Even the slightest weight gain will prominently and primarily be noticed around your waist line or the belly area. So, if you are finding ways to lose belly fat, then there are factors beyond your food habits that you need to check. Some of them are as follows:
Reduce inactivity: The importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy lifestyle needs no explanation as it is widely known and a fact. Although certain abdominal exercises and crunches are widely considered as easy ways to lose belly fat, resistance training and aerobic exercises like walking, running, swimming, etc., have a holistic effect on the overall well-being along with aiding to lose belly fat.
Track your food intake and exercise: Consuming fewer calories than your body needs for weight maintenance is key. Keeping a food diary or using an online food tracker or app can help you monitor your calorie intake. This strategy has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss. In addition, food-tracking tools help you see your intake of protein, carbs, fiber, and micronutrients. Many also allow you to record your exercise and physical activity.
Take care of yourself during menopause: Accumulation of belly fat is extremely common during menopause due to the hormonal changes in the body. This weight gain is partly due to genetics but can be controlled by inculcating healthy habits with periodic medical checks and exercises.
Maintain good gut health: An imbalance in gut bacteria increases your chances of weight gain along with putting on abdominal fat. A rise in these bad bacteria inside the gut increases the number of calories that are absorbed from food. Hence, eat healthy and clean food always.
Reduce stress: Cortisol is a stress hormone that helps the body to control a stress response. With more stress, more cortisol is produced which increases the appetite leading to overeating and thereby promotes fat storage especially around the abdominal region. Stress relieving activities along with yoga or meditation can be an effective way to lose belly fat.
Get sufficient sleep: An average human being requires 7 to 8 hours of sleep to keep all his systems in good health. Along with memory-related issues, sleep deprivation is also indirectly linked to the production of cortisol or the stress hormone which causes weight gain. According to studies, people suffering from sleep apnea had more abdominal fat than those without the disorder.
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Lymph nodes, understanding the condition
Read moreThe lymph system forms a vital part of the overall body immune system. Lymph nodes forming part of this system have the important task of carrying the lymph fluids, nutrients and even waste material from the body tissues to the blood stream and back. These are small, glands which resemble the shape of beans and help carry the fluids throughout our body.
Swollen glands in neck, alternatively known as swollen lymph nodes refers to a condition which can be caused due to any injury, any infection or in severe cases due to the tumor which develops near the lymph nodes. Since the lymph nodes system is the body’s defense system against known diseases, swollen glands in the neck should be treated with immediate effect.
The most common causes of swollen glands include:
- Swelling in glands can be caused due to any infection or tumor which develops near vital organs in the lungs, breasts, neck or even in your abdomen. The glands above your collarbone may swell due to these areas being affected, a condition which targets the supraclavicular lymph nodes.
- An infection in the foot, legs, or genitals can cause a condition which leads to swollen glands commonly affecting the femoral or inguinal lymph nodes.
- Infection being the most common cause can also affect the axillary lymph nodes, which are found in your armpits.
Swollen glands in neck particularly exhibit the following symptoms:
- Generally, swollen glands in the neck are a common sign that your lymph system is not functioning properly. The first signs or symptoms of swollen glands in neck include tenderness and shooting pains in the lymph nodes.
- The swelling is quite noticeable since the size of the bulge resembles that of peas, or kidney beans or sometimes even larger.
- Respiratory infections which affect the swollen glands in the neck can cause a person to experience soreness in the throat, fever, runny nose among few other visible indicators.
- Night sweats are a noticeable indicator of swollen glands in the neck or other areas of the body, which can be caused due to severe conditions like a tumor or other immune disorders. Since the lymph system forms part of the immune system, it is only evident that your body’s ability to fight diseases is compromised due to developing lymph nodes.
The symptoms may be mild or severe, can be persistent or even chronic. Whatever the case may be, it is advisable to seek professional medical help as soon as the symptoms start showing up.
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Is couponing taking a toll on you
Read moreCouponing can be fantastic. The exhilaration of taking away lots for very little can drive you insane! Or, has it drained you, do you feel tired just maintaining and collecting coupons? Are you spending way too much time shopping and collecting coupons? Are you not seeing the savings you set out to make? Well you may have moved from couponing to extreme couponing. Extreme couponing takes more time and patience to see the rewards you seek. If the initial rush of Couponing has given way to exhaustion and depression. You have lost your way in the couponing maze. Here are a few methods to get back to enjoying couponing.
Set a goal: Couponers must understand why they want to coupon. More often than naught it is to save money or to live within a set budget. Couponers must understand what they require as against what is a great deal. After all you are shopping to stick to your goal, not the stores goal.
Impulse buying: Comparing coupons with greater deals as against to things you want at a lower discount is the worst thing to do. Stick on you goal and ensure that every coupon you use is for something you need.
Obsession: Spending too much time on collecting coupons and standing at checkout lines, will take away time from family and things that bring you happiness. It is easy to get drawn into all the savings to be had, remember the reason you are couponing and give it just that amount of time.
Savings goals: Create realistic savings goals while couponing. TV shows in recent past have created unrealistic savings goals in the mind of the couponer. Understand that you can have some savings if you hoard and coupon sensibly, but to expect savings in the thousands is foolhardy.
Hoarding: Hoarding coupons is a waste of time. Most coupons last between 10 days to a month. You will spend hours just arranging and organizing them. Hoard enough with bulk buying coupons, but keep an eye out for unnecessary purchases. After all, what will you do with a case of dental floss?
Letting go: The hardest thing for an couponer is to let go of a great deal. Yes, we all have been through it, stacking up our Catalinas for that thanksgiving turkey or for that salmon, but if it is going to take stepping through hoops of fire, it is time to ask yourself, is it really worth it? Great deals come and go and most coupon deals come back in a 6 to 10 week cycle. These deals will come back. Do not let a great deal drive you, drive sensible couponing towards sensible savings.