|
|
Cinnamon is more than just a spice that can be added to food or drinks to give them an extra tasty flavor. It also has medicinal value that can have a positive effect on the body. For instance, cinnamon has been found to have a positive impact on memory and brain function; is soothing for the stomach and may aid in ulcer prevention; suppresses bacteria that can lead to urinary tract infections and fungus related to yeast infections; and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Furthermore, one of its most important benefits from a weight loss and health perspective is that it cinnamon prevents insulin resistance.
 Cinnamon has many health benefits, but one that is important for weight loss is its ability to prevent and reverse insulin resistance. Insulin is a pancreatic hormone that is needed to regulate carbohydrate metabolism and glucose (sugar) levels in the blood. When not enough insulin is produced, sugar levels become too high and this can have damaging effects on the body, leading to weight problems, insulin resistance (also known as pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome) and diabetes.
Research has found that small amounts of cinnamon (less than two teaspoons per day) has the ability to reduce blood sugar, increase a person’s natural production of insulin and lower blood cholesterol, even in those who suffer from type 2 diabetes. This is very promising news for those who suffer from insulin resistance, because lowering levels of blood sugar and improving cholesterol ratios may assist in the reversal of this condition, and might prevent a further decline in health that could result in full diabetes.
In addition to helping prevent and improve insulin resistance, cinnamon may aid in weight loss. The reason is the fat cells that exist within the abdomen are quite sensitive to high levels of insulin and are excellent at energy storage. Due to the fact that the fat cells in the abdomen are close to digestive organs, and there is a widespread network of circulating blood vessels in the area, abdominal fat cells have an easier time storing excess glucose. Therefore, by reducing sugar levels, less glucose will be consumed and stored by these cells.
There are many ways you can incorporate cinnamon into your diet to obtain its benefits. For example, you can:
- Add cinnamon sticks to your tea or coffee
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon powder on toast, in applesauce or breakfast cereal
- Take a supplement
Regardless of how you may wish to introduce cinnamon into your diet, make sure you first consult your health care provider if you are considering ingesting large quantities of the spice for medicinal purposes.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Cranberry Juice for Urinary Tract Health“, “Insulin Resistance Diet“, “Spicing Up Weight Loss” and “Zero Calorie Food Flavorings“.
When talking about different ways to naturally lose weight, at some point or another, the words “low carb”, “high protein”, or even “Atkins” will likely be mentioned. This is because there is a great deal of scientific evidence that shows that by decreasing the percentage of your calories that are made up of carbohydrates and then replacing those with proteins, you will be able to burn fat much more easily and naturally curb hunger.
 High protein diets have been known to cause a number of kidney problems, including kidney stones. Typically, low-carbohydrate diets will require that between thirty and fifty percent of the total calories consumed in a day will come from protein. Normally, a diet would consist of a much higher number of carbohydrates than of protein, allowing the body to use the easily metabolized carbohydrates for energy.
When some of those carbohydrates are replaced by protein, the body changes its metabolic state. The state into which it changes is called ketosis. Ketosis means that the body burns some of its stored fat in order to obtain energy to run its essential functions. This process also makes you feel less hungry, therefore allowing you to comfortably eat a bit less as you burn a bit more. However, this being said, there can also be some unpleasant side effects that come with dieting in this way without the proper knowledge and guidance.
Primary among those problems, high protein diets may harm your kidneys if not done properly. Processing large quantities of protein taxes the kidneys, leaving them at risk of developing one or several of various kidney problems. Specifically, eating high protein diets can cause a very painful condition called kidney stones. High protein diets have also been associated with the occurrence of osteoporosis. This is because when a high protein diet is followed for a long time, the kidneys excrete more calcium from the body than they usually would.
If you decide to undertake a high-protein diet to lose weight it is important to speak with your doctor before trying to change the balance of your macronutrients. Your doctor will be able to advise you how to do this properly, while taking the right precautions to prevent harm to your kidneys and keep your body healthy throughout the process. It is also very important that you learn how to build a proper lifestyle so that the weight doesn’t come right back after you’re done dieting. The bottom line is that dieting is meant to make your body healthier, not sicker, and some diets may cause more harm than good. Discuss your diet decisions with your doctor to make sure they are healthy and safe for you.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Weight Loss Benefits of Protein“, “Carb Protein Fat Ratio in a Healthy Weight Loss Diet“, “How Protein Curbs Hunger” and “Daily Protein Requirements“.
A good friend of mine suffered for many years with unexplained weight gain and painful indigestion. These problems persisted for so long with no diagnosis because it was so easy to attribute them to an unhealthy diet or just a finicky digestive system. After years of frustration my friend spent six months doing an elimination diet to find out if her symptoms were related to food allergies. To her surprise, when she eliminated gluten from her diet her symptoms stopped and at that moment she realized that she had been suffering from a gluten allergy all along. The irony of this is that my friend worked in a bakery.
 Gluten, a protein that contained in wheat, barley and rye, can cause an allergy in some people and result in unexplained weight gain. One of the most common ways that people find out that they have celiac disease, which is an allergy to gluten, is through the cravings that they experience. This may seem strange, but it has been documented by doctors around the world that people who experience an allergy to gluten will often feel cravings for foods that contain wheat, barley or rye. Unfortunately, the result of giving into these cravings can bring on some very unpleasant symptoms such as weight gain, as well as bloating, water retention, fatigue, flatulence and other indigestion-related symptoms.
Fortunately, reversing the symptoms of a gluten allergy is possible. It is a matter of eliminating gluten from your diet so that the symptomatic weight gain and other issues no longer occur. Indeed, this is easier said than done. After all, the grains that contain gluten including wheat, spelt, barley and rye are used in many foods that we consume today, particularly in processed foods.
If you have been diagnosed with a gluten allergy or intolerance, then it is up to you to learn about it and then begin reading the labels on every item you buy at the grocery store or that you consume in a restaurant. Find out about the ingredients in food whether by reading the package or asking a waiter or waitress. You need to know whether something contains gluten in any form, particularly flour, so that you can keep your symptoms under control and fight your body’s urge to gain weight unnecessarily.
As this allergy becomes more widely understood, more and more products are becoming available that are made to be gluten-free. Even some manufacturers are introducing product lines that are gluten-free. In fact, some have eliminated gluten from their shelves entirely. Walking through the grocery aisles, it is also increasingly common to see products advertising “gluten free” directly on the label. We are still a long way to go before it becomes very easy to eat a good-tasting, varied diet every day without touching gluten, but improvements are being made with leaps and bounds.
Foods that Contain Gluten
The following foods contain gluten and should be avoided if you have a gluten allergy or celiac disease: barley, bulger, couscous, dinkle, durum, einkorn, emmer, farina, fu, graham flour, kamut, matzah, mir, rye, seitan, semolina, spelt, triticale, wheat, wheat berry, wheat germ, wheat grass and wheat nut.
The following foods may contain gluten or be in contact with gluten-containing foods and may cause a gluten allergy: bran, cereal, starch, farina, grits, groats, hemp, malt, dry roasted nuts, oat bran, oats and udon.
Remember, too, that it is only wheat, barley and rye products that contain gluten, so you won’t have the same weight gain reaction to eating other grains such as rice and buckwheat. If you enjoy baking, but have a gluten allergy you can substitute the wheat flour you would usually add to your foods with other flours such as rice flour or potato flour which do not contain gluten.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Gluten-Free Diet“, “Are Health Foods Really That Healthy?” and “Top Reasons Why You Cannot Lose Weight“.
When thinking of weight loss products, honey may not be something that you would consider good to add to your daily diet. Most dieters are so concentrated on limiting calories that they are inclined to avoid any type of sweetener that isn’t zero calories. Thus, honey is often left sitting in the shelf while artificial sweeteners get all the use, even though some pose potential health risks. Honey, however, can be a perfect addition as a sweetener to your weight loss diet.
 Despite that fact that honey contains calories, it also contains beneficial nutrients that help to promote weight loss and good health. The difference between sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and something like honey is the way that it is made and how it is digested by the body. Both sugar and HFCS are mostly natural, but there is no nutritional value to them. White sugar and corn syrup are the epitome of “empty calories” – calories that offer to nutritional benefit at all. These types of sweeteners may make foods and beverages sweeter, are simple to cook with and even last longer on the shelves, but they have no real value to the body.
Honey also contains calories; however it is also rich in nutrients for your body. One of the many benefits of using honey as a sweetener is that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. This is of particular importance for people who are overweight and may have symptoms of pre-diabetes, such as insulin resistance. Another benefit of eating honey for people who are trying to lose weight is that it has a ratio of 1:1 fructose to glucose. What this means is that honey promotes the formation of glycogen in the body. Glycogen is not only an essential energy source for your muscles during prolonged exercise, but it helps to lower the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) your body produces that is known to cause weight gain and other health problems (for more information, see the post “How Stress Affects Weight Loss“).
If these reasons aren’t enough to start adding honey to your daily weight loss diet, honey is also a rich source of antioxidants, phytonutrients and “friendly” bacteria. Due to these healthy components, honey has the ability to improve your immune system and help prevent some cancers and diseases.
When it comes down to health, honey is a better choice of sweetener than something artificial, even though it still has calories. Unlike other types of sugars, honey has vitamins and nutrients included. If you think about it, this makes sense. Bees make and store honey to get them through the winter. They do not rely on the calories alone, but all the nutrients that honey contains to keep them going during the long period that food is not available. These nutrients are also beneficial to people who choose honey as a sweetener when wanting good health through weight maintenance or weight loss.
If you want to add honey to your weekly menu to help you lose weight, there are a few things that are suggested. You can have a teaspoon or two in your tea or in a cup of coffee. You can also add a splash of lemon juice to honey-sweetened water, which can be a soothing drink before bed. You can also substitute honey for sugar in many recipes. Just remember, as with any type of sweetener, to eat it in moderation.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Health Benefits of Bee Pollen“, “Stevia Sugar Substitute – A Healthy Sugar Artificial Sweetener” and “Health Effects Caused By Aspartame“.
There are many ways a person may be able to lose weight, and not all methods involve strict dieting and vigorous exercising. While it certainly is important to lead an active lifestyle and have a well balanced diet, you will also discover that there are certain natural herbs and spices you can ingest that might actually help you burn fat, such as ginger.
 Ginger is a powerful digestive aid that can improve your body's metabolism. Ginger has been recognized for centuries for its medicinal properties and it is commonly known that this particular herb has a positive impact on the digestive tract. Ginger helps to calm the gut and protect the gastric system by reducing stomach acidity through the increase of the pH of stomach acid. As a result, it reduces the rate of gastric secretions and boosts digestive enzyme activity. Thus, ginger has a direct effect on the stomach and liver to decrease nausea and vomiting.
Although it is a well recognized digestive aid, many people are unaware of the fact that eating ginger promotes weight loss in some people. How? The following are some of the ways in which ginger root can assist you in burning fat:
- Ginger helps to lower cholesterol levels – Research has found that ginger has the ability to aid in the lowering of cholesterol, especially serum and hepatic cholesterol levels. Ginger seems to not only hinder the absorption of cholesterol, but also stimulates cholesterol conversion to bile acids. Furthermore, this herb has revealed that it can increase bile excretion. Overall, lowering your cholesterol can help you lose weight.
- Ginger increases metabolism – Ginger contains an acidic substance that stimulates gastric enzymes, which can aid metabolism. The better your metabolism, the more calories you will burn.
- Ginger improves gastric mobility – When the digestive system is functioning at its best, food is freely moving through the body, which reduces bloating and constipation. In fact, studies have found that ginger regulates peristalsis, the rippling movement of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract that is needed to push food and waste through the digestive system. Since it actually helps regulate peristalsis, it also helps to tone and strengthen the muscles involved in digestion.
Ginger can be added to your diet in many ways. You can add fresh or dried ginger to recipes, drink ginger tea and, of course, take supplements. Two of my favorite ginger foods are pickled ginger and candied ginger.
Although ginger will help to improve digestion and metabolism, it should not be used as a primary method to lose weight. One way that ginger has helped me while dieting is that when I become hungry I’ll sometimes suck on a piece of ginger. The powerful flavor of the ginger takes my mind off of food and soothes my stomach. If you are also someone who likes the flavor of ginger, which can be an acquired taste, then try eating some before meals or between meals when you are hungry to reap any weight loss benefits it may offer.
It’s interesting to note that eating ginger is actually used in herbal medicine to increase appetite. Although I don’t experience this myself, some people may.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Ginseng for Weight Loss and Health“, “Spicing Up Weight Loss” and “Flu Fighting Diet Foods“.
There is a commonly accepted myth about weight loss that if you eat late at night then you will be much more likely to gain weight. The thing is that everybody has their own schedule, and with that schedule comes individual eating habits as well. While some people will eat their supper at 6pm on the nose every single night, others will eat at 10pm or later. Among all of these different eating habits, there is no group that is slimmer or heavier than the other. This being said, while it is a myth that eating late causes weight gain, there are some small elements of truth that helped this myth to develop.
 When eating late at night choose meals that are lighter in calories, such as salads, and eat your bigger meals earlier in the day. Essentially, it doesn’t matter when you eat, as long as what you’re eating is the proper choice. If you want to eat a very late dinner – which is fine – you will just need to be a bit more careful about your food choices and the amount of food you eat. If your schedule has you eating your last meal late at night, then you want to make it a lighter one. In this situation, people who still eat only three main meals a day (instead of 5-6 small meals) will want to eat their larger meal at breakfast or lunch.
There have been numerous studies conducted about how the timing of meals can affect weight gain and the overall results have shown that there is no difference. The human body is a very efficient machine for metabolizing food. Whether you eat this food at noon or at midnight, research has shown that your metabolism will be just as effective.
Perhaps the only difference between eating your meals earlier in the day versus at night is how the food energy is used. For example, if you eat your dinner at 6pm and then go out for a walk or go to the gym in the evening then you will be burning some of the calories you ate and fewer will be stored as body fat. However, for people who eat late at night it is quite unlikely that they will follow up their meal with physical activity, thus more calories may be turned into fat.
Therefore, the answer is no, eating late does not cause weight gain. If you prefer to eat a later evening meal, just make your morning or midday meals are the biggest ones and keep your late meal lighter in calories.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Low Calorie Dinner Ideas“, “Cooking Tips for Weight Loss“, “Avoid Skipping Meals“, and “Tips for Dining Out on a Diet“.
You’ve likely been hearing about herbal remedies for just about everything that ails you: peppermint for an upset stomach; garlic to help stave off a cold; ginger when you actually catch one, etc. But did you know that there are herbs and spices that can help you in your efforts to effectively lose weight? This is especially true when you’re already taking all of the right healthy efforts to shed some of those extra pounds.
 Many common herbs and spices, such as parsley, contain many nutrients and antioxidants that may help weight loss. If you’re already eating a healthy, nutritious diet and you’re already exercising regularly, then you’re on the right track. By adding the benefits of the right herbs and spices, you’ll be able to accelerate your weight loss and make things just a bit easier on yourself. Not to mention the fact that you’ll be adding a range of wonderful new flavors to your food. You’ll never need to worry about the complaint so many people have that if they cut the unhealthy foods out of their diet, they won’t have anything with flavor left. Nothing can add more flavor to foods than herbs and spices, so when you use the right ones, you’ll have wonderful, tasty meals that will help you to lose the weight as you eat.
Many herbs and spices are naturally high in antioxidants. Not only do antioxidants help to rid the body of potentially harmful free radicals, but they also improve your body’s ability to burn body fat. Herbs and spices that are known for the antioxidant powers include rosemary, mint, nutmeg, parsley, sage, allspice, basil, clove, coriander, dill, and fennel. Herbs and spices have the most nutritional value when they are fresh, but dried will do too.
If you’d like to take advantage of both the flavor and weight loss benefits, you may consider the following herbs and spices as a part of your next shopping list:
- Fennel – You can find this herb in fresh or dried form, as well as in teas, tinctures, lozenges, and capsules. Most supermarkets will at least have this product available in their dried cooking spice section. Fennel helps to improve your digestion so that you will gain your nutrition more effectively (the better your nutrition, the easier you’ll lose weight), as well as reduce mild digestive spasms, bloating, flatulence, and inflammation. It can even help to keep the levels of unwanted bacteria in your system to a minimum.
- Garlic – In both its fresh and dried forms, you’ll not only stimulate your immune system to keep yourself healthier, but you’ll also keep infections down, reduce your blood pressure and decrease your bad cholesterol levels. The healthier you are, the better your metabolism will run and the more efficiently your body will burn calories.
- Cayenne – Also known as hot pepper, Tabasco pepper, or chili pepper, this spice contains capsicum. It is available in ground form, as well as teas and topical creams. Capsicum is well known for its ability to suppress the appetite and speed up the metabolism.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a common spice used in foods around the world. Of its many health benefits, recent research has found that cinnamon helps to lower blood sugar levels, which may help combat insulin resistance – a condition that can make losing weight very difficult.
Other Related Posts and Articles you May Find Interesting: “Zero Calorie Food Flavorings“, “Ginseng for Weight Loss and Health“, “How Antioxidants Enhance Weight Loss“, and “Health Benefits of Curry“.
One of my favorite fruits to eat as part of my regular diet is papaya. I have always heard that papaya was good for digestion and intestinal health, and I love the flavor, so I try to eat a couple of papayas during the week. Usually I cube up the papaya and put it in a Tupperware container for a delicious snack between meals. Because I eat papaya regularly I wanted to learn more about the digestive benefits of papaya and it’s other nutritional value. It turns out papaya not only tastes good, but can help you stay healthy too.
 Of its many nutritional benefits, papaya contains an unique enzyme that helps to break down proteins and clean the digestive tract. The papaya plant may look as large as a tree, but it is actually an herb which overgrows. This plant is grown in tropical areas around the world, though it is commonly believed to have found its origins in Central America and Mexico.
Though the fruit of the papaya is flavorful and is often consumed just for the sheer pleasant experience, in terms of practical use, it is most commonly used in order to aid in digestion. There are many properties in the papaya fruit that can help with the digestive process. For example, papayas are the single source of the enzymes papain and chymonpapain. No other plant in the world contains these natural digestive enzymes that work to break down proteins that have been consumed, and to clean out the digestive tract.
These digestive benefits of papaya are particularly good because when proteins are broken down more effectively, they provide greater nutrition and easier weight loss and maintenance. Furthermore, the cleaner the digestive tract is, the more efficiently it runs, also reducing bloating, flatulence, cramps, and nausea, and allowing for easier weight loss. In fact, many people who consume papaya find that their bodies are more forgiving of the occasional “cheating” on their regular weight loss diet.
Of course, beyond the actual digestive benefits of papaya, the fruit also has its own high nutritional contribution to offer. They are exceptionally high in the antioxidant vitamin C, as well as potassium and folate (folic acid). Furthermore, papayas are considered to be a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, as well as vitamin A, carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and fiber. With a small amount of papaya every day, you’ll be doing a great deal for your overall nutrition as well as your overall digestion.
Even better for those who are seeking to lose weight or keep weight off, is the fact that all of this nutrition is available in a fruit that can provide it with fewer calories than other fruits with comparable nutrition. For example, to receive the same amount of vitamin C from an orange, you’d need to consume a notably larger amount of calories.
Ideally, nutritionists recommend that for the best results in nutrition and weight loss, you should eat about 2 cups of papaya every day. The fruits range widely in size and weight (from 7 to 20 inches long and from 1 to 20 pounds), so it is best to measure in cups than by the number of fruits themselves.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “How Fiber Helps Weight Loss“, “How Antioxidants Enhance Weight Loss“, “Best Anti-Aging Diet Foods” and “Goji Berries and Weight Loss“.
As someone who loves food and is trying to lose weight, dealing with my hunger on a daily basis can be exasperating. There is nothing worse than being hungry half-an-hour after a meal and knowing that there are a few more hours to go before it’s time to eat again. This is why it is so important when you are trying to lose weight to do what you can to curb hunger by feeding your body foods that take longer to process and don’t cause spikes in blood sugar. One of the best weight loss foods is protein and increasing the amount of protein that you eat in your daily diet can be the key to your dieting success.
 Eating foods rich in protein, such as eggs and fish, benefit weight loss by stabilizing blood sugar levels and curbing hunger. When it comes to making smart food choices, keep in mind that not all calories are created equal. For example, carbohydrates, particularly processed carbohydrates, are broken down for energy very quickly. For this reason, there is not a lot of time between the moment that you consume these carby foods and the time that they are converted into energy for your body. What this means is that your body has less time to burn off carbohydrate-based calories before they becomes stored as fat. Foods high in carbohydrates also tend to cause a spike in blood sugar followed by a rapid fall. This peaking and falling of blood sugar is also a major cause of hunger.
Protein, on the other hand, is broken down for energy more slowly during digestion. It is a slow-release form of energy meaning that, unlike processed carbohydrates, you don’t get a sudden surge in your blood sugar and then crash shortly after, feeling tired and hungry. Furthermore, protein gives you a fuller feeling overall, even if you’ve eaten less. So when you think about it, when you eat protein you not only feel fuller, but the sensation lasts a lot longer. That’s pretty helpful when you’re trying to stave off those pesky hunger pangs.
Of course, to be able to reap the weight loss benefits of protein you need to know what foods to eat that are protein-rich. Furthermore, you’ll want to know how to do so without spending an arm and a leg at the grocery store. After all, most carbohydrate-laden foods are pretty cheap, particularly processed carbohydrates such as white bread and baked goods, so if you’re going to be replacing some of them with protein then you don’t want to break the bank in the effort.
The following are some forms of proteins that you can incorporate into your diet without having to look for a second job to help fund the change:
- Eggs – Whether you eat the whole egg or just the whites, eggs are loaded with protein and aren’t at all expensive. If you have high cholesterol or a family history of high cholesterol, then you may want to skip the yolks. You might try buying the egg whites in the carton so that you aren’t paying for yolks you aren’t using. Other than being an excellent source of protein, eggs contain many essential vitamins and minerals. Eating one egg a day is equivalent to taking a daily multivitamin.
- Canned fish – Fish is exceptionally high in protein and also has the benefit of many other nutrients as well. Canned tuna and canned salmon, for example, have good fats in them such as Omega-3, which is critical to many different functions in your brain, nervous system, and even your skin and hair. Other types of canned fish, such as sardines and kippers, can usually be bought pretty cheap when on sale and add extra flavor and protein to a salad or can be eaten as a snack.
- Beans – when it comes to cheap sources of protein, you really can’t beat beans. Fortunately, there are a lot of different types out there and they can be prepared in hundreds of different ways. Black beans are among the best for protein and overall nutrition, so be sure to include them on your next grocery list.
- Protein Powder – Well not all protein powder is cheap, but you can usually find a big container of it for under $10 and it will last you for a while. I mix chocolate protein powder with skim milk and drink it for a snack between meals sometimes. It’s relatively low calorie and high in protein and really curbs my appetite.
- Textured Vegetable Protein – Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is made from soy and can be bought in bulk for next to nothing. TVP can be used as a substitute for ground beef in many recipes, including spaghetti sauce, chili and even burgers.
- Skim Milk – Skim milk is relatively cheap and is an excellent source of protein and other essential vitamins and minerals.
As you can see, there are many types of foods that are rich in protein, but won’t break the bank to buy. Increasing the amount of protein you eat in your meals will help to curb hunger, and when it comes to losing weight this will be an enormous help. Despite the weight loss benefits of protein, keep in mind that carbohydrates also have an important role in a healthy diet. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grain foods, also take longer to be digested and can help you to remain full for longer. They also contain valuable fiber that you need to keep your digestive system operating efficiently. I highly recommend establishing a healthy balance between the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats that you have in your diet. Although popular with some dieters, I do not advocate the use of extreme high-protein, low-carb diets, such as the Atkins Diet.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Carb Protein Fat Ratio in a Healthy Weight Loss Diet“, “How Protein Curbs Hunger“, “Daily Protein Requirements” and “How Fiber Helps Weight Loss“.
Over the past few weeks I have been struggling to lose weight. Despite staying pretty much on track with my diet and getting regular exercise, my weight has been stubborn to lose. Many people call this a weight loss plateau and I have followed the advice of decreasing my calories and mixing up my exercise to try to overcome it. This morning at my weekly weigh in my weight was…
186 lbs
Well, at least I’m a couple of pounds down instead of up – that’s positive.
 Stress can cause weight loss to become very stubborn. Try stress-relieving activities, such as yoga, to get your diet back on track. Last week I spent a good amount of time re-evaluating my diet and exercise routine. This was the first time since losing almost 50 pounds that I did this and in hindsight I should have done this more regularly (perhaps monthly). One thing I noted, however, is that just before I was hit by my most recent weight loss plateau I had more stress than normal in my life. Granted we all have stress in our lives to some extent or another, but there are some times when stress is greater be it because of problems with family, friends, work or children. I never really considered how stress can affect weight loss, but I think that it can be a root cause of a weight loss plateau. Thus, if your body is being stubborn about losing weight, then not only change your diet and exercises but find ways to reduce stress.
Have you ever noticed that the times in your life that cause the biggest challenge to losing weight are often those that bring the highest levels of stress? This is not a coincidence. Even if you continue to exercise and eat a proper diet, when you’re stressed you’ll not only find it harder to lose weight, but you’ll also discover that it’s extremely simple to begin gaining weight when you typically wouldn’t be. There are many reasons for this.
Whenever the body is under a larger amount of stress, it changes itself so that it is most prepared for survival. In this mode, cortisol (more commonly referred to as the “stress hormone”) is secreted into the body. This hormone is one that accomplishes many goals, among which is blood sugar regulation. This is a very powerful hormone, one of the side effects of which is to cause a large increase in appetite. When both stressed and hungry, you are far more likely to reach for the fun foods and comfort foods than to go for the steamed veggies.
Furthermore, when you’re feeling stressed, you may not make as much time for exercise as you usually do. You don’t feel like going for that walk, heading for the gym, or going to an exercise class when it feels as though your world is crashing in around you.
The thing is, if you can break the stress cycle, you can actually lose weight much more easily, and the things you do to lose weight are exactly the same as the things you should be doing in order to decrease your stress level. To start, you should work on getting a better sleep at night. Studies show that people who get a good amount of sleep will lose weight much more effectively than those who don’t. Similarly, a proper night’s sleep is also the key in being able to keep your stress levels under control.
To get your exercise routine off to a good start, give Yoga a try. Many people find it very relaxing, allowing you to tone your body and decrease your stress levels at the same time. In that same effort, introduce light aerobic exercises into the mix. Even if you aren’t ready to go jogging, try going for a brisk walk after you get home from work but before you eat your supper. This will boost your metabolism while decreasing your stress.
With all of these efforts, you’ll knock back your stress (and cortisol levels) and start losing weight much more effectively.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Weight Loss Foods that Improve Your Mood“, “Sleep and Weight Loss” and “Five Ways to Naturally Increase Metabolism“.
|
|
