5 diet myths debunked!

The term 'diet' immediately makes you think of a starving and depriving weight-loss regimen. But diet simply means what food we eat in the course of 24 hours, one week or one month. Nonetheless, certain myths have arisen surrounding this term too and which have been debunked here:

Myth 1: cutting carbohydrate helps you lose weight

You need carbohydrates for energy. A minimum of 130 grams of carbs is recommended each day which is a far cry from low carb diets that start with 20 grams or less. Fat diets aside, what matters is how refined the carbohydrates are. Refining removes grain's fibrous coating, which leads to faster food digestion. That&#x2019;s why whole fruits with their fiber and nutrients are good choices despite their simple carbohydrates. The idea is to cut back on refined carbs such as soda and foods made with white flour while loading up on healthier carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Myth 2: diet foods help you drop pounds

If you scan labels for the lowest calorie and fat counts you might be doing yourself more harm than good. Pre-packaged diet foods have a lot more sugar and trans fat. As with carbs, it is the quality of fat and not the amount that matters. Monounsaturated fats (nuts, olive oils, avocados) and polyunsaturated variety (in corn, soybean) help your cardiovascular system and improve weight loss. Trans fat and saturated fat have been linked with heart disease and even cancer.

Myth 3: the more you cut calories, the more weight you will lose

If you cut your calories too far you'll end up decreasing your metabolism and muscle mass. To get the most out of calories you should choose whole foods like fresh meat and fish, and whole grains that are as close to their natural state as possible. They have higher nutrient density than refined foods as they pack more vitamins and minerals into fewer calories.

Myth 4: dairy products make you fat

A dairy-rich diet can double fat reduction and weight loss, and help prevent weight gain. Three servings of low or non-fat dairy a day is recommended every day. A cup of milk or yogurt or 1 and a half ounces of cheese equals one serving.

Myth 5: brown equals whole grain

Whole grains reduce your risk of many chronic ailments, from obesity, diabetes to cardiovascular disease. The extra fiber in whole grain is essential. Whole grain foods tend to be richer in vitamin b and e than, refined grains.

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Related Tip: 85% Indians are Making These DIET Mistakes! Are You One of Them?

If You Diet for Weight Loss, Here are 5 Myths You Might be Living With!

Did you know that lack of sleep can make you fatter? Here's how.

Lack of sleep doesn't only affect your mood and concentration levels, it also affects your weight. Studies show that not getting enough sleep can be responsible for your increasing waistline and bulky frame. 

Here's how sleep impacts your weight. 

1. Sleep deprivation leads towards consumption of foods that give quick energy
When you've had less sleep than what you require, you feel a lack of energy while performing your daily chores. This can cause you to increase your intake of instant energy-giving foods like potato chips and chocolates or other foods with high carbohydrate and fat content. As a result, you may end up accumulating more kilos on your body.

2. A sleepy brain experiences difficulty in making decisions
Sleeplessness has a negative effect on your body as it prevents you from having complete control of your brain, which may ultimately make you a bad decision maker; especially when it comes to choice of food. You may lack the mental clarity required to avoid calorie-rich foods and may try to fulfil your food cravings with the first available serving of food.

Sleep deprived people are more likely to munch on late night, unhealthy snacks, which are responsible for making them fatter. Lack of sleep also leads you towards consuming foods in greater quantity.

3. The sleep-diet connection 
Sleep deprivation results in the improper functioning of your metabolism and increases the hormone 'ghrelin' (responsible for regulating the frequency of food intake) and decreases the amount of the hormone 'leptin' (responsible for indicating when to stop food consumption). More ghrelin and lesser leptin imply more amount of food consumption, which consequently leads to weight gain.

How to implement an enhanced sleep pattern in your lifestyle?

You can try out the following remedies to ensure that you get good quality sound sleep.
- To begin with, try to abstain from caffeine consumption in any form during the afternoons as it affects your sleep routine at night. 
- Design a sleep schedule for yourself and try to follow it every day, even at weekends.
- Do not consume heavy meals or alcohol before bedtime as it may result in indigestion and may make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
- Also, you can enhance the quality of your sleep by exercising daily. However, ensure that you don't exercise just before sleeping as exercising can cause your energy levels to rise, making it difficult for you to fall asleep.

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Did You Know Lack of Sleep Makes You Fat? 

Human body requires a minimum amount of fat from the diet to help in the functioning of hormones, memory and in the absorption of specific nutrients. If one includes meals containing healthful fats, those tend to create a sense of fullness and also take time to digest the carbohydrates. Let us take a look at some of the most healthful high-fat foods:

Avocado: Avocado contains a high monounsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid, which provides a number of health benefits. Oleic acid is anti-inflammatory in nature and thus plays a crucial role in the prevention of cancer. They are high in fibre and a single fruit provides 13.5 g out of the 25 grams, recommended for females and 38 grams for males every day.
Dark Chocolate: Taking only 1 oz of dark chocolate can be sufficient enough to get rid of sweet cravings. It provides enough amount of healthful fat along with other nutrients like potassium and calcium. Research suggests that having dark chocolate helps to lower the risk of heart disease in people living in the United States.
Eggs: Over a number of years, people have known egg whites to be healthy but in reality; egg yolk contains a number of important nutrients. The egg yolk has Vitamin D and choline, which is a Vitamin B that provides support for the proper functioning of brain, liver, nerves and muscles. A study this year has come up with the report that having an egg per day can lower the risk of heart disease.
Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds have omega-3 fatty acids and a healthy dose of fibre. Every 2 tablespoon of flaxseeds contains 9 gm of unsaturated fat and 5.6g fibre. The fibre gives a feeling of fullness and leads to the reduction of cholesterol.
Nuts: Nuts are rich in healthful fats, protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and thus aid in preventing heart diseases and Type 2 diabetes.
Olive Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil contains monounsaturated fats which are good for heart s health. It has Vitamin E, Vitamin K and antioxidants which are potent. One can use it at a regular basis for cooking and dressings.

Healthy Fats Important For The Body!

How to use bananas to melt stomach fat?

Banana is one fruit that is available in all the seasons and is extremely nutritious because of presence of fibre, mineral and potassium in it. Its taste and ‘easy-to-eat’ quality makes it everyone’s favourite. It also helps in flushing out toxins from the body and enhances metabolism too. But did you know that as a result of these qualities, banana helps you with melting stomach fat also. Yes! Banana is one of those very few fruits which have a tendency to melt the stomach fat. Let’s see how and why?

1. Fruit: Banana is an excellent source of energy because it has glucose, fructose and sucrose in it. Consumption of banana decreases the feeling of hunger. So, when we take banana, we will not be hungry for a long time which will also help in lessening the stomach fat.

2. Banana Smoothie: Banana prevents retention of water in the body and because of this quality, it helps in melting the stomach fat. A banana drink is a great idea for that. Not only by adding few other ingredients it becomes tastier but also helps in melting the stomach fat easily and faster. You just have to mix things like an orange, ¼ table spoon ginger, 2 table spoons of flax seeds and whey powder, yoghurt, along with a spoonful of coconut oil in one banana. It will give good results if it’s taken on an empty stomach. It can also be taken after drinking a glass of lukewarm water early morning. But taking it just once won’t serve the purpose. You have to take it regularly to get the desired results.

3. As a Combination Food: Apart from taking banana in its original form and in the form of smoothie, mixing bananas with cranberries, raspberries or blueberries along with ginger, honey and little water will also provide the same result. Likewise, in place of berries, if you add spinach, it will also help in reducing stomach fat making you look much slimmer.

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3 Amazing Ways To Melt Belly Fat with Bananas

5 Proven ways to burn 2 inches of belly fat in 8 weeks flat!

The fat that builds up in your tummy takes a longer time to burn in comparison to fats that are stored in the other parts of the body. 
Here are 5 effective ways to lose 2 inches of belly fat in just 8 weeks:

1. Go for a brisk walk - Brisk walking for 20 minutes every day can help you to lose 1 inch of belly fat in 4 weeks. Research reveals that going for a walk between 8am and noon is highly beneficial as working out in the morning light gives a boost to your metabolic processes, which enable your body to burn more fat.

2. Cook with coconut oil - Cooking with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil on a daily basis can help you to touch the 2 inches' mark as well. It contains medium chain triglycerides (a type of fatty acids), which are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and do not require bile for breaking them down, leading to faster digestion of fats. Plus, coconut oil doesn't increase your cholesterol levels since its fat content is burned as energy rather than getting stored in your body and causing fat accumulation.

3. Eat 3 hours before sleep - Several studies highlight that having dinner very close to your sleeping hours can hamper your sleep quality and its fat-burning ability. It not only increases your body temperature but also blood sugar and insulin levels while reducing the production of melatonin ( a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycle) and growth hormone. For this reason, it's best to have the last meal of your day 3 hours before your bedtime so as to allow the stomach acids and enzymes to convert the food into energy.

4. Have more proteins - Several studies show that having a protein-rich diet can be highly effective in reducing belly fat. Consumption of protein can cut down food cravings by 60%, enhance metabolic rate by about 80-100 calories a day, and reduce daily calorie intake by about 441 fewer calories/ day. Both animal protein and plant protein have been found to be effective against belly fat. Try including low-fat dairy products, fish, chicken, soybeans etc in your diet to shed extra inches from your tummy.

5. Include choline-rich foods in your diet - Choline is a water-soluble nutrient that acts on those genes that are responsible for fat storage. It breaks down fat in the body and uses it as energy instead. This nutrient is found in abundance in eggs, seafood collard green, and lean meats.

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5 Proven Ways to Burn 2 Inches of Belly Fat in 8 Weeks Flat!

Struggling with extra weight and flab? Well, we are here to help! Remember to take it slow and easy with your weight loss journey so that the effects are more lasting. Reducing weight in a month is a matter of making the best use of dietary tweaks and a work out regimen. 

Here are a few tips to lose weight in a month. Set a realistic goal of about 5 to 6 kgs in a month and get set go!

1. Food Diary: What you eat is the first thing that affects how smooth and effective your weight loss journey is. Remember to take stock of what you are eating in a day. Maintain a food diary for at least a week and take a look at it at the end of the week to realise where you may be going wrong. Remember to report even a bite of a snack or that piece of chocolate you took! You will be surprised with your findings. 

2. Diet Alterations: Get your diet under control by dividing it up into five or six small meals. Include vegetables, fruit, grains, water and some amount of dairy. Try to eliminate meat and sugar from your diet for a month. Also, you can substitute white rice with brown rice or other grains like quinoa. Have oats for fibre and remember to drink plenty of green tea and water. 

3. Dietary Additives: Adding ingredients like almonds, prunes, blue berries, and even chia seeds will do wonders for your overall diet plan. When you are in the mood for a snack, reach out for these fat burning substances that will get your metabolism to work overtime. 

4. Mental Hunger: Do a quick check every time you get hungry out of turn. If it is not your meal time, there may be chances that you are suffering from emotional or mental hunger, which usually passes in a few minutes once you down a glass of water and distract yourself with an enjoyable activity and deep breaths. 

5. Exercise: This is one aspect that many people ignore. Work out everyday to support your diet and weight loss journey. Have coffee an hour before your workout session for quick fat burning. 

Tips to Reduce Weight in a Month

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