Preserva Newsletters

Story of putting on weight!

Nobody with a tendency to gain weight wants to put on extra kilos during the holidays. On the contrary, some people might have kept a secret wish under their pillow for Santa to help them in making their weight loss plan successful. Sometimes, one may find that he or she is gaining weight without increasing consumption of food or liquids and without decreasing physical activity.

Unintentional weight gain can occur for a limited period, can be continuous or can occur at a rapid pace. Unintentional periodic weight gain also includes regular fluctuations in weight. For instance, unintentional weight gain is experienced during a woman’s menstrual cycle for a limited period.

Long term unintentional weigh gain which gives a sense of happiness occurs during pregnancy.  Due to increasing age, some amount of weight gain can occur due to physiological reasons at a steady, continuous pace. But oftentimes there is a sudden surge in the number of kilos put on by a person at a rapid pace. Let us look at the causes of weight gain which require your attention:

• Aberration in hormones can be responsible for increase in weight!
  Due to changes in hormones, there can be an unintentional weight gain. When women enter the age of menopause i.e. generally between the ages of 45 to 55 years of ages, the hormones responsible for regulating monthly periods decline. Once menopause happens, oestrogen is too low to induce periods. A decrease in oestrogen causes increase in weight.
  
  Hormonal disturbances experienced during hypothyroidism can also make one gain weight. Increased cortisol or stress hormone production during depression and Cushing’s syndrome can also make you gain weight. Increased production of aldosterone is also responsible for gaining weight.
   
• Quantity of food stays the same, quality may have changed:
  You might be wondering that you eat the same amount of food but are still gaining weight. This can happen when you change the type of food you consume due to change of place of residence or your new job. There may be more of refined carbohydrates or unhealthy fats disguised in your food going inside your body. Insulin resistance and increased insulin due to increased consumption of refined carbohydrates can also lead to weight gain.
   
• Retention of fluid may be causing retention of weight:
  If there is an increased amount of fluid retention in your body, there can be unintentional and unexplained weight gain. This can lead to fluid swelling which is also known as oedema and can cause your limbs, hand, feet, face or abdomen to look swollen. Rapid fluid retention and weight gain may be an emergency situation but general belly bloating due to fluid retention can be addressed with appropriate herbs.
   
• Medications may be making you gain weight:
  Certain conventional medicines are associated with causing increase in weight. These medications include conventional corticosteroids, antidepressants, antipsychotic medicines and birth control pills.

Road to Fitness: A successful weight loss journey!

The intention for planning a weight loss journey should be for achieving fitness and for better health and not for a particular slim body type. Weight loss should never be inspired by body shaming or by a negative feeling of competition with someone. After looking at picture-perfect images on social media, we get unattainable ideas of achieving the same picture-perfect image of our self. However, such an idea is neither healthy nor is practically achievable as most of these images are heavily edited and you would be surprised to know that your favourite celebrity also looks different in reality.

 Healthy weight loss should always be steady and one should not intend to lose more than half or one kilogram of weight in a week. Consistency in following your plan is the most important factor for successful weight loss.

• Cut back on sugar and refined carbohydrates!
  If you do not want to feel tired and fatigued during household and office work, do not cut carbohydrates completely from your diet. Refrain from consuming refined carbohydrates present in packaged and junk foods. Consume whole grains, millets and starchy vegetables to get good carbohydrates and energy. Also avoid adding sugar to your tea and other things you consume during the day. Satisfy your sugar cravings with fruits that taste sweet.
  
  Refined carbohydrates increase insulin resistance in your body. Consuming required amount of healthy carbohydrates can help in healthy weight loss.
   
• Cut the portion size:
  Enjoy that chocolate cake but only small portion of it. You would not regret having it then and you would not have to suppress the desire for having it either. Apply this trick on each food that causes weight gain. Satisfy your taste buds but don’t let it show on your belly.
   
• Consume seasonal vegetables and fruits:
  Fresh, seasonal and local always works for reducing illness as well as reducing weight. Consuming raw vegetables and fruits in salads and home-cooked fresh vegetables can help you lose weight unlike the food that you order from your favourite app!
   
• Cut unhealthy fats, consume healthy ones:
  Refined oil should not be used in cooking. Experiment with healthy oils in your cooking techniques. You can change your cooking oil every three months for better heart health. Olive oil, mustard oil, ghee in regulated amounts not only improves health but also helps you in losing weight. You can also consume nuts, fish, cheese, eggs and avocados for healthy fat.
   
• Carry a water bottle:
  You contribute to reduction in single use plastic as well by following this. The next good thing it will do is to help you lose weight. Staying hydrated is essential for losing weight and other health benefits like getting good skin.
   
• Come up with interesting ideas for improving physical activity:
  Dancing is one of them for many people. Some people find playing games in a park with friends enjoyable. Some enjoy walking or running alone while there are others who do yoga. Do your favourite physical activities to burn the calories you consume.
   
• Consume Nutrixgold Juice:
  A natural blend of gooseberry, curcumin, lemon and aloe vera gives the necessary kick start to your weight loss journey each day. This juice helps you in overcoming the hurdles that you face while losing weight.
   

Product of the Month: Nutrixgold Juice

A natural and herbal supplement based on curcumin not only boosts the weight loss process but has no side effects, unlike many artificial weight loss medicines. After thorough research of the effects of each ingredient on weight and other associated parameters of health, the formulation was designed. The combination improves the effects of each of the ingredients on losing weight.

Aloe vera works on one of the most prominent causes of weight gain i.e. constipation. Obstinate and persistent constipation can make you gain weight. Being a natural laxative, aloe vera reduces constipation. It improves the health of the digestive system and a healthy digestive system translates into proper metabolism of food and an optimal expulsion of waste from the body that helps in losing weight.  Giving Vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, E, folic acid and niacin to body, aloe vera promotes the process of burning calories and reducing the body’s fat deposits.

Amla is a super food that fights belly’s fat because of the nutrients present in it. Vitamin C in gooseberry powers your immunity to fight toxins and inflammation and boosts metabolism. Gooseberry has hypolipidemic properties that fight off symptoms associated with fatty liver and cholesterol and hence works towards preventing obesity and managing your weight. It also helps in expelling toxins from the body.

Lemon promotes fullness, supports hydration, boosts metabolism and increases weight loss. Citric acid and related compounds in lemon improve thermogenesis and reduce the risk of obesity. It also reduces serum cholesterol levels.

Curcumin is extracted from the root of turmeric and accelerates weight loss. Curcumin reduces inflammation and improves burning of fat and calories. It also improves the functioning of liver and other organs involved in digestion and excretion so that metabolism in stimulated and weight loss is initiated.

Here’s how we met this month!

Health demands attention each day. Therefore, we try our best to meet you each week so that you do not miss on your health supplements. In December, we were there on the 1^st, 8^th, 15^th and 22^nd at Sunder Nursery. Getting old customers back there has become a norm. We also keep seeing new faces at our stall. Introducing our products to the new ones gives us immense pleasure.

‘To keep the body in good health is a duty. Otherwise, we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.’ These are the words of Buddha. Nature and its herbs are the best healers of the body and give strength to the body and soul.

Lack of supplementation from herbs can make you compromise on your good health. The pathway to a more sustainable future is by ensuring that each one stays in good health through natural means. One of the promises one should make to themselves and stick to it through the New Year is to maintain good health.

Mahatma Gandhi rightfully said, ‘It is health that is real wealth and not the pieces of gold and silver.’