Biggest Lies About Weight Loss

When it comes to weight loss, it is hard to separate fact from fiction. Sometimes it seems like there are 3 right answers for every question. Well, wonder no more. Read through to find out the truth behind some of the biggest myths about weight loss.

Myth №1: Low-carbohydrate diet is the best way for losing weight
If you cut out carbohydrates from the diet you will see some dramatic weight loss in a very short period. But it is not really all that healthy and it is not sustainable. Carbs are an essential part of the diet, and once you go off that diet, you are likely to regain most of the weight. Always try eating better carbohydrates, like fruits, grains, nuts, vegetables and seeds.

Myth №2: Reduce fat for losing weight
Fat makes food taste good. When it is removed from foods, a lot of the flavor is removed too. To make up for this, sugars, thickeners and chemicals are often added to enhance the flavor and texture of foods. These additives can be far fattening than full-fat foods. In addition, fat-free and low-fat labels do not mean low-calorie. All the additives have got to turn up somewhere. When looking at nutrition labels, think carefully about buying reduced fat foods. Go for fresh and whole foods or even buy the full-fat ones instead and consume in moderation.

Myth №3: Some foods can burn fat and make you lose weight
No foods can burn fat. Some of them with caffeine can speed up your metabolism and boost the way your body uses calories and energy for a short term, but they do not cause weight loss. Unfortunately, these foods are very low in calorie, and the calories you burn from chewing them are not even close to making up for the calories of the food.

Myth № 4: People gain more weight from food eaten after 8 pm
It is not any difference, whether you consume calorie at 2 pm or 2 am. It takes a little longer for your body to burn off late-night plate of pizza than it does your lunch, since you are more active during the day. The problem here is that night eaters have a tendency to overeat because they have eaten unbalanced throughout the day. If you want to cut out late night snacking, do not skimp on meals.

Myth №5: Drinking Lots of water is number one weight loser
Water is important, water is great, but it does not help you burn calories and it won’t make your fat magically disappear. Instead, try replacing some of the calorie- rich beverages with plain water; increasing your water intake alone won’t help you lose your pounds.

15 Ways To Protect Your Liver

Since 1991, deaths from liver disease have doubled to hit 16,000 a year, yet at least 50 per cent of cases are due to lifestyle. You can slash your risk with our expert’s advice

1. Have alcohol-free days- One of the liver’s functions is to remove toxic chemicals such as alcohol by-products from the body. While the liver has some ability to repair damage, there are limitations. Drinking too much on a regular basis will eventually impede functioning of the liver, leaving it vulnerable to permanent damage.

2. Calculate your units- Many people I see underestimate how many alcohol units they drink. Wines and beers vary in strength and are stronger than in the past – the average wine has increased from nine per cent alcohol in the 1970s to 12.5 per cent today

3. Ditch dangerous myths- One misleading belief is that only alcoholics get alcohol-related liver disease. Some people who drink just a little more than the recommended limits will succumb.

4. Cut back on fat- Around one in five adults are thought to have a build-up of fatty deposits in the liver, also known as fatty liver disease, that’s unrelated to alcohol. Both a high-fat diet and being overweight or obese are major risk factors so avoid fatty foods, such as pastries, biscuits, cakes, butter, confectionery and fatty meats, in favour of lean meat, fish, wholegrains and fruit and veg. Alcohol or diet alone can lead to fatty liver disease, but a combination of the two will further increase your risk

5. Measure your waist- Excess fat around your middle is more dangerous than fat elsewhere as it can reduce the liver’s sensitivity to the hormone insulin, increasing the likelihood of diabetes, which can lead to fatty liver disease. Women with a waist above 80cm (31.5in) are at greater risk.

6. Know your numbers- Other risk factors for a fatty liver include high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and while these conditions are more common in overweight people, they still affect a number of slim people, too.

7. Be risk aware- Women are more susceptible to alcohol-related liver disease than men.

8. Do regular exercise- Being active helps to combat the build-up of fatty deposits in the liver.

9. Get your holiday jabs- If you’re travelling to the Middle East, Asia, Africa, or Central or South America, check with a travel clinic, offered by most NHS GP surgeries, if you need vaccinations for hepatitis A or B. Hepatitis A is caught from contaminated food or water.

10. Protect yourself- Contrary to popular belief, blood-borne hepatitis B and C infection (there is no vaccination for the latter at present) aren’t confined to intravenous drug users. Hepatitis B is many times more infectious than HIV.

11. Get tested if necessary- See your GP for a blood test if any of the viral hepatitis risks apply to you or present or past sexual partners. If you had a blood transfusion in the UK before 1991, or at any time in a country that doesn’t screen blood for viral hepatitis, you may be at risk.

12. Be symptom-smart- While many of the acute symptoms of liver disease – pain under the lower right hand side of your ribs, nausea, diarrhoea or jaundice – are difficult to ignore, chronic symptoms such as tiredness, nausea, lack of energy and loss of appetite, are less dramatic and can apply to a number of condition.

13. Don’t do DIY tests- Beware of home pinprick or urine tests designed to spot signs of liver damage as they don’t give the full picture and, worse still, may give false reassurance.

14. Avoid extremes- Occasional ‘detoxes’, where you follow an extreme diet and only drink water or juices, can’t compensate for an unhealthy lifestyle the rest of the time. The best way to keep your liver in good condition is to drink alcohol moderately and eat a healthy diet in the long-term.

15. Herbal help- In an analysis of 19 studies at the University of Zurich, milk thistle was found to be significantly more effective at reducing death from liver cirrhosis than a placebo.

5 Ways To Thrive in 2014

1. Start accepting yourself

It’s beneficial to think of ways in which you can make positive changes in your life, but some people become very caught up in thinking about their perceived imperfections and problems. This is unhelpful because it decreases self-esteem and contributes to feelings of helplessness. This New Year, as well as making some resolutions, set aside some time to reflect upon 10 positive things about yourself, regardless of how small. This will help you to build self-esteem and a sense of power and enable you to feel more empowered in relation to achieving your goals.

2. Set attainable goals

It would, for example, be rather unrealistic to state that you are going are going to run a marathon next month when you currently struggle to walk a mile.  Rather than making rash, drunken promises, think about this year’s resolutions in advance. This way, you will be able to (soberly!) think about the kind of goals that are actually attainable. What are reasonable expectations? Don’t be pessimistic about your ability to achieve things, but think carefully about whether or not what you are asking of yourself is realistic. You can set yourself challenging goals BUT these goals should be achievable if you put in determined effort.

3. Start believing that you are in control

Many people approach their New Year’s resolutions in a powerless way, expecting magical positive changes, without really considering their role in achieving them. Unsurprisingly, this is a pretty likely route to failure! Realise that you are in control of whether or not you are successful in your goals; your successes come about as a result of your efforts and skills. So, keep reminding yourself that it is down to your whether or not you achieve your resolutions this year.

4. Take steps to achieve your resolutions

In line with tip 3, and perhaps rather obviously, you need to to take action! What small steps do you need to take in order to accomplish your resolutions? Your goal may be to lose a stone over the course of the year. But a whole year is a quite long way away. So, to keep yourself motivated and to ensure you are taking the steps to achieve this goal, you should set yourself smaller short-term targets. For example, you might decide that you are going to go for a run twice a week.

5. Recognise your achievements

You want say well done to yourself for the efforts you are putting into achieving your goals and realise that it is this hard work that will lead to success. Whenever you achieve a goal (or a step along the way), again, praise yourself for your accomplishment. Additionally, rather than just thinking about what you have achieved, what you have learned along the way is really important – often more important than the actual outcome – since it is these skills that will enable you to thrive in life.