Monica's Blog

10 tips to lose weight after 40.

INTRODUCTION

Keeping your body fit is the best medicine you can give to your body. It does not mean that if you are getting older, it is considered the ticket to get fatter. We should understand clearly that in our young age, it is easy to lose weight just by including occasional exercise activities in our daily routine. However, as our age increases, the metabolic rate decreases which cause severe weight gain. The most common reason why women after the age of 40 gain excessive weight are because of hormonal changes due to menopause. Here are the ten tips to lose weight after forty.

Tip 1: Maintaining a fitness journal

We normally keep a journal for preserving our memories but it is also a great tool for maintaining your weight loss. In this fitness journal, the following things should be updated every day such as:

Amount of intake of calories for each meal.
Amount of water intake per day
Exercise time
Amount of calories burnt

Tip 2: Daily walk

Losing weight is always a hectic thing for people of any age. Hence, the first step to achieve your ideal weight at the age of forty or more is by adding the daily walk to your routine. This will help to burn more calories and will also help to reduce the possibility of hip fracture, osteoporosis, and joint problems.

Tip 3: Adding omega 3 to your diet

It is medically proved that omega 3 helps to lose weight and will also keep the body healthy. Women over the age of 40 should eat omega 3 rich foods such as salmon, tuna.

Tip 4: Increase the intake of fiber in your diet

Women above the age of forty undergo hormonal changes which are the main reason for weight gain but this can be reduced with the increase of an amount of fiber intake in your diet. The best suggested high fiber foods are barley, oranges, bananas, avocados, etc.

Tip 5: Reduce the intake of sweetness

In the recent medical research, it has been found that artificial sweetness increases weight gain. Hence instead of that, use jaggery in your diet.

Tip 6: Swimming

Swimming is one of the best exercises to reduce by around 500 calories per hour. Hence, it is highly recommended for people of age forty or more.

Tip 7: Adding green tea to your diet

Green tea increases the rate of fat burn to twelve percent higher. Hence it is highly recommended for effective weight loss after the age of 40.

Tip 8: Increase of Calcium intake

According to recent research, women of age 40 or more can lose eleven pounds of body fat due to the increase of calcium intake.

Tip 9: Opting for organic food

In recent studies, it has been found that the use of pesticides on vegetables increases weight gain and leads to thyroid issues. Hence, women of age forty or more can opt for organic food.

Tip 10: Consume more water

The increase of water intake helps to burn the fats faster. Hence, it is highly recommended to consume more water.

5 possible cause of excessive thirst

INTRODUCTION

In order for the bodily functions to conduct their daily routine work, water is very essential. When your body is running low on water that is when you will feel thirsty. During summer, it is very normal to feel thirsty often. However, without any physical exercise or climatic conditions, if you feel thirsty often it could indicate some other health issues such as :

Dehydration
Diabetes
Diabetes Insipidus
Dry mouth
Anemia

Dehydration

Dehydration is very common. It just refers that the body does not have sufficient amount of water to carry out its normal daily activities, thus resulting in excessive thirst. Dehydration can also be indicated by other signs such as dark colored urine, dry mouth, dry skin, tiredness, headache, lack of urinating, etc.

Diabetes

According to medical terms, when no matter how much of water you consume, your thirst could not be controlled, it is commonly called as polydipsia. This is the main symptom of diabetes. When a person has diabetes due to the lack of usage of the hormone insulin, accumulation of glucose in the body occurs. Glucose is the major reason for excessive thirst. Diabetes can also be indicated by other signs such as blurred vision, tiredness, frequent hunger, slow healing of cuts and wounds, etc.

Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes Insipidus is in no way related to diabetes. According to medical terms, diabetes insipidus is a medical condition that occurs only when the body is not able to secrete the hormone insulin which causes the kidneys to perform more. The major symptom of diabetes insipidus is excessive thirst. The other common symptoms are dehydration, dry mouth, and frequent urination.

Dry mouth

During summer, it is common that your mouth feels dry. However, if it occurs frequently, it is because of the lack of secretion of saliva from the glands in the mouth. This may be due to the intake of medications or other medical treatments or excessive use of tobacco. The symptoms of dry mouth are bad breath, change in taste, irritated gums, thick saliva, trouble chewing, sticking of lipstick to the teeth.

Anemia

According to medical terms, anemia is a medical condition where the human body does not have sufficient amount of healthy red blood cells. Anemia can occur during birth or may be due to other reasons such as diseases, poor diet or heavy bleeding in the later part of life. However, one will not feel excessively thirsty in mild anemia but if conditions become severe, one will face the symptom of excessive thirst.

These are the five major causes of excessive thirst.

why blackberries,plums and eggplant is good for you?

INTRODUCTION

In this modern day scenario, people don’t have time to eat the right food or do the right exercises since; there are living a very hectic lifestyle. Everyone is running behind their career and neglect to take care of their health which leads to numerous health problems in the future. People generally do not go to the gym for exercising as they barely have any time for it. People go to the gym either to lose weight or to build up muscles. The young generation of people should not focus only on bodybuilding but they should take note of what they consume daily into consideration. This is because too much intake of unhealthy food leads to health issues like obesity, heart attack, etc.

ADVANTAGES OF BLACKBERRIES, PLUMS, AND EGGPLANTS

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACKBERRIES

Prevents and slows the growth of cancerous cells – This is widely known as a cancer-fighting food due to the rich antioxidants found in blackberries. Blackberries are also known to prevent cell mutation that results in cancer in the first place. The presence of Vitamin K in blackberries plays a major role in preventing and fighting prostate cancer, colon cancer, stomach, nasal, oral and liver cancers.
Improve and maintain brain function – Manganese is a vital nutrient present in high levels in blackberries that is essential for brain functioning.
Reduce inflammation, fight infection and boost immunity – The rich antioxidants present in blackberries play a pivotal role in fighting infections, reducing inflammation and boosting immunity.
Regulate menstrual health – The presence of Vitamin K in blackberries aids in regulating hormone function and thereby reducing menstrual cramps.
Good for the cardiovascular system – The Vitamin K present in blackberries is very essential for the entire cardiovascular system. Vitamin K helps to regulate blood pressure levels, reduces inflammation in cells that line blood vessels and reduces the risk of heart attack.
Promote healthy skin – The Vitamin C present in blackberries helps to keep the skin healthy, youthful and glowing. It stimulates the growth of collagen and prevents premature aging of the skin.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLUMS

Treats obesity – The presence of bioactive compounds in plums helps in fighting the metabolic syndrome and treats obesity.
Control diabetes – Plums exert anti-hyperglycemic effects and aid in fighting diabetes. Recent medical research studies have shown that consumption of plum extracts helps to lower the blood glucose and triglyceride levels in the body and enhance the insulin sensitivity.
Aids in digestion – Since plums are rich in fiber content, it is effective in regulating the digestive system.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF EGGPLANTS

Reduces the risk of heart diseases – The presence of rich antioxidants in eggplants reduce the risk of heart disease.
Aids in weight loss – Since eggplants are rich in fiber and low in calories, it helps to promote weight loss.
Fights cancer – The presence of solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides in eggplants aids in treating cancer.

Which fruits have the most sugar

FRUITS WHICH HAVE THE MOST SUGAR:

The fruits which have high sugar content are listed below. They are namely:

Dates – Dates are dried fruits that are very high in sugar, which roughly contains about 93 grams of sugar per cup.
Raisins – Raisins are dried fruits that are very high in sugar, which roughly contains about 86 grams of sugar per cup.
Prunes – Prunes are dried fruits that are very high in sugar, which roughly contains about 66 grams of sugar per cup.
Mangoes – These tantalizing tropical fruits have a lot of sugar. They contain 46 grams of sugar per fruit.
Lychees – Lychees contain 46 grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Peaches – Peaches contain 43 grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Cherries – Cherries contain 41 grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Pomegranates – The whole fruit has a lot of sugar. One pomegranate contains 39 grams of sugar.
Papaya – It contains 36 grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Nectarines – It contains 36 grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Kiwifruit – Kiwifruit contains 29grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Guavas – Guavas contain 26 grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Passionfruit – It contains 23 grams of sugar per 200 calorie serving.
Apples – They are easy to take along for meals and snacks, but higher in sugar than tangerines or oranges. Apples contain 19 grams of sugar per apple.
Watermelon – While this melon is refreshing, it has more sugar content than the others. It has 18 grams of sugar per wedge.
Bananas – Since bananas contain 17 grams of sugar per large banana, they add sweetness to any dish.
Pears – This winter fruit is high in sugar content. It contains 17 grams of sugar per medium pear.
Pineapple – It’s delightful, but as a tropical fruit, it is higher in sugar content. It contains 16 grams of sugar per slice.
Grapes – It’s delightful, but as a tropical fruit, it is higher in sugar content because it contains 15 grams of sugar per cup.
Blueberries – They are higher in sugar than other berries but packed with nutrients. They contain 15 grams of sugar per cup.
Honeydew – They make a nice addition to a fruit salad or to eat by themselves. Per cup of honeydew balls contains 14 grams of sugar.

Tips to remove dark knuckles.

INTRODUCTION

Dark knuckles refer to the unsightly dark joints on the hands and feet which could affect the beauty of your hands and feet. The dark color pigmentation is due to the accumulation of dead skin cells on the skin. The main causes of dark knuckles can be attributed to the following factors that are listed below:

Excess formation of melanin which causes hyperpigmentation
Overexposure under the sun
Inadequate care of hands and feet
Excessive use of cosmetics

Therefore we will be discussing the tips to remove these unsightly dark knuckles in this article.

TIPS TO REMOVE DARK KNUCKLES

TIP 1: POTATO PASTE

Make a paste of boiled potatoes and add three to four drops of lemon juice, half teaspoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of milk or yogurt, 2 pinches of turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon of almond oil to it. Apply this paste on your dark knuckles on your hands and feet for twenty to twenty-five minutes and then remove it by rubbing it. Wash your hands and feet and dip them in salted lukewarm water for five to seven minutes. Repeat this for twice a week to achieve desired visible results.

TIP 2: ALMONDS WITH MILK CREAM PASTE

Soak 8 to 10 almonds in water for 5 to 6 hours and then make a paste with fresh milk cream and mix five to six drops of olive oil in it. Massage it this paste on your hands and feet. Wear cotton gloves and soak your hands and feet overnight. Rub it with lemon juice and fresh milk cream for five to ten minutes softly the next morning. Then, wash it in lukewarm water. Desired results will be visible within two to three days.

TIP 3: GOOSEBERRY EXTRACTS

Since gooseberry is rich in vitamin C, it is ideal to protect the skin from damage and reduce the dark spots naturally. Boil two to three crushed gooseberries in one cup of water for five minutes and allow it to cool. Dip a cotton ball in it and apply it on the affected areas of the skin and leave it on for thirty minutes daily. Desired results can be seen within two to three weeks of application due to the skin lightening properties present in gooseberries.

TIP 4: CALENDULA FLOWER PASTE WITH YOGURT

Make a thick paste with one tablespoon of yogurt and one teaspoon of calendula. Rub your hands vigorously for fifteen minutes and rinse it off. The bleaching properties present in yogurt works splendidly for dry skin.

Season meals without salt.

INTRODUCTION

TYPES OF SEASONING FOR MEALS WITHOUT SALT

Salt is very essential for almost all seasonings used for food. However, when you are trying to lower the intake of sodium, the following methods of seasoning can be used. The recipes are mentioned below.

METHOD 1: NO SALT, POULTRY SEASONING

Things needed for the mixture:

One tablespoon of dried ground sage
One tablespoon of ground black pepper
One tablespoon of dried ground thyme
One teaspoon of dried ground rosemary
One teaspoon of dried crushed celery seeds

METHOD 2: SALT-FREE SEASONING FOR FISH

Things needed for the mixture:

1/8 cup of powdered garlic
1/8 cup of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of dried basil
5 tablespoon of powdered onion
5 tablespoon of paprika

METHOD 3: NO SALT SEASONING FOR BEEF

Things needed for the mixture:

1 tablespoon of garlic powder
5 teaspoon of dried basil
5 teaspoon of dried parsley
5 teaspoon of ground thyme
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried sage
1 teaspoon of powdered onion

METHOD 4: ALL PURPOSE SEASONING WITHOUT SALT

Things needed for the mixture:

2 tablespoons of black pepper
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 ground bay leaf

CONCLUSION

Though salt is a key ingredient for all recipes, these ready to use salt-free seasoning is very essential to replace the amount of sodium intake. Other ingredients such as lemon, vinegar, wine and stock can also be added instead of salt for better taste.

kid friendly party food

INTRODUCTION

In the current scenario of today’s rushing lifestyle, we tend to not concentrate on our kids due to our workload or other stresses of life. Kids are always filled with lots of energy and they tend to have a huge curiosity to eat everything they see but, as parents, we should be more cautious as to what they should eat and what they should not eat. Let’s see in depth about the food items that kids should eat and not eat to have a healthy lifestyle and most importantly healthy teeth to have the cutest smile forever.

KID FRIENDLY PARTY FOODS

Watermelon – Watermelon is sweet and juicy and also healthy and the easiest thing to prepare. Just cut it into small slices and serve. Watermelon is also the perfect fruit to cut into star or flower shapes using a cookie cutter. Or add a popsicle stick to create watermelon pops. Perfect for a summer party.
Chopped fruit salad – Fruit platters are parents’ favorites because they’re healthy. Most kids will eat a piece or two, especially strawberries and grapes. You can make your chopped fruit a little fancy by threading it onto popsicle sticks or blunt wooden skewers to create a fruit wand.
Potato chips and popcorn – Potato chips and popcorn will be one of the most wanted dishes of the kids.
Mini – pizzas – Create single serve pizzas using homemade or store-bought pizza dough, rolled out and cut with a large round cookie cutter or glass. Top with tomato paste, chopped ham, and grated cheese.
Pinwheels – A pinwheel is a sheet of puff pastry, spread with a topping, rolled up into a log, then cut into slices and baked. You can make savory versions such as pizza pinwheels or make a sweet version with Nutella spread.
Mini savory muffins – Any muffin recipe can be used such as cheese & ham or banana muffins where you put a scoop teaspoonful of mixture into a mini muffin tray and cook for around 10 minutes at the temperature suggested by your recipe.
Mini sausage rolls – Whether homemade or store-bought, these are at the top of the list of most consumed foods at kids’ parties. Serve with tomato sauce or ketchup.
Mini cupcakes – Mini cupcakes, on the other hand, are the perfect size for just one bite of cake plus icing and they still look decorative, especially grouped together on a cake stand.

How to apply colour hair dye for your hair.

HOW TO APPLY COLOUR HAIR DYE FOR YOUR HAIR

Step 1: Do not wash hair for two days before you dye because the scalp’s natural oils are needed to act as a barrier against irritation. Moreover, the color stays on the strands and penetrates better for more predictable results.

Step 2: A strand test should be done first by applying color to a small segment of your hair. This will of immense help to ascertain the timing. However, one’s texture of the hair will play a major factor here. The finer it is, the faster it’ll lighten so, you may need five to 10 minutes less than the recommended time but if you have coarse or dry hair, you can go by the recommended time. Rub petroleum jelly along your hairline to prevent staining your skin. If you do not have petroleum jelly, any thick lotion would suffice.

Step 3: Read, reread and follow the instructions on the box.

Step 4: This tip aids in achieving even color every time you’re dyeing your whole head: First, apply dye a half-inch away from your scalp and work toward ends (the heat from your head makes the color develop faster at the root). Then, halfway through the processing time, go back and cover your roots. When applying the dye, use a color brush to get more professional, accurate results.

Step 5: Add heat. Since some hair is more resistant to color than others, or if you have thick hair and are going for a lighter shade than your natural hair color, adding heat can aid in improving the penetration of the dye for better results. Any hair dryer would get this job done. This should be done during the last five to ten minutes of processing to achieve better results as desired.

Step 6: Rinse and condition your hair. First, rinse out the color without using any shampoo thoroughly under the shower. Rinse it out until the water runs clear. Finish off using a high-quality conditioner which is usually available in the hair color box. If there are any dry drips on your skin, use an exfoliating cream to remove it completely from your skin.

Step 7: Lastly, style your hair as usual and assess your hair color results. Do not be quick to judge because, in wet hair, the hair color appears darker than it really is. Therefore, use a warm, not hot hair dryer to style your hair with minimum heat and then check out the color in natural light.

Good And Bad Fats For Kid.

INTRODUCTION

WHAT ARE GOOD FATS?

Good fats provide our bodies with loads of energy and your child needs them to grow and develop. Good fat is commonly known as unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat comes in two forms: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. There are two types of polyunsaturated fat: omega-3 and omega-6. These are also known as essential fatty acids. Our bodies can’t make essential fatty acids, so we need to get them from food. Good or unsaturated fat helps keep our arteries clear. It helps us produce good cholesterol and move it around the body, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and unsaturated fat reduces bad cholesterol, which is linked to heart problems. A diet with unsaturated fat can help avoid heart problems later in life.

One can get monounsaturated fat from foods such as:

oils like olive, canola and grapeseed oil
nuts and seeds
lean meat

Monounsaturated fat aids in reducing cholesterol, but only when it replaces saturated fats in an average daily diet.

One can get polyunsaturated fat from oily fish like salmon and tuna, nuts, and soy products like tofu. Polyunsaturated fat lowers cholesterol, but only when it replaces saturated fats in an average daily diet. It can be more effective at doing this than monounsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated fat is also good for the general heart, eye, joint and mental health.

WHAT ARE BAD FATS?

Bad fats make our bodies produce bad cholesterol, which can result in health problems in the future. Bad fat comes in the form of saturated fat and trans fat. Both bad fats make our bodies produce more bad cholesterol, and they can also reduce good cholesterol. And both bad fats can increase the risk of heart disease later in life.

One can get saturated fat from:

animal products like meat fat
palm and coconut oil in processed foods like biscuits, chips, and slices
full-fat dairy products like butter and cream.

Saturated fat has no known health benefits. It increases the amount of bad cholesterol in the body.

Trans fat is sometimes used in:

commercially made cakes and biscuits
takeaway food
ready-made meals
snack foods like chips
energy bars.

Trans fat has no known health benefits. It increases the amount of bad cholesterol in the body and reduces the amount of good cholesterol.

How to Gain weight the healthy manner.

Several Things will Cause someone to become thin. There are many medical conditions which will cause unhealthy weight loss.

Here are some of them:

Eating disorders: This includes anorexia, a significant disorder.
Thyroid problems: Having an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) will boost metabolism and cause unhealthy weight loss.
Celiac disease: the most severe type of protein intolerance. Most people with celiac disease don’t know that they need it (10).
Diabetes: Having uncontrolled diabetes (mainly type 1) will result in severe weight loss.
Cancer: Cancerous tumors usually burn large amounts of calories and may cause someone to lose plenty of weight.

Infections: sure infections will cause somebody to become severely underweight. This includes parasites, T.B. and HIV/AIDS.

If you’re underweight, then you’ll need to visualize a doctor so as to rule out a significant medical condition.

This is particularly important if you’ve got recently started losing massive amounts of weight while not even attempting.

How to Gain Weight the Healthy manner:

If you wish to achieve weight, then it’s important that you just have it off right. Bringing on soda and donuts could assist you to gain weight, however, it will destroy your health at a similar time.

If you’re underweight, then you wish to achieve a balanced quantity of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat, not a bunch of unhealthy belly fat. It’s fully essential that you just still eat healthy foods and live an overall healthy lifestyle.

Now let’s verify many effective ways in which to achieve weight quick, while not ruination your health at a similar time.

It is important to eat principally healthy foods even though you’re attempting to achieve weight.

Eat a lot of Calories than Your Body Burns

The most necessary factor you’ll do to achieve weight is to eat a lot of calories than your body needs.

You need to eat a lot of calories than your body burns so as to gain weight. Aim for 300-500 calories per day on top of your maintenance level, or 700-1000 calories if you wish to achieve weight quick.

Eat lots of protein:

The single most significant nutrient for gaining healthy weight is protein.

Muscle is formed of protein, and while not it most of these extra calories could find yourself as body fat.

Studies show that in periods of feeding, a high protein diet causes several of the additional calories to become muscle (12).

However, detain mind that protein may be a double-edged sword. It’s also highly filling so that it will reduce your

High-protein foods embrace meats, fish, eggs, several farm products, legumes, nuts and others. Protein supplements like whey protein may be helpful if you struggle to get enough protein in your diet. Protein forms the building blocks of your muscles. Eating sufficient protein is required to gain muscle weight instead of just fat.

Eat Lots of Carbs and Fat, and Eat at Least 3 Times Which includes heavy snacks, lunch, and dinner. Many people restrict themselves from carbs or fat when they are trying to lose weight which is a bad idea if your goal is to gain weight because it makes harder to get enough calories.

It is also a bad idea to do fasting. This is useful for weight loss but can make it much harder to gain enough calories to gain weight.

Try to eat energy-rich snacks whenever possible.

Eat a Lot of Energy-rich Foods also you can use Sauces, Spices, and Condiments

The problem is that these foods tend to be heavier than junk foods, making it harder to get in enough calories. Using plenty of spices, sauces and condiments can help with this make food tastier and easier to eat a lot of it.

Following are energy-rich foods which you should have:

Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, etc.
Raisins, dates, prunes and other dried fruits.
High-fat dairy: Whole milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, cream.
Fats and Oils: Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil.
Grains: Whole grains like oats and brown rice.
Meat: Chicken, beef, pork, lamb, etc. Choose fattier cuts.
Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams.
Dark chocolate, avocados, peanut butter, coconut milk, granola, trail mixes.

Many of these foods are very heavy, and sometimes you may need to force yourself to keep eating even if you feel full.

It may be a good idea ignoring vegetables if gaining weight is a priority for you. It gives less room for energy-dense foods.

Eating fruits is ok, but try to consume fruits like bananas which require less chewing.

Add sauces, spices, and condiments to make food easier to eat more.

Improve your stamina by lifting heavy Weights in order to make sure that the excess calories go to your muscles instead of just your fat cells

Go to a gym and lift, 3-4 times/week and try to increase the weights with time you are new to training, then consider consulting the personal trainer to help you get started. Also, consult with a doctor if you have any skeletal problems or any sort of medical issue. It is probably best to take it easy on the cardio for now. Focus mostly on the weights as you don’t want to end up burning all the additional calories you are eating.