weightloss hints 9---easy ones

Burn an Extra 100 Calories Per Day

Even if your eating habits don't change, burning an extra 100 calories a day can amount to a 10-pound weight loss over a year. While the number of calories burned depends upon your weight, some good activities that burn around 100 calories are:

• 20 minutes of walking or lawn work
• 30 minutes of housecleaning
• 10 minutes of light jogging

 

Tips for Eating Out

Practice these tips at restaurants to keep portion sizes and calorie counts under control:

• Split a large dish with a friend and order a salad to fill up on healthy veggies.
• Order an appetizer or child's plate as a meal.
• Ask for half the meal to be packed in a take-home bag before you begin eating.

 

 

Celebrate!

Celebrate your successful changes. Whenever you have implemented a new step in your weight-control plan, give yourself a small (non-food!) reward like time with a friend, a pedicure, or a new accessory. Reward yourself for making a change toward a slimming lifestyle without a complicated or restrictive diet plan.

 

 

and an additional beauty & weight loss hint:

Eat Salmon for Smoother Skin

Salmon offers a treasure trove of nutrients for the skin. It's packed with protein, a critical building block of healthy skin. And, along with other fatty fish, it's rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s may help fight wrinkles by keeping the skin plump.  Gives a boost to your self-image: look in the mirror and find more motivation to change,

weightloss hints 8---easy ones

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Use the 80-20 Rule

Residents of Okinawa have an interesting rule called hara hachi bu. This means they eat until they are 80% full, then stop. In contrast, Americans tend to eat until they feel stuffed. You can practice this rule by dishing out 20% less food. Researchers have shown that people don't even miss this amount.

 

 

Opt for Tomato-Based Sauce

Watch your choice of pasta sauce. Choosing marinara sauce instead of Alfredo sauce is a wise choice. In general, tomato sauces have fewer calories and fat than cream sauces.

 

 

Eat More Vegetarian Meals

Opt for the vegetarian meal. Vegetarians usually weight less than those who consume meat products. This may have to do with fiber consumption from legume-based foods like bean burgers and lentil soup. Fiber fills you up with relatively few calories.

7 Things Couples Need to Do Everyday

7 Things Couples Need to Do Everyday

You and your partner are already committed to each other and you love doing things together that help you feel even more connected. Strengthening your bond to each other can only help you to grow as a couple. With that in mind, here are 7 things that couples need to be doing more.

1. Kissing

Of course you enjoy a nice smooch with your partner. Kissing is a wonderful way to connect with each other or even start something more. Andrea Demirjian, author of Kissing: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about One of Life’s Sweetest Pleasures, names a few benefits of kissing that will make you want to do it even more.

Demirjian says that kissing can reduce blood pressure. Although heart rate often increases with kissing, blood vessels dilate, reducing the blood pressure. Kissing can help prevent cavities by getting your saliva flowing as well as giving you a mini facelift by working your facial muscles, especially through deep kissing.

Kissing also increases your self-esteem by making you feel loved. This ego boost was studied by Dr. Arthur Szabo, a German researcher who found that men whose wives kissed them before they left for work made more money than those whose wives did not kiss them. A kiss before leaving the house was also correlated with fewer car accidents.

2. Hugging longer than 20 seconds

Hugging comes naturally to couples who are in love, but it gives us many benefits as well. An embrace gives a sense of security and reduces stress. When we hug, we encircle our partner in our arms, which gives them a feeling of protection. This reduction in stress helps our physical health and mental well-being.

Hugging stimulates the release of several neurotransmitters in our brains; serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Dopamine is a pleasure hormone that gives us a good feeling. Serotonin is another naturally produced drug that makes us feel good, reduces pain and increases feelings of happiness. Oxytocin helps us feel trust and a sense of safety.

3. Listening

We have two ears and only one mouth so we should listen twice as much as we speak, but we rarely do. More often, when our partner is speaking, we are only waiting for our turn to speak rather than listening to what they have to say. Good communication is very important for couples and improving our understanding of each other begins with listening.

Listening is more than just hearing the words that your partner says. When you listen, try to understand your partner. When they have finished speaking, ask yourself, what was the meaning that they were trying to get across? What were they feeling as they spoke? What is important to them? Then ask any questions that you need to that will help clarify their meaning.

4. Cuddling

Both males and females release the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin, in response to cuddling. Oxytocin is linked to positive aspects of pair bonding and it has other fascinating connections as well. Oxytocin is linked to increased trust in strangers, increased eye contact and also improved ability to accurately interpret subtle facial expressions.

Unlike hugging, cuddling is not defined by arms and bodies connecting in a specific way. Cuddling could be anything from touching foreheads together, leaning against each other, or sitting side by side with an arm around your partner.

The physical closeness of your partner to you is what makes this important to your relationship. Touching is physically intimate. Allowing your partner into your personal space is an act of trust.

5. Forgiving

Mistakes happen and when your partner says “I’m sorry,” harboring resentment will only make you unhappy. Punishing your spouse by withholding forgiveness will eventually eat away at your own inner peace.

Forgiveness releases the tension between you and allows you to start over. You may need a period of rebuilding trust, which can be painful, but you’re starting by accepting that your partner is a human being. Forgiveness is what you would want if you made a mistake, so give your partner this gift.

6. Laughing

They say that laughter is the best medicine and whether or not we need it for healing, we should definitely be laughing more often. You don’t need to perform a comedy routine for your partner, but if you already know how to make them giggle, see if you can increase how often you do it.

Find the humor in daily situations and share it with your partner. If you put on two mismatched socks, show your partner your silly mistake and have a laugh at your own expense. Laughter relieves tension and creates an emotional bond of joy with your partner.

7. Saying “I love you”

How often you tell your partner that you love them doesn’t equate to how much you love them, but doing it more will strengthen your bond. Expressing your love out loud is a way of confirming that you care.

More often, you demonstrate your love through your actions, like preparing meals with love or buying your partner’s favorite brand of soap. Actions speak louder than words, but don’t forget that words have tremendous power also.

weightloss hints 7---easy ones

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Chew Strong, Mint-Flavored Gum

Cooking dinner after work, attending a party, watching TV, or surfing the Internet are dangerous risk times for mindless snacking. Chewing sugarless gum with a strong flavor can help overpower the taste of other foods and render them tasteless. This can be a helpful strategy to avoid mindless eating. If you generally don’t chew gum, then don't substitute with mints, as they are filled with sugar.

 

 

Use Smaller Dishes

Pick a smaller plate. Studies show that people consume more food when they use larger dishes. Try eating from a salad plate to save up to 100-200 calories a day. This translates into a weight loss of 10-20 pounds per year!

 

 

Know Your Food Portions

Slim people have become very good at portion control. Always aim to consume modest portions of whatever food you are eating. If you start out measuring portion size, you will quickly develop a feeling for the right size to dish out. Keeping serving dishes off of the table at mealtime can help the automatic reach for "seconds."

weightloss hints 6---easy ones

 

Practice Yoga for Mindful Eating

A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that women who do yoga tend to weigh less. Researchers believe this is due to the level of self-awareness and mindfulness that develops in practitioners of yoga. Those who do yoga may pay more attention to their body's signals, such as eating only enough to feel full.

 

 

Eat more Home-Cooked Meals

People who are successful at weight loss report that they eat in often. Try to have home-cooked or home-prepared meals at least five times per week. Grilled salmon or deli chicken, precut veggies, prewashed salads, and canned beans are good shortcut foods that can help make meal preparation less time-consuming.

 

 

Notice Your "Eating Pause"

Learn to recognize your natural "eating pause." This happens when you put down the fork for a couple of minutes. When this occurs, stop and clear your plate [remove it from the table]. Most people aren't aware of this signal, but it tells you that you are full.

weightloss hints 5---easy ones

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Drink Smart With a Thin, Tall Glass

Choose a tall, skinny glass rather than a short, wide one. This visual cue can trick your brain into consuming 25%-30% less of whatever beverage you are drinking. Research has shown that people unconsciously pour a greater quantity into a short, wide glass than into a tall one. '

 

 

Limit Alcoholic Beverages

Reduce your consumption of alcohol. Follow an alcoholic drink with a low-calorie alternative like sparkling water rather than accepting a refill on the alcoholic drink. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, which is more than carbohydrates (4 calories/g) or protein (4 calories/g). Alcohol can also weaken your resolve and lead to mindless eating.

 

 

Drink Green Tea

Drink green tea. Some studies have found that green tea can boost metabolism, possibly through the action of phytochemicals called catechins. In any case, green tea (unsweetened) is a healthy and refreshing drink that is low in calories.

weightloss hints 3---easy ones

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Pass on the Bacon

Just say no to bacon. This breakfast treat is also found in sandwiches and salads, and it's easy to overlook. Skipping two strips of bacon at breakfast or in a sandwich saves about 100 calories. Doing this every day can mean a10-pound weight loss over a year. There are lots of healthy sandwich and salad ingredients that can replace the flavor without the fat and calories. Roasted peppers, tomatoes, flavorful mustard, and banana peppers are just some examples.

Make a Healthier Pizza

Pizza doesn't need to be a dietary disaster. Replacing meat toppings with vegetables can save you 100 calories per meal. You can also order a lighter portion of cheese or reduced-fat cheese. Thin crust and whole-wheat crust are other healthy pizza choices.

Reduce Sugary Drinks

Enforce a ban on sodas. You will save about 10 (!) teaspoons of sugar if you swap out the regular soda for a water or zero-calorie seltzer. You can add citrus fruits or mint to seltzer or plain water for a taste treat.

weightloss hints 2---easy ones

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Fill Up on Fewer Calories With Soup

Soup is a great choice both as an appetizer and a main meal. At the beginning of a meal, a broth-based soup (avoid cream soups!) can slow down your eating and fill you up earlier. Examples of healthy broth-based soups are minestrone, won-ton, or tortilla soup. You can make an easy soup by starting with a low-sodium broth, adding vegetables and a protein of your choice, and simmering until the vegetables are tender.

Choose Whole Grains

Eating whole grains whenever possible is another weight-loss strategy. Whole grains include brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat, and whole wheat. Substituting whole grains whenever possible can help you fill up faster. These healthy carbohydrates can be found in many prepared products like pizza crust, waffles, English muffins, and pasta.

Eye Your Skinny Outfits

Hanging a "skinny" outfit where you can see it helps you remain focused on your weight-loss goals. Don't be unrealistic and choose an outfit that's four sizes too small. Pick something that you can fit into after just a short time of healthy eating. After you reach this goal, choose your next "goal" outfit.

weightloss hints 1---easy ones

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Use a Timer for Meals

Slowing down your eating time is a great habit for those concerned about overeating. Many people find that it is helpful to set a timer and stretch the meal out to accommodate a given amount of time, such as 20 minutes per meal. Doing this helps trigger the release of hormones that tell your body that you are full. You can also learn to savor and enjoy the taste of the food, which can be more rewarding than consuming oversized portions.

More Sleep Helps Weight Loss

Research has shown that sleeping can be beneficial for weight loss. A study from the University of Michigan showed that just one hour more per night of sleep could translate to a 14 pound weight loss over the course of a year in a person who eats 2,500 calories per day. This amounts to a 6% decrease in calories from mindless eating when sleep replaces leisure activities. Other studies show that sleep deprivation can increase appetite and make you more likely to overeat.

Serve and Eat More Vegetables 

Try serving a variety of vegetables rather than just one vegetable with a meal. Having a variety of choices means that you're more likely to eat more, and eating more vegetables is one step toward effective weight loss. Vegetables contain water and fiber that fill you up with fewer calories. Just be sure you prepare and serve the veggies without added sources of fat like buttery sauces or high-fat dressings.

Another Reason to Not Eat Junk Food: It Shrinks Your Brain

Another Reason Not To Eat Junk Food: It Shrinks Your Brain
 

Australian study finds smaller hippocampi in older people with unhealthy diets (Western Diet). Junk food affects brain areas responsible for mental health, learning, and memory.


Fast food's strong influence continues to take effect in widespread health risks across the globe. The result of a recent Australian study might put you off the junk for good.
Researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) and Deakin University (Melbourne)reveal that older people who follow a Western Diet (or those with unhealthy eating habits) have smaller hippocampi compared to the other subjects who consciously eat healthy options.
The Western Diet consists mostly of salty processed foods and unhealthy sugars. A Prudent Diet or healthy diet is made up of better options such as fish, vegetables, and fruits.

The hippocampus is a vital brain part responsible for mental health, learning and memory. The brain has two hippocampi - left and right. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is used to measure the hippocampal size of around 250 adults aged 60 to 64 years old. While the study takes into account other factors that may affect the hippocampal volume, such as gender, medication, education and depression, the correlation between the diets and the hippocampi persists in all participants.

"It is becoming even clearer that diet is critically important to mental as well as physical health throughout life," says Associate Professor Felice Jacka, Deakin University's lead study author and researcher. Past studies show the impact of diets, healthy and unhealthy in hippocampal size, but these studies were done in lab rats and mice. The ANU and Deakin University research is the first study to show junk food's effect on the human brain.

"Mental disorders account for the leading cause of disability worldwide, while rates of dementia are increasing as the population ages," Jacka adds. The study is making headlines in the health community since its publication in the journal BMC Medicine.

In extreme cases, people with damaged hippocampi are unable to retain new memories. While the hippocampi naturally decrease in size as you age, the significant difference in hippocampal size between people with healthy and unhealthy diets may explain the sudden rise of mental health issues including Alzheimer's diseases. The clear relationship between one's food choices and brain health may help sustain a stronger determination to go for healthier food options for good.