What Is The Best Way To Lose Weight?

When we talk about losing weight we normally associate it to dieting and exercising. But actually there is more to it. In order to lose weight and keep it that way, it actually involves a minor lifestyle change. Here is an article by Chileshe Mwape that summarizes the best steps one should take to effectively lose weight.

The best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase your physical activity. Experts suggest aiming for a weight loss goal of about a pound a week.

1. Set Realistic Goals The first step to weight loss is setting a realistic goal. By using a BMI chart and consulting with your health care provider, you can determine what a healthy weight is for you. To reach your goal safely, plan to lose weight gradually. A weight loss of one-half to two pounds a week is usually safe.

2. Change Your Lifestyle To be successful at losing weight, you need to change your lifestyle and not just go on a diet. This requires cutting back on the number of calories you eat by eating smaller amounts of foods and choosing foods lower in calories. It also means being more physically active.

3. Change Your Eating Habits Consider limiting portion sizes, especially of foods high in calories, such as cookies, cakes and other sweets; fried foods, like fried chicken and french fries; and fats, oils, and spreads. Keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible. Choose foods naturally high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes (such as beans and lentils), and whole grains. The high fiber content of many of these foods may help you to feel full with fewer calories.

4. Increase Your Physical Activity Most health experts recommend a combination of a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight loss. Exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. And some studies show that short sessions of exercise several times a day are just as effective at burning calories and improving health as one long session. To lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight after weight loss, many people need to do more than 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity daily. Walking is an excellent form of physical activity that almost everyone can do.

5. Summary Successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping the weight off. A lifestyle based on healthy eating and regular physical activity is the best way to lose weight permanently.

There it is, easy isn't it, however it takes some time to get adjusted to these changes. It might be tough initially but it'll be easier once you get used to it. So till our next issue of How to look great and feel happy, Have a nice day.

How to Experience More Energy, Health, & Youth In Your Life!

Do you often feel out of energy especially after your meals?

In fact, it is usually around 3-4 pm (depending on the time you eat your lunch) when you find yourself having difficulty in keeping yourself awake. You feel tired, exhausted and just could not continue with your work.

Recently, I've read something interesting regarding this - the main reason why we experience this way is because excessive energy is needed to digest the food we ate for lunch.

During 3-4 pm, our organs have already worked hard for half a day and with the excess energy needed to digest our lunch, our body naturally needs to take a rest from it. I used to assume that this is a natural process - we ought to feel lethargic in the afternoon.......but I was so wrong..

The truth is the way you eat our foods, the foods that you put into your mouths, are destructive to your body and health. For example, do you eat meat and potatoes together? How about milk and cereal, or fish and rice?

Do you know that those combinations are totally destructive to your internal system and rob you of energy?

Let me explain how these combinations are destructive and how you can save yourself large amounts of energy you may currently be wasting.

Different foods are digested differently - Starchy foods require alkaline digestive medium and proteins foods like meat require and acidic medium for digestion. And when you mix both together, the medium neutralize each other. Digestion is impaired or completely arrested.

This is very destructive to your body as more energy is require to digest the same amount of food.

When our human body is functioning at its optimal level,  human body fluids and tissues exist in a slightly alkaline state (not acidic). The food we eat often becomes the raw material to rebuild its tissue. Our pH balance can quickly become unbalanced if our diet consists largely of "acidifying" foods.

These acidifying foods would result in our blood and body tissues to become bathed in an acidic solution. Of course it won't kill you right away, but if left untreated, this acidic condition leads to diseases such as heart disease, high cholesterol and even obesity.

How do you know whether your body is acidic and requires your attention?

Here's what you are going to do today to find out whether your body is dangerously acidic..

You would first need to ask yourself whether you experience any of the symptoms below.

a. Pimples & Acnes
b. Agitation
c. Rapid panting breath
d. Rapid heartbeat
e. Muscular pain
f. Pre-menstrual and menstrual cramping
g. Pre-menstrual anxiety and depression
h. Cold hands and feet
i. Light headedness & dizziness
j. Exhausted easily and low energy
k. Joint pains that travel
l. Food allergies
m. Excessive gas
n. Hyperactivity
o. Lack of sex drive
p. Bloating
q. Heartburn & acid reflux
r. Yellow & strong smelling urine
s. Headaches & migraines
t. Irregular heartbeat
u. White coated tongue
v. Hard to get up in morning
w. Excess head mucous (stuffiness)

If you experience more than 2 of the symptoms listed here, there is a high chance that your body is acidic and you may want to take precaution and change your diet before it accumulates and turn into deadly diseases or cancer one day.

There are other ways to confirm your body internal conditions, for example using a self urine test.

If you suspect your body is acidic or you want to feel healthy, youthful, and lose weight the natural way, find out how you can do so with  Emma Deangela's book at  The Alkaline Diet.

Until the next issue of  How to Look Great and Feel Happy, have a nice day, an energized one with the  alkaline diet.