The Tight Belly

Because YOUR Health Matters!

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Do YOU Eat Oatmeal Every Day? Here’s What Will Happen If You Do Just That

Oats or oatmeal as they’re often known have been around for many centuries, and have been a staple item of diet for a lot of different cultures during that time.

Sadly though, in the west oats are too often thought about as being suitable for horse feed and little else. It’s sad because pound for pound oars are one of the most nutritious (and best value) foods on the planet, and many studies have shown that regular consumption of them has many powerful health benefits.

I’ve been having oats in one form or another for breakfast for some years now and I’m glad that I do. But there’s many other ways to enjoy this gift from nature.

So I’d strongly recommend watching this interesting and entertaining video. You’ll not only learn more about the health benefits of oats, but you’ll discover some great ways to use them. Oh, and if you think that oatmeal isn’t a suitable food for dieters, then think again!

Head on over the next page and check out the video now…

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7 Tips From Women Who’ve Dropped AT LEAST 50 lbs On How To Do The Same

I’m sure you know how it is: you’ve started in on a great diet plan and the pounds start falling away. You feel great – you’re feeling better, looking better, and then…

Before you know it, you’ve had a slice of chocolate cake at an office birthday party, you’re downing two or three drinks at the happy hour, and you finally realize that you’re not really on a diet at all any longer, and those pounds have crept back on again.

It’s a depressing thing to own up to. But according to most nutritionists, that’s perfectly normal, because diets based on restriction almost never work out long term.

What really works is small and incremental changes to our lifestyles – a gradual adjustment that over a longer period of time will have us losing more weight than we’s have ever believed possible.

So here’s seven little tips provided by women who have lost at least fifty pounds that will help get you started on the right path:

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Instagram Sensation Couple Drop a Combined 300 Pounds! Here’s How They Did It

Even for two people, 300 pounds is one heck of a lot of combined weight to lose. Yet that’s what Lexi and Danny Reed managed to drop, and in the process became Instagram sensations with a following of more than 200,000.

It’s not really that surprising that they generated so much interest, because their story is truly remarkable and it’s provided inspiration for many others to follow them down the same path.

 

A post shared by Lexiiii ❤ (@fatgirlfedup) on

At her heaviest, Lexi weighed in at an incredible unhealthy 500 lbs. She was desperate to become a mom, but knew she could never do it at that weight. So she did what most of us have done: made a New Year resolution to lose her excess weight. Unlike most of us though, she stuck with it, and most importantly enlisted the help of husband Danny, who was also obese (but not as badly as Lexi). Between them they did whatever it took to get down to healthy weight levels.

A year down the track and between them they lost nearly 300 pound – Lexi shed 234 lbs and Danny 58.

How did they do it? Basically by rigorously following several steps. Read on and find out more over the next pages…

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[Video] Richmond Teacher Sheds An Incredible 60lb Using Instagram Star’s 28 Minute Workout

Emma Lockard, a teacher at Tuckahoe Middle School in Henrico tried for a very long while to lose weight, but for all her efforts never managed to achieve any real success

“After you get married, you’re comfortable, you’re happy and you’re just not really paying attention to those sorts of things,” she said when interviewed.

Then one of her friends told her about Australian Instagram star and personal trainer Kayla Itsines, who has an astounding 9 million plus followers.

Lockard said that Itsines’ 12-week program with 28-minute workouts “basically changed my life,”.  She now says that she now has the energy to play tennis and hike with her husband and is enjoying her life to the full max.

See what she has to say about her new life over the Next Page…

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These Are The Top Ten Expert Tips For Maintaining Weight

It’s sounds somewhat counter-intuitive and even somewhat insulting to say that actually losing some weight isn’t really that difficult.  Basically anyone with even a modicum of self control can stick to a diet of some sort long enough to be able to shed a few pounds – as you’ve probably experienced for yourself.

The real difficulty is in actually keeping those pounds off and preventing them creeping back again. It’s estimated that at least 65% of people who lose weight on a diet put it all back on again within a couple of months (personally I think it’s even higher than that).

The problem of course is that dieting involves some going without and hardship, and while we can keep that without too much difficulty for a few weeks, long-term our willpower starts to dissolve.

That’s why the people at Push Fitness started up a challenge called “The Fittest Loser”. It’s designed to be much less about dieting and a lot more about developing a healthy lifestyle that will lead to both long-term weight loss and a much healthier body and mind.

The plan is based on including a variety of  food types, including fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, proteins, and starches.

An eating plan that incorporates all of these elements gives contestants all the nutrients they need while providing them with many breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options, preventing boredom and making the eating plan easier to follow.

Ultimately of course, each contestant in the challenge has to work out the nutrition and exercise combination that will work best for them, but dietitians and trainers have a few standard tips that can work for almost anyone.

Here are their top ten tips that will help anyone maintain weight loss and improve health…

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The 5:2 Diet Shown To Massively Reduce Risk Of Heart Attack & Stroke

A study has shown that intermittent fasting (or the 5:2 diet as it’s also known) significantly reduces your risk of developing dangerous health conditions that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

If you don’t know what the 5:2 diet is: it’s a regime where you eat normally for five days of the week, and then fast on the other two. On the fasting days calorie intake is reduced to 500 for women and 600 for men.

The diet has been around for a long while, in fact it seems to have been practiced by some medieval monks  in Europe a thousand years ago. So, it’s nothing new, but this study definitely puts a new scientific focus on it.

Read on and learn more…

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Dieting Based On Your Blood Type?! Really Not Sure About This One!

Of all the diets that I’ve read about over the years (and I’ve read about a lot – believe me), this one surely has to be one of the more bizarre.

It’s called the Blood Type Diet, and as you’ve probably guessed, the basic premise of it is that a person’s dietary needs differ according to their own particular blood type.

Hmmmm…. my initial thoughts are that this one has the word “FAD” written all over it don’t you think? It was developed by a naturopath, and I’m really not too sure what research it was based one. Intrigued? Read on to learn more…

The basic gist: Different blood types = different dietary needs

The Blood Type Diet was founded by Peter D’Adamo, a naturopathic doctor who wrote the best-selling book Eat Right for Your Type. The overall theory is that your blood type is an important genetic factor that influences many areas of your health. Once you know it, you can supposedly eat and exercise in a way that will help you be the healthiest version of yourself, according to D’Adamo’s website.

The diet is specifically broken up by blood type—no shocker there—and there are some pretty specific recommendations for each type:

Type As are supposed to:

  • Follow a vegetarian diet
  • Eat pure, fresh, and organic foods
  • Do hatha yoga, tai chi, and meditation to help lower their stress levels

Type Bs are supposed to:

  • Steer clear of foods like corn, wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts, and sesame seeds (since these can supposedly mess with their metabolism and make them gain weight)
  • Avoid chicken (D’Adamo says it can increase your risk of strokes and immune disorders)
  • Eat goat, lamb, mutton, rabbit, venison, green vegetables, eggs, and low-fat dairy
  • Play tennis, do martial arts, cycle, hike, and golf to stay mentally and physically active

Type Os are supposed to:

  • Avoid simple carbs and grains (type Os have higher levels of stomach acid, which, combined with these foods, can lead to bodily inflammation, D’Adamo says)
  • Focus on exercise that works your cardiovascular and muscular skeletal systems, like running

Type ABs are supposed to:

  • Avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially in stressful situations
  • Focus on eating foods like tofu, seafood, dairy, and green vegetables, and avoid all smoked or cured meats (D’Adamo says they can increase your risk of stomach cancer)
  • Eat smaller, more frequent meals
  • Do a combo of calming and more intense exercises, like doing several days of running or biking, followed by yoga or tai chi

Is it safe?

Yup, the diet is safe, says Sonya Angelone, R.D., a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. At its core, the Blood Type Diet recommends eating pretty healthy stuff and doesn’t suggest eliminating entire food groups—and that’s key, Angelone says. “It is more of a shift from certain foods to other healthy options,” she adds.

Read the Full Article

So there you have it, the Blood Type Diet. I’m a type A, so I guess it’s onto the full vegetarian diet and hatha yoga for me then.

Maybe not. To be honest, I have to admit that I’m giving this one a big miss. What about you – what do you think about it? Please comment and et us know your views.

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Why Is Karela Juice So Perfect For Weight Loss?

There’s no doubt at all that karela – or bitter gourd – isn’t one of the worlds favorite vegetables. That word “bitter” tells us why.

Yet it’s universally acknowledged that this pungent tasting veggie is one of the most nutritious that anyone can add to their diet, and if you can get past it’s taste, then consuming it regularly will do great things for your whole health – including weight control.

Bitter gourd juice contains a train of important nutrients ranging like iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C.  In addition to these minerals and vitamins, it is also an abundant source of fiber.

Perhaps most importantly, when it comes to weight loss it’s been shown that karela is one of nature’s true gifts. A 2010  report published in the Journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, showed that extracts of bitter gourd helped in the dislocation of human fat cells and also hindered the formation and growth of new fat cells. It was further concluded that bitter gourd can be viewed as a natural agent for treating obesity.

So perhaps we should all be treating this Asian vegetable with a lot more respect? Read on to learn why…

How Does Karela or Bitter Gourd Juice Help In Weight Loss 

1. Regulates Insulin: Karela juice is an excellent beverage for diabetics. Bitter gourd helps regulate the blood sugar level in your body. Stabilised blood sugar levels eventually help in weight loss. Bangalore-based Nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood explains, “Karela juice makes your insulin active. When your insulin is active, your sugar would be used adequately and not convert into fat, which would inevitably help in weight loss.”

2. Low-calorie Veggie: Bitter gourd is low in calories, fat and carbohydrates. You would be surprised to know that 100 grams of bitter gourd has only 34 calories. It is also low on carbohydrates and fats.

bitter gourd juice 625

Bitter gourd is low in calories

3. Rich in Fibre: Bitter gourd is rich in soluble fibres. It is said the the fibre in bitter gourd pods amounts to 10 percent of recommended daily value intake. Fibre-rich foods induce the feeling of fullness. Since fibre takes long to digest, you feel full for a longer span and tend to binge less. Bitter gourd is also filling because it is high in water – about 89 to 94 percent of its weight is just water, which also makes it an excellent summer vegetable….

Read the Full Article

I’m certainly going to be trying this new food over the coming weeks. Sure, it may be an acquired taste, but if it’s even half as effective as the research and anecdotal evidence suggests then it’s got to be a no-brainer, don’t you think?

How about you – have you tried karela for yourself? If so then please comment below and let us all know how you got on with it. We’d really love to hear your views.

 

 

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Scandi Sense: Is This Really The Simplest Diet Of All Time?

There’s probably been over a thousand so called “Wonder Diets” that have been promoted over the last decade or so. IMHO at least 95% of these are little more than B/S – designed to make the ‘diet’ creators wealthy and little more.

I know that I’ve tried many of them over the years, some with moderate success, but most with none.

The trouble with most diets is that they’re just too darned hard, don’t you think? By the time you’ve purchased all the special ingredients, filled out the planning sheets and psyched yourself up, you’re generally exhausted (and broke!) before even getting started.

So I was really interested when I read about the Scandi Sense diet system. Mainly I was interested because it really does seem to be a genuinely simply system that pretty well anyone with a modicum of determination can fit into her or his system. So I thought I’d share some information about it with you all (disclaimer: I haven’t yet tried it out myself):

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Explained: What Exercise Sheds The Most Pounds In Reality

What exercise burns the most fat without extra efforts and exhausting diets? To get the answer, read on…

How essential do you think that exercise is when it comes to losing weight? The answer seems to be that it’s totally essential, but – although it seems somewhat contradictory – exercise on it’s own is almost totally useless at reducing weight!

I’ll admit, that surprised me when I first read about it. It seemed to go against everything I’d heard and believed until then. However, exercise in conjunction with proper diet is the only way that you’re going to both lose weight and more importantly, keep it off according to the experts.

So which exercise is best? Keep reading to find out: