Is Sitting Killing You?

When the evolutionary march from the four legged species to the two legged ones took place, the human body was designed to be mobile and not sedentary. But, the kind of lifestyle that many people have today, they tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle. No matter where people go, there are more opportunities to sit down than to stand up. When you go to school, there are desks and chairs. The same is the case when you go to office. And then the car and the comfortable chair you have at home for watching TV. Because most of the job that humans do require them to sit, it is quite difficult to break the cycle.

According to a number of studies and researches, the sedentary lifestyle that you live is destructive to your overall well being. In fact, it is said that sitting has become the new smoking and anyone who sits for more than six hours a day is at an increased risk of suffering health problems and even death.

The truth about sitting

After the evolution to the two legged species, most of the lives of humans were spent hunting and farming. Humans were on their feet most of the time which enabled them to carry on with the day to day lives. But with the advent of the internet and television, people are sitting for more than ever. On average, humans are sitting for about 9.5 hours which is even more than sleeping. So how much time is really spent standing up or on the feet? Very little and this is a fact that is taking a toll on human’s modern life today. Read more

What’s the Big Deal about Intermittent Fasting?

We can often hear advice by nutritionists like “eat frequent but small meals”, “don’t starve” or “don’t skip breakfast“, but it turns out that fasting offers a number of health benefits. It not only reduces risk of cancer and improves cardiovascular health, but it also promotes longevity and gene repair. It is quite true that when a person is in “feast mode,” the body forgoes much of the natural rejuvenation and repair programming. It is also true that most of the disease processes that are initiated in the body are a result of eating too frequently.

When the body is subjected to severe calorie restriction, a person is able to achieve weight loss, but for most people a starvation diet is not an appealing approach for weight loss. But, a number of studies have suggested that a method called “intermittent fasting” can offer the same benefits without causing any health problems. In the olden days, our ancestors did not have access to food all the time. There were no grocery stores and they would eat only at particular times. According to research, this kind of eating habit offers biochemical benefits to the body.

So, is intermittent fasting for you? Does intermittent fasting really work? What kind of health benefits are there when you use this approach? Let’s a take a look at what intermittent fasting really is and whether it offers real benefits. Read more

Metabolism: Myths VS Facts

Metabolism has always been a topic of debate among both men and women. It is believed that some people have fast metabolism while some have slow metabolism. We all know someone who eats junk food and still stays slim. We all also know someone who doesn’t grow a beer belly no matter how many beers he drinks. These people cannot be superhuman, so what is it exactly that is preventing them from gaining weight?

In order to understand this fact, we need to understand what metabolism is. Metabolism is basically the rate at which the body burns calories. Metabolism can be affected by many things such as what you eat, how much you workout, the kind of exercises you do and so on. Metabolism has one rule and that is if the amount of calories taken in is the same as the amount of calories burned, then the person will remain the same size. Weight gain occurs when the consumption is more than what the body is able to get rid of and weight loss occurs when the body burns more calories than that has been taken in. Read more

High Intensity Interval Training: Best Method For Fat Loss

With the busy lives people have these days and the kind of environment we live in, everyone wants a quick fix even if it is related to losing those extra pounds. No one wants to spend hours working out at the gym or go on strict diets just to find out after a month that very little has been achieved in terms of weight loss. Fad diets don’t do a thing and it is true that there are no miracle weight loss pills available no matter how much you are willing to pay. But, there is one technique that can really help you get the body you had always wanted. This technique known as HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is an effective method of exercising and losing weight because it boosts your metabolism and keeps your body burning fat for up to 48 hours following a single workout of 30 minutes.

Many people, especially those who don’t workout regularly are not aware of this technique. But, athletes and sports people use this technique to improve their metabolism and get rid of fat fast before they participate in competitions. In this article, we’ll take a look at what HIIT really is and the reasons which make it the best exercise method for fat loss and better health. Read more

Why Breakfast Eaters Are More Active and Slimmer?

Often you have heard people mention that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, some might disregard this and conclude that the late night meal is most important or rather have a perception that lunch is more important. Certainly, breakfast is most important and this article argues this idea out.

Just like a car would require fuel to function, so does the body needs food to function perfectly. Think about this ‘break-fast’. The main reason why an early meal is termed as breakfast is simply because it breaks the fasting that you have been going through all night long as you sleep.

Medics argue that a meal taken in the morning is very important since it increases the body’s metabolic rate (the process of burning down calories present in the body system). Once breakfast is taken it initiates the first gear in the body to burn down the calories and would continue doing this throughout the day. Read more

6 Foods That Help Boost Metabolism

Metabolism is very important as this ensures that your body has energy to perform your regular activities. This process does not just happen automatically. The body needs to be fed with foods that will initiate this process and also boost the process in the long run. Low fat foods combined with regular exercise increases the metabolism process. Eventually this would lead to losing weight and benefit those that have such goals in mind. Below are top 10 foods that would escalate the metabolism process:

1. Green tea
Time has come that you stopped taking coffee or black tea. Green tea is the most recommended tea that will help in improving your metabolism process. Research conducted on green tea proves that it contains thermogenic properties. This will help in the oxidation of fats that you digest. This implies that by enhancing the metabolism process, calories would be dealt with efficiently.

2. Apples
Often you have heard the adage that goes ‘an apple day keeps the doctor away.’ This is very true considering the nutritional values that apples have on us. First, they have low calorie content in them. Secondly, they are an excellent source of fiber. Therefore, eating apples will keep your hunger at bay for hours. Regular intake of apples helps in the prevention of metabolic syndrome (a condition of having excess accumulation of abdominal fat, diabetes and heart related ailments). Read more