Your food and lifestyle have a huge impact on your digestive health. What you eat and the lifestyle you live plays an important role in determining your digestive health. This is because foods and lifestyle habits have a direct impact on your digestion.
Digestive health is determined by the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. It transports food from your mouth to stomach, breaks it down into nutrients and stored energy. If the gastrointestinal tract does not function properly, it will affect your digestive health. Your body will not be able to absorb the essential nutrients.
Besides, improper functioning of gastrointestinal tract can also lead to low immunity, emotional stress and even chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.
It is therefore important to take care of your digestive health because when the digestive system functions efficiently it improves your overall health and sense of well-being.
What affects your digestive health?
- Food you eat
- Emotional stress
- OTC drugs
How to determine your digestive health?
Some of the signs of improper digestive health include:
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Stomach ache
How to maintain a healthy gut?
Not sure how to take care of your digestive health? Incorporate the tips given below to keep your gut feeling healthy:
Eat a fibre-rich diet
Eating foods which are high in fibre can improve your digestive health. Fibre helps to move the food through your digestive tract, which in turns avoid you getting constipated.
A fibre-rich diet also helps in preventing or treating various digestive conditions like diverticulosis, haemorrhoids, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) while helping you maintain a healthy weight.
Consume soluble and insoluble fibre both
Both soluble and insoluble fibre helps the digestive system in different ways. Therefore it is important to consume both types of fibre.
Roughage is an insoluble fibre which cannot be digested by the body. This roughage, therefore, helps clean the gut. Whereas soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like material. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels.
Avoid foods that are high in fat
Fatty foods slow down the digestive process, making the gut prone to constipation. While it is important to consume some healthy fat, you can try pairing fatty foods with high-fibre foods. It will help things move along more smoothly.
Take help of probiotics and prebiotics
Probiotics are the healthy bacteria and yeasts which are naturally present in the digestive tract. They combat the effects of a poor diet, stress and help keep the body healthy. They also enhance the absorption of nutrients in the body, help break down lactose, strengthen your immune system and treat IBS.
Similarly, prebiotics help in maintaining good digestive health. They help probiotics in supporting healthy bacteria in the gut.
Eat on schedule
Apart from what you eat, your time to eat also plays an equally important role in keeping your digestive system in top shape. Try to have your meals at the same time every day. And also, do not keep yourself starved for a long time.
Stay hydrated
Drink lots of water sing water is good for your digestive health. Fibre pulls water into the colon thereby helping to keep your gut clean.
Exercise regularly
Exercise helps in keeping the movement of food smooth throughout your digestive system while also treating constipation. Staying active also helps in maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy body means the healthy digestive system and vice-versa.
Manage stress
Stress or anxiety is as harmful to your body as any other junk. These can cause your digestive system to go into overdrive. Indulge yourself in some stress-reducing activities which you can enjoy and practise regularly.
For the past few years, there has been a new trend in eating for weight-loss and diabetes that has been doing the rounds – eating smaller portions more frequently. While this trend has become an approved topic of conversation, certain people would like to understand the rationale behind it. How eating less more frequently can help improve your health?
Whether you are on your weight-loss journey or trying to control your blood sugar or ensure proper nutritional intake, small meals a day is what your doctor, fitness coach or dietician prescribed.
Together with a good exercise routine, eating 5-6 times a day can transform your body into a lean, toned, fat-burning machine.
Benefits of eating small frequent meals
Here are the major benefits of eating 5-6 times a day:
- It keeps you energised.
- You feel less hungry.
- It reduces your cravings for unhealthy food items.
- It controls blood sugar levels & insulin production.
- It reduces body fat storage.
- It increases and maintains lean muscle mass.
The only rule behind this way of eating is that every meal you eat should contain lean protein, good carbs, and healthy fats in about a 40:30:30 ratio.
Here’s how small meals can help you in sustaining a healthy and fitter lifestyle.
Weight Loss
Eating smaller portions more frequently can prevent the development of becoming overweight or obese.
According to research, people who eat only two or three large meals over a day tend to eat more calories than people who eat smaller portions of five or six meals. This goes as when you eat your breakfast at 8:00 am and lunch at 1:00 pm, your stomach is hungry for almost 4 hours at a stretch. This makes you consume more calories than are necessary to help satiate your hunger or what your body requires. This increased calorie intake is the reason your body gains the extra weight.
Decreased Chance of Nutritional Deficiencies
Eating 5 meals a day may help to ensure you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals that you need to keep your body in proper working order. Research has found that people who eat several meals through the day tend to vary their diet more than those who simply eat two or three large meals.
Getting the proper amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential both for good health in people of all ages and genders.
To summarize, when you eat smaller meals, say five meals a day, you are less hungry and do not overeat, you feel more energised and have a more positive outlook. Smaller frequent meals enable more stable blood sugar and less craving for unhealthy foods.
Tips for eating small healthy meals frequently:
With all said and done, it is important to understand that these smaller meals must be healthy and full of nutrition. Here is how you can ensure this:
- Ensure protein or fibre in every meal.
- Eat a reasonable portion.
- Try eating with your hands to ensure optimum portion size.
- Plan your meals beforehand
- Take help of professionals to ensure optimum nutrient intake and right meal size.
Are you looking for a meal plan that suits your objective? Want a meal plan that can control your hunger, make you feel full and energized? Looking for a meal plan that can help you lose weight? Looking for delicious and convenient meals that will help you achieve your goals?
If you are looking for expert advice to help you plan what to eat and when to eat, talk to our nutrition expert today!
What you eat reflects on your skin. Yes, we have said this before, and we are repeating it!
Healthy eating not only benefits your fitness and weight loss goals, but it also works on your skin, hair and overall looks. So, for healthy glowing skin, eating right is very important.
Whatever you put up on your face, how much ever you visit the beauty salons, unless you feed your body well with the right amount of required nutrition, no beauty product, no salon can bring the radiant glow on your skin.
Nourishing your body from inside gives a healthy, radiant and youthful skin outside. Holistic nourishment involves a properly balanced diet which should include the right amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates etc.
Here are the top essential nutrients required for glowing skin.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports collagen production, a protein that provides structure to your body, including your bones, skin, tendons, and ligaments. The vitamin also controls Keratin production (a substance that makes up most of our skin cells) and helps keep skin strong and healthy.
It supports the skin’s immune system and promotes natural moisturising. Vitamin A keeps the skin hydrated and gives it a radiant glow. It also helps in promoting and maintaining healthy skin layers dermis and epidermis.
Vitamin A is readily available in a wide range of food sources including pumpkin, sweet potato, eggs and leafy greens. Very rarely, it needs to be supplemented to keep up with the required amount.
Vitamin C
Like Vitamin A, Vitamin C also supports collagen production and healing processes in the skin. Collagen and elastin are destroyed by free radicals, leading to the development of wrinkles. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which fights against free radical damage that causes premature ageing. Getting enough Vitamin C will therefore keep you young and glowing.
Vitamin C can be obtained from a balanced diet and rarely need to be supplemented. Citrus fruits including lemons, oranges and berries are a rich source of Vitamin C. It is found in many vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower etc.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E, along with Vitamin C, protects the skin from the damaging effect of ultraviolet (UV) rays. It improves the texture of the skin, slows down the conversion of soluble collagen into insoluble collagen thereby slows down the ageing process.
Vegetable oils, peanuts, various plant seeds, olives, broccoli, spinach and asparagus are rich dietary sources of vitamin E.
To get the required amount of Vitamin E, you can also consider supplementation. However, it is always advisable to take expert advice since overdose of Vitamin can be harmful.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B Complex means different forms of Vitamin Bs including Vitamin B-3, Vitamin B-5, Vitamin B-6 etc. All the B Vitamins are essential for healthy skin.
Vitamin B7 (biotin) is one of the most important vitamins found in the skin. Lack of this vitamin can cause itchy and scaly skin. Bananas, eggs, oatmeal and rice are a rich source of biotin. The human body can also produce its biotin.
Vitamin B3 (niacin) helps the skin to retain moisture. Therefore creams containing niacin help your complexion look plumper and younger. Niacin also has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps in soothing dry and irritated skin.
With the help of Vitamin B Complex, the skin regulates cell turnover and sebum production. Besides, it also helps in utilising the Essential Fatty Acids, efficiently.
Meat, eggs, seafood, nuts and seeds are some of the sources of Vitamin B. However, the vitamin can be tricky to get from diet alone and often needs to be supplemented.
Zinc
Zinc is another essential skin-friendly mineral required for optimal skin health. The deficiency of the mineral can be determined if you have acne-prone skin. It is therefore advised to take zinc supplements if you are suffering from acne, eczema or any other inflammatory skin condition.
Healthy Fats
Fats give a glow to your skin! Avoiding fats in your diet can make your skin dry, wrinkles and dull.
However, it is important to focus on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from plants and avoid unhealthy fats for healthy skin.
Nuts, seeds, avocados and fats from fish are all types of healthy fats. They help your skin stay moist, firm, and flexible.
Polyunsaturated fats also help in blocking a chemical which can cause growing and spreading of skin cancer. Omega-3 fatty acids are a kind of polyunsaturated fat. Our body needs to build cell walls but cannot make it on its own. which your body can’t make but needs to build cell walls.
Protein
The proteins our body consumes are turned into amino acids, the building blocks of the body. It is then reused to make collagen and keratin. Amino acids also help slough off old skin. Some amino acids are antioxidants that protect skin cells against UV rays and from free radicals.
So, in a nutshell, we can say that proper nutrition is the key for glowing skin. The nutrients listed above will give a healthy and radiant glow to our skin besides keeping our body and mind fit.
Leading a healthy and fit life is no big challenge when you start right. When it comes to healthy living, a right morning routine is must to stay fit and active throughout the day and eventually throughout your life.
How do you make your mornings fresh and the rest of the day active?
This question attracts much attention because how you start your day affects how your body functions the rest of the day.
Here’s how you can do it!
- Sleep on time and wake up on time – Get around 7 to 9 hours of sleep for a refreshing morning.
- Avoid gadgets and witness sunrises – Try to stay away from mobiles, laptops immediately after getting up. Watch the sunrise instead.
- Take a walk, do yoga or meditate – It helps regulate your emotions and and keep your body active.
- Eat something healthy – A healthy drink followed by a healthy breakfast.
Sounds interesting and easy?
Below, we have elaborated a few habits or lifestyle changes that you can incorporate in your daily morning routine and lead a happy, healthy life.
Wake-up early
Early risers reap many benefits like going through their morning routine in a calm and leisurely manner. They get more time for introspection and planning and preparing for the day ahead. Some peaceful time in the morning hours is a great time to connect with self. They can get an early start on their goals like daily exercising or 30-day weight loss challenge.
Start your day with water
Drinking water is one of the most healthy habits irrespective of the time of the day. However, consuming water the first thing in the morning works wonders for your weight loss or fitness goal.
Drinking a glass or two of water right when you wake up will rehydrate your body and will also increase your level of alertness.
Stretch your body
Gentle stretching in the morning will reduce the aches which develop in joints and muscles. Stretching also improves posture and brings flexibility to the body. Morning stretching also improves the blood flow to the muscles. A 5-10 minute yoga stretching will connect your body to your mind and soul.
Have a healthy breakfast
The most cliched habit yet the most important one. A healthy breakfast in the morning is important for a healthy day and healthy life ahead. Start your morning with fruits, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats.
Besides giving the body the nutrients it requires, a healthy breakfast also keeps you to have a better focus and concentration and have a more energised day.
Meditate for better mental health
Meditating in the morning is one of the healthy habits to have. It is not only a stress buster but also increases the concentration power. It improves your emotional stability and prevents common health ailments.
Start by simply focussing on your breathing movements. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and focus on your breaths.
Starting with healthy morning habits is easy but following them daily needs conviction. So, make a promise to yourself for a better, healthier body and mind with these above-mentioned tips. Organise your morning schedule and make it a ritual for yourself.
When you begin your weight loss journey, the first thing that you do is to note your weight since this is the benchmark that you keep to mark your progress.
However, when you start exercising for weight loss, you burn calories, lose fat and build muscle. Ironically, a kg of muscle weighs the same as a kg of fat.
So, how do you measure?
It is important to understand that both fat and muscle are necessary for a healthy body. So in the case of fat vs. muscle there can be no clear winner. It is the balance of the two that really matters.
Technically fat has a greater volume whereas the muscle fibres have a greater density. This means, a kg of muscle takes up less space and looks smaller than a kg of fat. So you may see differences in your body composition, strength and energy, but not on the number on the scale.
Also, fats cannot be converted into muscles. Muscles grow when you put them to work. No exercise, no muscle. On the contrary, they will decrease in size, slowing your metabolism and increasing your fats.
Muscle boosts your metabolism and is therefore important for your body and overall fitness. They burn more calories even while at rest. So, if you have more muscles, you will burn more calories and eventually not accumulate extra fats.
Muscle surrounds the bones and works to strengthen them and reduce the risk of bone injuries.
Another benefit of developing muscles is an improvement in your core strength and balance.
Muscles improve your blood circulation, digestive health and the overall health of all your organs by being continuously engaged in calorie burning activity.
When you understand the difference between muscle mass and fats and work towards balancing the both, what you achieve is a better body definition.
It is only possible when you follow the two-dimensional process of weight loss and fitness – right diet and right physical exercise.
So, follow the diet that is right for you, do regular exercise and focus on overall fitness rather than just the scale.
There are many diet plans prevailing in the market which promises quick weight loss. If things are as simple as they say, why ain’t they successful?
There is one common saying “ Slow and steady, wins the race.” And this holds true for the weight loss process as well.
These fad and crash diets either completely change the way you eat, completely remove certain foods from your diet or make you eat only certain food items repeatedly.
Is this way of losing weight actually safe?
Through this article, we are sharing some insights on temporary weight loss versus the right way of achieving fitness. Because we know there is a difference! Read on to know how!
Temporary weight loss can never be permanently healthy
The fad and crash diets will help you lose weight, but not in a healthy way. These diets do not burn calories or remove fats or sustain a healthy weight in the long run. The number on the scale will decrease, and so will your overall health.
You will lose weight but temporarily. On the contrary, the body may gain weight once your crash diet course is over.
They don’t emphasize on exercising
“Lose weight without exercise.” Isn’t the statement funny in itself?
Primarily, exercise prevents regaining the extra fats that your body burns. The fatty acids in our body are utilized by the muscles, which helps in maintaining healthy body weight.
They are risky for your overall health
Fad or crash diets can cause some serious health issues. These diets can deprive you of the necessary nutrients and can even lead to major heart problems.
If you follow these diets for a longer period of time, your body cycle gets dependent on it for its regular working. When you stop following them, it can lead to health and lifestyle disorders.
It’s dangerous to follow the trend
A diet which worked for your friend may not work for you. Not just that, if it worked on your friend’s body, it can prove to be equally harmful to your body.
And if you are already at a risk for diseases these diets can even make the situation worse.
There are healthier alternatives
There is no quick fix to healthy weight loss. It is important to plan and discuss with experts before taking any diet plan.
There are many alternatives for weight loss plans which are worth the effort. Talk to our experts and see what works for your body.
Remember, it is all about preserving your health, leading a disease-free life and eventually feeling good about yourself.
What is Lactose?
Lactose is a form of sugar which is made up of glucose and galactose. It is mostly found in milk products. Lactose is split into glucose and galactose by an enzyme called Lactase. Our body consumes this glucose and galactose in the form of energy.
When we eat something containing lactose, lactase, the enzyme present in the small intestine breaks it down into glucose and galactose which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. These sugar forms are then consumed in the form of energy to provide fuel to the body.
What is Lactose Intolerance?
When lactase activity is reduced in the small intestine, lactose is not digested and can get fermented by the intestine leading lactose intolerance.
The symptoms of lactose intolerance include:
Abdominal pain
Bloating
Flatulence
Diarrhoea
What are the causes of Lactose Intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is very common. This digestive disorder can be caused either due to a decrease in lactase production due to age or it can also be caused due to illness like a stomach bug or celiac disease. The inflammation in the gut leads to a decline in the production of lactase.
What to do in Lactose Intolerance?
If you experience any of the mentioned symptoms after consuming dairy products like milk, curd, buttermilk, cheese, butter or products made from these food items, you may need to cut back or remove dairy products from their diets.
However, dairy products are important sources of nutrients like protein, calcium and vitamins like A, B12 and D. So, without these essential nutrients, your body may suffer health-related problems. Conclusively, you will need to get these nutrients from other sources instead.
It is therefore important to replace it with suitable alternative sources of calcium, vitamins, proteins.
How to treat Lactose Intolerance?
If your body is unable to produce lactase enzyme you can provide your body with this enzyme from other sources.
Besides, according to studies, probiotics and prebiotics are also good alternatives for reducing symptoms of lactose intolerance.
What is the conclusion?
You cannot afford to stay deprived of the important nutrients it gets from the dairy products. However, if your body is not able to digest dairy food products, it is still possible to have a healthy and balanced diet without it. Just make sure that your protein, calcium and vitamins to get everything that your body needs to produce energy.
A newly evolved but an epidemic issue, obesity in children is a growing concern in India. According to researches, there are more than 10 million obese children in the country. And this is the second-highest figure in the world, next to China.
Ironically, India is a developing nation which is also combating widespread poverty and nutritional deficiencies issues. However, around 5-8 % of school-going children in India are found to be obese. And with this pace, over 25 million kids in India will be obese by 2030.
What causes obesity in children?
When the calories consumed by the children are not balanced by the physical activity or energy spent, it causes weight gain and eventually leads to obesity. Environmental influence plays a huge role in childhood obesity.
Change in diet, overconsumption of junk or high sugary foods and a lifestyle of low or NO physical activity together contribute to the problem of childhood obesity. Besides, genetic factors are also one of the causes of obesity in children.
Some of the major causes of obesity in children are:
High consumption of sugary food and beverages
High consumption of junk food
Consumption of portion size in one meal
Lack of physical activity
What are the ill effects of being overweight in children?
Obesity in children is a matter of concern. It is not something to be left unattended. Obesity has serious health implications for both adults and kids. Obesity increases the risks of many diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases etc.
Besides, obese children may also experience psychological issues like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, shyness and inability to connect with the world around.
How to prevent obesity in children?
Being one of the most serious health challenges in the children of the 21st century, it is of vital importance to prevent the disease and treat it the right way to avoid major health complications in future.
Although treating obesity in kids is difficult, there are some simple yet proven strategies to prevent childhood obesity:
Increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Reduce screen time especially during mealtime. Watching TV while eating may cause overeating. Also, this is the time when TV commercials for fast food are broadcasted.
Avoid giving kids sugar and related food items like sweetened drinks.
Encourage physical activity. It is important to facilitate physical activity in small children and 60 minutes of daily vigorous physical activity in older children.
Prevention of childhood obesity is vital because it is near impossible to get children to lose weight and maintain it. A healthy diet and an active lifestyle should start from the pre-conception time itself and be continued through all stages of childhood.
Most overweight (or even underweight people for that matter) have tried various pills, diets, machines, and exercise measures to get that perfect body — but mostly, without success. Staying fit and maintaining a healthy body weight without the proper support, guidance, coaching is an uphill battle that most of the people DO NOT win.
People tend to plan their own weight loss or weight gain journey by joining gyms and self-planned diets. These plans are fine and one can achieve the desired body, but it is usually only short term. Besides, many people do not get a long term sustainable solution and the weight usually returns, and this time with health issues. So, it is always advisable to follow scientifically proven methods for more sustainable fitness.
And this is where a weight loss coach comes to help. These coaches educate you on the best healthy and wholesome foods that will help you to manage the right weight and healthy lifestyle in the long run.
We at 8 Fitness Tips have trained, experienced and certified coaches who work with the clients to develop an individualized eating and exercise plan that works as per the client’s requirement.
Our fitness and wellness coach works to understand and work on the weight management need, encourage you to stay active and dedicated on your journey towards weight management, help you plan your diet and lifestyle for better health and fitness and motivate you to opt for healthy eating options.
Benefits of partnering with 8 Fitness Tips Fitness and Wellness Coach
Achieve long-lasting result
Besides providing you with the kick start towards your weight management journey, our wellness coach helps you develop a healthy lifestyle. We have the tools and support which you will need to make healthy choices and retain a healthy and optimum weight.
Offer you more than fitness
When you have the support and guidance of a weight management coach, you experience improvements in your overall health including your physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive well-being. Our coaches not only help you in your weight management and healthy diet plan, but they also help you in improving in other areas of your life and that’s the reason we call them ‘Wellness Coach’
Helps you set achievable goals
The right guidance leads to the right path and that is what helps you achieve your goal of a healthy and fit life. 8 Fitness Tips’ Weight Management Program follows a client-centred approach in designing around you as a unique individual.
Weight management coaches or nutrition experts help you to perceive the journey in an easy way. They make you understand the process of losing or gaining weight. Once you achieve your desired weight, you can then continue on your journey all by yourself. And this time you are better equipped to carry on with it.
Besides, coaching has been proven to be more effective and efficient in achieving more motivation, more satisfaction, and a better sense of wellbeing.
Article at a Glance:
Setting a transformation challenge is a great way to overcome your inactive lifestyle or breathe new life into your fitness regime.
They motivate you to set commitment for yourself by giving a definitive purpose. They help you focus your efforts on your achievable goal.
Body Transformation Challenge is a fantastic way to develop healthy habits which is the most basic requirement for building a stronger and healthier body.
What is Body Transformation Challenge?
Body Transformation Challenge is a commitment you do to yourself to achieve a certain fitness or health goal by tweaking your lifestyle over a set period. You need to set small-term and long-term goals and keep measuring your progress to ensure you are on the right track throughout your journey.
Let’s take an example:
Your goal is to lose excess weight and become fitter.
This is how your Body Transformation Challenge will look like:
I intend to shed 5 kg of my body fat over the next 30 days to achieve the target weight of 50 kg.
For this, I will take in 1200 calories per day and do 3 interval training workouts per week.
To measure my progress, I will record my body fat percentage and body weight every three days.
Tips for Transformation Challenge
When setting up your challenge, there are some key things that you need to consider.
Keep it Achievable
A too difficult challenge can leave you frustrated and you may feel like giving up. Similarly, too easy will not be a real challenge at all.
Here is what 8 Fitness Tips’ experts recommend to help you set realistic goals for weight loss and muscle building challenge.
- Weight loss goal of 0.5 – 1 kg of fat per week
- Muscle building goal of 0.5 lbs muscle per week
Make it Measurable
Transformation Challenges remove uncertainty and keep you focused. Therefore these challenges are so effective. Avoid unclear challenges and keep tracking your progress to stay motivated.
Here are some metrics suggested that you can keep a record of:
- Body Weight
- Body Fat Percentage
- Lean Body Mass
- Body Measurements such as chest, waist, thigh etc.
These metrics are easily measurable and excellent progress indicators. For better motivation, you can combine these metrics with progress pictures for comprehensive and insightful records.
Give Yourself Some Time
The “time” factor is determined by the challenge that you give to yourself. Aim for a longer duration to measure effective progress and shorter duration to stay motivated without getting bored.
As per our expert recommendation, 30 days is a good length of time to see results for most challenges.
Make a planner
Plan your activities on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and don’t leave anything to chance. Create a fitness planner that marks your workouts and records other milestones. Set reminders to record these milestones so that you don’t miss your track.
Review your progress
Set-up regular review points where you look at progress and reflect on any changes in your body. We recommend you to review every 5 days for a better reflection of your progress. This will ensure that you don’t find any surprises at the end of your challenge.
This also helps in finding out what is working for you and what’s not! And you can tweak your plan and steer your activity during the challenge.
Stay Social with your Challenge
Your Body Transformation Challenge should not be your solo mission.
8 Fitness Tips’ Body Transformation experts can help you with setting up your goal, track your progress and win your challenge!
If you are convinced that body transformation challenges are powerful drivers for change. We will make it easy to set up, help to keep you focused and accountable and achieve it stipulated time.
Why not try one over the next 30 days and let help you to get on!