Best Foods to Raise Metabolism

No matter what diet you try, you just can't seem to lose weight. Well, the good news is there are foods that are scientifically proven to raise metabolism and help you burn excess body fat. We all know that in order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat or reduce calorie intake. However, many dieters often eat too few calories that they crashed their metabolism. In fact, you must eat enough to burn fat. Read More

Natural Home Remedies to Relieve Menstrual Cramps

Almost every woman experience some menstrual cramps during her periods. Menstrual cramps, also known as dysmenorrhea, can be mild, moderate or even severe. Other symptoms that sometimes accompany menstrual cramps include nausea and vomiting, sweating, dizziness, and loose stools. Read More

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Age (Liver) Spots

Age spots, also called liver spots, senile lentigines, or solar lentigines are a common problem in people over 40 but they may also appear in younger individuals. Age spots are flat, gray, brown or black spots caused by either age or sun exposure. They often appear on the hands, face, back and feet. Although true age spots are harmless and do not require treatment, many people find them unsightly and opt to lighten age spots with skin-bleaching products or removed them through expensive laser treatments. Let's look at some age spots home remedies to get rid of age spots and prevent them in the future. Read More

How to Lower High Cholesterol Without Medication

It is well known fact that high cholesterol level, specifically LDL (bad) cholesterol, puts you at risk of developing heart disease. However, what most people don't realize is that, cholesterol is easily managed without drugs. You can lower high cholesterol level without medication through healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Although drugs work as well, most of them come with side effects. Read More

How to Reduce Sugar Intake

Many agree that sugar is bad since too much sugar in the diet leads to obesity and many weight-related illness. Reduce sugar intake and you'll soon see a positive change in your overall health. However, many of us are addicted to sugar hidden in food. Let's look at some of these foods and learn how to reduce sugar in your diet painlessly. Read More

How to Treat and Prevent a Backache

Backache is one of the most common ailments. It is a discomfort in the area of lower back and the pain could be acute or chronic. Although back pain can affect a person at any age but it is commonly seen with people above 50 years of age. If you experience backache for more than couple of months, you should seek medical attention. Read More

How to Make Homemade Protein Shakes

Homemade protein shakes are very popular among the health conscious since it is one of the best means of building lean muscle. However, many people are unsure of how to make the protein shake as healthy and nutritious as possible. Read on to find out a few basic principles that can help you make a homemade protein shake that is not only great-tasting but also meets your dieting goals. Read More

How to Cure Diarrhea with Home Remedies

Diarrhea occurs when stools become loose and watery or unformed. The symptoms for diarrhea can include vomiting, stomach pain, consistent thirst, fever, nausea or even dehydration. Home remedies for diarrhea are preferred to mainstream medicine because the latter is generally intended to treat the symptoms and not the underlying cause. If the cause of diarrhea is not removed, treatment of the symptoms will have only a temporary effect. Read More

Oatmeal Diet to Lose Weight

The health benefits of oatmeal are plentiful. Oatmeal not only provide us with Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are essential for our bodies to function properly but it is also a good source of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and iron. Another benefit of eating oatmeal is that it helps you to lose weight and fight off certain types of cancer due to the nutrients and fiber it contains. Hence, when you follow a 30-day plan of eating three meals of oatmeal everyday and a low-fat snack in between, you will surely lose about 2 to 5 pounds a week on the oatmeal diet. Read More

Are Chinese Diet Teas Safe to Lose Weight

Chinese diet teas have long been used by people to lose weight. Many companies have manufactured and distributed Chinese tea labeled 'Chinese diet tea' for those who want to lose weight since it is believed that tea has only 4 calories per serving, and the caffeine in tea is strong enough to boost metabolism to help burn more calories. Moreover, it is also believed that the polyphenols in tea helps in the digestion of fat, thus making it a Chinese diet tea. Read More

How to Treat Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) is a common injury caused typically by playing racquet sports, such as tennis and racquetball. Tennis Elbow occurs when the outer elbow bone area becomes inflamed and irritated by these sports or other everyday activities. Tennis Elbow is not limited to tennis players and can occur with any activity that involves repetitive gripping, turning, bending, or extending the wrist backwards. Read More

How to Lower High Blood Pressure

You don't have to rely on prescription medication to lower high blood pressure. High Blood pressure (hypertension) can be effectively lowered through healthy eating and lifestyle habits such as moderate exercise, gradual weight loss and simple stress management techniques. When you make these changes, you can lower you blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. Let's take a look at how to lower high blood pressure naturally without medications. Read More

Constipation Remedies – How to Get Rid of Constipation

Constipation is a common digestive problem that affects millions of people worldwide. If the bowels do not move regularly or are not completely emptied, you have constipation problems. Stomach pains, hard tools, difficulty in bowel movements, loss of appetite, drowsiness, nausea, pain in the lower legs and vertigo are some symptoms of constipation. Since constipation leads to many diseases, you must know how to get rid of constipation before it gets chronic and serious. Read on to find out a few remedies for constipation. Read More

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

Although stretch marks are not malign skin problems and do not cause anything dangerous to your health, they are very unsightly and can affect the self confidence of women especially young women. They often end up staying at home because of ugly stretch marks. Read More

How to Have Healthy Teeth and Gums

Your teeth and gum can stay healthy and strong throughout your life if you take proper care of them. If you don't practice good dental hygiene, plaque and tartar can easily build up and cause many problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss. Many of these dental problems are also linked to more serious health issues including heart disease and strokes. For people with diabetes, it's extremely important to maintain healthy teeth and gums since they have a higher chance of developing periodontal disease. By following these easy tips everyday, you can keep your teeth healthy and strong, and save money on expensive dental treatments. Read More

How to Treat Menopause Symptoms with Simple Home Remedies

Menopause can be defined as the transition period when the ovaries stop producing eggs. For most women, menopause occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, with the average age being 51. Many go through the menopause without any problems but there are some women who suffer from one or several of the symptoms associated with the menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, headache, insomnia, depression, weight gain, fatigue and so on. However, menopause relief is possible without turning to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). You can manage menopausal symptoms with herbal or natural remedies along with a few simple changes in your lifestyle. Read More

How to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

With the holiday season just around the corner, we often find ourselves surrounded by delicious food that are too good to resist. So it's very easy to overeat and gain unwanted pounds. However, you can still enjoy the holidays using these 5 simple expert-endorsed healthy eating tips which will help you avoid holiday weight gain painlessly. Read More

How to Avoid and Prevent Cataracts

Cataracts is a common eye condition that develop as we age. It occurs when the lens of your eye turns cloudy and impairs your vision partially or even totally. While some of us develop cataracts at a relatively early age, there are people in their nineties that show no sign of cataracts at all. Here are several things which you can do to avoid and prevent cataracts: Read More

How to Buy Safe Weight Loss Pills

When it comes to weight loss pills, there are literally thousands currently available in the market. However, choosing weight loss pills which are safe for consumption can be pretty daunting since not all of the weight loss pills are good for you. In fact, some of them can be very hazardous to your health. Before you buy weight loss pills, consider the following to ensure that they are safe and effective. Read More

8 Easy Ways to Raise Metabolism

It's no secret that metabolism plays a great role in weight loss. When you've a high metabolic rate, the amount of calories your body burns increases and hence helps you to lose weight faster. Without optimal metabolism, your body will store the excess calories as fat for future use. There are several factors that influence metabolism including age, weight, hormonal changes, lean muscle mass, diet, genetics, stress and the amount of physical activity undertaken daily. While there are a couple of things which you cannot change, you can still raise metabolism through a few smart tips and techniques. Read More

How to Treat Nail Fungus with Home Remedies

Nail fungus (also known as onychomycosis) is a common condition in which fungi get under your fingernail or toenail and cause an infection. The infection can be in the nail or the nail bed. Once the fungus has attacked your nail, it starts to grow and spread. It is important that you treat the nail fungus as soon as the symptoms appear in order to prevent the infection of your other nails, saving you lots of unnecessary pain and embarrassment. Read More

How to Get Rid and Tone Flabby Arms

If you're a woman with jiggly, flabby upper arms and wear long sleeves to cover them, you're not alone. Sagging, flabby arms are common for many women and even for women who are of normal weight. Although getting rid of flabby upper arms is no easy task, it can be done through healthy eating and regular arm exercises. Read More

4 Surprising Reasons Why You Can't Lose Weight

You've been good; you haven't had a bite of pizza or a sip of soda for months but you still can't even shed a pound. So, what went wrong? Let's look at 4 reasons why you can't lose weight and what you can do to turn things around. Read More

Hemorrhoids (Piles) – Natural Remedies for Fast Relief

If you suffer from swollen and irritated hemorrhoids (also known as piles), you probably know that this painful condition is no walk in the park. Hemorrhoids are a swelling of veins in and around the anus. These veins can become overstretched that they push with extreme force, then rupture and cause rectal bleeding, inflammation and itch. Hemorrhoids (internal, external or prolapsed) affects millions of people across the world, and like them, you want to get rid of hemorrhoids forever. Knowing some of the easiest home remedies can greatly reduce the discomfort and aggravation associated with hemorrhoids, and provide much needed relief. Read More

Health Effects of 5 Most Common Household Toxins and How to Eliminate Them

Do you find yourself getting the sniffles when it's not even the allergy season or do you often feel under the weather while you're in your own house? Believe me, the chemicals in your furniture, the mold growing beneath your kitchen sink, water filter pitchers, couch cushions or something even worse is making you sick. Do you know that over time, these household toxins can build up in your body and overload your system? Read on to find out some of the most common household toxins which can be deadly and how you can get rid of them. Read More

How to Treat and Prevent Common Swimming Injuries

Swimming makes me feel like a baby – my mind and body relaxes as refreshing cool water cocoons my tired body into a totally weightless state. The benefits of swimming is in abundance. Swimming is one of the most popular sports in the world which can be continued throughout your lifetime. Swimming is a great full body exercise that tones your entire muscle spectrum, builds endurance, muscle strength and improves cardiovascular fitness. However, because of its repetitive nature of swim strokes, muscular injuries can happen with poor swimming techniques. Now, the question is which stroke can cause potential injuries? Read More

Unhealthy Breakfast Foods

I eat breakfast. Without food to pacify my growling stomach, I cannot function optimally. I need my daily wake-up cup of Jasmine green tea, freshly toasted whole grain bread and a fruit to kick start my day. Many people skip breakfast because of time constraint, or because they simply do not have an early appetite. But I strongly advocate the advantage of eating substantially in the first part of the day. When you get up in the morning, the last meal that you had would be at least 9 hours ago. And if your first meal of the day is lunch, that deprives your body of nutrients for more than 12 hours. With so many breakfast choices and ideas available, are you sure you are fueling your body right? Let's examine a few of the most commonly eaten breakfast foods and know what are the unhealthy breakfast foods. Read More

1500 Calorie Diet Sample Menu for Men

Most dietitians agree that calorie control is the key to successful weight loss. For a calorie controlled diet to work, it must be sustainable – one that fits into your present lifestyle, allowing you to live a normal life on normal foods without feeling deprived while you are achieving your health and weight loss goals. Low calorie diets are designed to create an energy deficit which causes your body to burn stored fat so that you will lose weight. Read More

How to Reduce Cancer Risks

Did you know that cancer is on track to be the number one killer worldwide by 2010? Cancer can affect anyone – regardless of age, gender, race and genetics but the risk for most type of cancers increases with age. Medical science often cannot explain why one person develops cancer and the other does not. But according to health experts, individual can take practical steps to dramatically reduce their risk of developing cancer. Read More

How to Prevent Obesity

Obesity is a growing concern in our country. About two-thirds of adults in America are officially overweight, and about half of those have graduated to full-blown obesity. That means more and more people are predisposing themselves to the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, infertility, gall-bladder disease, osteoarthritis and many forms of cancer. Read More

10 Delicious Ideas to Eat More Vegetables and Love it!

There's no doubt about it. Vegetables are good for you – they are nature's gift to mankind, bursting with Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and many phytochemicals that have miraculous health benefits. Introducing fresh vegetables to your diet is the best thing you can do to save yourself from chronic ailments such as cancers, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. You do okay with fruits but the BIG problem is, you don't like to eat vegetables. Want to find out how to sneak vegetables into food or your diet without knowing it? Here are 10 great ideas to eat more vegetables. Read More

7 Weight Loss Tips that Really Work!

Most of us have done it at least once in our lives; some had success while others failed miserably. Yes, I'm talking about the much dreaded weight loss challenge. Do you know that Americans spend in the aggregate $33 billion annually on weight loss foods, products and services in an effort to lose weight? Let's face it – dieting is no fun and definitely not easy for most of us. To sweeten the bitter pill and make your weight loss journey a little more bearable, take a look at these weight loss tips and tricks that actually worked for me. I lost 40 pounds. Read More

How to Choose and Eat Good Carbs

I don't deny that carbohydrates raise your blood sugar levels but cutting carbohydrates completely from your diet is almost impossible and certainly not necessary. In fact, carbohydrates are a healthy and important part of a nutritious diet. The trick is to choose the right or good carbs you eat and control the amount you consume. Here’s a guide on “what are good eats to eat”: Read More

Health Benefits of Raisins

My love affair with raisins started with the California raisins commercial in the 80s..... row of Motown rock stars raisins dancing and singing "Heard it through the Grapevine "... oh, they were so adorable and sure, they danced right into my life, my heart, my meals, my lunch box and my T-shirts! In fact, mom was pretty happy about that. She said "At least you are eating some fruit and not candy". Even till now, I snack on raisins because raisins have tons of health benefits that are just too good to resist! Read More

Dark Chocolate Offers Sun Protection Benefits

So, you've heard – tomato, more specifically lycopene, protects your skin against skin cancer. How about dark chocolate is good for your skin, dark chocolate protects the skin from sunburn and can help fight against skin cancer? If only you could see me now...I'm grinning from ear to ear because I happen to love both the sun and chocolates!

German researchers have shown that eating chocolates rich in cocoa solids and flavonoids can fight skin cancer. Dark chocolates, not milk chocolates, have powerful antioxidant properties, which can actually help to protect you from damaging oxidative stress. Dark chocolates are rich in flavonoids, the same antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables and whole grains that are known to help reduce Read More

Artificial Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain

I'm dead sure you know you shouldn't be drinking soda if you want to lose weight but what about artificially sweetened drinks? A trick to satisfying sweetness without the offending caloriesand side effects?

Researchers at Purdue University that artificial sweeteners may actually make it more difficult for people to control their food intake and body weight. In one experiment using rats, the researchers fed a group of rats yogurt with artificial no-calorie sweetener (saccharin) and another group of rats yogurt sweetened with real sugar. It was found that rats eating the artificial sweetener "consumed more calories, gained more weight, put on more body fat, and somehow didn't seem to be able to turn off their eating". Ever wondered why Americans are still fat despite Read More

Low Fat Food Facts

You chomp down a bag of fat free chips happily, feeling guiltless and thinking, mmm....life's wonderful, great snacks no fat! But hold it there, you might want to think again.

When a food label reads “no fat”, “fat free”, “reduced fat” or “low fat”, it doesn't necessarily mean lower calories. Very often, such products substitute high amounts of sugar or highly refined starches to make the food retain its original flavor and still taste good. Don't forget sugar contains 4 calories per gram and sugar converts to fat easily. That means you're really not saving calories from eating this sugar loaded, so called “fat free” treats. You're getting more calories than usual in every bite! Read More

Colors of Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables need not be all green and boring. In the past, people associate vegetables with fiber, Vitamins and minerals. Today, evidence shows that the phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables provide our bodies with a myriad of health benefits. People who eat more fruits and vegetables as a part of an overall healthy diet are less likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as cancers, coronary health disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Read More

Healthy and Delicious Oatmeal Ideas

If your idea of oatmeal is just oats, milk and a sprinkling of brown sugar, then you're in for a pleasant surprise. Helloooo...oats and brown sugar is SO yesterday; it only reminds me of my grandma! There are many ingredients which you can add to dress things up....so, why are you still eating that bowl of boring, mushy oatmeal? Here are a few delicious oatmeal ideas to brighten up your day! Read More

Eat Your Breakfast to Lose Weight

I made a very serious mistake when trying to lose weight a few years ago. I skipped breakfast. Like many dieters, I thought by not eating breakfast, I was saving calories and less calories means faster weight loss. Oh boy, I was SO wrong!

It may sound counter-intuitive but to lose weight, eat breakfast. Research have shown that people who don’t eat breakfast have a tendency to crave for high-calorie foods later in the day. In fact, breakfast eaters consume fewer calories on average than those who skip the first meal of the day. Read More

15 Delicious Ideas to Eat More Fiber and Love It!

You can't ignore the importance of dietary fiber in your diet but some people are still clueless about eating fiber. Today, let's look at some delicious ideas to eat more fiber and love it – absolutely painless!

1. Start your day with high-fiber cereal ( at least 5 grams fiber) such as All Bran, Uncle Sam and Special K Protein Plus. You can add sliced bananas, raisins or berries to up your fiber intake by 1 to 2 grams or try sprinkling some ground flax seed. A medium banana has 3 grams fiber.

2. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking orange juice at breakfast. An orange gives you 3 grams fiber.

3. Have a bowl of steel cut oats for breakfast. Toss in your favorite nuts and seeds. For just ¼ cup sunflower seeds, you get nearly 4 grams fiber. Read More

What Is Resistant Starch – Sources and Benefits of Resistant Starch

Resistant starch? I don't know about you, it sounds really gooey and definitely not delicious to me.... Yucks! No way, I’m not going to put that in my mouth. But goodness gracious me, I was so darn wrong!

Actually resistant starch has been a part of my diet all my life but I was unaware of it – It's found naturally in foods including lentils, split peas, kidney beans, navy beans, brown rice, barley, oats, rye, sesame, wheat, semolina, linseed, corn, cooked cold rice (such as sushi rice), cold pasta, and cold boiled potato. And, it's good for me. Anyway, what's this stuff called resistant starch? Read More

How to Eat Carbs and Still Lose Weight

To any follower of the Atkins diet, carbs is a BIG no-no. Breads sit lonely in bread baskets, carrots left untouched at dinner plates and pasta get shunned. I love carbs, I'm a carbo addict but I don't get fat eating carbs. It's not true that carbs make you fat, weight gain comes from eating too much calories. Low carb diets cause weight loss because they restrict calories. Your body needs carbs to function; carbs are the only fuel source for many vital organs, including your brain, central nervous system and kidneys. Yes, you can eat carbs and still stay slim. Here are some ideas on good carbs to eat. Read More

Why Is Fiber Important in Your Diet

When I was a kid, I used to wonder why my mom always made me eat "cardboard". Now don't get me wrong, I'm talking about whole-grain bread. I just hated the taste of such breads – they're dry and bland. No matter how much I protested and refused, mom would simply brush me off , saying "it's good for you, sweetheart....eat it!". Well, she was right. It was all about FIBER. Read More

Sun Protection Tips

As summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, most of us like to get outside, do some exercises, frolic in the sun and have fun outdoors. While you're enjoying yourself in the sun, whether a day at the beach or a few hours working in the yard, do you practise sun safety to protect yourself from harmful UV radiation? Read More

Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fats (Fish Oil)

When the words oils and fats are mentioned, health-conscious individuals tend to run for cover. What they fail to realize is that there are good fats and bad fats. Complete avoidance of intake of oils and fats would actually be detrimental – rather than beneficial – to their health.

The Truth about Fish Oil

Essential fatty acids must always be part of our daily diet – without them, we take one step closer to our deaths. Essential fatty acids are divided into two families: omega-6 EFAs and omega-3 EFAS. Read More

Health Benefits of Vitamin A

Vitamin A was first discovered back in 1912, by a Polish biochemist named Casimir Funk. He came up with the word vitamine, which was later given the name vitamin. Funk was the first to discover vitamins as we know them today, although vitamin A was actually the first one discovered, hence the letter “A” in the title of the vitamin.

You can find vitamin A in natural foods such as oranges and yellow fruits. It can also be found in vegetables as well, such as spinach and fats. When found in vegetables, vitamin A is water soluble, coming in the form of beta carotene. The beta carotene form of vitamin A can be eliminated from your body through natural processes, making it an excellent way to get vitamin A. Read More

What Causes Vitamin Deficiency

Everyone knows that the human body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals everyday to function properly and remain healthy. A well balanced diet can supply your body with the vitamins it needs, although problems and disorders can arise if your diet doesn’t supply your body with the vitamins it needs. The symptoms of vitamin deficiency will normally present themselves when the lack of vitamins is at an advanced level. Read More

Benefits of Cardio Exercise

In a long-term study of the health of the people of in the United States, the U.S. Public Health Service documented the chances of developing heart disease among various groups in the population. Long before the any symptoms appeared, epidemiological research could identify high-risk groups.

Among the highest risk factors are male sex, age over 35, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high levels of certain blood fats, and a family history of cardiovascular disorders.

Other researchers have added to this list another risk factor: the compulsive, hard-driving, highly anxious personality. The greater the number of severity, the greater the person’s overall risk. Read More

How to Sneak in Exercise Every Day

An explanation we often hear for not exercising is that we just don't have enough or no time at all. We lead hectic lives – rush to work, rush the kids to and from school, rush home, rush to cook, rush to eat and rush to sleep! It's a mad mad world! At the end of the day, we're so tired and the only thing on our head is to hit the sack. Exercising seems almost impossible these days. How do we find time to exercise? Read More

Best Exercise for Weight Loss and Fat Loss

Let's face it, there's no magic bullet in weight loss. The closest to a magic bullet is exercise. We become overweight when we take in more calories than we burn up. To lose weight, we need to create a calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both.

Exercise is crucial to any weight loss program. According to statisics, making exercise a part of your weight loss program can increase your results by up to 50 percent. Not only does exercise increase your metabolism during a workout, exercise also cause your metabolism to stay increased for a period of time after exercising, which means you burn more calories. Read More

How to Avoid Food Temptation While Dieting

Maybe you're thinking "just a tiny bite of that chocolate cake won't hurt".... Let's be honest, when food temptation strikes, do you cave in? Well, when you start eating a healthy diet, temptations – from media, co-workers, family members, fast food restaurants – to eat "forbidden" foods will creep up slowly on you every now and then. Is there a way to avoid food temptation and remain on track? Here's 5 fail-proof diet tips that are really useful. Read More

Are Carbs Good or Bad

I know of many friends who followed the low-carb Atkins diet and lost tremendous amount of weight. That leads me to wonder if carbohydrates has a detrimental effect on weight loss. Is carbohydrates a blessing or a curse? To unravel the mystery, we need to understand what are carbohydrates and what do they do in our bodies. Read More

How Much Water to Drink When Exercising

Good on you if you're eating well and exercising to stay healthy. But just pause for a moment and ask yourself whether you're drinking enough water to replenish lost fluids?

When you exercise, you lose water through burning calories and sweating. Sweating causes you to lose electrolytes – sodium, chloride, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Maintaining the right balance of electrolytes is crucial as electrolytes affect the amount of water in your body, blood pH, muscle action, and other important functions. If you don't drink enough water, you risk becoming dehydrated which will not only affect your sports performance but can also make you feel weak and cause muscle cramps, bad breath, dizziness, headache, and constipation. Read More

How Much Water to Drink a Day

All of us can't survive without it. No, I'm not talking about money but water, the vital source of live. Water, after oxygen is the second most element for survival. Water makes up more than two-thirds of our body weight and without water, we'd die in a coulpe of days.

All cells and organs need water to function – from regulating body temperature and bringing oxygen to the cells, to cushioning joints and removing waste and toxins from the body. Insufficient water intake can cause fatigue, lack of energy, headaches, constipation, dry scaly skin and chapped lips. Severe dehydration have an effect on your blood pressure, circulation, digestion, body weight, mental abilities and kidney function. So, the million-dollar question, how much water do you need to drink every day ? 8 to 10 glasses? Read More

How to Drink More Water EveryDay

I don't have to tell you this – if you want to lose weight, drink more water. Drinking water is an old trick every dieter could use to curb hunger. But, many of us do not drink enough water until we're almost completely dehydrated. It's too easy to forget to drink water. Here’s a list of really good water-drinking tips that worked well for me and I trust you'll find them useful too. Read More

Signs and Symptoms of Winter Dehydration

One of the biggest mistake many people make in winter is that they forget to drink water. In summer, dehydration is obvious – temperature soaring steadily, beads of sweat rolling off your brows, your vision starts to blur, you know you have to grab a glass or bottle of water and drink up. In contrast with summer, the signs and symptoms of dehydration in winter may be subtle and gradual, making dehydration difficult to detect. Read More

Low Calorie Alcoholic Drinks

Don't you agree it's not easy to watch your weight and enjoy alcoholic drinks at the same time? Very often we're not mindful of our alcohol choices until our beer belly exposes the truth. Alcoholic drinks, like food, contain calories – the higher the alcohol content, the more calories it contains. Alcohol content of a drink can be calculated from its percentage alcohol content by volume (% ABV). Generally speaking, beer can have an alcohol content ranging from 0.05 to 10 percent, wine is usually about 5 to 13 percent while liquors and liqueurs can be as high as 14 to 40 percent alcohol. So, the next time whether you're at the bar or entertaining at home, be sure to make these low calorie alcoholic drinks your preferred choice. Read More

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much

Sometimes in life, we go overboard with certain things we shouldn't, and alcohol happens to fall under this category. You may think that occasional binge drinking is alright. Unfortunately, it can be just as bad for your health as regular bingeing. So, if you're going to party with alcohol over the weekends, it's wise know your alcohol limits – save yourself from the agony of hangovers, accidents and major health risks. Read More

Alcohol Effects on Your Health

Many people drink alcohol to celebrate joyous occasions; alcohol instills a sense of social confidence and promotes relaxation in the company of others. However, there are many who drink alcohol for other reasons – primarily to seek relief and disassociation from reality. While alcohol, particularly red wine, has recently touted to support heart health, the effects of alcohol abuse on your health can be very serious. Alcohol can affect your body and health in the following ways: Read More

How to Lose Belly Fat and Get Flat Abs

The only time a big belly looks sexy to me is on a pregnant woman and okay, maybe Father Santa. A huge round jiggling beer belly or excess abdominal fat on any other beings is not sexy or manly. Flat abs is sexy – you want it, I want it but not many people can get hold of it. One thing for sure, it takes hell of a great job to lose belly fat fast and maintain flat sexy abs! Contrary to popular belief, doing 100 or more abdominal crunches or sit-ups daily isn't going to help you to Read More

MSG Health Problems – Obesity

I don't know if this happens to you but it sure happens to me. Every time I pop open a tube of Pringles, I just can't stop eating – these chips are SO addictive! Darn, it only break my calorie bank, and that means two more laps around the park!

Who's this culprit that caused overeating? I tell you, this sinister guy is disguised under many other names – E621, MSG, monosodium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, glutamate, glutamic acid, gelatin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, autolyzed plant protein, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, textured protein, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, yeast food or nutrient – see what I mean? Read More

How to Eat Healthy at the Salad Bar

I wonder how many of you guys can relate to this. You take your girlfriend out for a nice meal, she tells you she's not hungry, on diet, blah blah blah and feeling virtuous, she asked for a Southern Cobb salad without dressing. Mind you, that's a salad with 1080 calories! On diet, huh??

Many dieters think that eating salad is a no-fail strategy for weight loss. But are you sure salads are safe diet foods? Knowing what to pick at salad bars is a tricky business – fat lurks in seemingly innocent toppings or dressings amidst healthy pile of greens, preying on the unsuspecting YOU! Read More

How to Have a Healthy Liver

Okay, when it comes to heart health, you're an expert – you know what to eat and what not to eat for a strong healthy heart. But here's my question, what about liver health? Do you know the importance of a healthy liver and what constitutes a liver-friendly diet? I believe many of us are stumped.

Your liver is the largest gland is the body; it holds about one pint of your total blood supply at any given moment and is estimated to have over 500 functions. The liver is a major organ for detoxification. In brief, it removes toxins, drugs and hormones from your bloodstream. Toxins can come from the environment, the air you breath, the food you eat, the water you drink, and the contents of your bowels. Read More

Healthy Fast Food Choices for Kids

Taking your kids out for meals at fast food restaurants can sometimes be a double-edged sword. On one hand, you want to make your kids happy and allow them to eat whatever they fancy but on the other, you're concerned with the food choices offered on the kids menu. Read More

How to Make Instant Ramen Better with Healthy Ideas

When I was a struggling student in Tokyo back in 90s, I didn't have much money to spend on dine-out meals or takeaways – things are jaw-dropping expensive in Japan, I remembered the cheapest meal (¥ 900) I had was at a stand up noodle bar in Shinjuku – so I had to make do with whatever that was within my tight budget. Well, you might have guessed, the most wallet-friendly items in my grocery basket, are packets of cheap no-frills instant ramen or noodles. And, being a non-ramen guy, I had to learn to embrace the idea of slurping instant ramen 5 times a week! I tell ya, that was torturous! Read More

Health Benefits of Raw Garlic

One food which I avoid eating during lunch on dance days is fettunta/brushchetta – delicious Tuscan bread grilled to perfection, rubbed generously with raw garlic and then anointed with heart-healthy olive oil. No, I am not doing the Atkins diet and I love bread. Well, the only thing that bothers me (and my dance partner) is garlic, especially raw garlic. Read More

How to Grill Foods Safely

One of our family's favorite summertime activities is to have a barbecue party in the backyard. And, I've to admit, I'm all for it – that's probably the only time of the year, I get to sit back, relax with a nice cool glass of orange mint ice tea while my husband does the cooking!

Sad to say, barbecued or grilled foods can very unhealthy. Grilled foods are often associated with cancer; research studies show that people who consume the most barbecued red meat (beef, pork and lamb) has twice the risk of developing colon polyps, compared to those who did not consume grilled foods. Colon polyps can Read More

Health Benefits of Quinoa and How to Cook

Have you ever toyed with the idea of going vegetarian or cutting down your consumption of meat for health reasons, or maybe to help the environment? Well, I have and to be very honest, I was a little hesitant at first. My only concern was whether will I be getting enough protein on a vegetarian diet. After all, protein is the building block of life and they are necessary for tissue growth and repair. Read More

Key Nutrients for a Balanced Vegetarian Diet

The reason I became a vegetarian was because I was found to have high blood pressure, and being genetically predisposed to cardiovascular disease, I was advised to cut down on meat consumption. As an omnivore leaning towards carnivorism for all my 38 years, going cold turkey (no pun intended) or trying to wean myself off pot roasts, burger steaks, pork tenderloins, chilli dogs, and buffalo wings was daunting. Very daunting. Because I love my life too much to die too soon, I knew I've to do something – something that would change my life forever. That was why I turned vegetarian and there's no looking back. Read More

Which Olive Oil to Use for Cooking

Here's the scenario, see if you relate to it. You read about people in the Mediterranean region having lower incidence of colon cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's; they also live longer and have beautiful skin – all thanks to olive oil. Then, you find yourself in the supermarket aisle, staring at endless rows of olive oil in glass bottles, wondering which one to grab – extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, light olive oil, or extra light olive? Read More

Which is Healthier? Butter or Margarine

Which is better, butter or margarine? Butter versus margarine is definitely not a new debate. In fact, argument over "butter is better than margarine" has been going on for years ever since the buzzword – trans fats – took center stage. The reason to resurrect this issue again (yawn) is, I overheard a mom telling her daughter to pick a tub of margarine and not butter because "it's plant-based, and anything that comes from plants is good for you". Is she right? Read More