Exercise Everyday to Make You Fit

You can exercise a few times a day and even though your body will be in better shape, you may not lose any weight. The reason is because of poor eating habits. Simple dieting can work wonders in your fight to shed unwanted pounds. If you find yourself getting snacks from the vending machine at work, stop it! You can snack all day long and lose weight and professionals dietitians recommend that you eat every couple of hours. You should make your own blend of healthy snacks to take with you. These snacks can include raw or steamed vegetables, sugar-free yogart, fruits (sparangly) and you can even snack on sugar-free chocolate.
Dieting - The Best Thing You Can Do

Indeed, dieting is the best thing you can do to keep those unwanted pounds off. Even if you exercise while sitting down, you should diet...

Soda's Good For Energy, Bad Other-Wise

Diet soda's good to give you a quick pep up when you are feeling tired. You can drink a couple of diet sodas a day and be okay as long as you are flushing your body regularly with water. The caffiene is great for helping you lose weight by giving you that boost you need.

How to Prevent Diabetes

If you think that diabetes is an old man's disease and you are safe from it, then we beg you to think again.

Overweight, over-stressed and poor lifestyle observers are easy targets for this lifestyle disease, even at the young age of 20. While diabetes can be genetic, doctors say that type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) can be prevented by following a proper lifestyle. We had a word with AIIMS Dr (Col) Surender Kumar, Endocrinologist to the President of India, and Dr. P K D Shah, Sr. Consultant- medicine and endocrinology at Rockland Hospital about the top 5 ways to prevent type 2 diabetes:

I. Exercise regularly
Dr (Col) Surender Kumar: Regular exercise for at least 5 to 6 days in a week is a must. Opt for 30 minutes of intense exercise where the heart rate is double. Brisk walking or jogging and muscle building through weight lifting are good.

Dr. P K D Shah: Have an active lifestyle, which means one must exercise at least 20-30 minutes in a day. Aerobic exercises such as walking, cycling and swimming are good. Improving physical activity is one major step in preventing type 2 diabetes.

II. Stress reduction
Dr (Col) Surender Kumar: Stress reduction, both - at home and at workplace, is a must. Meditation, music, giving and getting love and respect from children, contentment in life, learning to forgive and keeping pets at home are a few ways through which one can combat stress.

Dr. P K D Shah: Make sure you are sleeping for 8 hours at night as various studies have shown that less than 6 hours of shut-eye time can put you at a greater risk of diabetes. Also, avoid sleeping too much, as sleeping too long because of sleep apnea is also linked to diabetes.

III. Maintain your weight
Dr (Col) Surender Kumar: Keep BMI (weight in kgs divided by square of height in metres) at around 22- 23. And waistline for males should be less than 90, and for females less than 80 cms.

Dr. P K D Shah: Maintain your body weight, that is, do not gain too much weight above the ideal body weight. And as far as possible, avoid abdominal fat which causes insulin insensitivity leading to DM type II. If obese, try and reduce at least a few kilograms in order to get a head start.

IV. Eat a healthy diet
Dr (Col) Surender Kumar: Small frequent meals i.e. total daily calories load is divided into 3 small meals and 3 snacks, roughly at three hourly intervals. Avoid excess of refined carbohydrates and fats.

Dr. P K D Shah: Eat a healthy diet with high fiber, low fat, optimal calories for age and complex carbohydrates. A healthy diet should have sufficient calories as required at a particular age and work type, it should be high in fiber and low in fat. Do not over-eat or over-drink. One must enjoy ones' meal or a drink or two once in a while but over-drinking and over-eating adds extra calories, which are converted into fat in the body causing insulin intolerance and thus obesity.

V. Self risk assessment & annual investigation
Dr (Col) Surender Kumar: Those with a family history of diabetes, or those who are overweight/obese, follow a sedentary life style, and have waistlines beyond 102 cms (for men) and 85 cms (for women), or a history of diabetes during pregnancy are at a greater risk of developing diabetes.

Dr. P K D Shah: If one has an underlying disease that must be cured such as hypertension or depression, then the risk of diabetes is higher. One must try to quit smoking in order to prevent DM. Annual investigations should be done for early diagnosis and preferably to investigate the disease in pre-diabetic stage in order to reverse the disease.

Strengthen your Heart

Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India of India advised people to take care of their heart. He gave few tips to do so.

Follow Dr. KK Aggarwal's 'Formula of 80' i.e. keep your pulse rate, lower blood pressure, fasting sugar, abdominal circumference and bad cholesterol levels all below 80. To achieve these, walk 80 minutes a day with a speed of 80 steps per minute; eat less - not more than 80 gm or 80 ml of caloric food; do 80 cycles of pranayams in a day, avoid alcohol and if one does drink, do not consume more than 80 ml in a day.

After the age of 30, get an annual medical checkup done with exercise treadmill test every three years.

Eat in moderation and take a variety of food consisting of seven colors and six tastes.

Avoid using trans fats. Trans fats increase bad cholesterol and reduce good cholesterol. Hydrogenated oil is an example of trans fat.

Avoid three 'whites' in your diet - white maida (refined flour0, white sugar and white rice - or consume only in minimum amounts. They are known to cause abdominal obesity, which is a risk factor for heart diseases.

Do not smoke or consume tobacco in any form as it increases the chances of heart attack, paralysis and erectile dysfunction.

Do not ignore any symptom, which is unusual, unexplained and is detected for the very first time.

Do not ignore any chest pain, burning or discomfort in the center of the chest which is diffuse in nature and lasts for more than 30 seconds.

If a heart attack is suspected, then one should chew 300 mg of water-soluble aspirin and immediately rush to the nearest heart hospital.

All heart patients should remember that sudden cardiac death is reversible in the first 10 minutes. For this, remember Dr. KK Aggarwal's 'Formula of 10' i.e. within 10 minutes of death, for the next 10 minutes, one should compress the chest with a speed of 10 x 10 = 100 per minute. This can revive more than 75% of the patients.

Heart patients too can lead a normal physical, mental and sexual life.

Presence of heart blockages in the heart does not mean that a person requires angioplasty or surgery. The indication for them is failure of adequate medical treatment to provide the wanted risk-free quality of life.

Following traditional Indian customs and rituals can help reduce chances of heart attack. The weekly fast of not consuming cereals can be adopted by all of us to reduce risk of metabolic syndrome, which develops due to insulin resistance because of eating a carbohydrate-rich diet, especially one that contains refined carbohydrates, on a daily basis.

Late to Bed, Early to Rise Way to Heart Attack

Sleeping for less than six hours a night boosts the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke.

But beware -- those who have too much sleep are also more likely to suffer a heart attack, the European Heart journal warned.

While the extra slumber is unlikely to be the cause, long-term illnesses such as heart disease often make sufferers feel tired. So sleeping for longer than nine hours a night may be an early warning sign.

Francesco Cappuccio from the University of Warwick Medical School, who led the study, said: "The trend for late nights and early mornings is actually a ticking time bomb for our health , so you need to act now to reduce your risk..."

Researchers found that those who slept for less than six hours were almost 50 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 15 per cent more at risk of strokes.

Not having enough sleep decreases the levels of leptin in our blood, which means we do not feel as satisfied after eating, the Daily Mail reports.

At the same time, it raises the levels of ghrelin, responsible for triggering our appetite, thus making us feel hungrier.

Poor sleepers tend to eat more and are more likely to be obese, so are at greater risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, which lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Experts recommend adults get at least six or seven hours' shut-eye a night to stay healthy.

Researchers looked at the sleeping habits of almost 475,000 participants from 15 previous studies across eight countries, including the UK, the US, Japan, Sweden and Germany.

6 Foods to Help You Have Great Sex

They say sex is a great stressbuster. They are right because sexual activities has been found to relive the pressure of the burdens of life, ease stress, soothe chronic aches and pains, spur creativity and rev up the energy levels.

Experts say that anything that makes you feel good, alive and physically excited will make you feel as if you've shed years. And all these things are associated with sex.

You are probably aware of the basics of terrific sex, but let us suggest you a few aphrodisiacs which can add zing to your sex life.

Figs have been found to be brimming with minerals like magnesium, manganese and zinc and also Vitamin E. All of them can do wonders to spice up your sex life.

The flashy-red watermelons contain a substance called citrulline, which sends the body the signals to release arginine, which relaxes blood vessels. This produces an effect similar to Viagra. And need we give you details about what Viagra does?

You've tried whiskly, you've tried wine but didn't feel the buzz. Pick a bottle of champagne and feel the difference. It enters the bloodstream faster than the wine does, so make sure you don't drink too much of it. Many champagnes have been found to have the same amount of antioxidants as red wine.

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers can bring out the hotness in you. They help recreate the symptoms of arousal: flushed cheeks, a quiver on your tongue, and more kissable lips. They also up the heat in the body.

Cheese releases 10 times more endorphins than the great ol' aphrodisiac - Chocolate. It will help you set the right mood.

Chocolate has been your trusted friend when it comes to having a great sex. You just need to maintain the bond. Its aphrodisiac property has been ascribed to two chemicals. One, tryptophan, which is the building block of serotonin, a brain chemical involved in sexual arousal. And two, phenyethylamine, a stimulant.

So the kind of food we gorge upon can do wonders with our sex life. Right food can make you positively sexual.

Drink Wine, Stay Healthy

A small glass of red wine consumed daily can tame diabetes: Study

A new study found that the drink contains high concentrations of chemicals that help the body regulate levels of sugar in the blood.

High levels of sugar in the blood can cause tiredness, heart disease, strokes, blindness, nerve damage and kidney disease, reports the journal Food and Function.

The condition occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin - the hormone that regulates blood sugar - or when its insulin does not work properly, according to the Daily Mail.

Just a small glass of red wine contains as many of these active ingredients as a daily dose of an anti-diabetic drug, the researchers found.

Although the study didn't look at the effects of wine on people, study authors believe moderate drinking as part of a calorie controlled diet could protect against type 2 diabetes.

Past studies have shown that natural chemicals found in grape skin and wine called poly phenols can help the body control glucose levels, and prevent potentially dangerous spikes or dips in blood sugar.

The new study compared the poly phenol content of 12 different wine varieties. The team, from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, found that levels were higher in red wines.

However, their conclusions angered Diabetes UK who accused the researchers of making "astonishingly bold suggestions" based on "limited research".

The charity warned that wine was so high in calories that it could lead to weight gain - outweighing any benefit.

Sex it up at The Gym

If you are among the ones who pay an annual membership fee at the local gym, but visit it only a handful of times, this should motivate you. Being fit and healthy benefits all areas of your life – including sex.

Those cardio and weight-training sessions can add that much-needed (or aspired) zing between the sheets.

Improves testosterone levels
Research has shown that regular exercise, especially squats and lunges, boost the testosterone level in the body. Since the hormone plays a key role in one's libido and performance, a boost there equals great sex.

Makes you look attractive
A toned physique is undoubtedly the most potent turn-on for your partner. It makes you more desirable to your partner and starts the fire burning. It's been observed that those who maintain a toned physique have a better perception of themselves which leads to higher confidence levels and helps in a better sex life.

Improves stamina
A man who indulges in enough cardio-vascular exercises stands better chances of satisfying his partner. Regular cardio builds the body's overall stamina, which means you last longer in bed. Cardio requires withstanding the pressure for a longer duration with a sustained and justified distribution over the workout's time span. This conditioning of the body helps men last longer and preferably let the women achieve orgasm before them. This helps because while men reach climax only once during the lovemaking, a women can do so multiple times.

On the other hand, the women who indulge in weight-training achieve an orgasm much faster, as the aggression it induces makes patience take the back seat – which is why it is advisable for them.

Beats libido killers
Stress is one of the biggest reasons for a dis-satisfactory bedroom experience as it leads to many problems, right from reduced stamina to simply not being in mood. Regular exercise is one of the biggest stress busters for most people and lower stress levels means a healthier and a far more exciting sex life.

Aphrodisiacs in your diet
A healthy and well-balanced diet is one of the most important aspects of achieving fitness. After you work-out, your body craves nutrition. For building muscle and repairing the damage, you need a diet high on zinc and proteins. Eat your way to a great sex life with a diet rich in asparagus, onions, garlic and bananas.

Matter of position
To experiment, keep that flab in check for the extra inches may restrict your urge to experiment in bed.