diss satisfied with your weight

Your weight Expert advice to help you maintain a healthy weight

Dissatisfied with your weight?
We're bombarded with scare stories about weight, from size zero to the obesity 'epidemic'. But a healthy weight is determined by different factors for each of us. Our expert advice is designed to help you achieve and maintain a healthy, life-enhancing weight.

Overweight or underweight?
Being the right weight has a positive effect on wellbeing but also on our health, as being the wrong weight can cause a range of medical problems.

When you eat, the food's journey through the body is governed by the digestive system.

What is digestion?
Digestion is the process of breaking down food so that it's small enough to be absorbed and used by the body for energy or in other bodily functions.

Digestion involves a number of different stages. The first phase is known as the cephalic (head) phase. It starts before food has even entered your mouth. The sight, smell, taste or even the thought of food will activate saliva in the mouth as well as digestive juices, which contain enzymes to break down food.

In the mouth
Once food is in the mouth, the tastebuds begin determining the chemicals within the food via their nerve endings, in order to give you the taste sensations of salt, sweet, sour or bitter. As your teeth chew and grind the food, breaking it down, it's mixed with saliva. This comprises many enzymes including salivary amylase, which begins to break down the long chains of starch found in foods such as bread, cereals, potatoes and pasta. Saliva also contains mucin, which moistens the food so it can pass easily through the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract.

The oesophagus
After the food has been swallowed, it's carried down the oesophagus (a muscular tube) towards the stomach. The oesophagus can contract and relax in order to propel the food onwards, and each mouthful of food takes about six seconds to reach the stomach once swallowed.

The stomach
The stomach is a sack made of muscle and, when it's empty, it has a volume of only 50ml but this can expand to hold up to 1.5 litres or more after a meal. The walls of the stomach are made of three different layers of muscle that allow it to churn food around and make sure it's mixed with the stomach's acidic digestive juices. The presence of hydrochloric acid in the stomach prevents the action of salivary amylase and helps to kill bacteria that might be present. The stomach also produces the enzyme pepsin, which breaks down proteins (mostly found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products).

The hormone ghrelin is produced by cells lining the stomach. Ghrelin stimulates hunger and tends to increase before a meal and decrease after eating. This hormone forms part of the communication system between the gut and the part of the brain that controls hunger and satiety (how full you feel).

Food can stay in the stomach for a few minutes or several hours in the gastric phase where numerous acids and enzymes are released, including the hormone gastrin. When the food has been churned into a creamy mixture known as chyme, the pyloric sphincter (an opening controlled by muscle) opens and chyme passes gradually into the small intestine.

Prebiotics
These are mainly indigestible carbohydrates called oligosaccharides. On reaching the large intestine, they selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial microorganisms already in the colon, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.

The small intestine
About 3ml of chyme is squirted into the small intestine at short intervals as the pyloric sphincter opens. This is known as the intestinal phase and causes the secretion of many hormones, which all aid the digestive process. The sphincter is designed to open partially so that large particles are kept in the stomach for further mixing and breaking down.

Digestion and absorption of fats, protein and carbohydrates occurs in the small intestine. Three important organs are involved:

The gall bladder provides bile salts that help to make fats easier to absorb.
The pancreas provides bicarbonate to neutralise the acidic chyme from the stomach, and also produces further digestive enzymes.

The intestinal wall contains cells that make up the wall of the small intestine. These cells help to neutralise the acid and also produce enzymes to digest food.

The inner surface of the small intestine is folded into finger-like structures called villi, which greatly increase the surface area available for absorption - in fact the surface area of the villi is equivalent to that of a tennis court! Blood vessels receive the digested food from the villi where it's then transported through the blood stream to the liver via the hepatic portal vein.

Fat can take much longer to be broken down, with the process of fat digestion and absorption taking between three and five hours.

The unabsorbed residue of this process finally reaches the end of the small intestine and enters the large intestine.

Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria similar to the bacterial micro-organisms that live in the large intestine. They are often referred to as 'friendly bacteria', and come from food sources or dietary supplements. The mix of these 'friendly' bacteria and other gut microorganisms is important for good health, and many factors can alter this delicate balance, such as infection or use of antibiotics. Friendly bacteria are vital for proper development of the immune system, to protect against micro-organisms that could cause disease, and to aid the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients.

The large intestine
This is one of the most metabolically active organs in the body. It measures about 1.5 metres and contains over 400 different species of bacteria that break down and utilise the undigested residues of our food, mostly dietary fibres. As the watery contents move along the large intestine, water is absorbed and the final product - faeces - is formed, which is stored in the rectum before excretion from the body.

to clear skin

Hundreds of medications, treatments, cleansers and cosmetics are available for people with acne, but the most important elements of an acne-fighting program won’t cost you a cent.

1. Nourish your skin by eating a healthy and balanced diet.

Most health care specialists agree that a healthy diet will benefit your skin. Cut down on caffeine, sugar and refined carbohydrates, all of which can activate the hormones that tell your sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Add more fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, juices and other healthy treats to your daily diet, and you’ll see in improvement in your skin.

2. Drink lots of water to maintain the skin's elasticity.

Plenty of water is essential to the health of your skin. One of the main activities of the body’s self-healing system is to filter the blood, a job performed mostly by the kidneys, with help from the skin in the form of perspiration. This self-healing system removes the toxic wastes of metabolizing food and of other harmful substances that get into our bodies one way or another.

This purification system operates efficiently only if the volume of water flowing through it is sufficient to carry away the wastes. 6 to 8 glasses (64 fluid ounces) of water a day is the recommendation. To reach your quota, carry bottled water with you in your car, your purse, your briefcase—wherever you go.

Get the water habit, and your skin will thank you for it.

3. Exercise regularly for good circulation.

Get into a regular routine of exercise. Do it for at least half an hour, five days a week. Exercise improves your blood circulation, helping your body clear toxins from your system, including your skin. Better circulation also increases the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your skin. Exercise also relieves stress, which is a common cause of acne flare-ups. Last but not least, exercise releases endorphins, the "feel good" substance in your brain that puts a smile on your face—the best beauty secret of all.

4. Cleanse your face—then tone, moisturize, and exfoliate.

At night
* First remove your makeup with an oil-free makeup remover and a cotton ball.
* Then wash your face with lukewarm water and an oil-free, non-comedogenic (doesn’t block pores) cleanser.
* Pat (don’t rub) it dry with a soft towel.
* And apply an oil-free moisturizer.

In the morning
* Wash your face as directed above, then use an alcohol-free toner.
* Next apply moisturizer.
* Then apply makeup—all oil-free and non-comedogenic.

Once or twice a week use an exfoliator with alpha hydroxy acid or glycolic acid. This will aid in the shedding of dead skin cells, the “food” for the bacteria that cause pimples.

If you exercise during the day, you’ll need to wash your face a third time, immediately afterward.

5. Protect your skin from the sun and harsh weather.

One popular myth about acne is that tanning will clear it. It may seem so at first, but soon you will notice that your tanned skin becomes less pliable, making it less able to shed oil and dead skin cells, which clog your pores. Your acne will become worse, not better.

Always wear sun block with at least an SPF-15 UVA & UVB rating. If you’ll be outside in the sun for long, wear a wide-brimmed hat.

6. Get plenty of good-quality rest.

Your immune system requires energy to do its work, including the work of protecting your skin from acne. The deep sleep the brain needs for “recharging” comes several hours into the sleep cycle. That’s why a few hours here and there won’t do. Most people need at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Consider it beauty sleep.

If you make these 6 items part of your daily routine, you’ll look better, feel better, and have less need of expensive acne treatments and cosmetics.

dont skip break fast

Don't skip breakfast. You will lose weight more quickly if you have a bite to eat in the morning.
Drink hot water with lemon
Eat hot meals rather than cold. Your metabolism speeds up very slightly when you eat and again if the food is hot.
Do at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise, five days a week. This will condition you to burn fat more efficiently.
Don't deprive your body of carbohydrates, no matter what they say.
You need carbs for energy and will feel terrible without them.
Wear a pedometer and see that you take 1,000 steps every day.
If you have a sit-down job, get up every hour and walk around for five minutes or so.

loose belly fat fast

1. Keep a note of everything that you eat and drink. You do not need to estimate calories. Just write down what it was that you had and the approximate quantity. You will find that being more aware of what you are eating helps you to plan healthy meals and snacks.

2. Halve your intake of all pure or added fats. This means using half as much butter or spread on your bread, toast, muffins and potatoes; half the usual amount of mayonnaise or sauce on your salad; and half the oil in the frypan every time.

3. Limit treats containing sugar to three times per week. This includes chocolate, ice cream, desserts, cake, pastries, cookies, etc.

4. Include a lower fat source of protein at most meals: chicken, fish, beans, cottage cheese, or low fat yogurt. Have eggs, nuts and red meat occasionally but not every day.

5. Plan at least one lunch and dinner every week without meat or cheese. Build those meals around whole grains, vegetables and beans to increase fiber and reduce fat.

6. Reduce the fat content in your milk products. If you are currently drinking whole milk, reduce to 2% fat. From 2% reduce to 1%. Choose lower fat cheese and yogurt. When you buy yogurt, also check that it does not contain sugar.

7. Have at least two servings of fruit every day. This can be for dessert or snacks. Choose fruit that is in season.

8. Drink water instead of sodas, juices, milky drinks or alcohol. Avoid diet soda - the sweet taste only encourages you to crave sugar. Hot water with a slice of lemon can be very refreshing in the morning.

9. Include at least two servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner. If you are getting hungry, have more.

10. Eat slowly. The body is slow to register when you are full and it is easy to eat too much if you are racing through your meals.

11. Grated carrot makes a great snack. You will find that a grated carrot is much more filling than a whole carrot. Strange but true.

12. Use whole grains wherever possible. The fiber will give you a fuller feeling and also help your digestion.

13. Choose food that you can chew. Again this will increase your fiber intake, and the act of chewing will make you feel more satisfied too. This means eating fruit instead of drinking juice. If you have soup, make sure it is chunky.

14. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Plan your shopping too - make a list of what you need and stick to it. If you just grab something when you are feeling hungry, you will probably choose high calorie food.

15. Always switch off the TV when you eat. That includes snacks as well as meals. Studies have proved that we eat larger portions in front of the TV, probably because we are much less aware of what we are eating. When you eat, only eat if you want to lose belly fat fast.