Running burns calories while you rest
Wonder if you should start running? The New Scientist magazine reported that a Yale University study showed that endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners, burn up extra calories even when at rest- while your reading a book, watching TV, sleep or just hanging with friends.
Photo- Runners burn more fat (mingfong@flickr)
Mitochondria is the part of a cell which convert sugar and fat into ATP molecules, which transport energy within cells. The study showed that the mitochondria in the cells of men who run (treadmills or outside) for four or more hours each week, use 54% more fuel than the mitrochondria of non-runners.
When the mitrochondria uses sugar and fat, this helps to clear out cellular fats that may contribute to insulin resistance. This research suggests that, even when at rest, running plays an important role in helping to protect against type 2 diabetes, as well as helping to burn fat.
4 hours a week is not that much. Break it into 6 days- that’s 40 minutes a day, with rest on one day of the week 
So, get those running shoes out and start running. We’ve got all the tips to start running.
Love Pickles? Watch that waist
Yes, pickles can make you look fat! Read on to find out
Pickles are an integral part of diets in many cultures across the world, including India. All sorts of fruits, vegetables, and even meats are pickled in India. They are usually made by marinating in oil (or lemon) and with a bunch of spices in them, along with a lot of salt. They have high salt content, since it helps to preserve the pickle. The high salt content, while it adds a lot of flavour, also increases the concentration of sodium in the food.
Photo- Pickles (shubhangi athalye@flickr)
High consumption of pickles, increases your sodium intake and thus the sodium concentration in your body. Sodium helps to maintain our blood pressure and perform other integral functions, but increased sodium concentration can have negative effects. Besides increasing your blood pressure, it also increases water retention in the body. Water retention makes you look bloated and heavier than you are.
Besides the high sodium content of pickles, many of them are made in lots of oil, so it adds to the calorie count. Sodium increases water retention, but all those extra calories can increase fat retention! (bad, bad)
So, next time you dig in to those pickles, go easy with the second helping.
Potatoes nutrition- help weight loss
We all love potatoes! We know that potatoes are loaded with carbohydrates. Then, they’re often cooked in lots of oil and butter, so general belief is that they make us fat. So, do potatoes really make you fat?
Photo- Potatos can be healthy too (ranjit@flickr)
Recent study shows that you can eat potatoes and it could help you lose weight! The study shows that foods with resistant starch helps you slim down and improve digestion by resisting immediate digestion, thus keeping you full - the same way, fiber would. This kind of starch is found in legumes (beans are a great source), potatoes, barley, brown rice, corn and other unprocessed whle grains (in their natural form)
The catch is that you can get this benefit from eating bananas (unprocessed), the others get their resistant starch during the cooling process after cooking. Since reheating destroys the benefits, only cool foods will do the trick.
Also, potatoes are loaded with fiber, and iron. They also provide vitamin B, C, potassium and protein. The fiber keeps you full for longer, the protein helps to build muscle, the carbohydrates provide energy. So, the potato by itself is not unhealthy. Its the cooking process that makes it that way. We all love french fries, and mashed potatoes with plenty of butter and cheese on them
A healthy way to eat them is baked with a little bit of cream and cheese sprinkled on top. If you can eat, with the skin- its loaded with fiber. Eaten the right way, they could actually help build muscle, and lose weight.
To really lose weight, get on a proper weight loss plan. Or see any of our customized fitness plans, like personal training, diabetes management, hypothyroid, pregnancy weight loss, and more..
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Lose flabby arms, get toned arms
One of the biggest myths is fat loss, is spot reduction- the ability to reduce fat in only certain areas of the body. This myth is only propagated by advertisements of shady gyms and health equipment manufacturers promising ’spot reductions’.
If you lose fat, you lose fat from all over your body. Of course, depending on your body type, you might have a tendency to gain fat in certain areas, like the belly, or the hips.
A sign of fitness for both men and women is defined arms. Getting that rounded shoulder muscle to show, and possibly that tricep muscle to pop- that’s money!
Photo- Athletic Arms (impact06@flickr)
Since spot reduction of fat on the arms isn’t possible, to really get those sexy arms to show, you need to use a two pronged approach. First, build some muscle (yes, for women too!) and secondly, lose fat.
To build muscle, do some basic movements like pushups, pullups, and tricep movements should do the job. the pushups and pull ups will work other surrounding muscles also. Since more muscle is utilized, it will produce more growth hormone in your body, which will lead to better growth of muscle on your arms.
To lose fat, do some cardio- run, cycle, swim. Playing an intense sport like squash, basketball, rowing can help you build muscle and lose fat, along with having some serious fun! All this, while revealing those sculpted arms.
Fruity Yoghurt is calorie loaded
Do you eat those yoghurt and fruit cups assuming that they’re healthy? Well then, you need to watch out.
The fruit and yoghurt cups sold in the stores are loaded with sugar- almost as much sugar as a soft drink. Sugar has a high glycemic index and promotes fat storage in your body. Yogurt has many health benefits (read here), and we all know about fruits being healthy. They’re also loaded with antioxidants.
Photo-Yoghurt and Fruit- Healthy Snack (lazykangaroo@flickr)
Yoghurt and fruit is a great snack for anytime, whether you want to start your day with it, or as a post workout snack. So, make yourself some by mixing a cup of low fat plain yoghurt with half a cup of berries, or any other fruit that you like. It makes for a delicious snack, without all the hidden sugar and calories.
Check out these two simple recipes (Strawberry Smoothie, Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie) for some delicious, healthy and simple snacks
Running Events in India
Marathons are now held all over India. Ranging from 5-10 k runs, we have plenty of marathons and even ultra marathons in India- We have large running events in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune and Auroville.
Delhi has in Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. In 2008, it was held on Nov 9. There are 5 events-the half marathon, the dream run, the senior citizens event, the veterans run and the wheelchair event. Here are the top runners at Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008, and our marathon experience at the event.
Mumbai has the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon. Here is a info of Mumbai Marathon 2009 event- held on Jan 2009. Participants include many celebrities.
NishitShah@flickr
Chennai also has a running culture. Check out more on the Chennai Marathon
Hyderabad has its share of running culture with 10k mini marathon and half marathon events. More at Hyderabad10K website
Bangalore has an ultra marathon (52 km)! Its the only one that we know of in India. They’ve already done 2 ultra marathons in 2007 and 2008.
Pune has its Pune International Marathon
Kolkata has the Airtel Kolkata Marathon. They have 3 events- Marathon (42 km), Ladies Run (10.2 km) and a Fun Run (4.2 km). Here are routes for 2007- Marathon, Ladies Run, SAIL Celebrity Fun Run. Results for Kolkata Marathon winners. Apparently, there was one in 2008, but no central website for it. Here is a link to Indian Express article.
Auroville started its marathon in 2008. Check out the Auroville Marathon site here.
Last but not the least, in the Great Tibetian Marathon. This marathon every year in the summer, on the plateau of Leh Ladakh. With the low oxygen levels, we rate this as the toughest marathon in India, and the coolest marathon in India, in more ways than one Running in the Himalayas would be such a unique experience!
Kudos to all these people making efforts to growing a running culture to India! Are there any others that we’ve missed? Any runs in your city? Please comment to let us know and we’ll add it to the list.
For the running uninitiated, here is a distance definition of various runs:
Marathon- Its a total distance of 26.2 miles (approx 42 kms)
Half Marathon- Very intuitively, it is 13.1 milees (approx 21 kms)
Ultra Marathon- Anything covering a distance of more than a marathon is an ultra marathon.
For tips to start running, or to run better, check out our series of articles on running tips
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Lemon water weight loss benefits
Do you drink lemon & hot water for weight loss? It’s a very common belief that to lose weight, you should drink hot water (or warm water) and lemon first thing in the morning. Maybe put a pinch of honey it. There are plenty of people who swear by drinking lemon water for weight loss. Have you ever wondered why drinking warm lemon water would help in weight loss? Or does drinking lemon & hot water even work for weight loss? Read below to find out..
lemon water
The key ingredient here is the water- Recent research shows that drinking 400 ml of water as soon as you wake up in the morning, raises your metabolic level significantly. Water has significant health benefits- see the health benefits of water (Metabolic Level is the rate at which your body burns calories to maintain itself) Through the night, your body is deprived of water, and since most of your body processes use water as a medium, your body’s machinery slows down through the night. When you drink water in the morning, it helps to rev the machinery back into gear, so it kicks up the metabolic rate. The lemon has Vitamin C, and honey has it health benefits, since they add vitamins, minerals, and flavour.
So, assuming that your diet, exercise and activity level is the same, and you start drinking lemon water as soon as you wake up, it will increase your metabolic level. With an increase in your metabolic level, your body will burn more calories for the same activity. Same number of calories going on, more calories going out (from your raised metabolic rate). So you will lose some weight from drinking lemon water in the short term. But once your body gets used to lemon and hot water, the weight loss will really slow down or stop.
So, drinking hot water and lemon is good for health. But, can you lose 5 lbs of weight, from drinking hot water, lemon and honey in the morning? No. Will drinking hot water and lemon reduce any fat? No.
To lose weight, you need to get on a proper weight loss plan that is completely customized to your needs.
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Turmeric- Spice or Wonder Drug?
Turmeric (or better known as Haldi in India) is a commonly used in Indian cooking for centuries. Along with a strong dose of flavour, turmeric is known for its long list of health properties.
Its been used a natural health enhancer in Ayurvedic medicine- as an anti-inflammatory, to promote detoxification and helping ease minor digestive issues. Curcumin, the yellow pigment in Turmeric is the wonder substance which promotes healthy levels of histamine and cortisone.
kiwiasia@flickr
It has strong antioxidant properties and stimulation of the body’s immune system. Studies have linked consumption of Turmeric to cancer prevention and treatment also. It is well documented that cancer rates are lower in India as compared to those in western countries. Absorption of curcumin by the body is supposed to be greatly enhanced when it is used in cooking.
There is also circumstantial evidence that turmeric consumption improves mental functions.
Recent research shows that the absorption of the wonder substance, Curcumin, is greatly increased when it is turmeric is cooked with a vegetable like cauliflower (gobi). So, before you pass up that yellow gobi ki subzi (Indian preparation of potato cauliflower), think about the immense health benefits that it offers.
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