5 Easy Soup Preps.

Winter is all about soups:

SOUPS are top on the list because they are not only rich in vitamins and minerals, they also fill you up at any meal time.

5 Easy preps to do at home: all can be garnished with cinnamon,cilantro or parsley, all 3 good for weight loss.

1.Plain vegetable: Boil your favorite vegetables in enough water to just soak them,add 1 teaspoon olive oil,salt to taste and  blend ......enjoy with a couple soup sticks or a slice of low fat cheese.** my suggested thermogenic vegetables are: celery,spinach,broccoli, cabbage,peppers.

2.Spinach, tomato and cabbage : Saute them in a pan with some peanuts and tofu and curry leaves, add boiling water and blend or the other way around.** this soup is loaded with antioxidants.

3. Plain tomato: Tops my list of soups....but home made since the packets or cans are full of sodium/salt. Boil 3 tomatoes per serving in water, blend on high speed,1/4 teaspoon salt per serving, add toasted bread instead of fried bread to garnish.

4.For egg lovers: egg drop soup: Get vegetable stock/ chicken stock and store at home: while boiling add(drop) 2 egg whites per serving, add roasted cabbage for crunch/garnish, and a dash of soy sauce with salt to taste. ** great protein soup.

5.Lentil soup/Dal soup: Boil any whole lentil and keep it aside, sauteed vegetable and add to boiling water, add salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon dal/lentil per serving, add peanuts or toasted almonds or toasted pine nuts. ** great soup for proteins and vegetable....almost a meal replacement or a pre-party fill up.

The Stubborn Belly Fat

As we age our belly's tend to get the brunt of fat accumulation!!.

Reasoning it out in a few lines would make you understand why?

1.Eating wrong foods at wrong times.
2.Depleting hormones like testosterone and DHEA and progesterone.
3.Increasing hormones of stress like cortisol, increasing hormones of appetite like Ghrelin.
4.Drinking alcohol.
5.Lack of protein in diet.
6.Lack of muscle.
7.Lack of physical activity.
8.Lack of fibre.

Easy steps to start tackling this problem
1.Start WALKING at least 30-40 min brisk walk daily.
2.Don't eat too late, or eating too much carbohydrate at night puts your body under metabolic stress,let your body fast for at least 12-14 hours at night.
3.Resistance training 3-4 times a week is a must to get get rid of tummy tires, DONT RELY ON ANY CRUNCHES.
4.Clear out the toxins with good amount of water intake and adding fibre in form of vegetables, salads. They are full of antioxidants and fibre.
5.Add lots of proteins to all your meals, maximize them in breakfast and dinner.
6.And sit straight on your desk while you work.
7.Lastly the magical DHEA repletion...talk to a BHRT specialist.

The YO YO of diets

The more weight you lose faster more you are likely to gain it back and become resistant to weight loss in the long run.

The Yo yo of diets leads to a resistant thyroid and hampers the metabolism.

The higher the fat percentage the faster is weight loss initially and then your body recognizes a starvation state and you stop losing weight or hit a plateau.

The usual types of diets that people resort to are GM diet, maple syrup diet, juice fasting.
The problem is they are not only unhealthy but you lose water weight with them which you gain right back once you start a normal life.

The only sure shot way to lose is 1 kilo a week and according to how much you want to lose, you can calculate the weeks it will take to do a healthy weight loss.

If you have to go faster then consult a physician for a medical weight loss support program.

seasonal flu: Fight ot Flight

Seasonal flu :Fight or flight

Fight:
Do it for 2 days.
1. 70% sugar free dark chocolate total 8 cubes, 1 cube every 1/2 hour.
2.De-caf Herbal teas throughout the day,raspberry or chamomile or-parsley or fennel or cinnamon.
3.Big bowl of fruits containing 1 pomegranate, 1 kiwi,1 Guava. 2 bowls max.
4. Ventilate your lungs by a 1 k to 2 k moderate run or walk.
5. 3 egg whites or equivalent tofu.
6.H2O unlimited.
7.Anti fever /antibiotic medication if needed or antihistamine if needed as per your doctor.

Flight: not a response we want:
1.Rest in bed with a stuffed nose and tissues and it will take long to get better.
2. Watch tv in bed and pile up pounds.

Quick look at natural appetite suppressers

Quick look at natural appetite suppressors from daily life.

1.     1 ounce pine nuts peeled: less than a handful, can use children’s medicine cup for exact measure.

2.     Weight training suppresses appetite naturally.

3.     1 table spoon peanuts with unsweetened black tea.

4.     Protein shake with flax seed powder.

5.     1 cup of unsweetened coffee.

6.     Oat bran for breakfast.

7.     Miso soup.

8.     10-12 raw almonds.

9.     WATER.

The Midriff Bulge.

The Midriff Bulge:

Strength training: Pick up your dumbbells and strength train on most days of the week.

Sleep well 7-8 hours of sound sleep

Omega 3 fatty acids intake should be a routine

Avoid sugar: as we get older our body is unable to process sugar and we become insulin resistant as we age, curb the sugar and decrease carbohydrates, as you get older. Insulin resistnace leads to fat accumulation.Women are more at risk for insulin resistance, as they have practically no estrogens after menopause.

Workouts in daily life.

Lets put our body into a workout mode while doing daily activities and chores.

1.     Take the stairs avoid elevators as much as possible.

2.     Get up to get water instead of yelling for the house help.

3.     Carry groceries yourself instead of paying someone else to carry them for you.

4.     Play with your child outdoors.

5.     Stroll around your office for five minutes when you take a break instead of sitting and sipping another cup of caloric beverage

6.     For women: give your thighs a workout by not sitting on the public toilet seat.

7.     Contract your tummy and hold for several times while driving. You can do the same for your butt.

8.     Use only one leg to get up from sofa….strong quadriceps.

9.     Move your own furniture.

1.   Walk fast at all times as if you are late for work.

1.   Park your car away from the entrance so you have to take a mini walk to get to your destination.

1.   Use TV remote sparingly.

1.   Lift your child once in a while and walking can burn a good amount of calories but be careful not to strain your back.