Wanna lose weight ???

Eight out of ten women are obese especially old fat, which gives orange peel effect on thighs and tyres on tummy. The key to minimise them is to drop weight. Gradual weight loss is the right way to reduce the fat. Here are the few tips that can be used.

• Get Fibre : Stock up on wholegrain vegetables and fruits. Unlike refined foods that can easily digested, our body has to work hard to break down and digest fibre. In the process it uses up extra energy and this is why fruits and vegetables, particularly raw ones, help boost metabolism.

• Drink more water : Staying well-hydrated keeps us energised and helps metabolism.

• Add Dairy : Besides helping maintain bone mass, dairy products may be exactly what we need to crank up our metabolism and lose tummy fat. The magic ingredient is Calcium, which serves as a switch that helps our body's cells to burn fat faster.

• Include Proteins : Dieters who consumed 30% of calories from proteins preserved their muscle while trying to lose weight, while the ones who didnot have proteins saw their muscle broken down by the body for it's daily requirements. Nuts and seeds, raw and fresh egg whites, low fat cottage cheese, soy products, milk, legumes, cereals, fruits and vegetables are among the list which are high in proteins.

• Sip on Green Tea : A Japanese study found that people who drank green tea daily lost 3-4 kgs after 3months, without altering their diet. Green tea contains catechins, which may trigger weight loss by increasing body metabolism. It's a good substitute.

• Go for Fat Fighters : Oatmeal, vegetable or fruit juice, nuts, fat free or skim milk, green tea are the foods that fight against fats. So, try to include them in your daily meals.

Eat sensible and have adequate calories per day, never going lower than 1200cal. Small changes can make a big difference. Daily have breakfast; stick to right fats and avoid saturates; exercise regularly; have frequent small meals and don't starve yourself; spice up your meals with Capsicum which is a high metabolism booster.

Know your BMI and Waist Circumference

BMI is completely known as Body Mass Index. It is used to estimate the total amount of body fat. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by height in metres square. It is an approximate measure to balance a healthy weight according to your height.

Once you measure your BMI, you can determine your healthy weight range. (You can calculate your BMI by clicking this link - calculate your BMI ). The result can be measured as follows :

• Under 18.5 - you are underweight and malnourished.
• 18.5 - 24.9 - you are maintaining a healthy weight.
• 25 - 29.9 - you are over weight.
• 30 - 34.9 - you are obese.
• 35 - 39.9 - you are severely obese and should strictly adopt a healthy life-style.
• Above 40 - you are morbidly obese and will be suffering with various health issues.

Waist Circumference can also be used to indicate health risk. It differs with both men and women.
For Men :

• 94 cms or more - increased risk
• 102 cms or more - substantially increased risk

For Women :

• 80 cms or more - increased risk
• 88 cms or more - substantially increased risk

According to the studies, Waist Circumference is better predictor of health risk than BMI.

Yoga

Yoga is called science of holistic living and, as such should be incorporated in daily life. It is integration between thoughts, words and deeds. The very purpose of yoga is to consciously bring us back in to physical, vital, mental, emotional, psychic and spiritual harmony.

Yoga is not mere doing physical and breathing exercises. It is procedure to attend perfect harmony between mind and body with discipline in daily routine for good health.

Yoga has eight steps. It is called as “Ashtanga” – the eight fold path. The first five steps are called external aids of yoga (Bahiranga Sadhana). The last three steps or levels are called internal aids of yoga. (Antaranga Sadhana).

First Five steps of Yoga:

I. YAMA – It refers to social behavior that how you behave with people around you. There are five YAMAS.

1. Ahimsa - that is non-violence, inflecting no injury or harm to others or even to one’s own self. “Non-violence in thoughts, words and deeds.
2. Satya - Truth in words and thought.
3. Asteya - that is non-covetousness, to the extent that one should not even desire something that is not his own..
4. Brahmacharya - that is to abstain from sexual intercourse, celibacy in case of unmarried people and monogamy in case of married people. Even this to the extent that one should not possess any sexual thoughts towards any other man or woman except one’s own spouse.
5. Aparigraha – that is non-possessiveness.

II. NIYAMA - refers to inner disciple and responsibility, how we treat ourselves. There are five Niyamas.

1. Shaucha – Cleanliness of body and mind.
2. Santhosha – Satisfaction satisfied what one has.
3. Tapas – This is associated with body discipline there by mental control.
4. Swadhyaya – Study of the Vedic scriptures to know about god and the soul, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and god within.
5. Ishvarapranidhana – Surrender to god or worship of god.

III. ASANA – Discipline of body – rules and pastures to keep it disease free and for preserving vital energy. Correct postures are a physical aid to meditation, for they control the limbs and nervous systems and prevent them from producing disturbances.

IV. PRANAYAMA – Control of breath. Beneficial to health, steadies the body and is highly conducive to the concentration of the mind.

V. PRATYAHARA – Withdrawal of senses from their external objects (Control over senses).

The last three steps of are called internal aids to yoga.

VI. DHARANA – Concentration upon a physical object, such as a flame of a lamp, the mid point of the eyebrows (brumadya dhristi) or image of a deity.

VII. DHYANA – Steadfast meditation. Undisturbed flow of thought around the object of meditation.

VIII. SAMADHI – Oneness with the object of meditation. There is no distinction between act of meditation and the object of meditation (The state of super consciousness).

The eight limbs work together: the first five steps – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama and pratyahara are the preliminaries of yoga and build the foundation for spiritual life. They are concerned with the body and the brain. The last here, which would not be possible without the previous steps, are concerned with reconditioning the mind. They help the yogi to attain enlightenment or the full realization of oneness.

Alcohol & Smoking

Alcohol has a very little nutritional value, and excess consumption can lead to a number of medical probems, including certain vitamin deficiencies. It has a significant amount of empty calories which can contribute to weight gain. Beer tops the list having a high amount of calories in it. So, drinking moderately can reduce the risk of Cardiovascular Disease.

Smoking also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, and many cancers; passive smoking - inhaling "secondhand" smoke - can cause pneumonia and asthma. Pregnant smokers put their babies at risk of prematurity, low birth weight and even foetal death. Stopping smoking is the best life-style change you can ever make. Within months of cutting down on the amount of smoking, your health will improve. Some people face with the problem of weight gain but from the health standpoint, smoking is much more risky than carrying a few extra kilograms of weight.