Is your child overweight? A high calorie diet and lack of physical activity is often the main reason behind obesity in children. Add to this genetics, and unhealthy eating patterns and you would have hit the nail on the head. However in rare cases, a medical problem such as an endocrine disorder may also be a cause of overweight. Although you have no control over hereditary factors, as parents what you can control are your child’s eating patterns and activity level. If you ensure that your child maintains a healthy lifestyle from the very beginning, chances are that he or … Continue reading Help Your Child Lose Weight

Lose weight! This may be what you have to hear day and night if you are overweight. Your friends, colleagues and family members, in fact almost every one you know rants about the same thing. This is not all! Your own inner voice niggles you but you don’t know what to do. You’ve been on umpteen weight loss programs, but have never been able to stick to them What do you do? You need some inspiration, some motivation someone to goad you constantly. This article provides you with some inspiring tips that will help you stay on course and achieve … Continue reading Motivational Tips to Lose Weight

It’s just round the corner, the air is getting crisper and sharper, and the nip just isn’t in the bud! Winter is in the air and whether you like the cold or not, here are a few tips to help you modify your exercise routine to your advantage. Keeping warm while exercising The most important concern with exercising in the cold is hypothermia, or too much heat loss. Therefore, the primary factor to consider should be: preventing heat loss during exercise. Heat loss is affected by insulation within the body (the amount of fat), clothing and environmental factors such as … Continue reading Tips For Winter workouts

Have you been inspecting your belly lately and plotting against its elimination? Are you hiding the bulges on your thighs behind long flowing shirts and baggy pants? Conjuring up all sorts of plans to extinguish their existence, you are willing to go to any lengths – you’ve answered the ad for spot reduction, reducing “motapa” by Ayurvedic methods, tried and tasted shakes like it’s going out of style, but yet nothing’s happened. The truth is going to be bitter but here it is –nothing is going to happen! You’re not going to lose it until you move it. The role … Continue reading Battling with the Bulges

You think the discomfort will disappear once you deliver! Wait till they start wetting the bed just out of their nappies at two, asking you “why” every tenth of a second at four, bunking school at eight, breaking into puberty at 14 and begging you for the car at 18! Your life will be seamlessly intertwined with this life you have created, from the moment you hear your pregnancy test is positive. Considering all this, your pregnancy days should seem like a piece of cake. Although the roller coaster ride has just begun! The process of making a success of … Continue reading Pregnancy @ Work

Just as you nourished your baby with nutrients before birth, you continue to supply him with the food that is best suited to his needs after birth — breast-milk. During this period, you need to pay even closer attention to what you eat and drink to produce a good supply of milk for the baby and to ensure proper health for both the infant and yourself. A balanced diet during lactation would include the same kind of food as recommended during pregnancy but in slightly greater quantities. Concentrate on eating foods that give you: Energy: An additional 500 kcal energy … Continue reading Balanced Diet During Lactation

Eat to live and not live to eat. That, in a nutshell, should sum up your attitude to food and eating. Do you grab a bite whenever you have the urge to eat or forget to eat when you are too busy? Then it would be a good idea to think through these food rules to get the best out of your meals. 1. Eat regularly throughout the day including three main meals and at least two snacks. This will maintain your blood sugar levels at an optimum level throughout the day. If you miss meals, you will get low … Continue reading Your Diet During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, it’s important to hold yourself well and avoid strain on your back. This is easier said than done as the weight of the baby pulls you forwards and so there is a tendency to lean slightly backwards to compensate. This strains the muscles of the lower back and pelvis, especially towards the end of pregnancy. Protecting Your Back To avoid back trouble, it’s equally important to be aware of how you use your body when doing your daily activities such as gardening, lifting a child, or carrying heavy bags. The hormones of pregnancy stretch and soften the muscles … Continue reading Looking After Your Body

Now that you’ve had your baby, you need to think about getting back in shape. With some gentle exercising every day, your figure can return to normal again in as little as three month after birth, although your stomach muscles may not be as firm as before. You need to start slowly as your ligaments are still soft and stretchy and gradually increase the pace. Always stop if you feel pain or tiredness. It’s best to exercise little but often. If you have had a caesarian, you won’t be ready to start the exercises for your stomach muscles until much … Continue reading Exercising in Post Natal Days

While pregnant, you can do a number of exercises to stay in shape and help you with the birth process. These are specially designed for pregnancy and help in keeping the muscles and joints supple. You can start exercising anytime — as soon as your pregnancy is confirmed or even if you are in an advanced stage. It’ s never too late to say yes to exercising. A) The Pelvic Floor This is a hammock of muscles that supports the bowel, bladder and the womb. During pregnancy, the muscles go soft and stretchy, and this, together with the weight of … Continue reading Exercising During Pregnancy

You’re pregnant and worried about becoming ungainly. You want to continue with your workouts, but are worried that it may harm the baby. What should you do? Well, nobody said that being pregnant means that you can’t stay healthy and active and should stop exercising. What you need to do is exercise with care. You may find that you are getting tired easily and need more rest. This is probably because your circulatory and other systems have more work to do when you are pregnant. Hence, you should never exercise to the point of breathlessness. If you are out of … Continue reading Exercise with Caution

Are you a mom-to-be? Then you should know some basic but important things about the way you use the different parts of your body to move, to lift, to hold, and carry things. This is also referred to as body mechanics. Having proper body mechanics is important during pregnancy to help minimize discomforts as your body gets larger. Maintaining good posture is the first step towards achieving proper body mechanics. Good posture is essential throughout pregnancy as standing erect lessens backache, improves digestion and enhances body image. Even the way you hold your head influences the position of the rest … Continue reading Body Mechanics