7 Hidden Reasons That Contribute to Gaining Weight

Reasons That Contribute to Gaining Weight

 You are careful with the food you eat, you exercise all the time but you still seem to be gaining weight? Maybe you are a part of the people who lead a healthy life and are active all the time but still can’t explain why you are putting on extra pounds. Don’t despair. Before you give up everything and go back to greasy and unhealthy food, read about this hidden reasons that could be making you gain weight time after time.

 

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Here are 7 reasons that contribute to gaining weight.

 

You eat a lot of salty food for dinner.

Remember what you ate for dinner yesterday. Was it salty? The extra sodium in your body retains water and because of that, the scale might show a few extra pounds. To counteract that drink more water and if you put some lemon juice in your water, the effect will be even better. This condition will pass quickly, but be careful with the food you consume for dinner because it should always be with a very low quantity of salt.

You rarely go to the toilet.

You feel bloated? Try to remember the last time you went to the bathroom. If you have a problem with your stool, start eating food rich with fibers especially fruits and vegetables. That will help your metabolism to work faster and you will notice the difference quickly.

MORE:  Stomach discomfort and bloating

You don’t drink enough water.

If you eat food (especially dry food) with a lot of salts and you don’t drink a lot of water, your body will retain water to compensate. Water is extremely important for your body, not only for losing weight but also for your health and your organs functionality. During the day drink a lot of water and you will start feeling an improvement to your health and mood.

You drink alcohol.

Of course, when you are on a diet, you look out for your daily food intake, but you also go out almost every night. Maybe relaxed in a good company, you usually drink one or two glasses of your favorite alcoholic beverage? Don’t forget that alcohol contains a lot of calories. Drink moderately, not only because you might lose a few pounds but also for your health and safety.

MORE: Myths about drinking alcohol

You take medication.

Your increased body weight could also be a consequence of taking certain medications. Some contraceptive pills cause a loss of water in your body, while others open up your appetite. This is one of the reasons why a lot of people start eating uncontrollably and start putting on extra pounds. If you take certain pills all the time and notice an increase in your weight you should speak with your doctor.

You don’t sleep enough.

Not sleeping enough can make you feel tired and under a lot of stress. All of that can make your body temperature rise. The loss of sleep affects the body hormones. When that happens a big chaos is created in your body and you start feeling hungry. Instead of getting a good night rest, maybe you think that you are hungry, so you start trading sleep for food. Having a good sleep is important, so try to at least sleep for eight hours.

You are under a lot of stress.

When you are in an uncomfortable situation, you feel nervous and under pressure. Then you will start noticing that your body retains more fat. That is because the body releases the hormone cortisol in stressful situations. Cortisol helps to keep fat in the area of the stomach. Find a way to calm down even if there is a lot of stress in your life at the moment. Drink green tea, meditate, do sports, listen to your favorite music and read books.

MORE: Extreme weight loss

 

Do You Have Vitamin D Deficiency?

Do You Have Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D also known as “sunshine vitamin” is most commonly produced by exposure to the sun. While we spend time trying to cope with the cold and snow that winter brought us, very few of us think about vitamin D.

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However, symptoms such as fatigue and muscle pain are one of the most obvious signs that our body might have vitamin D deficiency. Its deficiency can cause various problems in the body, such as:

1. Overweight

Men, women, and children with overweight problems have a 35% chance to have vitamin D deficiency compared to people with normal weight. The reason for this is that obesity limits the body's ability to use vitamin D through diet or the sun because fat cells retain vitamins and they don't release them for the body to process them.

More: Hidden reasons that contribute to gaining weight

2. Insulin resistance and diabetes

Insulin resistance leads to increased blood sugar levels in diabetics this can be associated with a lack of vitamin D. Several studies have shown that supplementation with vitamin D does not increase insulin sensitivity in healthy people without diabetes. Diabetics, however, have significantly lower levels of vitamin D, which is associated with obesity and metabolic disorders.

3. Heart disease

A study from 2009 showed that subjects with extremely low levels of vitamin D were 3 times more likely to die of heart failure, and 5 times more likely for it to happen from a sudden heart attack. But experts say that there is not yet enough evidence to support that higher concentration of vitamin D in the body can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders, so it is too early to conclude whether taking vitamin D supplements could improve your heart health.

4. Premature birth

The results of the study conducted on more than 2,000 pregnant women showed that those who had high levels of vitamin D had a lower risk of birth before the 37th week. It is thought that vitamin D has a protective effect that reduces bacterial infection in the placenta, which can cause premature labor.

5. Diseases of the gums and loss of teeth

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in protecting teeth as we age. Various studies have shown that those with higher levels of the vitamin had lower chances of tooth decay and that various gum diseases are directly linked to vitamin D deficiency.

6. Erectile dysfunction

According to research done in 2015, men who have vitamin D deficiency are 32% more likely to develop erectile dysfunction. The study's authors say the results reflect the effect vitamin D has on vascular function, including the blood vessels that carry blood to the genitals.

7. Pancreatic, prostate, breast and bowel cancer

All these diseases are thought to somehow be associated with vitamin D deficiency - eg. 60% of patients with prostate cancer receiving additional doses of the vitamin D daily, showed a significant improvement.

8. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Various studies have proven the connection between low levels of vitamin D with abnormalities in brain structure, cognitive impairment, and dementia. There are ongoing studies that aim to prove whether vitamin supplementation may offer some sort of prevention or treatment for these diseases.

More: What is cholesterol and how to maintain it?

5 Creative Ideas to Announce a Pregnancy to Your Loved Ones

Announce a Pregnancy to Your Loved Ones

The greatest joy increases when it's shared with your loved ones. Reactions from your husband and parents are priceless when you're sharing the wonderful news that you'll become a mother.

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If you want that moment to be more special, you can use one of the following creative ideas to announce a pregnancy:

1.Message in a children's book

Go to the nearest bookstore and buy children book or a picture book. On the first page write: "Grandma and Grandpa / aunt and uncle ... please read my story in ___ (the month of childbirth). With love, your grandchild. " You'll get a reaction that you'll never forget.

2.Eternal surprise

Invite your loved ones to dinner. Spontaneously, take the camera and ask them to take a photo of all of them together. Before you press the button just shout out loud "I'm pregnant!". You will get the photograph of your life. Even better is to do a couple of pictures one after another to capture the emotions on their faces.

3.Message from your first child

Are you expecting your second child? Give him the honor to announce the good news to your close family. Make him a T-shirt print: "My mom is pregnant with my sister/brother" or "I will become a bigger sister/brother." Invite your family at your home and wait for any of them to notice. Don't worry, the good news spreads quickly. Be prepared for tears of joy.

4.Ultrasound gift

Invite your close family to dinner and give them baby bottles with your first ultrasound photo printed on them as a gift. Write personal messages on each bottle, such as "I Love Grandma" or "Aunt, I can't wait to see you."

5.One picture is worth a thousand words

Share your most important news through photography. Let creativity guide you. Take a photo of three pairs of shoes - your husband's shoes, yours and baby slippers. Under the male shoes type your husband date of birth, under your shoes write your date of birth and under the baby slippers write the expected due date. Give out the photos personally.

More: 9 Embarrassing pregnancy symptoms

What is cholesterol and how to maintain it?

Cholesterol

The body uses cholesterol to form hormones and cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane or cytoplasmic membrane) and other bodily substances. High cholesterol level in the blood is one of the riskier factors that can lead to heart diseases. Many health experts advise that every person above 20 years of age should take a cholesterol test (LDL and HDL) at least once every 5 years. There are two main forms of cholesterol LDL with low-density lipoprotein also know as the "bad cholesterol" and HDL with high-density lipoprotein also know as "good cholesterol". The excess cholesterol can combine with other substances in your blood to form a plaque. This plaque can stick and slowly build up in the arteries causing them to narrow and clog. High levels of LDL cholesterol can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. HDL or the good cholesterol separates the LDL cholesterol from the arteries. Regular physical exercise can increase the HDL cholesterol level in your blood. Unlike the LDL cholesterol, low levels of HDL cholesterol can cause similar problems.

Cholesterol level risks assessment

Тotal cholesterol

-optimal: lower than 200 mg/dl
-maximum: 240 mg/dl or higher

LDL - "Bad cholesterol"

-optimal: lower than 100mg/dl
-close to optimal: lower than 130mg/dl
-maximum: 160-198 mg/dl
-very high: 190 mg/dl or more

HDL - "Good Cholesterol"

-optimal: higher than 60 mg/dl

Cholesterol and genetics

Genetics play an important role in determining cholesterol levels in the blood. For some people, drugs become necessary when a change in lifestyle (diet and exercise) doesn't have an impact on lowering the cholesterol levels in the blood. This is an important topic which you should discuss with your doctor.

How your diet affects the cholesterol level in the blood?

Consuming food rich in fats especially saturated fats, and trans-border fats, tend to have a big impact on the cholesterol levels in the blood. Fats add flavor and a feeling of satiety in the food, but the problem is that many people consume fat rich food a lot more than the recommended amount.

Tips for controlling fats and saturated fats

There are many ways to reduce the fats in the food we consume and still keep the food tasty. Any type of food can fit into a healthy diet. For example, if you're a fan of high-fat desserts, then consume them in smaller quantities or consume them less frequently.

More: Tips for controlling fats and saturated fats

Here are a few tips on how to healthy prepare your food.

-Prepare your vegetables steamed, boiled, baked or microwaved instead of fried.
-Seasonal vegetables with herbal spices instead of fatty sauces, butter or margarine.
-Season your salad with vinegar or lemon or consume smaller portions of salads with high-fat sauces.
-Use vegetable oil instead of butter or margarine every time when it's possible.
-Replace the high-fat milk with low-fat milk when preparing your food.
-Remove the skin from meat before or after cooking.
-Use a high-quality non-stick pan this way you will reduce the need for high amounts of oil.
-Before consuming cooked meat cool it and remove the fat.

More: Healthy habits

Easy ways to burn calories throughout the day

You don’t have to workout hard in order to burn calories and keep your body fit. Everyday activities can be an opportunity to burn calories without feeling an effort.

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Here are some situations that can be easy ways to burn calories:

1.Instead of sitting on the bus, stand up and let the elderly have your seat.

Stand on the bus while you’re going to work or school. The movement of the bus will immediately activate your muscles, which will begin to maintain balance and stability. While you're trying to keep your balance on the bus, various muscle groups will strengthen and burn calories much faster than sitting in the bus seat.

2.Drink cold water.

Cold water isn’t only refreshing but also burns extra calories. Why? Our body maintains the same body temperature, so when you drink cold water, it works harder to keep its temperature, which means burning more calories.

3.Play with your children instead of watching them while they have fun.

After you get home from work, probably all you want to do is rest, but it’s better to join your children. Not only that you’ll spend quality time together but also the games played with them will burn a lot of calories.

4.Take the responsibility for shopping.

The usual groceries shopping burns about 150 calories. Take a basket instead of a cart, don’t buy a lot of products and carry the bags in your hands to the car, not in the cart.

5.While at work try to move around and stand as much as you can.

Use your break at work not only for lunch but also to move around. Stand while talking to your colleagues, move around while talking on the phone, stand while you’re reading your emails. Be creative and use every chance. Standing burns calories 40% more than sitting.

 6.Make spicy meals.

Hot spices, especially chili can speed up your metabolism by 50%. The effect lasts about 3 hours after the meal.

7.Park your car further away from work or get off the bus earlier.

Each step is important when you want a fit body. Plan your time accordingly and leave your house earlier so you can have time for some physical activity. The energetic 20-minute walk burns about 90 calories. Maybe it sounds like it’s not a big deal, but it’s a lot if you practice it 2-3 times a day.

8.Relax your partner with massage.

A massage will make your partner happy and relaxed and you’ll burn calories. 30-minutes massage will burn 120 calories.

9.Compete with yourself while cleaning.

Set a goal to clean a part of your home for a specified period. For example, clean the toilet in 20 minutes or the kitchen in 40 minutes. The energetic cleaning burns more than double calories compared to slow cleaning.

10.Skip the elevator, take the stairs.

Using the elevator might seem more practical, but it takes away a chance for you to strengthen the muscles and burn a few calories.

11.Mow your lawn.

Don’t give this responsibility to your family members. Take the time to mow your lawn in the morning, by doing this you will burn about 140 calories.

12.Wash your own car.

Why throw money into an hour-long car wash when washing the car can be a fun activity that will burn a few calories. Washing the car requires a lot of movement. This will not only make your car shine but will also help you keep your figure. Want to burn even more calories? Clean the car inside.

13.Watch a horror movie.

You’re not sure what movie you should watch this weekend? Go for something that will scare you. The acceleration of the heart caused by fear burns around 113 calories in 90 minutes. According to a study made by the “University of Westminster”, scarier movies like “The Shining” can burn up to 184 calories.

Source:  Easy ways to burn calories throughout the day

 

How to write a detailed CV

CV (Curriculum Vitae) or personal biography is a written overview of your education, experience, awards and achievements, information which is relevant for your future employment. No matter what job you’re applying for, your detailed CV must contain the following information:

Personal Information:

Name

Date of birth

Address (Hometown and Current)

Phone Number

E-mail address

Education:

Information about formal and informal education

Name of the educational institution

Date of commencement and completion

Obtained title

Work experience:

Name of the company

Employment start date and termination of employment

Assignments and responsibilities

Other information that your CV should contain

Other information that you can also include in your CV is about your interests and hobbies. Of course, this information may not be important for the job you’re applying for, however, this information can be useful in creating a whole picture of you and your personality. So, in this part of the CV, you can specify e.g. the sports you play, painting techniques, interest in photography, association membership etc.

Skills and abilities:

Despite the knowledge and skills that you have acquired through formal education and training or courses you have attended, it’s good to write your skills that you have acquired on your own. It’s necessary to note those skills in this section of the CV: Knowledge of computer programs, programming languages, technical skills, ability to operate machinery, etc. If you possess some kind of license or certificate for those skills, you should note them. If you know more than one language, it’s nice to present them tabular and to give them your rating (from 1 to 5) for the following usage: writing, reading, comprehension and speech.

Recommendations (if you have):

Sometimes, a recommendation can play a key role in the decision whether you’re going to get the job or not.

Some extra advice:

Truthful:

The information in your CV must be true and correct. You can’t indicate information that is false or fictitious. Also, you can avoid information that is inconvenient for you to discuss with the employer.

Ordering:

The information about your education and job experience should be listed chronologically in reverse order. Don’t avoid writing data about the duration of your past work experience and education. It’s not recommended as it may give the impression to the employer that you’re trying to hide something.

Be careful about:

Your CV must be neat and legible. Therefore, it’s best to write it on a computer using tabular display. It’s recommended to use the same font size (11 or 12), also bold and italic text should be avoided. The CV can’t have any spelling errors, so always double check before sending it. Who will be interested in hiring you if your CV is full of mistakes? If you don’t have enough time to read your biography and fix your errors, it means that you aren’t:

• Organized

• Serious

• Professional

• Cautious

• Experienced

• Good writer of letters and reports

• Good communicator

•  Valuable part of the team

It’s very easy to lose a chance for a good job because of carelessness. Also, it’s a good idea to ask someone else to read your CV before sending it. Maybe, in that way, it’s going to be easier to identify the possible deficiencies.

Source: How to write a detailed CV?

15 Days Extreme Weight Loss Diet by Cardiologists Dr. Zan Mitrev

15 Days Extreme Weight Loss Diet

Dr. Zan Mitrev is a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon, specializing in both fields as a result of his training in Zagreb, Croatia during which the two disciplines were combined. He practiced for several years in Frankfurt, Germany, before returning to his home country of Macedonia in 1999 to found the Filip II Hospital, of which he acted as general manager until 2008. Furthermore, he is a fellow of the European Board of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons and in 2012 received an honorary degree from the MIT.

Dr. Zan Mitrev designed this Extreme Weight Loss diet for patients that need to lose weight in a short time period before surgery.

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 Day 1

Breakfast: 1 fruit(orange, peach, pear, melon)

Lunch: 1 orange, 1 boiled egg, 1 pot of yogurt

Dinner: 2 tomatoes or 2 dl. cooked tomatoes, 2 boiled eggs, 1/2 clove lettuce or cucumber, 2 toasts

Day 2

Breakfast: 1 fruit(orange, peach, pear, melon)

Lunch: 1 orange, 1 boiled egg, 1 pot of yogurt

Dinner: 125 boiled veal, 1 tomato, 1 orange, 1 toast, 1 cup tea or coffee without sugar

Day 3

Breakfast: 1 fruit(orange, peach, pear, melon)

Lunch: 1 orange, 1 boiled egg, 1 pot of yogurt, 1 clove lettuce or cucumber

Dinner: 125 g. boiled beef, 1 orange, 1 toast, 1 cup tea or coffee without sugar

Day 4

Breakfast: 1 fruit(orange, peach, pear, melon)

Lunch: 125 g. cow cheese, 1 tomato
1 toast

Dinner: 125 g. boiled beef, 2 tomatoes, 1 apple, 1 toast

Day 5

Breakfast: 1 fruit(orange, peach, pear, melon)

Lunch: 200 gr. boiled meat or fish, 1 tomato, 1 toast

Dinner: 1/2 kg. cooked vegetables (carrots, peas, potatoes), 1 boiled egg, 1 toast

Notes:

-The meat and the boiled vegetable should be flavored with dried vegetables.

-Days 6 and 7 are diet free.

-Don't drink alcohol during the diet.

-After the 5th day, you should have lost 6 to 12 pounds, and after the two days break the diet is repeated 3 more times (5 days + 2 days break) you can lose up to 33 pounds.

-After finishing the diet you can eat anything, but if you don't want to regain the lost weight your Monday menu should look like this:

Breakfast: 1 cup of lemon juice without sugar
Lunch: 1 apple, 1 toast
Dinner: 1 boiled egg, 1 tomato, 1 toast

-All listed groceries can be consumed hot or cold. Also, it's very important that you don't break any of the rules listed above or you won't achieve the desired effect.

Source: http://www.mylifez.com/extreme-weight-loss-diet/