5 healthy soup recipes perfect to beat the cold

 There is life beyond the classic noodle broth and these recipes are proof.

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Can there be a better feeling than holding a bowl of hot soup with cold hands? Not only is it an infallible remedy against bad weather, but it is also a way to eat healthily and introduce seasonal vegetables –among other foods– into our diet. And no, don’t think you need hours to prepare one: there is life beyond stew broth with noodles. That, be careful, it is very tasty, but the variety and speed are also appreciated.

That is why we wanted to take a tour of the profiles of different foodies who succeed on Instagram with their recipes. And we have selected some of the perfect healthy soups to beat the cold. We promise you they are easy to make, so you have no excuse to go back to buying an envelope soup ever again (remember that they are ultra-processed high in salt that does not do your body any favors).

Take note and save these soups to prepare them in your weekly batch cooking, so you will save a lot of time later.

1. Chickpea soup with cinnamon

This curious recipe is from Vanesa, where she shares dishes that look incredible. This soup is a great idea to eat legumes in a different way.

Ingredients:

• 1 pot of cooked chickpeas
• 1 liter of homemade vegetable broth
• 2 or 3 sticks of cinnamon stick
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Himalayan pink salt

preparation:

1. Wash the chickpeas, drain them, and put them in a saucepan. Add the broth and the cinnamon sticks.
2. Cook for 25–30 minutes over medium heat and cover. Then remove the cinnamon sticks.
3. Add a dash of oil and a pinch of salt. Then blend well until you get a cream.
4. Pass it through a Chinese or strainer to make it fine.
5. Tip: if you have consumed a lot of liquid when cooking it, you can add a little water until you get a consistent loose soup texture. Rectify with salt if necessary.

2. Broccoli and pistachio soup

We have not been able to resist this green soup loaded with vitamins and antioxidants either. If you are a fan of broccoli, you have to try @beatrizmoliz’s recipe: it is light, vegan, and perfect for any dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 broccoli
• 500 milliliters of vegetable broth
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 piece of ginger
• 40 grams of pistachios (previously soaked, for about four hours).
• 2 chives
• A splash of EVOO
• A pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper
• Topping: pistachios and mint leaves

preparation:

1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a saucepan and sauté the chives.
2. When the leek begins to become transparent, add the garlic, ginger, and spices and stir for a couple of minutes. When you have it reserve.
3. In a saucepan, heat water and boil the broccoli until it softens.
4. Strain the broccoli and add it to your processor along with the vegetable broth, pistachios, and the rest of the ingredients. Beat until you get a smooth texture.
5. Add your toppings and drink warm.

3. Vegetable curry

This liquid-based curry looks almost like a soup, right? and is made with chard and pumpkin, seasonal vegetables that you can mix to obtain this spectacular plant.

Ingredients:

• 300 gr Swiss chard
• 280 gr pumpkin ⠀
• 300 ml soy milk (or cow) ⠀
• 300 ml of water ⠀
• 1/2 teaspoon of curry paste or a tablespoon of curry powder.
• 1 teaspoon curry powder ⠀
• 1 teaspoon turmeric ⠀
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin ⠀
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika ⠀
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ⠀
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg ⠀
• A little salt and black pepper ⠀
• A splash of olive oil ⠀

preparation:

1. Chop the onion and garlic and fry them in the pan with a little oil. ⠀
2. Now add the curry paste (if you have one) and stir to release its aroma. Add the milk, water, and the rest of the spices.
3. Mix well and add the pumpkin in pieces. Cover and boil for 10 minutes. ⠀
4. Add the chard, cook everything simmering for 7 minutes.

4. Lentil spiral soup

Intrigued by this recipe? so we have ventured to try it. The result? Highly recommended.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 red pepper
• Assorted vegetables that you have in the fridge: peppers, zucchini …
• Peas to taste
• 2 eggs
• 1 bowl of lentil spirals
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 750 milliliters of water
• Salt and pepper

preparation:

1. Chop all the vegetables and fry them in a pan with oil. Then add the peas and season to taste.
2. Then add the water and let the vegetables boil for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the spirals (you can find them in Mercadona) and let them cook for another 10–15 minutes.
4. Finally, add two eggs and let them set. When they are, remove from heat and serve.

5. Miso soup

Fan of Asian food? Then you have to try the miso soup. A different way of eating vegetables while we transport ourselves to Japan, although at the moment it can only be with the palate.

Ingredients:

• 500 milliliters of dashi or vegetable broth
• 4 tbsp. miso paste
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 Japanese onions or chives
• 10g wakame seaweed
• A seasonal vegetable
• Toppings to taste: egg, tofu …

preparation:

1. Over medium heat, mix the dashi with the mirin and miso (if it is pasteurized, if it is not, put it at the end, when you have removed the pot from the heat so as not to lose its probiotic effects).
2. Add the chives, boil for two minutes and add the vegetables you have chosen and the wakame seaweed.
3. Serve in a bowl with the toppings of your choice.

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Ketogenic diet: what it is and why it works against epilepsy

 

The Ketogenic Diet, very fashionable today, has been used as a treatment for epilepsy for more than 100 years. Now we know why it works.

In recent years there has been a boom in the variety of healthy fad diets, for the better, since the same form of eating, no matter how healthy it may be, does not always work equally well throughout the world. Among these diets, the famous Mediterranean Diet continues to stand out, which together with the DASH Diet continue to be the winners in the Harvard University ranking. On the other hand, there is the Paleo Diet, which we talked about at the time in kitchens, low-carbohydrate or low-carb diets, and a step further is the Ketogenic Diet, which we talk about today.

The difference between low-carbohydrate diets and the Ketogenic Diet is that the former, in terms of percentages, imply a carbohydrate consumption of less than 40–45% of the total caloric intake, while in the Ketogenic Diet the carbohydrate intake is decreased, even more, reaching the point of not eating more than 50–60 g of carbohydrates a day with the aim of putting the body into ketosis and producing so-called ketone bodies. Although initially, it may be difficult to adapt, one of the great benefits of the Ketogenic Diet is its benefit against epilepsy, and a recent study suggests that the secret would be in the intestinal bacteria.

Ketogenic Diet: What is it and how is it done?

Sources of omega 3 fatty acids

As we have already mentioned, a Ketogenic Diet is nothing more than that type of diet where the intake of carbohydrates does not exceed 50–60 g per day, a number of carbohydrates low enough for the body to enter ketosis. Although it was previously thought that the central nervous system can only feed solely and exclusively on sugar (glucose), this is only half true. It is true that the brain and the rest of the nervous system cannot feed directly on fat, but after fasting for 2–4 days, or on a diet very low in carbohydrates such as the Ketogenic Diet, the nervous system does allow the passage of ketone bodies through a process called ketogenesis, which is produced in the liver.

kg/day in this type of diet, if the objective is to lose weight, it is sought not to consume more than 0.2–0.5 g / kg/day of carbohydrates, while the consumption of fats is not restricted. In the case of using the diet for other objectives, such as improving the symptoms of epilepsy, in the initial phases a Ketogenic Diet will be more restrictive if possible, reducing the consumption of carbohydrates to 20 g per day or less; later a 4: 1 formula will be used, where for every 4 grams of fat 1 gram of added carbohydrates and proteins will be consumed.

Finally, what is achieved is that around 80% of the calories in an entire day come from fat (from fresh sources, of course, always avoiding processed and ultra-processed). Proteins are then calculated, which should be around 1 g / kg/day (a little more than the usual WHO recommendations), with the rest going to carbohydrates.

As an example of more well-known Ketogenic Diets, there is the Atkins Diet, which is a variety where a higher proportion of protein is produced than in a standard Ketogenic Diet, but the level of hydrates is decreased in a similar way to these.

Adverse Effects of the Ketogenic Diet

vitamins

While Ketogenic Diets have been shown to produce greater weight loss compared to others, including a greater reduction in visceral fat, and have even been shown to extend life, they are not without short- and long-term side effects.

In the short term, the most typical symptoms that occur during adaptation to the Ketogenic Diet are headaches, bad breath, feeling weak, fatigue, and even muscle cramps and constipation.

In the long term, Ketogenic Diets have been shown to cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, gastrointestinal disorders, and even heart arrhythmias. On the other hand, some works claim that maintaining this type of diet in the long term can cause mood disturbances, although some works disagree on this. On the other hand, although recent studies ensure that there is no impairment of the physical performance, previous studies do affirm that a Ketogenic Diet decreases sports performance and would produce a greater feeling of fatigue.

Finally, currently and with the data available to date, it is not recommended that individuals with kidney diseases or pregnant women follow this type of diet, since in healthy individuals there does not seem to be kidney involvement, but in patients who already Previously suffer disease in these organs can make the situation worse. On the other hand, during pregnancy, it is advisable to consume at least 175 g of carbohydrates daily to ensure good neurological development and general growth of the fetus.

Why the Ketogenic Diet Works for Epilepsy

brain_sugar

Regarding one of the most studied benefits of the Ketogenic Diet, the treatment of epilepsy, a recent work published in the journal Cell by Elaine Hsiao and her colleagues at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), states that the secret would be in the intestinal bacteria.

In this case, the study was conducted in mice, in which a Ketogenic Diet was found to alter gut bacteria. In fact, if the intestinal bacteria of rodents are completely eliminated this type of diet would be useless in preventing seizures. And, in contrast, by transplanting gut bacteria from mice on a Ketogenic Diet to other mice, the latter obtained protection against seizures.

In the work, mice were fed a Ketogenic Diet in several groups of mice, showing that this diet produces changes in their intestinal microbiome in just four days, reducing seizures of epilepsy compared to a non-ketogenic diet. Specifically, the study found that this diet increased the number of two types of bacteria: Akkermansia muciniphila and Parabacteroides. And, if these bacteria were administered in combination to mice without a gut microbiome, an anticonvulsant effect is also recorded.

The researchers suggest that these two groups of bacteria should be analyzed in future research, as they may be a new avenue of treatment for seizures in epilepsy.

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Tips for a healthy lifestyle

 

Photo by Jannis Brandt on Unsplash

We often hear about a healthy lifestyle and we know very well that it is the first secret to preventing diseases and living peacefully. But what exactly does it mean to lead a healthy lifestyle ?! Let’s see it together!

Healthy and balanced diet

A correct subdivision of the nutrients advises distributing the daily energy intake in this way: about 50% carbohydrates; 30% protein and 20% fat. Obviously, these are general indications that also depend on our lifestyle. An athlete, for example, needs more carbohydrates, those who are struggling with a weight loss diet, on the other hand, will have to reduce them. Junk foods such as fried foods, carbonated drinks, sweets should also be avoided. But, and we will repeat it often, the secret is always in moderation!

Drinking alcohol and cigarettes

According to INRAN (National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition), a healthy lifestyle can include a moderate daily amount of alcohol. By moderate quantity, it means 2–3 Alcoholic Units for men, no more than 1–2 Alcoholic Units for women, and no more than 1 Alcoholic Units for the elderly.

One Alcohol Unit (AU) corresponds to about 12 grams of ethanol or a small glass (125 ml) of medium alcoholic wine, a can or bottle of beer (330 ml) of medium strength, or in a bar dose (40 ml) of hard alcohol.

Cigarettes, on the other hand, should be completely avoided, however, also in this case, the watchword is moderation!

Physical activity

Practicing sports is good, it’s not just a cliché! It strengthens the immune and cardiovascular systems to strengthen muscles and joints and is also good for our mood. When we do sport, our body releases endorphins (hormones of happiness) and serotonin (hormone of good mood), and our mind is distracted from problems and worries.

The intensity and duration of physical activity vary according to different conditions, starting with age.

For a healthy lifestyle, WHO recommends :

• from 5 to 17 years: at least 60 minutes a day of moderate-vigorous activity
• 18 to 64 years: at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity or 75 of intense activity
• after 65: as for adults + exercises for balance

Personal hygiene:

Taking care of yourself, in addition to being a symptom of physical and mental well-being, is essential to prevent diseases or disorders related to poor hygiene. For example, brushing your teeth regularly counteracts the development of tartar and cavities while washing your hands helps avoid the risk of viral infections.

Drink water

The body of an adult is made up of almost 75% water. This is why it is important to maintain good hydration. In addition, water helps eliminate waste substances, tones the tissues and keeps the joints lubricated. In general, it is advisable to take at least 1.5 liters of water per day. It also depends a lot on nutrition because part of the daily water requirement comes from the foods we eat.

Hours of sleep

Sleeping, and above all sleeping well, is important for many reasons, not just to avoid panda effect dark circles! Sleep reduces stress, develops our memory and creativity, strengthens the immune system, regenerates the mind, and even muscles, especially after exercise.

Also, in this case, the need for hours of sleep varies from subject to subject but also according to age. The American Sleep Foundation recommends:

• Age 18–25 years: 7 to 11 hours of sleep
• Age 26–64: 7 to 10 hours of sleep
• after 65 years: 7 to 9 hours of sleep

Anti-stress activity

A high level of stress can cause problems with digestion, metabolism (there are those who tend to get fat or lose weight), reduces the efficiency of our brain, promotes insomnia, headaches and also affects the health of the skin and hair.

In short, reducing stress is the first gift we can give ourselves to lead a healthy lifestyle. How to do it? By choosing activities that make us feel good and distract us. Everyone has their own method but, in general, sports or social activities are enemies of stress.

Check-up and periodic checks

Feeling good also means keeping certain values ​​under control. Even those in excellent health should monitor their blood pressure and weight at least once a year. And do periodic checks: blood tests, specialist visits (eg. Dental), preventive (eg pap test).

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10 tricks to lose weight fast: how to lose weight quickly with our tips!

Losing weight quickly and with a minimum of fatigue is the dream of all of us. With these 10 tricks to lose weight quickly, you can show off an enviable figure in a short time, without having to make too many sacrifices. From movement to regular meals, from slimming herbal teas to purchasing strategies: discover all the most suitable systems for losing weight in the blink of an eye!

Are you looking for tricks to lose weight quickly? Here you are served! Losing weight in a short time is possible: just follow these simple tips ranging from nutrition to physical activity, up to real tricks to avoid binging excessively.

Arm yourself with cunning, therefore, and also with perseverance: you will see that it looks great at the costume test!

1. Move more: lose weight quickly with physical activity

The first trick to losing weight fast is to increase exercise and move more. The ideal would be to dedicate yourself constantly to one of these sports, the most suitable for rapid weight loss.

If you don’t have much time to play a sport, set yourself the goal of walking fast or going for a run at least half an hour a day: you will give your metabolism a good wake up and burn a lot of fat! You may find it helpful to use a pedometer to help you track your calorie burn and encourage you to move more.

Losing weight quickly with physical activity is not as difficult as it seems: you just have to go up the stairs every day instead of taking the elevator, or spend more time doing home cleaning. Housework can make you lose up to 200 calories in an hour! When they say, two birds with one stone.

Generally speaking, a quick way to lose weight is to walk every hour for at least 10 minutes if possible. A sedentary lifestyle hurts and two steps every now and then help to dispose of ingested food faster. Pay attention, however, to your health: we recommend that you always use sneakers to absorb the impact and protect your knees and back.

Does the idea of ​​going to the gym not appeal to you very much? Well, there are more fun ways to stay fit … and shopping is one of them! Seeing is believing.

2. Don’t skip meals! Fasting is not used to lose weight quickly …

Contrary to what you may believe, fasting or skipping meals does not help you lose weight quickly, quite the opposite! It is a counterproductive practice, useful only for slowing down your metabolism and taking away your energy.

Never skip a meal, starting with breakfast, which must be the most abundant of the day. The trick always applies breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a poor man. If you start your day with a big breakfast, you will have the energy to face the day and all the time you need to burn calories.

The best foodspring foods for weight loss

And to recover energy after exercise, we recommend a shake or a high-protein snack to get the necessary nutrients without making you ingest too many calories. The foodspring weight loss package offers you all the nutrients and energy for a delicious snack! The set contains:

• shape shake for a healthy and nutritious breakfast
• organic chia seeds for small snacks that fill you up without adding too many calories to your diet, as well as being rich in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B1.
• 100% vegan L-carnitine food supplement to boost your energy and improve your mood throughout your diet.

3. Be regular at the table

Respecting meal times is one of the most effective tricks to lose weight quickly. Remember that the meals of the day must be three: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you are able to avoid snacks between meals, it will be easier to lose weight faster.

In any case, if you really don’t see us hungry anymore between meals, favor low-calorie and nutritious snacks, such as fresh fruit or yogurt, avoiding biscuits, chocolate bars, and snacks.

Finally, try never to have dinner after 8 pm: this simple trick will help you lose weight faster because you will have time, before going to bed, to move and consume calories.

4. Review your eating habits

Poor or disordered nutrition is the first reason why we get fat. To lose weight quickly, you will need to review your habits and follow some simple tricks :

1. Eliminate all fatty foods from your diet (and your pantry): if you don’t have them at home, you won’t be tempted to eat them! So avoid buying them.
2. Say no to cheeses, fried foods, sweets (especially industrial ones), cured meats, and canned foods.
3. Limit your intake of carbohydrates (but do not eliminate them completely) and prefer the consumption of lean meat and fish.
4. Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables: raw, cooked, in soup … it won’t be enough! It is the most genuine and leanest food you can consume.
5. Ok also to fruit, but in more moderation and possibly as a snack between meals. A great hunger-breaker trick is to always have a nice apple in your bag for sudden attacks.
6. Adding pepper or parsley to your dishes will help you digest faster: pepper has a fat-burning effect, while parsley helps against water retention and is a great way to deflate quickly.
7. Finally, avoid meals outside the home as much as possible and get into the healthy habit of preparing a nice lunchbox to go to work. This way you can control the calorie intake of what you ingest and keep your figure under control.

5. Drink plenty of water and forget alcoholic and sugary drinks!

Drinking plenty of water will help you lose weight quickly: in addition to promoting a detox effect, it will make you feel more satisfied. Always carry a bottle of still water with you and don’t forget to take a sip from time to time.

During the day, you can also choose to sip water with lemon (half to a liter): it will have a diuretic and draining effect, great for helping you lose weight quickly.

Say no with all your might to alcohol and sugary drinks, they are among the main causes of fatness! If you really can’t say no to a glass, perhaps on the occasion of a celebration, always choose a glass of red wine.

6. Lose weight quickly by resting well

In order to lose weight quickly, it is important that the body works to the best of its ability and has the necessary strength to support itself. Sleeping well is essential to recharge your body and reduce the levels of stress that inevitably lead to gorging.

A good night’s sleep — the usual 8 hours a night — will help you activate your metabolism and lose weight quickly.

7. Brush your teeth after eating!

This simple trick, in addition to responding to normal hygiene needs, is very useful to avoid continuing to overeat after meals. As soon as you finish lunch or dinner, run to the bathroom to brush your teeth! The taste of the toothpaste in your mouth will help you to take away the desire to open the pantry again after an hour …

8. Drink tea and herbal teas to lose weight quickly

Sipping two to four herbal teas a day is a great trick to lose weight fast. Infusions, in fact, have a slimming, draining, and purifying power, and in addition, they help us to break hunger.

Always remember, however, not to sweeten them with sugar, honey, or other substitutes! It is precisely the often bitter aroma of herbs that helps the body detoxify by introducing liquids that are completely free of calories into the body.

Among the herbal teas with slimming power, we remember that with nettle, which is an excellent anti-inflammatory and natural diuretic, which helps to eliminate excess fats.

Even green tea has a known slimming power: drinking it can help you lose up to 80 calories a day! In fact, it has the ability to act directly on the basal metabolism, helping it to activate and giving a sense of satiety.

The foodspring organic herbal tea set offers 3 delicious herbal mixes to purify, balance your body, and strengthen your immune system.

9. Go shopping on a full stomach

It will certainly have happened to you: going to the supermarket on an empty stomach and with a certain peckish leads you to buy more calorie products, snacks, and other crap that certainly do not help you lose weight quickly!

Try to go shopping after eating, so as to be guided by your head in the choice of products to buy and not by the stomach.

10. Don’t eat in front of the TV!

It is a mistake that almost all of us make: eating in front of the TV on. This bad habit leads us to ingest twice as much food without even realizing it! Distracted from our favorite show, we continue to bring food to the mouth as a pleasant accompaniment to the images.

Instead, get into the healthy habit of eating at the table with the TV off before the program starts, and then move to watch it on the sofa. A simple trick that will help you lose weight faster without too much effort.

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Abdominal fat: causes and tips for melting fat and having a flat stomach

 Abdominal fat is localized adiposity that is the main cause of annoying blemishes such as bacon and love handles and which can put your health at risk. To counteract its formation it is necessary to choose the right diet and practice regular physical activity. But let’s find out more!

The abdominal fat is the cause of so hated bacon, it is mainly localized fat typical of who has the physical-to-apple and that therefore tends to accumulate fat in the central area of the body: abdomen and hips. Eliminating this blemish is also important to prevent diseases such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome that puts the cardiovascular system at risk. To eliminate the fat on the abdomen, and have a flat stomach, it is important to act both on nutrition, choosing the right foods to reduce localized fat, and on physical activity, which must be constant and targeted to act on the abdominal area.

Why does abdominal fat form?

Abdominal fat can be divided into adipose tissue that is deposited in the central part in depth (visceral fat), or in what is deposited at a more superficial level. The first case involves health risks such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, the second, on the other hand, in addition to being considered an annoying imperfection, could be the beginning of deeper accumulations of fat.

Causes

Abdominal fat can be caused by an abuse of carbohydrates, animal fats, junk food, alcohol, but also drastic weight loss diets and excess stress, resulting in increased levels of cortisol (stress hormone) which breaks down lean muscle mass. promoting the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. Among other causes, we also find an excessive aerobic activity that increases the production of adrenal hormones, contributing to the formation of fat on the belly. Finally, the age factor should not be underestimated: as we age, hormonal changes occur in women (menopause), but also in men, which lead to an increase in abdominal fat.

Risks

Visceral fat can cause cardiovascular disorders, cancer, diabetes, especially the deepest layer of abdominal fat. This is because fat cells produce hormones and other substances that can create health damage such as insulin resistance and breast cancer. The fact that this fat is found between the organs of the abdominal cavity also does not help: the fat that is near the liver can cause it to enlarge, thus constituting a risk factor for insulin resistance hence to type two diabetes.

How to get rid of abdominal fat: tips for losing belly weight

To eliminate this annoying imperfection that can also cause health risks, it is important to combine targeted physical activity with a low-calorie diet by choosing the right sports or abdominal exercises that help lose weight.

Supply

To eliminate excess fat on the stomach there are some foods to prefer and others to eliminate. Here are what they are!

Among the foods, yes, we find whole grains that help melt belly fat, especially deep fat (the one that you cannot see or grasp), as they change the glucose and insulin response by reducing fat. Yes also to foods rich in Omega 3, the good fats contained in foods such as salmon and avocado also increase the sense of satiety by appeasing hunger. 

Another tip is to eat high-fiber foods increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially melon, pineapple, kiwi, banana, citrus fruits, rich in vitamin C which transforms fat into energy, as well as zucchini, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and green leafy vegetables. Among the cheeses, mature and lactose-free ones are preferred, while it is advisable to prefer vegetable milk to cow’s milk. 

Consumption of spices such as cinnamon, chili, and ginger also helps to eliminate abdominal fat as they activate the metabolism. Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon to your morning coffee helps stabilize blood sugar. It is also necessary to consume at least 1.5 liters per day to keep the body hydrated and speed up metabolism.

Among the foods, there are foods rich in artificial sugars, carbonated drinks, starchy foods, white rice, alcohol, sausages, fresh cheeses, and fast-food food. Following a proper diet helps to reduce about 80% of abdominal fat. In addition to choosing the right foods, it is important to have two snacks, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, preferring a fruit, yogurt, or cereal.

Physical activity to practice

To eliminate abdominal fat, and have a flat stomach, it is important to combine a healthy diet with the right physical activity: even if it is not possible to lose weight in a targeted way, usually the abdomen area is the first to burn fat when it is carried out regularly. physical activity. 

They are recommended aerobic sports like running, swimming, jumping rope, cycling, aerobics, all cardio exercises that allow you to burn calories and lose weight all over the body, including the stomach, to be combined with abdominal exercises even though, initially, It is best to start with exercises that strengthen the back muscles: better posture will help to pull the belly in. Among the exercises choose the plank: Get on the floor in the typical push-up position but lean on your elbows and forearms. 

Now contract your abs while keeping your back, buttocks, and neck straight. Hold the position for at least 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. To be performed every day. Another exercise to do is the squat, useful for sculpting the abdomen and lower part of the body: spread your legs, extend your arms forward and lower your hips so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. Perform 3 or 4 sets of 10 repetitions each, doing the exercise slowly.

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What are the good rules to follow for a healthy lifestyle?

 By living according to good daily practices, you have the opportunity to extend life expectancy and increase the chances of aging in optimal psychophysical conditions. Here are some rules to follow for a healthy lifestyle.

Contents

• 1 Lifestyle: definition
• 1.1 What is a healthy and active lifestyle
• 1.2 The risk factors
• 
  
• 2 10 rules for a healthy lifestyle
• 2.1 Ensure proper daily hydration
• 2.2 Eat seasonal fruit and vegetables
• 2.3 Limit saturated fats
• 2.4 Moderate the consumption of salt
• 2.5 Moderate the consumption of sugars
• 2.6 Exercise
• 2.7 Monitor body weight
• 2.8 Do not smoke
• 2.9 Do not abuse alcohol
• 2.10 Get enough sleep
• 
  

The way of life is an expression, often accompanied by healthy and active adjectives, now entered the common language. It is used above all in the context of healthy speeches and which aim to prevent the onset of any pathologies due to incorrect habits.

Being able to live in a healthy way, in fact, allows us to stay healthy. In this way, there is a way to avoid the ailments linked to a sedentary lifestyle and abundance.

Lifestyle: definition

Thanks to today’s knowledge, it is possible to define quite precisely who leads a healthy life. These are subjects who do not smoke, do not habitually drink alcoholic beverages, do not abuse drugs, and do not take drugs, are not sedentary, and have no excess pounds.

In addition, they eat varied and balanced, have good basic medical knowledge, and are not stressed, anxious, or depressed.

What is a healthy and active lifestyle?

Some good habits are particularly correlated with being able to lead a healthy life.

A correct, rich, and varied diet is an important first step to take care of yourself. The intake of alcoholic beverages must be limited but this does not exclude the possibility of consuming one or more glasses of wine occasionally during meals.

Physical activity is also definitely in the foreground. Being able to play a sport or indulge in daily walks helps to keep fit. In this way, it aims to counteract the sedentary lifestyle typical of many current jobs and positive effects are obtained both on the body and on the mind.

Sports are often a panacea for getting rid of accumulated stress, relieving yourself of everyday tensions, and improving self-confidence. In the most severe cases of anxiety and depression, it is advisable to limit the use of pharmacological help. It is, therefore, possible to ask for a specialist consultation with a psychologist able to recommend a possible therapeutic path.

The risk factors

An important first step in taking care of yourself and staying healthy is to eliminate risk factors. The latter, in addition to worsening their lives, expose the onset of numerous pathologies. A major risk factor concerns the category of smokers, in particular those who smoke about 30 cigarettes a day.

Even the daily consumption of alcohol above the ethanolic threshold (which also depends on weight and height) risks exposing to health dangers. In blood tests, the appearance of high cholesterol is an alarm bell, especially if the so-called bad or LDL cholesterol is above the threshold.

Overweight is an aspect not to be underestimated in terms of health and incidence of diseases. Far from being an aesthetic issue, excess pounds make people more fragile and vulnerable.

Even a sedentary lifestyle does not help in this sense and puts you in risky conditions, especially if associated with overweight and bad habits. These elements are enough to greatly reduce a person’s life.

10 rules for a healthy lifestyle

Here are 10 rules for leading a healthy life.

Ensure proper daily hydration

Drinking at least 1.5 liters of still water is a good practice to be ensured on a daily basis. In this way, the correct hydration of the body is guaranteed for good skin health as well.

Eat seasonal fruit and vegetables

Thanks to their supply of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, fruits and vegetables are our great health allies. It is important to consume seasonally and 0 km of fruit and vegetables also for full respect for the environment.

Limit saturated fats

Fats are essential substances for the needs of our body. The saturated ones, however, must be limited to avoid increasing the levels of cholesterol, especially ‘bad’, in our blood.

Moderate the consumption of salt

Excess with the consumption of salt risks promoting the increase in blood pressure. This aspect should be kept under control especially for hypertensive subjects. They are more likely to be exposed to cardiovascular, kidney, and stomach diseases.

Moderate the consumption of sugars

The amount of sugar in the daily diet should also be limited to avoid excesses.

Exercise

Sport is a real panacea for our psychophysical well-being. Just choose the one closest to your ropes and needs. Do you want a “perfect” sport? According to experts, it’s about swimming!

Monitor your body weight

Without becoming obsessed with it, it is important to monitor for any overweight.

Not smoking

The consumption of cigarettes should be eliminated altogether to avoid the numerous harmful effects on health.

Don’t abuse alcohol

Avoiding excesses in alcohol consumption is important for the well-being of the body.

Get enough sleep

Night rest is another great ally of our health.

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Lower your blood sugar

 

Generality

Lower your blood sugar is a necessity that concerns people with high levels of glucose in the blood, to avert the dangerous consequences of a condition known as hyperglycemia.
Typical of diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia is responsible for characteristic symptoms, including dry mouth, intense thirst, abdominal pain with vomiting, breathless acetone-smelling, progressive alteration of consciousness, etc.
How to lower blood sugar, i.e. strategies to reduce glucose levels (clearly when they have an anomaly), has always been a very popular topic, which includes: diet, exercise, healthy behavioral habits, etc.

A brief review of blood glucose and its values ​​when fasting and after a meal

Expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or in nanomoles per liter (nmol / l), blood sugar is the concentration of glucose — a sugar — in the blood.
In healthy people, the fasting blood sugar value is between 60 and 99 mg/ml, while the blood sugar level after a meal can settle between 130 and 150 mg/ml (much depends on the sugar content of the meal taken).
The most well-known disease associated with blood glucose — namely high blood sugar ( hyperglycemia ) — is diabetes.

Lower your blood sugar

Lowering blood glucose is an act of fundamental importance to avoid the dreaded complications, both acute and chronic, linked to excessively high levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia).
Lowering blood sugar and the knowledge of how to lower blood sugar are two primary needs among diabetic patients, whose body produces insufficient quantities of the hormone insulin and/or is poorly sensitive to the action of the aforementioned hormone.

Curiosity

During the day, blood sugar is not stable but varies in relation to the meals an individual consumes, the quantity and quality of the food ingested during the aforementioned meals, and physical activity.

How to recognize the need to lower blood sugar?

Having ascertained under what circumstances it is appropriate to lower blood sugar, it remains to be clarified how to notice these circumstances. The characteristic symptoms of hyperglycemia, fundamental to the recognition of the latter, when it is in progress, are:

• Dry mouth and intense thirst;
• Pain in abdominal vomiting;
• Weak and rapid pulse;
• Red, dry and hot skin
• Breath with the characteristic smell of acetone;
• Progressive alteration of consciousness, with the appearance of restlessness, agitation, and confusion.

The most serious consequences of hyperglycemia (in medical jargon, we speak of hyperglycemic crisis ) are hyperglycemic coma (or diabetic coma ), extreme dehydration due to hyperosmotic urine from hyperglycemia, and thrombosis (on which an increased risk depends on stroke, heart attack, etc.).

IDENTIFYING A SUBDLE ENEMY: Mild Hyperglycemia

Due to poorly defined symptoms, limited hyperglycemia can go unnoticed for a long time. This is why diabetes experts recommend periodically monitoring blood glucose levels also through practical portable blood glucose meters, capable of detecting the latter through the prick of a fingertip.
Under the strict control and indications of a doctor, glycemic self-control can be useful in personalizing drug therapy in relation to the actual needs of the body, which may vary, for example, according to the level of physical activity or the type of power supply.

How to lower your blood sugar

Considering the considerable difficulties in summarizing the numerous strategies relating to how to lower blood sugar within a single article, only the most common remedies are listed below — such as physical activity, dietary interventions, behavioral interventions, etc.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: HOW DOES IT ACT ON GLUCOSE?

Exercising is one of the simplest and most effective remedies for lowering blood sugar.
If at rest the muscle tissue uses insulin as a transport vehicle to absorb glucose from the blood, during intense physical activity the same muscle tissue is able to capture blood glucose (i.e. that present in the blood) even in the absence/deficiency of the aforementioned hormone; this happens because physical exercise, especially the duration one, stimulates the displacement (in technical jargon, we speak of translocation) of glucose uptake molecules — the so-called glucose transporters GLUT-4 — from the storage site, present inside of muscle cells, to the plasma membrane of the latter. 

In other words, physical activity triggers a process whereby the cells of the muscle tissues move a group of molecules capable of capturing blood glucose from the internal storage site (where they have no contact with the blood and the glucose circulating there) to the plasma membrane (which is the portion of a cell used for contacts and communication with other cells, blood, the extracellular environment, etc.).
In this way, the muscle cells “arm” themselves externally with a sort of “glucose-catching net”, which allows them not to use insulin. Clearly, the glucose that muscle cells take from the blood in this way is accompanied by a reduction in blood sugar.

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Ketogenic diet guide - example, keto recipes, results, foods

 

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

In principle, the ketogenic diet is a way of recalibrating the metabolism, whereby the body is forced to replace carbohydrates and carbohydrates with food and body fat as an energy source. Once the glucose sources are depleted, the liver converts both the fat in food and the body fat stores into ketones and fatty acids, which it uses as an energy source for the cells.

The Keto diet is an extremely effective way to lose weight quickly and effectively to eliminate body fat deposits without losing muscle mass as long as it is applied correctly.

In this article:

• What is the Keto diet, how the body induces ketosis?
• What are the types of foods you can eat on the ketogenic diet — keto recipes, menus, food supplements
• Food supplements
• The benefits of the keto diet
• The risks and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet
• What results can be achieved with the help of the keto diet

In this article, you will find all the information you need as a beginner on the ketogenic diet. Find out what are the main benefits of the diet but also what are the risks, which are the best keto dietary supplements, menus, recipes, possible results, allowed but also forbidden foods, as well as opinions and advice from nutrition specialists.

What is the Keto diet, how the body induces ketosis?

Trying the body to switch from glucose to fat is called induction of ketosis. The purpose of the ketogenic diet is to induce ketosis as quickly as possible and keep the body in this state for at least 4–6 weeks.

To induce ketosis, the body needs a drastic restriction of carbohydrate consumption, which means eliminating all carbohydrates and carbohydrate products from the daily diet. More details on allowed and prohibited foods shortly after.

At the time of glucose depletion, the liver compensates by burning fat and synthesizing ketone bodies which are used as an alternative source of energy for the body. The faster the state of ketosis is induced, the faster the body will start using the accumulated fat on the body, belly, hips, etc., to generate energy.

The fastest way you can get your body into a state of ketosis is the black pole. There are also keto dietary supplements, see Keto Guru effervescent tablets, which also have the ability to speed up this process a bit and help you overcome the symptoms and discomfort of carbohydrate hunger in the first few days.

Order KETO GURU directly from the manufacturer’s official website at a promotional price reduced by 50%. Click here for more details

It takes 24 hours to several days to deplete the glucose stores and go into ketosis. The easiest way to find out if you are in ketosis is by using a glucose meter which also measures ketone bodies in the blood. We recommend the CareSens Dual model, a reliable, high-quality glucose meter that measures glucose and ketone bodies and is compatible with KetoSens tests.

When it comes to carbohydrate restriction, the general rule is to reduce them to less than 30–50g per day. To do this it is necessary to know exactly the amount of carbohydrates contained in each food. You will need to create a daily menu to meet this requirement, otherwise, the body will not enter the state of ketosis.

What are the types of foods you can eat on the ketogenic diet — keto recipes, menus, food supplements

Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash

Compared to other types of diets, the ketogenic diet is not very restrictive in terms of the foods you can eat, the only exception being carbohydrates and carbohydrates. Below are two lists, one with the types of foods that are allowed and one with the types of foods that are prohibited on the standard keto diet.

Order KETO GURU directly from the manufacturer’s official website at a promotional price reduced by 50%. Click here for more details

Food allowed

In particular, the diet during the ketogenic diet should include foods that are high in fat, medium in protein, and very low in carbohydrates.

So, you are allowed to eat:

• chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish, sheep
• eggs
• dairy
• hazelnuts
• almonds
• peanuts
• coconut oil, other vegetable oils
• other nuts and seeds
• butter
• fermented cream
• low-carb fruits and vegetables
• berries (for fiber content)

Forbidden food

When it comes to foods that are not allowed to eat, the ketogenic diet is very strict indeed. In the following list you will find all types of foods prohibited in this diet:

• salt and sugar
• any sugar preparation — juices, cakes, sweets, etc.
• flour products: pasta, bread, pastry
• cereals
• alcoholic beverages
• fruit, with a few small exceptions
• high-carbohydrate vegetables — potatoes, corn, beans
• sausages and other processed meat products

In terms of the daily ratio of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, these should fall within the following values:

• 75–80% fat
• 15–20% protein
• 5% carbohydrates

As a number of calories, a minimum of 2000 calories for women and 2500 calories for men is recommended.

Food supplements

Keto dietary supplements can help you enter the state of ketosis more quickly while alleviating the discomfort created by this condition in the first few days. We recommend Keto Guru effervescent tablets which, as I said, accelerate the induction process of ketosis and facilitate the process of adapting to this physiological state of the body.

50% REDUCTION IN THE PRODUCER PRICE

You can also access the official website of the tablet manufacturer Keto Guru where you can order the supplement at a special price, much lower than in pharmacies in Italy.

The tablets have in their composition active components obtained from natural plant extracts. The supplement has no adverse effects and has no contraindications for use.

The benefits of the keto diet

Photo by shche_ team on Unsplash

With the help of the ketogenic diet, it is possible to eliminate the fat accumulated in the body and the layers deposited on the stomach, hips, buttocks, without compromising health and without losing muscle mass.

The main benefits of this diet are:

• lower “bad” cholesterol
• increasing the power of concentration
• reduced appetite
• increased physical energy
• a slightly sustainable diet which involves low financial costs
• reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes regulates the blood sugar level
• effective fat removal without affecting muscle mass
• reduce the risk of developing heart disease
• healthy weight loss method

Of course, like any other diet, the ketogenic diet has its advantages and disadvantages. In the list below you will find out what the main risks and disadvantages of this diet are.

The risks and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet

• elimination of very common foods that are usually in most people’s diets
• Low Fiber Consumption: Low fiber intake can be compensated for by consuming berries and seeds
• water consumption — in the context of the keto diet it is recommended, even mandatory, to consume at least 2 liters of water per day
• Acid-Base Balance: Since foods rich in fat and protein have an acidic pH, this imbalance must be compensated for by consuming low-carb vegetables, broccoli, spinach, etc.

What results can be achieved with the help of the keto diet

If you follow the guidelines on the ketogenic diet and don’t cheat, you can lower up to 1kg of fat per week. Additionally, this diet has many important long-term benefits.

Order KETO GURU directly from the manufacturer’s official website at a promotional price reduced by 50%. Click here for more details

As for the length of time, the body must be in the state of ketosis, according to doctors and nutritionists, it should be 4–6 weeks.

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Ketogenic diet: simple and quick recipes

 

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To follow any diet I think it takes a bit of basic organization, with the ketogenic diet, however, it takes a little more imagination, because we can hardly rely on foods that contain carbohydrates and this excludes all types of pasta, including rice, bread, and potatoes, which are the simplest, fastest and least expensive bases available. But am I really?

Below, we’ve come up with some ideas for preparing 5 ideal keto lunches to get you through the workweek worry-free.

Monday: one cucumber per sandwich

You don’t have to think even remotely of those sandwiches with a slice of cucumber on top of which the Queen has a lot of five o’clock tea, these sandwiches use the cucumber itself as “bread” and then are stuffed!

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber clean, blunt, halved and seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons of hummus
• 2 slices of turkey breast

Method:

1. Spread hummus on one half of the cucumber.
2. Then, put the slices of rump, folded so that they remain inside.
3. If you want, spread more hummus on the other half and close tightly.
4. Close it carefully and put it in the fridge, it’s ready to eat.

Cucumber is an idea, but you can use grilled or fried eggplant slices, peppers, even zucchini, and put whatever you like in it, from cheeses to sauces of your choice, as if it were a regular sandwich. If you like, you can also use tofu as “bread”. Another idea of ​​stuffing, cream cheese, and smoked salmon! 

Tuesday: chicken nuggets to lick your fingers

You can make this recipe in advance and in large quantities, then freeze the morsels and thaw them when you want to eat them. For example, on Sundays I prepare a weekly plan, I cook and freeze so in the morning I just have to take the container and go. You can also use coconut oil for frying.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• ½ red onion
• Parsley
• Rosemary, fresh or dry
• 1 beaten egg
• almond flour
• Lemon juice
• Nutmeg to taste
• Pepper and salt to taste

Method:

1. make the chicken into small pieces, similar to fingers. Chop the onion, rosemary, and parsley and leave them aside for a little while.
2. In a bowl, combine the chicken with the onion, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the beaten egg (in which you may have grated the nutmeg) and mix well.
4. Bread the morsels in almond flour.
5. Fry or bake until golden.
6. Leave to cool and then serve and place in the freezer. Or eat, no problem!
7. Sprinkle the chopped ingredients and set aside on the morsels.

When you eat them, you can add tomato salad as a side dish.

Wednesday: broccoli and cauliflower salad (and bacon)

Cauliflower is a must in a ketogenic diet lunch! This recipe is for a very tasty and nutritious salad and above all, that leaves the palate satisfied and the stomach full. You can prepare it in advance and add the fresh ingredients to the last.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 100 or 200 g of bacon like bacon
• 2 chopped tomatoes (fresh ingredient)
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped (fresh ingredient)
• ½ red or white onion (fresh ingredient)
• 2 teaspoons of oregano
• Mayonnaise (optional)
• Salt and Pepper To Taste
• Oil and vinegar to taste

Method:

1. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into small pieces.
2. Steam or cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Let it cool down.
3. Combine all the ingredients if you want to eat it right away. Otherwise,
4. season only with salt, pepper, and oregano, serve and place in the freezer.
5. If you put mayonnaise, you can omit the oil, but it depends on your taste.

Thursday: zucchini and shrimp pasta

And when I say pasta, I mean that zucchini is the pasta itself! Perfect to prepare in advance and take out when needed.

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini, cut into long thin strips
• 100 g of shrimp
• 1 garlic, crushed
• 50 g of mushrooms, cut into small pieces
• 150 g of sliced ​​asparagus
• 200 g of spinach
• Salt and Pepper To Taste

Method:

1. Preferably heat the oil in a non-stick pan or wok.
2. Sauté the garlic.
3. Cook the asparagus for 2 minutes.
4. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, and shrimps, cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and finish cooking everything.
6. Add salt and pepper when there are 5 minutes left to cook.
7. Eat or let cool, serve, and freeze.

Friday: little Mac and a lot of Cheese

If you have never tasted the famous American Mac’n cheese, you have missed a truly delicious food, we offer it in the ketogenic version, in which we use cauliflower instead of pasta. Seeing is believing if it’s not good! The only caveat, there may be a little too much cheese for a healthy meal plan.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 100 g of diced bacon type bacon
• 1 garlic
• 100 g of cheddar cheese (or fontina)
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 200 ml of cooking cream
• 50 ml of almond milk
• Nutmeg to taste
• Parsley to taste
• Salt and Pepper To Taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C.
2. Cook the cauliflower al dente, steam, or in boiling water.
3. In a non-stick pan, sauté the garlic in preheated olive oil.
4. Add the milk and cream, simmer over low heat until reduced by a third.
5. Still on low heat, add the cheese slowly, stirring constantly.
6. When the cheese is melted, put the chopped cauliflower in a saucepan and pour the cheese sauce over it.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
8. If you want, you can eat it right away or let it cool, portion, and freeze it.

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To conclude

Although adapting to a new way of cooking and eating may not be easy or intuitive, following the ketogenic diet has so many health benefits and you can lose weight in a healthy way. With our advice and ideas, then, the recipes come by themselves!

The great thing about the ketogenic diet is that you can invent and indulge your imagination in unthinkable ways. Cauliflower as a pasta? Zucchini? But you know you can also cut the pumpkin into slices and use it as spaghetti? And with almond flour, you can brown and fry as if it were breadcrumbs.

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