Australian scientists say “brown fat” may help fight obesity

Posted by: Doctor Medical  :  Category: Health, Health News

SYDNEY (Xinhua) — Australian scientists believe ” brown fat,” a wondrous tissue that burns energy to generate heat, could help people fight obesity, local media reported on Monday.
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3 Best Cardio and Resistance Training Programs for a More Effective Weight Loss

Posted by: Doctor Medical  :  Category: Health, Health News

It has been recommended and proven by many weight loss advisers and individuals that a combination of cardio and resistance training will help you lose weight faster and more effectively. You can either do resistance training on certain days of the week and cardio exercises during rest days; do cardio training in an earlier session and resistance training in a later session on the same training day; or do both cardio and resistance exercises in one workout session.

The fast burning of calories brought about by cardio exercises combined with increased and continuous metabolism caused by resistance training would surely make your weight loss program faster and more effective. The best way to integrate these two exercises would be to find the best program that fits your time, your resources, and your endurance. Here are three different programs you can consider:

Do resistance training on certain days of the week and cardio exercises during rest days

Especially if you are just a beginner, always be reminded that when you do resistance training, you must give time for your body to recover. Three to four times a week would make a great resistance training program for you to lose weight and build up muscles. What is important is that you do it on a regular basis and you follow a strict program on progression of frequency and resistance applied. To integrate cardio exercises on your resistance training program to lose weight better, you can perform cardio exercises on your rest days to allow yourself to build up the lost energy and worn out muscles from resistance training.

For example, if you wish to follow four-days-a-week resistance training program, you can group certain muscle exercises on one day, making the second, fourth, and sixth days of the week your rest days, thus your time to do cardio exercises. Consider the following program as an example:

  • Day 1 – legs and calves resistance training, such as leg presses and calf raises
  • Day 2 – slow-intensity cardio exercise, such as biking at slow pace and strolling
  • Day 3 – back, abdomen, and chest resistance training, such dumbbell row, exercise ball crunch, and push ups
  • Day 4 – slow intensity cardio exercise that you can progress to medium-intensity after a few weeks or months; example: brisk-walking, 30 to 45-minute medium-paced workout at the gym, and jogging
  • Day 5 – triceps and biceps resistance training, such as dumbbell triceps extension and alternate dumbbell curl
  • Day 6 – slow-intensity cardio exercise
  • Day 7 – shoulder and abdomen, such as dumbbell press and machine abdominal crunch

For your resistance training program, you can also use multi-purpose equipment similar to Total Gym 3000 that addresses multiple muscle exercises. Other equipment you can also use for resistance training are dumbbells, barbells, benches, elastic bands, weighted vests, leg presses, and exercise balls.

Do cardio training in an earlier session and resistance training in a later session on the same training day

Especially if you work out in a crowded gym or with limited training equipment, this combination would be advisable if you have time to exercise in the morning and in the afternoon. This combination of cardio and resistance training involves cardio training in the morning and resistance training in the afternoon. Especially for beginners, it is advisable not to do both exercises simultaneously as all your energy may be exhausted on your first weight loss activity.

Cardio training is better done in the morning, especially when you have not taken a full meal as you are able to burn the calories and fats that have been stored overnight. Never do cardio exercises with an empty stomach, though, as you need energy to endure your training. As long as you have not fasted the previous day, you are sure to still have enough energy to undergo up to an hour of slow to medium-intensity cardio exercises in the morning. It is also particularly recommended to be performed after about thirty minutes of being awake as you need time to get yourself more active. Thirty minutes to one hour of running, biking, or brisk walking would do great to burn enough calories and stored fats and to enhance your metabolism for the day.

As you give your body enough time to rest and recoup some energy, you can perform resistance training in the afternoon. One hour is enough for resistance training to be effective in losing weight and at the same time to keep your muscles for overworking.

Do both cardio and resistance exercises in one workout session

This step begins with the usual ways to begin an exercise, which is to warm up. After warming up, you can start with a medium-intensity cardio exercise limited to 30-45 seconds only. This short period of exercise is important to keep your energy until you finish your workout for the day. After your first cardio exercise, you can move on with a particular resistance training exercise with the exact frequency and resistance applied, and then go back to cardio training. Repeat the sequence until you finish your workout for up to forty five minutes only to keep your body from overworking. Always cool down and do not forget to drink water and other fluids in between exercises to keep you hydrated during your workout.

There are other individuals who endure cardio exercises after long minutes of resistance training to lose weight faster. This method is definitely not the best nor is it recommended, since your body gets tired and weary after resistance training, usually resulting to increased risk of injuries and less effective cardio exercises. Again, the best way to combine cardio and resistance training exercises to effectively lose weight is to consider your time, resources, and endurance.

4 Healthy Ways of Losing Stomach Fat

Posted by: Doctor Medical  :  Category: Health, Health News

Here are a few tips on how to lose stomach fat in a healthy way: drink plenty of water, fruits and veggies; engage in aerobic exercise; do some weight training; have a proper nutrition and diet.

Belly fats can be very annoying. And, to get rid of them fast is one major concern of almost all women who gained weight through time. What to do and how to do it effectively is the big question. Below are some helpful ways that you can follow to achieve your goal:

drink plenty of water, fruits and veggies

Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. Water will eliminate toxins from your body making it very important for your health. Drinking plenty of it can basically aid you in controlling your diet. Drinking vegetable and fruit juice is another healthy way of eliminating fat since they are rich in fiber. Fiber will naturally push calories out of your body.

Engage in aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise includes bicycling, jogging, walking, swimming, dancing and stair climbing. These exercises are great for burning belly fat. Any of these exercises should be done for about 30 minutes or more. Anything less than that would be considered as a exercises contributing to plainly cardiovascular benefits, but not in burning the fats in your abdominal area.

Do some weight training

Weight training need not be a strenuous one for you. Choose a program that fits just right for your body structure and need. This is a very good way to sculpt and tone your muscles. Weight training is able to burn fats fast and easier because of its capability to increase metabolism rate.

Have a proper nutrition and diet

In order to succeed in your fat elimination program, the key here is to integrate exercise and good nutrition and proper diet. You should have less intake of calories to expedite in getting rid of the fat in your belly. Eating in smaller portions of about 4 to 5 times per day is better that overeating in one or maybe two meal times. Choose natural and or organic food too. Take vitamins and supplements for a healthier you. Lastly, have a large amount of fiber and protein in your food intake. Foods rich in monounsaturated fats like beans, nuts and avocado can give you a feeling of being full, thus decreasing you cravings for more food.

Belly fat is caused not only by lack of exercise and increase in food intake. Studies show that stress can play a devastating role in your tummy. But, then again, with enough rest and exercise combined with a proper nutrition like that of Jillian Michaels diet, you know you have better chances of having the flat belly you so desire.

Burgers that Won’t Ruin Your Weight Loss Resolution

Posted by: Doctor Medical  :  Category: Health News, Health Scoops

Guilty pleasure, healthy choiceStarting a diet and workout regimen to lose weight and get healthy is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions and probably the shortest lived. Why? Because most diets focus on elimination and denial, when in reality, getting healthy is about including more of the foods that are good for you.

Mythbuster: Dieters mistakenly believe that they have to eliminate red meat to live a heart healthy lifestyle and lose weight. Resolution-makers rejoice: with less than 9 grams of fat per serving, AHA certified Laura’s Lean Beef makes biting into a juicy burger a gulit-free pleasure that’s actually good for you, according to dieticians and nutritionists.

With Laura’s Lean Beef, an averaged size burger contributes less than 10 percent of calories to a 2,000-calorie diet, yet it supplies more than 10 percent of the recommended Daily Value for protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, phosphorous, niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin.

(Source) Press