by admin | Jun 11, 2022 | Diet
A Constipation Home Remedy – Cayenne
Cayenne is a constipation home remedy that is effective in producing peristalsis in your colon and aids digestion. It can be used regularly at every meal and when needed for constipation. Cayenne pepper is known to help thin the blood. So, it is good for improving blood circulation. Obviously if you are on blood thinners check with your physician before trying this out.
Cayenne is available in capsules of different strengths, from 5,000 heat units (HU) to 100,000 and even higher. In addition, cayenne when used with other herbs helps to deliver these herbs more efficiently to where they are needed in the body.
As a constipation home remedy, start with one capsule of 40,000 HU and always take it after you eat. You may feel a hot or slight warming feeling in the upper stomach and that ís when you know it’s working. The feeling may be like when you get heartburn. This warming sensation will pass as your body gets use to you using cayenne.
However, if you find it too uncomfortable lower the dose till you can better cope with the cayenne. There is no point taking something to deal with an uncomfortable situation if it is just going to cause another, so be sensible and just build up slowly.
Do not use cayenne seeds, as they can be toxic. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding do not take cayenne supplements until you have cleared this with your doctor- no exceptions.
baby constipation home remedy
Use cayenne only as directed on its container and only as capsules.
Some say that Cayenne has the ability to block the ulcer producing effect of NSAIDS. It also has shown to increase the body’s absorption of theophylline, a drug used to treat asthma. However, we cannot answer that here, so always check with your doctor if you want to cayenne and are taking medications.
In his book, Left for Dead, Dick Quinn tells how Cayenne pepper saved his life after coronary bypass surgery failed to restore it.
In this book, Shannon Quinn, says,
‘One of the most effective stimulants, mostly, cayenne targets the digestive and the circulatory system. Cayenne regulates blood pressure, strengthens the pulse, feeds the heart, lowers cholesterol, and thins the blood. It cleanses the circulatory system, heals ulcers, stops haemorrhaging, speeds healing of wounds, rebuilds damaged tissue, eases congestion, aids digestion, regulates elimination, relieves arthritis and rheumatism, prevents the spread of infection and numbs pain.’
Of course, these are other people’s experiences and yours may well be different. Always use the recommended dose shown on the bottle of cayenne you use.
You can also add cayenne pepper into other foods. Add cayenne to soups, salads, and other foods you like.
In soups or salads break open a cayenne capsule and mix it in. You can add 1 – 2 capsules, but first start with 1/4 or 1/2 capsule so you can get use to the hot taste. As stated earlier start slowly.
Use this constipation home remedy and you will see results. It definitely has the power to eliminate constipation and keep you regular and has many other benefits, especially for your heart.
Just start slow, go steady and ensure you are cleared to take it by a doctor.
by admin | Jun 10, 2022 | Diet
Starting A Diet? Consider These Important Factors!
Remember that time you started a diet and everything was going great? You were eating all the right things, working out hard, and seeing results.
And then… you hit a wall. Suddenly, your progress came to a halt, and no matter what you tried, you couldn’t seem to break through. It’s easy to blame yourself in those situations, but there are actually a few things you should consider before starting your next diet. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of those important factors, so without further ado, let’s dive straight in!
#1 The Deficit
We’ve heard it many times – Someone goes on a diet only to have 12 weeks of torture and little to no results. What comes after that is usually the phrase, “Man, I busted my butt on this diet for three months straight and only lost 2 lbs. It even turns out this was just water!” And well, when we talk about diets, it’s not just about how consistent you are, but about the underlying, fundamental principles of a weight loss diet.
If you want to lose weight, the first and most important thing is creating a caloric deficit. That is, consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its weight. If you don’t have that checked, it doesn’t matter if you do fasting, keto, vegan, or carnivore – You won’t lose weight.
#2 Sustainability
Now, certainly, though losing weight means ‘looking better’ for us, the body thinks differently. For the body, weight loss equals starvation, and therefore, it will do everything in its power to get back to normal. You’ll feel lethargic. You won’t have energy. You’ll have cravings. You might even be hungry all the time.
However, you have to find a sustainable way of dieting that minimizes all of those and allows you to still have energy for all your activities and errands while not thinking about food all the time. The first thing towards achieving this is to establish a moderate caloric deficit of up to 500 calories per day. This will ensure that you are still getting enough energy to provide your body with everything it needs to maintain healthy functioning and regulate cravings.
The second thing is…
#3 Protein & Fats!
The persistent hunger and rush of cravings is something many of us experience, even out of a diet. But on a diet, it is even more prominent, meaning that one of the best ways to make a diet sustainable is to find a way to regulate appetite and cravings. In other words, your goal is to be constantly satiated to the best extent possible, so the body won’t look for more food.
How can you do that? Well, by consuming sufficient, quality protein & fats! Protein and fats are the two most satiating macronutrients we get from foods. However, there is one underdog food that has the HIGHEST satiety index amongst all foods – Potatoes! So hey, next time you decide to start losing weight, have a steak & potatoes for breakfast and see how long that will keep you satiated!
#4 Don’t Forget Carbs
Nowadays, carbohydrates are often demonized because misinformation has led people to believe that carbohydrates are the primary reason for weight gain. And while that isn’t really true, there is the fact that carbs are also the PERFECT source for training activity. Not only that, carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for the brain, as well.
#5 Do Resistance Training
With the above said in mind, one should also consider resistance training while losing weight (fueled with carbs;)Why? Because when losing weight, we lose not just fat but also muscle mass, which may ultimately lead to a skinny-fat rather than an aesthetically sculpted physique. So first off, resistance training will allow you to retain your muscle mass, and second of all, it will give you a major boost towards the ultimate goal of weight loss – Looking better.
Not to mention the benefits resistance training has for your mind and overall performance…
Final Thoughts
So there you have it – If you’re starting a diet, you have to make sure that you are in a sustainable caloric deficit that still provides you with all the energy you need daily! Remember, if a certain diet plan feels like torture, it’s time to change things up. You MUST be able to adhere to your plan and stick to it in the long term because this is what brings the best results!
by admin | Jun 10, 2022 | Fitness, Diet
Veggies = Weight Loss?
There’s a commonly known idea that during a period of weight loss, you should eat more veggies and fruits, as that somehow, can supposedly help weight loss. But is there anything more specific to fruits in the context of making fat loss sustainable?
In this article, we’re going to give you some clues on the do’s and don’ts of weight loss nutrition, to help you create a more clear plan of action.
What Actually Causes Weight Loss?
It is a fact that the total amount of food, relative to your levels of activity (calories in vs calories out) is the most important principle of weight loss. In order to shed off those excess couple of pounds, you MUST consume less calories than you burn throughout the day. That is also referred to as “eating in a caloric deficit” and is, again, the fundamental principle of weight loss.
What About Caloric Content?
Being in a caloric deficit is something you simply cannot skip, but that does not really exclude the choice of food in your diet. No food can cause weight loss/weight gain in and of itself, but we can choose foods that can:
- Increase satiety
- Improve recovery
- Fill up energy stores
- Replenish micronutrients
HINT: Veggies are just a part of your diet
The goal of fat loss is to not just decrease the number on the scale, but to also be able to adhere to the nutrition plan and to be in peak physical shape. Therefore, it is essential to provide the body with the highest possible quality of foods.
Choose These
In general, you should focus on whole foods that were grown in a good environment and if that’s animal foods, you should make sure that they were fed well. As a matter of fact, most animals grown for their meat do not get sunlight, live in tight spaces with many other animals and are fed with processed fodders.
All of these factors affect the meat quality and thus, it is optimal to look into alternatives.
Here are the best foods you can add to your nutrition plan:
- Grass-fed beef
- Free range chicken
- Pork
- Free range chicken eggs
- Broccoli
- Avocado
- Carrots
- Beetroot
- Sweet potatoes
- Normal potatoes
- Brown rice
- White rice
- Dairy products
All 13 of these foods are likely to help keep you full and satiated, thus making it highly unlikely for you to overeat and exceed your caloric needs.
This technically patches the problem of cravings and furthermore, if you combine whole foods with resistance training, you are setting yourself on a path to aesthetics.
So Veggies Don’t Really Mean Much? 🙁
As we mentioned, no food, even veggies, can cause weight loss just by being in the diet.
The perks of veggies however are the following:
- Plenty of micronutrients (vitamins/minerals)
- Plenty of fiber (Keeps you full)
- Big volume of food for little calories
- They feel fresh!
Do include veggies in your weight loss plan, as they will help keep you fuller for longer, on top of the other nutrients you get from whole foods, that regulate satiety. The same thing goes for fruits and even more so, one of their main perks is that they are sweet and can replace processed desserts.
Take This Home
If you are trying to lose weight, focus on eating whole foods with plenty of quality protein and fats, as those are the nutrients that will keep you full and satiated.
Once you have secured your macronutrients, you can add a couple of high volume, low-calorie salads here and there to totally kill the feeling of hunger!
This is where veggies truly shine.
by admin | Jun 6, 2022 | Diet
Your Diet is Over, Now What? | How To Reverse Diet
For many people, fitness appears to be something that has a start and an end date, as if you just have to do the right things for your body just for a certain period of time… This is the reason why you see trends like 90-days fat loss challenges, 30-day strong core challenges, etc, etc.
Well, the thing is that such trends are not really sustainable and won’t yield consistent results. Especially when it comes to dieting, there are many things to acknowledge, if you want to make your results last. In this article, we are going to break down the process of dieting and weight loss, how it affects the body, and what you should do once you reach your desired shape.
What Is Dieting?
A “diet” is a sort of nutrition regimen, that puts your body in the so-called “caloric deficit”. This simply means you are eating less food than your body needs to maintain its weight. When you are in a caloric deficit, your body starts burning fat to compensate for that deficit of energy. (1) And while for you this may mean looking better and feeling good about yourself, for the body it is controlled starvation.
Metabolic adaptations
During a period of time eating in a caloric deficit, your body recognizes that there isn’t sufficient energy. To deal with this problem, the body slows down all of its processes to ultimately preserve energy. (2)
The longer you are on a caloric deficit, the slower your metabolism gets and what was once your caloric deficit, eventually turns into maintenance calories.
Taking diet breaks of 2 weeks every 2-3 weeks of dieting can be used as a tool to mitigate the decreases of your metabolic rate.
These are periods of eating at maintenance, where no significant changes in weight should be observed.
Your Post-Diet Approach
Now, as you just learned, throughout your diet, your metabolism slows down and you lose weight. At one point, you will reach the desired body shape… And then what? Well, the short answer is – Keep doing what you were doing in the first place! That is, being active, eating good food, recovering well, and staying hydrated.
Nevertheless, due to the fact that your metabolism is slower at the end of your diet, there are things you have to do, in order to avoid sudden weight gaining.
Yo-Yo Dieting
Most people who lose a lot of weight, gain all of it and some more back in TWICE AS LESS TIME as it took them to lose it. This is because people think of losing weight as a process with a start and end date.
And the truth is that it really isn’t. Weight loss is about a shift in habits, which is sustained over the long term and made a functional part of your self-care routine.
How To Keep The Weight Off
Here are our best tips to keep the weight off after losing it:
- Slowly increase your calories
By slowly upping your food intake, you will signal the body that it is safe, has energy, and can speed up its processes.
If you give the body too much energy (food) too suddenly, you will gain quite some fat.
On the other hand, however, if you increase food gradually and keep activity high, your metabolism will skyrocket!
- Gradually increase training intensity
During a period of weight loss, your training intensity and effort output are slightly lower, due to the deficit of energy.
After you have reached your desired shape, however, you can transition into adding more food to your daily nutrition plan but also increasing training intensity.
This means, increasing the working weight, but also the number of sets, repetitions, and times you reach muscular failure.
- Monitor, adjust & stay consistent
Keeping good track of your nutrition and workouts after your diet is over is essential if you want to keep the weight off.
Quite simply, your main goal is to avoid spikes in weight gain – Just like you avoid weight loss spikes during fat loss periods.
Conclusion
Weight loss is a gradual process, to which the body responds by slowing down its metabolic processes.
As you diet down and exit the diet, you are in a state where your metabolism is just slower and you are more prone to gaining all the weight back.
This is why, you have to utilize something like a reverse diet, where you gradually increase your caloric intake, training intensity while keeping track of your progress and adjusting the plan along the way.
In doing all of this, you maximize the possibilities for you to lose weight and keep it off, creating a new set of behavioral patterns & habits.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6086582/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18025815/
by admin | Jun 1, 2022 | Diet
How Does Diet Affect Your Mental Health
Eating healthy isn’t only good for your physical health, look and skin. It also can help you become more responsive, awake, and focused on things that really matter.
But, how are diet and mental health connected? Let’s find out together!
Diet and Mental Health Relationship
The food you eat and the way you feel share a complex relationship. When you feel blue, you are more likely to grab junk food to comfort yourself. Therefore, mental health affects your cravings. But, it acts in the opposite direction, too.
The food you eat has various vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that reach the brain and cause certain chemical reactions. The exact chemical reaction in your brain depends on the food and its nutritive value. A particular food, that is sometimes called – brain food, triggers good reactions, and increases the positive response in the brain.
On the other hand, some foods affect your mental health negatively. Refined sugar makes you feel better instantly, but once the short-term reaction in your brain passes, you’ll feel the negative effects of it. The other group of foods that isn’t good for your mental health prevents the brain from transforming nutrients into the things that the brain needs. For example, butter isn’t very good brain food. Instead of supporting good memory, focus, and feeling-good hormone release, butter is related to decreased cognitive function.
There is more research to be done on how saturated fats and refined sugars decrease brain functions. Until the results are ready, you should limit the intake of these ingredients.
Eating With Other People
Diet and mental health aren’t only connected throughout the particular food intake. The diet includes all eating habits, including sharing meals with other people and eating preferences. Sharing meals is significant for your mental health because when you eat in a group, you develop connections with other people and focus on something other than food.
Studies have shown how important family meals are for the mental health of adolescents. Those who have frequent dinners with their families reported lower risks of depression, social anxiety, and overall level of dissatisfaction. They are also at a lower risk of substance abuse. Mealtimes include everything from food preparation, eating, and cleaning afterward. Because you need to eat every day, mealtimes are an important part of your daily routine, and the habits you develop affect your mental health.
Eating Disorders as Part of Complex Food-Mental Health Connection
If you need more reasons to spend time reflecting on your diet and eating habits, let’s discuss eating disorders. The reasons why eating disorders occur aren’t still clear. But, more and more evidence suggests that the choice of food isn’t the only factor that leads to eating disorders.
An eating disorder can be connected with an unhealthy approach to food or your body image. Each eating disorder requires a specialized approach and treatment. It affects the overall well-being of the person, not only physical health.
Food Can Make You Feel Great or Bad
Food can make you feel good about yourself, in terms of energy levels, overall feeling and mood boost. Some foods are excellent for concentration, such as fatty fish, green leaf, berries, etc. On the other hand, if you have to take the maximum of your brain power, avoid sugary drinks, fast food, alcohol, mercury-rich fish, etc.
Are mental health or physical health and body appearance better motivation for you to build healthier eating habits and choose food wisely? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Don’t forget to give the article a thumbs up, if you learned something new! Please consider sharing the article with your friends and family to help them understand the importance of diet for their mental health.
by admin | May 30, 2022 | Diet
Reverse Dieting – How To Keep Your Metabolism Fast
When the quest at hand is achieving a normal body composition (normal ratios of fat and muscle), dieting in order to lose the excess fat is inevitable. However, a frequent occurrence after a period of weight loss, is the weight gain rebound. This is often known as “Yo-Yo dieting” and it basically leads to gaining all the weight back in twice as less time as it took to lose it.
In this article, we’re going to give you valuable insight on how to keep the weight off after a diet, with one simple method – Reverse dieting!
Now let’s get to it.
Why Does The Rebound Happen?
Though you may associate weight loss with better looks and feeling better in your own skin, a diet really means starvation for the body. The more weight you lose, the more you’re priming your fat-storing mechanisms, because the body perceives the deficit of energy as a period of starvation, as we just said. Since the body gets less calories from food than it is used to, metabolic adaptations start happening.
In simple terms, this means that the body slows down the metabolism and what was once a caloric deficit becomes your maintenance calories.
The more time you spend on a diet, the more you have to decrease food.
So, How Can You Counter This?
If you want to preserve your metabolic rate, there are a couple of things you can do, one during the diet and one in the period after the diet.
Those two things are:
- Diet breaks
- Reverse dieting
Diet Breaks
Though it may sound quite misleading, diet breaks are periods during your diet, when you bump up your calories back to baseline, maintenance level. This helps your body keep the metabolic rate up and thus, prevents the risk of excessive caloric decrease. Now of course, a diet break doesn’t really mean you can ditch the diet and totally go crazy on your food consumption. Again, a diet break is simply a period where you consume slightly more food, in amounts that won’t lead to drastic changes in weight.
Diet breaks are best implemented every couple of weeks, for a couple of weeks. For instance, if you’ve been consistently losing weight for 2-3 weeks, you can afford to have a 2-3 week diet break, during which you’ll consume at maintenance and train with a slightly higher intensity.
Though this will make the total time dieting longer, it will minimize the risk of a weight gain rebound.
Reverse Dieting
After your diet is over and you reach your desired shape, you can’t just ditch everything altogether. You have to understand that keeping the weight off is a matter of sticking to the same habits that helped you lose it in the first place.While dieting implies a gradual decrease in your caloric intake overtime, reverse dieting is, well, the exact opposite!
After your diet is over, it is time to gradually bump up your calories and training intensity. This will help you increase your food intake, WITHOUT risking a weight gain rebound. The goal of a reverse diet is to help you increase your food consumption, without drastic changes in weight.
To do so, follow these simple steps:
- Each week, increase your calories by 50-80 (Stacks up to ~400 extra calories in 5 weeks)
- Workout to workout, increase your working weight, sets and repetitions
- Stay consistent
Just like your dieting phase, during the reverse dieting phase you have to still monitor your weight and if there are sudden changes, adjustments should follow. (i.e if you’re losing more and more weight, you should bump up food intake and vice versa – if you’re gaining too much weight, food intake should be decreased)
Conclusion
In many cases, reckless dieting leads to unwanted weight gain rebounds, that make all your hard work worthless. To avoid this, you have to make sure that your deficit is not overly aggressive (up to 500 calories per day), while also including dieting breaks every 2-3 weeks of being in a caloric deficit.
After your diet is over, you should gradually increase your caloric intake and training output, while monitoring your weight and adjusting the diet as needed. Ultimately, sustainable weight loss is a slow, gradual process which is supported with proper habitual changes, sustained even after the diet is over.
