Cooking Methods and Weight Loss

The way you cook your food determines how much nutrient it retains and also your weight loss success.

Always choose food which is:

• Raw when possible (Fruits and Vegetables)
• Steamed
• Grilled
• Broiled

Avoid food that is:

• Fried
• Sauteed

Water Therapy for weight loss

Water therapy has been used from ancient times to cleanse our body of all toxic waste and lose the excess weight.

The process of doing this is to consume 4-6 glasses of water the first thing in the morning as soon as you get up bed before doing anything else. Yes, this is done even before brushing your teeth. So make sure to clean your teeth thoroughly before you go to bed the previous night. Make sure to start slow. You might not be able to start with 1.5 litres of water the first day. Drink as much as you can comfortably. Then slowly increase it every day. It is important not to eat or drink anything within an hour doing this water therapy.

This will help cleanse your body, help get rid of the excess weight and also give you a glowing skin and more energy to face the day.

Make sure to consult with your doctor before you start this water treatment.

Keep up your Weight Loss Resolution

Many of you are committed to losing weight this New Year and determined to keep it off.

Here are some of the tips to help you to naturally lose weight and maintain your ideal weight.

• Visualize yourself fit and healthy. Having an image in your mind on what you want to look like and feel like after you reach your ideal weight will provide you the motivation to not only get started on your weight loss journey, but also to keep it up.
• Set Goals. Set a goal weight you want to reach within a certain period of time. Start with your dream weight goal. Then break it down into smaller goals to achieve say each week. This helps you to have the bigger picture in mind,but at the same time have small measurable goals throughout your journey and celebrate small victories.
• Eat what you enjoy. It is very important to come up with a meal plan that you will enjoy so that you not only will lose weight but will continue to maintain your weight loss. Come up with a daily calorie budget that you want to stay within. Make sure you plan each meal to include a healthy lean protein, good fat in moderation, fruits and vegetable and a whole grain carbohydrate. You will be amazed at how good some of the healthy foods taste. Try some new health food each week or month. Add a new vegetable or fruit. There are so many amazing foods in nature that are so delicious and at the same time so good for you. Enjoy them. But make sure you log all the food you eat and stay within your daily allowance.
• Enjoy your exercise. Exercise can easily become a chore for some and your mind keeps working on new ways/reasons on how to avoid it. But if your exercise involves an activity which you enjoy and do it with your loved ones you will look forward to doing it everyday. So make sure you pick something you enjoy, but keep challenging yourself.
• Celebrate Success. The biggest  motivation to keep up your weight loss goal is to reward yourself for every milestone you achieve in your journey. Remember to not reward yourself with food but with something small your enjoy and cherish and which pushes you to stay motivated in your journey.

Lose weight naturally with Kale

Kale is one of nature's wonders which is packed with all the goodness you will need to stay healthy and at the same time lose weight in a natural and healthy way.

Kale is very high in fiber. This helps you to feel full for a longer amount of time.

Kale is rich in beta-carotene, calcium, iron and is also a good source of Vitamin C, folic acid, manganese, potassium and Vitamin B6.

Kale has a low calorie density for all the abundance of nutrients it provides. One cup of cooked kale contains about 36 calories. So this is definitely one of the foods you want to add to your meal plans to stay fit and reach your ideal weight.

Top vegetables for Weight Loss

Vegetables are packed with nutrients and have a low calorie density. Adding more vegetables to your daily diet is the easiest way to lose weight.

Here are some of the Top vegetables for Weight Loss:

• Kale
• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Collard greens
• Peppers
• Mushroom
• Cucumber
• Tomato
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ginger

Top Fruits for Weight Loss

Fruit is one of nature's wonders. So delicious and so nutritious and at the same time can also help you lose weight.

Here are some of the Top fruits for Weight Loss:

• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Lemons
• Lime
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Oranges
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries

Lose Weight with Ginger

Ginger is a very good digestive aid. It boots metabolism, reduces cholesterol levels and aids weight loss.

Ginger is a good source of potassium, magnesium and copper.

Ginger is an aromatic and hot spice with a strong flavor and can be made as a tea, added to stir fries and lots of dishes to give it an Asian flavor.


In herbal medicine ginger is commonly used to soothe the digestive tract and reduce intestinal gas and inflammation.

Quinoa for Weight Loss

Quinoa is an amino acid rich seed which is an excellent diet friendly and hunger fighting protein. It helps to fill you up with very few calories and stay full for a long time. This is considered as a complete protein source as it contains all the nine essential amino acids our body needs.

Quinoa is also a good source of dietary fiber and rich in magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous and promotes cardiovascular health, reduces hypertension and helps maintain blood glucose levels.

Quinoa is gluten free and is considered to be easily digestible and relatively allergy free.

Quinoa is a complete food as it contains carbohydrate, soluble and insoluble fiber, wide array of vitamins and minerals, amino acids, sugar, sodium, fatty acids and more. The carbohydrates in Quinoa release very slowly into your blood steam and provides a steady supply of energy and keeps you full, healthy and satiated.

So start adding Quinoa to your daily diet and start losing weight!

Lose weight with Apples

Apples are a high fiber low calorie food which is excellent for weight loss. They are loaded with anti-oxidant vitamins and minerals. Because of the high fiber it helps fill you up, controls the appetite and hence help with weight loss. Research shows that adding 3 apples a day shows significant results. Adding an apple 15 minutes before each meal helps reduce the calorie intake by around 15% during the meal.

Apples are also low in sodium and helps reduce water retention in our body.

Apples contain pectin which is known to help keep the blood cholesterol levels in check.

The phytonutrients found in apples can also help regulate the blood sugar levels. The polyphenols found in apples helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, reduces glucose absorption and stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin.

So have an apple a day or 3 apples a day and keep the doctor away!

Weight Loss with Pears

Recent studies have soon the link between Pears and maintaining a healthy weight. Pears are loaded with fiber and helps you feel fuller and prevents you from over eating.

Eat Pears as a mid-morning snack to help you from over eating at lunch and have it as an afternoon snack to cut down on your dinner. Feeling fuller makes you eat lesser calories and hence lead to rapid weight loss.

The dietary fiber in one Pear can range from 15-25% of our daily requirement depending the size of the Pear. Pears are also an excellent source of Vitamin C and helps boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

So enjoy Pears everyday and Lose weight fast!

Sleep Well to Lose Weight

There are so many researches showing the link between sleep and weight. Both quantity and the quality of your sleep (how much your sleep and how well you sleep) are found to have an influence on the hormones in our body particularly the hormone which controls out appetite. Not getting adequate sleep leads to this hormonal imbalance and over eating leading to weight gain.

So make sure you get 7-9 hours of quality sleep everyday. This helps restore your body's normal balance, stabilizes the metabolism and eventually leads to weight loss.

Cinnamon and Weight Loss

Cinnamon is a super spice that has been found to promote health especially with its ability to control blood glucose levels. It also has effects on triglyceride and cholesterol levels. It is one of the best natural ways to burn your extra fat.

Taking one half teaspoon of ground Cinnamon daily will greatly aid your weight loss.

Here are some suggestions on how you can add Cinnamon to your diet:

• Add half teaspoon to your morning smoothie
• Sprinkle on top of your Oatmeal with some apples and raisins.
• Sprinkle it on your nuts
• Make a toast with Cinnamon and honey sprinkled on top
• Sprinkle some Cinnamon and nuts on top of your yogurt

Enjoy your Cinnamon and enjoy your natural weight loss!

Weight Loss with Horse Gram

Horse Gram is a lentil (dal) commonly used in Asian cooking especially Indian cooking.It has excellent fat burning properties and helps to shed your pounds rapidly. It is an excellent food to reduce bad cholesterol.

Boil horse gram until tender and add it to your daily diet. Please note that it takes longer to cook than other dals. Soaking for a while and cooking in a pressure cooker helps to cook it faster.

Powder and add it to soups to get all the nutritional benefits and burn fat.

Soak the horse gram dal for 8-10 hours and sprout the seeds to increase the nutritional value.

Herbs that aid weight Loss

• Cinnamon
• Cayenne
• Dandelion Root
• Cardamom
• Fennel Seeds
• Flax Seeds
• Green Tea
• Parsley
• Turmeric
• Red Pepper

Juices for Weight Loss

Fresh fruits and vegetables are key for maintaining a healthy weight. Juice fasting is believed to get rid of the stubborn fat. But keep in mind there is never a fast cure for your weight problem. A healthy and balanced diet and exercise is always key. It is generally recommended to do juice fasting for a day or two once every few months to get rid of all the toxins in the body and lose weight. This also gives all your digestive organs a much need rest as juices are generally easier to digest. Also juicing generally helps your body absorb all the vital nutrients easily.

Here are some of the juices that help with weight loss naturally:

• Lemon juice with honey added to warm water first thing in the morning
• Carrot juice helps maintain blood sugar levels and controls the hunger pranks.
• Parsley juice also helps curb appetite.
• Cabbage juice is excellent of getting rid of excess body fat.
• Asparagus is a natural diuretic and helps you lose the water weight.
• Celery and cucumber juice also acts as diuretics and aid weight loss.
• Juice of lettuce, tomato and celery
• Juice of grapefruit, orange and lemon
• Juice of lemon and pineapple.
• Cranberry Juice.