Monday to Sunday Diet Plan to Lose Weight

Monday to Sunday Diet Plan to Lose Weight

If you thought shedding those extra pounds is something beyond your reach, you could be in for a pleasant surprise. Here is a simple meal plan that could be used along with your work out regimen to shed 10 kilos in a matter of just 2 months. So, here we go.

Monday

Breakfast: 3/4 cup bran flakes, any one fruit like apple or banana, 1 cup fat-free milk.

Lunch: Replace white carbohydrates like rice, bread, potato or pasta with whole wheat bread or chapati, 1 piece of cheese, chicken, 1 teaspoon light mayonnaise, and salad greens or fruit.

Dinner: Fish, steamed broccoli, grated cheese and fat free ice cream.

Tip: Make sure to eliminate high carbohydrate foods and include fruits, vegetables and high protein food. Eating food in smaller portions rather than one big meal will be beneficial.

Tuesday

Start your day with a table spoon of lemon juice mixed with honey.

Breakfast: Cereal with fat free milk.

Lunch: 2 chapatis or a small bowl of rice with vegetables.

Snack: Oat meal biscuits with tea (Try green tea, which is highly recommended for weight loss and health.)

Dinner: Light dinner of salad or whole wheat bread sandwich.

Tip: You can follow an easy diet plan in the following line. You are free to make minor changes to suit your tastes.

Wednesday

Start your day with black coffee or tea.

Breakfast: Cooked oatmeal in fat free milk, half apple or banana topped with a teaspoon of honey.

Lunch: 1 cup rice, and dal, vegetable curry, any fruits like grapes, or bananas.

Dinner: Steamed shrimp, vegetable curry, chapatis, and baked or steamed potato.

Tip: Include five small meals per day including breakfast, lunch and dinner along with two snacks in between. A meal should ideally contain 400 to 500 calories and snacks less than 200 calories.

Thursday

Green tea is a good option to kick off your day.

Breakfast: Fruits like apples, banana, and fat free yoghurt.

Lunch: Tomato soup, roasted beef, radish, lettuce, tomato, pear and whole wheat chapatti with 1 cup of chopped vegetables.

Dinner: Cooked brown rice and pineapple/apple/orange pieces.

Eat your food slowly. For snacks instead of fried items or sweets, try nuts or fruits and protein shake, or salads. Settle for sugar free and low carb options while buying ice creams and cakes.

Friday

Breakfast: 1/2 cup berries, a few almonds and 1 pint of fat free milk.

Lunch: Fat free beans and 1 chapati with vegetables or cheese, cucumber slices.

Dinner: Green salad with fat free dressing, chapati.

Tip: Drink fresh water all through the day. Avoid soft drinks and soda instead includes tomato or lemon juice in your diet.

Saturday

Breakfast: 1 Idli or chapati, with vegetable curry. 1/2 sliced banana, skimmed milk.

Lunch: 1 chapati, 1 cup of rice, light yoghurt, fish curry, mustard, cucumber, tomatoes and onion slices.

Dinner: Brown rice, steamed spinach and an apple.

Tip: Spicy food containing chili pepper is thought to have weight reducing properties.

Sunday

Breakfast: Muesli with skimmed milk or chapati with cheese, tomato slice.

Lunch: Rice, salads, vegetables.

Dinner: Grilled chicken, chapati, pineapple slices.

Tip: Drink lots of water to lose weight fast.

Make sure to consult your doctor before starting any diet plan. Denying food to your body is not the solution to lose weight. Instead choose your menu carefully and see the pounds drop slowly yet steadily!

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4 Sexy and Unusual Ways to Lose Weight

4 Sexy and Unusual Ways to Lose Weight

 It may seem hard to take out time to hit the gym for a workout session. But how many of you are aware of some “naughty ways” to melt those extra kilos? Here, discover some of the most unusual and sexy ways that can help you in losing weight.

Get ready and indulge in these sexy-sins to say goodbye to your weight issues forever.

Kissing Burns Calories!

Showing affection through kissing is not just good for your relationship, but is excellent for your waistline also. On an average, kissing can burn around 2-5 calories per minute; however, a vigorous kiss can raise the ‘calorie’ meter further.  Many studies claim that while kissing, if you reach a point where both of you are breathing heavily, it's a sign that you are burning more calories. So, just inject some passion in your kiss to melt those pounds faster.

Sexy tip: Try kissing in unusual positions. You can burn more calories, if you are standing than sitting, and more moving than still.

Other sexy benefits of kissing:

    Kissing lowers cholesterol and decreases high blood pressure.

   An intense kiss requires almost all face muscles. So, kissing tones up your facial muscles and helps in fighting wrinkles.

Sex Diet

Yes, the sexiest mantra to lose that extra flab- Lots of Sex! Almost all muscles including the legs, shoulders and lower abdomen are worked upon during a session of love-making. On an average a half hour of sex burns about 200 calories. However, if you turn some basic exercises into foreplay, you can firm up your problem areas too. So, engage yourselves in moves like "love squats" to tone up your body.

Sexy tip: Incorporate sex in different positions to enhance its exercise effects.

Elvis-Pelvis Exercise:

Stand naked facing your partner and press your pelvises together for balance. Raise your arms to the ceiling and lean back while maintaining pelvic contact. Hold for three seconds, repeat five times. (You can refer Kerry McCloskey’s, the Ultimate Sex Diet book for more such exercises).

Undressing

Learning the art of ‘Undressing’ can also help you shed those kilos. Unhooking a bra with two hands burns up to 8 calories whereas doing it with one hand can burn up to 18 calories. Amazed? Don’t be! Here is another twist in the tale; according to an Italian researcher, if a man unhooks a bra using his mouth, he can burn up to 87 calories in the process. Now isn’t that interesting and easy? So, all you guys out there, now you certainly know where to begin your action from.

Sexy tip: Play a game with your partner where you both have to undress each other but without using your hands. It will be fun, sexy and great for your body.

Love Squats

This one is for all the new moms out there who are struggling to lose their post-pregnancy weight. Now, you can keep your legs in shape by doing some love squats using your toddler as a weight. Since it is very difficult to take out time for exercise after you have a baby, this is the best way to lose that extra flab from your body. Enjoy the giggles of your baby while exercising and start shedding your weight.

Exercises you can do: Baby squats, baby twists, baby chest presses.

Caution: Only do these exercises with a baby who has complete head control and who is fully capable of controlling his own body. 

Useful Tip: For your convenience, here is a video which you may find helpful in your workout:

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5 Foods that Fight the Flu

5 Foods that Fight the Flu

Worried about the flu, because seemingly everyperson is sneezing or coughing somewhere? You're not alone. And you don't need to rely on luck or that flu shot: There are plenty of immunity-boosting superfoods to help ward off a nasty case of the sniffles--check out these five that are guaranteed to make you feel good

Black Pepper: 

Black pepper contains a compound called piperine, which not only gives pepper its spicy kick but is also believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-fever properties. Add an extra few grinds to your soup or pasta sauce for a quick fever. 

Cinnamon: 

Top your oatmeal with this tasty spice or sprinkle it on apple slices for a snack--either way you may be helping to ward off a virus. That's because a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry suggests that specific plant terpenoids contained within cinnamon have potent antiviral properties.

Citrus Fruits: 

Add a squeeze of lemon juice to your tea or some orange slices to your salad to feel better fast when you feel sickness coming on. While it is a common myth that large doses of vitamin C can prevent a cold, it is true that if you up your consumption of this antioxidant at the first signs of a cold, it can help you feel better faster.

Avocado: 

Slice and eat on your sandwich for lunch or whip up some guacamole to get a healthy dose of heart-healthy fats. These monounsaturated fats help to reduce inflammation and help us to absorb vitamins like A, D, E and K, which are important for supporting the immune system

Low-fat Yogurt: 

Recent research shows that people who had the lowest levels of vitamin D were far more likely to get the flu than those with the highest levels, and yogurt is a powerhouse source of it. Stir some into some tomato soup for a supremely creamy flavor. 

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9 Healthy Foods that Reduce Stress Levels

9 Healthy Foods that Reduce Stress Levels

Reach for these items next time you're feeling under pressure, under the weather, or just too close to that breaking point. Munching on these stress-free foods will help pull you back into the game. 

1. Oranges

A German study in Psychopharmacology found that vitamin C helps reduce stress and return blood pressure and cortisol to normal levels after a stressful situation. Vitamin C is also well-known for boosting your immune system.

2. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be particularly stress-reducing because they can satisfy the urge you get for carbohydrates and sweets when you are under a great deal of stress. They are packed full of beta-carotene and other vitamins, and the fiber helps your body to process the carbohydrates in a slow and steady manner.

3. Dried Apricots 

Apricots are rich in magnesium, which is a stress-buster and a natural muscle relaxant as well.

4. Almonds, Pistachios & Walnuts 

Almonds are packed with B and E vitamins, which help boost your immune system, and walnuts and pistachios help lower blood pressure.

5. Turkey

Turkey contains an amino acid called L-tryptophan. This amino acid triggers the release of serotonin, which is a feel-good brain chemical. This is the reason why many people who eat turkey feel relaxed, or even tired, after eating it. L-Tryptophan has a documented calming effect.

6. Spinach

A deficiency in magnesium can cause migraine headaches and a feeling of fatigue. One cup of spinach provides 40 percent of your daily needs for magnesium.

7. Salmon

Diets high in omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease. A study from Diabetes & Metabolism found that omega-3s keep the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline from peaking.

8. Avocados

The monounsaturated fats and potassium in avocados help lower blood pressure. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says that one of the best ways to lower blood pressure is to consume enough potassium (avocados have more than bananas).

9. Green Vegetables 

Broccoli, kale, and other dark green vegetables are powerhouses of vitamins that help replenish our bodies in times of stress.

More stress-busting tips:

- Exercise regularly

- Drink an energy shake for breakfast

 - Eat small meals throughout the day, which will keep your blood sugar stable (when blood sugar is low, mental, physical, and emotional energy decreases, and stress increases).

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15 Things You Didn't Know About Fruits

15 Things You Didn't Know About Fruits

Watermelon beats the scorching summer heat with 95% water and its electrolytes. It wards off unwanted pesticides with its think rind and harbours enormous vitamin A, lycopene and an antioxidant - glutathione preroxidase present at the red pulpy area close to the rind. The white rind which we commonly discard as tasteless contains Citrulline, an amino acid that produces the vasodilator - nitric oxide.  The ability of citrulline to convert to L-arginine promotes heart health. It is worthy to note the edible watermelon seeds hide tryptophan, B vitamins and are relatively rich in proteins and lipids.

Cantaloupe/muskmelon is an excellent source of phytochemicals – vitamin A and C. Lesser known is it being rich in an enzymatic antioxidant known as superoxide dismutase (SOD) which is essential for maintaining strong defence with enhanced reactive oxygen species scavenging capacity to combat stress in the human body.

Kiwi fruit with vitamin C, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids from its numerous edible seeds have potential properties of a natural blood thinner. It also has a protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin that digests proteins. Skip Kiwi in desserts containing milk or dairy  as it will dissolve milk

Pomegranate an exotic fruit is an antidote for heart ailments due to its polyphenolic anti-oxidant compound - punicalagin. Pomegranate seeds are high in inflammatory fighting elagitannins, quercetin and anthocyanins. Pomegranate tea is known to lower cholesterol and reduce LDL oxidation. What you may have not known is Pomegranate rind or peel extract which is a decoction, is packed with phenolics, flavonoids and proanthocyanidines that is traditionally used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery or intestinal parasites.

Citrus fruits are synonymous to vitamin C and vitality. Well you may be allured with vitamin C loaded orange juice but ascorbic acid on exposure to light and air gets oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid, highly unstable and further breaks down to 2,3-diketo-L-gulonic acid. It is wise to eat citrus fruits whole.

Star fruit, Bilimbi or Carambola with its high vitamin A, vitamin C and zinc content is used as a cure for acne and oily skin. The extract of the fruit possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties. The scientists were awed with high total oxidizing activity or TAA of Star fruit due to proanythocyanidin compound epicatechin.

Rope in raw Papaya as meat tenderizer, as it has a powerful digestive enzyme papain/papinase that breaks down tough meat fibres. Marinating meat with chunks of raw papaya, especially the deeply pared skin yields a sumptuous and soft texture to the meat. Papain is also anti-inflammatory.  Unripe papaya in large amounts can be an effective abortant.

Amla is a powerhouse of vitamin C, harbouring 20 times more that of an Orange. Many are averse to the pungent - astringent¬ taste of Amla. The vitamin C in Amla is present in a complex form. What is intriguing is Amla retains substantial vitamin C, unlike other sources in spite of drying, powdering or even when boiled for a few minutes. Traditionally, Amla murabba ( Amla soaked in honey) was used early morning for its health benefits.

Our own berry of India – Zizyphus, commonly known as Ber or Jujuba is under-utilized. It is very high in vitamin C. The extract of boiled fruit is used medicinally as tea, to treat sore throat. Jujuboside A – a chemical found in Ber is used to treat insomnia and anxiety as the saponins of the extract mimic sedation.

Avocado, the only fruit with high fat content of 25% is high in mono-unsaturated fats. It is an antioxidant that increases the good cholesterol - HDL. The seed or pit of the Avocado is rich in nutrition and has a long history of medicinal use in traditional culture. The ground Avocado seed can be used in smoothies and other foods. The aqueous extract of the seed is known to control hyperglycemia(high blood sugar).

Pineapple, an excellent source of vitamin C is a natural digestive aid and a meat tenderizer as it contains a proteolytic enzyme - bromelain. It has potent anti-inflammatory properties and significantly alleviates symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, sinusitis, gout, sore throat or inflammation due to surgery or physical injury. It also helps in fat burning and weight loss due to its thermic effect.

Guava, a powerhouse of vitamin C, protects us from cold and flu with 4 - 10 times more vitamin C than citrus fruits.. Some are dissuaded from consuming this marvellous fruit due to its seedy core.  Those may seek solace in the rind that contains exceptionally higher levels of vitamin C than the seedy central pulp.

Apples contain quercetin an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. It also has considerable amounts of pectin, a soluble dietary fibre, known to reduce blood cholesterol level, help burn body fat, improve gut flora and help in binding loose stools, typically therefore used in diarrhoea.

Grapes have garnered attention due to its polyphenol - resveratrol that promotes longevity and several antioxidants shielding cardiovascular system. Grapes contain ellagic acid. Anthocyanins, found abundantly in red grapes and Catechins, a type of flavonoid found in green varieties also have health promoting effects. Grapes seeds also offer essential fatty acids and tocopherol. 

Tamarind pulp is commonly used in Asian cuisine and Worcestershire sauce due to its pleasing sour flavor. It aids constipation due to its laxative effect and is anti-helmintic, antibacterial and hypolipidemic. The fruit may promote eye health as it moistens cornea and researchers are investigating its chemical content similar to mucin that is known to wet the eye.

Some fruits like apple, banana, when cut turn brown on exposure to air. This unappealing browning can be avoided by coating the sliced fruit with a layer of sugar, salt or lime juice.

Fruits in rainbow colors synergistically boost immunity, revive and rejuvenate health and well-being.

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6 rare - and healthy - fruits

6 rare - and healthy - fruits 

Our supermarket aisles store only a small portion of Mother Nature’s true bounty.

Strolling down your supermarket aisles you feel the satisfaction of finding a wide variety of fruits to choose from right. But those are just small portions of Mother Nature’s true bounty, which has many more exotic treats to offer. There are many exotic varieties of fruit that you might have missed out on. These fruits are not only unusual but healthy as well. Allow us to introduce you to six such exotic fruits and their health benefits.

Dragon Fruit

The name of this beautiful dark red fruit with scaly thin rind may bring in a little hostility towards it, but Dragon Fruit is quite beneficial in treating skin problems such as acne and aging. Also known as Pitaya, it is helpful in regulating cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and blood sugar levels. This fruit is rich source of antioxidants that prevent the development of chronic diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and cataracts.

Cherimoya

Also known as the custard apple, this ‘magic’ fruit is believed to be high in calories but has no saturated fats or cholesterol. It is a rich source of Vitamin C, which would add powerful natural antioxidants in your body. Cherimoya is quite beneficial for those suffering with anaemia, diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, stomach cramps, and other related problems. Cherimoya has a sweet and pleasant flavor that has been described as a cross between banana and pineapple. Little left to doubt as to why Mark Twain had called Cherimoya, “The most delicious fruit known to men.”

Sharon Fruit

It is a variety of Persimmons, which comes from Israel. Sharon fruit is rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C and Beta-carotene, which is an organic compound. It is a rich source of dietary fabric and it has antioxidants that are quite good for the skin. It is a sweet tasting fruit and is a fine source of minerals like sodium, magnesium, iron, potassium and manganese. 

Pomelo

Popularly called the grandfather of grapefruit, Pomelo is native to Malaysia and Southeast Asia. It is highly loaded with Vitamin C which strengthens your immune system. This citrus fruit is good for the heart and contains enzymes that help burn fat faster. Pomelo also helps in getting rid impurities and toxins out of the body. For all the dieters and people with gym subscriptions, Pomelo could prove to be a good addition to the table fruit basket, as it is low in calories and fat.

Kiwi Fruit

Most of us have heard and eaten Kiwi, but the unusual part about this fruit is its benefits. It is a storehouse of vitamins, flavonoids and minerals. Kiwi helps in reducing age-related macular degeneration. Study has also shown that Kiwi fruit helps in reducing shortness of breath by 32 per cent and chronic cough by 25 per cent. In a nutshell, it provides an effective prevention against asthma, colon cancer and it is also good for skin and digestive health.

Durain

This exotic fruit, native to South East Asia, has bagged mixed reviews from the people, due to its unusal taste. It is usually imported only on special demand by select fruit stores in India. Durian is revered as the ‘king of fruits’ by South Africans because of its various health benefits. It is good for cleaning out blood impurities and is good for muscle build up. It is also considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac fruit that enhances sexual desires. There are people who are absolutely in love with the fruit and say it takes time to grow on you but it shall definitely be an experience worth trying.

So, next time you are thinking about buying fruits, include some of these exotic varieties in your basket.

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