8 Steps to Fix Leaky Gut

8 Steps to Fix Leaky Gut

The human gut plays a big role in the digestion system and the immune system of the human body.

It takes part in the digestion and absorption of key nutrients in the foods we eat.

During absorption it only allows certain nutrients, food particles and chemical compounds from food to pass through it to your bloodstream.

When the gut is infected or injured it may allow toxic materials and undigested food into your bloodstream.

This ultimately causes malnutrition, indigestion, and problems in the absorption of nutrients.

Leaky gut syndrome can also lead to other diseases when it is not dealt with appropriately.

This syndrome can be managed and treated with certain health procedures explained in this article.

1. Avoid Too Much Sugar, Alcohol, And Coffee

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Your health is generally a result of the things you take into your body.

The first thing you should do is to do away with your bad eating habits.

Refined sugar or foods that contain processed sugar have little nutrient concentrations.

They give good conditions for the growth of yeast and bacteria in your digestive system.

These microorganisms gradually release toxins that damage the gut wall making it leak.

Alcohol consumption affects your health with time.

Continuous consumption of it may increase the permeability of your gut.

This may later graduate to symptoms of the leaky gut syndrome. 

2. Remove Allergens From Your Food Diet

When managing your diet for a healthy gut, food allergens should be your first concern.

Some of these allergens include cow milk, egg allergens, soy, alcoholic products and some types of groundnuts.

These allergens especially gluten are known to cause the leaky gut syndrome.

You should adjust your diet by eliminating these foods.

Then take a detox diet for some time to cleanse the gut and intestines from the toxins.

A detoxification diet restores bacterial balance in your gut allowing bacteria that are helpful to thrive.

After completing the cleansing process you should consult a nutritionist for the proper planning of your diet.

This is a precaution to avoid the reoccurrence of any allergens in your diet.

3. Hydrate Your Body

Water is a very important component in healthy living.

It helps in the proper functioning of every organ in your body.

You should be able to consume at least 8 to 10 glasses of water or other fluids a day in order to maintain a healthy water concentration in your body.

When your organs are not well hydrated they may have difficulties in passing waste products.

This may cause problems like constipation.

Water helps the gut to adequately perform its functions of digestion.

Avoid alcoholic and sugary drinks.

Pure water is much more effective than other drinks containing water.

4. Take A Fiber-Rich Diet

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Foods that contain fiber help a lot in keeping your body organs healthy.

Fiber ensures smooth digestion and maintains a healthy digestion tract.

It has a range of benefits ranging from maintaining blood sugar levels to minimizing the chances of acquiring certain digestive tract diseases like the leaky gut syndrome.

Fiber also increases the number of helpful bacteria around your gut.

These bacteria positively affect the susceptibility of your gut and the body to diseases.

You should have a variety of fiber-rich foods so as to achieve the minimum daily fiber intake.

This fiber consumption varies from male to female.

Foods that are highly concentrated with fiber include grainy foods like beans, fruits, and vegetables.

5. Lubricate Your Gut And Digestive System

Healthy fats can help in the health of your gut and digestive system in general.

These fats should contain EFAs, omega 3 and 6.

They help the smooth muscle cells and the nervous system cells found in the gut to lubricate the gut walls.

These fats also ease peristaltic movements which ultimately prevents constipation.

Fat-soluble vitamins are used in the building and maintaining of the gut lining.

These vitamins are easily absorbed after being dissolved in the fat.

EFAs that are not manufactured in the body are obtained from fatty foods.

They can be found in foods like eggs, olive oil, avocado and fatty fish like salmon. 

6. Eliminate Yeast And Bad Bacteria

Yeast and other harmful bacteria release toxins such as mycotoxins and exotoxins that interfere with the normal operations of the gut.

They latch onto the mucosal lining in the gut which leads to increased permeability of the gut walls.

You can prevent the entry of these pathogens to your digestive system by avoiding foods with active yeast like baked products.

And foods which contain nutrients that encourage fungal growth.

When maintaining gut health in case of leaky gut syndrome you can take an anti-fungal remedy.

This helps in removing the pathogens in your gut.

7. Restore Helpful Bacteria

The number of good bacteria in your gut should be balanced.

Leaky gut syndrome reduces the quantity of these bacteria in the gut.

To have a healthy gut you should restore these bacteria and maintain a balance.

These bacteria help in proper digestion and absorption.

They also minimize the probability of disease in the gut.

These bacteria can be restored through food and supplements.

Foods rich in fiber also encourage their growth.

Probiotic foods like preserved fruits and kefir fermented vegetables contain good bacteria and may help to replenish your gut’s good bacteria count.

You can also take probiotic supplements with relevant dosage from a medical practitioner.

8. Repair And Rebuild Your Gut Lining

In order to fully ensure your gut health after suffering from the leaky gut syndrome, you should repair and rebuild your gut lining which may have been damaged by the disease.

Glutamine helps in restoring the structure of the gut.

It is produced in the body as an amino acid.

Glutamine protects the gut from irritations and the intestinal walls from damage by both internal and foreign materials.

This amino acid can also be supplemented by raw foods like Aloe Vera, eggs, cabbages and legumes.

You should regularly visit a doctor for advice or medical treatment when you suffer from leaky gut syndrome.

To be on the safer side you should be proactive to prevent getting any gut infections.

Avoid habits like smoking and poor diets so as to not introduce pathogens to your body.

These procedures will help you recover from leaky gut syndrome and also guide you through restoring your gut to its normal state.

10 Techniques for a Perfect Bubble Butt

10 Techniques for a Perfect Bubble Butt

Butts got huge in the last few years.

Maybe you are feeling like you are being left behind, or you have always wanted a perfectly shaped bubble butt.

Have no fear, with these 10 techniques for a perfect bubble butt you will finally achieve the dream shape of your butt.

But, a strong behind is not just important for aesthetic reasons.

It helps with your posture and can reduce the pain in your joints, knees, and back.

The beauty of our list is that you can do most of these exercises at home and get a free bubble butt.

1. Eating right

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No matter if you want a nicely shaped or a big bubble butt, eating right is essential.

You need to eat enough calories.

You also need to eat the right amount of protein and carbs.

Protein will help your muscles repair faster and make your glutes stronger.

The right amount of carbs will either help your butt grow or help it stay the size you want it to be while you shape it with various exercises.

On average you should eat 0.4 grams of protein per pound of your body weight.

2. Make toning your butt something you do every day.

This does not mean that you have to work on your bubble butt all the time.

It just means that you can take advantage of your everyday life and situations to further tone it.

For example, take the stairs and not the lift.

Walking up the stairs is a great exercise in general.

If you are already doing that, make it harder for yourself and walk two stairs at a time instead of just one.

Be mindful of how you walk.

Watch your posture.

The more correct your walk the more stress it places on your glutes.

3. Do squats

When you see bubble butt pics they are usually some kind of model doing squats.

For very good reasons.

The squats are the best and most basic exercise that works on activating the majority of muscles in your glutes.

If you are looking for a nicely shaped butt do them with your body weight only.

In the case that you want big glutes instead, be sure to use weights.

Do three sets of 15-20 reps.

4. Do jump squats

Fourth on our list is a more intense variation on the squat.

The jump squat is a great way to combine the toning of your butt with the toning of the rest of your lower body.

It works on your thighs and calves as well.

Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

5. Do the bridge exercise

This is a great exercise to shape your butt and is one of the rare exercises that focuses completely on your glute muscles.

Just lay on your back.

Knees come a bit forward with your feet still on the ground.

Push your hips forward until your shoulders and feet form a sort of an irregular bridge.

Hold the position for a few seconds and lower your body.

Be sure to do 3 sets of 20 reps.

In the case that you want a big bubble butt do this exercise with a barbell or some other type of weight.

The additional pressure of the weight will help your glute muscles grow.

6. Do lunges

Another essential bubble butt building exercise.

Stand with your legs a bit apart, shoulder wide.

Step out with one leg forward.

Lower your body until your forward leg starts creating a 90 degrees angle.

Hold that position for a few seconds.

Slowly rise back to the starting position.

Repeat.

Do lunges leg by leg.

That means 3 sets of 15-20 reps with each leg.

7. Do deadlift

Next technique on our list is a staple bodybuilding exercise.

The benefit of deadlifts is not just for your butt, but also for your hamstrings and lower back.

Doing them will help you not only grow your glutes but will also form your waist and lower back.

If you are looking to be that slim girl with a bubble butt look, deadlifts are ideal for you.

For max results, you will need to use a barbell.

Lower yourself down and hold the barbell firmly in your hands.

Make sure your back is straight, your hamstrings and glutes are activated.

Explode up while holding the barbell.

Hold that position for a few seconds.

Lower the weight back down slowly until you reach the starting position.

Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

If you find 15 reps too easy, make sure to adjust the weight on your barbell.

8. Do the cat-dog exercise

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An easy to do exercise that you can do anywhere.

It works on your hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back.

The most important thing to remember while doing this exercise is that you have to do it slowly and gracefully.

The amount of time you spent performing every moment can have a drastic effect on the building of your well-shaped bubble butt.

Start on your knees with your palms on the floor.

Stretch one arm forward and the leg of the opposite side of your body backward.

Stretch them out slowly.

Hold the stretched out position for 5 to 10 seconds.

Again, slowly return to the starting position.

Repeat with the other arm and leg.

Do this exercise in 3 sets of 20 reps.

9. Do step ups

Next on our list of 10 techniques for a perfect bubble butt is a simple, yet effective, exercise that you can do both at home or in the gym.

All you need is some elevation, a chair for example.

Step with one leg forward onto the elevation and raise your body up using only the muscles of that leg.

Do 3 sets of 15 reps with each leg.

10. Do kickbacks

Start in the position similar to that of the cat-dog exercise.

Keep your back straight at all times.

Push one leg back while holding the initial 90-degree angle.

Stretch your leg back as far as it can.

Hold it in that position for 5 seconds.

Lower and repeat with your other leg.

Do 3 sets of 15-20 reps.

7 Bone Broth Recipes for Weight Loss and Vibrant Skin

7 Bone Broth Recipes for Weight Loss and Vibrant Skin

7 Bone Broth Recipes for Weight Loss and Vibrant Skin

Anyone with a desire to feel and look younger, then bone broth is the solution. It’s basically made up of animals’ connective tissues and bones. These make up a stock. The stock contains collagen, gelatin, and amino acids. The Bone broth diet is packed with skin-tightening collagen components, fat-burning nutrients, and anti-inflammatory and gut-healing properties.

Bone broth recipe is the simplest to prepare. Less time is required in preparation as compared to other diets that involve a lot of preparation and cooking, hence less time in preparation and more in enjoying the meal.

For a healthier, slimmer, younger and happier life, consider bone broth diet in your meals. Healthy gut aids in weight loss and skin improvements.

Who is fit for the bone broth diet?

Whoever is interested in improving their health, looking younger and losing weight then bone broth is the best diet. The recipe is fit for combating inflammation and healing the gut. The gut is the major root of health. As a result, the bone broth has improved symptoms for high blood pressure, diabetes, skin condition, and mood swings.

Bone Broth Base recipe

Fill a stock pot with bones. Cover with clean water up to about 3 inches below the crock pot top. Pour in 3 tablespoons of vinegar plus some pepper (if desired) and salt.

Let it boil and then simmer in the crock pot at low heat at least 24hrs. If you notice in 2-3 hrs some foam rising to the top, use a spoon to skim it off. Strain the bones out after 24 hours and use the broth for the following recipes.

Top bone broth recipes

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It is the simplest recipe to prepare as it requires fewer ingredients. The basic ingredients include animal bones, apple cider vinegar, and water. It’s recommended to obtain the bones from a clean trusted source.

Bones from organic meat is highly recommended as compared to those obtained from animals treated with antibodies.

1. Bone Broth Soup for Breakfast

Many people prefer consuming hot foods e.g. oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. Considering soup for breakfast isn’t a crazy thing. In fact, it’s a comfortable meal with lots of healing in it. People who consume bone broth for breakfast especially on an empty stomach have an extra healing benefit over it. In addition, apart from the soup proving a drinking feeling, it contains proteins hence more satiating than drinking flavored water.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of bone broth

• lemon juice

• 1 egg

• 1 sweet potato (just a small size)

• Pepper

• Salt

• 1 teaspoonful olive oil

• Garnish with parsley (optional)

Instructions:

i. Chop 1 sweet potato into small size (cubes).

ii. Take the cubes and put them in a bowl containing olive oil.

iii. Roast them for 20min-30min at 400 degrees.

iv. While the potato is still boiling, mix your broth with salt and lemon juice in a pot and heat them. Make sure that you put enough salt in the broth for the perfect flavor.

v. Take a small bowl and crack the egg into it. Sprinkle some salt. 

vi. Slide the egg gently into the simmering soup. 

vii. Let it simmer for around 3-4 minutes. If you notice whites spreading from the yolk while they cook, fold the white back in.

viii. Take the roasted potato and place on a bowl and lay the egg gently on top of it. Pour your soup over everything. You can now enjoy your breakfast. 

2. Chicken Zoodle Soup


Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 3 finely chopped celery

• 3 minced cloves garlic

• 2 finely sliced carrots

• 4 cups of bone broth

• Finely chopped or shredded leftover chicken

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt

• 1-2 zucchini which are spiralized into “zoodles”

Steps:

i. Take the olive oil in a pot and heat. Add garlic, onion, and celery. By stirring, cook until the onions become soft and translucent. They should not turn to dark brown.

ii. Add the carrots and broth and let it simmer up to 20 minutes.

iii. Add the chicken till its heated through.

iv. Add the zucchini spirals. Let it simmer for 2-5 minutes for softness impartment.

v. Add salt

vi. Enjoy you meal.

3. French Onion Soup

It uses few ingredients hence simple to make. Traditionally it was made from beef stock but nowadays any bone broth is able to make a delicious French Onion Soup.

Ingredients:

• 4 yellow onions large in size

• 7 cups of bone broth

• Pepper

• 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme

• Salt 

• 2 tablespoon of coconut oil

Procedure:


i. Slice the onions into thin slices. Take a stock pot and put the coconut oil in it and add the sliced onions. Cook it under moderate heat for around 30 minutes while frequently stirring it. The onions should turn slightly golden brown and not dark brown.

ii. Pour in the bone broth after the onions have slightly caramelized. Add salt and thyme.

iii. Let it simmer up to 45 minutes to ensure the merging of flavors.

iv. Your meal is ready for serving.

4. Vietnamese Noodle Soup

This type of soup contains flavors and is filling, hence making it feel exotic and sumptuous.


Ingredients:

• Rice noodles

• 2 cups of bone broth

• Shredded cooked pork or chicken

• 1 smashed garlic clove 

• 1-inch grated chunk of ginger 

• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce 

• Cilantro 

• Lime wedges

• Mint 

• Sriracha

• Chili (Optional)

Procedure:

i. Simmer bone broth, garlic, and ginger in a pot for about 10mins. The heat should be medium temperature.

ii. Add fish sauce, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.

iii. Add enough salt while tasting the broth for flavor.

iv. Cook rice noodles in broth as per the package directions.

v. Add shredded pork or chicken and wait until it is heated.

vi. Spoon it into bowls, adding mint, cilantro, sriracha and lime wedges as garnishes.

5. Bone Broth Burgers


If you aren’t interested in the soup then bone broth burgers are the best alternative for you.


Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork, beef, turkey or chicken

• 2 tablespoon of olive oil

• sliced yellow onions

• 1 cup of bone broth

• Pepper

• Salt

Procedure:

i. Combine meat with pepper and salt, making 4-6 patties.

ii. Put the oil in a skillet and heat. When the oil starts to smoke, add burgers.

iii. Take the onions and put them next to the burgers that are in the pan.

iv. Flip the burgers and then cook through as per your preferences. Remove them from the pan.

v. Add bone broth into the onions that are left in the pan. Boil the broth plus the onions under a medium-high heat until broth reduces to leave a thickened sauce. 

vi. Spread the sauce over the burger. Eat it over sautéed greens.

6. Parsley + Cilantro

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This bone broth recipe has an Asian flavor because of the Cilantro effect. Cilantro aids in eliminating heavy metals such as mercury from the body slowly. Parsley is rich in vitamins (A, B and C) thus important in immunity of the body.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of fresh minced parsley

• 1 tablespoon of fresh minced cilantro

• Celtic sea salt

• 1 cup of bone broth

Procedure:

i. Put bone broth, parsley, cilantro and salt in a saucepan.

ii. Boil the mixture.

iii. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for around 5 minutes.

iv. Serve it in a mug and enjoy.

7. Ginger + Turmeric

It’s a super herbal additive bone broth. Inclusion of ginger is a sure natural medicinal value. It treats the stomach, circulation, and intestines. Turmeric, on the other hand, is a blood purifier, natural pain reliever, and decongestant.

This combination is pure medicinal bone broth hence improves the health standard of the individual. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of bone broth

• Salt 

• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric

Procedure:

i. Put the bone broth, turmeric, ginger and salt in a sauce pan.

ii. Bring it to boil.

iii. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

iv. Serve it in a mug and enjoy it.

For your gut improvement in terms of healthy, wonders are done by the bone broth. Gut healing will though take a bit of time but to improve this you may add some good probiotics.

7 Ways to Stop Binge Eating and Emotional Eating

7 Ways to Stop Binge Eating and Emotional Eating

I would be lying if I said I have never been a victim of binge eating.

This simply means eating unusually large amounts of food at a go.

And afterwards, getting that feeling that you’re eating behavior is way out of
control.

In most cases, this is brought by emotions.

I remember one time when I was a little child, I paid a visit to grandma and she had prepared her favorite blueberry pizza and to be honest I ended up overeating.

When it comes to emotional overeating, it’s not really about eating more than we need.

Most people use food as an escape from feelings or conditions they can’t deal with.

Giving a typical example, I have had friends who eat lots of food after they suffer a heartbreak.

As much as this sounds like a solution, it always ended up making them feel ashamed of their eating habits.

As a diet professional, the following seven tips will help you run away from binge eating and emotional eating.

1. Discover mindfulness

This is really helpful to those people who have emotional overeating issues.

When something happens, the most important thing would be to accept and awakening to that moment without having to judge it.

This is a really simple thing to do and in fact, it requires no practice.

It’s very clear that most of us live our lives without even paying kindness to the moment we are living in.

When you get the ability to discover and live each moment, you also get more brilliant ideas of how to handle whatever you’re feeling.

With this, you get to really know whether you need to eat or deal with the emotions rather.

Try running into busy activities such as yoga.

2. Have Self- compassion.

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It’s always a rule number one to love yourself.

The same applies when it comes to compassion.

When we overeat, we usually don’t like the feeling of shame that it brings but instead of stopping the eating, we chose to continue to eat!

This would not be the case if we were self-compassionate because if we were, we would strive to change this behavior.

This simply means that you should always treat yourself exactly the way you would treat your loved ones.

When you make a mistake, understand yourself rather than being all angry.

This will help you drift from emotional eating.

3. Know what makes you want to eat.

In the shorter term, we could call these things “triggers”.

Those times you really want to overeat.

Is it because you have seen someone?

Is it because you’ve heard someone talk?

Maybe you’ve come across your ex?

What I’m trying to put across is that you should always know all your triggers.

No one knows you better than you do and therefore you should be able to know each and every single thing that makes you want to overeat.

Knowing these triggers keeps you a step away from binge eating and emotional eating as you can always know what to avoid and most importantly you can always know how to react.

4. Find better ways to deal with difficult feelings

Life is full of different feelings and to be honest, a lot of them are quite difficult to deal with.

We have people battling loneliness, sadness, depression, rejection, anxiety, fears and a lot more.

This may seem lame to say but they actually amount the top causes of emotional eating.

Instead of killing yourself with mountains of food when undergoing a difficult feeling (which is very unhealthy anyway), you can find a healthier activity to engage in.

When that feeling of overeating comes, you can always try writing down what you have always had in mind.

You’ll be even more surprised by how a good writer you are and to add to that, you’ll have beaten emotional eating.

5. Always ask yourself why you should eat.

We can break this down into four words which are; hungry, lonely, tired or angry.

This is just a general pick and the words I have picked can always be replaced with other emotions.

So now, let’s assume you were held in traffic for two hours and you get home really late.

On getting home you jump into eating.

You may have not been hungry but because of that traffic frustration, you end up overeating.

Its therefore very important to think about it really deep down, whether you really want to eat or not.

This and the other above tips will keep you a step ahead of binge eating and emotional eating.

6. Don’t punish yourself

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When most people overeat, they end up getting some serious restrictions on themselves such as exercising or dieting.

This looks like a solution to the problem but to be honest it’s a catalyst to this cycle.

When you try this, you end up playing games on yourself between eating and restricting.

Instead, you can train yourself to have regular meals and train your body to eat only when you feel really hungry.

7. Choose the right foods.

As much as overeating sounds like some lame behavior, it ends up being a very important source of nutrients our bodies don’t have.

If you notice you’re craving for foods that contain a lot of salts, your body is trying to cry for calcium and sodium nutrients.

I, therefore, recommend that you take the necessary foods.

Avoid so many fatty foods.

Overeating fats might even lead to more serious problems like obesity.

Make sure that your diet consists of a lot of fibers, just enough fats and proteins and other important nutrients that the body really needs.

In conclusion, the above are just a mere 7 ways to stop binge eating and emotional eating.

There are hundreds of ways you can get over this habit.

The most important of all is to discover what your triggers are so as to control them.

This can be a challenging journey and it would be an added advantage to you, if you can have a nutritionist or any other professional that can be of relevance to this field, helping you.

Remember it’s not always as hard as it sounds!

11 Proven Ways to Lose Your Muffin Top

11 Proven Ways to Lose Your Muffin Top

Look – I know you’re probably sick of having that “muffin top” popping over the sides of your jeans.

In fact, I know you probably want to do something about it, but will you?

Instead of sitting around and saying that you’re going to get rid of your love handles finally, why not take action now?

You’ll not only save yourself time, but you’ll finally get that slim and sexy beach body you’ve desired for years!

If you’re tired of being overweight and want to take action, listen up –

Here are 11 Proven Ways to Lose Your Muffin Top that can help you jump start your weight loss so you can get rid of those love handles and welcome the newer, slimmer you!

1. Eat Foods That Destroy Fat

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You only get what you put in.

If you put in a ton of unhealthy, high fat and high-calorie junk food, you’ll end up with a junky looking body.

Fuel your body with lean, clean and healthy food and the outcome will be a cleaner, trimmer and overall healthier body.

What kind of foods destroys fat?

Fruits, veggies, and foods that are high in fiber are just a few that can help get rid of love handles.

2. Don’t Let Your Fat Burning Furnace Slow Down

Your metabolism is crucial in burning fat.

It’s literally the fat burning furnace for your body!

To burn fat at an optimal rate, you need to make sure it’s constantly working itself, 24/7.

How can you keep your metabolism up high?

Break down your meals into smaller portions and eat them more frequently throughout the day.

Stay away from large meals and dinners that are exceptionally large.

3. Increase Your Cardio

Cardio is essential to add into an overall fat burning routine.

If you want any shot at losing some weight, you’ve got to put in a little work.

While some people may say that sit-ups and crunches are the way to get rid of love handles, cardio will help melt fat away from your frame like you wouldn’t believe!

4. Vegetable Oil + Water Instead of Milk

With a bit of tweaking, you can have brownies that are as good if not better than many stores bought or other brownie recipes.

Use cocoa instead of chocolate chips or baking chocolate.

The result is chewy, chocolate brownies without all of the fat from milk and butter.

Once you have got that down, you can move onto cakes and cookies!

5. Egg Whites Instead of Whole Eggs

It takes two egg whites to replace one whole egg and you lose the fatty, high cholesterol egg yolks altogether.

It’s just that easy to cut down on the cholesterol in your food.

6. Flax Seeds

Flax seeds are some of the easiest foods to add to any recipe and they are incredibly healthy for you as they are packed with antioxidants and fiber.

The easiest thing to do is to sprinkle flax seed in your smoothies or in your breakfast cereal.

But you can also add it to your baking by reducing the amount of flour used by 1/4 and replacing that with flax seeds.

This works particularly well for muffins and bread.

7. Start Exercising

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The most effective technique to fight the flab would be to do regular physical exercise.

Cardiovascular exercise is ideal mainly because it works to burn calories quicker.

You do not need to start off by overexerting yourself either, take your time and develop a rhythm.

You can start a typical exercise routine by taking it slow at first and progressively increase the pace and duration of your workouts if you feel like you are ready.

8. Adding Fruits

Any cake can be made a bit healthier with the addition of fresh fruit.

Try fresh sliced strawberries on vanilla cake and raspberries on chocolate cakes.

Even bananas on peanut butter cake and go easy on the icing!

Instead, put down dabs of real whipped cream and place the fruit on top of them.

9. Applesauce

You can replace up to one half of the amount of oil called for in a recipe with apple sauce without damaging the texture of your baked goods.

Applesauce significantly cuts down on the number of fats you’ll be eating and doesn’t change the flavor or texture in any meaningful way.

10. Fat-Free Sour Cream

Fat-free sour cream is a godsend for health-conscious bakers.

It, of course, can be used to replace full thick sour cream in things like coffee cake, but it can also be used to replace butter.

A half cup of sour cream is the equivalent of a full cup of butter.

Less butter used means less fat taken in and less money spent on pounds of butter.

Keep a carton of sour cream in your fridge and experiment for yourself to find excellent baked goods without all the fat.

11. Get Control of Tension in your Life

Tension is really a major factor in overeating.

Sometimes the more tension you have in your life, the more overweight you can possibly become.

Being stressed out all of the time is no way to live your life.

There are lots of ways to enjoy your favorite desserts without killing your waistline.

It’s all a matter of doing a bit of replacing and letting yourself try deviating from the old recipes a bit.

Your weight loss goals will be stronger for it.

So have your cake and eat it too!

The simple truth is that everybody has to cope with stress.

Lots of people do not know or have the correct tools to cope, and often turn to bad habits to numb the pain and anxiety.

Accepting that you are not always in control of your life is really a start.

Ask for help from others who care about you, and develop a support system that will give you a healthy outlet to talk out your problems and difficulties.

Managing your breathing, and not reacting to the pressure is important and can help you manage your anxiety levels.

Discover how to let life’s small irritations go.

Simply do not respond, and use it as a method to breathe a lot more deeply and relax your mind.

Generate a new healthy mind and cultivate harmony by listening to music that relaxes you, meditating, and taking in the good in your life.

While these tips will get you started on your path to burning fat, you need to put it all together and have a solid plan to follow to melt fat away permanently!

How to Build Healthy Eating Habits for Weight Loss

How to Build Healthy Eating Habits for Weight Loss

How to Build Healthy Eating Habits for Weight Loss

For many people, losing weight is an uphill task. There are so many diets, programs, supplements, pills, exercises and what have you. Experts, however, say that weight loss is more of what you put into your body and how you utilize it. That is 80% of what you eat and 20% how you burn up what you eat.

From the numbers, we see that food is the more important part of the journey and that means that is where most of our emphasis should be. That means that we have to learn a lot about the different food types, the way our bodies react with the food and how to ensure that we find the right balance between foods that are good for us and foods that we like to eat. Many times, people who are trying to lose weight have the extra pounds because they are not eating right.

This is because many of the easily available options are not healthy and also because some people are biased towards healthy food because they think that it is boring. Most diets call for the removal of food and changing what one eats and eventually people start to feel deprived and cave in and revert to the routines that gained them the weight in the first place.

What does your body need?

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Your body needs a balanced diet in order to run properly. A balanced diet is a meal comprising of all nutrients required by your body to perform at its best. These are carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, fats, and vitamins. These food groups should be taken in the right quantities if they are to serve us well. These are called calories, the amount of energy stored in a particular food. A deficiency or excess of one or the other may lead to an imbalance and even disease. There are also lots of foods with empty calories that provide little nutritional value.

In order to lose weight, we must know what foods to eat and in what portions. Let us now look at how to build healthy eating habits for weight loss.

1. Choose foods that are rich in nutrients.

Reduce the sugars and carbohydrates because they turn into fat in the body. Make room for healthy fats like those in avocado and olive oil as these aid in the weight loss process as several studies have found. Instead of using the carbohydrates in your body for fuel, the body will start to burn down the fat in the body instead and this will, in turn, lead to weight loss. Do not try to cut out both carbs and fats as this will just make you feel weak and cranky and cause you to give up on healthy eating at all.

Eating more protein makes you feel fuller for longer and therefore you eat less. Foods rich in protein include beef, fish, eggs, pork, and lamb. Fill up on foods rich in fibers and low carb vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and tomatoes as these help in burning fat especially in the stomach area.

2. Drink lots of water to aid your digestion.


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Earlier we mentioned that deficiency in one nutrient can lead to an imbalance. Do not be afraid of a carbohydrate deficiency because you will still be able to get the nutrient from the stuff you are getting as the foods do not have just protein or vitamins but also carbohydrates but in limited quantities.

Make sure you eat whole or unprocessed foods as these are better for the body.

3. Prepare your own food

It is easier to choose healthy food when you make your own meals. Then you know exactly what has gone into your food and the calorie contents therein. Make a menu, write a list of the healthy food you are going to get and buy only that which is on the list. Experiment on different ways to make your food delicious but healthy, try out smoothies and juices for snacks instead of soda. Measure out your portions, know how many calories are in whatever you are preparing. As imagined, this might be a difficult task to achieve when you eat out at a restaurant. You can make an inventory of your meals as you go along, write it all down in a journal and this will help you track your progress. Research has shown that people who make their own meals eat approximately 200 calories less than those that eat out.

Tip: Do not go shopping on an empty stomach. This might force you to pick out unhealthy foods to satisfy a craving.

4. Do not reward yourself with food.

When we finish an exam, get a promotion, sign a huge contract, and feel lonely or disappointed we often treat ourselves to food to celebrate or make us feel better. That should stop. We should learn to disconnect food from emotions and break the cycle of emotional eating. There are plenty of other ways to reward or comfort yourself. Sign up for a new gym class, go watch a movie, buy a new pair of shoes, or go to an event with friends. Emotional eating may cause one to binge on unhealthy foods and that sets one back on their journey to weight loss or making healthy food choices. In the same way, mark every small milestone along your journey to keep you motivated, for example, you can buy a new pair of jeans when the old ones get loose.

5. Do not miss breakfast

Most people miss breakfast because they are always in a rush or do not have enough time to prepare the meals in the morning. However, after a good night’s rest, your body needs the energy to start the day and also to kick-start your metabolism. Breakfasts high in protein suppress your cravings and that limits the number of calories you consume per day. That can only be obtained from a meal at breakfast. It is therefore not wise to skip out on breakfast.

How to Use Yoga For Weight Loss

How to Use Yoga For Weight Loss

How to Use Yoga For Weight Loss

Have you wondered if doing yoga will help you lose weight? While yoga can definitely help you become stronger and more flexible it should not be used primarily as a weight loss exercise. Some types of yoga may not raise your heart rate enough to burn enough calories to lose weight. Yoga can help in weight loss though, but how to Use Yoga For Weight Loss?

What do you need?

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You just need to prepare your yoga mat. You can do this routine within three consecutive weeks or nearly a month or so unless you’re advised not to do so. Begin from the ‘main move’ in every exercise, but if you find it too difficult for you, then you can start with the ‘make it easier’ variation.

However, if it’s effortless or too easy for you to follow then you better try the ‘make it harder’ way. In order for you to achieve successful results, you can hold each and every pose for a minimum of 5 breaths or maximum of 8 breaths, then later on you can increase the number of times that you’ll repeat the pose. Do not as well forget the 5 One Minute Weight Loss Secrets, in order for you to come up with much better results.

Let’s discuss each of the moves.

1. What is the Main Move?

Main move (Crescent) includes the thighs, hips, and the abs. Relax and then stand with your feet together, while your toes are pointing forward. Once you are in that position, bend forward starting from your hips, and then bring both hands on to the floor. And then, you inhale. If you exhale you should step your one leg back into the lunge. Make sure that your knee is gently bent, like about 90 degrees. Also, it would be knee over ankle. Inhale with your arms raised overhead.

2. What is the ‘make it harder move’?

From your end position, inhale then arch torso with your head backward, looking at the fingertips.

3. What is the ‘make it easier’ move?

Lower your knee so as to touch the floor and as you step back to a lunge, rest your hands on your left thigh.

Why is Yoga better for losing weight?

One of the best reasons is the fact that it activates internal heat. Many people are doing yoga because they believe that this is one of the most well-known methods for losing weight, but this is far from what the truth is. Ancient yogis were creating heat inside their body instead of heating their caves. This is why yoga is very special because it has the power to create warmth. With the use of proper yoga poses, you can lose weight in a matter of 3 weeks or month, depending on how committed you are.

The heat created can burn fats and later on can be the best answer for losing weight. The yoga poses for weight loss can be done by anyone. It requires you to have focus and discipline. This is the reason why successful yogis have lean muscles and have excellent balancing capability.

Bikram Yoga

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It provides cardiovascular workout which in fact is exercise-but in a relaxing manner. It doesn’t burn calories as rapid as the fast-paced, rigid workouts, but it does its work slowly and surely as long as you regularly follow the routine. Two of the most popular yoga types recommended for weight loss is Bikram Yoga.

These forms combine meditative yoga breathing techniques with fast, active movements. It also uses heat as an integral part of the exercises in helping you to sweat out the toxins.

The speed of the cardio takes a while to get used to. Nevertheless, it helps quickly deal with losing weight. Ashtanga Yoga exercise, on the other hand, uses a series of complicated yoga postures harmonized with breathing. This is more for those at the advanced level already. It produces internal heat that leads you to sweat out profusely, thereby detoxifying your body.

Essentially, the yoga postures encourage metabolism, calorie burning, respiratory balance, and as mentioned earlier, lowers stress. Not only does it help you lose weight, but it also keeps the weight off through continued practice. It also strengthens your muscles, tones your body, and, best of all, it forges a powerful connection between your mind and body. Yoga weight loss does not happen almost immediately though, you have to spend long hours following the routine to succeed.

Determination, patience, and self-control is a must for those who wish to want to try yoga. But before you do try, as a beginner, you must consult a yoga instructor or your health care provider first to help you determine which type of yoga will suit you best. From there, you can work up to the level that you would like to proceed with. All forms of yoga share one common goal: to balance your mind and body – increasing your self-awareness and providing you with a sense of calmness which will eventually guide you to practice restraint over cravings, anxiety, even depression, the usual causes of weight gain. Yoga is not a calling for everyone, but if you think it’s yours, then go ahead and start now. If nothing else, you’ll enjoy the certain relaxation.

Other yoga styles for weight loss:

Ashtanga:

Ashtanga yoga requires a very dedicated student and is a lot harder than some other forms of yoga. It is ideal for people to do at home

Power Yoga:

This form is very popular because of the cardiovascular benefits that can be gained.

Hot Yoga:

This is when you practice Vinyasa yoga but in a hot room. This will help you to sweat off some unwanted calories.

If you are overweight or out of shape remember to choose a beginner level class and work your way up. If you do not have a class near you, you can also find yoga instruction DVDs on the internet that can have you on your way to being a real yogi in no time.

8 Warning Signs You Have An Unhealthy Gut and How You Can Fix It

8 Warning Signs You Have An Unhealthy Gut and How You Can Fix It

Good gut health is essential for the good running of the body.

Actually, every system in the body is connected to the other.

When the gut is unhealthy, there is a high probability of experiencing stomach pain, bloating, gas, or diarrhea.

Gut imbalances also affect hormonal imbalances, depression, autoimmune diseases, eczema, diabetes, chronic fatigue, rosacea, fibromyalgia, anxiety, and other serious health problems.

The gut is the way to good health. 

GUT MICROBIOME

The gut microbiome refers to the microorganisms that live in your intestines.

On average a healthy person has about 300-500 diverse species of bacteria located in the digestive tract.

Most of these microorganisms are very beneficial and very necessary for a healthy body since they enhance your general immune system functioning and helping to combat obesity.

Here are the 8 Warning Signs For Unhealthy Gut and How You Can Fix It

Many problems we encounter in our modern life like high-stress levels, high sugar foods, too little sleep, taking antibiotics and eating processed foods can all destroy our gut microorganism.

They are hence affecting other aspects in our health like the brain, skin, heart, weight, immune system, nutrient absorbing rate, hormone levels, and even cancer development.

However, various signs may manifest in an unhealthy gut.

Some of the signs include:

1. Upsetting Stomach

Stomach disturbances such as constipation, gas, bloating, heartburn and diarrhea, can all be indicating an unhealthy gut.

A well-balanced gut has fewer difficulties in processing food as well as eliminating waste.

2. Sugary diets and Inflammations.

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A diet containing processed foods and sugar additives can reduce the number of good bacteria working in your gut.

This causes imbalance leading to increased sugar cravings, that may destroy the gut further.

Taking high amounts of refined industrial sugars, mostly high-fructose, lead to increased inflammation in your body although other problems in the body might cause inflammation.

3. Uncontrolled Weight Changes

Losing or gaining weight without involving any changes to your exercise habit or diet may be signifying an unhealthy gut.

Having an imbalanced gut may impair the body’s nutrient absorption abilities, hence regulating fat storage and blood sugar.

Weight loss can be caused by the small intestine bacteria overgrowth(SIBO), during weight gain due to insulin resistance or overeating due to reduced nutrient absorption.

4. Sleep Disturbances.

Having an unhealthy gut can lead to sleep disturbances like insomnia.

Actually, the majority of the hormone serotonin, which affects sleep and mood, is produced in your gut.

Therefore, gut damage may affect your sleep.

Sleep disturbances can also be linked to the risk of fibromyalgia.

5. Irritation To the Skin.

Skin problems such as eczema can be attributed to an unhealthy gut.

Inflammations in the gut due to poor diet or specific food allergies can cause more absorption of certain proteins into the body, this, in turn, irritates the skin causing conditions like eczema.

6. Autoimmune Problems.

An unhealthy gut increases systemic inflammation that alters the excellent functioning of your immune system.

This results in autoimmune diseases, the body attacking itself instead of harmful pathogens.

7. Chronic Fatigue

This occurs due to reduced time to sleep and low nutrient absorption in the gut.

The problem leads to feeling generally weak.

8. Food Intolerances

The problem results from difficulties in digesting some foods.

The problem is somehow different from a food allergy that is caused by the immune system reactions towards certain foods.

However, food intolerance’s are believed to be caused by poor quality bacteria present in your gut.

The problem leads to difficulties in digesting foods as well as an unpleasant sign like gas, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Also, food allergies can lead to gut health problems.

However, the above gut problems can be alleviated by using healthy practices to maintain good health to the gut.

THINGS TO DO FOR A HEALTHY GUT:

Reduce Stress Levels.

Chronic levels of stress affect your general body health, including your gut.

It’s good to incorporate ways to reducing stress like meditation, walking, spending time with friends, getting a massage, diffusing essential oils, laughing, decreasing caffeine intake, yoga and having a pet.

Having Enough Sleep

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Lack of Not enough or insufficient quality sleep may have severe effects on your gut, this, in turn, leads to complicated sleep issues.

Therefore, prioritize to getting some 7 to 8 hours of calm sleep each night.

Also, visit a doctor to help you in case you have sleep issues.

Eating Slowly

It’s good to chew your food well and eat your meals slowly to help in promoting full digestion as well as absorption of nutrients.

It helps you to reduce all digestive discomfort in order to have a healthy gut.

Stay Hydrated

Taking plenty of water is beneficial, especially to the mucosal lining in the intestines.

Hence, staying hydrated promotes a healthy gut.

Taking a Prebiotic and Probiotics.

Taking prebiotics and a probiotics supplement into the diet is a good way of improving your gut health.

The prebiotics provides nourishment for promoting proper growth of all beneficial bacteria in your gut, while the probiotics are right to live bacteria.

Individuals having bacterial overgrowth, like SIBO, are advised to exempt taking probiotics.

However, all probiotic supplements aren’t high quality.

Therefore, it’s best to visit your doctor when deciding on prebiotics and probiotic supplements to ensure good health benefits.

Food Intolerances Checking.

In case you have symptoms like cramping, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rashes, acid reflux, nausea, and fatigue, you might be having a food intolerance.

Therefore, you should try eliminating some common trigger foods to avoid the problem.

By identifying the food or foods leading to the symptoms, you will be sure of making a good change in the digestion process as well as your gut health.

This helps you to change your food habits.

Diet Changing.

It’s done by reducing the intake of processed foods, high-fat foods, and high-sugar to give a healthy gut.

Also, include in your eating routine a lot of plant-based foods.

The lean protein can impact positively in your gut if incorporated in your diet.

A high fiber diet is a good healthy gut.

Learn to maintain a healthy gut for a healthy general body.

8 Foods You Should Never, Ever Eat

8 Foods You Should Never, Ever Eat

While there is a lot of truth to this saying, “You can eat what you want when you work hard all day,” it is not necessarily true.

A more appropriate saying is, “You are what you eat!” because it’s true.

You may be working out daily, doing plenty of cardio exercises, and drinking lots of water yet still gain weight and feel unhealthy.

If you’re not eating the right foods, progress is slower.

If you’re eating any of the eight foods on this list, you’re destroying your progress, and you need to change your habits.

We’re going to start with the most pervasive and favorite unhealthy food.

1.) Pizza

There are very few people on this planet who can deny that pizza is delicious.

The buttery bread, savory tomato sauce, and melted cheese make for a party in your mouth, every time.

Unfortunately, this party becomes a disaster by the time it hits your gut.

Though delicious, most store-bought or chain-delivered pizzas are ridiculously high in saturated fats and sodium.

A single slice of cheese pizza satisfies 50% of the average adult’s daily sodium limit.

At two slices in, you’ve nearly reached the recommended daily maximum for saturated fat.

You would have to eat nothing else during the day to keep from passing the nutritional limits and guidelines, and even then you would be doing your body a disservice.

Pizza doesn’t contain enough varied nutrients to compensate for it’s sugary, fatty, salty self.

2.) Fruit Juice

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While fruit juices seem like a brilliant way to hydrate after a workout, do not be fooled!

Some fruit juices contain as much, if not more, sugar than soda.

A single cup of grape juice contains enough sugar to surpass the recommended allowance for women, and completely satisfy the daily quota for men!

Now while it is true that fruit juices contain vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to keep healthy, when you compare the number of nutrients to the amount of sugar, they don’t match up.

The small amounts of Vitamin C that most fruit juices contain cannot compete with the heaps of sugar that are also present.

As many of you know, high sugar intake can result in diabetes, liver problems, and a whole laundry list of related issues.

The bottom line?

The juice is delicious but unless you’re doing the juicing yourself, say no.

3.) Margarine

For decades margarine has been advertised and lauded as the “heart healthy” alternative to butter.

Because margarine is made from vegetable oils, it contains unsaturated fats which are better for you than saturated fats.

Butter, being made from animal fat, is chock-full of the “bad” fats.

So the choice seems easy, right?

It is until you start thinking about trans fats.

Some sticks of margarine are loaded with them.

Trans fats are one of the leading contributors to heart disease and coronary failure among American adults.

They function only to lower your HDL, the “good” cholesterol, and raise your LDL, the “bad” cholesterol.

Margarine should be avoided at all costs.

If you need butter, use butter.

Just be sure that you’re using a small amount.

4.) French Fries

Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, french fries are famous all over the world.

Unfortunately, they’re also one of the deadliest foods you can eat.

Consuming these oily, salty treats can significantly increase your mortality risk, doubling the chances that you will suffer from heart disease or diabetes.

There are many problems with fried potatoes.

Like margarine, french fries are high in trans fats.

And when overcooked, fries produce a chemical called acrylamide, which has been linked to instances of cancer.

In addition to this, potatoes are naturally a high-glycemic food, and foods of this nature tend to cause metabolic distress over time.

As they say in baseball, three strikes, you’re out.

5.) Candy

Every person on the face of the planet knows that candy is not healthy food.

Whether it’s a chocolate bar or a lollipop.

Chances are that the candy you like to eat is rotting your teeth and making you feel hungrier and unhappier.

Candy does not contain any viable nutrition and is typically mostly sugar.

As you know, consuming large quantities of sugar is addictive and can cause heart disease, and diabetes.

The calories you intake from sugar are the most fattening calories of any substance and positively the most dangerous.

Save your heart and save your pearly whites!

Stay away from candy.

6.) Processed Meats

Processed meat is meat that has undergone a preservation process, either by salting, smoking, curing or canning.

While this ensures that the meat takes longer to spoil, it also adds nitrites and nitrates.

These chemical compounds keep the meat red, improve the flavor, and prevent bacterial growth.

But they also have been linked to various cancers, including bowel cancer.

With the number of fresh meats available in most supermarkets today, it would be ridiculous to choose the one that might kill you.

7.) Processed Cheeses

As with processed meats, processed cheeses can kill.

Though they may claim to be “made from 100% natural dairy”, this does not mean that they are 100% dairy.

Most processed cheeses are so artificial that they are referred to as a “cheese product.”

Sprayable cheese, spreadable cheese, and string cheese are all examples of processed cheeses.

Saturated oils, sodium, sugar, preservatives, and emulsifiers are the most prevalent components to these false cheeses.

And each one of these components has a significant health risk associated with it, from diabetes and cancer to kidney disease.

Cheese is delicious, and real cheese is a great way to supplement your diet with some calcium while treating yourself to a little fat.

But processed cheese is chemical-rich and dangerous to eat.

8.) Fast Food

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After a long day at work or the gym, it is easy to roll through a fast food joint, pick up some fried foods, and head home.

Don’t.

Fast food is the king of unhealthy food, containing merciless quantities of sodium, saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, and carbohydrates.

Eating it regularly is like buying a one-way ticket to the hospital.

High blood pressure, heart disease, acne, depression, dental problems, insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes are all likely consequences of eating fast food often.

If you’re looking for a way to prepare meals quickly, plan and prepare your food ahead of time, and freeze or refrigerate it until you’re ready to eat.

How to Lose Weight Fast for Teen Girls – 8 Steps

How to Lose Weight Fast for Teen Girls – 8 Steps

How to Lose Weight Fast for Teen Girls – 8 Steps

The teenage years come with a lot of self-discovery, fun, and woes. From acne, angst, raging hormones, boy trouble, weight gain, peer pressure, parties, extended curfews to academics and extracurricular and even thinking seriously about career choices. It can either be the best time of your life or the more confusing or even a mixture of it all. You are halfway between child and adult and it is always a challenge deciding which side to lean towards more.

The last thing you want to be dealing with on top of everything is your weight. But this is a time when most girls are self-conscious and it is a great time for great habits to be born.

Studies have shown that obesity has become prevalent in teenagers especially in the US and the world health organization predicts that there will be more obese children and teenagers than starving ones by 2022. In the US alone 20.6% of the teenagers are obese or overweight.

It is pertinent that you do not become part of the statistics and the older one gets, the harder it is to get rid of the weight because the metabolism slows down and also, habits are harder to break. So what can a teenage girl do to lose weight?

1. Develop a healthy relationship with food

It is said that weight loss is 80% diet and only 20% exercise. Since food is an integral part of your weight loss journey, we are going to spend quite a bit of time on this part.

· Do not skip meals.

Have a healthy breakfast. Studies have demonstrated that missing meals can be counter-productive as your body holds on to any food it gets because it is trying to prepare for starvation. This may lead you to gain the weight you were trying to keep off. Skipping meals also makes you binge the next time you eat because you are hungrier than necessary and overeating leads to weight gain. What you should do instead is have regular meals but have reasonable portions. Do not eat more than you need to.

· Ditch junk food for healthier meals.

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Have a balanced diet. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Balance out your nutrients. Junk food tends to have empty calories and it is highly addictive. You eat lots of food that is not helping your body except making you gain excessive weight. But if you eat healthier meals, you will feel more energetic and be healthier.

· Have healthy snacks.

Do away with processed foods and choose better options like fruit or healthy nuts. These might not seem very appetizing but you will be happy that you made the choice when you start to wear smaller sizes. Know what your body needs. Eat high fiber foods like kale because they keep you fuller for longer and so you do not eat unnecessary calories. Foods rich in calcium are needed because your body is still developing and you need strong bones and teeth. Meat, eggs, and spinach are rich in iron which helps oxygen flowing through your bloodstream.

It is very important to make the right food choices if you are to have sustainable results.

2. Get enough sleep


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It is so tempting to stay up late watching your favorite shows, checking social media or even studying but do not underestimate the importance of sleep. When you do not get enough sleep, you often feel tired and lethargic and can be tempted to eat so as to increase your energy levels. Sleep deprivation also increases stress levels which leads to emotional eating. Sleeping lets your body rest and repair itself and this is important in regulating hormones and can be a vital part of your weight loss process.

3. Exercise

Do not have a sedentary lifestyle. Play a sport, take walks, go play in the park, go hiking with friends or family. Do not just lock yourself up in your room on your phone or on your computer. When the body is not active, it does not use up the extra energy which is then stored as fat.

4. Drink lots of water

Make water your best friend. It helps with digestion, helps in the fat burning process in your body and also clears your skin. Water after exercising revives you. Water, before you eat, helps you feel full faster so you eat less. Water improves your metabolism. So much to love about water.

5. Lose weight the right way

Avoid weight loss fads and diets like the plague. Do not rely on weight loss pills and other magic potions that promise quick weight loss. Diets restrict your nutrient intake, and nutrients are needed for your body to grow. The pills and supplements may not work and have been known to be dangerous. Fine, you might lose the weight but it will come back just as quickly as you gained it and even more. It is better to build a system that works and will stand the test of time. That is eating the right foods and exercise.

6. Do not develop disorders

Frustration, low self-esteem, and teasing can lead to one developing habits like eating too little, bulimia or use of laxatives. Do not let it get to that. If you feel you might be developing an eating disorder please get help. There are plenty of other healthier ways to help you get rid of the weight.

7. Soda is not your friend

Cut sugary stuff out of your diet. Soda may be too good to give up but for the sake of your health, limit its intake. Replace it with unsweetened tea or water. They are better options to keep you hydrated.

8. Go easy on yourself


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Set realistic goals. Love yourself at whatever weight you are at. Make sure that your reasons to lose weight are genuine and not a means to an end. Do not do it because you want to love yourself. Or want to be happy. Be happy or love yourself regardless and therefore the journey will not be frustrating.

Also, do not deprive yourself of everything you love. Have a cheat day where you get to eat your favorite junk food or ice-cream. Keep it to once a week so that it feels more like a reward for all the healthy choices you made all week long.