Tag: Fitness

If you are making a weight loss resolution in January and are worried you won’t succeed, it is time to do something really constructive.

Truth to be told, millions of people make weight loss resolutions every New Year; going by the number of “resolution-takers”, one would believe that obesity would vanish the following year.

However, less than 10% of these people are actually able to keep their resolutions throughout the rest of the year. In this article I will offer you three tips on how to keep your weight loss resolution intact despite all odds.

There are a few reasons why most people fail to keep their New Year resolutions:

They don’t set realistic goals: How can you ever achieve your resolutions if they are unachievable? If your goal is to “lose all the extra as quickly as possible”, I can guarantee that you would be struggling forever with little or no success. On the other hand, if you make a goal of losing a percentage of your body , and follow a healthy diet program, you would achieve permanent weight loss.

Keep in mind that there is no legitimate “fast weight loss” solution that would help you lose FAT, the thing you actually need to lose to become slimmer. What most of these fad diets do is to burn your valuable muscles and make you dehydrated, both of which are harmful for proper functioning of your body. Realize that if you eat healthy and exercise regularly, that is all you need to lose the extra . You won’t even need to waste money on any diet program or supplement.

They aim big: Most people make the mistake of aiming for too much and consequently, end up achieving too little. Keep your goals short and you would see how quickly you are able to lose .

An example of a short goal is this: let’s say that the total you need to lose is about 20 pounds. Instead of aiming to lose 20 pounds which would take a long time, why not set a goal to lose just five pounds? You would be able to lose that much in less than three weeks. This would keep you motivated to lose more and more , and even before you realize it, you would become slimmer and fitter.

They don’t reward themselves: You won’t have any incentive to continue with your weight loss program if you don’t reward yourself from time to time. Think about it: have you ever really worked hard in life without any incentive? I don’t think so. The same logic holds true for weight loss.

Keep in mind that “reward” doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of junk and fatty foods; you could reward yourself in many other creative ways such as getting a manicure or haircut done, visiting a spa, buying yourself a new pair of shoes, new clothes, ornaments, etc.

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Peppermint is a plant. The leaf and oil are used as medicine.

Peppermint is one of the most widely consumed single ingredient herbal teas, or tisanes. Peppermint tea, brewed from the plant leaves, and the essential oil of peppermint are used in traditional medicines.

The phenolic constituents of the leaves include rosmarinic acid and several flavonoids, primarily eriocitrin, luteolin and hesperidin. The main volatile components of the essential oil are menthol and menthone.

History of Peppermint as a Supplement

The herb peppermint, a cross between water mint and spearmint grows throughout Europe and North America. Peppermint is often used to flavor foods, and the leaves can be used fresh or dried in teas.

Today, peppermint oil is used as a remedy for nausea, indigestion, cold symptoms, headaches, muscle and nerve pain, stomach problems, and bowel conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Peppermint definitely has a history as a supplemental herb that can help different conditions although it should be noted that back in 1990 the FDA pulled it off the market as a digestive aid. Funny enough people still use peppermint for exactly that.

Essential oil of peppermint may be found in very small doses in capsule or liquid forms. The essential oil can also be diluted with another oil and applied to the skin.

However, human studies of peppermint leaf are limited and clinical trials of peppermint tea are absent. Adverse reactions to peppermint tea have not been reported, although caution has been urged for peppermint oil therapy in patients with GI reflux, hiatal hernia or kidney stones.

Natural Remedies Using Peppermint

Peppermint has significant antimicrobial and antiviral activities, strong antioxidant and antitumor actions, and some antiallergenic potential.

Peppermint has been shown by many people to be effective for the following:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Although some older studies suggest that peppermint oil does not affect IBS, most research shows that taking peppermint oil by mouth reduces stomach pain, bloating, gas, and bowel movements in people with IBS as well as upset stomach, diarrhea, bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine, and gas.

Human studies on the GI, respiratory tract and analgesic effects of peppermint oil and its constituents have been reported. Several clinical trials examining the effects of peppermint oil on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms have been conducted.

Relaxing the colon during medical exams, including barium enemas. Using peppermint oil as an ingredient in enemas seems to relax the colon during barium enema examinations. Also, taking peppermint oil by mouth before the start of a barium enema also seems to decrease spasms.

Breastfeeding discomfort. Research suggests that breastfeeding women who apply peppermint oil on their skin have less cracked skin and pain in the nipple area.

Heartburn . Taking peppermint oil by mouth together with caraway oil seems to reduce feelings of fullness and stomach spasms. A specific combination product containing peppermint (Iberogast, Medical Futures, Inc) also seems to improve symptoms of heartburn, including severity of acid reflux, stomach pain, cramping, nausea, and vomiting. The combination includes peppermint leaf plus clown’s mustard plant, German chamomile, caraway, licorice, milk thistle, angelica, celandine, and lemon balm.

Spasms caused by endoscopy. Research shows that peppermint oil can reduce pain and spasms in people undergoing endoscopy, a procedure used to see within the gastrointestinal tract.

Migraine headache. Applying a peppermint solution to the skin at the start of a migraine and again 30 minutes later seems to increase the percentage of patients who experience headache resolution.

Tension headache. Applying peppermint oil to the skin seems to help relieve tension headaches.

Breathing Problems. Peppermint is used for the common cold, cough, inflammation of the mouth and throat, sinus infections, and respiratory infections. Some people inhale peppermint oil for treating symptoms of cough and colds, and as a painkiller.

Side Effects and Cautions When Using Peppermint

Peppermint oil appears to be safe for most adults when used in small doses. Possible side effects include allergic reactions and heartburn.

Capsules containing peppermint oil are often coated to reduce the likelihood of heartburn. If they are taken at the same time as medicines such as antacids, this coating can break down more quickly, thus increasing the risk of heartburn.

Tell all your health care providers about any complementary health practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Study on Peppermint and Sports Exercise Performance

I ran across a study done just a little while ago on the effectiveness of peppermint in exercise. Although sports performance is definitely “off label” for peppermint I was struck by the effect that it had.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of peppermint ingestion on the physiological parameters and exercise performance after 5 min and 1 h.

Thirty healthy male university students were randomly divided into two groups. Maximum isometric grip force, vertical and long jumps, spirometric parameters, visual and audio reaction times, blood pressure, heart rate, and breath rate were recorded three times: before, five minutes, and one hour after single dose oral administration of 50 µl of peppermint essential oil.

The results revealed significant improvement in all of the variables after oral administration of peppermint essential oil. Experimental group compared with control group showed an incremental and a significant increase in the grip force (36.1%), standing vertical jump (7.0%), and standing long jump (6.4%).

Data obtained from the experimental group after five minutes exhibited a significant increase in the forced vital capacity in first second (35.1%), peak inspiratory flow rate (66.4%), and peak expiratory flow rate (65.1%).

After one hour, only peak inspiratory flow rate showed a significant increase as compare with the baseline and control group. At both times, visual and audio reaction times were significantly decreased.

Physiological parameters were also significantly improved after five minutes. A considerable enhancement in the grip force, spiromery, and other parameters were the important findings of this study.

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One of the tricks to losing while still enjoying your favorite foods is to get rid of the extra calories in your favorite foods while still keeping the “comfort food” aspect.

If you give it some thought, you will most likely find many ways to do this with your favorite recipes and cultural comfort foods – or even your favorite fast foods.

Going out to eat does not have to stop just because you are attempting to lose weight. What trying to lose weight does mean is that you have to substitute one meal for another, or one side for another.

Restaurant Food Switching Tricks

This might not mean that you get your favorite meals, but this does not mean you have to eat only salads.

1. One big calorie savings for me was to buy an air popper for pop corn. You can, if you want, sprinkle it with something flavorful spice like chili powder or another favorite spice, or even a product like Molly McButter if you miss that buttery flavor. This switch is good when you want something savory and crunchy.

2. At Papa John’s Pizza, you can save 50 calories a slice by ordering the Thin Crust Pizza with Pepperoni (260 calories a slice) instead of the Original Crust Pizza with Pepperoni (310 calories a slice). Every little bit helps!

3. Chili’s Restaurants make a wonderful onion dish called the Awesome Blossom and serve it with an great sauce. But, even if you share it with three friends, the calorie count is very high. You would be better off getting an order of onion rings at a fast food joint to get that “onion” craving out of your system.

4. At Wendy’s if you want to save calories and are getting tired of always having to chose Chicken, you will be happy to know that you will save 300 calories if you order a Junior Cheeseburger instead of a Chicken Club Sandwich. That will be a big help when you’re looking’ for the beef!

5. At Quizno’s Subs, their Baja Chicken small sub with cheese and dressing weighs in at 490 calories whereas their Chicken Carbonara small sub gives you a calorie boost to 570 calories! A saving of 80 calories!

6. Craving cheese but think you must always give it up? Not so at Applebee’s. You can save 805 calories by eating their Tortilla Chicken Melt (from their Appetizer menu) instead of their Fiesta Lime Chicken.

7. At Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, if you go for an Original Pretzel at 370 calories you will save 80 calories over the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel.

8. Back to Wendy’s! An easy way to save 250 calories is to have their Garden Sensations Caesar Chicken Salad instead of the Southwest Taco Salad.

9. At the world-famous White Castle, you can save 131 calories by swapping Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (169 calories) for their French Fries (300 calories). And, if you substitute the Double Bacon Cheeseburger (360 calories) with the Double White Castle burger (290 calories) you will save another 70 calories.

10. I love Del Taco, and there are wise choices that can be made here, too. For example, if you chose to have a 1/2 Pound Green Burrito (430 calories) you will save 620 calories over the Macho Combination Burrito (1030 calories)! Also, their fantastic Chicken Taco Del Carbon (170 calories) is a better choice than their Steak Taco Del Carbon (220 calories).

11. Next time you order a salad, try swapping from “grilled chicken” to “blackened chicken.” At most places, this will trim down your meal by several hundred calories, especially if the dressing is “on the side” as opposed to on the salad.

12. Ice cream is often one of the first things to go on a diet. By swapping ice cream flavors–even within the same delicious brand–you can save yourself hundreds of calories next time you snack. Remember to watch your portions.

13. Burger King offers their dieters a smaller box of chicken tenders. This has 580 fewer calories than the Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich. Be careful though, this is not including toppings and sauces.

14. Next time you go out for ice cream, consider getting soft serve, rather than a malt. You could save as much as 700 calories! This is not including any toppings, and the toppings will then add more calories to the treat.

15. The buttermilk pancakes at Denny’s could also save you more than 800 calories when you pick them over some of the other breakfast alternatives, such as the French toast. This is again without toppings, including butter, syrup or jams.

16. When getting pancakes or French toast, consider getting sugar free jam to go on the meal instead of syrup and butter. This will help to reduce the calories significantly.

17. Starbuck’s Coffee is too good to give up, so instead switch the milk from whole milk to skim and eliminate the whipped cream. Ask for the sugar free syrups instead of the sugary syrups.

18. Subway is overall healthy, but it can be made more healthy by swapping the bread from Italian Herbs and Cheese to Flat Bread.

19. Taco Bell is rarely healthy, but by ordering the meal Fresco style. This means the cheese and sauces on the meal are cut out, but the meat and flavor is still there. Tomatoes and seasoning are still available with this style.

20. Olive Garden’s Italian foods can be made healthier by swapping from boring Spaghetti and Meatballs for Linguine al Marinara for a total savings of 710 calories.

Don’t be afraid to eat out at your favorite food establishments, just order intelligently.

These different foods do not cause you to sacrifice flavor, but rather opens you up to a whole host of different, healthy foods. Hopefully this will help you stick to your weight loss goals and be healthier.

Enjoy your time eating out with friends and family while not feeling guilty about your weight loss program.

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