A seaweed to bring health, wellness and some weight loss in life

You might have even seen spirulina before in health stores or cafes. They are the deep, blue-green color algae mostly sold in powder form to deliver their evident health benefits. But people who have no idea what to do with this superfood from the sea may have a strong aversion.

Formal Introduction to Spirulina

Wondering where the name Spirulina came from? It is basically derived from the Latin word for "helix" or "spiral" which denotes the physical configuration of the organism when it forms swirling, microscopic strands. Besides, Spirulina is blue - green algae as you now know. It is a simple, one-celled form of algae that thrives on warm, alkaline fresh-water bodies.

Spirulina as a health booster
Spirulina, considered a food item for centuries in many countries, is now popularly thought of as a dietary supplement. This freshwater plant that's grown across the globe, from Africa to Hawaii, has an impressive nutritional profile, being packed with numerous vitamins and nutrients. It's also a great source of plant-based protein and in competition with its algae cousin chlorella. So now let us check out one by one Spirulina health benefits for you to add happily in your diet:

Candida Elimination
Candida is a fungus that aids with nutrient absorption and digestion and appears naturally in the body. It is a chronic condition that can lead to leaky gut, brain fog or weight gain, as well as autoimmune diseases like lupus, Hashimoto's or Crohn's disease. Thankfully, spirulina can help as several studies on animal show that it's effective on candida as it helps to slow the growth of and successfully eliminates harmful bacteria. And spirulina has also been shown to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, which will keep candida in check long-term.

Lower Blood Pressure
Phycocyanin is a pigment found in spirulina that helps lower blood pressure, and while it has yet to be determined exactly how it works, the leading theory is that the algae reverses endothelial dysfunction in metabolic syndrome – that is, there's an imbalance between the relaxation and contraction of the membrane lining the heart and blood vessels, and spirulina helps balance the scales.

Because metabolic syndrome is responsible for raising the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke, spirulina's role in regulating blood pressure – sans medication – is not only impressive, but far reaching.

Reduction in Cholesterol

As per a study, it was found that consuming 4.5 grams of spirulina a day for just six weeks significantly lowered bad cholesterol while increasing the good kind, while lowering blood pressure in the process. At a time when prescription medication is widely used to regulate cholesterol, adding cholesterol-lowering foods as an all-natural antidote is imperative.

Speedy Weight Loss

Eating foods like spirulina may help your body become a lean. Since diets high in nutrient-dense, protein-rich foods like spirulina are known to promote weight loss. It is believed that protein deficiency can lead to low energy, trouble building muscles even after all those gym session, low concentration, unstable blood sugar levels and, of course, trouble maintaining or losing weight. This is because protein is used to develop, grow and maintain pretty much every part of our bodies. The algae can also curb hunger, stopping those food cravings.

Fibrous way to shed your extra ounce without breaking a sweat

 
Does breaking a sweat each morning on the treadmill make you even hungrier? Then on your way back home the sinful donuts become irresistible and after burning about a hundred calories at gym you land up gaining an extra three hundred. If eating is your weakness then it’s time to translate it into your driving force for weight loss.

While weight loss can be achieved with sweating, this type of weight loss is only temporary. Since sweat is made up of water and sodium from electrolytes, you will see a drastic loss of weight but once you rehydrate yourself with water, the weight you lost will return.  Ever wondered your foodie nature could help you lose a few extra pounds? To be more precise, eating Fibrous food can.

Yes, you read it right; increasing fiber in the diet is one of the easiest ways to help curb overeating during meals. Fiber-filled foods can help you lose weight rapidly by helping you feel fuller for quite a long time. This is because high-fiber foods are higher in volume and take longer to digest, which makes them filling. For the vegan’s delight, the dietary fibers we consume are from plant foods and never in animal foods (i.e. meats).

The next step will be to hunt for foods that boost the fiber content of your diet. A word of caution, however fibers can help you in overcoming your cravings, it is advisable to take it slow. Add just a few grams at a time to allow the intestinal tract to adjust else one may have to witness problems like abdominal cramps, gas, bloating, and diarrhea or constipation. Another way to help minimize these effects is by drinking at least 8 cups of fluid daily.

Here are some of the High-fiber heavyweights to knock out your constant snacking.

The most high intake foods are vegetable and fruits: To boost your fiber intake, add more leafy greens, broccoli, sweet or white potatoes with skin, Brussels sprouts, winter squash (like butternut), and parsnips. For fiber-rich intake from fruits, berries, pears, apples, bananas, oranges, and mango are a add to the basket ones.

Select any kind from the Beans family (black beans, lentils, split peas, pinto beans, chickpeas) which is just good for your waistline. Add them to soups, salads, and entrees, or enjoy them as a hearty dish on their own.

Fiber is essential to your health and weight loss plans and eating whole grains is one of the best medium to get the fiber your body needs Try high-fiber cereal, oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat or multigrain bread, and air-popped popcorn.

Glucomannan, the "magic fiber" pumps water in the digestive track , reducing the absorption of carbs and  cholesterol thus supporting weight loss. This is why many people choose it over other common fiber supplements. The high in demand glucomannan products like Slim Fizz Glucomannan tops every dieter’s buying list.

Almonds are classified as a nut but in actuality, they are the seed of the fruit of the almond tree. Both Almonds and almond skins are rich in fiber, twice as much as in walnuts. Where the almonds contain approximately 12% dietary fiber their skin consists of 50 % dietary fiber. 

So now when it’s time to snack, make your food play the magic. Brush off the empty, high-calorie options and go for fiber-rich foods that taste good and make you feel full. 

New healthy catalysts to jump-start your weight loss

 

You cannot simple rely on a magic pill when it comes to successful weight loss. As there is no little wonder that will let you relax and eat whatever you feel like, yet help you lose weight safely.

But yes, when start smart eating combined with proper trained exercise, the nutrients can act as healthy catalysts to jump-start your weight loss efforts. There are ingredients which are simple to take have been proven by research to attack stubborn fat and achieve your weight loss goals.

• Citrus Aurantium

The fruit of Citrus aurantium has been used as a medicinal herb in China for decades which has led some nutritionist to try its medical benefits to help control weight gain. Also known as bitter orange, this substance contains several alkaloids that stimulate the body’s beta-3 receptors to boost metabolism and increase fat burning.

Citrus aurantium has a lot of flavor. You can enjoy the ripe fruit in cooking by using the juice as an excellent marinade for your meat or the zest for baking your gingerbread. The fruit can also be pickled by stuffing it with salt.

Benefits: Increased Metabolic Rate, Lipolysis or Fat break down, Themogenesis, Decreased appetite

• Orlistat

Orlistat is the most active ingredient of any medicine which can help you to lose weight. It works by blocking enzymes in your gut which digest fat. Nearly a third of the fat that you eat is blocked by orlistat. The undigested fat is not absorbed into your body, and is naturally removed from the digestive system.

You can take Orlistat either with your meal or up to 1 hour after eating but limit the use to 3 times per day with each main meal that contains some fat. It is usually only recommended if you have made a significant effort to lose weight through diet, exercise or changing your lifestyle. Orlistat supplements like Alli Orlistat Capsules is only prescribed if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 28 or more and other conditions related to weight.

Benefits: Breaks down body fats, Avoids further weight gain, reduced risk of high blood pressure. 

3 Easy Tips to Avoid Gaining Holiday Weight

Holiday season is no fun without enjoying a bowlful of potato chips while watching football on T.V, or, without going crazy with endless glasses of alcohol in parties. The sweets and chocolate cakes just add further to all that fun. But as holidays come close to the end, the fun food you had all those days, start settling in your stomach sides, arms, thighs and hips as the dreaded fat!

So if you are looking forward to resuming work or college without losing your best curves or cuts, following tips can help you enjoy holidays while maintaining your body shape.

Switch your lattes with green tea

Instead of kick-starting your day with beverages such as lattes topped with fatty, whipped cream; consider making green tea your warm-up drink this winter. The speciality of this form of tea is the abundance of antioxidants it contains. These antioxidants, along with keeping your bodily defences strong against several diseases, also speeds up your metabolism to help burn the extra calories you consume during holidays.

Take help of supplements

There is no dearth of supplements that use power of superfoods to lose weight in you. Some of such superfood supplements that have gained wide popularity for their weight battling abilities are green coffee, raspberry ketone and garcinia cambogia. If you do not wish to invest in theses supplements, oats, avocados and salmon are other superfoods that if added in daily diet, can help maintain your originally fit shape all through the holidays.

Walk, run, skip, swim

These holidays, consider staying active with fun physical activities instead of staying lethargic on the couch all the time. Daily walks or jogs, when coupled with a healthy overall lifestyle and diet, can be of immense help in preventing your body form putting on holiday weight. If doing this on a regular basis seems too much, how about planning regular swim or cycle races with your buddies! Such activities will keep your metabolism running while burning any extra stored fat.

Replace Your Junk Food with These Super Fruits for a Healthy Well-Being

Unlike how it is usually believed, healthy foods can also be tasty. It is just a matter of looking for the right food options and making some minor tweaks and fixes that can produce some brilliant recipes, which in addition to giving the nutrient punch for your good well-being, also satisfy your taste buds. Through this post, we introduce to you some of the well-known fruit options that can meet both, good taste and good health requirements.

Acai Berry

These little purple berries are abundantly rich in antioxidants, which are revered for multiple health stimulating properties. Simply speaking, these berries provide benefits of reversed signs of ageing, improved immunity, improved digestion, and enhanced sense of overall well-being and, their tangy taste can help you gain all these benefits easily. All you have to do make acai a part of your daily breakfast, ice cream, smoothie, or any other regular food option. In fact, thanks to the great many properties of this fruit, it is now also sold as key ingredient in popular health supplements such as Pure Acai pills.

Banana

Bananas are the most convenient yet healthy ways to satisfy those strong hunger pangs. High on potassium value, this fruit lowers your high blood pressure levels and speeds up metabolism to help you manage your healthy weight. Best part? You can use this fruit to add that extra nutritional value to your dessert or milk shake.

Dragon fruit

With a bright and colourful outer skin and a white or reddish soft inside, this magnificent looking fruit is native to Asia. It lowers down bad cholesterol levels, promotes good cholesterol levels, and, keeps you hydrated.

Cranberries

It would not be wrong to label cranberries as little drops of good health. These are known to combat cancer cells and raise good cholesterol levels. For the ladies especially, it is a powerhouse of good health. It helps them by clearing out urinary tract infection and amazingly enough, is also known to enhance the efficacy of medicines for ovarian cancer! For maximum positive effects, drink unsweetened cranberry juice.