Post Pregnancy Weight Loss Tips
Celebrity moms like Nicole Kidman and Heidi Klum- who lost all their pregnancy weight soon after delivery should not be good examples for post partum weight loss. Post pregnancy, specially for breast feeding mothers, its important to ensure that you get appropriate nutrition, so that you can support yourself and your baby. Read on to understand..
Photo- Post Pregnancy Weight Loss (katsoulis@flickr)
At Fitho, we recommend healthy weight loss to be about 1/2 kg per week (or 1 lb per week). To lose one pound per week, you need to create a deficit of 500 calories per day (either through diet or exercise). To reduce 500 calories from your daily calorie budget is not easy, so we recommend going on a proper diet plan and exercise plan, that will help you plan weight loss in an organized manner. That is about 2 kgs of weight loss per month. So, if you’ve gained about 14 kgs, then it should take 7 months to lose that weight. It is really the healthy rate to lose weight.
We don’t recommend crash diets at all. Besides being unhealthy for everyone, its worse for new mothers and their babies, since it deprives your body of basic nutritional requirements, affecting your health and that of the baby. The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care recently stated that mothers should take up to 1 year to lose their pregnancy weight. So, don’t hurry the weight loss. So, here are weight loss tips for post pregnancy:
Breast feed- Yes, breast feeding is great not just for your baby, but also for you to lose weight! It provides essential nutrients for the baby, and since its providing it from the mother’s body, it increases your calorie expenditure, thus helping weight loss!
Exercise- As your strength returns, try to get some light exercise, like walking and light yoga exercises. Don’t jump into intense exercises like Bikram Yoga. As you build up strength and stamina, increase the duration and intensity of your exercise. Ensure that you get a customized exercise plan, so that you don’t overexert your body. Building some muscle will help you look toned as well, since muscle fiber is dense and helps burn calories and thus lose weight.
Manage your diet- Before the baby was born, many mothers can eat whatever. But once the baby is born, if you want to lose weight, you need to watch your diet. Don’t underfeed yourself, but watch what you eat, since eating more than your calorie requirements will not help you lose weight. To understand your daily calorie requirements and get a proper diet plan to help you lose the pregnancy weight.
After doing all this, if you hit a weight loss plateau, then with the right diet plan and weight loss exercise plan, you’ll soon be on your way to fit again! You can contact fitness experts through our expert fitness answers section.
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Is there Fat in Drinks and Condiments
Previously, we told you if there is fat in fruits and vegetables and if there is fat in foods like chicken, egg whites, flour, etc. Here we’ll tell you which drinks and condiments that have no or extremely low fat content.
Alcohol: Alcohol by itself is primarily like sugar. So, even though it does not contain fat, alcohol promotes fat storage in the body. Excessive alcohol can affect estrogen levels & growth of man boobs. So, whether it is beer, wine, whiskey or any other liquor, it does not contain fat by itself.
Note: There are many alcoholic cocktails/mixes that contain fat, like White Russian and Bailey’s Irish Creme. See this list of highest calorie alcoholic cocktails and lowest calorie drinks at the bar.
Photo- Do alcoholic drinks contain fat? And other fat free foods.
Orange Juice: Like the orange fruit, this juice has no fat. But the orange juice available in the market torage in your bod loaded and would promote fat storage in your body. Read this list of healthiest orange juices.
Coffee: The Coffee liquer derived from beans and water contains no fat in it. But as soon as you add non skim milk, or cream or ice cream to your coffee drink, its fat content and calorie content increases signficantly. If you’re making regular stops at the coffee shops for those big coffee drinks, read this to know how unhealthy coffee shop drinks can be.
Mustard: The primary ingredients for yellow mustard are mustard seeds, vinegar, water, sugar and spices. Mustard seeds do contain fat, but since mustard is eaten in small quantities, so the fat content in one tsp of mustard is negligible. But there are many kinds of mustard available- the creamier ones have higher fat content. Mustard contains turmeric- see health benefits of turmeric.
Ketchup: Everyone’s favourite, ours too 
.. ketchup contains no fat absolutely. In fact latest research is shows that ketchup is good for your heart. Most ketchups contain plenty of sugar, so watch the total consumption, but with the lycopene content, you shouldn’t feel guilty.
Salsa: It is one of the healthiest condiments- contains lots of fresh vegetables and spices, and no fat content. With its healthy fresh ingredients, we absolutely recommend eating salsa!
Condiments like mayonaise, tartar sauce contains lots of unhealthy fat, so watch their consumption! And know that fat can be good for you.
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Is there Fat in that Food- 2
Continuing our quest of busting health myths on foods containing fat- Previously, we checked on the fat content of vegetables and fruits. In this section, we’re covered protein sources like chicken and eggs, starchy carbohydrats sources like flour and rice, and simple carbohydrate sources like honey and sugar:
Egg whites: Eggs have the highest quality protein. The egg yolk contains fat and cholesterol, but overall eggs are extremely nutritious and are a great muscle building food. Egg whites unlike the yolk, do not contain any fat. They contain lean protein and zero fat content.
Photo- Eggs Nutrition and Fat Content (clearlynovice@flickr)
Chicken Breast- Chicken is a great source of high quality protein, and chicken breast is the leanest part of chicken. It contains negligible fat. Chicken breast can help burn fat and build muscle. Its also called ‘white meat’- which is the lean part of chicken. Note that cooking chicken breast might add fat. Chicken legs and other portions contain fat and are known as ‘dark meat’.
Flour- Flour is processed wheat. Regardless of whether is refined or not, it does not contain any fat. Since flour is not consumed directly, what is key to note is that food products using flour as their base ingredient- bread, biscuits, cookies, rotis, etc can contain fat since butter/fat/oil is added as part of the cooking process. Refined wheat flour (maida) is unhealthy since it has a high glycemic index, so it spike up your blood sugar. Refined flour products like white bread promote fat storage in the body
Rice- Rice is another grain that does not contain fat. If it is boiled or steamed, then it contains no fat. But if it is pan fried, then it can contain fat.
Sugar- Sugar only contain simple carbohydrates. By itself it does not contain any fat, but due to its high content of simple carbohydrates and thus a high glycemic index, it promotes fat storage in the body.
Honey- Honey is simply sugar with some mineral and vitamins. It also does not contain any fat, but excessive consumption of honey (like sugar), can promote fat storage in the body. See honey health benefits.
We have one more article in the series of exploring ‘is there fat in that food’ series! Read here soon.
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Is there Fat in Fruits, Vegetables
We’ve all wondered about certain fruits and vegetables-if there is fat in that? There are common misconceptions of many foods containing fat, whereas they contain no fat or extremely low fat content. On the other hand, there are some foods even if they don’t have fat, promote fat storage in the body. So, let’s find out- Is there fat in that food?
Fruits: As a standard, you can assume that most fruits have absolutely no fat content. Let’s the examples of certain fruits which are often considered to contain fat.
Photo-Fruits with fat content (troyfish@flickr)
Bananas- Bananas are nutritious and healthy, with extremely low fat content. If you believe that bananas and milk make you fat, read this. The potassium in bananas actually promotes muscle growth and thus fat loss.
Mango- We’ve told you before that about the fat content in mangoes- there is none in the king of summer fruits. So, read this to know if mangoes are fattening.
Apples- Apples have health benefits, and have absolutely no fat content. Studies have shown that they apples can promote weight loss.
Chickoo- This much maligned Indian fruit has again no fat content. It has fiber and good carbohydrates as most fruits do. Fruit sugars provide sustained energy, and fiber keeps you from getting hungry, so the chickoo is only good for you!
Strawberries- These delicious fruits are loaded with antioxidants and contain no fat absolutely. Here’s a great strawberry banana smoothie recipe.
Now, that we’ve cleared out the fat content of most fruits, you should know that Avocado is the only popular fruit that contains fat. But avocado are good for your skin. Similar to fruits, many vegetables get a bad rap for their fat content also, so let’s find out-
Potato- French fries contain fat and potato chips are unhealthy, but the potato by itself contains no fat and potatoes can help weight loss.
Brocolli- Brocolli is one of the healthiest vegetables. No fat content, and loaded with antioxidants.
Beans- There are many kind of beans- kidney, black, lima, etc.. But they contain no fat and are among the few vegetable that help you gain muscle.
Lettuce- Lettuce is primarily water. In fact, its the primary ingredient for most salads- the holy grail of diet plans.
So, eat your vegetables and fruits without fear of their fat content. They will help you lose weight, gain muscle and get fit! See this for to know if there is fat in drinks & juices, fat in sauces, fat in other foods, like eggs, chicken, rice, etc
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How to get a Model backside, perfect Waist to Hip ratio
How to get a shapely butt? That’s a question many women ask. But its valid for men too. Besides vanity, its great for your health. So, besides telling you how to get a shapely butt, we’ll tell you why you should. We’re not talking size zero now…
A great backside is about having shapely gluteal muscles, and having a good waist to hip ratio. The good news is that its not all genetic. The right waist to hip ratio not only make you look great in a pair of jeans (we all love those) but also helps you reduce your chances of many diseases. Studies have shown that a waist to hip ratio (WHR) is a strong determinant of your heart health. The better your WHR, the lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Besides lowering your risk of cardiac disease an ideal WHR is also considered an indicator of fertility, in both men and women.
Photo- Ideal hip to waist ratio- Get a model butt (menblog@flickr)
What a good waist to hip (WHR) ratio?
To calculate your waist to hip ratio, measure your waist and your hips, and divide the waist measurement by the hips. The ideal WHR for women is 0.7 and that for men is 0.85-0.9.
Don’t measure up? Don’t worry! To get a great butt like a model, you need to do 2 things- manage your diet and do the right exercises. Both should help to give butt a nice athletic shape.
As Indians, we are prone to belly fat, so to improve your WHR lets reduce your tummy first. Don’t waste your time on crunches. Go for a run- it’ll help you burn calories, reduce belly fat and build some leg muscles, which includes the glutes- the butt muscle :). Here are tips to start running. Just reducing your waist, will help you improve your health and WHR.
If you’re skinny, then you need to build those glutes. Start with doing squats and lunges. Below, we’ve got a video of how to do a squat. If this is too easy for you, then do a weighted squat. Hold dumbbells on your side and perform the same movement. A lunge is basically like a giant step. Take a large step forward with the left leg and step into it till your left thigh is parallel to the floor and your right knee is right above the ground. Return to the standing position and repeat with the other leg. Similar to the squat, if its too easy, hold dumbbells in your hands, while performing the lunge.
Both these muscle work the leg muscles, along with the gluteal muscles (butt muscles). Perform 3-4 sets of each exercise, with 10-15 repetitions in each set. Do this 2-3 times a week, and you should be on your way to a great butt!
Along with these exercises and running, stair climbing build great leg muscles and burns fat! So, build that shapely bum and look good in pretty much anything you wear, or nothing 
Last but not the least, the right posture adds a lot to a make your body shapely. Slouching puts pressure on your lower back. Do these lower back exercises to improve posture.
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Yoga poses benefits your mood & health
Believe it or not, yoga might help not just burn calories and lose weight, but also improve your moods! You can know what yoga poses to do, how to perform the yoga exercises and how you can use them not just to improve your mood, but to burn calories, gain muscle and lose weight!
Feeling Bored: Do the downward dog. Do a classic downward dog or a half-handstand. Place your hands on the floor about shoulder-width apart, and move your feet towards a wall. Walk your right leg up the wall, followed by the left. Keep your back aligned, legs parallel to the floor, so your body looks like an inverted L.
Photo- Downward Dog Exercise- Yoga Pose (myyogaonline@flickr)
Feeling Blue: Do the camel pose in yoga. Kneel with your feet slightly apart (for balance) with toes pointing back. Drop your lower back down. Place your hands on your lower back and squeeze your elbows together. Lift your chest up and lean backwards, moving your hands to your heels.
Photo- Camel Pose- Yoga Exercise (iwillnotsuccumb@flickr)
Frazzled Mood: Do this squat-Keep your legs wider than shoulder width apart. Join your palms in prayer pose, turn your toes out 45 degrees and squat. Keep your feet rooted to the floor.
Feeling Insecure: Do the warrior- Keep your feet wide apart. Keeping your arms straight, extend them sidways. Make your right foot out 90 degrees. Bending your knee in the same direction, bend your torso 90 degrees to look over your right leg. Lunge into the position with your right knee bent at 90 degrees. As you lunge into this pose, move your straight arms pointing upwards. Look up as well. Switch legs, and repeat
Photo- Warrior Pose- Yoga Exercise (courtesy: vmag.com)
Besides fixing your mood, Yoga is a great stress reliever and muscle tension reliever. If you love pumping iron in the gym, you can do some yoga poses on a rest day to help those muscles stretch and recover, get the blood flowing, and get your muscles to grow. This will also help keep you active on your rest day, and burn calories.
These yoga poses will also help you exercise your lower back, arms, legs and core muscles.
Note: The remedies discussed here are not meant to replace medical and professional care.
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Foods to avoid on Diabetes Diet- 2
In the first part of this diabetic food series, we told you about some of the foods that diabetics should watch out for. Here is the remaining list:
Pizza: Most pizzas have a base made from refined flour (maida). Besides a high GI, pizza is loaded with fat calories from unhealthy toppings like high fat cheese, oil, preserved meats, etc.
Low fat namkeen: Low fat snacks and ‘low fat namkeen’ are popular in India. The producers claim that instead of frying, they bake the products. Which probably reduces the fat content, but most of them are still made from foods like refined flour and contain added sugar, which raise the glycemic index. So, diabetics should watch out for these.
French Fries (finger chips): A favourite but these come in at a GI of 75! (GI of sugar is 68) So, for anyone trying to control their blood sugar level or lose weight should keep french fries away
Paranthas/Naan: Most paranthas and naan are made from maida (refined flour) which as we’ve discussed raises your blood glucose level. So, avoid them, or make healthy paranthas.
Alcohol: Last but not the least, alcohol is primarily sugar, so it spikes your blood glucose levels significantly. Besides promoting fat storage, alcohol consumption can promote female hormone production in men and lead to male breasts.
Bournvita: Advertised as a healthy mix- this is a sugar added health drink, so not exactly diabetic food
Corn Soup: Whether is chicken corn soup or veg, corn soup uses corn flour as a base ingredient, which has a high glycemic index. Go for clear soups instead. To find the healthiest food when eating out- see this for healthy options in Chinese food, eating healhy at Italian restaurants, and healthy choices in Indian Mughlai food.
Other foods that diabetics should avoid
Desserts (like cakes, pastries), Indian sweets (barfi, sandesh, gulab jamun, kheer, etc.), waffles, rice cakes, doughnuts, pancakes, potato, soft drinks, sugar added cereals, honey, bagel, corn chips, burgers, noodles, crossiants, pastries, jams, cola/orange bars.
Find out what goes into the food you eat. If its got sugar, refined flour or corn flour, keep it away. Its hard to remove sweet foods from your diet completely, so to substitute for sugar we did an analysis of the healthiest sugar substitute between Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose and Stevia.
So, watch your diet, manage your blood sugar, and fix your diabetes!
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Foods to avoid on Diabetes Diet- 1
People with diabetes are required to manage their bloog sugar levels. So, many diabetics watch out for sugar in their diet, but is that enough? We have a list of foods besides sugar that could be equally harmful for diabetics, because they have a high Glycemic Index. Foods with high Glycemic Index increase blood glucose levels. For non-diabetic people, when your blood glucose level rises, your body produces insulin to reduce the increased blood glucose levels. People with diabetes are not able to produce enough insulin to reduce blood sugar levels. As a result of this, its important for them to avoid foods with high Glycemic Index.
So, what are the foods that diabetics must watch out for, besides sugar and sugar based foods? Let’s find out…
Photo- Foods diabetics should not eat (uhuru1701@flickr)
Dates: It sounds like a healthy fruit, but it has a Glycemic Index of 103 (sugar has a glycemic index of 68!).
Corn Flakes: Mistaken to be healthy, this breakfast cereal has a high Glycemic Index of 87. Often, HFCS is used in corn flakes, that has been linked to obesity- read more about corn flakes here.
White bread: We’ve warned you before about how white bread is your weight loss enemy. Besides having a high Glycemic Index of 73, this food has truly no nutrition besides empty calories.
Biscuits/Cookies: Another food that is often mistaken to be healthy, besides the fact that biscuits can promote weight gain, the primary ingredients are refined flour and sugar, both of which have a high Glycemic Index, so it raises your blood sugar significantly. Definitely a no-no food for diabetics
Packaged fruit juices: The Glycemic Index of most fruits fall into the low or medium category, which is acceptable, but packaged fruit juices are not good for diabetics. Most packaged fruit juices have added sugar. Even without the added sugar, many fruit juices have a high Glycemic Index. Find the Fitho choice of healthiest orange juice and healthiest mango drinks.
Our list of surprising no-no foods for diabetics is not over yet. Part 2 of this series, for the complete list of danger foods for diabetics, including the one that’s advertised as a health food!
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