Sure, you can drop weight through dieting alone, but new research shows that if you don’t exercise too, you could be missing out on a bevy of health benefits. In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, one group of women worked out five days a week and reduced their calorie intake, while the other just slashed calories. “Everyone lost about 10 percent of their body weight over six months,” says Enette Larson-Meyer, Ph.D.,R.D., the study’s lead author and an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming. “But those who exercised also saw improvements in their cholesterol and blood pressure levels.” What’s more, they upped their life expectancy by about 19 percent. To slim down and improve your health, aim to burn 250 calories a day at the gym and cut an equal amount from your daily diet.

By Cynthia sass, R.D.

Do they really work?

Yes, but it’s important to weigh the benefits against the risks. Herb like ginseng, guarana, hoodia, and red clover may help dial down hunger. But taking large doses or combining multiple herbs that contain stimulants can be dangerous, causing high blood pressure and seizures even if you’re young and healthy. Talk to your doctor before taking any appetite suppressants, and keep doing the things that naturally help you eat less, such as eating a healthy diet and exercising. A British study found that an hour of vigorous cardio had a positive effect on hunger-controlling hormones for up to two hours after the session.

Zen to fitness (zentofitness.com)

Do you sometimes think what food should you eat regularly, or base your diet around? The truth is there are no real “Essential” foods but rather foods which will help you in your journey towards heath and fitness. To me an “Essential” food should:

Taste Good

Be Flexible in its uses

Have Unique health benefits

Easy to find and buy

Affordable

This sounds funny as many of the health foods touted these days are weird super fruit or greens products which are expensive, hard to find and probably taste pretty bad. These days people are looking for health quick fixes and the food which will magically transform their body, the truth is this cannot happen. Food is just food. Eat healthy for long enough and good things will come and your ideal body will take shape.

Coconut Oil - All coconut products are great but coconut oil specifically has special benefits mainly due to its concentration of Lauric Acid which is a potent anti-bacterial and can help clean out and detoxify your insides. As well as this it is a potent metabolism booster and this is not due to any stimulating effects like coffee (so don’t worry about sleeping)….. You can try it for yourself, have a TBSP of coconut oil with your next meal (try it mixed into oatmeal or rice) and I guarantee after 30 minutes you will feel noticeably hotter showing your metabolism has had a kick start. Top it off with the fact that coconut oil is the best stuff for cooking thanks to its stability under high temperatures making it a definite essential.

FlaxSeeds - These are cheap and healthy with unique benefits. Be sure to buy unground flax and grind them yourself as this will save you money and keep them fresh, as the main problem with flax is their tendency to go rancid quickly when ground. You can pick up a huge bag of them for around $5 and with a pestle and mortar you can grind them when you like. Flax has a unique anti-oxidant in the form of Lignans which shield against cancer. They are also a great source of fiber and high in Omega-3’s. Plus they are versatile and go nicely on Yoghurt or Salads.

Greek Yoghurt - Like normal yoghurt but better as it is strained to provide more nutrition and better taste. It is higher in protein than normal yoghurt giving it a thicker and more creamy texture. This makes it more filling and more versatile as it can be used as a snack or even as an alternative to cream in dressings or served up with things like sweet potato instead of sour cream as a high protein, lower fat alternative. Try mixing these together and using it as a dressing/dip.

Greek Yoghurt

Lemon Juice

Salt + Pepper

Dried Chilli flakes

Oatmeal - Another cheap and versatile staple. The beauty of oats is how slowly they are digested, provide a good hit of soluble fiber and most importantly work as a nourishing and satisfying breakfast. I like to make mine with coconut milk and a dash of cinnamon then topped with berries. Oats are the best alternative to conventional sugary cereals and something that the whole family can get into the habit of eating daily as there are so many recipes and possibilities when making cooked oats. Plus they are Gluten free.

Roots - I was going to do sweet potatoes but I really think all kind of root vegetables are great and they can all be an essential part of your diet from the humble white potato to the turnip. Roots are by far the best way to get your carbs in, the white potato is the most satiating food around (test devised by Holt et al in 1995). I find when eating potatoes with dinner my appetite or sense of being full comes far quicker than when having rice or foregoing the starch. They are also a great source of minerals and their protein content/bio-availability is the best among non-animal sources far out doing soy.

Enjoy these foods as much as you please, they all seem to have natural appetite control mechanisms and are difficult to overeat. Plus they are all cheap, easily available and easy to use regularly.

Zen to fitness (zentofitness.com)

Sunlight can re-vitalise and invigorate at the correct doses but it can also do harm in larger doses so we must strike the correct balance. Unfortunately recent press and government guidelines have gone to the opposite extreme and made us think that it is best to avoid the sun altogether and when we do go into the sun we must use copious amounts of sunscreen.

Recently a friend of my sisters was complaining of fatigue and general malaise. She went in for some blood tests to find out she was severely Vitamin D deficient, probably in turn leading to a calcium deficiency. To me this is not a result of a lack of sun in general but rather a life long deprivation of sunshine. Most kids these days have been brought up avoiding sun their whole life, basically depriving them of the necessities that sunlight provides by using sun screen or more likely telling them to avoid the sun all together.

We constantly hear about skin cancer and the over use of tanning beds when in fact it is the lack of sun that is causing more harm. It is well known that there is a lack of Vitamin D in pretty much all the western worlds countries and a lack of Vitamin D causes many many diseases from Prostate Cancer, Fatigue, Osteoporosis and Depression. The doctors remedy to this is to push vitamin D supplementation which is usually in its inefficient D2 form which is not processable by the human body so no wonder the problems continue. There has been evidence to show that Vitamin D3 can work well in humans but we need to take huge amounts to correct a deficiency and these doses are unlikely to be issued by a doctor. Add to this that recent research has shown that we need full spectrum sunlight to obtain healthy vitamin D levels and supplements in whatever form may help but they certainly do not replace the SUN.

A lack of sunlight does not only cause a Vitamin D deficiency but also causes a host of other problems:

De-regulation of our natural body clocks

Lack of sunlight is associated with “high myopia” meaning ruined vision

Lower Dopamine levels

Interference with Leptin levels (hunger control)

Add these to the host of problems that come from a Vitamin D deficiency and it is pretty obvious we need not only to get more sun but spend more time outdoors rather than closed up in artificial lighting all day.

“We miss out on essential morning light needed to stimulate the body’s 24-hour biological system, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle” – Lighting Research Centre

This all points to not only sunbathing more often but getting out and about during the day and making the most of time to get outdoors like lunch breaks and any walks you can fit into your day.

How to get sun?

I would say it comes down to making the most of your opportunities throughout the year. When you take into account that simply sunbathing with a decent amount of skin exposure for 15-20 minutes without sunscreen can generate huge amounts of Vitamin D then we realise how easy it is. Add to this that Vitamin D is fat soluble meaning we can store it for a few weeks/months, the other benefit is that it is Impossible to overdose on natural sunlight provided Vitamin D (the same cannot be said for supplements).

Spending more time outdoors and getting some morning sunlight and you should be doing pretty well. Add to this encouraging children to get outside and play and allowing them to spend time in the sun so that healthy levels of Vitamin D develop from a young age. Sure Sunlight can be overdone but our body is pretty good at telling us when it has had enough…