Posts Tagged ‘Diet Fitness’

How to lose stomach fat with right diet plan

The key to losing stomach fat is a healthy and balanced diet

plan that doesn’t leave out any nutrients, and respects portions. Exercise, too, can not be discounted in your quest to lose stomach fat. Today, we give you inputs from Priya Kathpal – Nutritionist at Birla Research Life sciences, Mumbai, about what is a good diet plan to lose stomach fat.
Lose stomach fat tip # 1: Improve your eating habits
Give away all your temptations for unhealthy food, if you want to lose stomach fat. Many of us eat junk due to temptation, but this cannot be a regular habit for a diet plan aimed at a leaner stomach. Priya says, “the biggest cause of a flabby stomach is indulgence in junk food and sugar items. Watch your calorie consumption for a flat stomach.”

Wondering why this junk food is bad? Priya helps us with an answer, she says: “Due to high sugar content, the level of glucose in the food increases and reduces the fat burning speed due to the presence of enhanced carbohydrates and sugar. So watch what you eat, because you are storing that food in your body, which will surely show some effect.”

Lose stomach fat tip # 2: Add omega-3 fatty acids in at least one meal
If you love fish and want to lose stomach fat, then hop into foods containing omega-3 fatty acids. The key is moderation. Priya says, “Foods with omega-3 fatty acids not just help to lose stomach fat, but are also good for your heart health. Besides, it also prevents weight gain and maintains good health. Choose foods like salmon, tuna, flaxseeds, soybeans and walnut to get adequate omega-3 fatty acid.”

Lose stomach fat tip # 3: Choose good carbs
Pick a diet filled with fruits and vegetables to lose stomach fat. Integrate this in your lose stomach fat diet plan, because fruits and vegetables have good carbs. Avoid donuts, desserts and cookies as far as possible. Again, keep in mind that though good carbs help reduce fat naturally, over indulgances will make your journey toward a flat stomach a lot longer and tougher. In fact, if you go beyond the limit, it can increase your insulin level, and reduce your metabolic rate, because your body cannot process too many carbs.

Choose, a low cereal carb diet approach to lose stomach fat effectively. Your diet should be a mixture of good carbohydrates, proteins and good fats.

Lose stomach fat tip # 4: No late night food
Get into the habit of finishing your dinner by 8pm. We know it is difficult to finish dinner so early, but if you can’t do this then Priya suggests that you “eat a small evening meal and don’t eat too many evening snacks. Late night or evening munching slows down our digestions process and causes high blood sugar levels, which further results in abdominal fat. Hence, if you want to lose stomach fat, avoid emotional cravings for evening snacks and follow a strict low glycemic diet.

Lose stomach fat tip # 5: Choose nuts as snacks instead of regular chips
Include nuts as evening snacks to lose stomach fat. Nuts and seeds are high in fiber, protein and monounsaturated fats, which are good stomach filling fats. Include nuts like almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts and peanuts. To consider it as a healthy snack pick a handful or two tablespoons of nuts and seeds. Anything more, and your body will store it as extra fat.

Lose stomach fat tip # 6: Breakfast is important
If you are planning a fat loss diet plan, then eat breakfast every single day. It is the most important part of a fat loss diet plan, because it helps to maintain your metabolic rate, blood sugar which keeps you full for a long time and full of energy. “Choose whole grain for breakfast; examples: Bulgar, to keep your stomach full for a long time. The fibre present in this whole grain helps your stomach stay fuller with less food,” says Priya.

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/How-to-lose-stomach-fat-with-right-diet-plan/articleshow/17743515.cms

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Lose stomach fat: How to get a flat belly

Why lose stomach fat? Because it makes everyone uncomfortable, to say the least.

In everyday life we don’t fret about some loose stomach fat hanging over our waistbands, but festivities, weddings, and seaside vacations leave you staring at the mirror. The frustrating reality is that the midsection is one of the trickiest areas to lose fat from. Many believe that one can lose stomach fat by simply doing a few ab crunches every day. But that’s not the truth. In reality, achieving a flat stomach is a combination of a range of factors like diet, exercise, rest, hydration, and so on. Read on for some great tips on how to lose stomach fat…

Understand the science behind six pack abs for a flat belly.The simple science behind six pack abs is that they exist in everybody. It’s just when you start putting on more body fat that these abs disappear. A combination of two major muscles transversus abdominis and rectus abdominis muscles make up what we consider to be our ‘abs’ zone.

These muscles are buried under the front and side of torso mucles and exist around your midsection like a girdle. Now, if you ate a healthy diet comprising of lean proteins, balanced carbs and less, yet good, fats, you would enter a zone with minimal superficial body fat, and your muscles would become visible, resulting in six pack abs.

Tip #1

Importance of eating lean proteins for a flat belly. First and most important is to understand that lean proteins are proteins from sources that supply little or almost negligible amount of fat. The Harvard School of Public Health notes that lean sources of protein aid in keeping the saturated fat intake at a healthy level. When you are on sources of proteins such as chicken, beans you find yourself losing body fat and at the same time giving shape to your body. You get most of the vitamins from these sources which improve your health as well.

Importance of fiber in your diet for a flat belly. Fiber is one of the most important constituents of our diet. The main function of fiber is to clean our system deep within, help propel our bowel movements and thus form the basis of detoxification of our body. Most astonishing is the fact that when we consume fiber, our body burns ample calories in the digestion process of fiber. Also fiber itself has very few calories. In short, eating lots of fiber in the form of fruits, salads and bran helps our belly to run slim with ease.

Tip #2

Importance of staying away from fruit juices, alcohol and fruit punches for a flat belly. In general juices, alcohol and fruit punches are calorie dense and often disturb the blood sugar levels in our body. Where moderate and controlled alcohol consumption has certain beneficial effects too, fruits are best taken in their natural fiber form rather than taking them in the form of juices. Juices give your body less essential fiber, and the concentrated sugar is not the best thing for you if you are aiming for a flat belly. Eating fresh should be the mantra of healthy living.

Tip #3

Importance of nutrient dense and good fat foods for a flat belly. Nutrient dense and good fat foods are those that have essential fatty acids and other vital nutrients in rich quantity with less calories and saturated fats. First would be something like a grilled fish. With certain essential fatty acids, proteins and less saturated oil, this is a perfect example of a nutrient dense good fat food.

Now consider a pastry. It is more than 200 calories, with a lot of saturated fat and a few essential nutrients to offer. This is something you must take very sparingly. Thus, picking items such as grilled fish or soyabean chaat will help one supply the body with essential fats, improve cardiac health and at the same time keep your body fat low to give you a perfect belly. A nutrient-dense diet won’t leave you feeling hungry so aiming at a flatter belly is much easier with nutrient dense food.

Tip #4

Importance of cardio exercises and strength training for a flat belly. All types of cardio exercise routines elevate your heart rate and keep it in the same way for extended periods of time. This results in increased consumption of oxygen, which leads to fat loss. Fat loss and stamina building are equally important. If you eat healthy and workout, your chances of achieving a flatter belly increases.

Tip #5

Importance of water in your diet for a flat belly. Water constitutes 70% of our body. Most of our metabolic process takes place in the presence of water in our body. Thus, when we are well hydrated the basal metabolic rate of our body goes up. This would mean that our body is able to digest the food we eat in a proper manner, the food is used to burn sufficient calories required by the body and thus you end up with a nice flat belly to improve your figure

Tip #6

Push ups. Place yourself face down with the palms on the floor. Place the palms wider than the shoulder-width, arms extended, legs straight and feet together or slightly apart. Keep the neck, back hips aligned and abdominals contracted. Do not arch the back downwards or upwards. Keep it flat like a table top. Bend the elbows outwards and bring the chest close to the floor. This is the initial position. Push back upwards till the arms extend completely and feel the contraction in the chest muscles.

Tip #7

Ball balance. Lie on the ball and exhale, pulling your abs in a stabilize position. Now, raise your right arm in a frontward direction and left leg on the back side. Breathe and hold yourself in this position for 10 seconds. In the meantime, using your ab and back muscles, keep the ball steady and body in a straight line. Repeat this same exercise in with the opposite arm and left. Perform a set of 5 on each side. In order to make this exercise harder, hold yourself in the raised position as if you are writing something in the air with your extended arm. Switch sides and repeat.

Tip #8

Side lying shoulder double leg raise (Obliques). Lie on the side with the legs extended the body in a straight line. Extend the lower arm so that it is perpendicular to the body. The palm of your hand should face the floor. Keep the upper arm by the side, aligned with the body. Balance slowly raise the lower shoulder (the one touching the floor) both the legs off the floor simultaneously. This works the side (waist) facing upwards. Come down slowly. After completing a set of certain repetitions, repeat the procedure on the other side. In order to make this exercise tough, you can do bicycle crunches too (as shown in the pic above).

Tip #9

Elevated plank. Place your forearms on the ball and keep your fingers interlaced. Now extend your legs straight behind and take the help of your toes for support. Now exhale, pulling your belly button towards your spine and hold yourself in this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure your back is straight and in a flat line. Give yourself a break of 30 seconds and repeat. In order to make this exercise easier, you can perform it by placing your forearms on the floor. And, for a harder version of this exercise, move from a plank to a swiss ball. Here, try and bring your knees towards your chest and do 10 repetitions per leg.

Tip #10

Reverse Crunch. Lie on your back with the arms extended downwards towards the feet and palms on the floor. Place the hands under the lower back hip. Legs should be bent at 90 degrees up in the air. Using the abdominal muscles, i.e. contracting them, roll the spine the hips upwards so that the knees come towards the face. Slowly go down without changing the angle of the legs. Note – Do not extend the legs while lifting the hips off the floor. Keep the knees together the legs strictly bent at 90 degrees.

Tip #11

The first thing that you should be doing soon after you wake up is to start your day with a glass of lukewarm lemon water followed by a vegetable juice like mint and coriander or ghia juice. This will help kickstart your metabolism at a healthy pace. You should then do some physical activity like brisk walk or jogging for a minimum of 30 minutes with some exercises concentrating on the stomach.

Tip #12

Breakfast is super important. Never skip your breakfast, if you want to lose weight. When you wake up in the morning your metabolism is at its peak and if you don’t eat food in the morning then your metabolism will slow down during the day.

With slow metabolism whatever you will eat for the rest of the day, your chances of gaining weight are higher.

Tip #13

Office desk healthy habits play a major role. Once you are in office, try to be conscious of your eating habits. Drink water at regular interval by keeping a bottle of water at your desk. If you love munching, then keep all healthy snacks like whole wheat biscuits handy. Even better – rely on fruits. Limit your intake of tea or coffee at work. On the very outside, you should have only one cup before lunch with one or two digestive biscuits.

Tip #14

Office lunch room healthy practices. Try to watch your lunch at work, because when we have company we tend to overeat. So, the golden rule is to carry your own lunch. It should ideally comprise of a chapatti (or some other cereal), vegetables, lean meat (or a healthy vegetarian protein source), curd and salad. If you cannot carry your lunch, then stick to non-fried food. Try to walk around and stay active immediately after lunch. This will help you digest your food.

Tip #15

Evening snack time is a small meal but it can take a toll on your dietary regime. Why? Because it is this time of the day when most people go out and binge on street food or unhealthy food. To avoid this, stick to healthy options like bhuna channa or dry bhel puri, or one fruit in your evening snack. If you are a tea drinker, then you can have a nice cup of tea with 2 -3 whole wheat biscuits or cream crackers.

Tip #16

Flat belly routine right before you go to bed. Now it is time to sleep! Wait, we should not go to sleep just after dinner. First we must digest our last meal of the day. So go out and take a light walk for 30 mins, or remain active at home. Eating just before sleeping can make you uncomfortable. However, this is not true for everyone. Know your body well and if late dinners give you an upset stomach, then eat a couple of hours before sleeping.

Tip #17

Avoid alcohol and aereated drinks. Eat less junk, refined and sugary foods. These are the worst enemies of a flat stomach, and they are often the cause of many other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc.

Tip #18

Meditate, and use other stress reduction strategies that will keep your cortisol levels under control and keep you from gaining abdominal fat and not make you age faster.

Tip #19

Get more active. Even if you spend 1 hour a day in the gym on all days of the week, it is still just 7 hours of a total of 168 hours in the week. Try to make the best of the remaining hours by getting more active. Plan playtime with friends/kids, and move a lot more during the day.

Tip #20

Perform 2-3 HIIT or high intensity interval training workouts a week. These need not and should be long in duration, 10-20 minutes is enough if done correctly.

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/Lose-stomach-fat-How-to-get-a-flat-belly/articleshow/17554046.cms

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What is the difference between cholesterol and fat?

To a lay person, both the terms – cholesterol and fat – seem alike and often interchangeable. It is important to know the difference between cholesterol and fat; you don’t want to exclude them completely from your diet.

What is fat?

‘Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water.’ – as mentioned in Fat, wikipedia

Types of fat in food:

Unsaturated fat

Monounsaturated fat

Polyunsaturated fat

Trans fat

Cis fat

Omega fatty acids

Saturated fat – this fat is responsible for heart disease.

Recommended Daily Allowance: Nutritionists would suggest that the total intake of fat should be anywhere between 15 – 30 percent of total calories. This depends on your physical activity. Therefore a moderately active person can consume approximately 30% of his/her daily calories through fats, while a sedentary person should ideally cut it down to 10-15%. Keep in mind that these are active additions to the diet, but almost every food has its own share of fat, therefore, some experts argue that even without extra fat addition to diet, you could be consuming a minimum of 10% fat every day.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is produced by the body to help build cells and a membrane around the cell to protect it. Cholesterol is not fat per se, but it is a waxy chemical compound produced by the liver, it is found in cheese, eggs, butter and meat (especially red fatty meat). This compound is carried via the blood with the help of molecules called lipoprotein.

Excess cholesterol is not healthy for the heart; it can increase your chances of cardiovascular diseases.

Read more on What is Good or Bad Cholesterol?

How is cholesterol measured? Cholesterol is measured against counts for LDL – bad cholesterol, and HDL – good cholesterol. LDL should be maximum 130 mg and HDL can be approximately 70mg. In combination, both must not add up to more than 200 mg.

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/What-is-the-difference-between-cholesterol-and-fat/articleshow/16900357.cms

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Will yogurt make me fat?

If you’re worried about how much yogurt is enough, and if yogurt will make you fat in larger amounts, then look no further.

The answer lies in the fact that yogurt is not a fat-burning food (Obviously no food actually burns fat)! It is all about understanding the science behind a particular food, in this case – yogurt, and gaining an understanding about the potential health benefits or hazards, which will guide you in making informed and wise dietary decisions. However, having said that, it is important to note that eating non-fat yogurt might help in displacing empty calories in your diet, thus promoting weight loss. Today, with expert inputs from Neelanjana Singh, Nutritionist at Heinz Nutrition Foundation India (New Delhi) let us understand the dietary composition of yogurt and whether it will really make you fat or not…

First of all, let us gain an insight over the nutritional composition of one cup yogurt. The nutritive value of the yogurt will depend on the kind of milk that is used to set the yogurt. The calorie content varies greatly based on the fat content of the milk. One cup (200g) yogurt made of buffalo milk has 234 calories whereas the same amount made from cow’s milk has 134 calories. The protein content of the 2 kinds of yogurt will not be very different i.e. about 8.6g for the buffalo milk yogurt and 6.4g for the cow’s milk. There will be differences in the calcium and phosphorous content of the 2 kinds of yogurt.

Now, let us understand the dietary fats and dairy recommendation allowed in a day. The requirements of dietary fats and dairy would depend on the age group. For an adult, the requirement of dairy products is a minimum of 150ml per day. These requirements are higher for children and for women during pregnancy and lactation. The minimum requirement of dairy may need to be increased for vegetarians if the protein requirements are not quite adequately met.

If the yogurt is processed, is it still healthy? On being processed, yogurt is bound to lose some of the beneficial properties in the form of live bacteria. The other components such as protein and minerals may not be altered very much by processing.

Homemade yogurt versions work for everybody. The homemade versions of curd yogurt have a variety of bacteria. Every home has its own unique blend of bacteria in the form of its starter culture. Such a diverse mix of bacteria is hard to find in the commercially prepared versions which has either one or two strains of bacteria/beneficial micro-organisms in specified amounts. If one wants to include it in everyday diet without much fuss, it could be done in the form a smoothie with added seasonal fruits.

Is Greek yogurt a good substitute to plain old yogurt? The Greek version of yogurt tends to be less sweet and tangier than the conventional yogurt. The Greek version is thicker and smoother as it is usually strained. Straining removes some amount of lactose and the resultant yogurt is lower in sugar and higher in protein content.

Substitute non-fat yogurt with sour cream or cream cheese. Such a substitution makes it possible to get the benefit of yogurt in a recipe without altering, very much, the original taste of the dish. Low fat yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium and beneficial bacteria as opposed to sour cream which is mostly loaded with fat.

Bottom-Line: For most adults leading sedentary lives, non-fat yogurt remains a good choice. However, there may be a need for some amount of fat (low fat versions) in children and also when there is a higher calorie requirement as in pregnancy and lactation. Ideally, go for homemade versions of yogurt and it will NOT make you fat.

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Will-yogurt-make-me-fat/articleshow/15386335.cms

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Top 6 fats that lower cholesterol

Often given a bad name, fats can be a good addition to anyone’s daily diet. In fact, one should never, completely, cut good fats out from everyday meal plans as they are very essential for your body.

While some bad fats may pose grave risk of cardiovascular diseases, others may shield your heart. An important source of essential fatty acids and concentrated energy, fats are full of fat-soluble vitamins, they assist in cooking too and also keep hunger pangs at bay. Today, Delhi-based Diet Consultant Munisha Bhanot tells us about the top 6 fats that help in lowering cholesterol.

Sip red wine, instead of cocktails. Red, blue, green cocktails look tempting, but these drinks are full of calories. So, if you are health conscious, then avoid cocktails. Instead, you can sip red wine because it is full of antioxidants, which are helpful in preventing different types of cancers. And an even red wine has saponins, which help in lowering bad cholesterol LDL. But intake of red wine should be limited. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your daily intake to two glasses (for men) or one glass (for women).

Best oils for low-cholesterol cooking. All the oils and fats have some good qualities for our health. So we should not stick to one type of oil or fat for cooking. We should follow rule of rotation of oils. For example, in one month you can use sunflower oil and in the next month you can use mustard oil. Or you can even use different types of oils in your meals like one vegetable in sesame oil and another in mustard oil.

The low cholesterol cooking oils are olive, canola, sesame oils and mustard oil. Good quality oil is also found in avocados and avocado oil, nuts and their oils, corn, cottonseed, and safflower oils; sunflower seeds and sunflower oil; flaxseed and flaxseed oil; soybeans and soybean oil; tub margarine and soft spreads; and seafood.

Monounsaturated fats are the healthiest fats. There are two types of cholesterol – one type of cholesterol clogs our arteries, it is known as bad cholesterol or LDL and other type helps in removing these clogs, it is known as good cholesterol or HDL.

Monounsaturated fats decrease your total blood cholesterol but maintain your HDL (good) cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats, therefore, help lower the risk of heart diseases. Olive oil has 75% of monounsaturated fat. Examples of monounsaturated fats are macadamia nuts (80% of fat is monounsaturated), avocados (71%), almonds (70%), canola oil (59%), and peanuts and peanut oil (46%).

Other sources are almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, natural peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats may also be somewhat healthy. A polyunsaturated fat has good cholesterol but it decreases your total blood cholesterol by lowering both the LDL (bad) cholesterol and the HDL (good) cholesterol. Because of this reason we should use them in moderation.

The good sources of polyunsaturated fats can be found in corn oil, mayonnaise, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed oil, hempseed, hempseed oil, soybean oil, and pistachios.

Liquid plant oils should be your best bet for daily use. It is general tendency to use butter or ghee for cooking and baking. But butter and ghee are high sources of bad cholesterol or LDL.

They increase risk of heart diseases by clogging your arteries. So, to prevent this we should use vegetable oils like soya oil, sesame oil, canola, olive, mustard oil etc. for cooking and baking. These oils have high level of good cholesterol HDL and lower our LDL levels.

Meat fats also help in lowering cholesterol. However, it is important that one reduces the fat content of meat.
There are many quick ways to reduce the fat content of meat.
First, always buy lean cuts of meat.
Before cooking, remove and cut the all visible fats for example remove the skin from chicken because there are fat deposits just below the skin.
If you want to make broth or soup then chill meat broth and dripping. This will help fat to rise and solidify. Remove this fat before using broth and dripping.
Applicable to Meat or Non-Meat foods: Avoid frying as fried food has maximum number of calories. Instead of frying, you can grill, roast, steam, broil, and stir fry etc.

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Top-6-fats-that-lower-cholesterol/articleshow/15192793.cms

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Will eating corn make me fat?

It’s difficult to say no to a delicious, piping hot corn on the cob seasoned with spices in this monsoon weather. But lately, it seems that many people are more reluctant than eager to take a bite.

This is because of the latest health buzz that eating corn will make you fat. As a matter of fact, nowadays many people have parted ways with corn altogether because of the fear of weight gain. Today, we take a look at this dilemma and help you answer the question: Will eating corn make me fat?

Tender corn has about 1/3rd the calories of dry corn. At 125 calories per 100 g, it contains about 5 g of protein and negligible amount of fat.

Bangalore-based Registered Dietitian and Wellness Consultant, Sheela Krishnaswamy answers the top 5 FAQs on corn for us:
Corn is full of natural sugars and carbs; does this make it unhealthy? Corn is not at all unhealthy. Since it’s rich in carbs, it’s a great source of energy. High in nutrients, corn is extremely rich in Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin C, which helps in fighting diseases and generating new cells. High in fibre, corn also helps in lowering cholesterol levels in the body by reducing the levels of blood sugar in diabetics too. A whole grain product, it can be easily included in a healthy diet.
If raw and fresh corn is healthy, then why is popcorn unhealthy? Popcorn is not unhealthy either. It’s a great filler between meals, as long as it’s unbuttered and contains less salt. The buttered and salted popcorn should be restricted because of the fat and sodium content in it. Also, since popcorn is normally eaten while watching television or a movie, there’s a greater chance of eating large quantities of popcorn because one is more engrossed in the film rather than the quantity of popcorn eaten. Excess intake of fat and sodium has its consequences on health, as we all know.
Will eating corn chips make me fat? Yes, if the chips are fried and it’s consumed in large quantities and the excess calories are not burnt off, they are sure to make you fat. Weight gain is not about just one food, but an energy balance.
Are cornflakes healthy? Cornflakes are very low in fat and contain mostly starch. Also it’s eaten in combination with milk, which brings in a balance of carbohydrates and protein.
Regular consumption of corn, in moderate quantities, has been associated with better cardiovascular health. How true is the statement? Corn by itself cannot protect the heart. But yes, it’s as good as any other grain like brown rice, wheat, ragi, jowar, etc.

Corn can be used in many ways – as a breakfast cereal, as a snack (boiled corn / corn cup / popcorn), as part of a salad or soup, as an ingredient in a baked dish, etc. At the risk of sounding cliched, weight loss or gain is not about one single food. It’s about a healthy lifestyle.

Bottom-Line. Add corn to your meals and snacks to receive its health benefits. Just watch the amount you eat and practice portion control when eating corn and it will not make you fat!

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Will-eating-corn-make-me-fat/articleshow/15118333.cms

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Blast that ab fat: Best exercises for killer abs

We are all well aware of the fact that banishing belly fat is difficult. It takes years of following a healthy routine, strict exercise regimen and calculated eating. Getting a flat belly involves understanding where this belly fat comes from, and how best we can target the transversus abdominis muscles, also known as the TVA.

Today, we give you the best exercises for killer abs. But remember that spot targeting is a myth and that these exercises must be part of a holistic fitness routine that works out the entire body.

Understand the science behind six pack abs for a flat belly.The simple science behind six pack abs is that they exist in everybody. It’s just when you start putting on more body fat that these abs disappear. A combination of two major muscles transversus abdominis and rectus abdominis muscles make up what we consider to be our ‘abs’ zone.

These muscles are buried under the front and side of torso mucles and exist around your midsection like a girdle. Now, if you ate a healthy diet comprising of lean proteins, balanced carbs and less, yet good, fats, you would enter a zone with minimal superficial body fat, and your muscles would become visible, resulting in six pack abs.

Mentioned ahead are the best exercises that target your abs and help get a flat stomach.

Push ups: Place yourself face down with the palms on the floor. Place the palms wider than the shoulder-width, arms extended, legs straight and feet together or slightly apart. Keep the neck, back hips aligned and abdominals contracted. Do not arch the back downwards or upwards. Keep it flat like a table top. Bend the elbows outwards and bring the chest close to the floor. This is the initial position. Push back upwards till the arms extend completely and feel the contraction in the chest muscles.

Ball balance: Lie on the ball and exhale, pulling your abs in a stabilize position. Now, raise your right arm in a frontward direction and left leg on the back side. Breathe and hold yourself in this position for 10 seconds. In the meantime, using your ab and back muscles, keep the ball steady and body in a straight line. Repeat this same exercise in with the opposite arm and left. Perform a set of 5 on each side. In order to make this exercise harder, hold yourself in the raised position as if you are writing something in the air with your extended arm. Switch sides and repeat.

Side lying shoulder double leg raise (Obliques): Lie on the side with the legs extended the body in a straight line. Extend the lower arm so that it is perpendicular to the body. The palm of your hand should face the floor. Keep the upper arm by the side, aligned with the body. Balance slowly raise the lower shoulder (the one touching the floor) both the legs off the floor simultaneously. This works the side (waist) facing upwards. Come down slowly. After completing a set of certain repetitions, repeat the procedure on the other side. In order to make this exercise tough, you can do bicycle crunches too

Elevated plank: Place your forearms on the ball and keep your fingers interlaced. Now extend your legs straight behind and take the help of your toes for support. Now exhale, pulling your belly button towards your spine and hold yourself in this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure your back is straight and in a flat line. Give yourself a break of 30 seconds and repeat. In order to make this exercise easier, you can perform it by placing your forearms on the floor. And, for a harder version of this exercise, move from a plank to a swiss ball. Here, try and bring your knees towards your chest and do 10 repetitions per leg.

Reverse crunch: Lie on your back with the arms extended downwards towards the feet and palms on the floor. Place the hands under the lower back hip. Legs should be bent at 90 degrees up in the air. Using the abdominal muscles, i.e. contracting them, roll the spine the hips upwards so that the knees come towards the face. Slowly go down without changing the angle of the legs. Note – Do not extend the legs while lifting the hips off the floor. Keep the knees together the legs strictly bent at 90 degrees.
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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/Blast-that-ab-fat-Best-exercises-for-killer-abs/articleshow/14592617.cms

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How to make healthy low-fat ice creams

You loved it as a kid. You still crave it as an adult. But your waistline tells you that you should learn to live without it.

You guessed it, we’re talking about ice cream! You might have learnt how to make healthy versions of just about every other kind of food, but healthy low-fat ice cream can prove to be a challenge. Today, we’re helping you do just that. If your first reaction is ‘my ice cream always ends up rock hard’ or ‘my ice cream is always full of crystals,’ then read on. This might be your lucky day. Here are our favourite tips for making healthy, low-fat and delicious ice cream.

Sprinkle healthy ingredients like nuts, almonds, cashews, sultanas and raisins. However, please note that while nuts are quite healthy, they are also high in calories. This means that too many nuts will ruin your perfectly balanced diet. Remember, portion control is King. The trick lies in skipping the nuts inside the ice cream and sprinkling them in controlled amounts right on top of the ice cream in order to save calories. An added benefit – the nuts stay fresh and crunchy.

Replace half the amount of eggs used in your ice cream with any other healthy thick liquid in order to lower the calorie load. Try nut butter, bean or fruit substitutions instead of it. You can also go for flax eggs which are easily available in the market and are thick in consistency. Still wondering how your ice cream will become nice and fluffy? Add a pinch of extra baking powder for each egg replaced and you are good to go!

If ice cream isn’t the main dessert, and you are simply using it as a topping, then apple sauce, fruit puree, vegetable puree, plain yogurt are a few of the excellent substitutes for ice creams in most of the recipes. Even mashed ripe bananas work as an excellent alternative. Want even a better alternative? Go for baby food, you’ll thank us later for the rich, creamy consistency you’ll get because of it!

If you like the flavour of banana in an ice cream, add it to your cream mixture. It will work well in thickening your mixture, and will give your ice cream a much needed creamy and custard-like texture. Banana comes naturally in a perfect package- no mess, no fuss. Often recommended as an excellent snack item, this miracle food – contrary to popular belief – is low in glycemic index, initiates fat burning, is excellent for digestion, and has large amounts of ‘insoluble resistance starch’.

Use alcohol in your ice cream and it will keep your ice cream from hardening. Using vodka as an alternative too can help in making your ice cream rich and delicious in flavour.

Make sure you churn the ice cream for a long period of time. Running the ice cream under a beater for a long period of time will help in breaking the ice crystals into smaller pieces, giving your ice a much-desired smooth texture.

Do you have any other advice for better low-sugar, low-fat ice cream? Let’s hear it in the comments below!

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food/recipes/How-to-make-healthy-low-fat-ice-creams/articleshow/14294233.cms

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