Summer is here and it means time to swim! Swimming is not only fun but is also a terrific exercise for all. Kids love to swim with their friends and it is also a preferred family sport. Many have swimming pool at home or parents take their children to nearby public swimming pools. While swimming can be fun, it is a huge responsibility for parents. It is important to teach kids to be safe in and around swimming pool and parents need to learn and teach kids safety about swimming. Help your kid to swim safely with following tips.
Tell your kids to keep these tips in mind:
1. Keep away from swimming pool water if you have diarrhea
2. Shower before and after you get into the water.
3. Don’t pee or poop in the water.
4. Don’t swallow the swimming pool water.
5. If you are spending more than an hour in the swimming pool, take a break and use restroom.
6. Apply sunscreen for skin protection.
7. Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration in the heat and the sun.
8. Protect your skin. Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.
9. Do not go to swimming pool alone or with young friends– go with an adult who can supervise you when you swim. If you are allowed, still always swim with a buddy; do not allow anyone to swim alone.
10. Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.
11. No running! You could slip or trip — hurting not just yourself, but someone else as well.
12. Put toys away. People might trip over them and hurt themselves. No one wants that!
What precautions parents should take for kids swimming in pool?
An adult should actively watch children at all times while they are in a pool. For infants and toddlers, an adult should be in the water and within arm’s reach for touch supervision. For older children, an adult should be paying constant attention and free from distractions, like talking on the phone, socializing, tending household chores, or drinking alcohol. More important, the supervising adult must know how to swim.
1. Educate your children about the dangers of drain entanglement and entrapment and teach them to never play or swim near drains or suction outlets.
2. Pools that pose the greatest risk of entrapment are children’s public wading pools, in-ground hot tubs, or any other pools that have flat drain grates or a single main drain system.
3. For new pools or hot tubs, install multiple drains in all pools, spas, whirlpools and hot tubs. This minimizes the suction of any one drain, reducing risk of death or injury. If you do have drains, protective measures include anti-entrapment drain covers and a safety vacuum release system to automatically release suction and shut down the pump should entrapment occur.
4. Regularly check to make sure drain covers are secure and have no cracks, and replace flat drain covers with dome-shaped ones. If a pool or hot tub has a broken, lose or missing drain cover, don’t use it.
5. If you do have drains, protective measures include anti-entrapment drain covers and a safety vacuum release system to automatically release suction and shut down the pump should entrapment occur.
6.Don’t Rely on they should never swimming Aids: Remember that swimming aids such as water wings or noodles are fun toys for kids. but they should never be used in place of a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD).
7. Check to make sure your pool or hot tub’s drains are compliant with the Pool and Spa Safety Act.
8.Toddlers and babies: You can start introducing your babies to water when they are about 6 months old. Remember to always use waterproof diapers and change them frequently.
Precautions to avoid disaster:
Never turn your back on a child while she’s in the water — not even for a moment.
A swimming pool is a ton of fun for you and your kids. Make sure backyard pools have four-sided fencing that’s at least 4 feet high and a self closing, self-latching gate to prevent a child from wandering into the pool area unsupervised.
When using inflatable or portable pools, remember to empty them immediately after use. Store them upside down and out of children’s reach.
Install a door alarm, a window alarm or both to alert you if a child wanders into the pool area unsupervised.
Never dunk a child under 3 — little kids can swallow large amounts of water, which could be dangerous.
Learn CPR from a designated institute (YMCA or local college that teaches CPR and swimming)
One more critical information all parents should know: If you are taking your kids to nearby recreational water for swimming beware of diseases linked to outbreaks of diarrhea. RWI or recreational water illnesses are caused when germs are spread by swallowing breathing in water or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, spas, hot tubs, lakes etc.
If a person feels and obsessed about their appearance and all the time think that it need to be fixed (even it is normal) and goes beyond ordinary to fix it then it is obsessive body image. Some concern about one’s appearance is normal. But an obsession with one’s appearance is not. Body image obsession is also called body dysmorphic disorder.
Mirror, Mirror on the wall – what is wrong in the image ?
Body obsession can develop when a person suffers from extreme body dissatisfaction. Their thoughts and feelings about their body image can become an obsessive fixation that will influence their decisions and activities. People with body obsession can be fanatically preoccupied with their physical appearance. They can go to great lengths to change and preserve a body shape, weight or size. This includes dieting, excessive exercise, heavy makeups, steroids and/or plastic surgery.
What is Body Dysmorphia Disorder (BDD)?
BDD is a distressing condition which is often associated with depression, social anxiety and feelings of shame. At its center is a fairly specific negative body image, marked by an intense preoccupation with a perceived flaw in your physical appearance.
What factors influences body obsession and dissatisfaction?
It is a mindset that can be influenced by several external factors. For example, family, friends, acquaintances, teachers and the media all have an impact on how a person sees and feels about themselves and their appearance. Individuals in appearance-oriented environments or those who receive negative feedback about their appearance are at an increased risk of body dissatisfaction and/or obsession.
Some of the areas that people with BDD report as being problematic include (but are not limited to): skin or complexion, nose size or shape, eyes or eyebrows, stomach, breast, legs, lips, teeth or smile, arms, height, scars and muscles. Individuals with BDD are often concerned that the body part is too big or too small, not the right shape, asymmetrical, or out of proportion to the rest of their body.
What are the warning signs of Body Obsession?
There are several warning signs to look out for that show when a person’s focus on their weight and/or body shape has transitioned from ‘just trying to stay healthy’ to a dangerous obsession:
Preoccupation with eating, food, body shape, and weight – at the expense of all other interests,
Obsessive focus on and discussion of body size, shape and weight
Trying various types of diet and constantly changing dieting habit
The four aspects of body image
How you see your body is your perceptual body image. This is not always a correct representation of how you actually look. For example, a person may perceive themselves as overweight when they are actually underweight.
The way you feel about your body is your affective body image. This relates to the amount of satisfaction or dissatisfaction you feel about your shape, weight and individual body parts.
The way you think about your body is your cognitive body image. This can lead to preoccupation with body shape and weight.
Behaviors in which you engage as a result of your body image encompass your behavioral body image. When a person is dissatisfied with the way they look, they may isolate themselves or employ destructive behaviors (e.g. excessive exercising, disordered eating) to change appearance.
What are the risks associated with Body Obsession?
Significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning
In BDD, usually the actual flaw a person is worrying about is so slight that others do not really notice or consider it important. In some cases, the flaw may be imperceptible to others. However, even if this is pointed out to a person with BDD, they will continue to worry about that area of their body and often believe that others are thinking negatively of them because of it.
If you suspect that you or someone you know is having problems with Body Obsession talk to your doctor. It is important to seek help immediately – the earlier you seek help the better your chances of recovery.
Human fetus can recognize face like visual stimuli
Are you pregnant and want to know whether your baby in the womb recognizes faces? Recent studies and reports answers yes to your question. Yes, human fetus can recognize face like visual stimuli !!
A new study, led by researchers at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, reveals that babies show a preference for faces while still in the womb.
Prof. Vincent Reid, lead researcher of the study and psychologist at Lancaster University, worked with collaborators from Blackpool NHS Trust, the University of Cumbria, and Durham University, all in the U.K. Their findings were published in Current Biology.
The findings, which appeared in the journal Current Biology, were also the first to show it’s possible to explore sight and cognition in babies before birth. Analysis of the human eye has previously shown that there is significant biological development of the eye from around 25 weeks’ gestation. Preterm birth studies have also shown that babies can visually fix and track from 32 weeks’ gestational age.
What is this study revealed?
The new study analyzed fetal head turns in response to visual stimuli projected through the uterine wall. In total, 39 fetuses at 34 weeks gestation were presented with upright and inverted face-like imagery. Their responses were monitored with high-quality 4-D ultrasound.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, the human fetus has the capacity to process perceptual information. During the studies, upright and inverted “faces” – consisting of three dots in the shape of a triangle – were projected onto the mother’s abdomen. Both image types were shown to one side of the baby’s face and moved horizontally away from the baby to see whether their head would turn.
While the foetuses moved their heads to track the upright face-like patterns, no such movement was observed with the inverted projections. These results demonstrate that it was not the pattern itself that the fetus liked best, but the particular arrangement of dots likened to a face shape.
According to Prof, Reid “It turned out that they responded in a way that was very similar to infants,”
Neither mothers nor fetuses were in danger during the research. “We were very careful and made sure that the light was bright enough to enter the womb but not too bright as to be unpleasant or aversive for the fetus”, Reid said.
In general, though, he discourages pregnant mothers from shining bright lights into their bellies. While fetuses’ eyes are likely to be closed most of the time, the ultrasound scans often showed them blinking.
So cautions Prof. Reid: “I would also say that if you are pregnant, don’t go shining bright lights into the face of your fetus. We were very careful and made sure that the light was bright enough to enter the womb but not too bright as to be unpleasant or aversive for the fetus”.
While working in kitchen we should be able to handle cooking materials wisely. This wisdom comes from experience.
Grandma is sharing some simple and useful cooking tips for you all.
1. When cooking rice for lemon rice or cumin rice add a tsp of lemon juice or 1/2 tsp cooking oil to get clump free rice.
2. Add few dry neem leaves into rice box to keep away rice insects.
3. To get easy and good digestion always cook lentils to soft. Soak daal/lentil in hot water for 15 minutes before keeping it in pressure cooker.
4. When you wash raw rice, collect the water and use this rice water to cook daal/lentil. This helps daal to cook more soft and fast too.
5. Another tip to cook soft daal is, add little turmeric powder into daal container. This gives extra good fragrance too.
6. For longer-term storage of all purpose flour (maida) use a Ziploc bag and keep it in freezer.
7. Keep few neem leaves (dried) at the bottom of any flour container to keep moisture away.
8. Dry tulsi leaves and store in a container. Evening hours you can use it as essence to keep mosquitoes away.
9. When you are preparing chapati, roti, parata – mix flour well ahead and leave it in a closed container for about an hour or two. This will give you soft chapati or roti.
10. Do not store spices and condiments closes to heating source. Heat will reduce masala effect and food tastes won’t be good.
11. To keep green chillis in its original color- store them in a bottle with little turmeric powder.
12. To reduce burning sensation in palms, after cutting or grinding green chillis, rinse hand with little lemon juice or sugar water or tamarind water.
13. To remove tea and coffee marks in cups or utensils, apply salt and wash and, rinse in water.
14. While preparing clarified butter or ghee – add half leaf of beetle leaf. This will give fragrance and crystal appearance to ghee.
15. To remove odd smell in opened butter – daily rinse butter in cold water and store in fresh water.
16. To avoid blackening of egg plant, plantain pieces – add little butter milk or lemon juice to water and transfer the cut pieces to this mix water.
17. Apply little oil on your palms to avoid blackening of palms while cutting jackfruit, plantain or brinjal.
18. When you store vegetables inside fridge, store them in different containers/bags inside refrigerator.
19. Add 1/4 tsp of raw rice at base of salt dispenser to avoid moisture development .
20. Rolling lemons hard under your palm helps to break down the fibers and makes it more easy to squeeze and, you will be able to extract more juice from lemons.
Zumba Fitness : A fun filled exercise for all age groups
Zumba Fitness is a Latin-inspired cardio-dance workout that uses music and choreographed steps to form a fitness party atmosphere. While many of the types of dance and music featured in the program are Latin American inspired, classes can also contain everything from jazz to African beats to country to hip-hop and pop. Zumba is a fitness program that combines Latin and international music with dance moves. Zumba routines incorporate interval training — alternating fast and slow rhythms — and resistance training.
An aerobic activity, Zumba can count toward the 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity recommended for most healthy adults. Aerobic exercise reduces health risks, keeps excess pounds at bay, strengthens your heart and boosts your mood. If you enjoy Zumba, you are also more likely to do it regularly — and experience its benefits as an aerobic exercise.
Where did Zumba originated?
The story of Zumba begins with an accident that seems too good to be true. Back in the ’90s in Colombia, dancer and choreographer Alberto Perez was teaching an aerobics class and he forgot his regular music. So he reached into his backpack and pulled out tapes of salsa and merengue. After finding initial success in Colombia, he moved to the United States in 2001, where he teamed up with cofounder Alberto Perlman and a childhood friend, COO Alberto Aghion. The trio produced a demo reel, and the concept was discovered and licensed by a company, Fitness Quest to create a direct marketing campaign and a line of home videos.
Zumba combines high energy and motivating music with unique moves and combinations that allow the Zumba participants to dance away their worries. It is based on the principle that a workout should be ‘fun and enjoyable’ in order for Zumba participants to stick to the Zumba fitness program to achieve long-term health benefits. Zumba is not only great for the body, but it is also great for the mind. It is a ‘feel happy’ workout.
Benfefits of Zumba workout:
It is a workout using dance steps that are easy to follow in a truly fun and party-like atmosphere. It can leave a person with a “feel good” sensation.
It is a fantastic core workout. Zumba uses moves during the workout that target the abs and back to increase agility and strength as well as to tone & sculpt the torso.
Zumba also has the potential to reshape all parts of the body, including the arms, hips, heart, and mind.
Zumba is a great fat burning workout. Calories burned will differ from person to person depending on their fitness level and the intensity put forth. Calories burned during one hour of Zumba have been estimated to be anywhere from 500 to 850.
This workout provides for a great sweat without even realizing you are exercising.
People have reported losing weight doing Zumba, combined with a sensible and well-balanced nutrition plan; this combination can have astonishing results.
Zumba also provides for great interval training.
One can customize the dance moves.
One need not to know the moves, move with group.
Some of the basic dance steps you will find in Zumba classes are:
Merengue : The Dominican Republic is usually credited as the origin of Merengue although Haiti and Santo Domingo fall in that category as well. It is faster pace rhythm. Common instruments are congo drums, accordion, and guiro. The most common move for the Merengue is the “basic march”.
Salsa: Salsa is a blend of many Carribean cultures and strongly influenced by Cuba, but made popular in New York and Florida as it is known today. Salsa had a very distinct beat and is usually a faster tempo.
Cumbia :The Cumbia is known as a rhythm from Columbia, South America, but holds influences from Africa and Europe. Cumbia is often associated with a tropical or creole flavor to the music.
Reggaeton: Reggaeton has Jamaican influences and was made popular in Puerto Rico and Panama. The music contains a heavy bass drum beat, with a primary instrument being a Reggae style drum. The most common move is the “ZUMBA hit” otherwise known as “crumping”.
Flamenco: Currently known as the rhythm from Andalusia in southern Spain with influences from Gypsy, Muslim and Jewish cultures. Flamenco is known fo the sounds of handclapping, finger snapping, tongue clicking, knuckle gashing, etc… In ZUMBA, some of the moves are related to the “picking of the grapes” for wine production. Much attitude is projected in the upper body movements.
Samba: Samba originates in Brazil. Samba is known for its sexy hip moving moves.It was and is danced as a festival dance during the street festivals and celebrations. First introduced in the U.S. in a Broadway play called “Street Carnival” in the late twenties. The festive style and mood of the dance has kept it alive and popular to this day. Samba is a fun dance that fits most of today’s popular music.
Bollywood moves: After the success of movie “Slumdog millionaire” world also realized that Bollywood moves are very effective for reducing the weight. Zumba instructors often include bollywood songs and moves in Zumba classes. Some of the popular songs include : Jai ho, chamak challo, banggra moves and just our Indian drum beats ! Sometime one can see “namaste” gestures in the dance moves.
Derived from the Sanskrit word yuj, Yoga means union of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or Spirit. Yoga is a 5000 year old Indian body of knowledge. Though many think of yoga only as a physical exercise where people twist, turn, stretch, and breathe in the most complex ways, these are actually only the most superficial aspect of this profound science of unfolding the infinite potentials of the human mind and soul.
The science of Yoga imbibe itself the complete essence of the Way of Life, including – Gyan Yoga or philosophy, Bhakti Yoga or path of devotional bliss, Karma Yoga or path of blissful action, and Raja Yoga or path of mind control. Raja Yoga is further divided into eight parts. At the heart of the Raja Yoga system, balancing and unifying these various approaches, is the practice of Yoga Asana.” (http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga)
References to yoga are found throughout Hindu scripture. The Katha Upanishad, dating back to 800 – 600 BCE4, states: tām yogam iti manyante sthirām indriya-dhāraṇām, apramattas tadā bhavati, yogo hi prabhavāpyayau.
Yama:The firm control of the senses, they regard as Yoga. At that time one gets careful, for, Yoga is acquired and lost.
-Katha Upanishad 2.3.11
And the Svetasvatara Upanishad, 600 – 500 BCE, explains the results or outcomes for one who is steeped in the practice of yoga:
2.12.When the five fold qualities of yoga consisting of the earth, water, fire, air and ether are firmly established in the body, then in that body strengthened by the fire of yoga, there is no place for sickness, old age and death.
2.13Lightness of being, health, steadiness, improvement in the complexion of the body, perfection in the voice, sweetness of the body odor, slight excretions are said to be the first results of the progress of yoga.
2.14Just as a mirror shines brightly after it has been cleaned, so does the yogi who has realized the true nature of his soul becomes integrated as one in his body, attains sense of fulfillment and remains free from sorrow.
2.15Through the real nature of his own soul, as if by a lamp held on the nature of Brahman, when he sees, his own real nature as one who is unborn and completely pure, He is freed from all the fetters at once.
The slightly more recent Dhyanabindu Upanishad explains yoga as having six limbs – asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi – and goes on to provide postural detail:
There are as many postures as there are living creatures; and Maheśvara (the great Lord) knows their distinguishing features. Siḍḍha, bhaḍra, simha and paḍma are the four (chief) postures.
Today, the most commonly referenced text on yoga is Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, dating between 200 BCE – 200 CE, which lays out the definition of yoga in the second sutra:
yogas citta vritti nirodhah
Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind
-Yoga Sutras 1.2
While Patanjali codified the many existing teachings on yoga at his time, some of which are seen in Buddhism and Jainism, it cannot be ignored that yoga and references to its practice existed within Hindu scripture long before the Yoga Sutras (VHP, USA).
Legendary guru B.K.S. Iyengar confirms this in his book, Light on Yoga, where he says that yoga positions “are also called after gods of the Hindu pantheon and some recall the Avataras, or incarnation of Divine Power.”
See more Yoga poses of sages and heros of Hindu Mythology.
Twist pose of Lord Shiva The Yoga Lord
Marichasana :Twist pose of Lord Shiva The Yoga Lord: Sit on the floor and stretch the legs forward. Bend the left knee and heel should touch the back of the thigh. It should be perpendicular to the ground. Move the shoulder and stretch the arms back and hold the hands. Turn slowly to the left and take a few breaths.
Lord shiva’s tandavanritya is Natarajasana
Parivratta Natarajasana: Lord shiva’s tandavanritya is Natarajasana : This is a balance asana that strengthens the legs. It also is a full body stretch, which engages the shoulders, chest and abdomen, strengthens the thigh and calf muscles, knees and ankles, hips and spine, and develops concentration and grace.
Lord Shiva in Dhyana mudra
Lord Shiva in Dhyana mudra : The Dhyāna mudrā (“meditation mudra”) is the gesture of meditation and the concentration of the good. The two hands are placed on the lap, right hand on left with fingers fully stretched (four fingers resting on each other and the thumbs facing upwards towards one another diagonally), palms facing upwards; in this manner, the hands and fingers form the shape of a triangle, which is symbolic of the spiritual fire or the Triratna (the three jewels)
Vrikshasana of Lord Shiva & Parvathi
Vrikshasana of Lord Shiva & Parvathi: The asana is pronounced as VRIK-shAH-sana
This posture replicates the graceful, steady stance of a tree. Unlike most yoga poses, the Tree Pose requires keeping our eyes open in order to maintain body balance.
Chin mudra of Lord Shiva
Chin mudra of Lord Shiva: Form a circle by joining your thumb and your forefinger, Place the nail of your index finger against the soft pad of the thumb, Extend the last three fingers of your hands, the palm-side facing upwards, It is important that the palm-side of your hands should face upwards in the receiving pose. If the palm-side faces downward, the gesture becomes the jnana mudra. When you are meditating, form the Chin Mudra and place your hands on your knees to stimulate the “Nadi”.
Half lotus tree pose of Lord Dakshinamurthy
Half lotus tree pose of Lord Dakshinamurthy : Here Lord Shiva is exhibiting vyakhyanamudra in left hand and Gnyana mudra in right hand both representing knowledge and removing evil through knowledge. In this pose one has to concentrate the mind and breathe while slowly inhaling and exhaling.
Side plank pose of sage Vashishta and Vishwamitrasana of King Koushik
Vasishthasana Side plank pose of sage Vashishta and Vishwamitrasana of King Koushik (Vishwamitra) : It’s not difficult to see the connection between the poses Vasisthasana and Vishvamitrasana and the attributes of the legendary sages—one a priest, the other a king—for whom the asanas are named. Both poses are advanced arm balance poses.
Hanumanasana 1
Hanumanasana 1: Lord Hanuman crossing the Ocean : The yogi pushes one leg forward and one leg backwards until they are in the splits position. Once the yogi has moved the legs into position, there are several variations of arm and upper body position. One arm is stretched front, one leg bent.
Hanumanasana 2
Hanumanasana 2: Lord Hanuman takes a giant leap to cross the ocean while praying Lord Rama: The yogi pushes one leg forward and one leg backwards until they are in the splits position. Once the yogi has moved the legs into position, there are several variations of arm and upper body position including Añjali Mudrā.
Anjali Mudra of Lord Hanuman
Anjali Mudra of Lord Hanuman: Añjali Mudrā or praṇāmāsanais a hand gesture which is practiced throughout Asia and beyond. It is used as a sign of respect and a greeting in India and Sri Lanka and amongst yoga practitioners and adherents of similar traditions. The gesture is incorporated into many yoga asanas. At the end of Yoga class one will say Namaste while performing Anjali mudra.
Ashtavakrasana
Ashtavakrasana: In most cultures, any evidence of a son’s arrogance can get the son into deep trouble with his father. What makes Astavakra remarkable is that he crossed the line with his father, and was punished, before he even left the womb. While still in his mother’s belly, he corrected his father’s recitation of verses from the Rig Veda, a collection of India’s oldest and most sacred hymns. Enraged, Astavakra’s father cursed him, and the boy was born deformed. Astavakra’s name refers to the eight (asta) crooked (vakra) angles of his limbs; the many angles of the pose Astavakrasana evoke the curse of crooked limbs that Astavakra triumphed over by dint of his persistence, piety, and intelligence.
Ananda balasana (Child pose) of Bala Krishna
Ananda balasana (Child pose) of Bala Krishna:Lie on your back. With an exhale, bend your knees into your belly. Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands (if you have difficulty holding the feet directly with your hands, hold onto a belt looped over each sole.) Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
Kurmasana
Kurmasana:Lord Vishnu’s one of the incarnation is used in this pose. Sit on the floor and stretch the legs forward. Widen the legs about a foot and a half. By bending the knees, insert both the arms and stretch them straight outside. Rest the shoulders on the floor and keep the palms on the ground. Exhale slowly and bend the trunk so that the chin should touch the floor. The legs, arms and back should be straight. Stay in this position for about 30 to 40 seconds. Inhale slowly, lift the head, release the hands and feet and then come back to the normal position.
Virabhadrasana
VirabhadrasanaWarrior 1 Pose is an asana commemorating the exploits of a mythical warrior. Stand straight with your legs wide apart by a distance of at least 3-4 feet. Turn your right foot out by 90 degrees and left foot in by about 15 degrees. Stretch your both hand on opposite directions with palm facing down, When we practice one of the three versions of Virabhadrasana, Vernon notes, we cultivate the mind of the warrior, who must go into battle unattached to the fruits of his actions—one who has 360-degree vision and can see all things. “You look to all sides in the poses, but you try to hold to your center and not be pulled every which way,” she says. “Virabhadrasana teaches us to go into the field of life and stay in the center of our being.” If you can imagine yourself as a fearless warrior sent on a divine mission, you just might find renewed strength and vigor in the poses as well as the courage and determination to face life’s challenging moments.
Despite being on diet and working hard why we struggle to lose weight? After certain age, our metabolism slows down. To increase the metabolism we need to work out – exercise and take proper care of our diet. I have listed some of the common mistakes that we all make while dieting and working out that can result in slower metabolic rate and gain in weight.
1. Not eating enough!
When you eat less, your basic physiological/biological function gets disturbed. Mind recieves a message about starvation and metabolism slows down as a defense against starvation. Do you know – consuming 300 to 400 calories every four hours helps in keeping good weight!
2. Do you avoid coffee/tea?
These two are nervous system stimulants and helps in increasing metabolic rate. Have one cup of tea/coffee. Do not drink too much to have a sleepless night.
3. Just eating white carbs ?
Everybody likes white carbs. They can slow down metabolism. Include good amount of fiber and other good stuffs along with small portion of your favorite carb and you will be fine.
4. Drinking water temperature
It matters. You will be surprised – cold water helps in raising resting metabolism. When your drink cold water, body has to work harder to heat the water to body temperature!
5. No protein in your diet
Protein is essential for proper metabolism. It helps in keeping lean muscle and proper metabolic rate.
6. Couch potato or sitting job?
Well then you are going to have slow metabolism. If you have a sitting job – then make sure to walk 10,000 steps every day. If you are home, keep moving in the house – do your home work. This helps in increasing metabolism.
7. Vegetables sprayed with pesticides
Give a close look to your fruits and vegetables. There toxins can interfere in your energy burning process and trigger weight gain.
8. Not getting enough vitamin D and vitamin B or iron?
Learn about these supplements and what they can do to your body. It is well known fact that not getting enough of these supplements can make you gain weight by sagging your energy and reducing metabolism.
9. No calcium in your diet
Not eating enough calcium due to your improper diet can result in slower metabolism.
10.Eating processed foods to lose weight
There you go… you have a culprit in your diet. Eating so called diet food that are highly processed can only harm you!
11. Not getting enough sleep
Sleeping less than five or six hours a night, can slow your metabolism and cause hormonal changes that hurt your weight-loss efforts.
12. Eating only salads?
Salads may not contain enough carbohydrates to help control hunger hormones. Moreover they may contain high-calorie salad bar additions like blue cheese and candied walnuts.
13. Nuts as snack item?
If you think nuts is healthy food and can eat a lot – then you are wrong. They also supply lots of calories. Understand how many calories the provide and how some nuts slows down the metabolic rate.
14. Skipping breakfast and not drinking water?
These two are deadly combination! Yes, if you skip breakfast and not drinking enough water throughout the day can result in weight increase – body sends wrong signals to brain regarding the absence of these two factors. Generally, skipping meals can lead to food cravings and overeating later in the day — reaching for whatever food is available and making up for the missed calories by eating more.
15. You do not eat diary
Muscle is essential for keeping the metabolism active. If you consume 3-7 servings of dairy per day it helps in burning more fat and gives more lean muscle mass.
