Top 10 Benefits of Lemon Water

Lemon is citrus fruit enriched with vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B, riboflavin and minerals like Calcium, Phosphorous and Magnesium. It is used to prepare a variety of Food recipes such as lemon cakes, lemon chicken, lemonade and lemon flavored drinks. But most popular and widely Consumed is Lemon water. Daily Consumption of lemon water provides a number of health benefits.
Lemon and Water both have clarifying actions in your body. When both put together it helps flush out toxins in your system. Our body always prefer to be alkaline but most of the foods we eat are acidic and too much acid brings about the weired health problems. Thus lemon water help alkalize your body. As such there are many benefits of lemon water but in this article we have list down Top 10 Benefits which you can gain by daily consuming lemon water.



Top 10 Benefits of Lemon Water

1. Skin Care
Lemon is a Vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances the body by rejuvenating the skin from within, thus bringing glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water prevents wrinkles to grow and act as an anti-aging remedy.

2. Aids in Dental care
Lemon water helps in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the area of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain.

3. Good for Stomach
Lemon water has great digestive qualities. It helps in relieving many digestion problems like nausea and heart burn. Heartburn is generally caused when food is not properly digest. By consuming lemon water these problems can relieve easily. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation too. It also helps the live to produce more bile thus helps in digesting the food properly.

4. Good For Weight Loss
For heavy weight people, this is highly recommended. Daily consumption of lemon with lukewarm water and honey can help in losing weight.

5. Controls High Blood Pressure
Owing to its rich potassium content, it helps in controlling the blood pressure of the body.
It helps in reducing mental pressure and stress problems, thus relaxing the body.

6. Treatment of Arthritis or Rheumatism
Lemon is a diuretic. This means that lemon water is especially good for people with urinary tract infections. People with arthritis or rheumatism can benefit from consuming lemons because it helps flush out toxins and bacteria.

7. Blood Purifier
Lemon water helps in purifying the blood and helps in curing the diseases like malaria and cholera.

8. Minerals Enrichment
Lemon's contain 48.3% potassium, 29.9% calcium, 11.1% phosphorus, and 4.4% magnesium.Nutritionally, lemon's potassium content nourishes the brain and nerve cells. Its calcium content builds healthy bones and healthy teeth. Its magnesium, in conjunction with calcium, plays an important part in the formation of blood albumen.

9. Reduces Fever
Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration.

10. Assist in Curing Respiratory Disorders
Lemon water assists in curing respiratory problems, along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma.

Top 10 Health Tips for Men

When it comes to health care, we men are like ostriches. We bury our heads in the sand. We are much less likely than women to visit our doctors regularly, take symptoms seriously and live a healthful lifestyle. Maybe that’s one reason why women have a seven-year average survival advantage on us!

Yet it’s obviously important that men of all ages become more proactive about their health. And an easy way to start is to follow these 10 basic steps to maintaining health and vitality.

1. Eliminate "White Foods" from Your Diet. White flour, white sugar and other processed foods are not only devoid of vitamins and minerals, but they’ve also been stripped of their natural fibre. As a result, they rapidly drive up blood sugar levels, which contributes to weight gain, diabetes and a host of other health problems. Avoid breads and baked goods made with white flour, sugar-laden sodas and snack foods. Instead, focus on eating fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

2. Stay Away from Dangerous Trans Fats. While it’s important to reduce your overall fat intake, it’s even more important to watch the types of fat you eat. Deep-fried foods and anything made with hydrogenated oils (margarine, peanut butter, shortening, store-bought pastries and cookies) contain trans fats that raise your risk of heart disease. Eat only healthful fats, such as olive oil and the omega-3 oils found in salmon and other cold-water fish, which actually protect against heart disease.

3. Take a Potent Daily Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement. Although there is no substitute for a good diet, I am convinced that for optimal nutrition, you need to take a high-potency multivitamin and mineral supplement. Even if you are eating right, it’s unlikely that your food contains all the nutrients you need. Poor soil quality, storage, processing and cooking deplete our food of vitamins and minerals. Taking a high quality daily supplement is "health insurance" against possible deficiencies.

4. Include Weight Training in Your Exercise Routine. Aerobic exercise is great for cardiovascular conditioning, but it’s vastly inferior to weight training in attacking the "flab factor." Recent research has shown that as little as once-weekly resistance exercise can improve muscle strength. Even the busiest or laziest among us can find the time and energy for that. Join a gym, consult a personal trainer or ask an experienced friend to show you the ropes.

5. Maintain Your Optimal Weight. Current statistics suggest that half of us are losing the battle of the bulge, but maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for yourself. You’ll look better, feel better and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other major killers. I know this is easier said than done, but if you just follow the four steps above, you’ll be well on your way.

6. Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation. You’ve probably heard of the "French Paradox," and that drinking wine protects against heart disease. Repeated studies have shown that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (all kinds) protects not only against heart disease, but also lowers risk of death from all causes. Remember that moderation is key. While one to two drinks a day are protective, excess alcohol consumption is devastating to health. And for some, one drink is too many.

7. Protect Your Prostate. Around the age of 40, the prostate gland begins a growth spurt that results in symptoms such as frequent nighttime urination. The good news is that this condition, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, can be prevented or reversed by taking extracts of two herbs: saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) and pygeum (Pygeum africanum). Dozens of studies have shown that these herbs work in improving urinary flow without adverse side-effects. Suggested doses are 160 to 320 milligrams of saw palmetto and 40 to 80 mg of pygeum daily.

8. Reduce Your Risk of Prostate Cancer. Experts estimate that 80 per cent of all cancers can be prevented by making healthy lifestyle choices. Avoid saturated and trans fats, which may fuel prostate cancer growth, and incorporate protective foods, such as soy, green tea and tomatoes, into your diet. Soy contains isoflavones with specific anti-cancer activity. Green tea is rich in polyphenols that inhibit the formation of cancer-causing compounds and block the growth of prostate cancer cells. And tomatoes, particularly cooked tomato products, are an excellent source of lycopene, which is linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. In addition, make sure your daily nutritional supplement contains high doses of the antioxidant selenium (200 micrograms) and vitamin E (800 IU), which have been shown to dramatically lower the risk of prostate cancer.

9. Maintain Vigorous Sexual Function. Most cases of erectile dysfunction (impotence) have a physical cause: You’re just not getting enough blood to the area in question. To improve overall circulation, follow the diet, exercise and supplement recommendations above. If you’re taking drugs, review them with your doctor, as many can worsen erectile function and impair libido. Smoking also significantly impairs erectile function. Several herbs have been shown to improve sexual function. Ginkgo biloba increases blood flow to the penis, and Panax ginseng, oats, horny goat weed, maca and seroctin improve libido.

10. Maintain Close Relationships. Another thing women seem to do better than men is maintain close relationships. Make a point to strengthen ties with your family and friends. Volunteer work, religious ties, even pets–anything that keeps you involved with others–reduces stress and enhances health.

Top ten Water Facts

1. Drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day. Pregnant and lactating women and athletes need more. Coffee, tea, and sodas do not count toward your daily water requirement. These drinks act as diuretics and lower the amount of water in your body.

2. A lack of water can significantly decrease work performance. It can also cause constipation, and can increase the risk to kidney problems and urinary tract infections.

3. Don't drink unfiltered tap water. Chlorine is the most dangerous element in most water supplies. It has been implicated in cancer causation, heart disease, and other health problems. Fluoride may also increase cancer risk.

4. Highly sweetened drinks are not absorbed and used by the body as quickly as plain water. Cold water, between 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, is absorbed best.

5. Drink water regularly throughout the day. Don't wait until you are thirsty to replenish your body's water supply.

6. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water. People who eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables can drink less water.

7. Switching to a diet higher in fiber increases your need for water.

8. Athletes should not consume high-fiber foods such as whole grains, whole grain cereals, or apples right before exercise, as high-fiber foods can pull water from the body into the intestinal tract.

9. Older Americans have decreased thirst and need to pay special attention to drinking enough water.

10. Drinking more water does not increase your tendency to bloat. In fact, drinking water will decrease bloating. Salt and sodium-rich foods, imbalanced female hormones, and poor cardiac function are the most common causes for bloating.

5 Tips for Natural Skin Care

Tip 1: Give Yourself a Dry Brush Exfoliation

 
A dry brush exfoliation can be done in the morning before you shower. It eliminates dead skin cells and allows the skin to detox (skin is the largest organ of elimination). Dry brush exfoliation also improves lymph and blood circulation and decreases puffiness. An added benefit is that the gentle pressure is calming to the nervous system. To give yourself a dry brush exfoliation, you'll need a soft, natural bristle brush.

* How to Give Yourself a Dry Brush Exfoliation

Tip 2: Rev Up Your Digestion

 
In alternative medicine, good skin is a reflection of a good digestive system. People with skin disorders such as acne, rosacea, and psoriasis often suffer from constipation, imbalanced "good" vs. "bad" bacteria, leaky gut, and other digestive conditions. The two most common sluggish digestion culprits are:

* Culprit #1: Not Enough Water Water bathes cells and eliminates waste products, preventing constipation. 5 Ways to Boost Your Water Intake

* Culprit #2: Not Enough Fiber Most people lack fiber in their diets - the average person eats only 12 g of fiber a day. In 2002, the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board established recommended fiber intakes. For men aged 19-50 years, 38 g fiber is recommended, and for men over 50, 31 g fiber is recommended. For women aged 19 to 50 years, 25 g fiber is recommended, and for women over 50, 21 g fiber is recommended.

Some suggestions:
1. Add Whole Grains - Choose whole grain products over refined. Have brown rice instead of white or make your own 50:50 combination.
2. An Apple a Day - Have an apple, skin on, as a snack.
3. Eat Cauliflower - Try this delicious Roasted Cauliflower recipe!
4. High-fiber snacks - Snack on nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, such as dates, figs, and prunes.
5. Try a "Prune Power" Smoothie - Prunes are a great source of fiber. Start your day with this tasty Prune Power smoothie.
6. Eat Beans and Legumes - Open a can of your favorite beans or legumes. Rinse them well and add them to your meal.
7. Ground Flaxseeds - For any easy fiber boost, sprinkle ground flaxseeds (available at health food stores) on rice, salads, oatmeal, or any other meal. Store flaxseeds in the fridge.

Tip 3: Invigorate Sluggish Circulation

 
Do you sit at your desk for hours, only getting up to go to the bathroom? One of the best things you can do for your skin, stress level, and overall health is to get moving! Inactivity may affect skin and promote bloating and puffiness, acne, cellulite, and loss of muscle tone. You'll learn more about exercise in Step 9 of the Wellness Makeover. Here are some quick suggestions:

* Take a quick break to go outside and walk around the block.
* Book a massage therapy appointment.
* Close your door and stretch.
* Go to the gym.
* Start each morning by stretching.
* Get a skipping rope.

Tip #4: Avoid Excess Sugar

 
Most people do not realize this but excess sugar is considered one of the main causes of premature aging. The more sugar we eat, the more sugar we have entering our bloodstream. Over time, this can result in a process known as glycation, which is when a glucose (sugar) molecule damages a protein molecule by sticking to it. The new molecules formed are called advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs. AGEs damage collagen in skin, cartilage, and ligaments and promote a loss of elasticity. Wrinkles form and skin begins to sag.

* Try This - It may seem impossible to reduce your sugar intake, but it can be done! A gradual approach works best. In the next week, choose one thing you're going to do to decrease the amount of sugar you consume. For example, start by cutting the amount of sugar in your daily coffee or tea by half. Every week, find another way you can decrease your sugar intake. Pretty soon, you'll be surprised at how far you've come!

Tip #5: Eat Some Good Fats

 
Essential fatty acids are simply fats your body cannot live without. They are needed to make cell membranes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Essential fats are thought to keep your heart healthy, fight inflammation, and possibly prevent cancer. They are also particularly important to people with inflammatory conditions such as eczema and acne, and also for people with dry skin. People with essential fat deficiency sometimes notice bumps on the backs of their arms. Here are my suggestions on getting more essential fats:

* Flaxseed and walnut oil - Use flaxeed oil or walnut oil with balsamic vinegar as a salad dressing. Be sure to keep these oils refrigerated. They should not be heated or used for cooking.
* Cold water fish - Sardines are a good source of essential fats. Salmon is another good source, however these salmon accumulate toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (otherwise known as PCBs) in their body fat during the 95 percent of their lives they spend at sea.
* Supplements - Consider fish oil supplements. 

2011 Summer Collection

Diet and Weight Loss Tips

Weight Loss Information and Tips for Getting Started

Calories per Hour offers the following tips to help you lose weight to look better, feel better, and live a healthier life. These tips are short and sweet and are intended as a starting point or quick reference for individuals seeking to lose weight by using the resources offered on Calories per Hour. Read the related tutorial topics to learn more about the topics discussed in these weight loss tips

1. How Did I Get Here? Do you simply need help learning how to eat better? Probably. But if you eat poorly as a result of emotional, mental, or spiritual problems, they may have to be addressed before you can make any real progress with weight loss.
   Even people who don't feel they have an eating disorder often turn to food for comfort. To learn to eat well and exercise regularly, you may also have to learn to handle the problems life throws at you without turning away from healthy eating and exercise.
   Be particularly careful about all-or-nothing thinking. A common tendency when failing to stay on a diet is to abandon it altogether. Instead, try to learn from your mistakes and do better in the future.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  Eating Disorders
   
2. Are You Ready to Diet? Again? Diets entice us with promises of quick weight loss. But focusing on quick weight loss can lead to unhealthy eating and only short term success.
   While most diets produce quick weight loss at the outset, they often cause your metabolism to slow. The result is that you have to eat less and less to keep losing weight. You quickly become discouraged, give up, and start eating like you used to. But now, with a slower metabolism, you regain all the weight you lost, and more.
   Focus instead on improving your health, and you will become slim and healthy.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  Selecting a Diet Plan
   
3. Take Control of What You Eat There are few things that we have complete control over, but what we put in our mouths is one of them. We don't have to lose control in a restaurant or a friend's home, and we don't have to eat everything that's put in front of us.
   Consider this:  We love fat because it carries flavor, and restaurants aren't as interested in whether we'll be around in 30 years as whether we'll be back next week. And what about our friends?
   
4. Eat Frequently, and Eat Slowly It is important to understand what happens when you skip a meal or go on a crash diet. When you skip a meal your metabolism slows to conserve your energy. And when you lose weight too quickly for a few days, your body thinks it is threatened with starvation and goes into survival mode. It fights to conserve your fat stores, and any weight loss comes mostly from water and muscle.
   Never skip a meal, especially breakfast, and eat healthy snacks between meals. Eating frequently prevents hunger pangs and the binges that follow, provides consistent energy, and may be the single most effective way to maintain metabolism efficiency.
   Eating slowly gives our bodies time to tell us they are full before we've eaten more than we need.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  Raise Your Metabolism and Burn More Calories
   
5. Eat More Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains People who eat healthy, mostly unprocessed foods, including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and limited amounts of lean animal protein, often find that they can eat as much as they want without gaining weight. If they are switching from a diet containing lots of processed foods, they find that they can eat more yet consume fewer calories -- and they lose weight.
   Historically, the Chinese ate mostly rice and vegetables with a little lean meat for protein and flavor, nothing like the American Chinese restaurant dishes of deep fried sweet and sour pork. A step back to more natural foods would improve our health and waistlines.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  Why Healthy Food Makes You Slim
   
6. Eat More Fiber Fiber makes us feel full sooner and stays in our stomach longer than other substances we eat, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Due to its greater fiber content, a single serving of whole grain bread can be more filling than two servings of white bread. Fiber also moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed.
   Refined grains like white rice and those used to make white bread and sugary breakfast cereals have had most of their fiber and nutrients stripped away. They turn into blood sugar (glucose) so fast that, like sugar itself, they can cause a spike in our insulin level. This tells our body that plenty of energy is readily available and that it should stop burning fat and start storing it.
   Eating foods with plenty of fiber will help keep our blood sugar at a more consistent level.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  How Fiber Helps You Lose Weight
   
7. Cut Down on Sugar Be careful about sugar in coffee and soda pop. It can add up quickly, and these drinks aren't filling.
   Watch for "hidden" sugar in processed foods like bread, ketchup, salad dressing, canned fruit, applesauce, peanut butter, and soups. And be careful with "fat-free" products. Sugar is often used to replace the flavor that is lost when the fat is removed. Fat-free does not mean calorie-free.
   The greater concern with the insulin spike (above) is not that it tells our body to start storing fat. Whatever we eat and don't burn up eventually gets turned into fat anyway.
   The greater concern is that the insulin spike is followed by a drop in insulin level that leaves us feeling tired and hungry and wanting to eat more. The unfortunate result of this scenario is that it makes us want to eat something else with a high sugar content. When we do, we start the cycle all over again.
   Regulating your blood sugar level is the most effective way to maintain your fat-burning capacity.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  How Blood Sugar Levels Affect Weight Loss
   
8. Too Much of a Bad Thing Foods like cheese stand out as among the most fat-laden, with a great number of calories coming from fat. But as important as it is to select the healthiest foods, it is also important to consider how they are prepared.
   Fried foods, especially deep-fried, contain a great amount of fat. While chicken and fish are usually leaner than beef or pork, they can contain more fat when they are fried. Look at how the number of grams of fat in a chicken breast changes depending on how it is cooked:
   
   

   Cooking Method	Fat
   Meat Only, Roasted	3.1
   Meat Only, Fried	4.1
   Meat and Skin, Batter Fried	18.5

   "Fried food? All I eat is salad and I still can't lose weight!"
   Be careful with salad dressings, mayonnaise, and other condiments that are high in fat content. They greatly increase the calorie count and can negate the healthy aspects of a meal. Replace mayonnaise-based condiments with fat-free alternatives like fat-free yogurt, mustard, ketchup and barbecue sauce.
   And remember, a gram of fat contains more than twice as many calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  Calories in Protein, Fat and Carbohydrates
   
9. Too Little of a Good Thing But don't try to eliminate fat altogether, as dietary fat is necessary to maintain a healthy body. It is a vital component for building body tissue and cells, and it aids in the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Many people eat too much of the bad fats, but also eat too little of the good fats required for optimal health.
   Related Tutorial Topic:  Good Fats and Bad Fats
   
10. Exercise Regularly People who exercise regularly not only lose weight faster, they are more successful at keeping it off. Exercise makes it possible to create a calorie deficit and lose weight without starving your body and slowing your metabolism.
    At home, at the gym, or playing sports, participate in both aerobic and strength building activities on a regular basis. Not only does the exercise itself burn calories, but your body will continue to burn calories at a higher rate even after you're done exercising.
    If walking is all you can do, then walk because it's great for you. But muscle burns more calories than fat, so put on a little muscle if you can and you will burn more calories just sitting there... looking good.
    But don't sit too long. The human body is good at adapting. If you dig ditches without gloves, you will develop calluses to protect your hands. If you sit too long, you will develop extra padding to keep you comfortable!
    Related Tutorial Topic:  Why Exercise Is Important for Weight Loss
    
11. Take It Easy Unless you are excited to be following a very specific diet and exercise plan, do not try and change too much too fast. If you have been eating poorly and not exercising, both your body and your mind will have a lot of adjusting to do.
    All the sugar and fat were actually quite enjoyable, and sitting on the couch didn't feel too bad, either. If you try and change everything too quickly the odds are greater that you will feel bad, get discouraged, and give up. So be patient.
    A time will come when a healthy snack will taste as good as the junk food you felt bad about eating, and you will look forward to your regular exercise.
    
12. Begin Now You can achieve your goals, but it won't likely happen as a result of the next fad diet. Or the one after that.
    Learning to eat well and exercise is the only solution to long term weight loss.
    Begin Here:  Diet and Weight Loss Tutorial

15 Easy Ways to Burn More Fat

1. Don't Diet
The way to burn more fat isn't about eating less; it's about eating more—more nutrient-dense food, to crowd out the empty calories and keep you full all day. That's important, because restricting food will kill your metabolism. It sends a signal to your body that says, "I'm starving here!" And your body responds by slowing your metabolic rate to hold on to existing energy stores.
What's worse, if the food shortage (meaning, your crash diet) continues, you'll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage. Your metabolism slows further, and fat goes on to claim even more territory.
2. Go to Bed Earlier
A study looked at sets of identical twins and discovered that in each set of siblings, the twin who slept less and was under more stress had more visceral fat.
3. Eat More Protein
Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. In a 2006 article, researchers argued that the current recommended daily intake for protein, 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, is woefully inadequate for anyone doing resistance training and recommend that women get between 0.54 and 1 gram per pound of body weight. (If you want to lose weight, use your goal body weight as your guide.)
Add a serving, like 3 ounces of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of nuts, or 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack. Plus, research shows that protein can up postmeal calorie burn by as much as 35 percent.
4. Go Organic When You Can
Researchers report that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experience a greater-than-normal dip in metabolism as they lose weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning process. In other words, pesticides make it harder to lose pounds.
Of course, it's not always easy to find—or afford—organic produce. But in general, conventionally grown items that you peel—avocado, grapefruit, bananas—are fine. But choose organic when buying celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale and collard greens, cherries, potatoes, and imported grapes; they tend to have the highest levels of pesticides.
5. Get Up, Stand Up
Whether you sit or stand at work may play as big a role in your waistline as your fitness routine. Researchers discovered that inactivity (4 hours or more) causes a near shut-down of an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase your fat-burning, break up long periods of downtime by standing up—for example, while talking on the phone.
6. Drink Cold Water
Researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that's 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year, with essentially zero additional effort. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.
7. Eat the Heat
It turns out that capsaicin, the compound that gives chile peppers their heat, can also fire up your metabolism. Eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped peppers (red or green) boosts your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for your fight-or-flight response), according to a study published, The result: a temporary metabolism spike of about 23 percent. Stock up on chile peppers to add to salsas, and keep a jar of red-pepper flakes on hand for topping pizzas, pastas, and stir-fries.
8. Rev Up in the Morning
Eating breakfast jump-starts your metabolism so it's no accident that those who skip this meal are 4 1⁄2 times as likely to be obese. The heartier your first meal is, the better. In one study published, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over 4 years. While those who got zero to 11 percent gained nearly 3 pounds.
9. Drink Coffee or Tea
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolts can rev your metabolism by 5 to 8 percent—burning about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12 percent. Researchers believe antioxidants called catechins in tea provide the boost.
10. Fight Fat with Fiber
Research shows that some fiber can fire up your fat burn by as much as 30 percent. Studies find that those who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 grams a day—the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.
11. Eat Iron-Rich Foods
Iron is essential for carrying the oxygen your muscles need to burn fat. Unless you restock your stores, you run the risk of low energy and a sagging metabolism. Shellfish, lean meats, beans, fortified cereals, and spinach are excellent sources.
12. Get More Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for preserving muscle tissue. Get 75 percent of your recommended daily intake (600 IU) in a 3.5-ounce serving of salmon. Other good sources: tuna, fortified milk and cereal, and eggs
13. Drink Milk
There's some evidence that calcium deficiency, which is common in many women, may slow metabolism. Research shows that consuming calcium through dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may also reduce fat absorption from other foods.
14. Eat Watermelon
The amino acid arginine, abundant in watermelon, might promote weight loss. In a laboratory study, adding this amino acid to the diet of obese mice enhanced the oxidation of fat and glucose. Snack on watermelon and other arginine sources, such as seafood, nuts, and seeds, year-round.
15. Stay Hydrated
All of your body's chemical reactions, including your metabolism, depend on water. If you are dehydrated, you may be burning up to 2 percent fewer calories, according to researchers at the University of Utah. Drink at least eight to twelve 8-ounce glasses a day.