Keys to a Successful Vegan Diet

The key to a successful Vegan diet is eating a wide variety of Vegan friendly foods to make sure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need. You can always take supplements for any that might be missing in your diet. Vitamin D is one that is more difficult to find in vegan foods but the answer is quite simple provided you are not a pale skinned goth hiding out in their parent’s basement. That’s right, all it takes is some sunlight to get your vitamin D and it only takes about thirty minutes a day in the sun to get your recommended daily allowance. Most people, regardless of their diet or lifestyle choice do not get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet. A Vegan diet will give you more energy as you will have no choice but to eat healthy foods and you will have an overall sense of well-being knowing you are not contributing to the mindless slaughter of innocent animals. It’s a win, win situation for all parties involved.

Vegan Diet – Check Your Labels

Another key to a Vegan diet is checking labels when you buy foods. You don’t necessarily have to go out of your way to find a natural food store, though it sure does help in the selection process, and you can find the right foods at your local grocery store as more and more stores are offering organic foods, or you can get what you need at your farmer’s market. If you are buying canned beans for example, as regular beans take so long to cook, just make sure to check the labels as many canned food items may contain animal lard or byproducts in them. Check online and you can find great vegan recipes, and there are so many available that you can have a new experience every time you eat. Remember most spices are safe for vegan diets to add all the flavor you want. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, raw or cooked, check your labels, and make sure you are not using any animal products or byproducts in your personal life.

Did your mum tell you to eat your broccoli when you were young? Chances are you were more focused on eating sweets and only ate your broccoli so she’d let you have some dessert. These days you’re all the wiser because you understand the health benefits of this green, crunchy vegetable.

But there’s one fact about broccoli and other members of the cruciferous vegetable family that you may not be aware of. These ultra-healthy veggies contain natural compounds that could help you shed body fat and improve your health overall.

It makes sense that eating cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale would help with weight loss since they’re low-calorie foods. After all, if you fill up on low-calorie vegetables, you’ll have less room for a high-calorie bowl of mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream. But scientists from Taiwan think this group of veggies has weight loss benefits that go beyond simply being low in calories – and that’s good news if you’re watching your waistline.

Why cruciferous vegetables help weight loss

What are these natural compounds that make cruciferous vegetables like broccoli such good weight loss foods? Cruciferous vegetables are a good source of a unique chemical called indole-3-carbinol. Researchers from Taiwan discovered when they gave mice genetically bred to be obese a diet rich in indole-3-carbinol, it lowered their body weight and reduced their blood sugar and insulin levels. As an added bonus, it reduced inflammation in these mice.

Why is this important? Obesity is a disease marked by inflammation. Research shows that inflammation plays a role in obesity, and obese people produce higher levels of inflammatory markers. These rogue inflammatory markers not only boost the amount of fat they carry on their tummies but increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. So, it’s not surprising that indole-3-carbinol could lower body weight by reducing inflammation. Reducing inflammation by eating cruciferous vegetables would have the added benefit of reducing the risk of chronic diseases linked with inflammation such as heart disease.

Other benefits of eating cruciferous vegetables

The indole-3-carbinol that comes from eating cruciferous vegetables also has positive effects on the breakdown of estrogen by converting estrogen from a more potent form that increases the risk of breast cancer to a less potent one. This may explain why cruciferous vegetables are protective against breast cancer. Other studies suggest that indole-3-carbinol may protect against other types of cancer as well.

Eating broccoli and weight loss: why it works

At only 27 calories per half-cup, you can’t go wrong eating broccoli if you’re trying to lose weight. Other cruciferous vegetables that contain indole-3-carbinol include cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and collard greens. All of these veggies are low in calories, rich in antioxidants and have lots of heart-healthy fiber. The key to maximizing their weight-loss benefits is not to cook them in butter or heavy sauces. Lightly sautee them in olive oil – or lightly steam and season them with spices for a low-calorie side-dish.

Improve your health and waistline by eating more broccoli

Whether indole-3-carbinol causes weight loss in humans by reducing inflammation as it does in mice is a topic for further research, but there’s little doubt that eating cruciferous vegetables is part of a healthy weight loss plan. Eat them in place of starchier foods such as potatoes and white rice and you’ll take in fewer calories. Plus, you’ll keep your insulin levels more stable – all favorable when it comes to weight loss.

It’s possible that these green, crunchy vegetables have benefits that go beyond being low in calories when it comes to warding off obesity. But don’t forget about other cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, arugula, watercress, bok choy and radishes. So, now there’s even more reason to get your “five-a-day”. Do it for your health, your well-being and your waistline.

I’ve noticed many websites work with an incomplete or inaccurate definition for what is gluten. We tend to refer to it as a protein when it actually is a composite of different proteins. To really understand why a gluten-free diet is so restrictive you need to understand what really defines gluten.

So What Is Gluten Exactly?

It is a composite of four types of proteins: prolamins, glutelins, albumins and globulins. These are plant storage proteins. Albumin and globulins are common in may grains, including grains acceptable on a gluten-free diet, such as corn and rice.

Prolamins and glutenins are the real culprit when it comes to gluten intolerance. They exist in the cereal grains or grassy grains related to wheat, such as barley, rye, spelt, kamut and triticale. In these grains, the prolamins and glutelins make up as much as eighty percent of the protein composite that constitutes gluten.

The two specific proteins in wheat are gliadin (the prolamin) and glutenin (the glutelin). The most common blood test for celiac disease actually looks for anti-gliadin antibodies in your bloodstream.

When gliadin and glutenin cross-link, they create the stretchy, elastic quality we have come to know well in gluten-containing foods.

What Foods Contain Gluten?

This unique protein composite is used in a surprising number of foods. If you think going gluten-free just means avoiding bread and baked goods, I’m afraid you are sorely mistaken. Wheat starches, which contain gluten, and gluten itself are used as food additives, flavor enhancers and product fillers for a disturbingly broad range of products.

Seasonings such as curries, sauces such as soy sauce and barbecue sauce frequently hide sources of gluten in them. Vitamins and supplements sometimes have gluten in them as a binder or filler. Flavor enhancer ingredients such as hyrolyzed protein or autolyzed yeast extract may have this harmful protein composite in them.

What Is Gluten Free?

So then the question becomes, how do you avoid gluten if it is so pervasive and insidious in our food industry? The first step is to try to avoid packaged foods and eat natural foods you prepare yourself. Hidden sources of gluten are often found in pre-made or packaged foods, so if you want complete control of your diet and your health you will need to take on more cooking and food preparation.

For gluten-free replacement of common gluten-containing foods, look to flour made from rice, corn, nuts, quinoa and soy and supplemented with a gum such as xanthan gum or guar gum.

Is fat the enemy to weight loss? Do you know the different types of fat out there? Next time you are doing your grocery shopping pay attention to how many supposedly healthy fat-free or low-fat options are available for purchase. Products such as low-fat ice cream, cakes, chips, biscuits and lollies are all on offer.

Have these supposed better options helped the obesity problem in our society? No! So why are they so popular? Because when people are eating them, they don’t feel guilty. They can justify it in their heads that it’s a healthy option, because the packaging or the fancy TV commercial says so. WRONG!

The Truth About Fat

Let’s get one thing clear, eating fat doesn’t make you fat. Eating calories in excessive of what you body needs makes you fat. The problem with fat is that it is so calorie dense. A gram of fat equals 9 calories, whereas a gram of protein or carbohydrate on equals 5. That’s nearly twice the amount of calories!

It is therefor easy to see how you can reach you daily calorie limit when you eat a diet high in fat.

Don’t get me wrong, fats are a vital part of you diet, as your body requires them for many functions including but not limited to energy production, helping you manage your moods, fighting fatigue, protection of your organs and even help you control your weight.

The problem is most people eat too much fat. The reason for this varies from person to person, but essentially fat tastes good, it gives food texture and using fat when preparing food can speed up the cooking process, think deep fried vs baking.

If you are eating a balanced diet, you will not need to concentrate on adding fat to your diet. Focusing on the good food in your diet, will result in you consuming enough good fats.

The key to weight loss isn’t cutting out fat, learning to replace bad fats with good ones, by making smart eating choices.

Myths and Facts about the Different Types of Fat

Myth: All fats are bad for you.

Fact: You should avoid bad fats such as saturated and trans fats but monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are actually good for you.

Myth: Lowering the amount of fat you eat is the most important thing when trying to lose weight.

Fact: A calorie deficit is the most important factor when trying to lose weight. The types of fat that you eat is also a consideration, but without a calorie deficit you WILL NOT lose weight.

Myth: Fat-free or Low Fat means healthy.

Fact: Most fat-free or low-fat products should also be labelled “High in Sugar” “Loaded with Refined Carbs” and “High in Calories”. A “fat-free” label doesn’t allow you to eat something on the premise that it is healthy.

I have seen marshmallows labelled as low-fat, does that make it a healthy eating option? No way!

The battle of Good vs Bad Fats

Que ‘Bruce Buffer’

“Introducing first, fighting out of the good corner hailing from avocado, nuts and olive oil is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Their opponent fighting out of the bad corner hailing from butter, ice cream and fried foods is saturated and trans fats.”

Sorry for the bad intro, but I’m a UFC tragic. Jokes aside fats can be broken up into four major types. You need to have an understanding of these types to help you in making healthy food choices.

• monounsaturated fats
• polyunsaturated fats
• saturated fats
• trans fats

Basically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good fats, as they improve your overall health and are good for you heart and cholesterol. Good fats are vital for good health and well-being.

Some sources of good fats are:

• Olive oil
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil
• Avocados
• Olives
• Nuts
• Peanut butter
• Walnuts
• Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds
• Flaxseed
• Fish
• Soymilk
• Tofu

Saturated fats and trans fat are bad fats, because they are bad for your health. Bad fats WILL raise your cholesterol levels and WILL increase your risk of heart disease.

Some sources of bad fats are:

• High-fat cuts of meat
• Chicken skin
• Full cream dairy products
• Butter and margarine
• Cheese
• Ice cream
• Pastries such as biscuits, doughnuts, cake and muffins
• Packaged snack foods such as chips and crackers
• Fried and fast food
• Chocolate bars

It’s pretty obvious from looking at the above lists to spot the difference between the good and bad fats. But how can you tell the difference between good and bad fats when they are in their raw form.

Well, appearance wise, good fats at room temperature will remain liquid, think of olive oil.

Bad fats will tend to be solid, think of the fat that you trim off a steak while you are eating. What happens to the fat when you leave it on your plate after you have finished eating? It turns solid at room temperature.

Ways to eliminate bad fat

• Pick lean cuts or trim the fat off meat such as beef, pork or lamb prior to cooking
• Eat more fish and skinless chicken
• When cooking food bake or grill instead of frying
• Avoid fast and deep fried foods
• Avoid baked products, such as biscuits and pastries
• Choose low-fat dairy products
• Use liquid olive oil or canola oil instead of lard

Ways to Increase you Consumption of good fat

• Use olive oil when cooking as a substitute for butter, margarine or lard.
• Eat more avocados. Try using it as an alternative to butter on your sandwiches.
• Snack on nuts.
• Snack on olives or add them to salads.
• Dress your own salad. Don’t use packaged salad dressing, they are usually full of fat or sugar. Mrs Niko makes an awesome dressing using olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard. Just Google healthy salad dressing for some great ideas.

The simple message is when trying to lose weight or improve your general health don’t become obsessed with your fat consumption. You just need to have an understanding of the different types of fat.

The bottom line is you can eat fat and lose weight, in fact you good fats are vital for your health. Remember the key to weight loss is a calorie deficit. You could almost totally eliminate fat from your diet, but still be in a calorie surplus, which will result in weight gain.

Carbohydrates have come to be generally considered as one of the main reasons why people easily add on unhealthy body weight. While there is a great deal of truth about the effect of high carbohydrate intake on body weight management, it is however also important to understand why and how carbohydrates have come to be thus vilified. Understanding the glycemic index would be one very good place to start.

The glycemic index (also commonly referred to as GI) is basically a numeric scale that shows how fast a carbohydrate-containing food is able to increase an individual’s blood sugar level. It serves as an indication of how rapidly specific carbohydrate-containing foods are absorbed into the bloodstream to cause an increase in blood sugar level.

Although carbohydrates are not considered as essential nutrients, they however serve as the body’s primary source of energy. Ingested carbohydrates are mostly digested and absorbed in the small intestines where the secretion of key digestive enzymes takes place. They are subsequently transported the liver where they are converted into glucose before being released into the bloodstream.

The glucose resulting from the metabolism of carbohydrate is used in three different ways. First, the glucose is immediately sent to the organs that need energy which converts the glucose into adenosine triphosphate (or ATP, the fundamental unit of energy). Secondly, they are converted into glycogen for storage in both liver and muscle cells and lastly, when in excess, glucose is converted to and stored as fat in fat cells (adipose tissues) of the body.

Notwithstanding the important role carbohydrate plays, the amount and rate of release of glucose into the bloodstream can have certain undesirable effects on an individual’s general health and weight loss ability. This is closely tied to the relationship between glucose and insulin.

Insulin is usually produced by specialized cells in the pancreas and secreted into the bloodstream to help the body use and store the glucose produced during the metabolism of carbohydrate-containing foods. Insulin’s main function is to help the body maintain a normal glucose level (also referred to as blood sugar level) in the bloodstream. When glucose is too much in the bloodstream, insulin initiates the storage of the excess glucose as fat in fat tissues.

The body usually produces more insulin in order to counter any increase in blood sugar level caused by the consumption of easily digestible and absorbable carbohydrate-containing foods. Amongst other health conditions, too much insulin in the bloodstream can lead to the storage of excess body fat especially around the stomach and thigh areas, make the body to become insulin resistant, and can also result in diabetes mellitus.

An understanding of the glycemic index therefore becomes important to help individuals understand the particular carbohydrate-containing foods to eat and those to reduce or eliminate their consumption.

It is in this quest that researchers developed the concept of the Glycemic Index (GI) to help in better determining the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream. The glycemic index is fundamentally a numerical scale that tells us specifically how rapidly a carbohydrate-containing food is absorbed into the bloodstream to increase blood sugar level.

A carbohydrate food is said to have a high glycemic index if it is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and leads to a rapid rise in blood sugar level while it has a low glycemic index if it is more slowly absorbed into the bloodstream and causes little or no increase in blood sugar level.

Given the fact that all carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and it serves as the body’s primary energy fuel, it is therefore used a benchmark and given a value of 100. All other carbohydrate-containing foods are subsequently rated on a numerical scale of 1-99 relative to glucose.

Foods that have a GI value ranging from 70-99 are said to have a high glycemic index. While foods that have a moderate GI have values ranging from 56-69, those foods with GI values below 55 are however considered low GI foods.

A study conducted by Harvard researchers, Simin Liu and Walter Willet on the dietary habits and health of over 75,000 nurses for a 10-year period concluded that consumption of high GI foods resulted in a double risk of having heart diseases and 40 percent more risk of having diabetes.

Besides the initial use of the GI to help prevent “sugar crashes” and to maintain steady insulin levels, it has also become a very useful tool in helping individuals achieve natural weight loss.

Proper utilization of the GI to make wise food choices allow dieters to consume better carbohydrates that keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable. These choices can also help in selecting foods that keeps dieters feeling fuller and more satisfied for a longer period of time which consequently assist in reducing overall daily calorie consumption.

The GI’s usefulness in helping individuals achieve their weight loss goals comes from providing the requisite information that allows them to make better carbohydrate-containing food choices especially in choosing carbohydrates that come from the lower end of the GI scale.

Although choosing to eat low glycemic index foods will help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, it is also important to realize that the portion size of the meal itself and the carbohydrate-density of the foods can equally promote weight gain and disease.

Scientists are hoping the state of the art unit will help them to explore how food, exercise, medication and sleep all impact weight.

While they agree it’s all well and good to advise people to eat less or exercise more, that message obviously isn’t getting through. Science needs to know more about what’s going on in order to help people.

We do know that almost a third of U.S. adults and about 17% of children and teens are considered obese. Over the last two decades there’s been a dramatic increase in the numbers of obese in this country. Obesity is now on the rise throughout the rest of the world, even in low and middle-income nations, and has long been linked with some of the most serious health problems.

The two linked units the researchers use in the “flab lab” allow monitoring of movement, breathing, what subjects eat and excrete. They come complete with a fold down bed, a toilet and sink, and a desk with a computer.

Volunteers can work, surf the net or watch TV programs or movies during their stay. Hatches have been built into the door and walls so food can be delivered, blood tests can be run, and equipment can be hooked up without impacting the atmospheric bubble in the unit.

One of the first experiments the researchers ran involved the eating speed, how it might change hunger levels and the rate the energy is burned off.

Participants in the study will spend three days in one of the whole body calorimeters in the lab… an air locked compartment that can make some very precise calculations about how much energy is burned.

On the first day of the experiment, participants ate lunch in ten minutes, for the second day they’re instructed to make lunch last 20 minutes, then on the last day they’re allowed 40 minutes to eat their mid-day meal. Researchers control the speed of consumption by dividing foods into individual portions and delivering them to the subjects 5-minutes apart.

At the close of each day, appetite levels are monitored by participants being offered a wide selection of food and told to eat whatever they want. Study participants report the time in the sealed unit is confining but not boring. Eating more slowly seemed to increase one’s appreciation for taste, but the final results of the experiment won’t be available for several months yet.

Other research out of Japan has suggested that eating slowly might just limited the appetite and reduce the risk of diabetes. The folks at the flab lab want to see if they can duplicate these findings under more carefully controlled conditions. Gaining even a small measure of understanding about obesity could prove useful as more and more adults (and children) are becoming obese.

FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports – For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from the Daily Health Bulletin. Click through now to discover more of the benefits from eating slowly on weight loss and digestion.

With sedentary lifestyles becoming more and more prevalent all over the world, we have already crossed the point where those concepts are no longer so absurd. As a matter of fact, many who maintain busy lifestyles may find it difficult, if not impossible to maintain the right amounts of nutrition and fitness without those things. The healthy diet and fitness that characterized past generations has ironically become harder to achieve as incomes rise.

A healthy diet and fitness are now much harder for many urban dwellers to reliably maintain thanks to a combination of factors, including and not limited to the easy availability of low nutrition, high calorie food and the prevalence of lifestyles that do not require too much physical activity. A fat farm may not necessarily be the easiest way to nutrition and fitness, but for many it can be the most reliable solution.

Weight loss boot camps offer facilities that make it possible to reach your fitness goals in a well-managed, and safe fashion. A good fitness boot camp will not only help you reach your goals, but also educate you on how to keep fit even after you’ve finished their programs. These boot camps make it possible to develop the proper habits that aid in fitness and nutrition goals in your daily life so that you won’t have to come back to them in the future.

Are these fit farms really worth it? It depends. These camps could help you lose weight in the short term, sure. But it’s much more important to consider what will happen in the long run. A lot of fitness camp graduates go back to their old weights. Losing weight is one thing, keeping it off is a whole different thing. Post-camp lifestyle changes are absolutely necessary if you want to maintain any results you’ve gained from these fitness camps.

It simply doesn’t make any sense to expect these fitness camps to do everything for you if you don’t change the things that made you go to them in the first place. Keeping the same unhealthy lifestyle that made you enroll in a fitness boot camp will only result in eventual disappointment. Indeed, some people might even choose to blame their fitness programs if they gain back the weight they lost.

The truth is, not everyone has the right amount of willpower or the right attitude to keep fit after they enroll in these programs. It can also be hard to change your busy schedule just to stay healthy.

The key to keeping your long term fitness goals is to keep motivated. Never give up! Learn how to stay motivated, and you’ve already got the hardest part out of the way.

FitFarms are fit camps based in the UK and the Middle East. FitFarms have been awarded No. 1 Weight Loss Camp by Virgin in the UK.

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Sugar is composed of glucose and fructose. Glucose is good for us; our cells use it to produce energy, and it is vital for some parts of our bodies. Fructose, on the other hand, is toxic.

Here we show you 10 reasons why fructose is so bad for you and why it is banned from the Paleo diet plan:

1.  The liver is the only organ that can metabolize fructose, and your cells can’t use it to produce energy. In other words, it is of no use to the body, and it can become toxic, since the liver’s job is to get rid of it by turning it into fat and sending it out to your fat cells.

2.  Too much fructose can harm the liver and produce resistance to insulin and fatty liver disease. It produces the same effects as alcohol.

3.  Fructose responds to proteins and polyunsaturated fats seven times more than glucose, creating advanced glycation end products. These produce oxidation damage in our cells, play a part on inflammation and in the appearance of chronic diseases.

4.  Fructose boosts the production of uric acid, which can produce gout, kidney stones, and lead to, or worsen, hypertension.

5.  The bacteria in our gut uses fructose as a source of energy, and too much of it can produce an imbalance of gut flora, an overgrowth of bacteria, and the development of pathogenic bacteria.

6.  To some extent because of the harm it causes the liver, a regular excess of fructose produces dyslipidemia, this is, your blood lipid markers are likely to change to numbers that point to the danger of heart disease.

7.  At a very fast pace, fructose causes leptin resistance. This is a hormone that is in charge of appetite and metabolism and helps keep a normal weight. When a person becomes leptin resistant, he has a tendency to gain fat and turn obese very quickly.

8.  Just by consuming too much fructose you are at high risk of suffering all of the metabolic syndrome health issues. Some of these are:

    Diabetes

    Obesity

    Heart disease

9.  Fructose is a great source of energy for cancer cells to flourish and multiply.

10. Too much fructose impairs the functioning of the brain, particularly when talking about the control of appetite, and some research with rats has also shown that it negatively affects memory.

Wendy Jones is a freelance writer who loves coming up with new paleo diet recipes.

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Almost everybody has tried working out on exercise bike at some point or another. Recumbent technology takes things one step further to offer you a workout that won’t put unnecessary strain on your body. You get less stress on your joints and muscles than you would if you were jogging, and it’s definitely better on your back than a regular exercise bike. The Schwinn 220 offers an extremely comfortable work out while being able to get your heart rate up at the same time. You’ll appreciate the ability to go at your own pace and don’t be surprised if your overall endurance level improves dramatically within just a few weeks.

Assembly for this machine is relatively easy since there aren’t a lot of loose bits and pieces. Just follow the instructions carefully and you’ll be ready to go in about half an hour. You should also take the time to read through the included instruction book and training guide so that you get full use from this model. On the surface it might seem like a simple exercise bike but there is actually a lot of variety included in the package. You can choose from 16 different resistance levels so that you can find your most comfortable starting point. There are also 12 separate workout programs that will allow you to focus on different types of workouts. You can create profiles and track information while you work out in order to fine-tune your approach. You can also take personal fitness tests and record information related to calories burned, heart rate, and distance pedaled. All of this means you can make your workout routine as simple or complicated as you like as these options cater to both rookies and veterans alike.

In addition to being user-friendly, the Schwinn 220 is also one of the most practical recumbent exercise bikes on the market. It has a comfortable seat and solid footholds that will ensure a smooth workout with maximum results. You’ll enjoy being able to set up this bike in front of your big screen TV or being able to read using the attached magazine rack. It’s as close to getting a workout from sitting on your couch as you can get, and it’s quite portable as well. It can either serve as the centerpiece of your home gym or you can easily store it in a closet until you’re ready to tackle a new fast weight loss program. Overall, this is a quality addition to any existing home gym or the perfect way to start one off.

This article comes from rabbitsadvice.com, a site that offers helpful tips for healthy eating, fast weight loss, and general exercise.

Given that this is the case, you’re going to need to put a lot of thought into how you can maintain your weight without skipping out on your workload. Here a few tips to get you started;

Exercise Before Work

If your job doesn’t require you to walk any further than from your desk to the water cooler and back again a couple of times a day, it’s unlikely that, unless you are putting in the effort after hours, you’ll get anywhere making 10,000 steps during your working day, which is the figure health experts frequently say we should aim for.

‘No problem’ you may be thinking ‘I’ll just go for a run after work’. However, studies have shown that we are (even) more likely to shirk from our planned workout schedule when we are stressed. Obviously, unless you end up getting a nice raise or landing a promotion, you are more likely to be stressed after a day of work than before you get into the office.

Not only is exercising in the morning easier to make time for, it’s actually better for you. It kick starts your metabolism, meaning that, from that point onwards, you are burning more calories than you would otherwise, and the effect can sometimes last all day.

Make Time for Lunch

This may sound counter intuitive, indeed, you might think that the less time you spend eating in the day, the less likely you are to pile on the pounds. However, numerous studies have shown that this isn’t the case. In fact, hurrying through meals is very much linked with a tendency to over eat.

Why should this be so? We’ll, if you’re swamped with work and you only have time to wolf down a couple of sandwiches whilst desperately trying to get that last minute report filed, your brain won’t be able to keep up, meaning you’ll over eat before you even get a chance to feel full.

The slower you eat, the more satisfied you’ll feel, so, if you can set aside 20-30 minutes to eat, there’s less chance you’ll over do it, or indulge in snacking later on.

Resist Sugary Motivational Tools

It’s one of the most consistent features to be found in any generic workplace; a near constant supply of sugary snacks supplied to keep morale up. Candy, chocolate, baked goods are all commonly used for this purpose. And this is before you factor in the endless cycle of employees’ birthdays and the inevitable accompanying cake ceremonies…

Dealing with this can be tricky. You don’t want to offend people by not eating their offerings when they’ve taken the time to bring them in for everybody. However, it’s important not to over indulge in treats, especially if your not even hungry or aren’t particularly fond of the treat on offer. If you are, have a little, then take the rest of your portion and wrap it up for later. Simple!

Susan Trafford has lots of experience of the modern day working environments and many other employment issues. She writes about everything from career choices to job interview tips.