Informative Material

5 Worst diet mistakes smart women make

2012-03-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Are you on a goal to lose weight? Here are the most often-committed diet faux pas to avoid ...

1 Eating six mini 'meals' everyday

The idea might be to put a little something in the stomach to cut down hunger, but this is where the trap is. Frequent meals that stop you from bingeing are supposed to be smaller, but women often turn these into regular dining portions, that can go upto 400 calories each. A big no-no!
How to fix it : Make a list or diary chart that tracks what you should eat and simply stick to that.

2 Overdressing the salad

Ok, so you're staring at a plate of healthy dark greens, but now stop at that. More often than ever most people dress their simple plate of salad with everything from heavy barbecue and mayonnaise sauces to cheese sprinkles, chunks of red meat and loads of salt. You eventually end up with loads of fat and nothing healthy!
How to fix it : If the salad looks dull, try and spruce it up with bright peppers. Very slight use of low-fat dressing might work as they have less salt and sugar. A balsamic vinegar dressing is a good idea too.

3 Too many nutrition fixes

These are not as safe as they are made out to be. Several trainers and nutritionists advise staying away from 'instant fuel' energy bars and protein shakes as they masquerade as giving an instant boost, while actually also having concentrated levels of sugar and carbs. In fact, these are also not considered to be meal supplements.
How to fix it : Go for natural foods like almonds, carrot sticks, oranges for vitamin C and other fruits to satiate hunger and give the right energy.

4 Having diet drinks

They might sound like the answer to your fitness regime, but it's not so. Research points out that diet beverages will not do much for weight loss. We may feel we are saving on calories but experts believe these drinks may actually create hunger cravings for more junk food. A study has also found that too many diet sodas a week can lead to obesity, stroke and heart problems too.
How to fix it : Replace these drinks with green tea that is rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients and that aids immunity. You can also have a vegetable juice or a cold glass of low-fat milk.

5 Setting unrealistic goals:

Most people want to lose that weight fast and can even try extreme diets that do more harm than anything else. Remember losing weight takes an effort so set yourself a plan that you can achieve.
How to fix it : Give yourself time without doing things like weighing yourself often and tray and eat things that fall into your food parameter.

Foods to help you focus

2012-03-21T09:09:00.001-07:00

In today's hectic lifestyle, women are busy multi-tasking as a wife, mother, working woman and more.

But it is easy to stay focused by incorporating these brain foods in your diet for a more motivated you!

Caffeine
Sip on some caffeine to kick-start your ability to focus; the key is moderation. Too much caffeine and you'll end up jittery and unable to concentrate.

Sugar
Just a spoonful of sugar can give your brain the boost you are looking for, although the effects are short-lived. Snack on something naturally sweet such as fresh fruit, or reach for brain food like whole grain carbohydrates such as pasta to improve your attentiveness without expanding your waistline.

Fish
Serve up fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids twice a week to give your brain the vitamins it needs to develop and function properly. When possible, choose a fish that has a low or no mercury content, such as salmon and herring.

Blueberries
Help protect your brain from Alzheimer's disease and dementia by consuming blueberries. Studies also show a link between lab animals and improved learning ability when it comes to this blue fruit.

Popcorn
Adding foods to help you focus can be as simple as popping popcorn. Puffed with vitamin B6, B12, and E, these crunchy munchies are believed to enhance your ability to focus as well as your memory and brain power.

Avocados
This creamy fruit not only helps lower bad cholesterol and reduce risk of plaque build-up to enhance blood flow and fuel your brain power, it's also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados are a great alternative to seafood for those who aren't fans of fish.

Nuts and seeds
Grab a handful of your favourite nuts or seeds to fill up on antioxidants and proteins to help you keep your mind on track. Nuts and seeds also help give your brain long-term protection against the decline of your cognitive functions.

Green vegetables
Gobble down green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, parsley and brussels sprouts to keep your mind sharp, thanks to their high amounts of folic acid.

Low-calorie breakfast
To improve your attention span, fuel up your body in the morning by diving into breakfast. Be sure to include fruits, dairy and cereals that are high in fiber and low in calories.

Supplements
If you can't get in enough focus foods each day, talk to your doctor about adding supplements to your diet. Brain-boosting vitamins like B, C, E, and nutrients like beta-carotene, magnesium, ginseng and ginkgo are thought to help enhance your memory and ability to focus.

Google Search Will Answer Your Queries Now

2012-03-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

London: Internet giant Google's "search" will now not only hunt down typed-in words but also answer questions like an encyclopaedia.

In a drastic makeover for the search engine, the option will no longer show only a list of blue links to varous websites, but will also be dotted with information that would answer people's questions, the Daily Mail reported. The new version of search will use what is called "semantic search" that attempts to understand the meaning of searches, rather than simply hunting for words.

Microsoft has a similar option with its Bing search engine, the second most-popular in the US. Google has "quietly" amassed information on 200 million items including people, places and products. The daily said that in 2010, Google acquired a database company called FreeBase, and expanded its storehouse from 12 million to 200 million today.

Amit Singhal, a senior vice president at the company, said most searches rely on other sites -- and not Google itself -- to provide an answer. "We cross our fingers and hope there's a web page out there with the answer," he said. The changes, however, was an ongoing process that could take years, he said.