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.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

Did You Know Lack of Sleep Makes You Fat? 

6 ways to gain weight most naturally

Most people these days want to lose weight in order to look slim, and as a result, they often miss out on essential nutrients and starve themselves, deteriorating their health. On the other hand, some people want to put on a few pounds to look and feel healthier or simply to bulk up. Gaining weight is not strenuous and can be achieved simply by reversing some essential dieting principles. Certain basic calculations and lifestyle changes can garner impressive results.

Here are 6 ways to gain weight healthily:

1. Eating 5 to 6 meals a day

In order to gain weight, start eating 5-6 meals a day by breaking them into parts. Eating a lot at once may cause indigestion if the body fails to absorb all nutrients. Eat in small amounts, even if you are not hungry and there will be an increase in appetite from day to day. The aim should be to have a generously portioned breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as two to three snacks in between.

2. Start weight training

If you build your muscles through weight training, it will convert the extra weight into lean body mass and also stimulate your appetite. The extra muscle increases the rate of metabolism. When you start exercising you will often experience extreme muscle soreness but it goes away in 3-5 days.

3. Load up on protein

Besides weight training, a protein-rich diet can help you gain mass. Eating a meal heavy in protein shortly after finishing exercise can be highly effective in adding extra pounds to your body. However, a diet focused only on lean protein is not helpful. It is important to make sure that your diet has plenty of fat in it. Eat foods rich in protein like cheese, meat, eggs, etc to gain weight in a healthy manner.

4. Workout your entire body

A lot of people focus only on training the muscles on their arms, chest and shoulders and this is a grave error. Firstly, it will give you a disproportionate body; and it will make you prone to injuries. Therefore, it's important to work out the entire body for a complete and balanced look.

5. Drink your calories

To reach the calorie requirement only by eating may be tough. Drinking milk, milkshakes or protein shakes with little or no sugar can be an effective way to load up on the calorie requirements.

6. Be patient and believe in yourself

Gaining weight quickly in a healthy manner is unrealistic. Every body type is different and it takes months to gain weight. Living healthy by eating the right diet will increase your strength. It is also important to keep following the routine even if you don't see any gains.

Caution: junk food and fried foods must be avoided; although have a tendency to add more fat to your body but are very low in vitamins and minerals which are essentially required to keep you really fit.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.

Related Tip: The Most Powerful Way To Put On Weight - Snacking Right.

6 Ways to Gain Weight Most Naturally

Tummy tuck also known as an abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck surgery is a form of cosmetic surgery, which is used to remove excess fat and skin from the abdomen as well as tighten the muscles in your abdominal regions. Similar to 'mommy makeovers' (a procedure applicable after pregnancy, which helps women restore their figure). 


Tummy tuck surgery is used to help patients treat that loose and sagging skin who have experienced excessive weight loss within a relatively short period of time. Although, it is usually done for cosmetic reasons, it does provide a large number of medical benefits, such as:


1. Reduction in stress urinary incontinence: Stress Urinary Incontinence is a bladder control problem that is characterized by involuntary urination because of exercises or normal bodily functions such as sneezing or coughing which might put pressure on the bladder. In some women, (SUI) can develop after a vaginal birth. The condition does not generally require a surgery. However, research has shown that in severe cases, abdominoplasty is helpful in patients who do not have a caesarean section. A slight bladder obstruction is made during the procedure using soft tissue which reduces the incontinence.


2. Better posture and improved abdominal tone: Strong muscles tend to become weak after multiple pregnancies and extreme weight loss. In these cases, diet and exercise are not enough. Abdominoplasty surgically removes excess fat and skin thereby, tightening weak muscles and flattening the abdomen. It is noticed that after the surgery, the patients develop an improved posture due to the tightened muscles supporting the spine. This helps in relieving a variety of back pains.


3. Correction of ventral hernia: Ventral Hernia is the bulging out of tissues through a defect, opening or past incisions within the wall muscles of the abdomen. In such a case, the surgeon may opt for Abdominoplasty to support the abdominal wall and prevent recurrences.


Medical Benefits of Tummy Tuck Surgery 

Some new studies have shown that eating while you are walking can cause weight gain. The findings have said that while walking you tend to consume more food than when you are stagnant. However, not only walking but also while conversing with others or watching television increases your urge to consume more food.

The reasons for which you may consume more food while walking are:

If you sometimes eat on the go then you can consume more food later in the day. Because while eating we did not concentrate how much of amount we consumed.
One more reason of consuming much food can be that walking is one powerful distraction. As you do not completely concentrate on your food it falls into mindless eating.
Concentrating on your food is a significant part of enjoying your food and managing weight gain.
When you sit down and eat, you tend to focus on how much food you are taking in one bite, and chew properly. Nevertheless, when walking and eating none of these happens.
When you walk and eat, you do not pay attention to what you are eating. While on the go you just grab whatever food satiates your hunger and this leads to weight gain later.
There are also some simple steps to avoid over eating. They are:

Sit on a table and eat slowly.
Chew your food properly.
You should stop eating when you first start feeling that you are full.
Try to eat as many vegetables as you can and try to avoid junk foods.
Weight gain and obesity is also associated with our mind. When we start consuming food, our brain takes at least 20 minutes to connect to our stomach. So, eating slowly is a much needed for avoiding weight gain.

Can Walking While Eating Can Lead to Weight Gain?

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.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
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!

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.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

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

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