Weight Loss Tips – How to Lose 5 Pounds in 2 Weeks

Your big date is in two weeks, and that great outfit is a little too snug. If you could only lose 5 pounds quickly, you would look and feel better. How can you do it?

Weight Loss Tips - How to Lose 5 Pounds in 2 Weeks

Let’s do the math. Theoretically, you must reduce your calorie intake by 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of body fat. So, if you eat 1,000 calories less a day than you do now, you would be 4 pounds lighter in two weeks (1,000 fewer calories a day times seven days a week equals 7,000 calories, which equals 2 pounds). If you could burn an additional 3,500 calories in two weeks, you could lose the last pound. The average person burns 5 calories per minute walking at 3 mph. To burn off 1 pound?s worth of calories (3,500), you would need to walk 11.6 hours (or 35 miles) extra in the next two weeks. That’s equivalent to 50 minutes and 2.5 mile a day.

How many calories do you eat? Let’s assume you consume 2,200 calories a day. You would need to limit yourself to 1,200 calories a day for two weeks. This is stringent, but it can be done! To avoid nutritional imbalances and excessive hunger, here is a food plan with basic weight-loss tips. Keep a food record and track your calories. Most people eat less when they write down their food intake. The lowest values on the Food Pyramid roughly outline a 1,200-calorie diet and serve as a guide to serving exchanges and balanced eating.

Sample 1,200-Calorie Meal Plan

Breakfast

1 cup skim milk
1 cup shredded wheat (or 100 calories of high-fiber cereal)
1/2 banana (or a ½-cup serving of fruit or fruit juice)

Lunch

Chicken Caesar Salad
2 ounce grilled chicken
2 cups of Romaine lettuce (add tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and carrots for more color)
1 tablespoon light Caesar salad dressing
1 small whole wheat roll
1 cup of melon

(Alternate lunch: 3 ounces water-packed tuna or low-fat lunchmeat such as turkey or ham, 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato, and two slices of whole wheat bread. Add raw vegetables and vary the fruit selection.)

Afternoon Snack

1 cup of nonfat, sugar-free fruit yogurt
3 tablespoons low-fat granola (or small bowl of other cereal and skim milk, or five vanilla wafers and skim milk)

Dinner

4 ounces grilled fish, chicken or seafood (use lean beef or pork occasionally)
½ cup flavored rice, or potato or pasta
1 ½ cups broccoli-carrot-mushroom, mix stir fried with 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup grapes
½ cup V-8 or tomato juice (or a large garden salad)

Evening Snack

3 cups of air-popped popcorn with 1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine

Helpful Hints

The more fiber, the better. High-fiber cereals, grains and breads will increase your feeling of fullness. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide fiber as well as more to chew and fewer calories.
Eat enough protein, particularly at lunch so you will be satisfied through the afternoon.
Allow yourself a small snack in the afternoon and evening. Don?t deprive yourself of a little fun food — have a few cookies or crunchy popcorn. Controlling hunger is a big part of your success, so having a planned snack scheduled in a few hours helps you walk by the candy dish on your co-worker?s desk.
“Fat” is not a four-letter word. You need some fat in your diet for good health and satiety. Favor olive oil, canola oil and fish oils to get the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid saturated fats and trans-fatty acids. Since all fats are more than double the calories of carbohydrates and protein, you must still be careful of the amount. Light dressings are made with less oil and more vinegar, and are often more flavorful than fat-free dressings.
Drink plenty of water and noncaloric drinks. As long as the beverages are calorie and caffeine free, your body processes them as water. So, diet sodas and sugar-substitute flavored drinks provide variety.
“Fat-free” does not mean calorie free. Check the caloric value of the fat-free fun food and substitute 80 calories for one starch in your meal plan, if you need a sweet treat. Just finding lower-calorie versions of some of your regular foods can help you lose weight.
If you are pressed for time, take advantage of all the meal and snack replacement food items available to the modern dieter today. Use the frozen TV dinners by Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers or Lean Cuisine to make a quick lunch or dinner. If you like a liquid breakfast, try the Slim-Fast, Carnation or Boost drinks, among many others. Just be sure they are less than 300 calories if they are a meal replacement. You can carry energy bars for an afternoon snack. Select bars that are less than 200 calories, and that provide some fiber and protein. You can take your pick from a wide assortment now available, even in grocery stores. If you want more soy in your diet, try Luna bars or Genisoy bars. Worried about cholesterol? Try Benecol bars. Slim-Fast, Balance bars, Advantage bars, Glucerna bars, Choice bars and many others offer special features to meet your individual needs.
Use behavior modification techniques to keep you on track. Sit down while you eat, use a smaller plate, reduce your eating speed, measure portions and ask someone else to scrape the dishes! Plan your meals, shop and cook regularly, and drink plenty of water.
Eating out is always a challenge for a dieter. Restaurant foods often have hidden fats and extra sodium. Ask questions about food preparation when you order, and get sauces and dressing on the side. Remember that the portions are large, so cut everything in half and bring the rest home.
Quick weight-loss diets are, for the first week, really quick water-loss diets. The trick is based on the high-protein, minimal-carbohydrate theme. Starchy foods hold water in your body, so when you severely reduce them, you eliminate water, not fat, from your body. If you continue the popular high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet plan for a few days, you develop ketosis, which has serious metabolic effects. You will continue to lose weight because your calorie intake is lower, but at the risk of a balanced diet, energy and health.

Source:http://newsolio.com/weight-loss-tips-how-to-lose-5-pounds-in-2-weeks,1306

Healing through Silence: Tips for Headaches

Prevention is key. Being healthy prevents pain, injuries and disease. Remember, the causes of headaches are often stress, muscle or circulation related.



So how can you prevent headaches?



Meditation, Exercise, Diet.



When we meditate we give our bodies and minds opportunities to practice silence and being still. This interrupts the “stress chemistry” that develops over time with our busy schedules. It also “teaches” the mind how to be quiet, which creates “peace chemistry” and ultimately diminishes the effects of stress.



It can be overwhelming to think about making exercising an integral part of our lives, but in the end, the payoff is far greater than the sacrifice. Activities like yoga can prevent headaches as well as back pain and general injury. Also, while many exercise experts stress weight training for weight loss, cardio based exercises are also important. Circulation is necessary for our keeping our muscles and organs, including our brain, well supplied with nutrient-rich blood, making our body better able to respond to stress and injury. If you’re not sure where to start feel free to write. Improving our energy and stamina gets easier over time.



The diet for optimal health is raw veggies and fruit, grains, and protein, but this is getting more and more difficult to maintain for most of us. Some ways to offset the fast, processed and overcooked food is to add supplements or things like “green drink” to your diet. Healthy consumption = healthy body = less stress on the body = less headaches.

Also, headaches are often the result of dehydration. Drinking enough water can help prevent the onset of headaches.

Source:http://www.uvureview.com/2012/02/20/healing-through-silence-tips-for-headaches/

Tips for Vegetarians

Some of us become vegetarians because of a moral choice we make that we should not eat other living beings. Others make the choice for health reasons - believing that omitting animal products from what they ingest will result in better health. And there are still others who simply do not like the taste of flesh and so avoid eating it.

Whatever their reasons, moral, health or just taste, vegetarians are increasing in numbers - and it is certainly true that many studies have demonstrated the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. A well constructed vegetarian diet is low in saturated and trans fats and low in cholesterol - and high in fibre and antioxidants.

Problems can arise, however, if you just omit meat and meat products from your diet and don’t replace them with foods that provide the nutrients which your carnivore colleagues get from meat. A vegetarian diet, if not planned carefully, can result in deficiencies of protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12.

Protein in Vegetarian Diet

Eating only salads and rice is not enough to provide you with the protein your body needs for growth and repair. To get an adequate amount of protein, vegetarians should eat foods like chick peas, lentils and soya beans - in fact almost any type of bean, including baked beans, has a lot of good quality protein. Soy products like tofu (bean curd) and soy yoghurt, nuts, seeds and brown rice also are good sources of protein. For those whose food choices do not preclude non-flesh animal products like milk and eggs, these foods also provide very good sources of protein.

Iron in Vegetarian Diet

Those who confine themselves to eating only plant products generally have lower iron levels than those who consume meat. Now iron is found in two forms – haem iron and non-haem iron. The former, which is found in meat, is more easily absorbed by our intestines. In order to absorb non-haem iron (which is the form of iron found in plants and eggs) the intestine needs Vitamin C - so if you get your iron from plant products in the non-haem form, it is a good idea to take your food with plenty of Vitamin C containing food such as orange, limes or chillies. Dark green leaves such as spinach and silver beet are very good sources of iron for vegetarians.

Drinking tea with a vegetarian meal can inhibit the absorption of iron because the tannin in tea binds with the iron in the intestine and hinders its absorption. So in practical terms, avoid tea with your meals - and try to take your meals with Vitamin C containing fruits or juices.

Zinc, Calcium and Vitamin B12 in Vegetarian Diet

These elements are needed for health. Although zinc is widely found in plant foods, the phytates in grains and legumes reduces the absorption of zinc from the gut. To increase your intake of zinc, you can take tofu, seeds and nuts.

Calcium is needed for healthy bones. Dairy products like milk, cheese, yoghurt, curd and ice cream provide plenty of calcium - so including milk in a vegetarian diet is important. If for whatever reason you prefer NOT to take milk, then you can use foods like almonds, dried figs and green vegetables like broccoli as an alternative source of zinc.

Vitamin B12, which is essential for the formation of red blood cells, is only found in animal products - so total vegetarians are almost certain over a period of time to develop B12 deficiency. If you do not want to take any form of flesh, then you should take a Vitamin B12 supplement in the form of a pill.

Source:http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=45546

Hair care tips

Ban those "bad hair days" and get gorgeous hair with our helpful tips

Oil Treatment: Nourish your hair in botanical oils – olive, jojoba, sweet almond and coconut oils are all great choice.

Eggs and shampoo: For some extra-rich protein treatment, mix a little shampoo with one egg. Apply this ‘shampoo omelet’ and keep it for a good ten minutes and see your hair transform and shine with health after a rinse.

Go Herbal: You can use your regular shampoo and transform it into an exotic herbal experience by mixing about 20 drops of essential oil of lavender in it. You will also be amazed with the results.

No pins or accessories: Never sleep with any kind of accessories on your hair in the night.

Post wash care: Be very gentle with washed hair. Wrap it in a towel and let it absorb all the water; never rub wet hair (it will give you split ends)

Flyaway hair: You can treat this by smoothing a little bit of sandalwood oil over your hair or even a few drops of lotion can work magic.

For fine, thin hair: Many people think conditioners can flatten thin hair, but by using a moisturizing conditioner a few times a week, can help you block out humidity and make them healthy.


Source:http://www.businessreviewindia.in/lifestyle/health-fitness/hair-care-tips

Tip Your Servers This Valentine's Day

Call it part two of last week’s report. No sooner had the blood cooled from the “he-covery” than in came more stark news from the world of women’s work. This time, it’s not just discriminatory employers at fault; it’s the federal government.

“In most industries, the gender wage gap is due to employer discrimination. In the restaurant industry, it’s also a matter of policy,” says Saru Jayaraman, co-founder of the workers’ group, the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC).

Virtually alone among employers, in the restaurant industry predominately male positions have a different minimum wage than predominately female positions. Since 2007, non-tipped workers (52 percent male) have a federal minimum wage of $7.25. Tipped workers (66 percent female) have a federal subminimum wage of $2.13.

Congress established that sub-generous sub-minimum for tipped workers back in 1991. Thanks to active lobbying by the National Restaurant Owners Association (one of the top twenty-five lobby groups in the United States), it has stayed at $2.13 ever since.

“The outcome is that servers, 71 percent of whom are female, are suffering a gender gap that doesn’t just mean inequity, it means the difference between living below or above poverty line,” says Jayaraman. (The federal poverty line is $18,000 for a family of three.) Food servers, it turns out, are twice as likely as the general population to use food stamps.

“The millions of workers who serve our food can’t afford to eat,” says Jayaraman.

Think about that as you sit down for your next meal. If Valentine’s Day 2012 is anything like last year, some 70 million lovey-dovy eaters will be served. According to a new report from ROC and a dozen partner organizations, within servers, the industry’s largest occupational category, full time, year round, female servers are paid 68 percent of what their male colleagues earn ($17,000 vs. $25,000 annually). Black female servers are paid 8 percent less than that, costing them a deficit of more than $400,000 over a lifetime.

Mayaba Liebenthal, an African American server at Stanley restaurant in New Orleans, has been in the business for fifteen years and sees no chance that she’ll ever move into a management post or to a better-paying “fine dining” establishment. “As a worker, I’m not able to access healthcare; I have to work when I’m sick and [dependent on tips which vary every week] I can’t save money, I can’t afford time to go to school.”

As for those tips? While managers generally decide whether tips are gathered into a pool, workers themselves determine how tips are distributed. So pay rests on subjective inter-personal relations, says Liebenthal. "It's not fair, and it's painful always to be wondering if this person going to pay me what I’m worth as a server or what he or she thinks I'm worth as a person?"

The law says that employers are supposed to ensure that tips make up the difference between the tip minimum wage and the regular minimum wage, yet the researchers behind the new report say they’ve heard from many workers that not only does that not happen but employers also tell workers to report that they are earning minimum wage. This means that workers end up getting taxed on income they don’t have. As a matter of law, taxes—levied on wages and tips—are deducted from wages. Workers making a good deal in tips (cash) have to remember to put money aside to cover the taxes they owe that their wages weren’t sufficient to pay.

“Diners may be aware that they are subsidizing their server’s wages; the thing that people don’t know is they’re subsidizing the wages of runners and busers and all the tipped workers” says Saru. Meanwhile, The National Restaurant Association is forecasting a record-breaking $635 billion in revenue in 2012.

ROC is equipping interested diners with information-packed palm cards to hand out to managers and servers. “It’s going to take customers speaking up and showing they care to make things change,” says Jayaraman. “Twenty years ago, customers started asking about organics and locally produced food, and the industry responded.”

ROC has also issued a 2012 directory of restaurants that take the high-road and pay their tipped workers the same or close to the same as the federal minimum wage. Seven states have already done away with the sub-minimum, including California, the number one restaurant state in the country.

“Running a restaurant is hard. Running it right is profitable,” says Barbara Sibley, owner of La Palapa, New York City. Sibley says she spends more on wages, but far less on waste and re-training.

Real change, however, needs to come from Congress. Maryland Democrat, Donna Edwards, showed restaurant workers some love this week by calling for Congressional action in an op-ed co-authored by Jayaraman for the Hill:

“There is no reason that the women who cook, prepare, and serve our meals should trade their health for wages and face limited opportunities for career mobility. America’s working women cannot live off the status quo and we must show them the economic respect they are long overdue—in the form of living wages, paid sick days and health coverage, and an end to discrimination and harassment.”

President Barack Obama pledged to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an Hour by 2011. It hasn’t happened. If he put some muscle into the push for that (indexing it to inflation as he promised) and into raising the subminimum too, he just might be forgiven. As he said back in 2008, “people who work full-time should not live in poverty.” Raise a glass to that this week—and leave a tip—at a high road restaurant where the workers don't starve.

Source:http://www.thenation.com/blog/166235/tip-your-servers-valentines-day

Heart-Healthy Tips for February

While February has Valentine’s Day as a heart-centered day, it also is American Heart Month, as recognized by the American Heart Association. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and there are many things that each of us can do to improve our heart health.

Taking care of your heart is really a two-fold thing. First, there’s the focus on the actual heart itself and making it strong and healthy. This is done through a combination of dietary choices, exercise habits and stress management. We can eat all the healthy food in the world but if we’re constantly stressed, that can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and can put a strain on our heart.

As a yoga teacher, I know that yoga has a tremendous ability to lower blood pressure through deep breathing. It has nothing to do with complicated poses and everything to do with rhythmic breath. Many students leave class feeling relaxed and for the first time, really feel connected to their body.

Here are some tips to keep your physical heart healthy:

Do some kind of regular exercise: While yoga is wonderful, the benefits of exercise are not limited to yoga. Running, going for a brisk walk or to the gym has the same stress-busting effects. Look in your neighborhood for deals run by your local gym or yoga studio or find a neighbor or nearby friend and start training for a spring road race.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and limit your intake of red meat: The more you can do to increase your intake of heart-healthy foods, you’ll lower your chances of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. Locally, you can shop farmer’s markets when in season or even try one of the Community Share Agriculture programs. Also, a local Boston resource to try for delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables is Boston Organics. They’ll deliver organic produce to your door (www.bostonorganics.com). What could be easier?

Meditate: Sitting still in silence is critical to decreasing stress. Disconnecting from the TV, computer and smartphone gives the brain a much-needed rest. Many local yoga studios hold classes in meditation or will connect you with teachers who will work with you privately.

Get a physical: Too many people wait until there is a problem before going to their general practitioner. Make yearly appointments to get a physical. This will include checking your blood pressure and cholesterol, weight and blood work. These tests all are indicators of heart health and can help you get ahead of a problem that’s brewing.

Break those bad habits that create heart problems: Things like smoking, eating a lot of red meat, high-stress habits such as addiction to technology (called “Inability to Switch Off”) can all create heart disease. Sign up for a smoking cessation program, look for ways to limit your meat intake, such as only eating it on the weekend and leave your computer out of the bedroom can decrease some of the time you spend online.

The second aspect of taking care of your heart recognizes that the heart is the organ of emotion and intuition. When we live with anger, jealous and hatred, we’re putting a strain our heart as well.

Here are some tips to keep your emotional heart healthy:

Make peace with those around you: If you’re holding a grudge, let it go. If that takes owning up to a wrong, do it. If it takes letting something slide so you can be at peace, do it. It’s better to be healthy than angry.

Say what’s on your mind: Holding back what’s on your mind, not being clear with those around you, waiting for the “right” time to have a difficult conversation can all lead to pressure in the chest not from physical heart issues but more from an emotional strain.

Don’t take things to heart: Otherwise known as “don’t take things personally” this adage from a book called “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz is a wonderful reflection of the fact that we have no control over other people but we can control our emotions and reactions to their actions. Rather than living in drama, stay in your own body and breath and move through life without taking on the burden of everyone else’s issues.

Despite the focus of Valentine’s Day being on romantic love, remember that the greatest love you can have is love of yourself. Take a moment each day to appreciate and acknowledge what you love about yourself.

Source:http://charlestown.patch.com/articles/heart-healthy-tips-for-february-823fa432

Five Tips For A Healthy Heart

What better time to remind people about heart health, and continue to raise awareness about American Heart Month, than the month of February!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with coronary heart disease topping the list for the most common heart disease. Now for the good news: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your chance for developing coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking some preventive steps.

Put a limit on unhealthy, fatty foods and those high in cholesterol. Reduce foods with trans fats and saturated fats. Unfortunately, this probably includes many of your favorite snack items (even if the box says, “reduced fat”). Food that falls in this category can contribute to high blood cholesterol levels, leading to a risk of heart attack and stroke (from a buildup of plaque in your arteries). Limit butters, shortening and fatty meats in your diet, too, and use healthy substitutions when possible (salsa to top your baked potato instead of butter; low-fat yogurts instead of sour cream; olive oil instead of butter).

Related: 6 Fat Burning Foods in Your Home Right Now

Fill up on fruits and veggies. There’s a reason your mother told you to eat your vegetables! They’re low in calories, high in fiber and may contain properties that help prevent cardiovascular disease. Along with the vitamins and minerals they include, fruits and veggies can also keep you from eating high-fat foods, like meats, cheeses and snacks

According to Cindy Moore, MS, RD, director of the nutrition therapy department at The Cleveland Clinic, “Fruit is a great food choice any time of the day. Some fruits, such as berries and grapes, will be richer sources of fiber, but most fruits will contribute vitamins A, C, a variety of minerals, they will be low in calories, filling because of their water content, and just a terrific food to snack on.”

Add whole grains to your meals. Whole grains are a great source of fiber and also help regulate blood pressure. Try to avoid refined grain products like white flour, white bread, egg noodles, snack bars, cookies, and other high-fat snac
Put down the saltshaker and shrink your portions. Diets high in sodium can put you at risk for high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. Sodium is sneaky, and hides out in processed foods, fast foods and prepared meals. Portion control (including at restaurants) can help prevent overeating and help reduce your calorie intake.

Related: Are You ‘Portion-Challenged’?

Switch to low-fat proteins. Look for the lean cuts of meat, and keep your portions limited. Try skinless chicken breasts, and adding more fish in your diet (certain fish like salmon and mackerel include omega-3 fatty acids, which can help inhibit plaque growth in your arteries; reduce the formation of blood clots; and increase your “good” cholesterol levels). Add legumes like beans, lentils and peas.

Source:http://www.business2community.com/health-wellness/five-tips-for-a-healthy-heart-0128212