Best Way to Lose Weight Quickly and Safely

For all those people who have "weighty" issues, I have only one suggestion to make, do not EVER follow any fad diet for achieving your weight loss goals. Firstly, you will most probably gain back whatever weight you have lost with these quick-fix solutions and secondly, in the long run, these fad diets can actually ruin your health! So if you want to go by what most health experts have to say about the best way to lose weight quickly, start taking a healthy, balanced diet, along with it, make a regular exercise routine!

Easy Tips to Lose Weight Quickly

A Balanced Diet
A balanced, healthy diet is that which supplies the body with all the required essential nutrients, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibers, calcium, vitamins and minerals! Check the Internet for the foods that are rich in all these nutrients and make a weekly diet menu including all these. Preferably cook at home with very less oil, sugar and other fatty substances to ward off the excess calories.

Fruits and Vegetables
To lose weight, the healthiest and the most effective thing that you can do is to ensure that majority of your diet is made of fruits and vegetables. Compared to most meats, these are less in fats and richer in vitamins and minerals. Take vegetables and fruits which are rich in fiber as these help in keeping you full for a very long time and thus, you will end up eating much lesser in your next meal. Also, there are certain negative calorie fruits and veggies such as cucumbers and tomatoes, which have lesser calories in them than those required by the body to burn them! So, eat such foods every day for losing weight fast.


Small, Regular Meals
Most of us have this habit of eating two or three big meals in a day. Most of us also have this habit of skipping breakfast and eating a heavy dinner. Well, let me tell you, these are unhealthy eating habits which need a change immediately if you are serious about your weight loss goals. Firstly, you need to start taking breakfast everyday, without a fail. Researches show that people who take a nutritious, healthy breakfast of cereals, low-fat milk and fruits, tend to eat less throughout the day. Secondly, take five small meals in a day. This way, there won't be much gap in between meals and thus, you won't feel the need to snack on chips or biscuits which can be quite fattening. Taking small meals spread evenly throughout the day and an early dinner, two hours before sleeping, aids in digestion too.

Water
Drink two to three liters of water everyday. An age-old remedy which aids in digestion is to drink a glass of warm water in which half a teaspoon of honey and juice of half a lemon has been added, first thing in the morning. Sipping on water throughout the day will keep the body hydrated. Drinking a glass of water before every meal will reduce your appetite. With so many benefits, make it a point to drink lots of it everyday!

Lean Meats and Eggs
Researches have shown that eggs contain vitamin B12 which aids in fat loss from the body. So, eat a boiled or scrambled egg every day. Lean meats and fish, which are not fried, but roasted, boiled or grilled are a healthy option to meet the body's protein requirements. These protein rich, healthy foods, similar to the fiber foods, reduce the overall calorie consumption of a person as they keep the body full for a long time.

Exercise
Make a routine to perform any of the cardiovascular exercises everyday for at least forty minutes. Swimming, cycling, running, aerobics, dancing, choose any of these exercises to lose weight quickly. These should be combined with weight training, resistance training and flexibility exercises for best results. Ideally, join a gym and have a professional chart out an exercise routine for you, keeping your body and weight loss goals in mind. If you have never exercised before, slowly build up the stamina and pace to avoid injuries.

Some Dos and Don'ts
Researches have shown that people who are under some sort of stress, tend to overeat in order to avoid feelings of loneliness or to feel better. So, if you too sometimes indulge in "emotional eating", start taking measures to keep stress at bay. Meditation, yoga and breathing exercises can be performed daily to get rid of stress and anxiety. Another thing that you can do is to increase your physical activities. Do not sit for more than an hour in front of the TV. Walk more. Take stairs instead of the elevator. Do household chores yourself. This way, you will automatically burn more calories.

Give up on fast food, high sugar food, fatty food, fried food, packaged food, carbonated drinks, caffeine drinks, alcohol, and foods with processed carbohydrates, as they will do nothing but pile on more calories in your body. Instead, make healthy food choices such as a fresh fruit instead of a pizza, low-fat milk instead of soft drink, home cooked food instead of packaged foods, whole wheat bread instead of white bread, etc.

The Fastest and Simplest Way to Oriental-Charged Healthy Living Is Traditional Chinese Medicine

Long before the introduction of the western medical system most people that lived in the ancient days survived and even lived a healthier lifestyle than people in this present generation. The Chinese people are renowned for this attribute; their traditional way of healing and preserving health has in fact been studied at increasing pace in the western world.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an ancient medical system that was used by the ancient people of China; this system involves a profound understanding of natural laws and their inter-relation with human bodies. It adopts a holistic approach that combines the personality, mind, spirit, soul, and emotions of humans in order to prescribe a totally effective solution that aims to heal the root causes of illnesses and not just the symptoms.

One of the most popular methods of these ancient traditional medicines is acupuncture. Acupuncture are the points at which human body picks its responses and senses. They are the body locations from which energies are transmitted between the body and the internal organs. These points are referred to as Shuxue in the Mandarin, or Chinese language.

Acupuncture is just one of the diverse plethora of effective Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques and remedies. There are several other methods of applying the ancient Chinese healing methods; some of these include - Qigang, herbal therapy, Acupressure, food for healing and Chinese psychology.

Purists of ancient Chinese medicines contest that they bring more benefits to the body than the more used western medicines. Apart from the fact that this type of medicine has a rich history of proven success, both amongst the ancient people, and also the surviving generations, it is also proven to have healed both the body and the mind of the sick.

Apart from this, there are wide arrays of diseases that can be treated by a combination of Chinese medicines. This form of medicine has been hailed to have treated more protracted sicknesses or diseases like cancer, fibroid and sexual dysfunctional diseases.

One distinctive benefit of this alternative medicine is that it attempts to address the specific illness or disease instead of a general approach. Illnesses like cold have several categories and types in the ancient Chinese therapy, meanwhile modern therapy tends to think of any cold as the same, which is why often colds are not cured by drugs and it is only the symptom of colds that these modern drugs take care of.

Chinese medicines are also known to offer more additional advantage because of its raw, chemically unprocessed form of treatment. Most experts have argued that human bodies are normally trained to develop resistances to chemicals and drugs, which means that western drugs tend to have a declining effect on the human body as time goes on. The Traditional Chinese Medicine, on the other hand, uses a natural method that slowly heals the root of a disease before eradicating the symptoms.

Finally, Chinese treatment can treat the rarest forms of diseases, which may not have had a ready-made treatment in the western medical world. Since this form of alternative medicine has survived more than 2000 years, it has a catalogue of numerous specific diseases with specifically aligned traditional treatments and techniques that cater for them.

Holistic Medicine - The Greatest Alternative Medicine

The utilization of homeopathy originated in Germany. This is formed on the deduction that our body uses autonomous mending capacities, and this normally aims at preventing diseases plus promoting well being. These naturopathic medical treatments are rightly called homeopathic treatments rather than drugs since they include numerous natural components derived from minerals as well as plants.

These homeopathic remedies are famous for protecting against diseases by enhancing the defense system. Though naturopathic therapies are not used for treating unexpected emergency circumstances such as most cancers, or even heart attack, they can be put to use for treating minor injuries and even persistent ailments.

What are Natural Treatments?

Well, naturopathic treatments are weakened preparations which are made making use of things obtained from minerals, herbs, animals, and countless other sources. Those materials are diluted (using pure water or alcohol) using a process termed distilization. An additional procedure, known as succussion is applied where distilled materials are repetitively hit across highly flexible surface areas. The complete procedure of creating these cures makes them really effective in treating various illnesses and ailments.

Unprocessed Elements - Completely Reliable with regard to Humans

As homeopathic solutions are prepared making use of materials gotten from natural resources, they are actually absolutely nontoxic even when consumed after a very long time. There is little chance of negative reaction, and consequently numerous household remedies are indeed recommended for pregnant females. In addition to that, these treatments can easily also be consumed with conventional treatments without the worry of any negative reaction.

Treatments for People of all Ages

Individuals of all age sets can use naturopathic remedies. From kids to teens, adults and aging, anybody can easily achieve benefits from homeopathic treatments. Unlike allopathic pharmaceuticals, generally there are really no rules in terms of sex or age.

Various naturopathic solutions are very successful. Proper medical diagnosis of the illness may accelerate the recovery process. Apart from very acute conditions, even persistent ailments can be handled with the help of naturopathic home remedies.

Permanent Cure

Many of the additional health-related systems have short-term focused approach, but homeopath provides a lot more long-lasting treatment. It is primarily due to this validated reality that naturopathic solutions have become widely popular amongst millions of people.

Another benefit of these remedies is that they follow the principle of exact remedy for exact issue, and deal with different overall health issues not just on the presupposition of signs, but their current causes. Most of all, homeopathy at home cures are not habit forming in nature.

Works in Proportion and Very Easy to Carry Out

Naturopathic natural treatments are widely known for enhancing the immune system compared to various other medicines that restrain symptoms. Holistic remedies work directly on different health problems and enhance the health and well-being of the system to allow it to fight several health issues. Really this method is formed on the fact that our system has a capability to replenish itself.

Homeopathic cures are carried out with ease as it can be found in the form of drops or pleasant pills that consist of healing properties. Also little ones love them as they are sweet!

Quite Affordable

Homeopathic at home remedies are quite low-cost compared to some medicines. They can be used with a variety of health issues including arthritis, cholesterol levels, acne breakouts, skin inflammation, breakouts, common colds and flu, migraine headache, ocular ailments, lung infections, and so forth.

There are a variety of naturopathic home remedies that have been found as being quite efficient, just like Allium cepa, a blood-red onion extract, as well as Chamomilla, which is an extraction from chamomile, among many others is used for handling skin conditions and breakouts. An additional useful homeopathy solution called Apis is formed from bees, and is made use of for treating migraine headaches.

The Importance of Calcium for the Human Body

The mineral calcium is the most abundantly found mineral in the human body. And we all know that along with phosphorous and Vitamin D, it is essential for strong teeth and bones. The average adult human body will contain as much as one kilogram of this mineral. Almost all of it is in the bones and teeth. Some amount of it is used by the body to ensure proper muscle contraction, blood clotting, and maintaining neurotransmission.

There exist many sources of dietary calcium and supplements can be easily purchased as over the counter medication; however, these should be taken under medical guidance. Milk and milk products are amongst the best known natural sources of calcium. However, there are many people who are lactose intolerant. Fortunately, for such people there is choice from leafy greens; nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, etc; seaweed; blackstrap molasses; and fish whose bones can be consumed easily. It is also possible to obtain it from fortified products such as juices and breads.

The most commonly used calcium supplement is calcium carbonate. This supplement should ideally be taken with food. It is cheap and contains a good amount of elemental calcium. It may be a good idea to take vitamin D supplements to improve calcium absorption by the body. Calcium supplements can also contain calcium citrate, calcium lactate, and calcium phosphate. Calcium citrate is expensive and does not contain as much elemental calcium as calcium carbonate.

An excess of calcium levels in the blood signifies a condition known as hypercalcemia. The condition can be caused by an increase in the amount of calcium intake and insufficient calcium excretion by the kidneys. Another reason is when the bones start leeching calcium into the blood. High calcium blood values should be brought under control as early as possible in order to avoid complications such as kidney stones, abdominal pain, polyuria, and even psychiatric disorders.

Hypocalcemia, on the other hand, indicates low levels of calcium in the blood. This condition is a symptom of parathyroid hormone deficiency.

As mentioned earlier, calcium intake is essential for bone health and maintaining bone density. Low levels of calcium in the body can lead to osteoporosis. Bone loss is a serious issue that senior citizens and post-menopausal women face. A regimen of proper diet and exercise is essential to keep bones strong. People with osteoporosis are at greater risk of bone fractures, particularly of the wrist and hip.

The lowest-mortality BMI: What is the role of nutrient intake from food?

In a previous post (), I discussed the frequently reported lowest-mortality body mass index (BMI), which is about 26. The empirical results reviewed in that post suggest that fat-free mass plays an important role in that context. Keep in mind that this "BMI=26 phenomenon" is often reported in studies of populations from developed countries, which are likely to be relatively sedentary. This is important for the point made in this post.


A lowest-mortality BMI of 26 is somehow at odds with the fact that many healthy and/or long-living populations have much lower BMIs. You can clearly see this in the distribution of BMIs among males in Kitava and Sweden shown in the graph below, from a study by Lindeberg and colleagues (). This distribution is shifted in such a way that would suggest a much lower BMI of lowest-mortality among the Kitavans, assuming a U-curve shape similar to that observed in studies of populations from developed countries ().

Another relevant example comes from the China Study II (see, e.g., ), which is based on data from 8000 adults. The `verage BMI in the China Study II dataset, with data from the 1980s, is approximately 21; for an average weight that is about 116 lbs. That BMI is relatively uniform across Chinese counties, including those with the lowest mortality rates. No county has an average BMI that is 26; not even close. This also supports the idea that Chinese people were, at least during that period, relatively thin.


Now take a look at the graph below, also based on the China Study II dataset, from a previous post (), relating total daily calorie intake with longevity. I should note that the relationship between total daily calorie intake and longevity depicted in this graph is not really statistically significant. Still, the highest longevity seems to be in the second tercile of total daily calorie intake.

Again, the average weight in the dataset is about 116 lbs. A conservative estimate of the number of calories needed to maintain this weight without any physical activity would be about 1740. Add about 700 calories to that, for a reasonable and healthy level of physical activity, and you get 2440 calories needed daily for weight maintenance. That is right in the middle of the second tercile, the one with the highest longevity.


What does this have to do with the lowest-mortality BMI of 26 from studies of samples from developed countries? Populations in these countries are likely to be relatively sedentary, at least on average, in which case a low BMI will be associated with a low total calorie intake. And a low total calorie intake will lead to a low intake of nutrients needed by the body to fight disease.


And don’t think you can fix this problem by consuming lots of vitamin and mineral pills. When I refer here to a higher or lower nutrient intake, I am not talking only about micronutrients, but also about macronutrients (fatty and amino acids) in amounts that are needed by your body. Moreover, important micronutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamins, cannot be properly absorbed without certain macronutrients, such as fat.


Industrial nutrient isolation for supplementation use has not been a very successful long-term strategy for health optimization (). On the other hand, this type of supplementation has indeed been found to have had modest-to-significant success in short-term interventions aimed at correcting acute health problems caused by severe nutritional deficiencies ().


So the "BMI=26 phenomenon" may be a reflection not of a direct effect of high muscularity on health, but of an indirect effect mediated by a high intake of needed nutrients among sedentary folks. This may be so even though the lowest mortality is for the combination of that BMI with a relatively small waist (), which suggests some level of muscularity, but not necessarily serious bodybuilder-level muscularity. High muscularity, of the serious bodybuilder type, is not very common; at least not enough to significantly sway results based on the analysis of large samples.


The combination of a BMI=26 with a relatively small waist is indicative of more muscle and less body fat. Having more muscle and less body fat has an advantage that is rarely discussed. It allows for a higher total calorie intake, and thus a higher nutrient intake, without an unhealthy increase in body fat. Muscle mass increases one's caloric requirement for weight maintenance, more so than body fat. Body fat also increases that caloric requirement, but it also acts like an organ, secreting a number of hormones into the bloodstream, and becoming pro-inflammatory in an unhealthy way above a certain level.


Clearly having a low body fat percentage is associated with lower incidence of degenerative diseases, but it will likely lead to a lower intake of nutrients relative to one’s needs unless other factors are present, e.g., being fairly muscular or physically active. Chronic low nutrient intake tends to get people closer to the afterlife like nothing else ().


In this sense, having a BMI=26 and being relatively sedentary (without being skinny-fat) has an effect that is similar to that of having a BMI=21 and being fairly physically active. Both would lead to consumption of more calories for weight maintenance, and thus more nutrients, as long as nutritious foods are eaten.