Showing posts with label lose weight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lose weight. Show all posts

Why I Drink Coffee

Posted by : foongpc | Sunday, September 11, 2011 | Published in , ,

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To be honest, I am not a coffee drinker. I prefer hot chocolate or even Milo, but recently I am learning to drink more coffee.

But it's not the expensive Starbucks coffee I'm after. Neither is it the cheaper OldTown white coffee.

No, I am really trying to drink more brewed black coffee that has no added sugar or milk. Yes, just plain coffee beans + water. It's hard to drink because it's bitter but I think I am getting used to the bitter taste now.


Image courtesy of DietAdvices.com

You see, coffee is beneficial to health ONLY if you drink it without adding in the sugar, milk and cream. Once you added those stuffs, your cup of coffee is a passport to weight gain, higher diabetes risk, and other health problems.

But if you drink coffee the proper way, you may benefit from the following...

1. Lowers your risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Research shows that those who drink coffee have a 35% lower risk of suffering from Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus compared to those who don't. This could be due to the rich antioxidants in coffee that protects the cells from free radicals. Also, coffee contains magnesium and chromium, which improve the functions of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar.

2. Improves brain function
The caffeine in coffee improves alertness and enhance brain functions. Those who habitually drink coffee are less likely to develop Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

3. Increases weight loss
Coffee is known to boost your body's metabolic rate which helps you to lose weight. Drinking a cup of coffee for breakfast will raise your metabolic rate and help you to burn your food intake throughout the day especially if combined with exercise.

4. Protects cardiovascular functions
Coffee contains powerful antioxidants that can slow down the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol, and prevent the formation of blood clots in the arteries. People who drink coffee have lower risk of strokes and heart problems.

5. Promotes digestion and prevents constipation
The caffeine in coffee has the ability to excite the sympathetic nerve and promote peristalsis movement in the digestive system thereby preventing constipation and improves digestion.

6. Increases urination
Caffeine is a mild diuretic. It causes the kidneys to produce more urine which helps to flush out toxins from the body. This will also help to improve the condition of bloated stomach.

7. Works as an antidepressant
Since coffee can improve mental alertness and promote a more cheerful frame of mind, it is helpful to relieve the symptoms of depression. In a way, coffee also acts as a stress reliever.

8. Reduce the risk of certain cancers
Due to the high antioxidant content in coffee, regular drinkers have a lower risk of certain cancers, namely breast, colon, prostate and liver cancers.



CAUTION : Before you start heading to the nearest Starbucks or your local coffee shop, let me tell you that coffee is NOT all "good"! Drink only in moderation.

Here are the adverse health effects of drinking too much coffee...

1. Addictive
Caffeine is addictive. Anything that is addictive (like smoking) is never good. Quitting coffee can cause severe withdrawal symptoms like headaches, fatigues and depression.

2. Increases stress and anxiety
Too much caffeine can over-stimulate the central nervous system causing one to feel jittery and restless. It can also exhaust the adrenal glands, leading to less resistance to stress and more susceptible to diseases.

3. Worsens a heartburn
Since coffee can trigger the secretion of stomach acids which improve digestion, over stimulation can instead lead to indigestion and heartburn.

4. Risk of miscarriage
Pregnant ladies take note! Too much coffee can increase risk of miscarriage and even known to increase infertility.

5. Increases risk of osteoporosis
Excessive intake of coffee interferes with the absorption of nutrients and minerals by the bones, thus increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

6. Increases aging effects
Coffee is a diuretic and over consumption of coffee therefore leads to dehydration. Dehydration can dry out the skin, causing wrinkles and making you look older than you actually are!

7. Weight gain
Although coffee can increase your metabolic rate and burn more fat, it also stimulates the appetite and increases the craving for high calorie food. Too much coffee therefore will make you eat more and gain weight in the long run!


My cup of roasted almond cappuccino from Coffee Chemistry Cafe

TIPS : HOW TO DRINK COFFEE AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT!

Drink only black coffee without sugar and milk. And definitely without cream! A cup of black coffee contains only 5-7 calories. A teaspoon of sugar will add about 23 calories which is still quite OK if you really cannot take the bitterness.

But try drinking those lavish Starbucks coffee like their Caffe Mocha - it contains 360 calories! Or their Frappuccino Blended Coffee with whipped cream - that will set you back by a whopping 430 calories!

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To Eat Or Not To Eat After 8pm?

Posted by : foongpc | Sunday, July 27, 2008 | Published in , ,

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In one of my previous posts, How You Can Lose Weight If You Are Not Mariah Carey, there were some debates over my suggestion that we should not eat after 8pm if we want to lose weight.

For many of us, this point of whether to eat or not may simply be a waste of time. But to those who are seriously trying to lose weight, this is a very important matter. As such, I wrote an email to Jayden Chen, a Fitness Consultant, Speaker and Author of the recently released book, Slim Malaysians to clarify on this issue.

Here's his reply to my email...

You have an interesting topic going here. But it is not controversial at all. I would be glad to share my views. Both Reena's and your comments are valid but you seemed to be looking at this topic from a different point of view. Yours, for ordinary or less active peoples' weight loss and Reena's, from a more active persons point of view.

My feel is that this topic is meant more for an average person, which in our society are mostly sedentary people. People who don't exercise a lot. Addressing this subject from this angle, your advice would be most practical and applicable. However, it doesn't mean that Reena's advice is invalid or wrong. It's just that they are more suitable for people who are active. As you notice, Reena mentioned a lot about high metabolic rate, repair and growth. And even consuming some calories at 4a.m. in the morning. People who do these are usually rather active people and more often, bodybuilders.

However, for an ordinary sedentary individual, eating after 8pm or too late in the evening would not be a good idea if one is trying to lose weight. Unless, like you mentioned they sleep real late and would be hungry by then. In that case, some low calorie and easily digested food can be consumed to avoid interrupting our bodies, for example the liver, doing its job. Our body lower its metabolic rate gradually toward sleeping hours to prepare itself for proper rest. That's when your body temperature goes down, digestive system slows down to prepare for sleep. Try doing intense exercises just before sleep will raise your metabolic rate, making you feel warm and alert. You won't be able to go to sleep or at least can't sleep well.

Research has shown that consuming calories at different hours of the day does affect how much of them are burned off. Eat after an exercise session, for example lifting weights, your body would use up almost all of the calories to repair and replenish glycogen stores in your muscles. Some call this the "window of opportunity" for repair and replenishing glycogen stores. But eating in the evening does exactly the opposite (for inactive people). Unless, you have not been eating enough the whole day. Then probably the calories and nutrients you consumed at this late hour will be used for whatever its needed. (so it depends also whether you have been starving during the day, then eating at night would not really matter, as your total calorie intake for the day would be still at a deficit or within your need).

However, an average sedentary person who has a few more extra pounds is already consuming more than enough calories. Or else, why would he or she wants to lose weight? These individuals need to eat less and more healthily and not more. Having not enough carbs or protein to repair muscles etc are the least of their concern. They should learn to eat the right foods and the right amount and at the right time first.

This rule is important because it ensures that an average person would consume most of their calories during the day when they are more active. Walking and thinking during work for example, requires energy.

So, my conclusion is this - Eating late is not a good idea because it's time your body prepares itself for rest and other "cleaning up" process like you mentioned - detox. You may feel tired the next day if you eat heavy meals too late. Secondly, you body uses energy less efficiently at this hour (Unlike eating after an exercise session). And, it also helps set the person's eating habits and timetable right.

But for an active individual or a person who has a better idea of their calorie count (which most people don't) a light meal, like yoghurt, milk, or protein shake, would be fine if taken before bedtime. (I do that too, by the way but I exercise 3 - 5 days a week with a combination of weights, martial arts, training for 10km runs, swim etc.) Having said that, even some active individuals put on weight because of over consuming calories in their 6 - 7 meals a day. So, eventually, it's really a matter of whether you consume in TOTAL more than the calories you need or not.

Therefore, following the general rule of not eating too late for an average sedentary person who is trying to lose weight will prevent them from overeating. As they most likely already have.

Jayden Chen


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How You Can Lose Weight If You Are Not Mariah Carey

Posted by : foongpc | Friday, July 4, 2008 | Published in , , , ,

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Mariah Carey did it! Do you think you can do it just like her?

No, I don't mean marrying a younger man. In case you don't know, she just got married a few months back, and yes, to a much younger man. (Read my previous post Mariah Carey Married?)

No, no. no. I am talking about how my favourite singer managed to slim down to her former glory and looked all toned and fit. Even if you are not a fan, you would have seen her getting quite plump the past few years. It's not very flattering to be plump and wearing so little. But I forgave her because she made it up by singing really well.

That all changed this year. Nowadays, I am full of admiration when she goes on stage. Want to know her secret? Just read all about it at Mun's Blog.

And that brings us to today's topic. How you can lose weight even if you are not as rich as Mariah and cannot possibly afford a personal trainer who also doubles up as your chef and have a say in what you can or cannot eat!

OK, if you are a man and cannot identify with Mariah, how about reading how you can build a body like Will Smith?

Now in case you are the type of person who says you are comfortable being fat and don't have the slightest desire to lose weight, let Merqury tell you 10 good reasons to slim down.

Although I’m not fat or overweight, I know a lot of people who are. What’s more, Malaysia has the most number of fat people in the ASEAN region, and the number is increasing.

Most Malaysians attempt to slim down by going on a diet and also exercising. But they may be doing it the wrong way. Learning how to lose weight from books mainly written by authors from outside Malaysia does not really help because these books usually do not take into consideration our culture and food.

Which is one reason why I recommend this newest book called “Slim Malaysians” by Jayden Chen which I found at MPH bookstore. This book is specially written for Malaysians in mind and gives very good advice on what Malaysian food to eat and to avoid in order for us to lose weight.

And so, let me present you 5 sure-fire ways to trim those fat and lose weight.


1. Eat more frequently and in smaller portions.

Instead of eating the 3 main meals daily ie. breakfast, lunch and dinner, switch to 5 or 6 meals a day. However, for each meal, eat smaller portions of what you usually eat. The advantage of this is three fold.

Firstly, by eating frequently, you will not go hungry and therefore won’t binge or overeat on your next meal.

Secondly, by eating frequently and less at every meal, you are in better control of your blood sugar. Your blood sugar won’t suddenly spike and make you feel lethargic. You’ll be more energetic throughout the day. (By the way, this is especially useful for diabetics)

Thirdly, by eating in smaller portions, your body can make use of the food instead of storing excess food as fat in your body.

A great way is eat every 3 hours, eg. 7.30am, 10.30am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm.

Warning: You must eat much smaller portions for every meal, or else you’ll be eating more than what you did previously and become much fatter than before!

2. Do high intensity interval exercises 3 times weekly.

Instead of your usual 1 hour aerobic exercises daily, switch to high intensity interval training for just 20 minutes every other day or 3-4 times a week. When you jog continuously at the same speed for 1 hour, you will lose fat during the exercise, and that’s about it! If you start to overeat after your exercise, the fat will all come back!

In contrast, if you do high intensity interval training, you will raise your metabolic rate and your body will continue to burn fat hours after your exercise! Would you rather burn fat all the time or just during exercise?

A very simple way to do interval training is this. Let’s say you choose jogging. First you run as fast you can for 1 minute, then you jog slowly for the next minute. Keep alternating between running at high intensity and jogging slowly every minute for the next 20 minutes. You can adjust the intensity and duration depending on your fitness level. For example, if you are just a beginner, you may want to jog for 1 minute, then walk slowly for 2 minutes and keep alternating for the next 20 minutes.

Research has shown that interval training not only helps you to lose weight more effectively, it is also more efficient at strengthening your heart than if you continuously jog for 1 hour at the same rate.

You may ask, why limit to 20 minutes? Why not 1 hour? Well, the answer is simple. Because of the intensity of this kind of exercise, you cannot strain yourself too long or else your immune system will suffer. Anyway, why exercise for 1 hour when you can see better benefits for just 20 minutes?

3. Lift weight and build some muscles.

This is the BIG secret not many people know about! Most people think that weight-lifting only helps you to build muscles and has nothing to do with weight loss. How wrong they are!

Now here’s a shocking revelation – building muscles will boost your metabolic rate to such an extent that you will burn fat even while sleeping! It’s not wrong to say that the more muscles you have, the more calories you’ll burn daily!

Furthermore, if you don’t lift weight, and only do cardio and diet to lose weight, you won’t look very good even when you have slimmed down. You need weight-lifting to tone you up.

4. Eat your breakfast.

Don’t ever, ever skip breakfast. If you want to lose weight, you simply cannot afford to ignore this rule.

The reason is one, when you eat breakfast you raise your metabolic rate for the day. That helps you to burn fat.

Secondly, by skipping breakfast, your blood sugar will drop and you will start craving for sweet stuffs the rest of the day. You also tend to overeat for your lunch!

By the way, never skip any meals and remember to eat every 3 hours to keep your blood sugar stable at all times.

5. Do not eat after 8pm.

This cannot be over emphasized. Although it’s hard to do this everyday, if you can do it 5 times a week, it’s good enough.

One way is to brush your teeth right after dinner so you won’t be tempted to eat anything after.

The reason for this is any food taken in excess at night will very likely end up as fat because you are mostly inactive a night and the body’s metabolic rate also dip at this time. As such, your ability to burn fat is compromised.

Another reason you should not eat late at night is because your liver is working hard to detoxify itself at this time and you do not want to make its job even harder by adding food into your system.

If you really must eat something after 8pm, choose low calorie, easy to digest food like fruits.


Now if you seriously put the above 5 rules into practice, you will definitely see a more slimmer you. No need to be jealous of Mariah or Will Smith. You can do it too!


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