Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. 1 gram of carbohydrate provides 4kcals of energy.  A healthy balanced diet should include 50% to 60% of the calories consumed coming from carbohydrates. The minimum amount of carbohydrate required to prevent the starvation activation systems of fasting is 100 to 150 grams per day. Glucose is the primary fuel for the nervous system, the blood cells and the renal medulla. Requirements for each individual depend on age, sex, size, and activity level.
During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, the fuel for our bodies. Glucose is burned in all body cells and is the primary source of energy for us to function.  If your body does not have any use for the glucose, it is converted into glycogen and stored it in the liver and muscles as an energy reserve. If people consume more carbohydrates than they need at the time, the body stores some of these carbohydrates within cells as glycogen and converts the rest to fat.
Carbohydrates are classified into two types simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are digested by the body very quickly. Simple carbohydrates include Glucose, sucrose, fructose and lactose these provide the quickest energy supply to the body. Simple carbohydrates are found naturally in fruits milk and other dairy products. They are also often found in refined, processed foods. Foods that contain simple carbohydrates are sugar, corn syrup, white rice, white pasta, candy, cookies, cakes, soft drinks etc.
Complex carbohydrates are high fiber foods. Our body takes longer time to digest them, resulting in gradual steady stream of energy trough out the day. These are usually high in fiber and nutrient rich and provide many health benefits. Good sources of complex carbohydrates include, Starch - bread, cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, dried peas and beans, Fiber - bran, whole-grain foods, raw vegetables, fruit,  nuts, seeds and popcorn.

www.switch2life.com

Home Remedies for Acidity

• If you are suffering from acidity, try to suck on a piece of clove. It will bring immediate relief.
• For people who are prone to acidity, intake of milk or other dairy products will prove to be helpful.
• Regular consumption of fresh mint juice can also help you get rid of acidity.
• Add two teaspoons apple cider vinegar and two teaspoons honey to a glass of water. Drink this concoction after meals, as it reduces the chances of acidity.
• Boil cumin seeds in a glass of water. Let it cool down and supplement your meals with it.
• Banana, cucumber and watermelon have been found to be helpful in treating acidity naturally.
• If you are have acidity problem, avoid taking tea, coffee and other aerated drinks. Instead, go for herbal tea, containing spearmint (pudina) and liquorice (mulethi).
• The simplest of all remedies is to have a glass of warm water every day, early in the morning. Water is believed to neutralize acidity.
• Drink coconut water 3 to 4 times in a day. It will help bring relief from acidity.
• If you are looking for an immediate relief, have a bowl of yoghurt. It is one of the most effective home remedies for acidity.
• If you constantly suffer from acidity, suck on 10 grams jaggery everyday, after meals. It will help you avoid acid formation.
• Have a glass of cabbage juice every day, in order to avoid acid formation and the resultant acidity.
• If you want instant relief from acidity, take a glass of water with a teaspoon of soda in it. 
• Have your last meal at least two to three hours before you hit the sack. 
• Keeping long intervals between meals is another cause for acidity. Have small but regular meals. 
•  Try to avoid pickles, spicy chutneys, vinegar, etc. 
•  Boil some mint leaves in water and have a glass of this after meals. 
•  Excessive smoking and drinking will increase acidity, so cut down. 
•  Try chewing gum. The saliva generated helps move food through the esophagus, easing symptoms of heartburn. 
•  Ginger aids in digestion. Either buy powdered ginger in capsule forms or add the herb to your recipes. 
•  A simple preparation of lemon water with sugar can be sipped on an hour before lunch to reduce uneasiness. 
•  Have vegetables like drumsticks, beans, pumpkin, cabbage, carrot and spring onions.

www.TheAmitabh.com

How to gain weight?

How to Gain Weight?

1. Don't let over 4 hours go by without eating. Our body needs a continuous supply of energy since it's always on. For example our heart is always beating, blood is always circulating, when we make even smallest of movements your bones and muscles are moving).

2. When we don’t eat for long time or skip meals, we deny our body the energy it requires to keep on going.

3. As a result our body receives this energy from what it already accumulated like from our muscles and fat.

4. The best way to prevent our body from losing any important tissue is to consistently eat regular meals and if we are trying to gain new muscle tissues, then meal timing is very critical.

5. Sometimes we feel like if we "eat like crazy", it will help in gaining weight or if we eat one big meal a day and consider that "eating a lot", it won’t work either. A steady stream of healthy meals is the key.

6. Eat several foods at once. For snacks, aim for at least three food groups like a whole grain, fruit and nuts. This provides your body with a broader spectrum of nutrients to work with throughout the day.

7. Boost your calorie intake healthfully. The best way to rack up excess calories without having to eat huge quantities of food and without having to eat junk food is to choose nutrient rich foods that pack a big calorie punch for a small amount.

8. The best options are nuts, seeds and unsweetened dried fruit, whole grains and lean proteins.

9. Drink your calories. Good choices include 100% fruit juice, low fat milk or milk alternatives like soy milk.

10. Eat right before bed. Sleep time is when a lot of our healing, repair and regeneration work takes place. It's like rush hour for building muscle and lean tissue, so eating a healthy snack right before bed ensures a fresh supply of nutrients available to go to work inside the body. Once again, it is a great timing.

Try this for 200 days and don’t give up in between. This will surely going to work for you.

www.switch2life.com

How to find out if you are overweight or not

How to know if you are overweight?

Now a days your personality decides the shape of your career and for personality development you need to be in good shape. And this is true not only for girls but also for boys. You can’t be underweight, nor you can be overweight.

We already aware now, how to know if we are underweight. Similarly it is important to know if you are overweight that can be synonymous to Fat in some cases but not always. Don’t always believe your eyes for that because we know now that girls feel they are fat all the time.

But there is a sure shot way to know if you are overweight or not, that is with the help of “Body Mass Index or BMI”. And to derive the BMI you need to know your height in meters and your weight in kg. Once you know that just put the values in following formula and calculate.

BMI = Weight (kg)/Height (m²)

When you get the answer after calculation, compare the answer with this,

If your answer is,
18.5 to 25 ----- normal

25 to 30 -------- Overweight

30 to 35 --------- Obese class I

35 to 40 --------- Obese Class II

40 to 45 --------- Severally Obese

45 to 50 --------- Morbidly Obese

50 to 60 --------- Super Obese

Above 60 -------- Hyper Obese

BMI is frequently used to assess how much an individual's body weight departs from what is normal or desirable for a person of his or her height.

So just calculate your BMI and find out if you are overweight or not, If you found out that you are overweight and you want to lose weight then consult your doctor asap.

www.switch2life.com