Ditch The Pot Belly

Here's how you can get rid of that belly fat.

Disturbing news from the USA – for once not involving Britney – where a study of 3,000 people published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that carrying ‘pot belly' results in a much higher risk of heart problems  – even when your body weight is in the normal range.

To stop the pot ruining your life take these three tips, once a day, and come back to us next month:

Watch your post-workout dosage
"Don't use the fact you've been to the gym as an excuse to eat more," explains Ben Jones, personal trainer with lifetimehf.co.uk. "You may feel you've worked hard but a typical hour-long CV workout will burn less than 600 calories." To get the fat off it has to be your diet – along with exercise – that changes.

Take it where you can
Use stairs instead of escalators, get off the bus one stop earlier and leave the car at home for short trips. University of Virginia, USA, studies show you can lose weight four times quicker by adding light bursts of exercise – up to 30 minutes in total – into your daily schedule.

Quit casual snacking
"Losing, maintaining or gaining weight can mean just a very small difference in energy intake on a daily basis," says Jones. So think twice before grabbing a snack that isn't a piece of fat-free, low-calorie fruit.











Source: menshealth.co.uk/lose-weight/burn-fat/ditch-the-pot-belly-92852

Feel Your Balls - One for the guys!

Self examination is a must for men.

Here's how to do it......

Grab your balls by your left hand and perform the following moves:

"Check for testicular cancer is after a warm bath or shower," says Martin Ledwick, information nurse manager at Cancer Research UK (cancerhelp.org.uk). That's when the scrotal skin is relaxed you're less likely to cause distress to passers-by.

"Hold your scrotum in the palm of your hands, so that you can use the fingers and thumb to examine your testicles," advises Ledwick. Note the size and weight of the testicles (you don't have to write this down). It is common to have one testicle slightly larger, or which hangs lower than the other. "But any noticeable increase in size or weight many mean something is wrong."

Feel the testicle itself. It should be smooth with no lumps or swellings – if you do find a swelling in your testicle, make an appointment and have it checked by your doctor as soon as possible.












Source: menshealth.co.uk/healthy/symptoms-treatment/feel-your-balls-86116

Understanding Food Labels

The guide below will give you the full picture behind common food labels.

The claim: Light or lite

The truth: must contain 30 per cent less fat or calories than the standard version, but does not mean the product is low fat or healthy. For example, ‘light/lite’ crisps can contain the same amount of fat or calories as the standard version of another brand. A product light on fat can also be heavy on calories by way of added sugar.

The claim: Low-fat

The truth: must contain less than 3g of fat per 100g for food or 1.5g of fat per 100ml for drinks. But this does not mean the product is healthy or low-calorie. Many low fat foods and drinks are loaded with added sugar and can be high in calories.

^{A low-fat yoghurt might be high in calories (ALAMY)}

The claim: No added sugar

The truth: must have no sugar or sweetener added, but does not mean the product is low in sugar or sugar-free. The product could contain natural sugars, such as those found in dairy and fruit, in which case the label should state ‘contains naturally occurring sugars’. These products are often high in fat and/or calories.

The claim: Fat-free

The truth: must contain less than 0.5g fat per 100g, but again, this does not mean the product is healthy or low-calorie. The claim sometimes appears on products that do not contain fat anyway, such as sweets, and can disguise high levels of unhealthy ingredients such as sugar. Nutritionists point out that fat-free is not necessarily desirable anyway, as good fats are essential in a balanced diet.

Source:telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/11446470/Food-labels-why-low-fat-and-fat-free-dont-mean-healthy.html

Stop Yourself Eating When You're Not Really Hungry With 4 Quick Steps

Do you ever down a snack and feel zero satisfaction afterward? Or find yourself wanting to eat while staring off into space at work? Then there's a good chance that you've eaten for a reason other than your body needing nourishment.

Hunger is your body's fuel gauge," says Michelle May, M.D., author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat and creator of the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program. "The trick is to pay attention to the signals for hunger before you eat. It's like checking your fuel gauge before getting off the highway for gas."
Here's May's step-by-step process for doing just that:

Pause Before You Eat

"The key is awareness," says May. "When you feel like eating, always pause in that moment between wanting to eat and actually eating." This is where you'll figure out if you're hungry or just bored, tired, stressed, or thirsty. May says you shouldn't necessarily be eating every two or three hours like some experts suggest—only when you're truly hungry —but that you can check in every two or three hours if you're busy and often forget to eat until you're starving.
"Letting your body get to the point of famished is also dangerous," she says. "Your blood sugar is super-low, and all balanced diet ideas and enjoyment goes out the window, so you may overeat." Set an alarm on your phone if necessary.

Check for Hunger Cues
May recommends placing your fist over your stomach, right below the breastbone, and checking for signals of true hunger. "Draw all attention to that area," says May. "You should look for physical symptoms like pangs, growling, and feelings of emptiness—or if the area feels full or stretched." If it's the former, you're probably truly hungry. If it's the latter, you're probably craving something other than food.



Do a Body-Mind-Heart Scan
May says you can look to three different areas to determine whether you need to eat or whether you just want to eat: "I recommend doing what I call a body-mind-heart scan," she says. For body, May says you should start scanning from head to toe and just notice the various sensations in your body. Often tension, like in the neck and shoulders, can signal anxiety or stress, not hunger.
For mind, if your productivity is down and you find yourself wondering about what's in the break room or where you'll eat your next meal, you're probably not hungry, you might just be bored. For heart, listen to your emotions.
Are you feeling tired from a late night out or stressed about a work deadline? Your anxiety might be provoking "head hunger," says May. "Do this before you start to eat," she says. "If you're not truly hungry, you'll start to eat and not feel satisfied [since you're not addressing the true root of the problem], causing you to eat more and more."

Address Your Needs (Beyond Food)
If you're ever unsure whether you're truly hungry—and know you're not totally famished—try to address other issues before you nosh.
Step outside for a walk around the block to relieve stress, lie down for a 20-minute power nap if you're tired, or down a glass of water to try and eliminate lingering thirst.
"You may just need a few moments to re-center," says May. If, after you do this, you feel like your hunger has increased (since you haven't eaten anything), you can be sure it's your appetite that needs to be dealt with—and not some other issue.







Source: today.com/health/4-steps-stop-you-eating-when-youre-not-really-hungry-1D8004