stiffer rubber to support the heel." Now the latest fad is to buy a good cross-trainer shoe which will allow you to do the treadmill, walk on the hard road and some  light jogging," Kathleen Stone, DPM, President of the American Podiatric Medical Association, says.  To choose a good cross-trainer, you should look for: • A firm heel • Good support -you shouldn’t be able to bend the shoe too easily • Light weight -you don’t want to add a lot of weight  to your feet But if you are going to participate in a particular sport on a regular basis you should choose a specific shoe as they give the right support for the activity you engage in like running, trekking, marathons, gym floors.

Fitness with sticks and dance

Fitness with sticks and dance   A new form of exercise called Pound, where a  Los Angeles-based workout created by two fitness buffs  Cristina Peerenboom and Kirsten Potenza where you use drumsticks instead of the typical free weight for exercising. The difference is that the sticks used called RipStix weigh a pound each and are the movements are like you are drumming on a drum pad. Only that you would be drumming hard either in the air or on the floor and tapping your way to a toner body. According to Peerenboom and Potenza, “striking the ground and simulating drumming allows the participant to hear and see the body working symmetrically in form and exertion. This teaming of sound and motion is absent from all other workouts available today.” And because of this non-stop motion, you can sweat and burn up to 900 calories during an hour-long class. Now after reading this you might think of something familiar which we Indians have been doing since ages. Yes! The Traditional Kolatam in South India and the Dandia in North India. The amount of practice put in to perfect these steps paramount’s to a fantastic work out and there is no need to limit this to the festival times. You can form a group of friends, put on some foot tapping Bollywood numbers and do these dance exercises. Innovate the hand and leg movements and increase and decrease the tempo for an effective workout. But remember to increase the weight of the sticks for the added toning of the arms and enjoy the benefits of a well-toned body.

Improve your Running Temp

Improve your Running Tempo If you are the avid runner or jogger and used to having your favourite tunes playing on your mobile especially if it is a iPhone , news is that they have designed an app that is extremely easy to use and allows you to accommodate every aspect of your fitness routine and track it. An easy fun app called the TempoRun has become one of the easiest ways to check how you’re running or jogging routine helps your cardiovascular activity. It can be synced with your iTunes library and even if you don’t have any songs in your songs library it has streaming TempoRadio powered by SoundCloud, which provides thousands of songs pre- categorized by tempo and genre Best of all, it also functions as a pedometer that tracks your performance, records the workout history and helps you improve upon your previous best time. It lets you tap out song's tempos yourself with its innovative beats per minute (BPM) tapper to make sure your beats are perfect. It categorizes your existing music library into different tempo levels 1-10, with 1 being a walk, 5 being a jog, and 10 being a sprint. It lets you know how far you have run, for how long or the number of calories you burned? The user profile displays all relevant running statistics such as distance, time and calories burned.

Yoga For Vertigo Problem

Yoga For Vertigo Problem Swdharma Yogi Dr. C.V. Rao of Kapila Maharshi Yoga Kendram presents yogic postures for treating people with Vertigo problems. He advises people with Vertigo to do these asanas step by step and how these asanas are beneficial for balancing the body and improving blood circulation to the brain which in turn can help in treating Vertigo.  

Fight cellulite with Fat

Fight cellulite with Fat   Cellulite - a bane for any woman and which affects close to 90% of the woman worldwide is basically a term used to describe the crinkled and uneven appearance of skin caused by fat deposits below the skin. Although scientists don't know exactly what causes it, it's believed to be related to the body's inability to get rid of toxins, fat and fluid which become trapped under the skin and cause fibrous tissue to become hard, which is responsible for producing the dreaded dimpling effect. There are various methods for improving the skin like massages, exercises, drinking lots of water ,expensive creams and visits to the doctor- but there is one new tip to fight cellulite i.e., with fat! Yes, it’s true ! Studies in science show that eating fat could help with reducing cellulite. But not just any fat - a special kind of fatty acid known as CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that's found in beef. In a study conducted in Beverly Hills, California (and published in the Advances in Therapy Journal by Dr Lawrence Birnbaum) 60 females were given CLA for 60 days and 'in as many as 75% of the women, the appearance of the skin improved significantly, and thigh circumference was reduced by an average of 0.88 inch.' Now if you are a vegetarian not to worry you get these in a capsule form which are tad bit expensive to procure and buy.

Sneak Peak on Organic milk

Sneak Peak on Organic milk   Organic Milk and Alternatives: Organic milk is not  easily found in Indian markets and they are also comparatively expensive, anywhere in the world. But its good for health to consume organic milk as the cows, buffalos that produce milk are fed and treated free of pesticides, artificial hormones and antibiotics. Its even more important for kids to consume organic food as their bodies can't cope with toxins easily. If you find organic milk in tetra packs at the stores, considering to buy them is actually feasible as organic milk stays fresh longer than non-organic milk, and so instead of throwing away ordinary milk after the expiry date, you can use the organic version without fear as they are pasteurized differently. Another affordable option would be milk labeled "rBGH-free" or "rBST-free", these products are generally cheaper and donot have artificial hormones  though not completely organic.   Pump up the potassium: According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, increasing potassium intake in conjunction with decreasing sodium may lower the risk of high blood pressure. Fill your diet with potassium rich products including fruits, vegetables and low-fat or fat-free milk or  yoghurt. But for people suffering from kidney disease: High potassium levels may cause an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack. 

Follow her fitness plan

Follow her fitness plan   We have seen many star children who have made their entry into filmdom and have been successful too. But their success story was not so simple. They have put in a lot of hard work in training to act, emote and the most important of all  to get into shape and stay slim and fit. We found this interesting information about actress Sonakshi Sinha’s fitness regime which helped her loose 30 kgs and we thought that it should be defiantly shared with you. Before she entered films she was 90 kgs due to a highly inactive lifestyle and junk food eating. So to change that she went into a strict diet and workout routine. Work-out routine Apart from the  cardio  and weight training, she also included cycling, tennis, swimming and functional training in her routine. Thrice-a-week, she also did hot yoga to help her lose weight and tone her body. Diet She gave up her favourite dishes stopped eating junk food completely and started eating well-balanced meals. She was on a high-protein, low-carb diet to support her strenuous work out. .  Eating small meals every three hours helped her keep her energy high and burn more calories. Here’s what her diet plan consisted of: Breakfast: Cereal and milk or whole wheat toast Mid morning: Some dry fruits and a cup of green tea Lunch: Home-made roti and sabzi with salad Evening: A fruit or a cup of green tea Dinner: Dinner was eaten early and consisted of only protein food like dal, chicken, egg whites and fish. She did not have carbohydrates after 6 pm. She had  green tea throughout the day and also a lot of water to keep her hydrated The gym sessions caused a lot of pain and aches but she kept motivating herself and challenging herself with losing hope and eventually lost 30 kgs. This hasn't ended here and she is still continuing with her regime and looks fab. A success story that we could learn  and imbibe from.