Losing weight and staying fit is top priority for most people and today, there are several workout and diet options available that will help you get to that goal. You can either hit a gym or dance class or even invest in a personal gym at home to burn the calories. At the same time, though, it is important to stick to a personalized diet plan that best suits your requirement.

Before embarking on an exercise or diet routine, it is essential to figure out what you want for your body. Are you looking at losing weight or building muscle mass? Because each of these requires a different strategy.

HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE

If you are already at an ideal weight and want to build muscle, focus on strength training exercise, weights, stretches and some yoga as well at least three to four times in a week.

To build muscle mass quickly, the workout should be supplemented with a good diet. The diet must include at least three meals with a perfectly balanced mix of carbohydrates and proteins. You may consume extra protein in the form of skimmed milk or egg white. Also remember that daal should be an integral part of lunch and dinner. (more…)

Milk is one of the simplest forms of protein that can be consumed every day. About 100 ml of cow’s milk contains approximately 3 grams protein, 4 grams fat and 4.5 grams lactose or milk sugar. Today most people, young and old, are health conscious and follow an enthusiastic exercise regimen. Even young children are engaged in extra sports or coaching classes for some game or sport. This means more work out of the muscles, more wear and tear and muscle rebuilding. But in following such a lifestyle, the question is if this individual is consuming an adequate amount of protein to rebuild and repair these muscles.

Tissue and muscle building, maintenance and repair is a constant process, requiring frequent and adequate supply of protein. Inadequate consumption of protein leaves people feeling exhausted and their bodies unable to build and maintain muscle. Milk, however is one of the best sources for this protein and can be consumed every day. In fact, drinking a glass of milk or 2 to 3 cups of milk-based tea or coffee is a habit for most people. And if milk is not ingested directly, there are others who make up for it by consuming curd.

While these are a good source for protein, it is ideal to remove the cream or skim the milk as the fat in milk is of animal origin and can add too much fat and cholesterol to your body. (more…)

We all look forward to a bit of indulgence at parties and get-togethers, but after that,  most of us want to shift the kilos we piled on. So we head for the health food aisles in the supermarket and load up our trolleys with foods we think are lighter, leaner and diet-friendly. But are we just wasting our cash? Yes, according to nutrition scientist Professor Michael Lean, of the University of Glasgow, who has called for tighter food regulations to stop gullible shoppers wasting lot of money on ‘quack’ health foods that are useless.

Don’t Believe Hype

Although direct food claims such as ‘low-fat’ or ‘high-fibre’ must be proven, there are no controls on the use of vague terms such as ‘light’ or ‘lean’ or over using pictures of skinny-looking models on packets. Unfortunately, many of us are so desperate to be trim that we happily buy into a product’s weight-loss myth. Research by the Consumers’ Association found that nearly half of all shoppers say they’re prepared to pay extra for diet or healthy foods — so it’s no wonder some unscrupulous manufacturers are cashing in. (more…)