Category: obesity

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caffeine obesity weight loss

What is Brown Fat-And How to Increase It

Its quite exciting to note there are different kinds of body fat-white, yellow, brown, beige, and belly fat. Ok, belly fat is not color, but excess belly fat can be a severe health concern. 

Well, there is one kind of fat that burns calories, fights obesity, and even reduces the risk of diabetes. Guess who?

 It’s the brown fat that’s usually found more in people with lower body mass index. This specialized fat is located in weird parts in your body and is probably hard to find, and the funny part is even mild stress activates brown fat.

So what is brown fat

It’s a special type of fat that gets activated when you feel cold. It warms up your body by producing heat and helps maintain your body temperature in cold climates. 

Brown fat cells contain more mitochondria than white fat. These mitochondria burn calories to produce heat. Brown fat is also known as brown adipose tissue. 

White fat vs. brown fat

White fat- the one you primarily have known your whole life stores energy in large fat droplets and accumulates it around your body. The fat accumulation provides insulation for your organs and keeps your body warm as well.

But too much white fat in humans leads to obesity. Likewise, plenty of white fat around the midsection can lead to diabetes, heart problems, and other diseases. 

Alternatively, brown fat stores energy in smaller space than white fat-Packed with iron-rich mitochondria brown fat burns to produce heat without shivering. This process is termed as thermogenesis. During thermogenesis, it also burns calories. 

Previously scientists believed only babies had brown adipose tissue that helped them to regulate body temperature. Also, they thought it disappeared once people became adults. 

But now science reveals that even adults have reserves of brown fat-especially in small deposits around the neck, collarbone, kidneys, and spinal cord.

Brown fat is good

A research study found that brown adipose tissue can help your body to filter and remove (BCAAs) branched-chain aminoacids-leucine, isoleucine, and valine. You see these BCAAs in foods like milk, meat, eggs, chicken, and eggs, as well as in supplements that help build muscle mass. 

In average concentration, these BCAAs promote good health, but in excess amounts, they are linked to obesity and diabetes. Researchers found people with little brown adipose tissue have problems in clearing these BCAAs from their systems that may cause diabetes or obesity.

How to increase brown adipose tissue

As brown adipose tissue has so many benefits, it’s natural that you want to know how to increase it. Here’s a lowdown of some easy ways to increase brown fat. 

Avoid starving or stuffing yourself

Our hunger regulating hormones in the brain notify us when we had enough. It seems that these neurons have another duty as well. Researchers from the Yale school of medicine found that the neurons encourage fat to turn brown. 

The study points out that eating few calories prevents fat from becoming brown. While a sufficient amount of food to satisfy hunger prompts the action of neurons to convert white fat to brown. 

Other research studies also show that overconsumption increases white fat and even interferes with the brown adipose tissue’s ability to burn calories. Researchers also found that a hearty carbohydrate-rich meal activated brown adipose tissue and was as effective as the cold stimuli.

Eat an apple

Whether or not an apple keeps the doctor away, it keeps the fat away. University of Iowa researchers found that the ursolic acid present in apple peels and also gives apples their sheen boosted brown adipose tissue in mice, even when they were fed a high-fat diet. 

Exercise

Moving your body may seem a no brainer when it comes to burning fat. A research study published in the journal Disease Models and Mechanisms found that exercise triggers an enzyme called irisin that induces white fat cells to turn to brown fat cells. So what’s so special about this enzyme?

Researchers from Harvard and other Universities talk about irisin in a study published in Nature. According to their research, this previously unknown enzyme is produced in working muscles in mice. 

From there, it enters the bloodstream and migrates to other tissues, especially to fat- from where it starts a series of biochemical processes that cause some of the white fat cells to turn brown.

Turn down the thermometer

Scientists have found that short term exposure with cold exposure activates brown fat energy metabolism and may burn up to 15 percent more calories.

Brown adipose tissue burns calories through fatty acid oxidation. Scientific literature says that moderate cold exposure is the biggest activator of brown adipose tissue. Researchers found that people with active brown adipose tissue burnt 20 more kilocalories than those without it. 

Also, they found that individuals with active brown fat burned significant fat with intense cold exposure and had a healthier fatty acid blood profile. 

Another research found in the Journal of Clinical Investigation dealt with 12 young men with low than average amounts of active brown adipose tissue. They were made to sit in 63 degrees Fahrenheit room for two hours a day for six weeks. The researchers found that the participants burnt an extra 108 calories in the cold temperatures than in the average indoor temperatures. 

After six weeks, their bodies were burning a whopping extra 289 calories in the cold. This action prompted the researchers to hypothesize exposure to lower temperatures increased the activity of a gene that converts white fat into brown. 

Increase your body’s melatonin production

Research says that melatonin increases the presence of beige fat similar to that of brown adipose tissue in its fat-burning actions. While you might want to take supplement health experts, advise you to go the natural route.

Limiting nighttime exposure to light from TVs, computers, and other light exposure, getting adequate sunlight. Exposure during the day, and including melatonin rich foods in your diet, including tomatoes, almonds tart cherries, coriander, and cardamom.

Drink a cup of coffee

A research study says that drinking coffee may stimulate brown adipose tissue and help you burn calories. Increasing its activity improves blood lipid levels and blood sugar control. It prevents obesity and diabetes, as well.

Also, the extra calories burnt help with weight loss. This research is a unique study as its the first of its kind -with something as simple as a coffee can have a direct effect on brown fat functions. Using the thermal imaging technique, scientists found that brown adipose tissue in the neck region got hotter after the research participant had a drink of coffee.

In conclusion

Never let your brown adipose tissue sit idle, keep it active most of the time to stay healthy and fit. 

Categories
fitness Health and wellness health benefits obesity

Electric Sit Stand Desk: 6 Phenomenal Health Benefits

One of the most significant threats of our modern lifestyle is being desk-bound. The medical fraternity terms this as the sitting disease. A sedentary lifestyle actively promotes a higher risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and early death. Accessorizing office space with the electric sit stand desk favors human biomechanics and significantly boosts employee performance and wellness.

What is electric sit stand desk

It’s a height-adjustable free standing desk that shifts its position up or down with the help of two electric motors. A simple control panel mounted under the desk surface helps to control its movement. These ergonomic moving desks help you find your ideal height with ease and have superb features to make your workday a breeze.

The electrical adjustment helps to raise and lower these desks much smoothly than manual options. Likewise, its anti-collision feature senses other objects and stops moving — a great addition to people with kids or pets that might come into their workspace.

 

The preset memory options allow you to program a preset button to your configured height-so the desk adjusts automatically to the set position. Likewise, the other unique features include the dual motor and the crossbar. 

A crossbar provides optimal balance preventing wobbling and shaking. Dual motors offer better stability, more weight-bearing capacity, and low noise levels while working, allowing you to enjoy your work experience.

Health benefits of height adjustable standing desk

Tweaking your sedentary lifestyle a little can bring life-changing benefits. Working in an environment that supports your biomechanics significantly enhances your wellbeing. Ergonomically produced standing desks boost your creativity, protect your posture, and keeps you healthy and productive. 

Boost productivity

Sedentary behavior kills productivity. Mind-body connection plays a crucial part in optimizing performance. The American Medical Association recommends that companies must offer sitting alternatives such as sit-stand work stations. Using such modern workspaces encourages movement while improving office culture and health. Such modern amenities help companies to attract and retain top talent – all the while enhancing productivity.

Lengthens your life

Standing more often can lengthen your lifespan. Research studies show a definitive link between increased sitting time and early death. A research study found that lowering your sitting time raises life expectancy by two years. 

The electric sit stand desk gives the employees the ability to sit and stand throughout the day with severe positive health implications. Prolonged sitting increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and early death; a sit-stand workstation encourages movement and increases lifespan.

Reduce back pain

Chronic back pain leads to severe emotional issues. Anger, depression, mood swings, and anxiety are some psychological aftereffects of acute pain. Because of hectic schedules, office workers usually complain of back pain. Experts have carried various research studies to find out whether standing desks could improve this condition. 

A study published by the CDC says that using sit-stand desks reduced upper neck and back pain by 54 percent in just four weeks. Removal of sit, stand desks reversed these positive health effects within two weeks.

Lowers risk of weight gain

Taking in more calories while burning fewer results in weight gain. Conversely, taking in fewer calories and burning more results in weight loss. Standing for three additional hours each day for a year helps you to burn up to eight pounds of fat and 30,000 extra calories. This vast sum is equivalent to running ten marathons. Choosing to stand instead of sitting can prevent weight gain.

A University of Iowa research study states employees using sit-stand desks stood 1 hour more per day than their sitting desk counterparts. Also, they burned 87 calories more per day than people who use sitting desks. 

Improves mood and energy levels

The adjustable height desk has a positive effect on your health and wellness. Moving your body breaks down the negative vibes of sedentary behavior and increases blood circulation. So the blood gushes through your system, bringing fresh oxygen, increasing energy levels, and releasing mood-enhancing chemicals. Reducing sedentary behavior and increasing movement promotes enthusiasm, motivation, and morale among employees.

Enhances brain power

Even a few minutes of sitting negatively impacts blood flow. It slows down circulation and increases the risk of blood clots. Conversely, standing increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain and facilitates the creation of new brain cells, enhancing brainpower. Sit-stand workstations break the monotony of seated work and boost concentration and promote greater on-task engagement.

Employee wellness a bonus

While it’s a well-documented fact that getting moderate amounts of physical activity promotes personal wellness, little thought is being given to encourage movement in most working environments. So employees have no choice but to sit at their desk all day. 

The efficient way to address this problem is to introduce sit-stand workstations. These height-adjustable standing desks are must-have modern office furniture. They optimize productivity, increase concentration, boost team spirit, and above all, produce ample health benefits.

Investing in height adjustable standing desks would be the best investment you’ll be making to encourage employee wellness because of which your company grows by leaps and bounds.

Categories
obesity women's health

Popular Dance Workouts You Should Try

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Do you hate working out after a hectic day at work? Exercise can be fun if you include music into your workout routines. According to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, a group of women wore heart rate monitors during a Zumba class. During the half an hour section they burned about 369 calories, and their heart rate was 154 beats per minute.
So what are you waiting for? Here are some stunning dance workouts for you to try.

Bollywood Dance Workout
Why not include the fast-paced Bollywood songs to pep up your energy levels? Janani Chalaka Master Trainer for Bombay Jam gives you this excellent 10 minute Bollywood music dance workout.
You’ll experience the best of hip-hop and some bhangra moves in this workout. Once you get the steps apply them to the music, feel the beat and start dancing.
HIIT Dance Workout
High-intensity exercises increase your metabolism and aids in weight loss. Follow this high intensity, fast paced dance video by Danny Hayhurst. This workout is a Latin music number which gives energy and fun to people.
You’ll twist and turn your hips to salsa moves and merengue with a healthy dose of Zumba fitness tossed in. You’ll have full body workout within 15 minutes.
Arabic Belly Dance Workout
Want to lose weight and be fit and healthy the Arab way? Why not try the Arabic belly dancing workout by Nina and Veena, the awesome twins. They say belly dancing is an excellent way to build endurance.
This workout uses a variety of rhythms and tempos to raise your heart rate to the optimal level for burning fat. Your whole body will benefit from this great cardio conditioning.
Best of all you’ll enjoy the effort. So watch the video and start your workout.
Dance Party Workout

Ryan Heffington at ‘The Sweat Spot’ teaches you this excellent 30-minute dance party workout. This workout is a kind of moving meditation, where while you’re making the moves, you’ll let go of all the negative thoughts plaguing your mind.
In this workout, you’ll perform a bunch of combinations scattered along with freestyle shakeouts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HyO6cKn6Ys
Natural Zumba Music Dance Workout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRkNfdlm5Qs
Zumba brings about effective weight loss. This incredibly fun workout incorporates a lot of routines that will significantly improve your cardiovascular system.
An average person can burn 600 to 1000 calories per Zumba class. Zumba helps you to tone your entire body because you’re supposed to move your body according to the rhythm of the music. Your muscles will perform some specific moves like squats and twists thus allowing you to tone your entire body.
Hip Hop Cardio Dance Workout

Work your body and boost your metabolism with this stunning hip hop dance moves by Keaira Lashae. This dance workout is all about intense intervals designed to help burn fat while sculpting long, lean muscles. You’ll do a set of 5 moves with four rounds per move, with 20 seconds on and 20 seconds off.
Conclusion
Music can increase your performance, for instance, American swimmer Michael Phelps who won 7 gold medals reportedly listened to hip hop music before his races to get focused.
To achieve your maximum potential do a dance workout and start your day on a high note.
Categories
caffeine cancer obesity women's health

Why Should You Drink Rooibos Tea

Are you an avid tea drinker? Then let me introduce you to the rooibos tea which is healthy and will perfectly satisfy your taste buds. Rooibos tea has a fascinating tradition behind it.

This tea grows in a small mountainous area in the region of Western Cape in South Africa. Traditionally the local people would climb the mountains and cut the fine needle-like leaves from the wild plants. Then they tie them together and bring them down the steep slopes using donkeys. The leaves are then left to dry in the sun.
The story goes like this; Rooibos seeds were minuscule, and it was hard to collect or cultivate it. An aged native Khoi woman chanced upon ants dragging the seeds. She followed them back to their nest broke it open and found a granary.
A botanist named Dr. Nortier who was a great fan of this rooibos tea placed a layer of seeds between the two millstones and ground away some of the seed pod walls. After that, the seeds were easily propagated, and the local farmers benefitted from this.

Health benefits of rooibos tea

Rooibos can be said as a superfood because it offers many health-boosting phytonutrients. It consists of the following minerals
Fluoride: Enhances your dental health.
Magnesium: Builds bones and releases energy.
Iron: Supports oxygen transport through the blood.
Zinc: Useful in wound healing, skin, and nail health, and boosts the immune system.
Sodium: Useful for regulating muscles and nerves.
Potassium: Controls blood pressure and protect against cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidants

Researchers from the Juntendo University School of Medicine in Tokyo, tested the antioxidant properties of Rooibos tea, by conducting animal experiments. The rats were divided into two groups; the researchers fed one group with rooibos tea and the other plain water.
After four weeks, a blood test on the animals that drank rooibos tea showed increased levels of superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that helps break down potentially harmful oxygen molecules in cells. This enzyme was lower in the rats that drank water.
Rooibos tea contains polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and anti- viral properties. The red bush tea contains aspalathin and nothofagin, two vital antioxidants that boost your immune system and protects your body from all the scary diseases.

Cardio-protective properties

Rooibos tea contains quercetin another powerful antioxidant that prevents a wide variety of heart conditions. Quercetin reduces blood pressure and promotes an increase in HDL cholesterol. It prevents LDL cholesterol from binding to the walls of arteries and blood vessels. This action prevents you from atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.

Help to avoid cancer

Again the plant pigment Quercetin comes into play. Doctors give it in a supplement form to treat cancer patients because it suppresses malignant tumor growth by stopping the processes involved in cell mutation. Rooibos tea boosts the immune system to produce antibodies necessary to protect and heal from cancer.

Gives you youthful skin

Rooibos tea contains alpha hydroxy acid and zinc which enhances skin health. As we already saw, the antioxidants present in this tea promote anti-aging properties. Alpha hydroxy acid is found in many chemical peels and is used for revitalizing the skin. There are controversies regarding the commercial use of alpha hydroxy acid. It is always wise to get it from natural sources.
The red bush tea promotes other health benefits
• It treats and may help prevent diabetes.
• Helps in digestion
• Helps you lose weight and
• Treats allergies

A word of caution

Some health professionals say that rooibos tea can negatively affect patients with kidney disease, liver disease, and certain hormonal cancers. They say it can involve with chemotherapy treatments. It also affects male reproductive health when taken for extended periods of time. So it would be wise to consult your family physician before introducing rooibos tea to your routine.
Categories
health benefits obesity safety measures

Tap Your Toes While Sitting for Better Health

Do you unknowingly tap your toes while sitting for long periods?

Well, you would have known that sitting for extended periods of time is detrimental to your health. But, you can’t help it, if you’re traveling or your job requires such action.

Take heart! A new study by the researchers of The University of Missouri says that, fidgeting while sitting can protect the arteries in legs and potentially help prevent arterial diseases.
The impact of sitting on vascular health is a rising concern. If you sit for six straight hours, your vascular function will be impaired. Think  about the amount of impact if you continue to sit on a daily basis.
Prolonged sitting can cause obesity and metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes high blood sugar, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels and excess body fat around the waist. The risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer also increases with too much sitting.
When people sit, relaxed muscles do not contract efficiently to supply blood to the heart. Blood can pool in the legs and can affect the ability of blood vessels to expand from increased blood flow.
Dr. James Levine author of the book Get Up! Why Your Chair Is Killing You and What You Can Do About It writes in his book, “at the molecular level your body was designed to be active and on the move all day long. When you stop moving for extended periods of time, it’s like telling your body to shut down and prepare for death.”
Too much sitting can take years off your life. A study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine says that each hour spent watching television after the age of 25 reduces your life expectancy by nearly 22 minutes. That’s it for the scary details.

Now let us see what you can do about it to minimize the damage?

The scientists wanted to see whether a small amount of leg fidgeting could prevent a decline in leg vascular function caused by prolonged sitting. The researchers expected that fidgeting could increase blood flow to the lower limbs.
But they were surprised to find that fidgeting was sufficient to prevent arterial dysfunction. The participants sat for three long hours. They fidgeted one leg while the other leg was not moved. They tapped one foot for a minute and rested for 4 minutes.
The researchers measured the blood flow to the artery in the lower leg. They found the fidgeting leg had increased blood flow while the other leg has reduced blood flow.  The scientists are quick to warn that fidgeting is not a substitute for walking and exercise.
However, when you are stuck in places where you can’t move and have to sit for long, then tap your feet for proper arterial function.
You can even take little 5 minutes’ walks to reverse the adverse effect of prolonged sitting.  Studies say that the role of the main artery in the legs gets impaired by 50% after one hour of continued sitting. But if you take small brisk walks the arterial function stays the same and will not be affected.

Take home message

To stay on the safe boat, if you have to sit for extended periods of time tap your legs and take short brisk walks to remain healthy and active.
Categories
family Food obesity stress

How to Combat The Symptoms of Sugar Withdrawl

Source:www.positivehealthwellness.com

How To Combat The Symptoms Of Sugar Withdrawal

Take care,
Swarnam
Categories
family obesity stress women's health

Cure For Type 2 Diabetes – Lose 1 gram of Pancreatic Fat

Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong condition. But a new study offers hope to those suffering from this disease. If you want to know more then read this post.

The pancreas makes a hormone called insulin, which help turn glucose into energy.

People with type 2 diabetes produce insulin but it is not utilized the way it should be and this condition is called insulin resistance.

Lose 1 gram of fat

Researchers from the New Castle University, UK have found that Type 2 diabetes can be reversed by losing just 1 gram of fat through weight loss. Amazing is it not?

This is specific to this condition says the researchers. If you suffer from Type 2 diabetes you should lose weight. So the excess fat from your pancreas is drained off. They begin to function normally. 

This can be done by calorie restriction achieved by diet or through an operation.

The interesting point to note here according to the researchers is that, regardless of your present body weight and how much you lose weight. The critical factor in reversing the Type 2 diabetes is losing 1 gram of fat in the pancreas.

How to lose pancreatic fat

According to Michael Cutler, founder of Easy Health Options relishing a nutritious diet and reducing stress can greatly help the function of the pancreas. He advises some great supplements to aid with digestion and assimilation. So give it a try. Click here for more details.

Take care
Swarnam 

Take care,
Swarnam