Power Foods

I have handpicked a few “power foods”, which normally forms a part of our diet. The more of these foods you eat, your body will be able to pack on lean muscle mass and burn fat. They have also been proven to offer a multitude of other health benefits. Try and add a few in your regular diet and watch your fitness levels shoot up!!

Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter, is a great source of protein and is rich in monosaturated fats. It boosts testosterone which in turn builds muscle and burns fats. It helps to fight obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles and cardiovascular disease. Another good thing about peanuts (and all kinds of nuts, for that matter) is that they are good sources of fiber. The soluble fiber in peanuts helps control blood glucose and prevents dietary fat and cholesterol from entering the bloodstream, while insoluble fiber helps speed food through your digestive track. Peanut Butter is also loaded with the amino acid arginine, which helps relax blood vessels for better blood pressure control; for strength trainers it connotes bigger and better pumps.
Curd

Curd is a great source of calcium and phosphorous, which essentially means strong teeth and bones. Besides that curd contains good bacteria. This is critical for the smooth functioning of the digestive system and prevention of diarrhoea and related problems. Curd or Yogurt aids repair of gastro-intestinal ulcers and also helps prevent colon cancer. It is easier to digest than milk, and is a great source of protein. 
Olive oil
One of the healthiest vegetable oils; olive oil is a staple in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. It’s rich in monounsaturated fat, which causes less hardening of the arteries than other fats, and it contains polyphenols, potent antioxidants that may lower blood pressure.

Eggs
Eggs are nature's perfect food; the biological value of an egg is a perfect 100. Besides protein, eggs contain anti-oxidants, folate, choline, Lutein, minerals and what not. It is convenient, readily available nutrient powerhouse. 

The ten commandments of Bodybuilding

1.  Warm Up-Thou shall warm up properly before any workout-it seems pretty simple; doesn’t it? And you might think-hey, everyone knows it! Yes everyone does but just like in all other things if you get the basics right, the rest all follow. So no matter if one has been training for more than a decade or is a rank beginner, a proper warm up is a must before any workout schedule. The body must be allowed to get into workout mode slowly so that it is ready for the poundage to follow. Any low intensity cardio, like skipping, jogging, treadmill for 5-10mins should do the job.

2.    Form- The second commandment-Thou shall maintain correct form and posture- A straight back, chin up, tight core are all the basic requisites for any workout. You can ignore form at your own peril. Because a slight goof up in form can cause a chronic injury which will trouble you for the rest of your lives. So every exercise demands a certain posture; respect it and maintain it. Not only will you get the best results for your efforts but you will also be spared of torn and damaged ligaments, bones and parts.

3.    Routine- Thou shall follow a proper routine- just like school and college and hopefully work, a proper routine is important if you want serious gains from your workouts. Talk to a trainer get the best schedule for your needs and follow it. It is important to keep changing routines periodically as the body gets used to workouts quite soon. So, keep a workout log and track in your routines.

4.    Imitation-Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s workout- it is imperative that you compete with yourself-and not with the guy who is pressing a min numbing 200lbs, next to you. Not only is it foolish, it can be dangerous too! So, don’t lift heavy just to satisfy your male ego or to impress the bloke next to you.

5.    Rest-Thou shall rest properly- No matter how hard you train in the gym, you won’t grow unless you get your daily quota of snooze. So make it a point to hit the sack on time. Ideally you should get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. This is the time when the body will release the growth hormones. And no-the hours watching television from your couch does not count as rest.

6.    Nutrition-Thou shall respect your food- You are what you eat-as simple as that. Food is the basic requirement of any living organism and a good well balanced diet is the fundamental necessity for any individual. And the importance of a nutritious diet grows manifold for anyone who is working out. So, lay emphasis on what you eat. Plan your diet properly, chalk out your daily meals and see your body grow!

7.    Stretching-Thou shall stretch your muscles- Just like a good warm up is mandatory before starting your workout, a good stretch is equally important after you finish your workout. Once the muscles have been pumped up and are gorging with blood, it is the time to stretch them.

8.    Intensity-Thou shalt not waste time- walking into a gym and seeing the trainers huddled up with jokes and gossip is the biggest turn off. The time that you give for your workout is meant for that. Keep the chit chat for after you are done with your routine. Not only does it eat into your intensity it also is a big discraction for people around you.

9.   Time-Thou shall keep your workouts short. I have often come across people telling em proudly how they spend 2-3 hours in the gym and expect me to give a pat on their back while all I really wanna do is give a kick on their behind! Keep your workouts short and sweet-working any more than 60mins at a stretch is waste of your time and efforts. And by the way it will do more harm than good in the long run.

10.  Stress-Thou shall not take stress and will learn to relax. Chronic stress is not only bad for your Blood Pressure and heart; it is a major cause of muscle catabolism. So unless you want to watch your hard earned muscles break down, smile. It really is that simple.

Paanch the fat away!!

Five handy, ready to go tips to lose weight and keep it away for good!

1. Have breakfast. Breakfast will boost your metabolism first thing in the morning. Add a couple of eggs to it if you are non-vegetarian. It will keep you fuller longer.

2. Keep a healthy snack ready in your office drawer or bag, such as a handful of nuts or an apple. Not only will it curb your hunger, it will save you from binging on unhealthy office snacks.

3. Drink up;Water. Better if it is ice cold. Water will fill you up, cold water increaes metabolic rate.
4. Eat at regular intervals. Gap between meals should not be more than 3 hours. Eat small, frequent meals.
5. Go slow on the fast carbs. Choose the slow ones when you have them. For example substitute the cornflakes with oat cereals.

Weight Loss Theory II-Diet

One of the important facets of losing weight is diet. What to eat? Ask anyone and the first response is generally that you need to restrict the oil and fats, have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and cut down on carbohydrates.
Well, if I say that you can have chocolates, rice, pastries and fries and still lose weight; would it amount to blasphemy?! You can and you should. Most diets fail because it gets monotonous and you can't control the cravings. Let’s face the basic fact- most of us love our food; and in most cases the one's we love are often not the healthiest. Boiled chicken and vegetables are not stuff you can eat day in and out. There is bound to come a time when you give in to your cravings and then the downward spiral starts.
The most practical way to lose weight is then to have all the food you love, but in a controlled and regulated way. For example, if you love your sweets, the best time to have them is either in the morning or immediately after your workout. It is in those times, the body is most likely not going to store them as fat. Of course, there must be a portion control; you can't hog ten gulab jamuns at one go!
The only thing that one should keep in mind before eating- what am I going to do for the next three hours. If you are going to be doing something physically demanding, it is okay to eat the carbohydrates; if you are going to sleep then it’s better to restrict them.
For most people skipping breakfast is easy. If there is one meal that you absolutely must have, it is breakfast; the most important meal of the day. There is an old adage, which says that you breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper. Well, almost. It is imperative to have atleast 5-6 small meals a day; the old theory of three or two square meals does not hold true anymore. Divide the total food that you are going to consume in a day in these 6 meals; add more of the carbs, fries and sweets on the first part of the day; as you approach the later half, try more of lean protein and fibrous carbs.
Drink plenty of water. The importance of adequate hydration cannot be overemphasized. And no; it is not okay to drink when you are thirsty; thirst is not the correct parameter to judge water requirement. By the time you are thirsty, it means that the body is already dehydrated. So it is necessary to keep drinking water at regular intervals; besides losing weight you will have cleaner and healthier skin and a robust digestive system.

Weight Loss Theory-Part I

Weight loss is a popular topic of conversation in gym lockers and kitty parties alike. Losing extra weight and getting in shape seems almost an universal obsession. If you are a night owl and happen to surf the television channels, you must have come across the teleshopping ads, which sells ridiculous weight loss pills and gyan; if you believe them, drinking a particular kind of tea is going to literally cut your excess fat and give you a bikini body; Aah! If only wishes were horses, beggars would ride. The craze to lose weight easily has fulled the growth of these pretentious industries; the catch here is easily. Losing weight is not easy; a casual glance, at the world around you is proof enough.
In the quest to lose weight fast, people take up all sort of fad diets; some researchers have revolutionised the weight loss industry by devising the miracle diet-the panacea for your weight problems. Volumetrics, Atkins, Zone and what not; every diet promising to better the rest.
Weight Loss, in principle, is very simple. If output is greater than input, you lose weight. In other words, if you expend more calories than you eat, you will lose weight over a period of time. So the most simple method of weight loss would be starvation. But in reality it does not hold true; you may lose a few kilos if you give up food for a few days, but it cannot be a method to lose weight; first because it is not practical and second it is not healthy. And it does not work.
Most people on a diet, lose the first few pounds quite easily; the difficulty is in sustaning the weight loss and preventing the lost weight from coming back. As you start eating less, the body's metabolism slows down; it is an evolutionary trait developed to sustain life in times of food scarcity; the life saving trait is also a heart wrenching one for overweight and obese persons. The secret to lose weight is eating lesser calories and maintaining a high BMR. The best way to do it is by incorporating an exercise program. Aerobic and cardiovascular training is the traditional method of losing fat; long, steady state cardio of low to moderate intensity. It works, but sometimes it does become a tad monotonous. HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is the new age mantra of weight loss training. It basically involves alternating between high intensity and low intensity training; it saves time and works. The added advantage of HIIT is that it increases the BMR; you tend to burn more calories post your exercise session.
Resistance training, though traditionally not advocated for weight loss, is a great way to lose weight; you burn a lot of calories during the workout and after it. Besides the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you expend. A person with higher proportion of muscle will burn more calories, because muscle requires more calories to sustain. So its a classic win-win situation.
So, if I summarise it would seem that a healthy diet coupled with regular weight training and cardio is the key to losing weight. Well in theory yes; it is the practical part which is difficult.