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!

The body has multiple chemicals called hormones, which regulate many of its functions. Increased or decreased levels of these hormones affect various functions including metabolism, growth and sexual functions. Thyroxin produced by the thyroid (situated in the front of the neck) is one such hormone, which has a significant role to play in metabolism.

Graves  disease is one of the main causes of hyperthyroidism, where there is excessive production of thyroid hormones. Graves  disease is an autoimmune disorder, wherein the body reacts against its own tissues. It is very common in women than men, especially after 20 years of age. Family history also has a strong correlation in developing Graves  disease. The high levels of thyroid hormone increase the rate of metabolism, thereby altering weight, mental energy levels, physical stamina, and also mood.

Thyroid hormone is related to metabolism and more amount of it lead to higher metabolism. This causes the following symptoms.

    Intolerance to heat
    Excessive sweating
    Nervousness and anxiety
    Inability sleep, as the mind is always excited
    Increased appetite (sometimes despite weight loss) due to higher metabolism
    Irregular menstrual cycles
    Palpitations (rapid, loud heartbeat)
    Irregular heartbeats (tachyarrhythmia)
    Fine tremors of the extended arms
    Breast enlargement in men, known as gynecomastia
    Extreme moodiness, causing irritability and anger
    Inability to focus and concentrate
    General fatigue and shortness of breath with any exertion
    Increased frequency of bowel movements

In addition, the eye symptoms are quite diagnostic including:

    Protrusion of the eyes (exophthalmos), giving an impression that they are going to fall out
    Double vision
    Excessive tearing
    Increased irritation in the eyes

Diagnosis: The first symptom would be the presence of an enlarged thyroid gland (front of the neck above the collarbone), and the some of the above symptoms would be present.
In addition, tests to check for thyroid gland functioning including T3 and T4 levels would reveal increased amounts of hormone in the blood stream.
As a confirmatory test, the radioactive iodine uptake test also is done, which will indicate increased uptake by the thyroid gland. This indicates that the gland is functioning at an increased pace and requires additional iodine for the production of thyroid hormones.

Treatment: There are two approaches to it, one to control the symptoms and the other to control the thyroid gland per se.

    Beta blockers are very useful in controlling rapid heart rate and anxiety.
    Prednisone may be used to control eye irritation and swelling
    Antithyroid drugs are used to control the production of thyroid
    Radioactive iodine is given orally to control excessive thyroid production
    In severe cases, thyroid gland may be surgically removed partially or completely

Graves  disease is not life-threatening and once symptoms are controlled, the patient s quality of life improves drastically.

Graves' Disease - Things You Should Know About It

It is a common knowledge that beer has health benefits when used in masks, scrubs, as conditioners, etc. This reason is good enough for even non-drinkers to stock up their fridges with cans of beer. 
Here are a few ways by which we can use beer to make our skin and hair better:

Use beer as a conditioner - Beer happens to be an excellent conditioner. Mixing one cup warm beer with a teaspoon of jojoba oil makes a natural, non-greasy conditioner. Wash your hair with your regular shampoo and use this mix as a conditioner. The beer in it will give volume to your hair while jojoba oil will add shine and luster.
Use it for a face pack - Take two to three strawberries mash with a fork, add few drops of beer and make a paste. Rub this paste all over your face in a circular motion. Rinse after 15-20 minutes and apply moisturizer on your face.
Soak in beer laced water - Beer can be used in bubble bath too! Mix some soap with beer of your choice and add the mix to the running bath water. Soak in this water and feel your skin become soft and smooth.
Use beer as a hair-pack - Wash your hair with your usual shampoo. Now pour the mixture made of distilled water, beer, two teaspoon apple cider vinegar and few drops of essential oil (any scent), on your hair. Make sure it reaches the hair that is inside as well. Rinse this mixture with lukewarm water. You can do this once a month.
Get the beer glow - Take half a teaspoon of beer, one egg white and a drop of almond extract. Whisk them together and keep aside. On your washed and dried face, apply the mask and let it dry until your skin feels tight. Wash it off with lukewarm water.
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Do You Know What Beer Does To Your Hair & Skin?

How turmeric can help you lose weight this winter season

Weight gain and winters go hand in hand as it’s the holiday season, full of weddings or parties, both of which can result in the piling up of calories and kilos. Turmeric in winters is a must have, at least for its medicinal properties, which help you in dealing with the common winter woe of weight gain. 

Why is turmeric most effective in winters?
Turmeric has plenty of health benefits like reducing the effects of arthritis, increasing the immunity of your body etc. besides being a natural remedy for weight loss. The benefits of turmeric can be enjoyed to the fullest during winters as its consumption during summers in excessive amount can cause some side effects. Turmeric has a heating effect on your body, so consuming it in excess during the summer months adds to the heat your body generates and may result in indigestion or heartburn.

How can turmeric help in losing weight?
Turmeric is rich in curcumin (an orange pigment), which is instrumental in breaking dietary fibres, and consequently in helping you to lose weight. Curcumin can stop the fat tissues from being created in your body by regulating your blood vessels, which are responsible for formation of these fat tissues. 

Turmeric also lets you manage your weight by aiding in the reduction of cholesterol levels in your body. Moreover, it’s also effective in lowering lipid content in your body by reducing the presence of adipose (fat) tissues to prevent weight gain.

Additionally, curcumin present in turmeric can help in the burning of fat as well, thereby triggering weight loss.

How can you make turmeric a part of your daily diet?
You can either add turmeric to your food while cooking or you can have a glass of turmeric milk daily to enjoy its multiple health benefits. Also, you can add turmeric to your tea or have turmeric supplements that are available in the form of powder-filled capsules, fluids or tinctures. 

To get the most out of the weight loss benefits of turmeric, limit your turmeric consumption to 2-3 grams a day during the winter season. 

Here’s an easy a tasty turmeric milk recipe to get you started:

Turmeric golden milk recipe-
Ingredients:  
1 inch long stick of turmeric, coarsely crushed
½ cup water
1 cup low fat milk
Pepper, according to taste
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:
Combine the milk and the water and bring to boil. Add the crushed turmeric and pepper. Heat the mixture on a low flame for about 20 minutes. Remove from flame and strain the mixture. Pour in a glass and stir the honey into it. Consume the drink while it’s still warm.

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Turmeric: an Ultimate Winter Weight Loss Weapon 

Orange Peel Scrub For Flawless Glowing Skin

An orange is much more than just a refreshing tangy fruit. Orange, rich in Vitamin C, is the best all rounder when it comes to your skin. It’s rich in antioxidants and helps your skin to get younger looking, glowing and healthy. It’s almost a miracle for your skin.

Ground orange peels (and nothing else) just on their own make for the perfect scrub. 

It has these 4 effects on your skin.

1. Scrubbing off Dead Skin: The leathery granular texture & calcium present in it, serves as a gentle but extremely effective scrub, removing layers of dead and decaying skin. 

2. Moisturizing: The natural oil & potassium present in orange peel moisturizes & hydrates your skin simultaneously. 

3. Anti-ageing: The antioxidants neutralize the free radicals keeping wrinkles and sagging cheeks at bay.  Vitamin C & Magnesium present in it make skin glowing, youthful & healthy.

4. Skin Lightening: The orange peel also serves as a natural bleaching agent which helps with skin whitening. 

How to Get the Glow: To get an instant glow, all you need to do is rub frozen orange peel cubes onto your skin.  Continue rubbing till the cubes dissolve onto your skin into a scrub/mask. Splash your face with water to reveal the magic!

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4 Magical  Effects Orange Peel Has On Your Skin

The fact is there are no shortcuts! However, there are some really efficient ways (if followed religiously) that can result in quick riddance from fat and related woes. 
Let's see how to get around obesity in these simple ways:

1. Reduce Salt Intake: More salt in body means more sodium which gives a puffy look to your body. So, it's advised to eat less salt and more potassium as it will reduce the amount of water in the body resulting in reduced weight.
2. Never Skip Exercise: Exercise daily because this is one sure-shot way of reducing weight because it burns direct fat.  Especially cardio exercises can help in reducing weight but you have to be regular in that.
3. Manage Your Diet Well: Diet management is the first and foremost thing that can help you deal with the problem of obesity. It is not easy and everyone's cup of tea to have a control on diet but half the battle is won, if you can deal with this dietary change. Your diet should be low in calories, with less carbohydrates and less fats.
4. Have Mint Leaves: Taking mint leaves in warm water half an hour after taking meals will prove to be beneficial in losing weight as it helps in proper digestion and boosting metabolism.
5. Drink Green Tea: Green tea, an antioxidant by nature can go a long way in helping you reduce weight. So, prefer taking green tea, if not more once or twice a day.
6. Switch To Lukewarm Water: Drinking lukewarm water every time you are thirsty will reduce fat deposits in your body, so you must go for it.
7. Make Homemade Food: Prefer eating homemade food and avoid fatty and fast food.

Shortcuts to Undo Obesity. Check For a Surprise!

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