Just remember that when you are on a ‘weight loss program’, you should limit your consumption of these grains as they tend to be high in carbs and high on the GFI. Keep it to no more than one portion a day…if you have bread, don’t have rice. Also keep the portion small. It’s a good idea to keep complex carbs such as grains, out of your diet altogether when you initially start your program…for the first two weeks, if you can manage it. Stick to simple carbs like veggies along with proteins. This will kick start your weight loss, putting it into high gear, and giving you the needed incentive to continue. Weight Loss Tip: Your body can properly absorb and assimilate fat when it is consumed along with fiber…good fiber. When you consume empty carbs such as white bread, which quickly turns to sugar, this interferes with your bodys’ ability to properly metabolize fat, eventually resulting in weight gain. f you are on a weight loss program and struggling with the carb issue…and the cravings that come up, I have good news for you. There are some healthy alternatives, that are also compatible with the Glycemic Food Index. If you’ve read my ‘thinking thin’ weight loss series of articles, you know that this index (GFI) is key in weight loss, but also in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

When thinking of healthy foods does brown rice or rice bran come to mind? It is common for us to have a list of favored healthy foods; our favorite fruits and vegetables; skinless white meat chicken; yogurt and low fat cheese. Then there is that list of foods that brown rice may be on. The list of foods one knows is healthy like brown rice or rice bran and maybe they’ll try it one day; or not. Healthy grains like brown rice or rice bran are usually on this list. Consciously, the choice is made for white rice instead of brown rice; processed baked goods instead of something with perhaps a healthy grain like rice bran on the ingredient list. We opt out of the chewy texture and nutty flavor of a natural whole grain item like brown rice; or the unexpected sweetness of a rice bran product? If you had a choice and were ordering take out, would you look on the menu for brown rice? Would you go out of your way to inquire if brown rice were available at your local Asian restaurant? I’m not talking about the fried rice that just happens to be brown from the cooking and seasoning process; I’m talking about unadulterated brown rice.

The purpose of physical exercise is not just to prove to ourselves that we are able to defy the aging process, look good, or prevent a heart attack. Exercise also enhances our capacity to digest food and eliminate physical and emotional impurities. Furthermore, it increases firmness and suppleness, as well as our ability to deal with stressful situations. The lymphatic system, especially, which drains toxic and noxious substances from the connective tissues of the organs and muscles, depends on the daily movement of all the parts of the body. Unlike the blood, which has a heart to circulate it around the body, the lymph fluid has no such direct pumping device to do the same. The lymphatic system heavily relies on the breathing mechanism and how well we use it. When the muscle responsible for the breathing action of the lungs (diaphragm) extends into the abdomen, it exerts great pressure on the intestinal lymph vessels, thereby squeezing their contents. This forces the lymph to move through the lymph ducts, such as the thoracic duct. Thus, each inhalation and exhalation acts as an indirect pump for the lymphatic system. Shallow breathing that results from a sedentary lifestyle (and intestinal congestion) has a detrimental effect on proper lymph drainage. Exercise can greatly improve lymphatic functions and thereby prevent a multitude of diseases.

In order for us to stay in good health, we need to reach a certain level of fitness and that means including regular exercise into our daily lives. Here we will be discussing how much exercise is required to stay healthy and why. There has been some changes in health recommendations for physical health and exercise. Before, it was recommended that we include at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, for example, brisk walking into our daily regime. However, more recently, there has been some modification to this and research has shown that it is more beneficial to include slightly higher impact exercise daily in order to achieve better fitness. Although the 30 minute walk over and above daily physical activities is a great start to becoming more fit and healthy, it is a good idea to really give the body a work out and get the heart into tip top shape. Athletes train hard every day and will have a resting heart rate of anything from 45 – 55 beats per minute, an average person will be around 70 beats per minute. This means the athlete has a more efficient heart and requires less beats to gain the required blood pumped around the body. This means that there is less strain on the heart.

Flexibility is another important reason for which children need to do workouts. Kids are normally flexible and they are adept in moving their bodies. However, doing some exercises will help them maintain that flexibility through their age. Just visualize how nice it will be to touch your toes without any discomfort. Hence, stretching exercises are equally important for children. Some of them include, tumbling, martial arts, gymnastics, yoga, simple stretches such as backward bending and sideways bending. Doing exercises is fun and more so because exercises release endorphins from our brain cells, which gives us a “feel good” sensation. Hence, exercise not only makes our body strong and healthy, but also elevates our mood and makes us happy. Your kids must go through a proper warm up schedule before starting to exercise. Doing this regularly for 40 minutes will help your kids to become healthy. Normally, they are more interested in group activities, hence that can also be encouraged. As has been said earlier, exercise not only helps the body, but also the mind. Thus, remember to make your kids indulge in regular exercise and see them growing up into fit and confident human beings. Playing basketball, swimming, jogging, skating, biking and rowing are some of the sports activities that can keep your kids healthy. Skipping, jumping Jack, hopscotch are some great exercises to make strong bones and muscles. Others include push ups, tug of war, pull ups, inline skating and running. All these exercises will help in making your kids healthy.