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10 Lifestyle Changes for Fat Loss and Healthy Living

healthy-living

  • Choose and learn to like healthy food options: Many people who aim to lose fat and live a healthy life go on crash diets or have boiled meals thinking that their only way to achieve their goal is to eat bland food. It’s just a myth that “healthy” foods are not very appetizing. There are many recipes which are very healthy and also very delicious. The best way to start a healthy living is to do some research and make a list of some healthy recipes that are low in processed ingredients and are appetizing.
  • Always start your day with a nutritious breakfast: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After a long gap of 6-7 hours of sleep, our body needs the fuel (calories) to get our metabolism going and give us the sustained energy throughout the day. Breakfast should be a combination of quality carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
  • Mid- meal snacking: If you have the habit of snacking between meals during the day, select healthy snacking options. Opt for a serving of fruit or a handful of nuts that have good fibre content, vitamins and minerals. Avoid having snacks made out of refined flour, refined sugar and deep fried snacks.
  • Eat at regular intervals: Missing meals and eating after long gaps is a big no-no! A log gap between two meals switches our body to “starvation mode”. While in starvation mode, the BMR of the body reduces drastically to save energy. This environment in the body makes it very difficult to lose fat. Having meals at regular intervals keeps the BMR on the higher side and helps a lot in giving effective fat loss. It also avoids one from binge eating.
  • Opt for whole foods: Whole foods include whole grains and products made out of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods are rich in Fibre, do not spike blood sugar levels and fill the stomach. They give satiety for a long period of time without adding on unnecessary calories. Fibrous foods are heavy to digest, increase the BMR of the body and hence give effective fat loss. Enjoying an occasional treat sometimes is fine, but, make it a habit to eat more whole foods.
  • Load your plate with salads and soups: Water-rich vegetables like cucumbers, gourds, tomatoes etc. gives satiety and avoids consumption of too many calories. Soups are also very water-rich foods but, choose clear soups over creamy soups. Having water-rich foods does not mean that one needs to ignore the good old water!
  • Practice mindful eating: It is very important that we concentrate on the food we eat and enjoy it. Mind and body connection is very powerful. Never eat sitting in front of a TV, while working on gadgets, when angry, depressed or tensed. In such times we tend to eat more and add on unnecessary calories. Chew the food well; it improves the process of digestion. Portion control is very important; it prevents adding on unnecessary calories. Also, guilt-eating is bad! Giving self an occasional treat will cut too much temptation and avoid binge eating.
  • Avoid stocking tempting foods at home: Never stock at home tempting, unhealthy foods like biscuits, cookies, cream crackers, chips, ice-creams, milk chocolates and deep fried snacks because, if you don’t have these in the house, you won’t be tempted to eat them.
  • Avoid “white” or “refined” foods: Foods made out of refined flour and refined sugars are of “low benefit and high risk”! They tend to increase the blood sugar levels drastically causing fat gain and diabetes. They also rob the body of certain vitamins. Refined foods are very low in fibre content and cause digestive disorders like hyperacidity, constipation, haemorrhoids, anal fissures etc.
  • Drink plenty of water throughout the day: Water is the best fat burner. 70% of our body is made up of water. Water acts as a catalyst, a reactant and a solvent in almost all the biochemical reactions taking place in the body. This keeps the body functions going on and helps in keeping the BMR on the higher side thus, giving effective fat loss. People believe that water should be had only when thirsty but that is not true. Thirst is, actually, a late indicator of dehydration. It’s best to drink water before feeling thirsty. Our mind sometimes registers thirst as hunger. At such times, instead of eating something just drink a big glass of water. Water acts as a medium through which toxins produced in the body are flushed out. Water enhances the production of new blood cells and muscle cells. Drinking good amounts of water also prevents digestive tract ailments such as hyperacidity, constipation, haemorrhoids, etc.

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Signs you need to know to support your metabolism

fast-metabolism

When we hear the term “fast metabolism,” it’s usually regarding people — often younger than us —who seem to be able to eat whatever they want and as much of it as they can: They can indulge in sweets, fried food, simple carbs and more without gaining an ounce of fat.

But just because they don’t appear to gain weight, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re optimally healthy.

They may experience the same low energy, mood swings, brain fog, digestive upset and other effects of unhealthy dietary habits which over time can worsen.

You see, true metabolic health isn’t just about having your cake and eating it too, so to speak.
The state of your metabolism has much more to do with your overall health than simply your weight. Metabolism lies at the foundation of health. It’s a complex system that directly influences how our cells, tissues and body systems function and get the nutrients they need — while getting rid of what they don’t.

Metabolic processes are involved in our most critical areas of health, including cardiovascular, cognitive, inflammation and immunity. Essentially, good metabolism doesn’t mean you don’t gain weight, it means you feel good every day, have plenty of energy for daily activities and are in good overall health. Poor metabolism often means the opposite.

Just as metabolic health can be influenced by a variety of factors, a number of signs and symptoms can indicate that your metabolism needs support. If left unchecked, these early signs may eventually manifest into metabolic syndrome and its dangerous offspring, Type 2 Diabetes. If you experience a number of these signs regularly, it’s time to take action.

Wide Waist: What’s your waist size? Extra fat around the abdomen is the unhealthiest type of fat and one of the most common signs that you may need to support your metabolism. If you are a man with a waistline of 40 inches or greater, or a woman with a waistline of 35 inches or greater, your metabolic health may need to be examined.

Fatigue: Do you generally feel run down, like you’re “running on fumes?” Do you become exhausted after eating? Feeling sleepy once in a while after a restless night can be expected. But, if you are frequently tired with low energy throughout the day — even after a good night’s sleep — your metabolism may be to blame.

Excessive Sweating: Do you sweat for no apparent reason? Perspiring when it’s hot or you’re doing hard physical exertion is normal and healthy. But if simple, daily tasks like doing the dishes or walking up a flight of stairs make you drip, you may need to address your metabolic health.

Poor Circulation: Do you feel cold all time? Are your fingers and toes always chilled or do your hands and feet fall asleep easily? When you hurt yourself, does it take a long time to heal? Low circulation may be a sign that your metabolism could use some help.

Unhealthy Gums And Teeth: Do your gums bleed when you brush or floss? Are they painful? Do you have a propensity for cavities?
More and more research points to a relationship between gum disease and chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and metabolic issues such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
How regularly do you see the dentist? If your oral health is suffering, your metabolic health may be deteriorating according to research demonstrating links between metabolic dysfunction and periodontitis.

Maintain Metabolic Health: So you’ve determined that your metabolism isn’t what you want it to be. Now what? The good news is that a large part of your metabolic health can be improved using targeted diet, exercise and lifestyle adjustments.

Handle Stress: High stress is a culprit in metabolic mayhem. It fuels inflammation and metabolic-disrupting stress hormones like cortisol. Try adding 15 minutes of meditation to your daily routine. In addition, when you feel your stress levels are getting out of hand, take 20 seconds to stop whatever you’re doing and simply breathe. Take three deep breaths and exhale fully, pulling your bellybutton toward your spine to completely empty your diaphragm. A mere 20 seconds is so quick that nobody will even notice that you “checked out” for that time.
But it may be enough to bring you (and your metabolism) some peace.

Exercise: Any kind of cardio (aerobic exercise) helps to both rev up your metabolism and reduce your stress. Studies show that 1½ hours per week of moderate physical activity, like brisk walking, keeps the average person healthy (more is needed if you want to lose weight). What’s more, studies show that 10 minutes work out too work just as well as 45-minute workouts, as long as your total exercise time adds up to 90 minutes or more over the course of the week.

This is a relief for any busy person; it’s much easier to fit a 15-minute walk into your daily lunch break than it is to get up an hour early to go to the gym. Although light cardio is important, don’t forget to include some muscle-building exercises. Muscle is more active than fat, so more muscle means more efficient metabolism. Explore different ways to fit muscle training into your day. Do squats while you’re waiting for dinner to cook. Do some push-ups or sit-ups while waiting for your shower to get hot. Install an over-the-door pull-up bar and do one or two pull-ups every time you walk by. Be creative!
Healthy Diet:

Easy metabolic tip:

(i) Eat more green vegetables, fiber and protein. Eat less sugar and simple carbs.

This alone should be enough to put you well on your way to metabolic health, but it’s not hard to take your food consciousness to an even higher level for greater vitality and health.

(ii) Learn the difference between good fats and bad fats. For example: deep-fry oil, trans-fat and anything hydrogenated are all bad. Omegas, coconut, avocados, olive oil, seeds and nuts: These are good.

(iii)  Incorporate vegetables of some form into every meal: Yes, even eat these at breakfast! Try blending some spinach or kale into a fruit and yogurt smoothie and I bet you won’t even taste the greens. Vegetables should make up at least half of each meal.

Supplements

Natural supplements like curcumin, caratirm, and special teas like Green and herbal infusions can stroke the metabolism and help in the whole process of wellness.

Your metabolism defines your health from a cellular level. Take care of it. It’s never about weight loss, it’s about your metabolism and how strong it is.

 

 

 

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Know your Protein Powders!

Protein Powder

This blog is in continuation to my previous blog ‘Protein is not just about quantity, it’s also about quality’. If you missed it here is a link Protein is not just about quantity. It’s also about quality. I am never in favour of proteins powders but, if really required you can take them as supplements as an addition to the diet you eat. I emphasize on this because the focus of any diet should be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a whole spectrum of nutrients that powders cannot.

Protein powders are easy and convenient source of complete and high quality protein but these powders are devoid of other nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals which are got from our natural food items.

Calculate your protein requirement. See if you can meet them through your diet. Only if you are unable to give yourself the required quality and quantity of proteins then you should think to opt for protein supplements.

Choosing the protein powders: A tricky part

The tricky part is trying to pick a GOOD protein powder that will contribute to muscle gain and not break the bank.

Protein powders are basically divided into two categories:

  • Animal source protein which include milk protein derivatives like whey and casein, beef and egg white protein.
  • Vegetable source protein include soy, rice, pea, hemp and sprouted grain proteins

 

1. A) ANIMAL PROTEINS

 

Whey protein:

It is derived from milk. The protein portion of whole milk consists of 20% whey protein. It is most popular protein powder because of its taste, high quality and economically too it’s very convenient.

 

Whey protein comes in two varieties, whey concentrate and whey isolate.

 

Whey Concentrate

  • This is a good source of protein powder that is absorbed at a moderate pace.
  • It can be used both pre and post workout but typically it is good to include it as snack in between meals.
  • It has low lactose level that is well tolerated by most lactose-sensitive people. It has trivial amounts of fat and carbs relative to your overall nutrient intake.

 

Whey Isolate

  • It is one of the quickest absorbing proteins
  • Whey isolate is virtually fat-free for those wishing to eliminate as much fat from their diet as possible. It is typically lactose free for those few individuals who are very sensitive to the low-lactose levels found in whey concentrate
  • Isolates are great pre and post workout as they are absorbed quickly and can supply the muscle the nutrients needed to help recover and grow.

 

Casein or Milk Protein

  • Casein constitutes 80 percent of milk protein.
  • It takes longer digestion period as compared to whey concentrate and isolate.
  • Its takes about 5 to 7 hours to fully breakdown and this is one of the reasons for not consuming it post workout.
  • Before bed if you take in casein protein your body keeps absorbing and utilizing the nutrients even while you sleep. People also use casein during the day to help stay full and to keep a constant supply of protein in your body to supply the muscles with proper nutrition for hours after drinking the shake.

 

Egg protein:

  • Like milk proteins, egg white is also naturally very low in fat and carbs.
  • Egg white protein is cholesterol-free and an excellent choice for those who wish to avoid dairy products.

 

  1. B) PLANT PROTEINS:

 

They are derived from a variety of sources, including peas, hemp, sprouts, and grains. They’re rich in vitamins and minerals, and often provide antioxidants, amino acids, fiber and more. They are typically suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets. They’re also well tolerated by lactose-sensitive individuals.

Soy Protein

  • It is the only plant-based protein considered to be a high-quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids in the ratios needed to support growth and development
  •  It is loaded with glutamine and arginine which helps to dilate blood vessels and allows nutrition to get into the muscles quicker.
  • This type of protein can be used both pre and post workout or anytime throughout the day if needed to get in a meal/snack containing protein.

Conclusion

There are many different options of protein for you to choose from. Natural source of protein is the best but, based on your height, ideal weight and intensity of workout you may need to add a protein supplement into your diet. It is safe to take protein supplements if they are monitored properly as per your requirement. Getting all your protein from powders is not the best idea, as it could potentially restrict your intake of vitamins and minerals from other foods.

 

While there are no particular risks to consuming protein powder every day, you should not exceed your daily protein needs.  If you can meet your protein needs with whole foods, it’s the best thing. But, when you’re crunched for time, protein supplements can be your biggest ally.

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“#FitBy40: To lose 40 KGS by the time I turn 40”


Arjun-Narayan

He led a sedentary lifestyle for several years until one day he realized that he had crossed the barrier of being unhealthy. Here is Arjun Narayan’s inspirational story in his own words.

I couldn’t believe my ears when the guy at the Levi’s store said, “Sir, a 32” size jeans would be perfect for you”. I was shocked because I always wore a 44” jeans until recently!

My normal day would start pretty late. If early, I would begin my day at 8 AM or even 9 AM depending on how late I slept the previous night. I had absolutely no grip on my meals, the greasier and tastier the meal – the higher the chances that I would go for it. I led sedentary lifestyle and walked less than 2,000 steps a day. Dinner times would be erratic and could be as bad as 2 AM. Beer cans would get opened for the smallest event that called for a celebration. All in all, it was as bad as it could get. I also stated that I probably get a zero for a quiz about nutrition or what protein was, what carbohydrates are as my knowledge on this was absolute zilch.

Before a doctor could ask me to get the situation under control regarding my health, I wanted to take charge. Another thing that kept bothering me was, I could never purchase a ready to wear trouser from the market as most brands did not cater to a 44” waist size.

I decided to hire a personal gym trainer. My story was similar to many out there who join the gym to lose weight. I was regular at the gym for a period of three months, but I did not shed a single gram of weight.

When I analysed to check what was I doing wrong– I realised, despite working out in the gym there was absolutely no discipline on my diet. While, I was battling the dilemma on how to rectify the situation, I bumped into these two statements in an article – ‘Weight Loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise’ and ‘Abs are made in the kitchen’. These statements made me think about this entire weight loss program in a different way”. Now, I knew that I had to get a personal coach who can advise me on diet and be by my side if I wanted this weight loss exercise to get anywhere”.

I had been following Vishal Gondal on Twitter for about 2 years and I knew about GOQii. What made GOQii interesting was the ‘services’ component to the business in addition to the product. I never evaluated any other option as I knew it had to be GOQii. Any other band would not solve the problem as I would have the data – but the bigger concern was not knowing what to do with the data.

In Jan 2016, I took up GOQii and came up with a project for myself #FitBy40 and the goal of the project was to lose 40 KGS by the time I turn 40 (which is this month). By the 9th month – 5th September to be precise, I had lost 36 KGS! I started my GOQii journey at 115.1 KGS and by September I was at 79 KGS.

Today, diet and exercising is my pet topic. I get up at 5:30 AM and on bad days it is not later than 7:15 AM.

I attribute my success to my GOQii coach Kruti Jain. While, I have been extremely sincere and diligent about the entire process, she is the one who gave me the direction.

In the beginning she started advising me on what kind of a meal would be ideal for me, and it gradually started building from there. As I started seeing the results, I was motivated to push harder.

Now I can hold fitness sessions for an hour to a group of people and tell them how they can get a grip on stuff and the best part is that it is practical and doable. A year ago, I would have felt that this would be impossible to achieve – but trust me it is very doable. Today, people come up to me and say that I am an inspiration to them and it feels so good and if I have to look back, I don’t think I could have achieved any of this without Kruti’s assistance.

A normal day in my life ‘today’ looks like this:

My day starts with 2 hours of tennis / an hour in the gym and then I go for a swim in the evenings or for a walk. A newly opened restaurant in town doesn’t excite me anymore. What excites me is going for a run on the treadmill and running for 45 minutes or playing tennis for 2 hours. What excites me even more is going to a readymade garment store and trying out new trousers as my waist size is now down to 32″ from 44″. The last I had worn a 32″ jeans was probably in 1999 or so or maybe even earlier.

What does Coach,Kruti Jain have to say about her player Arjun Narayan?

Arjun came on board with a goal of bringing his weight down to 70 kgs (ideal body weight). He further specified the goal by saying that he would like to get to a 2 digit weight, i.e, 99 kgs within 5-6 weeks (about 10 kg loss)

Achieving such a goal would’ve required drastic dietary modifications and intense workouts. I explained to him the challenges expected on this path and tried convincing him to choose a rather easier and sustainable path of correcting the lifestyle which will automatically lead him to his health goal. He did agree to this but, only in words (for the sake of it).

As a coach, I helped him understand the nature and the nutritive quality of different foods, the trick of balancing meals, healthy snacking, and the impact of foods or lack of food / nutrients on our behaviour and food choices (cravings). These are just a few points to mention but our discussions went beyond the basics.

On the workout front, he chose his activities on his own as doing something of your interest is what keeps you going. I only helped him change and modify the workouts when his body got used to these activities.

According to me, what helped in this case was the player’s strong determination to get to his goal. He was religious in monitoring his progress and kept revising his plans and targets. Not only that, if the progress wasn’t as expected for a particular week, he had me reason it out & find out the limiting factors.

If I asked him to slow down (workouts) or to not be so strict on the diet front (to avoid its negative impact on his health), he would try to understand the “Why?” in detail and argue if not convinced. You just couldn’t stop or slow him down because he could only see the goal and the distance in between them.

Lifestyle before I came on board as his coach:

Diet: He was already following a low fat, high protein diet which was helping him lose weight.

Workout: 1- 1.5 hr of Tennis/ walking everyday

How I helped?

  1. Tried educating him about the negative impact of such diets on health (only proteins or only salads for meals)
  2. Improve satiety quotient of the meals by adding fibre and complex carbs
  3. Balance meals (right proportions of carbs, proteins, fibre& micro- nutrients)
  4. Snacking on nutrient dense foods to avoid deficiencies
  5. Satisfy taste buds without guilt (indulgence on a weekly basis, but in controlled portions)
  6. Deal with cravings and avoiding them
  7. Change the workout at the right time or modify them so that the rate of weight loss does not fall (combination of workouts like swimming/ tennis/ walking/ gym cardio).

These changes helped him sustain the diet and lose weight at such a rate (1.5 kgs/ week)

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