Love, Relationship And Fat!

 ‘Oh I used to be like a cane stick before this husband thing happened. Marriage ruins it for you’… ‘You

know you should really enjoy being skinny till you are single’… ‘Oh so you can fit in a size 26 jeans? Wait till you get hitched!’  I was literally sick of hearing nonsensical bullshit like this, until I realized this is not completely nonsensical and bullshit! People say you bloat up after getting married. Some say it’s your casual attitude towards your body, coz hey you have got a guy to marry you and now who do you really want to show of a body hugging little Black dress to, right? Some even suggest the theory that it’s the change in routine and food that makes you bloated.

Nevertheless, we women love to blame everything on hormones; Mood swings, anger, slapping boyfriends, Back stabbing best friend, everything. It’s our safest and the best mouth shutting excuse to anyone. In this case these hormones might actually be the real culprit. It is true that post marriage there are lot of Hormonal changes that take place in the body. Apart from gaining a husband for life, gaining weight can might just be another side effect of marriage.

While I am no doctor to prescribe meds to control your husband…I mean your hormones, these are some of my suggestions for food stuff that you can munch on to keep you balanced, and also few stuff that you should avoid:

1. Proteins (produce hormones): Hormones are essentially protein derivatives, hence it becomes imperative to consume substantial amount of proteins in order to keep the hormonal production house ready and going; coz woman, you are gonna need a lot of them! Soaked beans, lentils, fish, sprouted pulses are sources of clean proteins (sans bad fat). They also are good sources of Omega 3 fatty acid.
2. Avocados (good fat): They're rich in healthy fat that helps our body absorb and use nutrients They are also full of fiber, potassium, magnesium vitamin E, B-vitamins, and Folic acid - all essential for maintaining hormonal balance in the body.
3. Antioxidant rich veggies (protect your body): Look for anything dark green in color. Broccoli, spinach, asparagus etc. also bright colored veggies like bell peppers, tomatoes, red, purple cabbage etc. are good sources of essential vitamins. Do not over soak/over cook these veggies though, else you will lose out on all the vitamins that they are known for.
4. Avoid Foods with High glycemic index: Ok that’s a fancy word which diabetics are well versed with. But all it really means is that not all carbohydrates are made equal. Some carbohydrates produce glucose faster in the blood than others. These are the ones that are our enemies. If you are carbohydrate addict, stay away from potatoes, rice, white flour, bread, rice, corn flakes etc.(not to mention sugar and its products of course)
5. Water:  This sneaky little neutral item always finds it's way in all my posts. And that is for a reason. Keep yourself hydrated well enough to flush out all the toxins and to keep your hormones diluted in the blood!

The list can be exhaustive, but I would keep it crisp. Our bodies have an incredible ability to heal and be in balance, when given the nutrients they need to flourish. So love generously but eat wise!

Are you (Wo)man enough to Lift weights?

More often than  not, I come across women dreading the thought of lifting weights as a part of their fitness program and I fail to understand why.  Ladies, you are genetically built in a way, very different from your counter parts, so don't think that if you lift weights and do those push ups, you'll become a hulk. You will definitely not unless you are on steroid shots! Let me tell you why weight training is a good idea for you:

1. Lifting weights burn calories. So while you take effort in doing Cardio and running on the treadmill, make sure that you also concentrate on doing some amount of weight training as it helps loose fat and develop lean muscle mass. Also make sure you follow up with a healthy low fat high protein diet to stack up on lean body mass.
2. Since doing weights helps in developing lean body tissues, it makes you more active and energetic. Women who do weights regularly, complain less of lethargy and fatigue than women who do only cardio.
3. If you are looking to loose weight, doing weight training along with Cardio, helps you achieve your target weight in a more shapely way. It is observed that women who loose weight by plain dieting/ cardio end up having a sagging body and loose skin. Muscle building helps you to tone up your muscle and make you look sexier than before.
4.  If you lift weights while on a weight gain diet you will not look fat. In reality you will be performing fat burning in the gym while building muscle. Reduce the fat around a tight, toned muscle and other will notice.
5. It increases bone density and helps fight osteoporosis.
6. It also helps in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Like I said before, you will not gain excess muscle mass like men unless you are on steroids. Men and women have different sets of hormones, And not every man who works out looks like Batista either.You need to be on an overdose of testosterone to be able to look beefed up. So any muscle gain you get as a result of diet and training will only serve to accentuate the feminine shape you already have. You will look sexy and feel better about yourself!

So don't be scared to pump up some iron yourself- trust me, you'll feel the difference.

Weight Loss Or Health Loss?

At the end of the 17th century, Morton described a condition that was seen in adolescents and young adult women who were affected by it.One hundred and seventy years later, Gull in England & laseque in France gave the condition its current name.
The condition I am are talking about is anorexia- it is a disease characterized by intense fear of gaining weight, body image distortion, which can lead to serious complications like amenorrhea. Women & even men in today’s western world are struggling hard to keep themselves in with the fashion world without caring if in the bargain they are sacrificing their long-term health! They induce into voluntary self-starvation and emaciation. In this condition weight loss is considered as a sign of extra ordinary achievement and self-discipline, weight gain is perceived as an unacceptable loss of self control.
So here is the million-dollar question can one lose weight and still maintain good health?
The answer is yes!
One needs to follow a good eating pattern and make sure to maintain a regular fitness regime.
Foods like low fat milk, fruits, and vegetables, nuts, curds, cereals, & legumes should form a major part of the diet.
Fats again a tabooed substance in a dieters list should be taken in moderation as when completely lacking, it can lead to EFA deficiency.
Avoiding colas, fast foods, chats, and the most popular Indian version of burger- Vada Pav! This itself can make a big difference.
However occasionally indulging in these, foods should not lead to a guilt feeling but instead this should serve as a motivation to hit the gym and sweat the fat out!
After all the taste buds too need scrumptious foods now and then.
Eating in moderation is the key to avoid unwanted weight gain.
Having small & frequent meals keeps the metabolic rate ‘up’.
The bottom line is do not deprive yourself of food instead sweat it out by exercising and eating healthy.