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Tag: Healthy Diet

5 Success Tips for Your First HCG Diet Program

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Losing weight can be difficult if you don’t love dieting all that much and are not habitual of vigorous exercise. Both eating a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly are essential for gradual and sustainable weight loss. Unfortunately, most people give up on a healthy lifestyle too fast and too soon, way before it can become a habit.

A key reason for this is the lack of information on how a particular diet program really works and what it would take to keep going until you reach your goal weight. Once you understand the fundamental principles of a diet plan and the supporting physical activity, it will be easier to maintain the rigor and complete your weight-loss program successfully.

HCG Diet, a popular diet program followed by millions, is a special weight-loss regime that helps in rapid weight loss, provided you follow the guidelines related to food, exercise, and lifestyle.

HCG diet has three phases, each of which plays an important role in helping you lose fat and maintain the weight when the program is over. Each phase has a comprehensive diet plan with detailed meal plans that list the ingredients, cooking methods as well as seasoning suggestions. Here is a quick overview of all three.

HCG Diet Phase 1: the Loading Phase

This two-day phase marks the beginning of your HCG diet. It is called the loading phase as during this time you are expected to eat copious amounts of food, including fattening foods such as cakes, cookies, sodas and ice cream. You eat all you want, to your heart’s content, and prepare yourself for the next few weeks of the controlled diet.

Inevitably, some people feel they have gained weight once the loading period is over. But that is normal. The purpose of this deliberate overeating is to satiate your cravings for sweet and fatty foods and energize your body systems for the upcoming low-calorie diet.

HCG Diet Phase 2: the Burning Phase

The third day of your HCG diet plan is the day you get into weight-loss mode. A diet of no more than 500/800/1200 calories per day is prescribed, along with daily intake of HCG drops. The burning or weight-loss phase lasts between three and six weeks based on an individual’s weight-loss needs. It, however, should not exceed six weeks.

As you stick with a controlled diet and follow the instructions regarding food types, portion size, foods to avoid exercise and sleep, you will experience gradual weight loss along with visible changes in your waist size and other body stats.

HCG Diet Phase 3: the Maintenance Phase

As the name indicates, the maintenance phase is where you learn to maintain your hard-earned weight loss and steer clear of falling into a cycle of rapid weight gain after successfully completing the burning phase.

There are strict guidelines for this last phase as well, such as avoiding sugar and carbs and learning to eat a normal diet of 1,500 calories a day. The maintenance phase is crucial as it helps your body systems to stabilize after the grueling burning phase. As your body gets accustomed to your new weight and eating habits, you will feel renewed, rejuvenated and energized.

If you’re planning to go on HCG diet, the following five tips will help you make the most of your experience.

Brace your body and mind

Preparing yourself physically and mentally is essential for the success of any diet program. The more committed you are to the plan, the higher the chances of your success. However, commitment alone will not get you there. Before you go on any diet program, it is important to understand what it can do for you and what could be the repercussions of not following the rules of the said plan.

This will help you prepare yourself for the various ups and downs and keep you sane while you chase your fitness goals.

Don’t starve yourself

Starving only leads to overeating. While 500 calories a day may sound too less to satiate your appetite, the HCG diet program comes with plenty of information to help you choose the right foods that align with such a low-calorie diet.

By choosing to eat low-cal foods that will make you feel full, you will be able to stick to the diet plan day on day. To save yourself from starving while you prepare your meals, don’t wait until you’re hungry and make something well in advance to avoid falling for the pack of chips that you’ve stashed away out of sight.

For once, be strict with yourself

The HCG diet has certain do’s and don’ts, which not everyone is able to follow. As said previously, this HCG regimen demands a lot out of you and only those who follow the guidelines are able to experience substantial weight loss.

To avoid going off track out of frustration, educate yourself by finding out more about HCG-friendly foods and prepare a list of your personal favorites. Stock up on these goodies well in advance so that you always have the raw ingredients to cook up a meal. And, most importantly, don’t allow yourself to cheat.

Make friends with water

The best thing about water is that it can make you feel full minus any calories. Water is a zero-calorie drink, and in fact, the HCG diet calls for drinking plenty of water every day. This will keep your body hydrated and your stomach feeling full.

For more information on the HCG weight-loss program, do check out https://hcgdiet.com/, a leading and trusted resource for credible information regarding the HCG diet.

Take up supporting activities

While most of the advice on HCG diet revolves around food, the importance of your lifestyle during the three phases is often ignored. There is plenty you can do to keep yourself calm and motivated through the program. For instance, explore meditation and yoga to ward off feelings of anxiety. Go cycling or running or hang out with a friend who is trying to lose weight to keep your mind off food.

 

 

 

 

4 Alternative Vegan Diets You Can Try

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Adopting a vegan diet is one of the healthiest things you can ever do when it comes to looking out for your body. The over-consumption of meat and animal products has been linked to many serious and degenerative diseases, so regulating your daily consumption of such foodstuffs can certainly help in preventing those health conditions from compromising your health. Besides this, sticking with a vegan diet will also do wonders for you when it comes to helping you lose weight and feel much better overall.

However, for those of us who have grown up with having a large amount of meat in our daily diets, giving up meat entirely can prove to be very challenging, or even outright impossible. Thankfully, there are alternative vegan diets you can try out that can start you off on the healthy and virtuous path of complete and total veganism. Here are some of them.

Lacto-ovo Vegetarian

This is the most common type of diet that many aspiring vegans would adopt at the start of their zero-meat intake journey, often sticking with it for long periods of time until they either convert back to a carnivorous diet or graduate into full veganism. As its name suggests, the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet consists of a healthy amount of greens, dairy, and eggs. Meat is naturally left out of the equation.

But what about those who suffer from lactose intolerance, but still wish to pursue this particular vegan starter diet? We recommend you drink milked nuts as a dietary alternative—i.e. almond milk, peanut milk, and so on—instead of regular dairy. This way, you get just as much protein with the same creamy deliciousness, but without the added calories, cholesterol, and other potentially harmful stuff that comes with the regular consumption of animal-derived dairy products.

Other versions of this diet include Lacto vegetarian and Ovo vegetarian, which focuses on supplementing their vegetable diet with either milk or eggs respectively.

Pollotarian

If eggs and dairy products aren’t quite enough for you to subsist on alongside your leafy greens, then you might want to ratchet the difficulty factor for yourself down a few more notches and go with the pollotarian diet instead. This vegan alternative eating style forbids red meat of any kind, along with all types of seafood. Meat and other food products derived from poultry and fowl are allowed. Dairy is considered included in the diet as well, although some pollotarians choose to exclude such food sources.

As this diet forbids red meat along with seafood, it helps health-conscious dieters and foodie lovers slowly wean themselves off of meat products while still allowing them to partake on healthier and leaner meat choices. Of course, those who decide to go pollotarian should take heed to only cook their allowed meat products in healthy ways to fully enjoy the benefits of their diet.

Pescatarian

Somewhat the opposite of the pollotarian diet, going pescatarian means avoiding all meat except for aquatic sources, such as fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and other types of seafood. Dairy, like pollotarians, are also considered as an optional source of nutrition.

The pescatarian diet is a bit easier to handle than the other vegan diet alternatives, simply due to the fact that seafood consists of so many textures, flavors, and cuisine types. In contrast, the pollotarian only has one single type of meat to enjoy, and in a limited number of ways at that. Finally, the consumption of fatty types of seafood, such as tuna and mackerel, bestows a lot of important health benefits to the dieter.

Flexitarian

If you’re really finding it hard to commit to the vegan lifestyle but still want to give it an honest shot, then this alternative diet might be for you. The flexitarian dieter seeks to keep to a wholly plant-based diet while also enjoying the meat dish. How occasionally the meat comes up is completely up to the flexitarian, of course, but some choose to indulge once a week, or once a month.

Of all the vegan alternative diets, this may be the easiest to handle since the dieter is able to enjoy their favorite meat dish while still increasing their vegetable intake by a considerably high amount. However, the fact that there is no limit to the type of meat allowed in their indulgent periods means that they are still being exposed to the potential health consequences of meat consumption. The frequency of their “meat breaks” may also have a detrimental effect on the health benefits of their majorly plant-based diet.

Conclusion

Adopting a wholly plant-based diet can really improve your health as well as the quality of life you’re enjoying. However, you don’t have to go cold turkey right away when it comes to eating meat. By taking up these alternative vegan diets, you can slowly ease yourself into this healthier and more rewarding lifestyle.

 

Best diet to follow during pregnancy suggested by Dietician Sheela Seharawat!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Some diseases and illness require special attention and care. Considering this fact, Sheela Seharawat, a nationally acclaimed dietician suggests umpteen numbers of diet plans with effective tips. Stay healthy and look younger is her motto. She established the diet clinic in the year 2006. She has achieved success and a registered dietician under IDA. She holds her master’s degree in food and nutrition and is the founder of Diet clinic, which has currently 36 branches running successfully all over the country. Well-educated Sheela is a graduate with honors. She has been honored with many awards and before this profession; she was the professional attendant in the army hospital. She has well trained the entire team of dieticians at Diet Clinic. Here is what she has to suggest as a best diet to be followed during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is the time for significant changes. It is the time when you not only have to be careful about your own health, but also be careful about what you eat and how you eat, as it directly have it effects on the growing baby inside your womb. Growing another life inside you is not only stressful but also brings in a lot of responsibility.

Pregnant women need to ensure that their diet is balanced and provides them with the necessary nutrients and energy for proper development and growth of the baby and this involves the right mix of proteins, carbohydrates and fats and consuming a large variety of vegetables and fruits.

 

As mentioned above, a pregnant mother should have a well-balanced diet, and the diet should include the following:

  • Fruits and vegetables: leafy greens and dark orange vegetable products regulated the digestive system and provides antioxidants from natural source. Fresh vegetables are easy to prepare and digest and also provides folic acid, a vital nutrient required for the baby’s growth.

Fresh fruits are nutritious and makes the baby grow stronger.

 

  • Proteins: an essential component required for the growth of a healthy baby, pregnant mothers should include fish, lean meat, and chicken, as well as eggs in their regular diet. Quinoa, tofu and soy products, beans, lentils, legumes, nuts and seeds are rich sources of protein and reliefs from anxiety during pregnancy.

 

  • Healthy fats: vital for mothers and baby’s health, healthy fats builds up baby’s brain. Fats are termed healthy which are not man made, but are natural like olive oils, coconut oil, palm oil, cod liver oil, avocado, many nuts and seeds.

 

  • Carbohydrate rich foods: foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread are high in carbohydrate content, Carb provides energy and is therefore, an important component in pregnancy diet.

 

  • Fibers: women’s have higher risks of constipation during pregnancy and fiber intake minimizes that probability and regulates the digestive system. Eating plenty of fiber during pregnancy also reduces the risk of hemorrhoids and helps in the growth of the fetus. Whole meal bread, wholegrain pastas, beans, lentils, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of fibers.

 

  • Calcium and Zinc: calcium is an important element in the development of bone health of the baby and hence it is important to have a daily intake of calcium in the diet. Dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt, calcium-set tofu, soybeans, bok choy, broccoli, collards, Chinese cabbage, okra, mustard greens, beans, kale, and soy nuts are rich calcium sources.

Zinc in trace quantities is important for growth and development, cellular integrity and many biological functions like metabolism protein synthesis and also development of the fetus. Meats, fish, chicken, dairy products, beans, nuts, peanut butter, ginger, onions, bran, wheat, rice, pasta, cereals are good sources of zinc.

 

  • Extra Iron: it makes the main component of hemoglobin, which is vital for carrying oxygen within the body. The amount of blood in a women’s body increases by almost 50% and hence she needs more iron intake to make more hemoglobin for the extra blood. Inadequate iron supply to the body may make the mother anemic and also suffer premature delivery, low weight baby, tiredness and fatigue during pregnancy and even new-born death.

Make your New Year Diet Plan more exciting with these Natural Sweeteners and Drinks!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Let’s see what Iram Zaidi, an eminent Nutritionist and Fitness trainer with an expertise in Sports Nutrition, Fat-Loss, General well being, Makeover and Transformation has to say. Her inspiring tale of overall transformation from an overweight girl to a fit and fab nutritionist is something that inspires people to take every word of her training as a mantra for fitness and weight loss.

We are all set to welcome the New Year with new pledges and resolutions to stay fit and tune in to a healthy lifestyle. To beat a big hurdle in your healthy resolution i.e. dieting boredom, one needs to keep the diet plan and healthy eating target as exciting and simple as possible. Nature has blessed us with few natural sweeteners which can best fit into our healthy diet.

Stevia-Plant based, zero calorie, easy to use and safe sweetener

Stevia is widely getting popular across the world as a natural sweetener. There were certain misconceptions with its bitter taste as a majority of products were based on traditional stevia sweeteners offered in the form of high purity Reb A molecule. A recently developed variety of Stevia called Star Leaf sweetener tastes exactly like sugar, so that our taste buds should not compromise. Given stevia can replace some unwanted sweetener calories, it can be one tool in the toolbox for cutting calories from your daily diet without affecting blood sugar or insulin levels.

Sugarcane juice-Natures Superfluid and a great sweetener

From thousands of years Sugarcane juice has been a part of Indian culture. Ayurveda acharyas prefer the juice to be extracted from healthy canes and consumed in hygienic form. A great energy drink, skin toner, body cleanser and loaded with a variety of medicinal properties to fight a majority of diseases, unfortunately Sugarcane juice was missing from our diet plans. One of the biggest reasons was the hygiene concern. Products like OMG (Oh My Ganna), a bottled sugarcane juice with 3 months of non refrigerated shelf life or Rawpressery’s cold pressed sugarcane juice are good pickups for a healthy start.

Honey- Nature’s best antibiotic and great sweetener

Natural honey is loaded with nutrients, and is an essential part of Indian home remedy solutions from ages. It has in the form of proteins, minerals, and vitamins. The plant enzyme amylase present in the raw honey is effective in breaking down and helping the predigestion of the starches and also helps to raise the level of antioxidants required in the body. One teaspoon of honey is only about 20 calories.

Coconut sugar- lower glycemic index and great nutritional value

Coconut sugar is also called Coconut Palm Sugar. It is a natural sugar made from sap, which is the sugary circulating fluid of the coconut plant. It is a good source of minerals like Iron, Zinc, Calcium and Potassium, along with some short chain fatty acids, polyphenols and antioxidants. Coconut sugar and coconut nectar contain a fiber known as inulin. This fiber may help slow glucose absorption, offering an alternative for those dealing with diabetic concerns.

Go ahead with these natural sweeteners as there is no need to put extra efforts to fight your sweet tooth by eliminating sugar from your meals.

You can reach Iram Zaidi on [email protected] for any diet/nutrition related query

Eat Yourself Happy: Foods Scientifically Proven To Beat The Winter Blues

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Image by Max Pixel

In case you haven’t noticed, the summer is well and truly gone and with the turning of the leaves and the graying of the skies, something more insidious is creeping in with the longer nights. Many of us find ourselves unaccountably experiencing low mood, depression, lethargy and in some cases increased irritability. As fall sets in and eventually concedes to winter, an increasing number of us start to experience Seasonal Affective disorder (aptly abbreviated to SAD). This can not only sap our mood and make us feel depressed and lethargic (even if objectively our lives are great), but also drain our will to eat healthily and live active lifestyles. It can make us want to oversleep and cause us to crave unhealthy foods, especially starchy refined carbohydrates and sugars, resulting in weight gain which only feeds the cycle of inactivity. “Why bother?” we ask ourselves, before grabbing a candy bar and settling down on the sofa.

If the coming of the fall season makes you want to wrap up in a duvet, grab a bag of potato chips and hibernate then you desperately need a pick me up.

Fortunately, with a little know how, you can chomp the blues away while improving your overall health. But first…

Exercise… It’s non-negotiable

On a dark, cold and drizzly morning, going to the gym or out for a jog is probably the last thing you feel like doing which is exactly why it’s the first thing you should do. The benefits of exercising first thing in the morning are many and various. It can raise your energy levels and mood while leaving you secure in the knowledge that the rest of the day is yours to do as you wish. It can also give your brain a much-needed endorphin boost, raising your mood and also boosting your metabolism.

Even a 20 minute jog is a great way to start the day. If that sounds like a nightmare, give yourself a reason to enjoy your jog. Take your phone and listen to some music, a podcast or an audiobook as you jog. Check out this flipbelt review for an alternative to carrying your phone in your pocket. The last thing you want is to start your day with a dropped and broken phone.

Image by Pixabay

Mood boosting foods

After starting the day with a brisk workout, you’ve earned a delicious breakfast. Now’s the time to capitalize on this natural mood booster and load up on these nutritious mood boosting foods:

  • Avocado- Avocados are full of healthy fats to stabilize your appetite and reduce cravings but they’re also great for balancing your hormones and keeping your serotonin levels
  • Nuts- A great post-workout food, nuts are full of healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants and protein as well as being full of serotonin.
  • Strawberries- They’re tasty, they’re versatile and they’re rich in vitamins and nutrients to facilitate stable brain chemistry.
  • Sesame seeds- Great for sprinkling and snacking, sesame seeds are rich in the amino acid tyrosine which naturally increases the brain’s production of dopamine naturally boosting your mood while also helping your body to assimilate their protein.

 

 

Foods All MS Sufferers Need To Avoid

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Following a healthy and nutritious diet is important for all of us as it can help us live long and happy lives. However, there are some people who suffer from certain illnesses and health conditions that need to keep a closer eye on the foods they eat. And one of those health conditions that requires a finely tuned diet is multiple sclerosis (MS).  

Those who suffer from MS suffer from fatigue, numbness in the limbs, trouble with movement, and bladder problems. There is no cure for this, but patients can take medication to make life with these symptoms easier. However, some sufferers believe that changing their diet has made a world of difference as well. Here are some of the foods they avoid to help improve their symptoms.

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Salt

Some MS patients find that drastically reducing their daily sodium intake can help to improve things for them. In fact, there have been some studies that show MS patients that have a high level of salt and sodium in their diet are more likely to relapse. Don’t worry about cutting salt out of your food, there are better ways to season your meals and make them taste great. For instance, you could add hemp seeds to your salads and cooked vegetables. In fact, some MS patients find that hemp can help to ease their pain. Sticking your kitchen with plenty of herbs and spices can also help you improve your food’s flavor! 

Full-Fat Dairy

There have been a few studies carried out on the link between dairy and MS. These studies haven’t shown any definite links between the two, but it is believed that cutting down on full-fat dairy is better for an all-round healthy lifestyle. And the healthier you are, the better your body will be able to deal with MS symptoms and relapses.

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Saturated Fats

A low-fat diet has been popular amongst MS sufferers since the 1940s. This is because some experts claim that all of the saturated fats found in protein sources, like red meat, tend to make the symptoms of MS worse. However, you should still endeavor to keep good fats in your diet as these are important sources of vitamin D. 

Sugar

Sugar is bad news for all of our health, especially when it comes to our oral hygiene. But those with MS need to pay particular attention to their daily intake of sugar. That’s because too much sugar in the diet will lead to a lot of weight gain. And if you are carrying a few extra pounds, you will find it difficult to be mobile, especially if you suffer from MS. It is also thought that reducing sugar intake can help the body fight the flu-like symptoms that sometimes come after taking interferon, which is a common medication in the fight against MS.

As you can see, diet can make all the difference to your MS symptoms. And changing your diet in these ways can help you lead a much healthier and happier lifestyle overall!

GAIA- New Revolution in Health Products

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

By now you all must be knowing that I am fond of green tea and this fondness has been growing over the years. This fondness is the reason that I keep exploring new brands and flavours and the recent one being Gaia Green Tea.

Got hold of this assorted pack of green teas, 25 sachets in all, 5 sachets of 5 flavours each. Green Tea, Lemon Green Tea, Tulsi Green Tea, Ginger Green Tea and Mint Green Tea were included in the pack, and trust me each of them was refreshing and flavoursome. No flavoured tea had overpowering flavours or aromas, but just the right balance of taste and flavour. I loved the Lemon Green Tea and Tulsi Tea the most. As we all know the benefits of Green Tea, which helps in metabolism, and also in loosing weight, adding this pack to your shopping cart is a must. Gaia offers green teas in a lot of flavours like Jasmine, Honey, Camomile, Lemon, Mint etc. but when you aren’t able to decide which one to go on, this assorted pack really cracks the deal for you.

Also from the same brand, I tired Nutty Delight Muesli, which too was perfect. Crunchy, Crispy, Goodness of Fibre, No Cholesterol, it makes for a perfect breakfast and people like me also indulge in a bowl for healthy snacking whenever I get those untimely hunger pangs. You can enjoy it mixed a bowl of milk or just eat it like that, it tastes extremely good, both ways. It is made from rolled oats, wheat and corn flakes and is fortified with the goodness of honey. High on health and low on fat, it is all natural and a good source of fibre. Raisins & Almonds also enhance the taste a lot and helps getting that sweetness.

Gaia also offers loads of other health products like Oats, Honey, Digestive Cookies, Olive Oil, Supplement Capsules like Amla, Flax Seeds etc. and also Granola Bars. I also caught hold of a granola bar and it too served as a perfect way to satiate mid time hunger.

GAIA was founded on the belief that nature, through its diversity of flora and fauna, offers us the best solutions for all our health and grooming needs. Which is why it harnesses nature’s everyday miracles, tests them scientifically, and offers these solutions to help people take better care of their own selves.

These time-tested natural ingredients are formulated and validated by using modern scientific principles to bring people only the finest quality in natural health and skin-care remedies.

The health and wellness Industry in India is estimated at Rs 3600 crores and has a huge potential for the future. It is only in recent years that the majority of people have realized the importance of wellness in our lives. In today’s world where ailments like diabetes are affecting even little children, it is high time all of us woke up and realized the significance of living a better, healthier life.

Nowadays, a normal urban person’s daily schedule includes working for 12 hours with little or no time left for self, no one has the time to make the effort of eating the recommended five servings of fruit a day, and most people lead a sedentary lifestyle. No wonder ailments are on the rise. GAIA was conceived to provide a healthier living experience to the world to coincide with the emerging health consciousness in India. Since its inception, GAIA has been able to successfully formulate its products to cater to the growing health & wellness needs of the people.

GAIA as a brand brings people the benefits of nature’s everyday miracles through its range of products. With the current product portfolio of nutritional supplements like Spirulina, Neem, Aloe Vera, Glucosamine,Granola bars, Flax and Amla along with natural substitutes such as Green Tea, Green Tea + Lemon & Green Tea + Tulsi, Stevia tablets & sachets as well as Muesli in various flavours and oatmeal, multigrain cookies .GAIA has been able to make its presence felt in a very short period of time.

As time progresses GAIA would keep moving forward in its endeavour to provide the most effective natural solutions to one and all, whilst keeping in tandem with the trends of the future.

So what are you waiting for log on to GAIA and fill your shopping cart and get healthy goods delivered to your door step.

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