Why Jennifer Aniston's Diet Isn't for You.

Ever wondered the secret behind Jennifer Aniston's svelte figure? It's a low-carb diet. 'The Switch' actor, known for her perfect figure follows the Zone Diet that involves eating carbs, fat and protein in the ratio of 40:30:30. The diet involves pre-packaged meals by chef sisters Jewels and Jill Elmore, and an occasional piece of cheese. But how healthy is this diet? We talk to the experts to find out.
 
"Cutting down on carbs for weight loss is not a good idea, as carbs are an important source of energy," says nutritionist Naini Setalvad. An average active, adult woman needs up to 2500 calories. "And up to 60 per cent of it should come from carbohydrates," says consultant dietician Dr Sunita Dube. 

According to Naini, 20 per cent of carbs should be from grains and 80 per cent from fruits (eg: papaya, banana and apple) and vegetables (eg: yams, potatoes and sweet potatoes).
 
"Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and prevent your body from damage due to free radicals," she says. A diet rich in fruits and veggies also ups your immunity. "Foods containing carbs are a good source of fibre which prevents constipation and plays an important role in keeping cholesterol levels under control," Naini explains.

Why Jen's Diet Isn't for You

• A low-carb diet could deplete glucose from your liver and muscle. It also causes you to get dehydrated. Weight loss from a low-carb diet is due to dehydration and muscle loss which is confused with fat loss.
• Muscle loss could lead to fatigue; which means you end up exercising lesser than usual. Muscle loss could also cause your skin to sag. Now you don't want bingo wings and a muffin top, do you?
• A low-carb diet is usually balanced by increasing protein intake. This will eventually put pressure on your liver to metabolise it and this could damage your liver. It could also decrease your metabolic rate.

So, instead of trying out crazy celebrity diets, have a healthy balanced one with loads of fruits and veggies and adequate fat and protein too.

Kareena Kapoor: Eat to Lose Weight.

Please eat or you are not going to lose weight, says Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor, the size zero protagonist, standing a popular notion on its head.

"As an actress, who works 18-20 hours a day under gruelling circumstances, shooting all nights; playing and feeling a range of emotions, (sometimes, I have to dance in the rain trying to look beautiful and, above all, trying to stay slim) my stomach makes a call of hunger. And like a good girl, every 2-3 hours I attend to it," writes Kareena Kapoor in a new book, "Women and The Weight Loss Tamasha" (Westland Ltd) authored by her fitness trainer Rujuta Diwekar, the driving force behind Kareena's "size zero" look.

Kareena advises women "to slip in a slice of cheese, some peanuts and an apple in their handbag" to take care of the intermittent pangs of hunger.

Snack through the day
According to Diwekar, the best-selling author of "Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight", the "four cardinal principles of eating right are to eat something within the first 10-15 minutes of waking up, eating every two hours, eating more when you are active and less when you are not; and finishing your last meal at least two hours prior to sleeping".

Diwekar, who works out of Mumbai, is the winner of the Nutrition Award 2010 from the Asian Institute of gastroenterology. One of the most sought after fitness trainers in the country, she advises Kareena Kapoor, Anil Ambani, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma on their fitness and weight programmes.

Diwekar, who busts several myths about weight in her new book, says "if you are enjoying something, it will burn the fat for you".

"Get off it. Bananas, mangoes, chole puri, gulab jamun, the 'chutney' with the 'idli', the coconut in your curry and the ghee on your 'khichdi', are not fattening," Diwekar says.

Eat on time
Post-marriage, everybody gains weight; both men and women, but somehow it is much more apparent in women, Diwekar says. "After marriage, women are conditioned to not just give up their name, home and hearth but also other things that are intrinsic to our core food, meal size and meal timings. All these changes manifest themselves as weight gain," Diwekar says.

Changes in meal and sleep timings tinker with the levels of Vitamin B stores. The deficiency in Vitamin B levels makes sleepy heads out of us every morning even if one has slept for eight hours, Diwekar says.

"It causes constipation, bloating and mood swings," Diwekar says.

Not eating at the right time compels married women to binge at strange hours - disrupting the balance of nutrients in diets and triggering an abrupt aging in the process. The fitness expert says even the way the "bhindi (ladyfinger) is cut at the in-laws' home makes a change, along with the way food is cooked and the spices used".

Keep mommy weight in control
Switch to child birth. The "mommy body" tends to weigh a little more than usual in the first three to four months of child-birth, the fitness expert says.

"There are two things one should know. If you are nursing, you will end up weighing a little more because of the extra tissues and fluids in the body. The body wants to store energy reserves for the daily tasks of waking up early, feeding the baby. The second thing is that there is an evolutionary reason for the bulge around the navel - it safeguards the mother's body against diseases and food scarcity," Diwekar says.

The exercise and diet programme one must adopt to lose weight for this period should be one to "gain in lean body weight - which could sometimes lead to an increase in actual body weight - to become yummy mummies," she says.

The best way to leash the menopausal fat is to adopt a combination activity-based leisure regimen, curbing the irritation, nutrient rich diet; and love and affection towards the body.

"Menopause is a stage that should be considered a normal part of the life cycle - only then will your body feel normal and stress-free. Just as menarche marks the beginning of the menstrual cycle, menopause marks the end - so just treat it as an ending. It is also the beginning to a new phase in a woman's life," Diwekar says.

The moral: It is always possible to look and feel 25 at 50.

Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Why is weight loss for women over 40 so difficult? Starting around that age, our body starts to slow down thanks to hormones, pre-menopause, and the natural aging process. This means that our metabolism slows down as well.

Make sure there are no underlying conditions

Make sure there are no physical conditions that could be causing your metabolism to slow down. Hypothyroidism – an underactive thyroid – is a common problem. Eight percent of women over fifty in the UK suffer from an under-active thyroid. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide. If you suspect you have an under active thyroid, see your physician and ask for a simple blood test.

Choose your food wisely.

Gone are the days where your metabolism could handle processed quick foods. Like our friend Sean Croxton at Underground Wellness says –Just Eat Real Food! or JERF for short. Choose quality meats, organic fruits and vegetables. Cook with good fats such as coconut oil to help boost your metabolism. Stay away from sugar, artificial sweetners and simple carbs.

Change your eating habits

A good rule of thumb is – what you eat first thing in the morning will affect you the rest of the day. In other words, your metabolism is highest in the morning – so your food consumption should be as well. Eat a good protein rich breakfast that will keep you going and keep your cravings away.

Fiber and Probiotics

Our body absorbs toxins through fat. Fiber and probiotics are good ways to get rid of those toxins. The body needs about 25-30 grams of fiber a day, along with plenty of water to flush the system of toxins. Fiber also slows the absorption of sugar and helps control blood sugar levels. Probiotics consist of good bacteria that aids digestion. Probiotics help fend off toxins and improve colon function and strengthen the immune system. Foods such as yoghurt, cottage cheese, or even sauerkraut contain probiotics. There are also many supplements on the market that can be substituted. As with taking any supplements, you may want to consult with a physician first.

Good sleep is key to weight loss

Good quality sleep is important for weight loss. It’s even more important the older we get as our bodies tend to have hormone changes or physical changes which can affect our sleep. From night sweats to snoring, we need to take steps to get a good night’s sleep. Turn off any electronics, make sure the room is dark, wear a sleep mask if you suffer from dry eyes as you may be sleeping with your eyes partially open, and make sure to shut your mind down through relaxation or meditation if needed.

Exercise

After a certain age, our bodies start to lose muscle and replace it with fat. This means that we have to work harder and smarter in order to lose weight. If you are not exercising at all, get out there and start with a simple walk every single day. If you have been and are not seeing results, try something new. Our body gets used to certain physical activity and needs a boost once in awhile. Try a yoga class. Not only will it help with flexibility, but will strength train without bulk. Exercise is important the older we get not only to help with weight loss, but it helps reduce the symptoms of menopause, joint pain, depression, anxiety as well as the risks of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Top 5 Tips For Weight Loss and a Healthy Lifestyle

Fitness Professional, Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach, discusses how we can all learn to lead healthier and fitter lives by understanding some key principles that we can all apply. Chris tells us his top 5 tips for weight loss and a healthier life.

Our environments affect how we feel and act. The biggest challenge people face is they don’t make their health a priority. Chris tries to encourage people to do simple things and do them well.

There are 5 simple elements or dimensions that he follows:

1. Training – assess where you’re at physically, address any problems, then begin to build strength to have a healthy fitness foundation. Be active with a purpose. Figure out what your individual needs are and what the outcome there will be with different activities. Pilates and yoga are a good start because they build a foundation of posture and strength training with simple slow movements.
2. Nutrition – the first thing that you put into your mouth when you wake up in the morning will affect every single thing you do for the rest of the day. High protein breakfast first thing will help regulate and control your choices for the rest of the day. Use food as a fuel source. Think about what you’re eating when you’re eating it. A good tip is to take photos of your food. This makes you aware of the food you’re eating and the amounts.
3. Supplementation – because of the environment and toxicity levels, our bodies are now depleted of certain resources. Those resources are key to how our body functions and how we can get the best feeling that we possibly can. Eat organic foods whenever possible, but beyond that we still need supplements. The magic 5 supplements that Chris suggests are:
   • Omega 3
   • Zinc
   • Vitamin D
   • HCL
   • Magnesium
4. Education – there are many forms of education, but the most important is education on self. Education yourself on how you feel, how your lifestyle is affecting the way you feel, move, and what you want to do. The more honest you are with yourself, the more help you can get.
5. Restoration – Sleep is one of the most important parts of are day. Sleep allows our bodies to recover and refuel from our day. You should schedule your sleep like you would your meals or any other part of your day. Make sure the sleep is quality sleep. Stay away from computers, stimulants, anything that might affect your sleep.

Importance of Water and Weight Loss

Somebody recently asked me what the importance is of water and weight loss. Here’s my answer:

To burn calories we need a constant supply of water to function efficiently. Most of us are dehydrated because we do not drink enough water and this will slow down the fat-burning process.

Another factor that most people do not understand is that when we burn calories this creates toxins. This is just like the exhaust fumes that come out of your car.  Water plays a crucial  role in eliminating and removing toxins  out of your body.

A lack of water in the body  will often causes a lowering in blood volume. This can cause a reduction in the supply of oxygen to your muscle, which in turn can result in you feeling tired with a lack of energy.

Water helps your  muscles to contract, and it lubricates your joints. Proper hydration can help reduce muscle and joint soreness when exercising.

Lastly a healthy diet includes a good amount  dietary fibre and without enough water to flush this out, people often experience constipation and a lack of energy.

The reality is simple, water is an essential element of life and we are made of the stuff. Drink plenty of it and you give yourself a chance to well, slim and healthy.

The Truth About Food – The Diet Myth

The Truth About Food: “Food is neither good or bad. Food is neutral”

Whenever we label food as good or bad we immediately start to fear it, think about it, fight it and crave it. The truth about food is the more we consider it forbidden, the more we will think about it and desire. At least half of our cravings are due to the fear of the food itself.

If we dropped our fear and dropped our belief that the chocolate was evil the desire would be significantly reduced and in some cases eliminated. Whenever we avoid anything, a homeostatic mechanism is set off driving us to reunite with it.

If someone we love insults us and we feel hate inside, it would seem as if hating them would barricade them from our thoughts. Yet the hate only makes us think of them more, in fact repeating the original offence perhaps hundreds of times. Our thoughts will focus on that person until the issue is integrated resolved and make neutral.

The same with food.

Since we view particular foods as bad, we consider our desire for those foods bad, which leads to see ourselves as bad for having the desire. And if in addition we give into these desires, then we punish ourselves by feeling guilty, or we deprive ourselves of the desired foods for months.

Are you up for the challenge of now seeing food as neutral and to stop labelling it good or bad?

Consciously do this for at least three weeks to bring about a change. See if you can not think about food as good or bad for you. Let’s see if you can actually change your relationship with food. If you want to change your relationship with food, visit The Weight Loss Guru Programmefor more information.

The drinking man's diet: Crazy 60s weight loss tips

Just like today, weight loss regimes were big business in the 1960s. From downing all the booze you could drink to guzzling shots of oil before every meal, here are some of the craziest retro dieting tips.

All the alcohol you can drink:
One of the best-selling diet books of all time was the The Drinking Man's Diet, which was self-published by cosmetics executive Robert Cameron in 1964 and sold 2.5 million copies in the first year. According to Cameron, slimmer could drink all the alcohol they wanted and still lose weight as long as they followed a low-carb diet. "Alcohol has calories but they're not bad calories, they're good calories," he said.

Steak in a can: 
One of the biggest diet crazes of all time was Metrecal, a liquid that was first developed as a baby formula before being rebranded as a meal replacement drink in 1959. Devotees were encouraged to drink four cans of the drink a day, adding up to just 900 calories. Metrecal became so popular it was even served in the White House lunch room, and popular restaurants offered the drink mixed with rum and nutmeg as part of low-cal lunch options.

Safflower oil shots: 
Best-selling 60s dieting book Calories Don't Count by Dr Herman Teller instructed slimmers to down shots of safflower oil before every meal. Teller promised that by sticking to low-carb, very-high-fat diet, followers could eat as many as 5000 calories a day and still lose weight. The book sold two million copies, despite the US Food and Drug Administration declaring its claims "false and misleading" in 1967.

Buttermilk, meat and boiled eggs: 
Brooklyn GP Dr Irwin Maxwell Stillman publishing a whole book of eating plans titled The Doctor's Quick Weight Loss Diet in 1967. One option was the buttermilk diet, which involved downing six glasses of buttermilk a day — and nothing else. A variation was the all-meat diet, which saw followers eating 225gm of meat three times a day. Stillman's strictest eating plan was the semi-starvation diet which allowed people to eat one boiled egg, 250 of milk, 30gm of salad without dressing and eight glasses of water "for as long as you can take it".