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DIWALI DETOX

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Weight gain is a little like that small pile of unattended laundry on your chair. Left alone, it’ll just stay there and pile up day after day. If you think you’ve gained weight during Diwali, don’t panic. But deal with it before the fat starts to accumulate.

DON’T STARVE…

That’s the fundamental lesson you need to remember. Don’t deprive your body of nutrition by starving yourself with drastic diets. Instead of losing fat, starvation ensures your body loses muscle. Muscle loss leads to more fat storage, which is why you always gain the weight you lose right after a crash diet. Food is the only thing that fuels your body and is your friend ­ not your enemy.

…EAT SMART

Eat simple and smart during your detox phase. Shore up on simple proteins like sprouts and egg whites.Have 4-5 servings of fruit per day (100 gm of fruit per time), and eat and drink your veggies prepared without much oil, or as juice. But whatever you do, don’t forget to break up your meals into smaller ones. Eat every two hours. Like walking or running, digestion also burns calories and eating smaller meals frequently means that your body keeps burning, burning, burning.

…BUT DON’T LOSE THE OIL

Don’t cut oil out entirely because you’d be depriving your body of essential fatty acids. The lack of fatty acids dries up your skin, apart from other adverse effects. In this detox phase, include one teaspoon of oil in your cooking through the day.

STEP UP THE EXERCISE

Get to know your treadmill a little better. In addition to eating right, one hour of explosive exercise is what you need. You can walk, run, cycle, go on the elliptical but whatever you do, don’t forget cardio during this phase. Sweat it off.

SLEEP

Catch up on your sleep. Your body needs food, water and sleep for effective functioning. And fat burning and metabolising food is a part of its functioning. Studies have shown the strong link between weight gain and sleep deprivation. Snooze to lose.DRINK In this phase, drink about three to four litres of water. You could also mix it up by including other beneficial hydrants like coconut water, chaas and nimbu pani. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

How much detox you need depends on how much you have abused your body. If you have binged for four days, detox for the same amount or a week, and so on.

But don’t overdo it, and trust your body during this process.

The body is magical. It will know what to do.

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In Lose Weight

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET AND GLOW THIS DIWALI

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With all the parties and social obligations, your days will soon get shorter and nights, longer. In this season of bling, excesses and over stimulation, what’s the best possible way to get that healthy, cared-for glow? A small early Diwali present in the form of some invaluable, tried-and-tested health advice…

FOOD

 

If you are not used to a healthy eating pattern, it’s hard to start strict regimens during a season littered with temptation. Having said that, you can always be one step ahead of your metabolism by breaking up the four meals a day -break fast, lunch, dinner, tea-time snack -into eight smaller meals, spread through the day. This way, you ensure that you eat every two hours. Keep in mind that just like walking, running or jumping, digestion also burns calories. Eating smaller meals pushes your body to burn more calories from the same food, giving your body a workout on the inside. Eating every two hours may also help you lose a little weight and keep your cravings under control. Also, keep your antioxidant quotient high, and focus on drinking vegetable juices, not fruit juices (high in sugar).

And, whatever you do, don’t starve your body into submission in order to knock a few kilos off. Just be smart about what and how you eat. Don’t be afraid of food. Always remember that food is your friend, not enemy.

EXERCISE

It’s never too late to start a daily 60-minute cardio session as a run-up to the season. Exercise helps to pump up your metabolic rate by almost 20-30 per cent sometimes, enabling you to digest better and burn the little and bigger treats that you allow yourself this season. Blood also rushes to your skin when you exercise, providing it with that much-needed glow. Not only do you lose weight, you also look fresh and young. You can never go wrong with exercise, no matter when you start.

SLEEP

 

‘Tis the season to be drowsy. Diwali can bring about heavy sleep deprivation because of late nights and compulsive socialising. If you are already cheating on your sleep even before you are well into the season, catch up now to shore up for the inevitable sleep debt that will pile up. Sleep is vital for your body though its importance is quite undervalued.Your body heals and repairs itself when you sleep, and this includes your skin. There is also a strong and undeniable link between sleep and obesity. Do note that when your body reaches 24 hours of sleep debt, it tends to crash, causing conditions like flu or viral.

WATER

 

Make-up cannot hide dull, dehydrated skin. For a natural glow, don’t just drink the pink stuff in the daiquiri glasses, glug as much water as you can ­ a minimum of two litres a day. There’s also the trend of special `detox water’ doing the rounds, claiming you can lose weight just by drinking it. My take on it is that while you may or may not lose weight on detox water, you’ll definitely be well hydrated. Since there is a link between hydration and weight loss, you may just lose weight anyway.

Your brain’s thirst and hunger centers are so close together that sometimes you eat because you are thirsty. Adequate hydration means that you won’t confuse thirst with hunger ­ which leads to more thoughtful eating.Take care of yourself this Diwali for a great year ahead. On your marks. Get set and glow.

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In Articles to munch on

HOW VITAMIN B12 IS GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS BODY?

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Not much is known about vitamin B12. People usually aren’t aware of its vital role in keeping the human body together. B12, an integral part of the B complex group of vitamins, is responsible for many things that we take for granted ­ it helps in the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose, pushes up our energy levels and keeps lethargy at bay. It is vital in regulating both the nervous and digestive systems, which implies that adequate quantities of this vitamin decrease stress, fight depression and keep the brain from shrinking.

B12 also helps shield you from heart disease by regulating your cholesterol levels and protecting you from high blood pressure and stroke. It is, in addition, crucial to the maintainence of your nails, skin and hair. It also keeps you looking young as it aids in skin cell renewal. Wait, it’s not over yet.

This vital vitamin has a role to play in your body’s metabolism and helps in producing the all-important red blood cells. And when it’s done with that, it moonlights as an anti-cancer superhero, fighting colon, breast, lung and prostate cancer. Phew! Like all things we take for granted, B12 is missed only when its levels drop. Many conditions affect the body’s ability to absorb this vitamin’, ranging from severe anaemia to the thinning of the stomach lining, to diseases that affect the small intestine (celiac disease and Crohn’s disease). Problems with the immune system like lupus or Grave’s disease and heavy drinking also interfere with the way B12 is absorbed by the body.

But all’s not lost. And even if it has, it can easily be regained. 
B12 is abundantly available in many foods like meats, eggs, milk, cheese, certain kinds of fish and liver. For those who don’t eat these, B12 supplements are widely available.

But all’s not lost. And even if it has, it can easily be regained. B12 is abundantly available in many foods like meats, eggs, milk, cheese, certain kinds of fish and liver. For those who don’t eat these, B12 supplements are widely available.

For those with severe B12 deficiency, intramuscular doses is a medically-approved way of compensating the lack of it. The best part about this vitamin though is that it is water-soluble, which means that after the necessary levels get absorbed by the body, the extra amounts are excreted naturally by your body.

But don’t self medicate. You need to check with your doctor before deciding how exactly to tackle a B12 deficiency. Sometimes it could be symptomatic of a larger problem.

If you are feeling chronically tired, get your B12 levels checked. The prescription may be as simple as eating more B12-rich foods or popping a pill.

Vitamins B12 is very important for good immunity, energy, stamina and to prevent hair-loss.

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