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Showing posts from March, 2016

Fitness Truths: post-holiday weight loss, the healthy way

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Want a quick fat loss fix post Easter? Think again, as slow and steady always wins the race, says Jean-Claude Vacassin source Chances are you've just over indulged: Easter weekend is jam-packed with family gatherings, food, and of course - chocolate. So having assessed the damage done, you've probably set some pretty good eating and training intentions out again - but what kind of rapid weight loss and return to peak performance is actually realistic? The reality is that weight loss never happens as quickly as we want it to and for many of us losing excess body fat can seem like an arduous and frustrating process. We are all guilty of wanting the quick fix when it comes to getting into shape, but it is almost certainly never the best way to approach it. Despite the continued presence of the 'lose weight in six weeks' crowd, overall we are starting to see a more positive shift towards longer-term approaches that are less about radical interventions and more about adoptin

Protein, Fibre, Apple Cider Vinegar: weight loss hacks to help you lose kilos faster

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Diet tricks to help you lose weight faster this year source Whether you're looking to trim down fast or just tired or trying fads and trends that just don't work, then these might be your answer. Losing weight doesn't need to be hard. By making simple swaps and adding a few extras to your diet you can see great results in no time. 1. Eat More Plant Based Foods Plant based foods are loaded with vital nutrients and phytochemicals our bodies need to for good health and for healthy weight management. They are high in dietary fibre to promote better digestion and bowel regularity, and are generally low in saturated fats and calories. 2. Don't Skip Breakfast You’ve heard it many times before, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but still over 50 per cent of Australians choose to skip eating in the morning. Having a nutritious breakfast will set you up for a day of healthy eating and is beneficial for healthy weight management. It helps you maintain stable b

5 Ways to Fix the Calorie Damage From Easter Candy

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One (or two) chocolate bunnies don't have to derail your weight loss goals. ​ source Did you enjoy your Easter weekend? Maybe a little too much? Even if you found yourself staring at an emptied out basket with candy wrappers strewn everywhere–don't fret. "It takes eating 3,500 calories above and beyond your body's needs to equal a pound of weight gained," says Christen Cooper, R.D., owner of Cooper Education and Communication in Pleasantville, New York. So even if you ate a lot of sweet treats on Easter (and a few days after), you can probably still fit in your jeans. "In fact, you probably didn't even gain a full pound," says Cooper. But our experts did agree the average Easter basket can contain up to 1,500 to 2,000 calories (yikes!), so if you enjoyed the whole thing, here are five easy ways toget back on track. 1) Estimate the actual calorie damage done and reverse it in small steps , recommends Cooper. For example, if you know you downed about 1

The science of post-holiday weight loss: Why now is the best time to go on a diet

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Feel like you over-ate these holidays? Well now might be the best time to lose weight. Here's why diet-related New Year's resolutions are totally achievable. source If you — or someone you care about — are embarking on post-holiday weight loss, understanding the body’s physiological responses to excess kilojoule intake could give you the edge for a successful New Year’s resolution. Weight loss is never easy, but the first days to weeks are easier than what’s to come. That’s because whenever you consume more kilojoules than your body burns — think big, festive feasts and then sitting around for hours with your friends or relatives — your body activates a series of physiological processes that actually help you to reverse excess. I call these physiological processes the “fat brake”, because they put the brakes on fat gain. The most obvious sign of your fat brake is a reduction in your drive to eat. So in the aftermath of holiday overeating, if you’re attentive to your body’s hung

6 reasons why you'll need a post-Easter detox

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Follow a healthy detox after your Easter binge and your health will thank you! source The supermarket shelves are lined with chocolate eggs and hot-cross buns - and then there are the Easter specials on alcohol. Nobody wants to hold back on Easter celebrations, but we all feel the familiar slump by the time the sun is setting. Unlike last year, we have 6 reasons you should consider a detox so you can bounce back in no time. Blood-sugar levels Your blood-sugar levels are the first to suffer from too many chocolates and hot-cross buns. Sugary junk food will give you a sharp spike in energy, but it won’t last long. Ever wondered why you’re so lethargic by the end of Easter Sunday? It’s because these sharp spikes are quickly followed by sharp dips. These dips also result in more hunger pangs; just a short time after you gorged yourself on yet another chocolate bunny. Liver This is the first line in our body’s natural detoxification process. It has a direct impact on fat regulation, hormone

Your ultimate Easter survival guide

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If you've been inundated with chocolate treats this Easter, it can be hard to think of anything else. But while it's important not to totally forget your healthy eating and exercise habits, having fun is also a top priority. source That's why, this week, we have some great advice on how to indulge in the Easter festivities without risking a blowout. Don’t start too early The shops have been bursting with Easter treats for some time now, but try not to celebrate too early. Set some rules – perhaps a 'no hot cross buns before Good Friday' and a 'no chocolate eggs before Easter Sunday' rule. Waiting will help make the treats feel extra special too. Better buys Easter eggs don’t have to be banned but there is no doubt that you have to tread carefully; the average size chocolate bar (around 54g) provides around 17g of fat, 10g of which is saturated and even a small 30g serve of chocolate contains about 160 calories. If you’re a choc lover who can’t stop until the

Why Easter Eggs May Help You Lose Weight

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"Diets don't work!" scream a lot of PTs and nutritionists nowadays. And more often than not, they then go on to prescribe nutritional advice that can only be described as a diet. And then some. Real food it may be but try telling the average Joe that hot buttered toast in the morning's now out and an ostrich burger with a side of spinach is in (and don't even think about asking for OJ). source A diet is "... the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight" according to Wikipedia. Sounds like a diet to me. So unless we're all caving in to every craving and impulse on an hourly basis, we're all pretty much on a diet every day. But a diet that's going to work in the long term needs to be sustainable which is where, in my opinion  and  experience, paleo-style eating and any other plan or regime that requires you to abandon 'killer carbs'/'preferred source of fuel for the human body' (

Easter Weight Loss And The Easter Bunny. Are They Both A Myth?

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source Millions of Americans are well into their annual spring diet program, trying to lose weight fast before summer arrives. Unfortunately, Easter can derail our weight loss efforts faster than Peter Cottontail hops down his bunny trail. With mountains of candy eggs and legions of chocolate bunnies, Easter packs enough fat and calories to obliterate even the best weight loss program. Attempting to stick with a healthy diet through Easter may leave the dieter wondering if Easter weight loss is a bigger myth than the Easter bunny. "Easter is third in candy consumption in the United States with 940 million dollars spent on it in 1998. That's a lot of chocolate bunnies" (Source: about.com). "In 2000, Americans bought $1.9 billion of Easter candy and consumed 7.1 billion pounds to edge ahead of Christmas sales that year" (Source: Topeka Capital Journal, April, 2004).  So what's a weight watcher to do, short of filling the Easter eggs with diet pills and weight