You decide to lose 10 pounds. Before you do anything else, think about your preferences. Do you jog at 6 a.m. every morning, even when the 30-degree weather turns your nose into frost? Or, do you shudder at the thought of getting up early and prefer to wrap yourself in a down comforter?
Your preferences towards exercise determine what you should do to lose weight. Let’s say you spend most of your leisure time sitting on the couch, reading a murder mystery. While you may not call yourself a couch potato, you do classify as an inactive person. Simply realizing this fact puts you one step forward to losing 10 pounds.
The next step involves deciding how to exercise, which is part of any good weight loss plan. Sure, going to the gym may be the first option that comes to your mind, but you have more choices. You may breathe a sigh of relief after reading the last line, since the gym may not be comfortable or convenient for you.
Other options to get more exercise can require more creativity, but the process is worth the extra effort. For instance, do you drive to the farmers market every weekend? Assuming it’s not too far, you might consider getting a cart and walking the distance a few blocks of walking makes a difference.
Other alternatives have to do with work. Maybe you park close to the building. As a substitute, you can park further away to give yourself a mini-workout before you reach the office. Then, at lunchtime, go for a sight-seeing walk around the neighborhood, perhaps taking a colleague along.
At home, you can continue finding convenient ways to exercise. Do you zap a frozen dinner in the microwave and then sit down to do nothing? As a replacement, you can cook a wholesome, delicious meal and get some exercise in the process running around preparing it.
And dont forget about involving your family in exercise as well. Find an indoor playing center, with a playground and various activities. Or, shoot hoops in the backyard with your kids or by yourself. If you dont want to miss a football game on television, tape the game or listen in on the radio.
Since television can be a huge obstacle to exercise, here’s another way to work around this problem. The next time you decide to watch a video or a television program, dont sit-down. Instead, get up and do aerobics while you watch.
Depending on your preferences, you may want to get a home gym, with an exercise bicycle, treadmill, boxing gear, or an abdominal exerciser. These options give you the ability to work out in the privacy of your home. But, choose equipment that you will actually use.
It comes down to making changes in your lifestyle that you can handle and sticking with this routine. Soon, the exercise will become second nature for you, making you 10 pounds lighter and happier.
You might even have enough extra energy for that morning jog.
People tend to reinvent diets and pose them as the new breakthrough in weight loss as it is the case with the GI Diet. The GI diet, based on the Glycemic Index, has recently become very popular, but the GI ranking system has been around since 1981. There have been several books published on the success of the GI diet, but is it really a diet or a lifestyle change?
The glycemic index
Dr. David Jenkins, from the University of Toronto in Canada, developed the glycemic index to measure the speed at which foods break down in the body to produce glucose. While originally intended to help diabetic patients control their glucose levels, it was soon used to help individuals trying to lose weight to control their eating habits and hunger. The key was to decrease the fast breakdown of foods into glucose. Glucose is a natural source of energy for the body. It produces a rush of energy when the food is broken down, and then when it is burned up, it leaves a feeling of hunger and fatigue.
Depending on how fast they elevate the blood sugar level after eating, foods are considered high, medium, and low GI foods. Low GI foods rank less than 55 on the glycemic index scale, medium GI foods go from 55 to 70 and high GI foods rank higher than 70. High GI foods break down very quickly in the body and make you feel hungry again soon after consuming them. Low GI foods are slowly digested and absorbed so you feel fuller for a longer period of time after you eat.
High GI foods include:
white flour products like white bread, croissants, doughnuts;
heavily processed foods like corn chips, potato chips or pretzels;
foods high in sugar like cookies, rice Krispies, ice cream;
high starch vegetables such as potatoes and parsnips;
fruits high in sugar – watermelons, dates, and other dried fruits.
Medium GI foods include:
most types of pasta;
rice;
some fruits like mangos, apricots, and raisins;
some vegetables like baked beans.
Low GI foods include:
most fruits and vegetables;
legumes;
cereals that are high in fibers but low on sugar;
dairy products like low-fat plain yogurt, whole, low fat or skimmed milk;
whole-grain breads.
The Low GI Diet
The low GI diet focuses on changing eating habits so that the majority of the foods consumed are from the low GI food group. These foods take longer to break down into glucose in the body. This does two basic things:
Produces a more even level of glucose throughout the day to avoid those high glucose times followed by the low glucose slumps.
Stops cravings and hunger from occurring as much.
When these two components combine, they allow the dieter to eat a balanced meal and not experience the “energy slumps”. The whole grains and unprocessed foods take more time for the body to convert to glucose and keep the feeling of being full for longer. It also prevents those cravings which tend to cause overeating or consuming foods that are not on the eating plan.
However, the diet should not rely exclusively on the glycemic index as low GI foods aren’t necessarily healthy. Foods should be chosen based on their overall nutritional value. The glycemic index is influenced by a sum of factors like the nutrient content of the foods, the extent to which they are processed, the cooking method, food combination, or ripeness in the case of fruits and vegetables.
Products that are high in fat have a low GI as they don’t break down as easily as the ones high in carbs. That doesn’t mean you should choose to eat high-fat foods in order to stick to the index. As an example, whole milk is ranked lower than the fat-free or low-fat one.
The glycemic index doesn’t rank foods that do not contain carbohydrates, like fresh meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and cheese. However, it includes processed foods that include meat and dairy products. For a healthy low GI diet, you should choose lean or low-fat meats that have been trimmed of visible fat, skinless poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy products, even though they aren’t ranked.
The nutrient content is also very important. Between dates or watermelon and a bag of crisps, the obvious choice is the fruit even though the watermelon is considered high GI because of the sugar content and the crips are considered low GI as they are high in fat and slow down the absorption process.
It is also important to remember that the glycemic index ranks individual foods only, not whole meals. Depending on how the foods are combined, the overall GI value of the meal can change and cannot be measured accurately, but the main idea is that including low GI foods in your meal will result in lower GI value overall.
The low GI diet does not lead to rapid weight loss; rather it results in a steady and constant decrease in body weight. The individuals who use this plan find that they have more energy and therefore are more likely to exercise.
So is the low GI plan a diet or a lifestyle? Most experts agree that it is a diet plan that leads to changes and becomes a lifestyle. Eating low GI foods just makes good sense for weight control and maintenance, energy levels, and healthy eating.
Getting rid of acne is probably the number one concern of most people. It is a horrible skin condition that not only robs you of confidence but can also have long-term consequences on your health. For many, the battle with acne is so difficult that they eventually seek treatment or medication to help them with their skin condition. But if you are tired of seeing unsightly pimples or zits and want to know what really works, here are some effective acne treatments that you can try at home.
Blemish-fighting facial cleansers are one of the best ways to get rid of acne. Cleansing often times leaves your face so dry that it can’t fight off a clogged pimple outbreak. Look for acne-fighting cleansers that do not have alcohol in them because alcohols dry out your skin and make it more susceptible to zits and blemishes.
Some of the best acne treatments are using ice packs. They do not only help you heal your acne but will give your skin a relaxing feeling and will reduce inflammation. You can simply lay your face on an ice cube and use the ice as a mask that can be repeated several times throughout the day. This can get rid of mild acne without any side effects or discomfort.
Another wonderful remedy is using Witch Hazel. Apply a thin layer of Witch Hazel directly to the affected area. It will absorb the oil and debris and can also clean up your pores. This can also help prevent acne from returning later on.
To reduce the severity of your acne problem, you can add a few drops of lemon juice on to your acne cream before applying. By doing this, the lemon juice will help your body’s immune system to fight the acne-causing bacteria. Lemon juice is known to help boost your skin’s natural oil production which is essential in reducing the swelling and redness caused by an acne outbreak.
Sun therapy is one of the most common remedies used by acne sufferers. In order to reap its benefits, you need to use sunblock for protection from the sun and to reduce any potential damage caused by UV rays. Also, make sure to wear long sleeves, especially during the summer when the rays are more intense. When your skin is exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time, it can cause damage to your skin and lead to the development of more acne.
White vinegar has also been used to help treat acne. This treatment is called emulsification because it causes the oil on your skin to break down and remove any excess clogs caused by the buildup of dead skin cells. By applying a couple of cups of white vinegar to your face twice a day, you can eliminate any acne that may have developed.
Another over the counter medication that has proven effective in the treatment of acne is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties that help kill the bacteria that cause pimples and blemishes. It is said to be safe and non-toxic. This can be applied either as a shampoo or as a facial mask.
The best way to treat your acne problems is to pay attention to your diet. Eating a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, vitamins, and protein can help keep your skin clear and prevents acne outbreaks. Try to limit your intake of foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates. Also avoid spicy and oily foods because these can further irritate your skin and can lead to more blemishes.
Acne can be a very frustrating condition but with the proper natural treatment, you can prevent future acne outbreaks. The earlier you treat acne, the faster you can feel the benefits and heal the most painful and embarrassing spots. Now you can start fighting the forces of acne by using these highly effective natural treatments at home. Getting rid of acne is a big problem but there are treatments available that will help reduce your acne and will also help to prevent future outbreaks of this skin condition. Use these tips as a guide to treating your acne problem effectively and quickly.
