Can water help fill you up? - Soup Diet

There’s a common dieting myth that if you drink a glass of water before you eat you will feel fuller for longer.

But is there any truth in this? We took it upon ourselves to put the water theory up against the latest idea in the science of dieting.

The new buzzword in dieting is satiety - it’s less about reducing your calorie intake and more about eating foods that will keep you satiated for longer.

To illustrate our study we conducted at Nottingham University we took two teams with a love for classic American automobiles and sent them on a road trip through the lonely Nevada desert to see which group would give in to their hunger pangs first.

Both teams were given an identical meal of chicken and vegetables with a glass of water. The only difference was that one team drank the water before they ate, and the other had the water blended with the meal to make a soup.

Then we sat back and waited for the hunger signals to kick in.

In the original study the group who ate the chicken and vegetable soup were satiated for 60 minutes more when compared to the group who drank the water before the chicken and vegetable meal.

"activating our satiety signals can reduce our hunger by up to a quarter"

But why? When we drink a glass of water with our meal our stomach is able to sieve the water from the solids passing quickly from our intestines into the stomach. However, when we combine the water and food in a soup this sieving is prevented and ensures that the water and the nutrients from the food stay together, homogenised, thus entering the intestine at the same time.

Because of the increased volume of the water and solid combined the food stays in our stomach for longer, activating our satiety signals and delaying emptying, which, according to the scientists, can reduce our hunger by up to a quarter.

Traditional wisdom says eggs are bad. Myth or Fact !

Eggs are one of nature's near-perfect foods. They contain an easily digestible form of protein, plus about a zillion other valuable compounds and nutrients, and with rare exceptions (we'll get to those in a bit) there isn't a single sound reason to avoid them, despite what you may have heard.

The advice of conventional dietitians and traditional medical folks to avoid eggs was based on the fact that eggs contain two substances that continue to suffer from a terrible reputation: cholesterol and fat. The demonizing of fat is a subject worth a column all its own, so we'll save that for another time. Right now, let's look a little more closely at cholesterol.

As we all know "The average literate Indian doesn't know exactly what cholesterol is but is quite certain that it's dangerous." The consensus seems to be that whatever it is, the less cholesterol the better. In fact, cholesterol is needed by every cell in the body. Without cholesterol, our bodies would disintegrate. About 80 percent of the cholesterol in the body is produced by the body itself, regardless of how much of it you eat or don't eat.

Most of your body's cholesterol is found in the cells, where it does all kinds of good things. Only about 7 percent of the body's store of cholesterol is in the blood, and even then it doesn't do any real damage until it oxidizes and begins to stick to the arterial walls. Nature, however, in her infinite wisdom, created the egg complete with its own built-in antioxidant. It's called lecithin, and it helps prevent the cholesterol in eggs from becoming a problem. Interestingly, lecithin is found in the yolk, which many people mistakenly discard because it contains cholesterol.

The real take-home point however, is this: Dietary cholesterol has virtually no effect on serum cholesterol. Even Dr. Ancel Keys, whose original "Seven Countries" study gave rise to the whole fat/cholesterol/heart disease madness in the first place, has said: "There's no connection whatsoever between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in the blood. None. And we've known that all along." That has been confirmed in study after study after study. Except in rare cases, the amount of cholesterol in the diet will affect your blood levels nary a wit. (The only exception to this are people who are called "cholesterol responders." Their bodies do not automatically decrease their internal production of cholesterol when dietary intake increases, so for this small group dietary cholesterol should be monitored.)

Egg yolks do contain an essential fatty acid called arachadonic acid, which has a mixed reputation. On the one hand, it is essential for your metabolism, and some authorities claim that up to 20 percent of the population is deficient in it. On the other, it is the "parent" molecule for many inflammatory substances, and some people are particularly sensitive to it. But according to nutritional educator Robert Crayhon, even if you're eating 10 whole eggs a day, it's probably not the presence of
arachadonic acid that's causing problems; it's much more likely to be an imbalance between the arachadonic acid and the omega-3 fatty acids that are missing from the diets of most Americans.

The solution? Make sure you're getting enough of those great omega-3's (found in fish and flaxseed oil), and don't worry about the arachadonic acid in the egg yolks.

By the way, in many supermarkets organic eggs, which contain plenty of omega-3's, properly balanced in the correct, beneficial ratio, are now available. As Dr. Fred Pescatore says, "If you buy nothing else for your family that is organic, please make it eggs."

To sum up: Can eggs be included as part of a healthy, fat-losing, low-carbohydrate diet? YES

how to find your BMR?

BMR means Basal Metabolic Rate. It is used to estimate how many calories you should consume.By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your BMR.

• Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

• Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

• If you are sedentary : BMR x 1.2

• If you are lightly active: BMR x 1.375

• If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 1.55

• If you are very active (You exercise daily.): BMR x 1.725

• If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 1.9

Create a Calorie Deficit:
Lose at a Healthy Rate:

Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. Then, to lose weight, you'll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and shoot for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.

We use about 60 percent of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.

Step One : Calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Step two : In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:

In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time.

Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to 1 pound.

If you cut back 500 calories a day, you will lose 1 pound per week.

If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you will also lose 1 pound per week.

Ideally, you should do a combination of both, (e.g. cut back 250 calories; burn an extra 250 calories).

A healthy weight loss goal is to lose 0.5 to 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds per week will mean the weight is less likely to stay off permanently. Never cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories without medical supervision. To find out how you are spending your current calorie intake, keep a detailed food diary for at least one week.

Making little changes like these will really add up in the long run.

Weight loss guidance

Always Think Fit:

First step in exercise is to always Think FIT. To make physical improvements, you need to work your body harder than usual. This is referred to as the overload principle. As your body becomes more conditioned, you need to increase the frequency, intensity, or time of your workouts in order to continue improving your fitness level.

• Frequency of exercise : How often you exercise. For beginners, consider starting with 2-3 sessions per week.
• Intensity of exercise : How hard you exercise. For example, the pace you walk or run, the amount of weight you lift, or your heart rate count.
• Duration of exercise : How long you perform an activity. "Time" can also refer to the number of sets or repetitions you perform in weight training.

Exercise Components:

1. Aerobic Exercise: Aerobic exercise increases the health and function of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Walking, jogging, cycling,swimming, aerobic dance, and stair climbing are examples of activities that use large muscle groups.
   
2. Strength Training: Strength training is the process of exercising with progressively heavier resistance to build or retain muscle. Unless you perform regular strength exercise, you will lose up to one-half pound of muscle every year of life after age25. Muscle is a very active tissue with high energy requirements, even when you are asleep, your muscles are responsible for over 25% of your calorie use. An increase in muscle tissue causes a corresponding increase in the number of calories your body will burn, even at rest.
3. Flexibility: Flexibility is a critical element of an exercise program but it is often overlooked. Stretching is important for a number of reasons; increases physical performance, decreases risk of injury, increases blood supply and nutrients to the joints, increases neuromuscular co-ordination, reduces soreness, improves balance, decreases risk of low back pain, and reduces stress in muscles.

Choosing an Exercise:

The best exercise is an activity that you enjoy enough to really pursue enthusiastically. Experiment with different forms of activity (cross training). Alternating new activities with old favourites will keep your enthusiasm high. Cross training also helps avoid injury due to repeatedly doing the same activity.

Here are some suggestions:

• Indoor (Facility) Activities: If the treadmill, stairmaster, rowing machine or stationery cycle doesn't excite you, sample some group activities that strike your fancy. Participate in a group cycling class, beat stress with yoga, find balance with martial arts, stay cool with indoor swimming, or kick some you-know-what with boxaerobics.
• At Home Activities: You don't need to join a gym to experience a variety of activities. Your local video store or library will carry a variety of fitness videos that allow you to workout in the privacy of your home. Some equipment may be required, depending on the activity you select. A few inexpensive pieces of equipment include a jump rope, a set of hand weights (preferably with weight plates that you can add and remove), Dyna-Bands or tubing, or a basic step (for step aerobics).
  If you enjoy working out at home then you may want to consider investing in a larger piece of equipment such as a treadmill, ski machine, stationery bicycle, or elliptical trainer.

Motivation is the Key Factor

Only one-third of those who begin an exercise program are still exercising by the end of their first year. The good news is that with some strategizing and planning, you can beat the dropout odds and make a successful transition to a lifestyle that incorporates exercise.

Here's some tips to help you stay motivated.

• Find a Fitness Partner: Studies show that exercise adherence is generally greater if the family or a friend is included in the commitment to exercise. Find a walking partner, play tennis with your spouse, or go rollerblading with the kids.

• Start an Exercise Log or Journal: An exercise log or journal is an excellent way to chart your progress and provide motivation. Nothing beats the feeling of success as you read through your accomplishments. Exercise logs can take on many forms; a calendar to record your workouts, a daily journal to record your feelings and goals, a computerized exercise log, or a log purchased at bookstore. The key is to select a log or journal that fits your needs and provides you the kind of information that is meaningful to you.

• Toss Your Scale: Ask yourself, "How often has stepping on the scale in the morning ruined my day?" If your answer is "often," consider whether or not you should give that little machine such power over you. The fact is that exercise should not revolve around a number on a scale. Exercise should be about making a commitment to your health and well being, weight loss is a natural side effect of that commitment.
• Dress the Part: Wear comfortable clothes appropriate for exercising, they will help you feel like working out. If you exercise at a gym put your exercise wear in a bag and set it beside the door the night before. When it's time to head out the door, all you have to do is grab your bag on the way out.
• Entertain Yourself: If you exercise alone, consider using a Walkman to listen to your favourite music or books on tape to help keep you entertained during your workout. Many pieces of exercise equipment have racks that fit onto the console to hold reading material. If you exercise at home, turn on some music or bring the television within viewing range.
• Evaluate Your Progress: It's a good idea to test your fitness level when you start and re-evaluate yourself every couple of months. There are a variety of fitness tests that you can administer yourself. Getting a body composition test is another great way to chart your progress and can be done every four to six months. The local YMCA or fitness club can perform this test at a minimal cost, even if you're not a member.
• Make Exercise Non-Negotiable: Think of exercise as something you do without question, like brushing your teeth or going to work. Taking the lifestyle perspective will help you make exercise a habit and will make you live a long and productive life hopefully keeping diseases associated with inactivity at bay.