because you value your body

You are on a veggie and fruits diet and feel hungry fast. You’re not sure of what to eat to keep yourself fuller longer. Or, you eat until you’re full but hunger appears ever so often that it distracts you from staying focused. Common anti suppressant drugs either do not really work or has side undesirable effects that comes with it.

If you starve yourself, your body will freak out and will want to store every ounce in case it doesn’t get nourished again. What you actually need to do is to give it adequate nourishment so it doesn’t slow your metabolism down to adjust for lower calories.

Simple carbohydrates that we ingest daily (sugar, flour, bread, cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice) triggers insulin which can store the calories you eat into fat. The more protein you eat the more the fat burning hormone glucagon is released. The more carbohydrate you eat the more the fat storage hormone insulin is released. Carbs are nothing but danger to our health.

So it is important to stay full.

How?

Well, include as many items as you can from the list below. They are nothing but the best, proven natural appetite suppressants for hunger control.

Breakfast



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The first and MOST IMPORTANT meal of the day. It is the first chance the body has to refuel its glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, after 8 to 12 hours without a meal or snack. Breakfast keeps your body feeling nourished and satisfied. People who fast often knows that you can skip lunch or dinner, but you MUST NEVER skip breakfast. It is THAT important.

Caffeine



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Caffeine helps, but not for long. For short term appetite suppressing, yes. We all know coffee has lots of it but I’d advice you to put it aside and have green tea instead. An average cup of fresh coffee has 120mg of caffeine while the same cup of green tea has only 30mg. And, green tea has lots of health benefits. One of them being polyphenols, natural antioxidants that help prevent heart disease and cancer.

Chewing Gum



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Chewing gum reduces cravings and the likelihood of snacking. It is one of the best afternoon appetite suppressants. A study found that by chewing gum before an afternoon snack, one would consume 25 less calories per day. That’s 175 calories by the end of the week!

Cinnamon



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Cinnamon not only works as an appetite suppressant, but also stabilizes your blood sugar levels. Do note that glucose levels and hunger is highly related, therefore people with unstable blood sugar levels have enormous appetites a lot of the time. But you have to make sure that it is real cinnamon and not extracts.

Fat



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Fat triggers the release of the cholecystokinin hormone which slows down food movement through the digestive tract. It is the last nutrient to get digested and leave the stomach, supplying you a delayed feeling of satisfaction after eating.



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One should try to include as much flaxseed oil, olive oil and coconut oil in their meals as often as possible. While all oil suppresses appetite, these 3 are the best. And of these 3, coconut oil stands out the most. It is composed of 66% medium chain fatty acids which helps in the process of excess calorie burning and weight loss while keeping you fuller longer.



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Nuts like almonds, avocado, hazelnut, macadamia and pecans are some of the best type of nuts to keep you fuller longer while providing your body with healthy loads of monounsaturated fat.



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Eat more cold water fishes like salmon, herring, blue fin tunas and sardines instead of chicken or beef as the fish’s omega-3 fat is healthier than the red meat’s saturated fat.

Fiber



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Fiber not only takes up extra space in your tummy, but it continues to make you feel full longer. Fiber consist of 2 types. Soluble and insoluble.



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Soluble fiber is, well, ’soluble’ in water. When ingested and mixed with water it forms a gel like substance and swells in your tummy keeping you full. Apple is the common fruit with the highest amount of fiber, requires more chewing and gives your body time to register the fact that you’re no longer hungry. Other good sources of soluble fiber include oat bran, psyllium husks, all sorts of fruits and vegetables.



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Insoluble fiber does not absorb or dissolve in water. It passes through our digestive system in close to its original form, sweeping your intestines clean on the way out. Most of it’s health benefits are related to intestinal health. Get your insoluble fibers from whole grains, oatmeal, legumes (like peas, beans, lentils) and barley. Be smart and make better food choices. If you’re from Asia, you’re most likely a rice person. Swap white rice with brown rice. If not, use whole grain pasta instead of the usual. Whole wheat pizza crusts, whole grain tortillas, catch my drift?

Lemon/Lime



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What lime or lemon does is pleasing the taste buds while filling the stomach with liquid, creating satiety. A teaspoon of lemon per 33 ounce (1 liter) of water should taste just about right. Moreover, people who have been drinking lime mixed with water reported a surge in liquid intake, which is obviously good to keep your body functioning properly.

Protein



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Protein keeps you full longer than carbohydrate or fats. What happens is, the ingestion of protein stimulates the synthesis of glucose by the intestine and thus generates a satiety signal to the brain. Popular diets like the Atkins and South Beach Diet recommend ingesting protein packed, low carbs food. The reason those diets work is because of the protein producing the sense of satiety resulting in disinterest in consuming food.



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Lean meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and especially eggs are rich sources of protein. Have them for breakfast! (Not as many as depicted in the picture above though. 2 is more of the ideal number)



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You can also get protein from plants like nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes. Quinoa is a higher-protein grain. Pine nuts especially, contain a natural polyunsaturated fat called pinolenic acid that stimulates 2 effective hunger suppressing hormones that tells the brain that you are no longer hungry.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably stuck at a desk job, probably typing away your time in front of the monitor, 9 to 5, five days a week. Sooner or later, the lethargy kicks in. You feel the stiffness of your neck, the dryness of your eyes and the stinging pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Most of us have to stick it out till the end of the day.

So what do we do?

The answer is simple.

Take mini breaks and perform short 5 minute easy exercises at intervals throughout the day.

Anyway, below is a list of exercises that anyone can perform even if she’s wearing a pair of high heels or mini skirt. Choose 1 exercise for each category and exercise every 45 minutes.

Eyes

• Close your face with hand. Open your eyes and look into the darkness for 10 seconds. Now close your eyes and lower your hands. Stay at this position for 10 seconds. Repeat it all over twice.



• Focus on a word from a document for 10 seconds.



Then focus at an object into the distance for another 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Move your eye in a clockwise or anti clockwise direction, imagine moving along the edges of a big clock (12 – 1- 2), while keeping your head still all the while. Change directions after 10 rounds.

Neck

• Tilt your right ear as if to touch your right shoulder. Feel the stretch on the left side of your neck. Change sides after 10 repetitions.



• Turn your head to look right and keep it there for 10 seconds. Change directions and keep it there for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Rotate your head in a clockwise position for 10 rounds. Now move it anticlockwise for another 10 rounds. Repeat twice.

Shoulder

• Move your shoulders up towards your ears and sink your head as far as it may go. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Hold a water bottle in your left hand, extending your left arm to the left while keeping the wrist facing up.



Push the water bottle up and slowly lower it to the original position. Repeat 10 times. Do the same for the left.



• Rotate your shoulders clockwise/anticlockwise 10 rounds. Change directions and do 10 more rounds. Repeat twice.

Arm

• Hold the water bottle in one hand.



Curl it for 10 times. Do the same for the other arm. Repeat twice.



• Hold the water bottle at the back of your head with your left hand.



Straighten your arms towards the top slowly. Do this for 10 reps and do the same for your right hand.



• Move your right forearm clockwise or anticlockwise, as if spinning a wheel, for 10 rounds. Change directions and do 10 more rounds. Do the same for the left forearm.









• Stand up, make sure there is ample space in around you and swing your arms back and forth for 10 cycles. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Wrist

• Put your hands straight in front of you and pull your fingers back from the top with the other hand. Hold for 10 seconds.



Now hold your fingers back from the bottom for another 10 seconds before changing hands.



• Put your hands straight out in front of you and rotate your wrists one direction for 10 rounds. Reverse your direction for another 10 rounds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Fingers

• Stretch your fingers as far as they can go. Hold for 10 seconds.



Then bend them at the knuckles and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Push all fingers onto the table as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Rest and repeat again twice.



• Shake your hands vigorously in front of you, as if to get rid of a spider crawling on your hand, for 10 seconds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.



• Put your hands straight out in front of you. Pull each finger back one by one, pausing for 2 seconds at each finger.

Back

• Interlace your fingers behind your back. Then turn your elbows gently inward, while straightening your arms. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Space out in front of you. Bend your head down to as far as you can go and try to hug your knees. Feel a mild tension at the back. Hold for 10 seconds. Slowly come back up. Repeat twice.



• Put your hands behind your lower back and push forward while bending your shoulders back to arch your spine. Hold for 10 seconds. Rest. Repeat twice.

Waist

• Sit in an upright position. Slowly lower your right hand till it touches the floor. Feel the tension at the waist. Feel it. Hold for 10 seconds. Change sides. Repeat twice.



• Hold on to the back of your chair with your left hand and turn your waist to as far right as you can go. Pull with your left hand to go further. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat the same for the other side. Do this twice.

Upper Leg

• Put water bottle in between the knees. Squeeze and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Lift the left leg off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same for the right. Repeat twice.



• Extend your left leg as straight as you can. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same for your right. Repeat twice.



• Stand up.



Slowly move your butt down, hovering just above the seat almost touching it, and then stand up again. Repeat 10 times.



• Walk up 1 floor worth of stairs. If your office is on the 31st floor, stop at the 30th floor in the mornings, after lunch, etc, and walk.



• Put your right feet on top of your left hip and push down your right knee to as far as you can go. Hold for 10 seconds. Change positions. Repeat twice.

Lower Leg

• Push up your feet from the tip of your toes and hold for 10 seconds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.



• Try to kick your butt from the back with one leg for 10 times. Do the same for the other leg. Repeat twice.

Personally, I use an open source free software called Workrave, an excellent program that reminds me to take micro breaks and short breaks at intervals throughout the day. Download Workrave and mix up some of the exercises with the ones listed here.

Do share your suggestions and ideas in the comments below.

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. I like weight training because it tones my muscles, causes my body to burn calories even while I’m sleeping, makes me stronger, improves my posture and my overall health. A complete weight training workout can be performed with just a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of weight disks.

Anyway, here are 25 tips picked up from years of weight training. May they be of assistance to you.

Overload the muscles.



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You’ve just bench pressed a weight 8 times and you cannot do even one more full rep. Instead of lowering down the barbell and take a breather, lower it halfway. Then raise it back to the full extended position. These partial reps are called burns. It allows you to go beyond what you’d normally do and a normal person can squeeze out at least 2 additional half reps. Bear in mind that burns should be done at the end of the set as it wears out your muscle. It may be half a rep but that extra bit builds a hefty amount of strength.

Build Popeye forearms.



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Turn those toothpick looking forearms into arms that are toned and powerful. If your local gym doesn’t have a wrist roller, build one yourself easily. Find a 10 inches long stick and drill a hole in the center. Rope 1 arm’s length worth of rope through the hole and tie the end to the stick. Tie a weight plate to the other end and you’re set. All you need to do is roll the stick till the rope wraps around it and unroll it back to where it started. Doing this exercise 3-4 times, adding weight each time it becomes easier, completes your forearm workout. Benefits other than growing Popeye forearms include a firmer handshake and an advantage in sports involving carrying or hitting a ball.

The time saving pyramid system.



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Do this only when you’re pressed for time. In a continuous fashion, you warm up your muscles, exercise them and cool them down. Let’s take the dumbbells at the rack as an example. Pick up the lightest and curl them for 5 times. Pause for 10 seconds. Pick up the next heaviest and curl them for 5 times. Progress until it is too heavy to curl 5 times. Then you work your way down until the lightest dumbbell. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you look a little funny trying to lift the lighter ones.

The eccentric is as important as the concentric.



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There are two parts to every exercise: lifting the weight and lowering it. When a muscle shortens during weight lifting it is called concentric, or positive phase of contraction. When it lengthens during lowering, it is called the eccentric, or negative phase. It makes sense to assume that the lifting phase contributes more to muscle building as it is harder but research shows that the lowering phase is as, if not more, important. Concentrate on slower and more controlled lowering movements. Eg: take 2 seconds to lift and 4 seconds to lower.

Calculate your 1 rep max.



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Take the weight that you can do 10 complete repetitions with and add 33% to it. If you can do 100 pounds consistently, then your 1 rep max is about 133 pounds.

ALWAYS use perfect form.



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Select weights that your body can handle without having to cheat or force the weight up. It also happens often when the exercise becomes difficult towards the end of a set and the temptation to cheat rises. What happens is you shift the effort to other muscles, weaker ones, that weren’t meant to handle the weight. This includes using momentum to swing the weight up or rounding your back. One overstresses the muscles and joints while the latter leads to serious lower back injuries. Successful weight trainings are performed correctly. Let’s take pull ups for example. If your arms are not strong enough and all you can do is 3 reps with proper form, do it 5 times and you get 15. If you can do 4 reps, do it 4 times. 5 reps, 3 times. As you grow stronger, you can do more reps but the difference is you’re doing it right at every single rep.

The importance of a spotter.



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They support your weight when can no longer support it yourself. They encourage you and as a result you are able to lift 5% to 8% more weight. They are able to see and assess you when lifting and are therefore qualified to point out what you did wrong and what you can improve on.

Strength training, a habit, a lifestyle.



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The closer you move to the half-century mark, the more your focus should shift toward strength training. If you don’t do any resistance exercise, you’ll lose about 10 percent of your muscle mass between ages 25 and 50. Between 50 and 80, you lose another 35 percent. Everyone should be lifting weights by midlife. Include cardiovascular exercises as well. It helps ward off heart disease.

The big 3.



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These are the squat, the deadlift and the bench press. Squats are excellent for the butt, hips, thighs and calves. The deadlift is a compound movement that works grip strength, the deep muscle around the spine, the lower back, the thigh and the calf. The bench press strengthens the triceps, both deltoids, pectoralis major and minor, grip strength. Even the rotator cuff and biceps are slightly strengthened as they stabilize the shoulders while bench pressing. All big 3 builds strength, condition and bulk and should always be included in one form or another.

Exercise order.



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It is standard practice to set up a resistance-training routine to work large muscle groups before smaller ones. The reason is that a small muscle group that fatigues first will be the weakest link in the chain and prevent large muscle groups from working to full capacity. For example, if you isolate and fatigue your bicep muscles with curls and then do pull ups (which use biceps, shoulders and back), you won’t be able to do as much work for your shoulders and back because your biceps will already be fatigued. Also equally work the muscles in opposing pairs. For example, hamstrings at the back of the thigh are worth as much attention as the quadriceps at the front.

Train 3 times each week.



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At least. Only at 3 do you create a muscle-building stimulus. Remember, exercising contributes to only about 25% of muscle building and weight loss. Rest well as muscle building occurs during resting days. Anyway, the rest of the 75% comes from dieting.

Choose only 1 type.



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Either train like you’re going for a marathon OR a bodybulding competition. Of course, you can mix cardio and weights. Sure, it makes a great fitness combo but at the extremes, the training physiology and biochemistry are contradictory and you will not maximize your results unless you concentrate on one or the other.

Eat sufficient protein.



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Milk is one of the best.

Even if you train hard, the maximum amount of protein you need for muscle building is about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Protein supplements are not necessary if you eat enough lean protein day-to-day. If you decide to use a supplement drink, whey, soy or even skim milk is suitable. Amino acid supplements are not necessary. Pesonally, I’d suggest guzzling some chocolate milk post workout. In a study at James Madison University, soccer players who downed a glass after an intense workout suffered less muscle damage from training than players who had a sports drink. What’s milk’s advantage? Protein. The perfect amount of the nutrient is essential in any post-workout recovery meal. Moreover, milk is cheaper.

Measure body fat consistently.



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Don’t be discouraged if your weight does not change much when you train with weights. You may be losing fat and increasing muscle. This is not easy to do at the same time, yet net weight loss or gain is not a good measure of muscle or fat movement.

Set reasonable goals.



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Monitor your progress and be patient. Keep track of your BMI and WHR, the latter being more accurate. Objectively monitor muscle mass gains every month. The best bodies are the result of hundreds of hours of effort. Start slowly, stay motivated and be realistic. And if muscle gains are not observed over time, exercise and dietary changes can be made in a timely manner. Remember, the fitness and health you attain become assets that will stay with you for as long as you keep training.

Muscle gain equals effort.



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To pack on muscles like a spartan, you have to work out like a spartan. It requires commitment and discipline. Push hard. And don’t let that 1 minute rest in between sets slip to 5 minutes. Most importantly, much much more important than training hard, is to eat well.

Free weights are better.



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Free weight training may recruit more muscles than a machine because you have to stabilize your body when you lift a dumbbell, whereas the weight machine supports you. For example, a biceps curl is going to feel more natural and use more muscles in your torso to support the weight than if you did a seated biceps curl in a machine where it does some of the work when you lean against it for leverage. You can also do more types of exercises with free weights than with machines. Lunges, step ups, clean and jerks and Romanian deadlifts are just a few of the many exercises that can be done with free weights. In any gym, there is ONLY 1 machine worthy of your time. That machine is called cables.

Shoes, gloves, waist belt.



It is important to protect your feet and ankles from harm. Since you are lifting very heavy weights during this extreme athletic activity, there is always the chance that you will drop the weight and cause it to land on your foot or ankle. Make sure it has good traction too. Gloves and grips are also important as they make sure the weights are secures in your hands as weights are often slippery with sweat and oils from the hands. ALWAYS wear a belt when you are lifting heavy. Once injured, your back will never be the same again.

Breathe in, breathe out.



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Holding your breath causes your blood pressure to spike. This is dangerous as your muscles need a constant supply of oxygenated blood and by denying them that you risk broken blood vessels or even a hernia. Constantly remind yourself to keep breathing.

Focus the muscle, not the motion.



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The next time you shout ‘COME ON! 2 MORE!’, make sure it’s for your biceps instead of for more power the next time you perform any workout. You are making your encouraging the right muscles to do the lifting instead of cheating and shifting the effort to other muscles. Focusing also helps keep you in proper form during each rep.

Weaker 1st, stronger second.



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When performing unilateral exercises, begin with the weaker side first. Then complete only as many repetitions on the stronger side as performed on the weaker side.

Range Of Motion.



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During a warm-up set with a light weight, take note of the angle or height the moving body segment or the position of the apparatus at full range. All subsequent workout repetitions should reach this benchmark without accelerating the weight through this harder portion of the exercise. Shrugs, jumps and throws are some of the examples that has a peak tension curve.

Returning from a long hiatus.



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Increase the amount and intensity systematically. Start off light during the first workout. Keep it fairly easy. This is to ensure that your muscles aren’t too sore for subsequent workouts. The body adapts more efficiently to change with less chance of injury.

Suggested weight lifting repetition range.




Population	Rep Range
Healthy participants under age 50-60	8-12
Pubescent children
Pre-pubescent children	8-15
Individuals older than age 50-60 or frail persons	10-15
Individuals primarily interested in muscular endurance
Cardiac patients with physician’s approval	10-12 comfortably
Pregnant women without contraindications who have previously participated in weight training	12-15

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Use variety.



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The body is very adaptive. Performing the same routine over and over is not only boring, but your body will get used to the routine and quit responding. Change your exercises, the order in which you do them, the number or sets and reps, or change the weights. In one workout you may use dumbbells, another you may use barbells, in another, cables, in another, body weight. Find an excellent weight lifting program that suits you. There are so many free ones out there. Just google it. I, for example, train using Men’s Health’s Power Training Program. I’d recommend you to give it a try.

It’s also important to tell the difference between a fitness myth and a fitness fact. Clear your doubts by reading this.