Mustard Greens, Chinese Cabbage, Spinach - Benefits Of Overloading The Diet With Low-Calorie Greens

By Felicitas Ramos

Green is the color of weight watchers. This should be the dominant color whenever foods are served on the dining table. This only means that most of the foods eaten by anyone desirous of losing weight consist of green leafy vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are the best food group for people who want to keep their weight at the right level. However, the leafy greens are the most ideal vegetables to be consumed by humans. They are very rich in nutrients but absolutely low in calories. With all their vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, this group of vegetables helps the digestive system as they too contain immeasurable amount of dietary fiber.

Picking from the many leaves, the mustard greens, Chinese cabbage and spinach are among the most popular kinds.

Mustard Greens

This is a powerhouse kind of vegetable that is loaded with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and dietary fiber. It is very low in calories, approximately 26 calories per 100 grams of raw leaves, which makes it one of the priority selections of weight watchers. This can be eaten both raw and cooked.

The health benefits include the control of cholesterol and protection against hemorrhoids, constipation and colon cancer. With the dietary fiber, you are assured that toxins are removed from your body system. This aids in the detoxification process.

This is a source of Vitamins A, C and E. The mustard greens top the list of green leafy vegetables that provide Vitamin K, a vitamin that is very necessary for bone mass-building. This vitamin helps prevent osteoporosis and arthritis. The mustard leaves supply your body with the needed minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, zinc and magnesium. The fresh leaves are great sources of folic acid.

Chinese cabbage

Many nutritionists had classified the Chinese cabbage as the lowest-calorie vegetable. Eating a cup of shredded leaves of this cabbage specie gives you only 9 calories. The Chinese cabbage is one of the vegetables in the zero-calorie or negative calorie category of foods. When eaten, it does not add calories to the body. Instead, it uses more energy to burn its calories thus becoming a suited component of a weight losing diet.

This is a real health food as it is loaded with calcium, iron, magnesium, beta-carotene, potassium and Vitamins A, B-complex, C and K. It contains a big amount of dietary fiber and anti-oxidants that can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL). It contains compounds that provide shield against breast, colon and prostate cancer. The potassium content helps in regulating your heart rate and blood pressure. The iron in the Chinese cabbage aids in red blood cell formation.

Spinach

Seeing the cartoon character, Popeye, getting his powers from spinach is applicable to real life. These Popeye-favorite greens are loaded with vitamins, minerals and all nutrients essential to a healthy body system. For vitamins, the body is supplied with A, C and K vitamins. Spinach is a good source of Vitamin K that aids in strengthening the bones. If you do not want to drink milk, you can substitute the dairy product with spinach and you get high level of calcium. Just like the mustard and Chinese cabbage leaves, spinach supplies your body with sufficient dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, folic acid and minerals.

The green leaves are very low in calorie content, 100 grams of raw leaves provide you with barely 23 calories. Despite the low calories, spinach is a stomach-filling food. With the health benefits and the weight reducing function, you have everything to gain by eating spinach.

Consumption of green leafy vegetables is just a matter of getting used to the taste and texture. Eaten with dressing or adding them to dishes, you will find the mustard greens, Chinese cabbage and spinach pleasurable to the tongue. The desire to eat the green leaves is inspired by the prospects of having a healthy but trimmed body.

Weight Loss For Kids and Teenagers - Free Meal Plan Ideas

By Harold McDaniels

When it comes to being overweight, kids, pre-teens and teens have it harder. The self-esteem that they build during their adolescent years is carried through to their adult lives. It is even harder for the parents to deal with this weight problem. Not only do they have to force their children to start losing weight, they are the ones responsible in monitoring the progress of the kids and they have to deal with the delicate emotional intricacies that this problem has on the kids as well.

Meal Plan to Help the Folks

Here is a sample meal plan that will serve as a guide for parents to follow for their children's weight loss. You may change some of the food items, provided that they belong to the same kind and you still stay within the recommended portion sizes. The estimated servings per day are 3 for dairy products, 4 for carbohydrates, 4 for vegetables, 2 for protein sources and 3 for fruits.

For Breakfast:

o One large egg 

o One piece of whole grain bread, with one teaspoon of butter or spread 

o Half of a grapefruit 

o One glass of skim milk

For Lunch:

o One sandwich, filled with only three ounces of meat, a teaspoon of mayo, and vegetables. Remember to use whole grain bread 

o A whole fruit, like an apple or orange 

o A large fresh carrot with non fat dip 

o One glass of fresh fruit juice

For Dinner:

o Three ounces lean meat that is not fried, roasted or broiled is better. 

o Half a cup of mushrooms 

o Two cups of fresh leafy vegetables, with two tablespoons of low-calorie dressing 

o One cup of broccoli 

o One glass of skim milk

For Snacks:

o Two cups of unflavored popcorn, go light on the salt. 

o One glass milkshake

This meal plan would work better if accompanied by an activity-filled day. So encourage your kids or teens to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Better yet, do it with them.

Safe Weight Loss Surgery

By Marcus Peterson

The risks of weight loss surgery compare favorably with other surgeries. In general, the risks of obesity are much greater than the surgery itself. The key decision that needs to be made is the choice between restrictive and malabsorption procedures or a combination of both these two procedures.

It has been noted that though malabsorption procedure of surgery yields better results, it involves greater risks. Restrictive procedures usually lead to a reduction of about 47% of excess weight in patients while the figures for gastric bypass and duodenal switch surgeries (both are malabsorption procedures) are 62% and 70% respectively. On the other hand, whereas the mortality rate for restrictive procedures was 0.1% within the first month of surgery, the mortality rates for gastric bypass and duodenal switch for the 30 days following surgery were 0.5% and 1% respectively. Also, malabsorption procedures have a greater risk of intestine leakage and nutritional deficiencies. Furthermore, gastric bypass operations may cause "dumping syndrome" (caused when food moves very fast through the small intestine) leading to nausea, weakness, sweating and diarrhea.

Gastric banding was found to be the safest surgical method, although it was less effective, compared to other methods. However, if for any reason, the silicon band used in the procedure was to be removed later, it could be done easily, with the stomach regaining its earlier size in most cases. The lap band method furthermore scored over the staple method in view of the removable band and least amount of surgical work required, as there is no cutting of the stomach in this procedure. A patient must be cautious in deciding which procedure would suit him/her better. It would be wise to discuss the pros and cons extensively with the surgeon before taking a final decision about weight loss surgery.

Is A Sauna Good For Weight Loss?

Although the word sauna originates from Finland, the very first sauna were used by the Yolngu tribe in Australia. The first saunas in Europe however did originate in Finland, where people used them once a week to clean themselves (bathing was quite rare in those days). They went on to become permanent fixtures in many Scandinavian homes.

How Does A Sauna Work?

A sauna is a room which is designed to reach high temperatures and is used for therapeutic reasons or simply for relaxation. A sauna is essentially a steam room which has a pile of rocks sat on a fire. water is poured on to the rocks to create the steam. The temperatures in a sauna can reach as high as 150 degrees (f). There are also other types of saunas which use electric heat or fires, but what are the benefits of using them?

The Health Benefits Of Using A Sauna

A sauna exposes your body to extreme heat, this makes you sweat a lot which helps to flush toxins from your body. A sauna also lowers your blood pressure and makes your heart beat a little quicker, giving it a gentle cardiovascular workout. The heat of the sauna stimulates increased blood flow in the body, this aids muscle relaxation and increases the flow of oxygen to them. You have to keep yourself hydrated in a sauna (so avoid alcohol) and be careful about how quickly you move and get up in the sauna, as the lowered blood pressure can make you light headed. But amongst all those benefits, can I sauna aid weight loss?

Is A Sauna Good For Weight Loss?

There is good news and bad news when it comes to using a sauna for weight loss. The good news is that you will lose weight when you are in the sauna, but the bad news is that the majority of this weight loss is temporary and will soon return. The reason is that most of the weight is lost through sweating, and therefore lost fluids. This weight will come back when you start drinking to re-hydrate your body. However due to heart beating faster while in the sauna (due to the increased blood flow), you will burn calories in a sauna. This amount will be similar to what you would burn while walking. Using a sauna can also help to reduce stress levels which is good news for your weight, as a lot of people tend to over eat when stressed and turn to unhealthy foods (emotional eating).

So a sauna is good for weight loss, it may not burn as many calories as a cardio exercise workout, but it is an enjoyable and relaxing experience.