Art Of Kissing And Its Health Benefits

Everyone is infatuated with romantic scenes in movies especially if there are kissing involved. Like in movies, we express our emotions and love through many ways. One way of expressing love is through kissing. Did you know that kissing alone have many health benefits? This article will give you tips on how kissing can improve your over all health.
When people kiss, they actually releasing high level of stress hormones that releases tension. This makes them mentally relax and comfortable. It keeps their mental state peaceful, away from discomfort and problems. It is good to know that kissing activity has both mental and oral benefits.

First, kissing can give you confidence and will improve your self-esteem. It can make you feel good physically, giving you a boost in your confidence level. Kissing is an act that could mean forgiveness, love or appreciation. Its a universal language that can bound attitude and other differences in life. So when people kiss, they become one in many aspects of life.
Second, a kiss can help burn calories. Some experts suggests that the longer you kiss, the more you burn calories. As you know, too much calories can make you gain weight faster. An average 5 minutes kiss is enough to help you lose 3 calories. So if you want to lose weight, focus more on kissing activity.
Kissing is also good for the heart. When people kiss, high levels of adrenalin are activated into the bloodstream which results our hearts to pump more than usual. This are very beneficial to the heart and can avoid many cardiovascular including the dreaded heart attack.
Another benefits is for your skin health. When people kiss, movements take place in the muscles and skin of the facial area. This helps improve blood circulation into the skin which helps making the skin smooth and healthy.
Oral benefits is the most popular benefit. The exchange of saliva during a kissing activity can fuse natural antibiotics. This development can help prevent abdominal infections such as bladder and stomach pains. Kissing can also help increase the production of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are essential nutrients for the proper functioning of our nerve cells, much more powerful than morphine.

Recent study shows that people who often kiss are most likely to live a few more years than those who are not. So remember that kissing passionately has many benefits..

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Why You Can’t Lose Weight

Why Bother With Breakfast?

They say ignorance is bliss but there are times when ignorance of people makes me sad. One such instance is when people do not think breakfast is important and chose not to include it in their routine. It is said that one should eat like a king for breakfast, queen for lunch and popper for dinner.

Unfortunately for many people, for reasons of their own, dinner happens to be the biggest meal and breakfast is the first one to be skipped. I have always believed that to a large degree, you are what you eat so I think food plays an important part in one's life, especially the quality of life. That is one of the reasons why I take time and effort to not just prepare good food but also to write a lot about it so I spread some awareness in whatever little way I can. Reason I say it makes me sad is because the effects of skipping breakfast may not be seen immediately. But over time one will have to face the consequences. When some of my friends say they do not have breakfast I feel bad because they are not doing any good for their body. In this article I hope to summarise what I have read and understood about the importance of breakfast and also some simple yet quick breakfast ideas to make it easier for you.
Let us look at the impact of having or not having breakfast to better understand why bother with breakfast
1. Weight management - many believe that skipping breakfast so they reduce calories would help them lose weight. It cannot be farther from the truth. When we sleep during the night, our body slows down, so metabolism slows down. When we have something to eat in the morning, we are effectively giving the signal to the body that the day has begun and metabolism should increase. However, people who skip breakfast deny their body of this signal so they feel sluggish as they continue until lunch with slow metabolism. When one feels sluggish and tired, one tends to work less, physically and in turn burns fewer calories. Also, when the body is deprived of food for a long while, cravings begin, especially sugar cravings. This is when we feel like snacking on a chocolate bar or a big fat muffin or cakes etc. This effectively increases the calorie consumption. In summary, a slow metabolism, tired body burning lesser calories and high calorie/fat snacks effectively contribute to weight gain and not weight loss. We all keep hearing about the numerous health problems that can come with being overweight, especially risk of heart diseases and skipping breakfast can potentially lead to being overweight.
2. Lowered cognition - studies have said to have shown that children who have breakfast fare better in problem solving than children who skip breakfast.

Remember that it is not just the rest of the body that gets energy from digested food but also the brain. When the brain is low on energy, one cannot expect it to function effectively. Some studies also show that children who skip breakfast are more likely to have problems concentrating and also have problems with memory when compared with children who have breakfast.
3. Type 2 diabetes - skipping breakfast is said to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If one is already diabetic, it is all the more important to keep sugar fluctuations low which means the body has to be fed at regular intervals. Diabetes is a state of the body that is not particularly easy to manage as the complications of diabetes can be very serious from losing eye sight, heart attacks, having to be amputated. If one is already overweight, the complications get even worse. The effect of diabetes may not be known immediately but the body will be deteriorating gradually. Keeping the blood sugar under control is absolutely important while living with diabetes and skipping meals, that too breakfast will be highly counter-productive for diabetes management.
4. Menstrual irregularities - some studies are said to have shown that girls/women who skip breakfast are likely to have irregular periods.
5. Poor mood - low glucose is said to be responsible for irritability fatigue and tiredness. Some studies show that people who skip breakfast snap at others more easily.
To me the risk of weight gain (and all associated health risks due to being overweight) and risk of diabetes alone are enough to make me run for my breakfast. When it comes to children, it is very important to set up healthy eating habit at an early stage and for that, having breakfast is important. With children getting less and less playtime and exercise these days it is all the more important for them to eat healthy. There is no point in sending them to school to learn stuff if they cannot concentrate and as parents, we need to give them adequate support to enable them to learn. Hopefully, by now you are at least thinking about having breakfast.
I come from a tamil Brahmin family and Brahmin meal plan is quite well known because most of them have a big mid morning meal, later in the afternoon a tiffin or lighter meal is consumed while dinner sometimes is liquid intake or fruits or some cereals, if not curd rice. Reason I mention that is that although some people criticise them for having a heavy meal that early, what modern day dieticians are advising is pretty much similar - have a big breakfast. The meal would normally consist of rice (carbohydrates), dal (protein), vegetables (vitamins and minerals) and ghee (fat) and unless I got it all wrong, this is what constitutes a balanced meal. At this day and age, we barely have the time to make all these before we walk out of the doors to work and neither would our working hours allow such a schedule. So, what are some quick breakfast solutions you could try.
1. Oats porridge - boil a couple of tablespoon of oats in water until it is done (regular oats is better than quick cooking and honestly does not take much time to cook anyway). If you like it sweet, add some milk, sugar or honey or any other sensible sweetener of choice. If you like savory, then add some buttermilk and little salt and consume. Either way, have a banana or any other fruit of choice.
2. Breakfast shake - milk shake or smoothies make great breakfast. Blend a banana sweetened with date syrup or any other natural sweetener (avoid synthetic sweetners or refined sugar) along with some milk. Top with crushed nuts and drink. Adding oat milk instead of cow's milk can help reduce calories and fat and also lend to fibre intake. You could try the same with apple too. You could also use a spoon of wheat germ as topping.
3. Muffin - having a low sugar, bran loaded muffin is a great way to fill you up for the morning. Top a healthy muffin with berries and eat along with a glass of juice. Plenty of healthy muffin recipes are available, try making enough over the weekend itself. I would say it probably takes about 10 minutes to make the muffin batter and about 20 minutes baking time and that would be your breakfast sorted for a week!
4. Breakfast sandwich - you could make these with leftovers too. You could use chapattis or pita breads or wholemeal breads and stuff them with left over sabjis or any vegetable of choice. Over the weekends I tend to quickly sauté grated courgette, spice it with cumin, chilly and coriander powder and make a grilled wholemeal sandwich. This helps me get one of my five a day vegetables as well. You can try the same with paneer or grated cauliflower, cabbage etc. Peanut butter sandwich is a good option as well.
5. Toast and beans - beans also contribute to one of five a day. This option is okay if you have the time to sit down and have your breakfast.
6. Low fat flapjacks - I make my own flapjack which is a bit more chewy than regular ones. I use very little brown sugar but add dry fruits and dates syrup to sweeten instead. Believe it or not small portions of these oats rich almost no added fat flapjacks are a great start to the day.
7. Multi grain porridge - back home it is common practice for moms to make a multi grain powder. It usually consists or wheat, barley, finger millet, sago, almonds and cardamom for flavouring. One can add couple of heaped spoons of this to water, bring to boil while stirring, add jaggery or sugar and milk.

8. Healthy pancakes - make your own pancake mix by adding either the above mentioned porridge powder or wholewheat powder along with some millet powder. Add mashed banana or pureed apple or blueberries, if you want it sweeter, add syrup like dates syrup to make a batter. I tend to skip the baking powder or soda bicarb as it inhibits nutrition absorption. You could add little all purpose flour to ease flipping the pancake. Pour the batter on hot tava and drizzle oil/butter/ghee. Cook both sides, eat.
9. Bread omelet - beat an egg and add salt and required vegetables like tomato, onion, mushroom etc. and make an omelet. Grab couple of toasts and a glass of juice. Having protein earlier in the day is said to be better than later.

10. Museli - combine wheat flakes, oat flakes, rye flakes, barley flakes with some dry fruits like raisins, currants, seeds like pumpkin seed. Serve with seasonal fruits and milk.
11. Quick French toast - cut couple of bread slices into four triangles each. Dip them in beaten egg (season it as needed) and cook on hot tava. Drizzle some oil or butter while cooking. Cook both sides and that's a good breakfast on the go.
12. Millet gruel - Millet is usually considered poor man's food but truth is many people who work hard physically have ragi gruel often for breakfast. It keeps them full for long although they are involved in intense work. One way of preparing is similar to multi grain porridge mentioned previously. Another method is to mix it with some buttermilk and let it sit overnight. Next morning add little water if needed and cook while stirring, until it is shiny. Season with salt and drink. Millets are low fat protein sources.
I hope at least one or two of the above options suit your taste and timing. On weekends one can indulge a bit more by making cooked breakfast and a number of such recipes are available on my blog as well.
Make healthy choices for your life, remember, prevention is better than cure. One can skip any meal, but not breakfast regardless of whether one is hungry or not. For the other meals you can go as per your body, eat when hungry but breakfast is an exception. Do not wait for the 'right' day to start having breakfast, there is no bad time to do the right thing. Live long, live happy, live healthy!

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Military Diet: Lose 10 Pounds In 3 Days

Healthy Eating While Traveling

Sticking to healthy foods while traveling can be one of the most difficult things to do in your life. If you learn how to make smart choices, then healthy eating is really not that difficult. This is probably not the best time to start a healthy eating program, but if you are currently making healthy choices in your foods already, modifying your diet slightly to accommodate travel is not as it first may seem.
When you are traveling by airplane, you may have to eat airplane food which can often be of poor quality, depending on the selection. When you book your flight, ask about your food options and ask if a vegetarian dish is available. Vegetarian dishes are sometimes more nutritional in this case, but it really depends on what they will be serving. If you can eat a larger meal before your flight, you don't have to eat the meal that is served.

When driving or taking a bus, you may be tempted to stop at fast food restaurants. Avoid this whenever possible! If you're on vacation, you may wish to splurge a tiny bit, but having fast foods more than once during a week can really be bad for you. If you must, choose the healthiest options available chicken breasts and diet soda is good choices.
Remember that you can take your own food when traveling. Carrying a loaf of whole-wheat bread or pita wraps, some lean lunch meat, and low-fat cheese in a cooler is a great way to avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol junk food meals. These are much better choices and you'll save a lot of money as well. Call ahead to ask if there will be a refrigerator in your hotel room.
Lastly, make smart choices when you eat out. If you choose salads or pasta get the dressing on the side and ask about low-carb options. In fact, many places print these options directly in the menu for the health conscious people. Control your portions by ordering lunch menu sizes or splitting the meal in half and don't forget to get a doggie bag. You'll be well on your way to healthy eating, even away from home.
Yes, eating healthy foods when you travel can be a challenge. Your health is worth it. When you eat good foods, you will also fight off illnesses that you are likely to encounter when traveling and you will be more alert so that you can enjoy your trip.
Healthy Eating and Peer Pressure
Whether you are on a diet or simply enjoying a healthy lifestyle, you probably know that peer pressure to eat foods that are not good for you, is a major part of your life. If you are concerned about the food that goes into your stomach, don't worry, there are ways to overcome peer pressure. It simply takes a little know-how to get people off your back!
Parties are a major source of peer pressure, especially with alcohol. Alcohol contains hundreds of calories in just one drink take beer for an example: "one beer equals a loaf of bread" so when you go to a party, people might be pressuring you to have a drink and relax. It can be difficult to say no when they are constantly trying to convince you. Offer to go with to a bar instead. That way, you become the designated driver, they won't want you to drink and drive, in fact, they will not pressurise you to drink. It's a win-win situation for everyone.
Other times when you may feel under pressure to eat, is at work, when the boss orders lunch for everyone at a meeting or when you have to visit a client. Instead of giving in to temptation, simply politely decline the food by letting your boss know in advance or order a meal that is healthy and split the portion in half so you have a meal for tomorrow's lunch as well.
Baby showers, weddings, birthday parties, and other special events can also wreak havoc on your diet, even if you are good at resisting temptation on your own. When someone hands you a piece of cake and won't take no for an answer, it can be difficult to know what to say! Here a little white lie might be appropriate. For instance, say that your stomach was upset earlier in the day, will convince a person that you don't want to eat at the moment or pretending to have a chocolate allergy, will get people to allow you to enjoy the party without a hassle surrounding food.
Refusing bad foods is fine, you should be eating good foods.
If you do not change your eating habits, disorders can develop, which will give your family, friends and doctor a real reason to be worried about your health. It's ok to say no to peer pressure, but don't say no to food in general!



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Lose Weight Fast with LEMON, GINGER Weight Loss Detox Tea

Healthy Low Calorie Foods

'Calorie' is unit of measurement for energy. 1 calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise 1 kilogram of water 1 degree of centigrade. Which means, the higher the calorie contained in food, the more energy it will release when burned. Low calorie food is the main key to lower body weight.
The fact is, high calories are caused by high amount of fat in foods. The order of macronutrients of food is separated into 3 types (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Out of these 3, for every gram of fat, 9 calories are produced while for every gram of carbohydrates and protein only 4 calories are produced. Fat itself are separated into 3 different types: saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated.

Fish is one example of low calorie foods. Many types of fish contain less than 1 gram of fat per 100g of meat. Chicken is another good low calorie food. Depending on how you cook it and part of chicken, 100grams of meat may contain as little as 1 to 2 grams of fat.
Did you know that for every time you dine in restaurant, you are eating easily 1000 - 2000 calories! Furthermore, this meal may contain up to 100 grams of fat.
Below is a list of foods that are low in calorie and fat.
Food#1: Nuts and seeds. For a protein boost, eat small unsalted serving. This food however, is nutritional dense.
Food#2: Dairy product. Parmesan cheese, low-fat milk, and yogurt are healthy option to get protein. However it is high in fat and should be consumed moderately.
Food#3: vegetables. Vegetables contain high protein and low in fat. Vegetables are healthy choice for low calorie diets.
Food #4: Tofu. Tofu contains little fat and up to 10 grams of protein per serving. It is also high in nutritional value.

Furthermore, here are some tips that will lower your food calories.
Tips #1: Replace butter, margarine, and hard fats with low fat spreads or polyunsaturated margarine.
Tips #2: Place meat on rack when grilling or roasting meat. This allows the fat to drain.
Tips #3: Use tofu or beans as alternate protein source. They are low in calorie and cheaper.
Tips #4: When cooking meats, always trim away visible fats and skins.
Tips #5: Eats out less often and eat more home cooked meals. Home cooked meals are healthier.

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Top Health Benefits of Honey

A completely natural sweetener, it dates back more than hundreds of years, yet the health benefits of honey are still not widely known even today. Healthier and more pure than artificial sweeteners or sugar, honey provides more than a taste for the sweet tooth; honey benefits your health and your body inside and out.
History of Honey
Records can not definitively state how long honey has existed. Some believe honey dates back farther than 20 millions years, but honey bee fossils cause reason to believe that date could extend to over 150 millions years. Cave paintings in Spain suggest that beekeeping began approximately around 7000 B.C. and Egyptian records from 2400 B.C. provide evidence of their culture keeping bees in hives.
The Egyptians used honey in more ways than one. As well as its common use as a sweetener, Egyptians gave honey as a gift to their gods and used it as a component of their embalming fluid. The Romans also gave honey to their gods and were known to cover physical wounds in honey to cure and promote natural healing. The Romans and Greeks both utilized honey as a form of cooking but around the turn of the seventeenth century, honey became primarily used as a sweetener.
Honey Production
So, how do bees produce honey? The process begins at the flower as the bee gathers the flower's nectar. The majority of nectar is water and a minority is complex sugars. Bees need to store and make the sugar usable, so the bees alter the nectar changing it into honey. To complete this task, a worker bee that has a full stomach of nectar flies to the hive to regurgitate the modified nectar for a hive bee. Then, the hive bee ingests the nectar to break down the sugars. Once the hive bee has completed that task, he regurgitates the nectar into a cell of the comb. The hive bees are responsible for beating their wings in order to evaporate any remaining water; once complete, the sugar converts to honey. In a lifetime, a worker bee produces 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, but when bees in a colony work together, more than 200 pounds of honey are produced within one year.

Honeybees' hard work provides us with a healthy and beneficial food. All in all, it consists of 80% natural sugars, 18% water, and 2% vitamins, minerals, and pollen. Keep in mind, honey does not expire because it does not harbor bacteria, so you can keep it on your shelf for as long as necessary!
Health Benefits of Honey
It is nature's energy booster due to its carbohydrates; these carbohydrates provide energy, as well as strength. Athletes, in particular, benefit from honey due to its ability to create endurance and decrease fatigue. The glucose found in honey plays a role, also, as the body rapidly absorbs it to give immediate energy. On the other hand, the fructose in honey is absorbed at a slower rate to give sustained energy. As opposed to refined sugar, honey keeps the body's sugar levels somewhat constant, instead of spiking the blood sugar which causes an energy crash.
It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and contains antioxidants to help boost the body's immunity. Raw honey has approximately 5,000 enzymes and numerous vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. Honey helps fight respiratory problems and has increased the quality of life in cancer patients.
Unlike refined white sugar, it contains no empty calories. Use honey in place of white sugar to reduce blood sugar spikes and to fill those empty calories with vitamins and minerals. In addition, honey has been noted to suppress appetite. One teaspoon of honey contains approximately 21 calories and is sweeter than sugar, which means you are able to use less for the same sweetening effect potentially promoting weight loss.
When applied topically, the properties of honey have the ability to heal wounds including burns and ulcers. The two sugars found in honey, fructose and glucose, attract water so that when honey is applied to a wound, honey absorbs the water into the wound. This action dries out the wound to inhibit and deter bacterial growth.


Top Ten Ways to Cook and Eat Honey

1. Use in your hot tea as a healthy sweetener.
2. Mix into your plain yogurt instead of buying a less healthy, pre-sweetened yogurt.
3. Spread a slice of toast with peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon to jumpstart your morning routine.
4. Instead of sprinkling sugar over your cereal, drizzle it with honey.
5. Substitute it for sugar in cookie, bread, and muffin recipes.
6. Use it as a seasoning for meat. Apply honey to chicken or pork chops before cooking to give the meat a unique flavor.
7. Create a dressing with olive oil, vinegar, and honey to use on top of salads.
8. Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert.
9. Add honey and lemon with hot water as a refreshing, soothing drink.
10. Eat it straight from the comb! Take a bite out of the comb and chew it like chewing gum. The more you chew, the more honey will come out of the honey comb. When all of the honey is out of the comb, spit out or swallow the wax; the wax is safe to eat and is non-toxic.

Take Caution
Although it is a healthy addition to any diet, certain individuals should take precautions. For instance, children under the age of one should not ingest honey; it contains spores that can cause a life-threatening and paralyzing disease called infant botulism.
Persons with pollen allergies should take caution when eating it; although, serious reactions are rare. Most honey sold in stores is filtered and pasteurized, which lowers the amount of pollen in the honey. If one does have a pollen allergy, eating it straight from the comb should be avoided, as it is in its natural form.
How to Choose Honey
To reap the full benefits, choose raw honey. The raw version has not been filtered or pasteurized, which means that it has not been striped of its powerful vitamins and minerals. To choose the highest quality and gain the full health benefits of honey, look for one that states, "100% Raw" and enjoy your path to nutritional sweetness!

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Lose Weight Before Christmas Time!

With Christmas only a few weeks away, it is still not too late to lose those unwanted pounds and get fit for the festive season.
Before you start on an effective fat burning regime, you need to first get into the right state of mind and put your entire focus on your goal for the next few weeks.
And what is more - I am going to do it with you! I had surgery to pin my foot together after an accident, so put on a few pounds while I was out of action - so it's time for me to get back on the bike - literally!
Step 1
Set you fat burning goal.
How much weight do you REALISTICALLY want to shed before Christmas?
I am setting my target at one stone - roughly 2 pounds a week. My motivation will be how I will look and feel by the time Christmas arrives, and the fact that the timescale is short. You have to choose what will work for you

Step 2
Decide on your fat burning exercise programme. There are hundreds that you can choose from, so let me make it easy. Fat burning is best achieved through a combination of careful eating (note - not Dieting!) and an effective fat burning exercise programme. Head over to the website at the end of the article for a free video showing you how to do this:
Step 3
Having chosen an effective fat burning exercise process, now you need to make the right food choices. Aim to take at least 1200 calories a day, but you may need more depending on your size and metabolism. It has been proven that 1200 a day will assist the loss of about 2 pounds a week, without stressing your body or making you feel hungry.
So, what should you be eating?

• Let's start by what you should avoid over the next few weeks. Steer clear of fat - obvious but necessary. So you will need to bin the chips, fried food and anything else with a high fat content.


• Look for lean meat and fish to provide you with the protein that you will need. Grilled chicken is also a great source of protein and like many of these types of lean food, will help you to feel fuller for longer and provide you with the fat burning fuel for your exercise regime


• Make sure you get your 5 a day - fruit and veg. If you feel the need to snack, use fruit as a healthy alternative to stuff like cake, biscuits and crisps.


• Stay hydrated. Often, when you feel hungry, you are in fact thirsty, so drink as much water as you need to stay fully hydrated. One delicious way to get the correct amount is to mix one part cranberry juice with four parts water. This tastes great and has the added benefit of boosting your fat burning potential.


• Look for more sources of fibre. This will help to maintain a healthy bowel, but fibre is another great food for making you feel fuller for longer. It is also calorie free so make sure you get a good fix of fibre at the start of the day - porridge flavored with cinnamon is a great way to start the day

Step 4
Monitor your progress. Keep a record of how you are getting on - otherwise how are you going to know!

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�� 10 CANCER CAUSING FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER PUT IN YOUR MOUTH AGAIN

4 Signs You Should Eat More to Lose Weight

Did you know that eating too little can actually prevent you from losing weight? It's true. When you eat below a certain amount of calories (this level is different for everyone), your body enters "starvation mode" and tries to hold on to all the fat that it has so that it can survive.

The good news is that by eating more food, you can fire up your metabolism and start losing weight again.

Here are four signs that you should start eating more:

You have a lot of weight to lose. The higher your weight, the more calories your body burns just to function on a daily level. A good rule of thumb is to figure that [your body weight X 10] is the number of calories that your body needs to maintain its current weight. If you want to lose weight, you should subtract 500 from this number and that is how many calories you should eat in a day.
You have a high muscle mass. Muscle burns more energy than fat, so if you have a higher muscle mass, then you may need to eat more calories to keep your body fueled.
You exercise a lot. If you exercise hard for an hour a day, five times a week, then you may need more calories. Strenuous exercise burns a lot of calories and if you are not eating enough to maintain this level of activity, you're body will think that it's starving (even if you actually are eating) and will try to keep its fat for energy.
You've hit a plateau. If you've been successfully losing weight by eating right and exercising and your weight loss suddenly comes to a screeching halt, you may need more food. Your body has gotten used to this level of food and activity. Try eating an extra 200 calories a day and see if that doesn't fire up your metabolism.



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What Healthy People Really Eat For Breakfast

►Top 10 Artery Cleansing Foods

Sweet Potatoes Vs. White Potatoes

People tell me that they know that sweet potatoes are healthier than white potatoes as if it's an accepted fact. Whenever I'm not aware of something that's apparently an established fact, I feel the need to either get caught up on this obvious information or else to find out why this commonly held belief is actually not true.

In order to do this, I decided to do some research.

I needed to find out which potato was actually healthier.

It seemed the easiest way to compare the two types of potatoes was to make a chart to compare them side by side; so here's a handy chart I made to compare the two:

Nutrients... White Potatoes... Sweet Potatoes

Calories... 94... 90

Protein... 2.1g... 2.01g

Carbs... 21.08g... 20.71g

Fiber... 2.1g... 3.3g

Iron... 0.64mg... 0.69mg

Potassium... 544mg... 475mg

Vitamin C... 12.6mg... 19.6mg

Vitamin A... 10 IU... 19,218 IU

Oh, by the way, this is comparing a 100 gram serving of white baked potato with its skin on, to a 100 gram serving of baked sweet potato with its skin on. This information is from the USDA website (Basic Report, Potatoes, white), (Basic Report, Sweet).

You have to be really careful if you're trying to compare these two types of potatoes by the size of the actual whole potato because a medium sized sweet potato weighs 114 grams and a medium sized white potato weights 173 grams. Instead of using size to compare, it's better to use weight.

Breaking it down:

Let's start with the two numbers people want to know first: calories and carbs. As you can see, the calories are almost identical. There are about 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat so a difference of 4 calories isn't going to matter much either way. How about carbs? One gram of carbohydrates equals about 4 calories, so again, either potato will give you about the same amount.

Now here are the two biggest differences. The first is potassium. If you think of potassium, you probably think of bananas. Well, get this: 100 grams of banana has 358 mg of potassium. Sweet potatoes top bananas with 475 mg of potassium and white potatoes go a step higher with 544 mg! However, most people get enough potassium just from eating a variety of healthy foods so you'll probably get enough of this vital mineral without having to rely on eating potatoes all the time.

And now for the biggie! Vitamin A! What an incredible difference between white potato's 10 IU of vitamin A and sweet potato's 19,218 IU of vitamin A! What does vitamin A do, exactly? It supports your growth and development, helps your immune system, and aids your eye health/night vision. You know how you're supposed to eat carrots for night vision? Well, 100 grams of boiled carrots has 17,033 IU of vitamin A, so it actually has less than sweet potatoes. But before you put them on your list of foods to eat every day, here's something you should know. Most people already get enough vitamin A just from eating a variety of healthy foods. So, with both potassium and vitamin A, if you eat healthy foods, you should be getting all the nutrients you need without having to resort to eating huge amounts of either type of potato. (Vitamin A and Bone Health, 2012).

The Bottom Line:

The calorie, carb, and protein amounts are almost the same in both potatoes. While white potatoes have more potassium and sweet potatoes have more vitamin A, you can get sufficient amounts of these nutrients from eating other healthy foods too. So, don't worry about which one to choose. Both of these potatoes are healthy! Enjoy them both.

References:

NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases. (2012, January). Vitamin A and Bone Health. Retrieved from http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/vitamin_a.asp

USDA. Basic Report: 11357, Potatoes, white, flesh and skin, baked. Retrieved from http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3132?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=25&sort=&qlookup=potatoes

USDA. Basic Report: 11508, Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt. Retrieved from ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3255?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=75&sort=&qlookup=potatoes



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Benefits of Regular Exercise and Physical Activities

Exercise has become very popular among people who want to look good and at the same time be healthy irrespective of their age. This is because research have proved that regular exercise and physical activities can make you feel better, have more energy and probably live longer. It will be difficult to ignore the health benefits of regular exercise and physical activities. The good news is that you can have all the benefits of regular exercise regardless of your physical ability, age or sex.

Lets see some of the ways exercise can help to improve your looks, health and life generally.

EXERCISE HELPS PREVENT HEALTH CONDITIONS AND DISEASES

Research have proved that exercise and regular physical activities boosts good cholesterol, keep your blood flowing smoothly thereby reducing your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Health problems like depression, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and many more can be prevented by engaging in regular exercise.

EXERCISE HELPS IN WEIGHT LOSS

No weight loss program is complete without exercise and/or regular physical activity. Exercise helps to prevent excess weight gain and also to maintain weight loss as it helps to boost your metabolism. The intensity of your activity determines the mount of calories you burn and how much weight you loss. Even at work you can be more active by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the next office instead of making calls or sending mails. You can do some stretching while running a copy.

EXERCISE RELIEVES STRESS AND IMPROVES MOOD

Exercise and physical activities stimulates and enhances the production of endorphin in the brain that makes you feel good, happier and more relaxed. When you exercise regularly you feel better about you looks and appearance which helps to boost your confidence and also improve your self esteem. Engaging in exercise and physical activities will take your focus away from any stress causing situation or factor helping you to relax better.

EXERCISE HELPS TO BOOST ENERGY

Exercise and physical activities help to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues thereby helping your cardiovascular system to work efficiently. When your heart and lungs work efficiently your energy level will be enhanced and you will have more energy to go about your daily activities. Exercise and physical activities boost your endurance as well as improve your strength and stamina.

Exercise also promotes better sleep, enhances your sex life and helps you connect with friends and family. In fact, it can serve as a means to bring back the spark in your social life.

If you are looking for a way to feel better, look good, be healthy and have fun, engage in regular exercise and physical activities. Adding a 30 minutes to one hour exercise in your daily schedule and strictly keeping it like an appointment will give you all the benefits. Checking with your doctor before starting any new exercise program is very important especially if you have any health concern.

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Here's How You Can Finally Reach Your Fitness Goals

When lifting those household names while working out, you are feeling you could do greater. And as you progress, you start to lift heavier weights. You want to develop your muscles like Hercules but alas, after several sessions your back actually starts to ache. This provides a very unexpected turn in your weight-loss and bodybuilding routines. Actually, there are a few positive and negative machines during a workout session. Bad machines could potentially cause back aches, and you need to avoid them.

Designing a gym that reflects your personality it isn't just sufficient the true secret to take into consideration has a right fitness floor to stop injury and scratch marks on to the floor. While design a gym the foremost thing to contemplate will be the sized lawn movers because it assist with know very well what is definitely the layout requirement. A gym designed with no plan definitely makes the look of home awkward. In place of putting heavy equipment performing single task you ought to decide on multi-functional equipment which completes all requirements for any well rounded workout and makes your neighborhood look spacious. A perfect gym is incomplete and not using a mirror; it is just a necessary as initial thing it improves the cause of light and second thing which it makes all the room look larger from exactly what happens to be. Moreover, for many in the times people required to watch themselves during exercise because it works well for guiding the proper varieties of moves while doing. 

The right games generally is a great solution to playing outdoors if your temperature is uncooperative. Playing games in the fitness center is another easy way show them concepts for instance cooperation, following rules, and fair play. Preschoolers could need several rule and safety reminders while playing at the gym, to inside a this sort of spacious space is usually a bit overwhelming for a lot of.

Weight Lifting Equipment: These equipments are the most useful strategy to shed extra pounds and burn-off more calories while they want. Company offers various weight training equipments including Weight Lifting Belt Maximum Shred made from neoprene foam sheet and easily adjustable with Velcro, Weight Training Rods, Weight Training Plates, Weight Training Dumbbells and Adjustable Dumbbell Turned and Rod.

Having a stable and strong day to day life is important and a lot determination should be set up to be a solid and buff character. On one hand, your intake explains everything as well as on another hand, if you put onto your exercising shoes shows how frequent you've been training. One tactic and keep report on your doing exercises procedure will be dropping by to a health club too. It may be a healthier replacement for some since they have a/an range of tools that you experiment with and find out.

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7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Coconut Oil

It is a common misconception that coconut oil is bad for you. People all over the world are experiencing the healthy benefits of using coconut oil. It is actually one of the healthiest oils you can consume. Here are the top seven reasons why you should use coconut oil as an alternative to other common cooking oils.

1. Coconut oil doesn't turn to fat in your body.

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won't make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT's are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT's burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT's.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman's World magazine stated that coconut oil is the "underground high-metabolism secret."

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.

Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

4. Coconut oil gives you energy.

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.

This is because coconut oil is nature's richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT's promote thermogenesis, which increases the body's metabolism, producing energy.

Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them, too.

5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.

Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don't do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won't be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!

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5 Tips to Build Muscle As Fast As Possible

Learning how to build muscle fast is easy, putting it into practice is the hard part. Most people think that if you lift more, you will gain more muscle mass. This simply isn't the case.

Building muscle has just as much to do with diet as it does with training, if not more.

You can't build muscle without a calorie surplus, just as you can't build muscle without resistance training.

To build muscle fast, you have to optimize your diet as well as training regimen. Here is how to do it.

1. Avoid Low Carb Diets

While low carb diets are great for cutting fat, they won't help you with gaining muscle mass. You need carbs for fuel so you can exercise more efficiently.

Carbohydrates are important before training sessions, and immediately after training sessions. Carbs are your muscles primary fuel.

By consuming complex carbs you restore glycogen stores within your muscles[1] for further activity and fullness. This is a major factor in how effective a training session is.

2. Avoid All Alcohol

Alcohol, even in small amounts, can have major effects on sleep, and recovery. In a study conducted in 1980, alcohol in small doses (0.8 g/kg) before bedtime, suppressed plasma growth hormone by 70%-75%[2].

If you add in the effects of dehydration and release of cortisol, it's nothing but a recipe for disaster.

3. Get More Protein

There is a lot of confusion surrounding protein these days. One article says your not eating enough, the other says your eating way too much.

So what is the key?

For moderately active, and highly active adults, it is reasonable to consume around 2-3 grams of protein for every kilogram of bodyweight.[3]

Studies show that too much protein intake has an extremely low chance of negative side effects. Plus, protein is essential in so many bodily functions.

4. Lift Heavy Weights

Protein alone cannot build muscle. To really add-on size, you must lift heavy weights. Or use your bodyweight to achieve the desired resistance.

In the gym, you could focus on lifting 6 sets of 6 reps with a heavy enough weight to reach failure in the last couple of sets. This should be enough to make some serious gains.

5. Switch-up Your Workouts

This doesn't necessarily mean changing the exercises. Vary your sets and reps, rest time, and intensity. This will help you break through those dreaded plateaus.

I hope this list helps you in achieving your desired physique. But this can only help you if you continually take daily action. Avoid analysis paralysis, and just get to work.

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17 FOODS YOU CAN EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT

3 Tips for Men to Lose Weight

Today I have got 3 fantastic tips for weight loss which we use in our studio with clients every day. These tips have got the best results for the least effort for our guys, so we advise them to all our male clients. Have a quick read below and see what results you can get for yourself.

1. Limit Processed Carbohydrates

We have found that most just simply men don't want to count calories or start weighing food. Therefore, simple steps are the way to go. One of the most effective weight loss methods to start with is reducing processed carbohydrate foods. These include bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits and the like. You don't have to avoid them completely, but limit them to once or twice a week. I'll not bore you with the scientific details, but these foods are one of the biggest causes of belly bulge around today.

2. Eat Whole Natural Foods

Whole natural foods include chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, fruit, eggs and nuts. They should roughly look like their original state. For example - chicken fillets are great, chicken nuggets are not. Natural foods are full-to-brim with healthy nutritional ingredients.

To help you with your meals, a third of your plate should be filled with a healthy meat, and the rest should mostly be vegetables or fruit. This is a very simple tip, but very effective for weight loss.

3. Combine Weight Training and Cardio

A combination of weight training and cardio is perfect for losing weight. The two forms of exercise have different effects on the body. When you use both together, you are in weight loss heaven. Cardio can be anything from running outside, to using a gym machine inside. For weight training, you don't need to go overboard, a set of dumbbells will suffice if you cannot get to a gym. I have made a simple workout to get you started below.

Start with 10 minutes cardio (running, fast walk, treadmill, bike, cross trainer, doesn't matter just get moving and get heart rate up)

Move onto the following weight training exercises.

Squat: 4 sets of 10-15 reps

Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Bent-over row: 4 sets of 10-12 reps

Kettlebell swings: 4 sets of 15-20 reps

After the weights are done, finish with 10 minutes cardio. Make sure you push yourself hard for these last 10 minutes. This is where the fat burning magic happens. Go hard and get sweaty.

So there you have it, a simple program to get you started. This is what our team uses with clients every day and you can use it too to get great fat loss results. Don't be fooled by the simplicity, we have found this is the best way for men to lose weight, without complicated gimmicks or programs.

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