Tips & Advice

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

There are many ways to lose a lot of weight fast. However, most of them will make
you hungry and unsatisfied. If you don’t have iron willpower, then hunger will cause
you to give up on these plans quickly.

The plan outlined here will:
• Reduce your appetite significantly.
• Make you lose weight quickly, without hunger.
• Improve your metabolic health at the same time.

1) Drink Water, Especially Before Meals

It is often claimed that drinking water can help with weight loss, and this is true.
Drinking water can boost metabolism by 24-30% over a period of 1-1.5 hours, helping you burn off a few more calories.
One study showed that drinking a half liter of water about a half an hour before meals helped dieters eat fewer calories and lose 44% more weight.

2) Drink Coffee (Preferably Black)

Coffee has been unfairly demonized. Quality coffee is loaded with antioxidants, and can have numerous health benefits.
Studies show that the caffeine in coffee can boost metabolism by 3-11%, and increase fat burning by up to 10-29%.
Just make sure NOT to add a bunch of sugar or other high-calorie ingredients to it. That will completely negate any benefit you get from the coffee.

3) Drink Green Tea

Like coffee, green tea also has many benefits, one of them being weight loss.
Green tea contains small amounts of caffeine, but it is also loaded with powerful antioxidants called catechins, which are also believed to work synergistically with the caffeine to enhance fat burning.
Although the evidence is mixed, there are many studies showing that green tea (either as a beverage or a green tea extract supplement) can help you lose weight.

4) Cook With Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is very healthy. It is high in special fats called medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently than other fats.
These fats have been shown to boost metabolism by 120 calories per day, and also reduce your appetite so that you eat up to 256 fewer calories per day.
Keep in mind that this is not about adding coconut oil on top of what you’re already eating, it is about replacing some of your current cooking fats with coconut oil. .

5) Take a Glucomannan Supplement

A fiber called glucomannan has been shown to cause weight loss in several studies.
This is a type of fiber that absorbs water and “sits” in your gut for a while, making you feel more full and helping you eat fewer calories.
Studies have shown that people who supplement with glucomannan lose a bit more weight than those who don’t .

6) Cut Back on Sugars and Starches

• The most important part is to cut back on sugars and starches (carbs).
• These are the foods that stimulate secretion of insulin the most. If you didn’t know already, insulin is the main fat storage hormone in the body.
• When insulin goes down, fat has an easier time getting out of the fat stores and the body starts burning fats instead of carbs.
• Another benefit of lowering insulin is that your kidneys shed excess sodium and water out of your body, which reduces bloat and unnecessary water weight.
• It is not uncommon to lose up to 10 pounds (sometimes more) in the first week of eating this way, both body fat and water weight.
• This is a graph from a study comparing low-carb and low-fat diets in overweight/obese women
• The low-carb group is eating until fullness, while the low-fat group is calorie restricted and hungry.
• Cut the carbs, lower your insulin and you will start to eat less calories automatically and without hunger.

SKIN CARE - TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN

Good skin care — including sun protection and gentle cleansing —
can keep your skin healthy and glowing for years to come.

Don't have time for intensive skin care?
You can still pamper yourself by acing the basics.Good skin care
and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural aging
process and prevent various skin problems. Get started
with these five no-nonsense tips.

1) Protect yourself from the sun -

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

2) Use Sunscreen -

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring

3) Seek shade -

Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.

4) Wear protective clothing -

Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

5) Sleep and water -

Sleep and water are the two special ingredients for radiant looking skin; they lead to detoxification and bar you from red and puffy eyes.

6) Don't smoke -

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastic — the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.

7) Too much makeup spoils the natural beauty -

It also results in flaking, wrinkles, and smudging. Apply minimal makeup just to accentuate the look and avoid going over the top.

8) Treat your skin gently -

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle:

• LIMIT BATH TIME - Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.

• AVOID STRONG SOAPS - Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.

• SHAVE CAREFULLY - To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.

• PAT DRY - After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.

• MOISTURIZE DRY SKIN - If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.

9) Eat a healthy diet -

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin.

10) Manage stress-

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.