Tag: weight loss

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Fitness

A State Of Ketosis – Is It Safe?

ketosis

The obesity epidemic is highly risking the lives of many people in the US and the UK. Worldwide obesity has tripled since 1975. The worst thing is children are also commonly affected by obesity. According to a recent study by WHO, 39 million children are obese or overweight. Obesity is preventable. How? There are various ways like exercises, surgery, supplements. Following a healthy diet plan is one of the safe choices to bring the weight under control. In this article, we are going to briefly discuss the most popular diet called the ketogenic diet or otherwise called “ketosis”.

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

This is also called a low-carb high-fat diet. This is the most popular diet plan among Americans. Foods recommended in this diet have high-fat content, an adequate amount of protein, and low carbohydrates.

Did you know? Ketogenic diet was initially formulated for the treatment of epilepsy

What’s the Recommended Diet Plan in Ketosis?

The general daily calorie breakdown of the keto diet plan is as follows:

60-80% of calories from fat

20-25% of calories from proteins

5-10% of calories from carbohydrates

This ratio is formulated to help maintain ketosis state as well as overall health.

While the classical diet plan is used still today, several protocols came into effect based on the gender, height, and activity levels of the person.

What Is The Allowed Carb Ratio?

Like I said, as this is a low-carb diet, the usual intake should be around 20 to 50 grams per day.

What Is The Allowed Fat And Protein Ratio?

The main purpose of the state of ketosis is to allow your body to use more body fat. Our body digests fat and protein differently. Fat is the best source of energy and has a very limited effect on insulin level and blood sugar level. However, Protein has a great impact if taken excessively. For example, about 56% of the ingested protein converts into sugar which then upsets the state of a ketogenic diet in burning body fat. That is why, in the keto diet plan, protein is allowed only at a moderate level and is based on gender, height, and activity level.

Low Carbohydrates Vs No Carbohydrates

Meals that are rich in carbohydrates like rice, pasta, white bread, etc. tend to form belly in most people and the worst part is it is difficult to get rid of. The main advantage of the low-carb diet is that it helps in reducing the sugar levels and starch content in our body. This plan reduces weight effectively.

Some people mistake a low-carb diet for a no-carb diet. This could be highly dangerous because our body requires some carbohydrates for energy and for maintaining blood sugar levels. It is strictly advised to consult an expert dietician to know the right amount of protein and carbohydrates your body needs.

Having a healthy weight is more important to maintain overall health because it can prevent many conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and more. The ketogenic diet helps you attain a healthy weight.

Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet

When you are following this diet, your body will become carbohydrate-independent as well as burning stored fat effectively.

When practicing, people consume only healthy fats. As a result, prevent any stomach discomfort in your body.

Apart from weight loss, the keto diet enhances gut health, stabilizes blood sugar levels, regulates body hormones, and improves overall cognitive function.

As it allows only saturated fats in the diet, the risk of heart attacks is greatly reduced.

Foods Allowed On the Ketogenic Meal Plan

In general, all meats, seafood, and full-fat dairy are allowed.

Fats:

Avocado oil

Ghee

Olive oil

Coconut oil

MCT oil

Butter

Meat:

Beef

Turkey

Chicken

Lamb

Pork

Goat

Veal

Venison

Seafood:

Cod

Salmon

Oysters

Mackerel

Fish

Shrimp

Crayfish

Vegetables:

Spinach

Broccoli

Cucumber

Cauliflower

Zucchini

Celery

Lettuce

Kale

Cabbage

Eggplant

Bell peppers

Asparagus

Fruits:

Tomatoes

Avocados

Lemons

Blackberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Strawberries

Coconut

Dairy:

Organic milk

Organic cheese

Full fat yogurt

Nuts and nut milk:

Brazil nuts

Pine nuts

Walnuts

Macadamia nuts

Almonds and almond milk

Cashews and cashew milk

Pistachios

Seeds allowed:

Pumpkin seeds

Chia seeds

Flax seeds

Hemp seeds

Foods not allowed include,

Refined sugar

Legumes

Gluten

Grains

Corn Syrup with high fructose

Foods with high Glycemic-load

Medical Benefits of Keto Diets

Keto diets are used for treating several medical conditions.

Epilepsy

This diet is mainly recommended for patients with epilepsy as it reduced seizures. Pediatric epileptic cases showed the most successful results to the diet plan.

Alzheimer Disease

Ketones provide the required cholesterol and energy to the brain and help to repair damaged neurons. All these help in improving memory and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.

Gluten Allergy

High-carb foods have high gluten which causes gluten allergies like the bloated stomach. Whereas, following a ketogenic diet helps in curing the stomach bloating and digestive discomforts of many patients.

Some other benefits include

Reduced cholesterol levels

Improved immune system

Reduce food cravings and appetite

Stabilize insulin levels

Final thoughts

The Keto diet is an extremely popular diet lifestyle for maintaining weight and overall health. It is cost-effective and the meals are easy to make. It is recommended to consult with your dietician today to get your diet plan for attaining successful results.

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Health

Hyperthyroidism Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

What is Hyperthyroidism?

The thyroid gland is an important organ that regulates the body’s metabolism. Metabolism is the conversion of calories we intake and oxygen we inhale into energy. And to do this process effectively, the thyroid gland must secrete a hormone called thyroxin. Thyroxin is an iodine-containing compound that makes all the tissues increases their cellular activity. This thyroid gland is located at the anterior portion of the neck and is the largest too. Despite having a healthy lifestyle, the thyroid gland may cause four basic problems which are due to hormone production level, over-growth of the gland, formation of lumps or nodules within, and cancer. In this article, we thoroughly look into “hyperthyroidism” which means the excess of thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism symptoms, causes, and treatment.

What Causes Hyperthyroidism?

There are many factors for hyperthyroidism, but one of the common autoimmune conditions called “Graves’ disease” is a major reason.

Graves’ disease

Graves’ disease occurs when the immune system alters the role of the pituitary gland which generally regulates the level of thyroxin production in the thyroid gland. This alteration happens by the antibody called TRAb (thyrotropin receptor antibody) which results in hyperthyroidism.

Symptoms of Graves’ disease

Diarrhea is a common complaint in many patients and some other symptoms include:

  • Fatigue
  • Reduced libido
  • Changes in Menstrual cycle

Graves’s disease has other conditions too, which are Graves’ dermopathy (specifically affects the skin causing red patches, thickness, etc.) and Graves’ ophthalmopathy (specifically affects the eyes causing dry/redness, bulging, excessive tearing, light sensitivity, blurry vision, etc.).

So, around 70% of thyroid issues are due to autoimmune disorders. How can the autoimmune disorder be treated?

What are the Hyperthyroidism Symptoms?

Let’s discuss the common symptoms of hyperthyroidism:

Anxiety and depression 

Losing mental clarity, suffering from anxiety and depression are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Abdominal Bloating

Changes in bowel habits, diarrhea, and bloating are common symptoms.

Menstrual patterns

In women, changes in menstrual patterns have been identified as a symptom. When there is a excess thyroxin, our body may lose its ability to convert testosterone to estrogen

Other symptoms include

  • Fatigue, weakness
  • Increased sensitivity to heat
  • Thinning of hair and skin
  • Sleeping disorder
  • Mood swings
  • Muscle pain
  • Changes in Blood Pressure levels
  • Changes in Heart Rate

What are the treatments for Hyperthyroidism?

Usually, a thorough diagnosis is made by your doctor and he suggests antithyroid medications or radioactive iodine therapy or in worst cases “surgery”. There are also natural treatments that require a strict “diet” plan.

Foods to Eat

It is a must to take food that will not trigger the overactivity of the thyroid gland. This includes whole grains, raw vegetables, meat, fruits, fresh spinach, Brussels sprouts, radish, etc.

Foods to Avoid

Any caffeinated drinks, Soy products as they are very dangerous to the thyroid gland. Stop eating foods that are rich in iodine (simply reduce salt), as they can make your thyroid overactive.

Final thoughts

Hyperthyroidism is not a simple health problem to neglect; it can result in more severe diseases. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are highly recommended whenever you find the above-mentioned symptoms in your body. Try practicing a healthy lifestyle, live in control, only then these threatening diseases can be avoided.

Categories
Health

Healthy Snacking in Your Weight Loss Diet!

Vegan health food for a healthy life concept with a large super food collection. Healthy foods high in protein, omega 3, antioxidants, anthocyanins, vitamins and dietary fibre. Top view on yellow wood.

To lose weight, exercise, and diet go hand in hand. Everyone loves to snack and just because you are on a diet doesn’t mean that you have to forget the snacking. Instead, you need to find out what are the best healthy snacks that have low calories and aid in weight loss. One of the best ideas to add snacks into your diet is switching to a low-fat version. This includes fat-free cheese, nuts, and fruit juices instead of carbonated beverages. This kind of healthy weight loss diet will help in reducing the fat most healthily.

Let’s find out some “calorie negative foods” to include in your diet.

Apples – This amazing fruit has fat absorption property plus this makes you feel full for a long time. So it is best to add apples to your daily routine diet for a healthy weight loss.

Dairy or Calcium-rich foods – Fat-free cheese, yogurt, and milk are dairy products that enhance fat burning in the body. Creatively, you can make yogurt popsicles to add to your dessert.

Fruits rich in Vitamin C – Citrus fruits like guava, oranges, grapes, lemons, tangerines, tomatoes, and sweet limes are considered to be healthy snacks as they help to enhance the ability to burn fat. Vitamin C is a vital thing for the proper functioning of the body to dilute fat.

Bubble Gum – Surprisingly bubble gum comes on this list as a fat burner. If you chew it for about sixty minutes, it could very well burn as much as eleven calories.

Frozen Juice bars – Frozen juice bars are quite a healthy snack to eat, they add rarely a few calories to your body.

Beef Jerky – This healthy snack adds more protein to your body that helps to improve the metabolism.

Protein – Of course, protein-rich foods like oatmeal, eggs, grain foods, and legumes boost the metabolic rate of the body thereby burning fat as much as possible.

 

Green tea – Drinking green tea regularly helps in increasing the metabolic rate of the body.

Nuts – A hand full of almonds or walnuts is a perfect healthy snack to add to your weight loss diet.

Avocadoes – These are rich in fiber that makes you feel full more quickly.

On following these tips, just switching to a healthier version of your favorite snack helps you reduce more calories. Eating a cup of veggies during your work not only improves your health but also aids in burning fats, this is a great replacement for the cookies and muffins passed around your workplace.

If you follow healthy snacking choices, then your children will follow the same. So teach your children to follow a healthy lifestyle. This is like prevention is better than cure; you can help them not to suffer from obesity.

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