Ok, so we all know the answer for this. There are absolutely no calories in water. That’s zero calories. Don’t start wondering if you should move on to look at calories in other foods. Take a moment to explore the benefits of water to our health as well as our day-to-day life. The information may actually make you drink those extra glasses of water – something that you may be putting off for later.

To start with, let us appreciate a few facts about the wonder liquid.

Facts about H2O

• In the adult body, nearly seventy percent of the body is made of water.
• For infants, nearly eighty percent of their weight is from water itself.
• For an average person enjoying good health, it is possible to drink almost 3 gallons of water in a day.
• Interestingly, the entire 8 cups daily requirement of water should not be liquid alone. Other foods and drinks also contribute to the water requirement.
• Caffeine containing drinks such as tea, coffee and soft drinks may have water in them but they actually do not contribute all the water. Caffeine is a diuretic that encourages water loss.
• Having water in too high quantities is not good. It brings about a condition called water intoxication, where a water imbalance creates severe health problems.
• Athletes who undergo intense training must keep this fact in mind.
• Water, without any contaminants has a pH that is neutral.
• It is the liquid that can dissolve most substances.
• In our body, water carries around nutrients, minerals and other chemicals essential to optimal functioning.

Water around us

Water surrounds the Earth over a vast area – this comes up to 325 million cubic miles. The percentage of the area on Earth that is covered with water stands around 75%. However, most of the freshwater is present slightly below the surface of the Earth.

One major fact about Earth’s water is its age. Since the system of Earth is a closed one, there is no gain or loss in matter. Consequently, the water that we see now is the very water that was present since the formation of the planet in the beginning of time – Earth time.

The total amount of usable water is about three tenths of the entire volume on earth. Of this, humans use nearly 100 gallons per person every day. Water is importantly, also used for thermoelectric power and irrigation. A little percentage of water is sourced from wells. Such water that can be put to use is available mostly from fresh water lakes, rivers and underground reserves. Most of the fresh water (over 90%) is present in the continent of Antarctica.

The temperature of the Earth is regulated by water, or at the least, water plays a major role. A water molecule spends a little amount of time in the air around us, a little more as ice and most of the time as part of the ocean.

Water and weight loss

When you feel thirsty, it means that your body has already lost more than one percent in its water composition. When it comes to weight loss, one needs to keep a simple fact in mind. If you are the kind of person who checks their weight immediately after an intense workout, the slightly lesser reading on the weighing scales is from loss of water and not from the loss of fat.

Water has actually proven to help lose weight. Drinking water just before having the regular meals works towards making you lose extra pounds. Pure drinking water helps by accelerating the process of losing weight for those already on a weight loss – low calorie diet. Research has shown that those people who had more water before meals lost a higher percentage of weight and even prevented the weight from returning even one year later. Those who did not have water before meals also lost weight but not as much as the drinkers. Although, calorie containing beverages like sweet drinks are not helpful in any way.

The secret behind it

More than a secret, it is simple logic. Water, when had in optimal amounts fills the stomach and prevents too much hunger. So, there is lesser over eating with the additional advantage of the zero calories content in water. Here, there is more weight loss and less weight gain. Water makes you feel fuller and even improves the metabolism. Check out the article on metabolism present on the site for your convenience. A small tip – drinking cold water makes you burn more calories as the body requires calories to warm it up.

Drinking enough water means that the heart is stressed less to pump blood. Since dehydration makes you tired, drinking water will immediately boost the energy levels. Constant sipping of water throughout the days relieves stress on the brain tissue, as most of it is made up of water.

Water is ideal for creating lubrication for joints. For those who indulge in intense work outs, good hydration will help them stay energized enough to work harder at their muscles. Not just fitness but beauty also improves with water. Dehydrated skin shows wrinkles and fine lines. Drinking more water helps you look younger because it plumps up the skin cells, making it look healthy. Not to mention, good circulation obviously removes toxins and makes the skin clear.

For good health, water is needed as the minerals and salts in the body’s wastes are diluted. They would otherwise form crystals and later painful kidney stones in the absence of water. Every person has their own requirement for water depending on their daily activities. Those performing intense activities need more water. Similarly, those who have a habit of sweating profusely need more water. A person may actually need lesser water than the daily recommended eight glasses in case she/he is obtaining the water from other beverage or food sources.

Sport Biking
Training for races in competitive biking ups the calories burned percentage. As this type of biking is consistent and steady, a moderate amount of cycling at nearly 14 mph uses up 415 calories. This is for a person of average weight, on a bike that is stationary. The same distance on a mountain trial or road means the expenditure of calories shoots up to 500. Similarly, high intensity riding burns up to 620 calories for further distances.

Biking for recreation
You could be riding the work out cycle at home or you could be leisurely riding your bike around the neighborhood. There is a difference in the amount of calories burned for each. An averagely weighing person indulging in the former burns 300 calories an hour, whereas the latter burns 240 calories an hour. Leisure cycling contributes to the lowest calorie burn rate among the various types of cycling.
Calories burned biking per mile: As calories burned depend also on the weight, those heavier on the pounds will burn more calories. This is because the body expends more energy for more weight. Measurements of calories burned per kilometer are not accurate for this reason. When a heavier person is biking, she/he might take longer to cover the same distance. Make use calorie calculator to determine how many calories you have burned depending on your height, weight, age, gender and BMI.

Stationary biking and its advantages
While staying at the convenience of your home, you can build muscles in your leg, burn calories as well as improve immunity, thereby boosting the health. Losing weight is convenient this way. According to a latest study, working out on the stationary bike at home makes you keep burning calories even after the biking is stopped. The following are the amount of calories burned in 30 minutes – the minimum time required for any exercise.
• Moderate pace burns 240 calories
• Vigorous pace burns 390 calories
By taking away the hazards that can occur due to cycling in traffic or on uneven roads, stationary biking provides strength to the leg muscles. For the best results, the cycle’s pace and level must be tuned to give at least sixty rotations a minute.
Biking at home means decreasing boredom from repeated actions as you can listen to music or watch TV while exercising. Here, you mind is free from the tension of focusing on the road and hence leaves you to plan ahead or meditate. This is a winning combination for sure. Stationary cycling also allows you consistent rotations on the cycle as there are no interruptions, unlike a road. Keeping consistent schedules obviously allows you to maintain your health, or for many, lose weight.

How many calories does biking burn?
Typically, riding for an hour at 16 to 20 miles per hour burns nearly five and half calories per pound. That means a woman weighing 60 kgs is burning about 700 calories in an hour, or 500 calories at a slower pace. The same woman will be able to burn 500 calories for short distances in the same hour if she is riding in a mountain. Here, there is a burn rate of 4 calories for every pound.
Biking is sometimes better than swimming and running also. There are ways in which to maximize calorie burning through biking.
• Weight on your bike – Bike’s heaviness, water weight in bottles, backpack, etc.
• Heavy tires
• Biking uphill
• Mountain biking
• Biking through sand
• Riding faster
• Longer durations
• Pushing hard – with harder gears for example
Keep these activities as consistent as possible. As the energy expenditure increases, recovery also takes up more calories for such cardio activities.

Advantages of cycling in general
• Cycling is fun and sociable
• It is a great workout
• Cycling is suitable for anyone from varied ages and backgrounds
• It improves health through other factors besides losing calories
• It tones the muscles of your thighs, buttocks, hip and torso.
• Increases cardiovascular health, reduces weight as well as body fat
• Endurance and strength are improved
• Muscles strengthened the most are the calves, hamstrings, glutei and quadriceps
• Best for those unable to perform high impact exercises
• Distributes weight and consequently stresses the joints lesser
• It is not complicated and special training is not required
• Ideal for long periods of exercising as leg muscles do not get excessively tired
• Best for the lungs and heart
• Blood pressure and blood fats decrease, thereby lowering risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Improves performance in other aerobic work outs also
• Cycling is perfectly environment friendly

Tips to start biking
Make a choice to take a healthier route to work. This means ride to work instead of drive. It will slowly but gradually make a difference to your overall health. Start slowly in the form of 12 mph on the bike and increase the pace everyday as you get used to exerting your muscles. Three times a week, take longer and more intense routes to double the calories burned.
Keep to routes that are safe and wear helmet without fail. Ensure you do not break the routine, stay motivated by keeping a calorie calculator log.

Staying on low calorie foods all the time is, to say the least, not advisable. The human body needs its regular intake of calories to sustain basic functions and other activities. For example – even sleeping requires calories. Keeping fit and following a healthy diet does not only mean eating salads constantly. It is perfectly fine to add certain high calorie foods to your diet as long as the quantity is kept to the minimum. Let us explore what these healthy high calorie foods are.

Calorie dense or high density foods

Such foods are a regular for people aiming to gain weight. The reasons could be many – ranging from underweight / under nourishment to muscle building.

Calorie dense foods are nothing but those foods with a high quantity of calories present in small serving portions. All fatty foods fall under this category. Sugary foods also follow a close second. Scientifically speaking, a gram of carbohydrate or protein contains 4 calories whereas a gram of fat contains as many as 9 calories.

Foods high in fats or sugar include Fried food stuffs, beer, cola drinks, potato chips, cookies, candy bars, fatty meats, ice cream, etc. In case you are planning to increase your calorie content, ensure to make the right choice of calorie dense foods. Go for those foods that are not just rich in calories, but also contain high nutritional value. Nutritional foods are generally those with moderate quantities of minerals and vitamins, with the addition of fiber and water. Foods with high fiber and water content are generally low calorie foods as they are hard for the body to absorb.

Gaining weight through foods

A perfect example of a healthy choice is orange juice. Let’s say for example, an orange of medium size contains 60 calories. Now, the same orange made into juice shoots up the calorie density. That’s 160 calories for you.

Eating foods with simple carbohydrates makes sure that you pack in the pounds as they are easy to digest. Complex carbohydrates, unlike simple carbohydrates, are harder to absorb and are relegated to weight losing diets. Foods which help weight gain include pasta, whole grains, rice, potatoes, beans and cereals. For example, the usual pasta serving gives you between 800 and 1000 calories.

Fats:

About one quarter requirement of your daily calorie needs is from fats. Not all fats should be avoided, as some of them are good for the health. The rest of the requirement is for proteins and carbohydrates.

Adding something like peanut butter will be a good start as it contributes 500 calories to the meal without making you eat big quantities. Caloric intake can be increased by taking supplements for protein and weight gain. Whey or soy protein shake fall under this category. The food must be a decent combination of carbohydrates and protein. You can add calories through eating more quantities of healthy foods. However, add high density foods to this healthy foods list, as simply eating a lot of vegetables will not ensure you gain weight.

High calorie foods to be eaten

• Seeds and nuts: Seeds and nuts are full of fibers, healthy fats, minerals and vitamins. These foods are prefect for snacking between meals. They are both filling and nutritious, keeping you from reaching out for unhealthy foods instead. Still, keep in mind that they are extremely high in calorie content. Most seeds and nuts contain nearly 950 calories in a single cup. That is equal to 200 calories for an ounce.
• Peanut butter: Peanut butter, a common spread in many lunch boxes and meals, is a healthy way to increase your calorie intake without even realizing it. There are 590 calories in 100 grams of peanut butter. This equals to 94 calories in a tablespoon and 1520 calories in a single cup.
• Dark Chocolate: A food that is surely ‘packed’ with antioxidants and nutrients is dark chocolate. With moderate intake, it is worth every calorie it contains. Per 100 grams, there are 501 calories in pure baked chocolate. A bar of 30 grams contains 150 calories, while grated chocolate in a cup contains 660 calories.
• Other foods: Dates, Raisins, Whole wheat crackers, whole wheat bread, sesame butter, coconut milk, dried apricots, Brown rice, Avocados, Oatmeal and fruit juices.

Calories in high calorie foods

• Dates – 280 calories
• Raisins – 300 calories
• Whole wheat crackers – 440 calories
• Whole wheat bread – 266 calories
• Sesame butter – 595 calories
• Coconut milk – 230 calories
• Dried apricots – 240 calories
• Brown rice – 111 calories
• Avocados – 160 calories
• Oatmeal – 70 calories
• Orange Juice – 45 calories
• Apple Juice – 50 calories
• Pineapple Juice – 53 calories
• Grape Juice – 61 calories

The values are per 100 grams serving for all items on the list.

High Calorie foods to take with restraint

There are certain high calorie foods that we cannot seem to avoid but have to exercise restraint with.

• Vegetable oils: There are excessive amount of calories in purified vegetable fats such as olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, etc. Olive and canola, which are non-hydrogenated, are still healthy as the trans-fat content that could prove harmful is nil.  These vegetable oils contribute as many as 900 calories in a 100 gram serving (a tablespoon contains 124 calories).
• Animal Fats: These should be taken in minimal quantities as they are very high in cholesterol and saturated fats. All other nutrients are low. Best used as a condiment, the highest calorie density occurs in fish oils, lard and tallow. Again, a 100 gram serving contains 900 calories (120 calories in a tbsp.).
• Cheese: Rich in calcium and a fairly tasty addition in many dishes, cheese is protein from vegetarian sources. The highest calorie cheeses contain 465 calories in 100 grams.
• Processed meats: Processed meats not only contain a high amount of calories, but are also filled with animal fats and vitamins. For example, sausages contain nearly 500 calories in a serving of 100 grams, or in case of a link measuring 4 inches – 279 calories.

High calorie foods to avoid

There are many high calorie foods that prove absolutely unhealthy and even harmful to the body. Such foods include fried foods (like fried chicken served as fast food and French fries), Junk foods (Toffees, candies, snacks, cheese puffs, etc.) and Salad dressings (French dressings, Blue cheese, Ranch cheese, Caesar cheese, etc.). On the other hand, herbs and vinegar based dressings are simple and contain almost no calories.

As far as nutrition is concerned, butter is basically fat obtained from whole milk. It is milk fat, with about eighty percent constituting just fat. In this, the amount of saturated fat is two-thirds. In India, the same milk fat is called ghee. There is one difference here though; Indian ghee is made from the milk of buffalo, whereas butter is made from the milk of a cow. The fat composition in both preparations is similar.

Making of Butter

When the cream of milk is separated from it, butter is obtained. Fresh milk left standing for a certain period of time will show differentiation in the fatty cream portion and the lighter milk solids and water portion. The fatty portion is taken to make pure butter. It is the portion that is settled at the bottom. The other portion rises to the top as it is less heavy than the fat substance. Artificially, butter is made using a centrifuge. Separating the portions is very much hastened as a centrifuge works by forceful spinning. Here, the light portions go towards the center, while the heavy portions fly to the sides. This way, fats are separated and then churned. Butter is obtained when the fats become semi-solid after optimum churning. Allowing butter to cool after long simmering will create a fine layer on top after a certain period. This is the finest quality ghee used in preparing many tasty dishes.

Role in Health

An average person requires a minimum intake of 2000 calories on a regular basis. Fats and their necessity in diets contribute to ten percent of the daily calorie requirement. Now, this equals to a fat constitution of 20 grams, or in other words, two table spoons.

Having this amount of butter or ghee in the diet everyday can be good for health, unless you exercise restraint on more. As the quantity goes above the required 2 tablespoons, the risk for heart related diseases rises. In high quantities, especially on regular basis, these items increase cholesterol that can lead to heart ailments. Quantities used in cooking should also be moderate and must not exceed 2 tablespoons.

At moderate levels, however, ghee is found to have positive effects on health. The same for butter is yet under research. Nevertheless, butter carries within itself a decent amount of Vitamin D and Vitamin K. The respective content of the vitamins varies depending on the source of the butter, i.e. the cow and its living conditions, including its diet.

Butter in Cooking

There is no substitute to the kind of flavor and texture that butter contributes to in food preparations. When natural butter is added to the dishes, they taste better, perfectly complementing the preparation. With the added advantage of the fact that butter is a hundred percent natural food, adding it to cooking recipes can be done without worry. Butter blocks that have been packed in grease resistant foils or papers are readily available in supermarkets the world over.

Ages past

Butter, in ancient stories, was known to have been invented quite by mistake when a traveller left a bag of milk hanging on to his horse. The heat, combined with the jostling movements of the horse, churned the milk to produce a yellowish and tasty substance. Butter had existed even 4000 years ago. For many, many years butter was simply prepared at home. In history, it was also used as a form of currency. Butter was very much treasured and saved among families. Butter factories were revealed for the first time around late 1840s. Farmers traded their milk for money, and the milk was eventually converted to butter. Since those times, butter grew to become a large industry. Now, the Dairy industry cannot be described without a reference to butter.

Interestingly, butter in modern preparations is not very different from the older preparations. Very little has changed, since its accidental discovery. Butter can be,

• Eaten
• Drunk
• Spread on foods
• Cooked

Used as,

• Medicine
• Oil
• Hair dressing product
• Wrinkle eraser

Butter, as an ingredient in food is unmatched.

Storage

Butter should be kept frozen at -25 degrees centigrade with about 85% relative humidity. It must be kept away from aromatic vegetables and food products. Butter should always be stored while sealed in grease resistant paper that is dry. Butter can be stored for a year this way.

For non-frozen butter, the temperature should be around 3 degrees centigrade with the same level of humidity. This can stay up to 6 months.

Butter Quality

Butter must be having eighty percent milk fats, a uniform, even yellow color and should be only made from milk cream for meeting quality standards. Good quality butter is characterized by its flavor, color, texture, smell, salt and body. Flavor is determined by checking smell and taste. The body of the butter is determined by its spreading ability, while color by its uniformity. Salt content is permitted in various levels.

Butter Market

There are different types of butter such as lightly salted – used in cooking, unsalted – used in baking and whipped butter – available in tubs for table spreads. In salted butter, salt plays the role of both preservative as well as flavoring agent.

There is also a rich cultured butter available in the market. It is made from cream that is cultured. Cultured butter is very popular in the European countries. A single pound of the substance accounts for nearly 11 milk quarts. Butter measurements available in the market are as follows.

• One pound – 2 cups
• Half pound – 1 cup
• ¼ pound – half cup
• Four table spoons – ¼ cup

Calories in Butter

A 100 grams serving of butter contains about 720 kcals.

It also contains quantities of cholesterol, Tran’s fat, saturated fats, lipids, protein and water. Other nutrients include Vitamins A, B6, B12, E, K and D, Folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and minerals phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, sodium, selenium and zinc.

Butter’s nutritional value makes it a good choice to include in healthy diets.

As we all know, calorie is a unit measurement of energy. When you eat food stuffs rich in calories, it means you are gaining considerable energy from it. When you use that energy, you are burning those calories. On the other hand, if you do not use that energy, it will store itself up in your body at the rate of 3500 calories per pound of fat. To target this fat, you have to burn about 3500 calories bit by bit. This burning can be in the form of eating lesser than before or exercising more than before. Both are beneficial and together are very effective.

Metabolism

To correctly understand how burning calories work, we must first explore the influence of metabolism on weight gain or weight loss. This is will give you a glimpse into how you can burn more calories by boosting your metabolism.

First things first! Let us first be absolutely clear about the fact that what you eat determines what you look like. When you look at what foods and drinks are going in to your system, it is easy to find the culprit that made you gain weight.

With that information well noted, understand the working mechanisms of metabolism. You cannot blame weight gain slow metabolism. Metabolism is our body’s natural mechanism to process energy according to the requirement. For example, if you are active today, your body supplies you with more energy. If you decide to give in to lethargy, again the body slows down to conserve that energy. The moment you eat more than that requirement, weight gain begins.

Food and Energy

The processes in your body that convert all that you drink and eat into energy is called metabolism. It is a biochemical process that is very complex in nature. Here, the calories present in the food stuffs consumed are uniting with oxygen to aid the release of energy. This energy is used by the body for its regular everyday activities. Whether you are indulging in any activity or not, even at rest the body is busy with various functions like blood circulation, breathing, hormone regulation, cell repairing and growing. All these functions require energy in varied levels.

These are basic functions and the amount of calories used to undertake them is termed as basal metabolic rate. It differs from individual to individual. There are certain factors that determine individual basal metabolic rates. These include:

• Body composition and size – People who have bigger bodies and more muscle mass tend to burn a higher amount of calories even if they are at rest.
• Gender – Men burn more calories in general as they have more muscle and lesser fat compared to women who fall in the same age category.
• Age – when you age, the calorie burn rate decreases as muscle mass gradually reduces, replaced with more fat. As most of the weight is due to fat, calorie burning slows down.

BMR burns maximum calories

The basic energy needs for regular functioning is fairly consistent without many changes. Every day, the human body’s basal metabolic rate constitutes 60% to 75% of calories burned for that day. The other two major functions that determine the amount of calories that you burn per day are thermogenesis and physical activity.

Thermogenesis involves heat generation, especially food processing. Calories are required to digest, absorb, transport and eventually store the food that is not used that day. Food processing in the body takes up 10% of the daily burnt calories and it does not alter that easily. It has quite a steady requirement.

The last and an equally important factor in your day’s calorie burn count is accounted for by physical activity. The activities performed by you during the course of the day determine the amount of calories you can burn or not burn. Any movement comes under this calorie buster such as walking, playing with your pet, sports, household work, gardening, etc.

Starvation not good for weight loss

Many feel that they naturally have a slower metabolism and hence gain more weight compared to others. You can shelve this thought as a myth. Slower metabolisms occur from lesser activity, reducing your bodily burning of calories. Rather, the calories consumed are constantly stored up, having no outlet. This in turn creates more fat that you are basically just lugging around, as fat does nothing productive. So, more fat = less calorie burning.

Starving yourself as the solution will not work, and here’s why. When you starve yourself, the calories available for that day’s basic functions drastically reduce. Because of this, the body’s metabolism slows down in order to compensate for the deficit in energy and concentrates on storing more calories for basic survival.

It is now easy to understand why you gain all that weight back once you start eating normally. Technically speaking, one gains weight only and only if they eat more than they are burning. This can be prevented by reducing your calorie intake gradually while increasing your physical activity. Please note that there are exceptions, where hormonal imbalances and other health conditions like hypothyroidism and Cushing’s syndrome lead to weight gain. These are abnormal conditions and they require medical intervention.

Burning Calories

Though manipulating your metabolism to burn more calories is not a recommended option, you can surely increase your physical activity levels and burn those calories. When you are active, you automatically burn more calories. For those who have faster metabolism, it is simply a case of more movements in their day.

One interesting fact is that fidgety people burn more calories are they are constantly moving.

There are greater benefits as you increase your activity. Indulge in regular aerobic exercises such as swimming, bicycling and walking that are most efficient. Every day must have physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, irrespective of the daily routine. To actually lose weight, the activity levels should be more. For those who cannot make time for intense work out routines, taking out chunks of 10 minutes throughout the day would be an effective way to tackle weight management. Let’s see what these chunks can comprise in a bit.

Another way for improving metabolism and burning calories in your body is building muscle mass through strength training. Muscle tissue is constantly active and hence burns calories just by surviving.  Also, altering your lifestyle slightly to fit in more movements will drastically change how you feel about your health. Any movement that is extra from the usual will burn calories for you. Try to increase the activities by a little more than the previous day and see how the changes will surprise you pleasantly.

Burning calories sweat free

These are the chunks that were mentioned earlier. Not only are they part of your day, but they are also efficient ways to target weight loss without seemingly working hard at it. You can make use of every opportunity to move the muscles and increase heart rate. Strive to eat foods that contain lesser calories, more fiber and more nutrients. This will enable you to feel full, feel hungry less often and also maintain good health. You are now privy to secrets that most fit and good looking people guard. It’s how they seem to have great bodies and glowing health while looking as if they spent zero time on it.

• Having sufficient levels of vitamin D in the body helps to lose weight faster. A study on vitamin D deficient women revealed that weight loss is slower for them.
• Drinking caffeine increases the calorie burn rate.
• Getting lesser than 4 hours sleep reduces rate of metabolism in the long run. So, get optimum sleep (7 to 9 hours) for good health.
• Reduce dependence on technology and perform chores by hand as they require considerable energy. Washing dishes is a case in point.
• Aim to walk more than yesterday. Also, increase the pace gradually.
• Eat frequent smaller meals in 2-3 hour intervals. It keeps up the calorie burning throughout the day, not to mention keep you healthy. More energy is used to keep digesting every couple of hours.
• Laugh more, as believe it or not, laughing for 15 minutes burns nearly 50 calories.
• Having breakfast kick starts your body into burning calories. When the body realizes you are not starving anymore, more fat begins to burn.
• Move around as a principle and move more wherever you may be.
• Having more fiber in the diet keeps you full while taking up more energy to digest. You will even feel lesser urge to binge on high calorie snacks.
• Eating late at night breaks the sleep pattern and may make you avoid breakfast. So avoid late night snacking first.
• Metabolic rate decreases when you are dehydrated. So drink more water all day.
• Take less sugar in the diet and increase the amount of spice. It is known to burn more calories.
• Take fruits with their skin where possible. It burns calories while providing good nutrition.
• Taking milk with low fat reduces fat conservation in the body.
• An erect posture strengthens muscles in the abdomen. This will also make you move your limbs more.

These are some very easy and effective ways to begin burning calories the healthy way. Take the extra step for a better you.

With a center filled with seeds just like the apple, pears are round at the bottom and tapered at the top. They have a juicy flesh that is sweet to taste and a grainy texture. The flesh itself is cream colored to white and highly revered as a delicacy. There are numerous varieties of pears grown around the world. But, only some of these are available in all seasons. Most pears are available abundantly during the period between August and October. The different varieties can be seen in colors like red, brown, green, yellow or a mix of any of these.

The varieties display a difference in their color, shape, taste, size and even storage qualities. Popular varieties include Packham, Passe Crassane, Conference, comice, Anjou, Bartlett and Bosc. The skins are papery thin, eaten along with the flesh.

Gift of the Gods

Pears are called so because of the prominence and high regard that they enjoyed in the earlier centuries of the past millennium. During the times of Louis XIV, they were considered a luxury. The juicy and buttery sweet flesh was very sought after. For nearly 3000 years, the Western countries of Asia had the best cultivation of this fruit. It had probably existed in the stone ages too. For many years, Americans imported the delicacy from France. It was around the 17^th century that the pear tree was introduced in the country. The fruit went through a lot of breeding and cultivation to give it the present taste and texture. In recent times, the biggest suppliers of pears in the world are the US, Italy and China.

When to Eat

Pears available in the markets are usually unripe to avoid spoilage. Once they are bought, they need to be kept aside at room temperature till they ripen. The skin on the pear yields softly when it becomes ready to eat. One should caution against keeping it for too long though, as they spoil very quickly after ripening.

Eating it this way ensures that you are obtaining the maximum amount of antioxidants from the fruit. In many fruits, the antioxidant levels increase as they ripen. Pears can be refrigerated once they attained their maximum ripening. Do not keep these fruits in closed bags as they it hastens the ripening process and degrades them.

Benefits to the Health

Copper and Vitamin C are present in good quantities to make the fruit a very good source for the nutrients. These are antioxidants that help the body to protect itself from damage due to oxygen and free radicals. Immunity is improved from eating pears as the Vitamin C aids in stimulating white blood cells to fight against infection. Pears are good for the heart as well as the digestive system. They have a good percentage of dietary fiber, which also plays a role in reducing cholesterol levels indirectly.

Pears’ intake reduces risk for colon cancer by working on both copper supply that aids in preventing free radical damage and fiber supply that binds to chemicals causing cancer. The fruit has the least amount of allergies from its consumption. It is also the recommended fruit as the first fruits to give to infants. It is a safe fruit for first timers.

Calories in a Pear

A medium sized pear of 180 grams contains 103 calories. It also has 6 grams of dietary fiber, 8 mg of Vitamin C and 8 mcg of Vitamin K. It contains no fat and cholesterol. Additionally, there is 0.6g of protein and 2 mg of Sodium. There is a carbohydrate content of about 25 grams.

A cup of sliced pear chunks of 80 grams contain just 50 calories. This applies for freshly taken pears and not the canned form. A small pear mostly contains 83 calories and a large pear contains about 125 calories. Similarly, there are about 51 calories in one apple pear. There are lesser calories when the skin is removed although it is not advisable as the outer layer is the source of many nutrients.

The basic foundation towards gaining a healthy body or to maintain the health you are already blessed with is to take small, but steady steps.

Losing weight is not a sudden event. It takes small victories day by day to finally reach the destination. As humans are only mortal and begin to age soon, maintaining healthy lifestyle is also very important as it slows down the adverse effects of aging. Keeping healthy allows you to live almost problem free as health is, after all, truly wealth.

Keeping this in mind, one must think of ways to reduce stress in their lives and give more time for their selves. Making time is the hardest part. Now, to fit in activities that boost health in the daily routine, one must consider what works best for them. There is one activity, though, that will fit into anyone’s calendar with ease. And that is walking. Taking long walks is not only a calorie buster but also very refreshing.

Many people do not take enough walks until their doctors order them to take a minimum of 30 minutes’ walk every day. In this age of sedentary lifestyles and too high dependence on technology, we have surely become lazier. For that reason, let us alter a famous proverb and say, ‘A 3o minute walk a day keeps the Doctor away’.

Why it Works?

Taking long walks has long been recommended by many health experts as one of the best and most important activities for losing fat slowly and permanently. Walking every day helps both males and females burn the unwanted fat gradually in little victories day by day. Walking every day means improvement in minor things that add up to the big picture.

1)      Fitness levels increase

2)      Stamina improves

3)      Reduces weight

4)      Manages weight

5)      Brings you closer to nature

6)      Reduces Stress

7)      Improves mood

And…

1)      Raise good (HDL) cholesterol

2)      Reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol

3)      Lower risk of type 2 diabetes

4)      Lower high blood pressure

For all these benefits, it is very simple to make it an everyday practice and safe too. As it is a low intensity exercise, you would not actually work very hard but watch your health getting better slowly. Besides, anyone can go and take a walk. It is a perfect form of exercise for people from all ages and fitness levels.

Getting Started

Walking never puts you through dangerous situations that could harm you. Nevertheless, a little preparation would help to make it more worthwhile. Muscle pains and blisters in the feet are common with walking and they can be avoided.

Footwear needs to be comfortable. Make sure that you choose footwear with flexible, thick soles, firm heel and correct arch support. Always walk in the shoes before you buy them at the store. Comfortable clothing that is loose fitting must be preferred. Take note of the weather before stepping out and most importantly, wear bright colors if walking after dark.

Maintain the right posture while walking as it takes you a long way in improving your overall carriage and look. Though it is simple, the right movements are essential. Find the correct technique and stick to it consistently. All health experts recommend a brisk walk with wide movement of the limbs.

Take five minutes before and after the walk to warm up and cool down respectively. Stretch the muscles, including calf muscles, quadriceps, sides and hamstrings. It reduces stress on both the muscles as well as heart.

Walking Basics

For the lazy ones, starting it slow and taking it easy is a good way to begin. If you are the type to tire easily and haven’t had much activity for a long time, walking slowly at first is best. Even if you walked for just a few minutes, you have made a start. Short sessions daily will gradually improve both your mood and stamina. In a few weeks’ time, you can increase the time to 15 minutes and later to 30 minutes. Later, walking for 60 minutes would feel quite normal. All this time you are on your way to lesser fat and better fitness.

The seasoned, frequent walkers must continue walking – no doubt. Secondly, measure your workout intensity constantly to avoid going overboard or having too less. There are electronic devices displaying heart rate that one can wear. Otherwise, you can check the heart rate manually at the neck or wrist.

Set targets realistically so that you will stay motivated and consistent. Do not aim for short term results; rather keep going at a pace that suits you – without fail. To make sure you have begun walking more than earlier, keep a record of your steps (from one place to another place). You can either pen it down in a journal, type it in to a spreadsheet on your computer or use a pedometer that calculates time and distance.

Importantly, keep the motivation levels up through,

• Having walking partners
• Altering routes
• Listening to music while walking
• Taking your pet along
• Keeping the goal in mind always.

So, how many calories do you burn walking?

Let us see how many calories an average person weighing 60 kgs (130 lbs.) burns during various walking activities.

• Walking slow – 150 calories
• Walking moderate – 197 calories
• Walking briskly – 224 calories
• Walking uphill – 350 calories
• Walking downstairs – 180 calories
• Walking your dog – 175 calories
• Pushing wheelchair – 240 calories

These values apply for an hour of the activity and the amount of calories burned is higher for those weighing more than 130 lbs.

For every kilometer you walk, one calorie is burned per each kilogram of weight in the body. From that perspective, the amount of calories burned per kilometer varies from person to person depending on their age, gender, height and weight.

Cucumbers fall at the fourth place among the most cultivated vegetables on a wide scale after tomatoes, onions and cabbages. Almost all the countries in the world produce this vegetable as it is versatile enough to be incorporated into many types of cuisines. These vegetables fit in to the same family as pumpkins and watermelons.

There are two different types of cucumbers depending on how they are produced commercially. There are the slicing cucumbers that can be consumed fresh and then there are the pickling cucumbers that go for processing for the purpose of pickling. The former have think skins and large sizes and the latter have thin skins and small sizes.

The most common sight at the grocery might be the dark green, long and smooth cucumbers, but they are grown as many varieties with variations in their shapes, sizes, textures and colors. There are orange, yellow and white colored cucumbers also. The shapes range from round to oval. If one considers what part of the plant cucumbers are, they can be technically called as fruits. However, they have more use as vegetables and the description as a vegetable has stuck.

Pickling cucumbers can be consumed directly, although their thin skins and small shapes make them ideal specimens to preserve or ferment. The thick skin of slicing cucumbers makes them ideal for transport without harm to the vegetable itself. The seeds inside the cucumber are a good source of nutrients that may or may not be present in the skin and pulp. For this reason, the seeded varieties should be preferred more than the seedless variety.

The past

The plants can grow in different environments naturally at normal temperatures between fifteen and thirty three degrees centigrade. It is believed that cucumbers first originated in India or certain regions in Western Asia and the Middle East. It was recorded in a region of Iraq (then, Uruk) at around 2500 BC. Nearly three and half millenniums later, cucumber cultivation began in France and other European regions. In the present times, many countries across the world have their own native varieties of cucumber. Most of the cucumber supply these days comes from China, taking up nearly two thirds supply globally. Other large cucumber exporters are Spain, Mexico and Iran.

Storing them

Normally, cucumbers with thin skins have a lesser number of seeds inside compared to think skinned cucumbers. Cucumbers are heat sensitive, which is why they need refrigeration to avoid spoilage. Those that are wrinkled or puffy and yellow must be avoided. They can stay safely in the refrigerator for many days. Cucumbers are best consumed within two days as they have the best quality during these two days. The best cucumbers to consume are those that have been grown organically rather than those that were cultivated using conventional methods.

Benefits of Cucumber to the Health

The vegetable provides a special nutrient combination, though its health benefits are not advertised much. The most important phytonutrients in cucumber are flavonoids, lignans and cucurbitacins. These together provide anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. The conventional antioxidants that protect against free radical damage like beta carotene, manganese and Vitamin C are present in the vegetable. Due to the high content of the antioxidants, unwanted inflammation is reduced and prevented.

The compound cucurbitacin is being researched and explored with the goal to generate newer and more effective medicines to combat cancer. The regular consumption of cucumber and its role in stopping growth of cancerous cells is yet to obtain confirmation.

Calories in Cucumber

Cucumbers are very low in calories and quite high in nutrient content. A 100 grams serving of cucumber contains just 16 calories. Other nutrients include Vitamin K – 17 mcg, Vitamin C – 3 mg, Molybdenum – 5.20 mcg, Potassium – 153 mg, Magnesium – 14 mg, Manganese – 0.08 mg, pantothenic acid – 0.27 mg and Tryptophan – 0.01 g.

• An entire cucumber contains nearly 44 calories
• A single cup serving of cucumber with slices contains about 16 calories
• A 10 gram serving of cucumber contains just 2 calories.

Now, these values are taken for cucumber with the skin intact. Some prefer to have cucumbers with the skin, though skin and seeds have a high nutritional value. When the calories are considered for cucumbers with their skin peeled away,

• Whole large cucumber contains 33 calories
• Whole small cucumber contains 20 calories
• One cup with cucumber slices has 14 calories and
• A 10 gram serving of skinless cucumber contains just 1 calorie.

This vegetable can be found as part of the vegetable list of a number of households. They can be eaten easily in both solid and liquid forms. Cucumber can be made into a juice form, which is beneficial to the digestive health.

Cherries are one of the most famous dessert items, which are part of many sweet delicacies. They are small stone fruits, red in color. There are many species of cherries of which only two species are edible for humans. These are the sweet or wild variety and the sour variety. Wild variety that is cultivated is the most available cherry, produced commercially. The botanical name of this species is Prunus avium.

The fruit is known to exist from a long time ago, going back to the prehistoric period. Wild cherries are natively grown in certain regions of North Africa and most areas of Western Asia and Europe. Cherry tress themselves are involved in the food chain of the wild forests. Cherries have a high demand all over the world despite their difficulties in cultivation. The trees are sensitive to spraying, irrigation, rain, etc. and require considerable labor, making them expensive. They grow in temperate conditions with a short season in which they grow. Summer is the best season for growing cherries. The fruit is commonly associated with the terms cherry orchards and cherry blossoms.

Good for Health

The medicinal properties and health benefits of cherries have been recognized since the 15^th century. Not only are they a good addition to desserts as dessert fruits, but are also very good sources for obtaining Vitamin C and Fiber in your diet. Many health professionals, dieticians and nutritionists call cherries as super foods because of the advantages they offer to the health. So what are these so called super powers? Let’s find out.

Antioxidants: The content of antioxidants in cherries is considered one of the highest concentrations among any antioxidant containing foods. With a top 20 ranking for its antioxidant percentage, a single cup of cherries can carry up to 4, 875 antioxidants. These substances protect us from damage due to free radicals in the body. Anthocyanin, a phytochemical, is especially prominent in cherries. Other compounds present in cherries include quercetin, phenols and melatonin.

Melatonin: Our sleep cycles are regulated by a hormone called melatonin that is produced naturally in the brain through the pineal gland. The internal clock in the body is well maintained by this hormone, allowing us to wake up or fall asleep regularly. Now if anyone has sleep disorders or is suffering from temporary lack of sleep due to jet lag for example, they can eat a cup of cherries to make them fall asleep as it contains melatonin. This is a way to naturally help you to fall asleep through taking cherries just before sleeping.

Additionally, melatonin also plays a role in maintaining optimum functioning in the brain. It can prevent the development of brain related degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. In short, cherries keep the brain healthy.

Other health benefits: Cherries aid the immune system in fighting infections, inflammations and pain from arthritis. All those suffering from arthritis should begin eating more cherries as they help in reducing the inflammation in the arthritic joins, thereby reducing even pain. Cherries have been proven to improve the immune functions of the body to make it healthier.

The presence of anthocyanins in cherries, while giving them the characteristic red color, also provides protection against heart diseases. These antioxidants work by protecting the heart and surrounding tissue by preventing damage from oxidation. This in turn prevents plaques and other inflammations that are a major cause of illnesses arising in the cardiovascular system.

Calories in Cherries

There are about 80 calories in a 100 grams serving of cherries of the sweet variety. These fruits are both low in calories as well as high in nutrients, minerals and vitamins. The sour variety has 50 calories in the same serving. Additionally, this serving also contains 16 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein, 2 grams of dietary fiber, negligible amount of fat and no cholesterol.

The various vitamins present include Vitamins C, A, E and K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine, Pantothenic acid, Niacin and Folates. They have the electrolytes potassium and sodium, beneficial for the body. Minerals include Zinc, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, Iron, copper and calcium. Cherries contain two phytonutrients in the following quantities – 40 mcg of beta carotene and 85 mcg of Lutein-zeaxanthin.

Sweet cherries are used in fruit cocktails, fruit cakes, desserts, pastries, pie fillings and fruit salads in addition to eating raw. They taste the best when ripe but with shiny bright skin.

Let us skip boring descriptions and give sugar the bright consideration that it deserves. Did you know that the taste of sugar is the only taste that humans crave as soon as they are born?

Sugar is a carbohydrate source to the body that directly becomes energy. It is also hundred percent natural with no fat. When there is no fat, it does not get stored in the body. That is why, sugar is good for you.

Sucrose (sugar), a carbohydrate is present in vegetable and fruit naturally. The highest concentrations are present in sugar cane and beet root plants. The sugar itself is just separated from these plants. As a result, sugar is pure sucrose – with 99.95 percent. Sucrose sugar extracted from any plant is the same.

Once sugar is extracted from plants, it is absolutely natural and organic and there are no added agents to give it the white color. Interestingly, the sucrose sugar made biotechnologically from hybrid plants is also the same from the molecular perspective. Plants make this energy from sunlight through a process called photosynthesis.

Sugar is also used for…

Sugar is not just relegated to sweet cravings. It has a host of other applications, especially in cooking. Some of them are,

• Caramelization of vegetables and meats
• Glazing vegetables
• Barbecue Sauces
• Salad dressings
• Salt curing
• Brining
• Pickling
• Dry rubs
• Bread coats

Benefits of sugar in food

Sugar, no doubt adds flavor and texture to many foods. The other benefits are as follows.

• Enhances flavor and smoothness of ice cream
• Enables candy manufacturing as the crystal reformation is controlled
• Slows down surface discoloration of fresh fruits in frozen form
• Aids in spoilage prevention in preserves and jellies
• Regulates gelling
• Delays egg protein coagulation in custards
• Enhances the pace of yeast growth
• Provides pleasing aroma and color to baked and cooked foods due to its caramelization property under heat etc.

Sugar Types

There are many types of the sucrose crystals differing in the size of the crystals. Many of these sugar types are rarely available on the shelves of the supermarket as they are used exclusively by the professional bakers and the food industry. The crystal sizes offer distinctive characteristics that are functional to particular foods.

• White or regular sugar is found in all households and is most common for home cooked food. These crystals are very fine with small crystals.
• Fruit sugar, used in puddings and gelatin desserts, is finer than white sugar. It is also used in powdered drinks. Crystal size is uniform throughout to prevent settling during mixing.
• Baker’s sugar is ultra-fine and is used specially in the baking industry.
• Super fine sugar is the finest among the granulated sugars, used in meringues and cakes with delicate textures.
• Powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar is used in industrial baking.
• Coarse sugar, having larger crystal size than white sugar, is used for liquors, confections and fondants.
• Sanding sugar is used to provide an appearance that sparkles on top of baked food items.
• Brown sugar is partially processed, and so raw. It is used in beverages like tea. It contains higher levels of moisture and hence, displays clumping.
• Liquid sugar, which is previously water mixed sugar, is used in food preparations that require dissolved sugar. This type is sweeter compared to regular sugar.

There are of course substitutes to natural sugar. Ironically, the foods containing artificial sugar contain the same amount of calories due to their carbohydrate content as do foods made with white sugar.

Calories in sugar

Contrary to what many people believe, there are not many calories in sugar. A table spoon of sugar contains just 15 calories. This is pure, natural energy with no fat or adverse effects.

In modern times, the demand for heightened sweetness in food products made artificial sweeteners more popular. They are not the same as unprocessed sugar. However, natural sugar is healthy. You can work off these calories in 8 minutes of any activity, for example – taking a bath.

Artificial Sweeteners

1)      The caloric sweeteners include glucose syrup, dextrose, crystalline fructose, fruit juice concentrates, honey, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

2)      Artificially prepared products include aspartame, saccharine, sucralose, acesulfame-K, neotame.

Despite their popularity, more and more people are now recognizing the need for unprocessed foods, as opposed to processed and unhealthy foods. There is more concern about what they are putting in their mouth. The world is slowly witnessing a comeback of natural foods.

Curbing the argument against sugar

There has been a negative propaganda against sugar for a long time. Due to the paranoia it created, many had abolished the sweet crystals from their diet. Due to this, a fundamental lesson was learnt in dieting. One should never remove any particular ingredient from their diet. On removing, it will only create more cravings and ultimate eating. It has been proven again and again that weight regulation can occur only with moderate eating (having lesser calories than you spend). Removing entire ingredients from the diet does more harm than good.

Remember: Having a balanced diet with a high nutritional value in tune with your calorie needs is more important than cutting down carbohydrates and fats. Sugar provides appealing texture, taste, look, bulk and stability to many foods. Healthy, but boring foods can be made more interesting with sugar, thereby helping you to eat more nutritious food.

The increasing incidence of obesity is majorly due to the higher consumption of fats from easily available processed foods. Most high calorie foods have a high fat content, which is contributing to an important chunk of the calories. Sugar itself does not pose any adverse effects on the health.

Sugar has and always been a savored item since many ages. It had the name of ‘White Gold’, as sugar was, until the 19^th century, considered as luxury among Europeans. The nobility during those times considered it a validation for social power and rank.