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healthyliving

Exercise to gain weight: Beginners guide for bulking up

by qalfit October 3, 2020

written by qalfit

With most of the global population obsessed with weight loss and fat trimming, we often fail to look at the other end of weight management- people who struggle to gain weight. People with a skinny body or fast metabolism can find it extremely difficult to gain weight. They mostly focus on increasing their calorie intake to gain weight. But just like weight loss, healthy weight gain only happens with a balanced combination of healthy diet and exercise to gain weight.

We associate exercise with weight loss. But most of us don’t realize that we can also do exercise to gain weight. Here are a few simple exercises to gain weight.

How does exercise help in gaining weight?

Gaining weight can be just as difficult as losing weight. You need to have an exercise routine to gain weight and should follow a diet plan that involves a lot of calories (in a healthy way). The secret behind exercise to gain weight is by building lean muscles.

Muscle growth or hypertrophy refers to an increase in the volume of myofibrils, the proteins that make up muscle cells. Intense anaerobic exercises can trigger the growth of these muscles. The science behind this is that exercising with weights damages muscle fibers. To repair this damage, our body sends white blood cells to the injured muscles to reduce inflammation. Our body also releases cytokines, a special kind of signaling proteins that further stimulates the healing process and triggers the production of muscle stem cells. These muscle stem cells fuse with the existing muscle fibers, thus facilitating muscle repair and growth. This is the science behind gaining weight while working out.

Exercises to gain weight: Beginners guide for bulking up.

Push-ups

Target muscles: Arm and shoulder muscles

How to do push-ups exercise to gain weight:

Lie down on your stomach.
Put your palms on the ground with your arms out at your sides.
Push your body up until your arms are fully extended.
Keep your back and legs straight.
Slowly lower your body until your nose nearly touches the ground.
Do 15 reps.

Squats

Target muscles: Leg muscles.

How to do squats exercise to gain weight:

Stand tall with your back straight and keep your feet a little more than hip-width apart.
Look straight, keep your back straight and bend your knees.
Sit down with your body weight on your heels.
Hold this pose for 3 seconds and get up.
Repeat the same and do 2 sets of 15 squats.

Bench press

Target muscles: Shoulder, triceps, and chest muscles.

How to do Bench press exercise to gain weight:

You need a flat bench to lie on and a weighted bar for Bench press.
Lie on your back on the bench.
Grab the bar with both hands and extend your arm to take it out of the rack.
Slowly lower your arms to bring the bar down to your chest.
Now straighten your arms and raise the bar back toward the rack.
Repeat as many times as you feel comfortable.

Bench dips

Target muscles: Triceps

How to do Bench dips exercise to gain weight:

Place a wide and stable bench behind your back, perpendicular to your body.
Grip the bench firmly with your palms and extend your legs forward.
Make sure you are bent at the waist and your legs are perpendicular to your torso.
Push yourself down in that position until your forearms are perpendicular to the floor.
Now straighten your arms and lift your torso back to the starting position.
Repeat as many times as you feel comfortable.

Thus, these exercises can help you gain weight and bulk up. The important thing you need to remember is that you need to support your exercise for weight gain with healthy food. Because muscle gain is only possible if your body uses the food you eat to recover your muscles and build new ones.

October 3, 2020 0 comment

Fitness Home Remedies

Jaundice treatment at home to get you Back and Healthy!

by qalfit September 30, 2020

written by qalfit

The liver is one of the largest organs in the human body. This organ has 500 identified functions and is the metabolic powerhouse of the body. The liver produces substances such as protein and bile, detoxifies our blood, and metabolizes our food. It also produces and stores glycogen that regulates the body’s energy supply. Now imagine a scenario where this important organ of our body can’t function properly. A non-functioning liver can wreak havoc on your entire body. This is what jaundice is like. If left untreated, jaundice can lead to serious health complications in adults. An effective jaundice treatment at home is therefore vitally important.

But this serious disease can be treated naturally without any side effects with Ayurvedic remedies for Jaundice. Here are a few powerful Ayurvedic medicines for jaundice.

Causes of Jaundice, according to Ayurveda

Jaundice is called ‘Kamala’ in Ayurveda. It is a condition that results from the impaired function of the liver. According to Ayurveda, Jaundice is caused due to the aggravated Pitta dosha. Pitta dosha controls the bile pigments and the excessive circulation of bile pigments in the blood leads to jaundice. When the aggravated pitta impairs with the blood and the muscle tissue of the liver, it causes blockage in the channels of the liver. It also obstructs the bile duct, destroys the red blood corpuscles (RBC). This causes the bile pigments to be thrown back into the blood leading to discoloration of eyes and skin.

Ayurvedic herbs and jaundice

Ayurveda cures diseases by focusing on mindful nutrition, stress reduction, and the cultivation of a balanced lifestyle. This ancient system seeks to promote health, prevent disease, and ensures longevity through simple guidelines and ayurvedic herbs. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the Ayurvedic medicines for jaundice are potent herbs that have the ability to balance the pitta dosha. These Ayurvedic medicines for jaundice also stimulate the liver function and increase the flow of bile in the bile duct. So, here are a few potent Ayurvedic home remedies for jaundice.

Ayurvedic medicines for jaundice

1. Chicory jaundice treatment at home

Chicory (Chicorum intybus Linn) is the Ayurvedic herb for the natural cure of choice for liver problems. The powder of chicory is one of the potent Ayurvedic medicines for jaundice. It has hepato-protective and liver stimulant properties. It pacifies pitta dosha and promotes healthy secretion of bile.

A close up blue colored Chicory flower — Chicory is one of the most potent Ayurvedic medicines for jaundice

How do you use it?

Roast and ground the Chicory root to fine powder form.
Then, take a teaspoon of this powder and mix it with hot water.
Drink this tea daily to get better results.

2. Berberis home remedies for jaundice

Berberis (Berberis vulgaris) is considered as the best Ayurvedic home remedies for jaundice and is also called as ‘jaundice berry’. It helps in the treatment of all the symptoms that are associated with jaundice.

A thick bush of Berberis Vulgaris plants with red flowers and reddish-green leaves — Berberis helps alleviate all symptoms of jaundice

How do you use it?

Take the bark of the Berberis tree and crush it.
Then, put the crushed bark in boiling water and let it rest for a few minutes.
Drink this bitter tonic several times a day in doses of quarter teaspoons.

3. Gokulakanta jaundice treatment at home

Gokulakanta (Hygrophila spinosa) is a potent ayurvedic herb for treating all kinds of liver problems. This is because the chemical compounds present in Suranjan purify the blood and remove toxins from the body.

A bunch of Hygrophila Spinosa plants with purple flowers — Gokulakanta purifies blood and removes toxins from the body

How do you use it?

Take the root of the Gokulakanta and wash it thoroughly.
Then, crush the roots and put it in a cup of boiling water.
Drink this mixture twice a day.

4. Barun jaundice treatment at home

Three leaves Caper (Crotaeva nurvala), commonly called Barun is an herb that has been used in Ayurveda for ages. This is because Barun is rich with medicinal properties. It boosts the overall body metabolism and helps maintain a healthy liver. The herb is also a potent blood purifier that detoxifies the blood from all the toxins.

Close up of pink colored flowers on green leaves — Barun boosts metabolism and helps maintain a healthy liver

How do you use it?

Take the fresh leaves of the plant and wash it thoroughly.
Then, put it in a blender and extract the juice.
Consume 2 teaspoons of this juice every day for better results.

5. Indian Aloe (Aloe barbadensis)

Indian aloe is an excellent remedy for all kinds of liver problems such as jaundice. It purifies the blood and helps in the healthy recovery of the liver. It also manages the symptoms that are associated with jaundice, making it an effective jaundice treatment at home.

Close up sliced pieces of green Aloe Vera — Aloe Vera is an excellent remedy for all kinds of liver problems including jaundice

How do you use it?

Scoop out the fresh pulp of Aloe leaves.
Then, mix it with black salt and ginger.
Take this mixture every morning for 10 days.

These potent ayurvedic medicines for jaundice balance the Pitta dosha and improve the function of the liver. Thus, Ayurveda cures jaundice using natural remedies without any side effects. An Ayurveda-based jaundice treatment at home is therefore absolutely invaluable, as the ingredients are right there in your kitchen!

September 30, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Tabata workout plan for beginners: Effective weight loss

by qalfit September 14, 2020

written by qalfit

From Pilates to Zumba, there are tonnes of exercise out there to help you lose weight and get fit. But when it comes to weight loss nothing burns your fact as effective as a HIIT workout. According to research published in the British Journal of sports medicine, bursts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be more effective for weight loss than longer less intense workouts. One such new, refreshing HIIT workout is the Tabata workout plan for weight loss.

So, if you are looking for a fresh, energizing workout to lose weight and get fit, look no further than the Tabata workout plan. Here is everything you need to know about Tabata workout plan for beginners.

What is Tabata training or Tabata workout program?

You might have heard the term Tabata training at some point in your HIIT session in your gym. Tabata is a relatively new form of interval training that is specifically designed to get your heart rate up in a short period of time.

The Tabata training was developed by a Japanese doctor called Dr. Izumo Tabata, hence the name ‘Tabata workout’. Dr. Tabata wanted to find out if very short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by even shorter rests would improve the athlete’s performance. This was initially focused on improving aerobic and anaerobic fitness, but now in 2018, Tabata training has become much more extensive than it used to be. It uses a wide range of exercises including running, cycling, squats, and burpees.

Tabata workout plan for beginners

Tabata is more of a training style than a workout. You can apply the Tabata training style to just about any workout. The structure of the Tabata training program for beginners is as follows:

Intense workout for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Complete 8 sets

As you can see, the Tabata workout plan for beginners is basically a high-intensity exercise followed by short rest time. These exercises form one set. You can do any exercise as you wish in this format. The trick here is to really push yourself all out.

How does Tabata workout plan for beginners work?

The Tabata workout plan for beginners improves two of our main energy systems. It targets both the aerobic energy system and anaerobic energy system thus improving your endurance. Tabata training, when undertaken four times a week, has been proven to improve your aerobic capacity by 28%. It has also proven to improve oxygen consumption (VO2 max) by 15%. Moreover, it targets a greater range of muscle groups and puts a lot of stress on your body. This helps you burn fat effectively.

Simple Tabata workout plan for beginners

Step 1: Perform push-ups for about 20 seconds at high intensity.

Blue and black haired woman doing push-ups on a blue mat. — The Tabata starts off with high-intensity push-ups for about 20 seconds

Step 2: Then rest for 10 seconds.

Step 3: Go back and perform push-ups for another 20 seconds followed by a rest time of 10 seconds.

Man doing pus-hups in the gym during tabata workout plan — Push-ups are effective for HIIT workouts

Step 4: Complete eight sets of push-ups.

Step 5: Rest for 1 minute.

Man in grey tank top taking rest in gym after tabata workout — Rest between periods of intense exercise help you recuperate

This is round one. Each round lasts for 4 minutes in a Tabata Training. After this round, replace the push-ups with burpees, followed by squats and two other quick workouts of your choice. This is how you do the Tabata training for beginners.

Tabata workout plan for beginners is undoubtedly an effective way to burn your fat and improve your endurance at the same time. One important thing to note here is that Tabata is an advanced level of training and as a beginner, you must be very careful while doing Tabata Training. Start with simple interval training and gradually work your way up.

September 14, 2020 0 comment

Fitness Home Remedies

How to avoid weight gain after quitting smoking?

by qalfit July 21, 2020

written by qalfit

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. In fact, smoking kills more than 8 million people every year. We all know this and some of us genuinely try to quit smoking. While a few people are successful in quitting smoking, most of the smokers avoid stubbing out cigarettes because of the weight gain that follows. But it’s usually only a modest amount and you can easily avoid it.

So, if you want to quit smoking for good, but are concerned about the weight gain after quitting smoking. Here are a few tips to avoid weight gain after quitting smoking.

Why do you gain weight after quitting smoking?

According to health experts, on average, people who quit smoking gain between 2 – 5 kgs of weight. This is mostly temporary and usually falls back off within the first year of quitting smoking. But, for some people, this weight gain may stay and grow. This is because when you smoke, the nicotine in cigarettes speeds up your metabolism. It increases your calorie usage of your body from 7% to 15%. When you quit smoking all of a sudden, your body may burn food more slowly as it needs only fewer calories now. Also, Smoking suppresses your appetite, so after you quit smoking, you may find that food tastes better. This leads to overeating and consuming more calories.

It is also possible to mistake nicotine cravings for hunger or you may replace the ‘hand-to-mouth’ action of smoking with snacking. These things may make you eat more and as a result, you will gain weight after quitting smoking.

5 tips to avoid weight gain after quitting smoking:

1. Prepare before you quit

You would have given yourself a lot of thought and prepared yourself mentally before you decide to quit smoking. The chances are you would have already chosen your quit date too. Use this period to prepare yourself physically too. Try removing all unhealthy temptations from your eyesight. Hide the things in your home that may remind you of smoking.

2. Keep your metabolism high

An active metabolism helps you burn those extra calories you gain after quitting smoking. Include some physical activities like exercise in your daily lifestyle. Regular exercise not only helps your burn more calories, but it can also help you ward off unhealthy food cravings and helps relieve withdrawal symptoms. Even 15 minutes of exercise can improve your mood.

Millennial woman laying on the ground exercising — Metabolism Boosting Exercise

3. Control your food portion

Smoking messes with your senses and you may not have realized it earlier, but it dulls your taste buds. Once you quit smoking, you may find that foods may taste so good and you’ll be tempted to fill your plate to make the most of your new sensing skills. So, try to be mindful of your food portions if you want to avoid weight gain after quitting smoking.

Bowl of vegetables placed next to ingredients on a table cloth — Healthy Food in Healthy Portions

4. Avoid sweets and snacks

Smoking is an appetite suppressant and after you quit, you’ll notice that you crave more sugary treats and sweets even after a meal. As a result, you may even end up raiding the whole snack cupboard. So, try to avoid sweets and snacks. Hiding your sugary snacks and fatty foods and stocking up on healthy foods such as fruits and nuts will help you in this situation.

A plate of a hamburger and french fries — Tempting Snack Food

5. Take it easy

Deciding to quit smoking and maintaining the same is already a big challenge. You might need your full focus on this. Don’t worry too much by obsessing on weight gain after quitting smoking. This may make you stressed and unhappy, which could lead you to eat more or even worse, you may even relapse into smoking. So, take it easy, and don’t be so hard on yourself.

Millennial South Asian woman relaxing on a ledge with cup — Take it Easy

You need to understand that weight gain after quitting smoking is not something you have to seriously worry about. It only becomes serious if the weight gain persists for more than a year. You can easily avoid weight gain after quitting smoking by following these tips.

July 21, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

5 super-healthy foods to eat every day.

by qalfit March 4, 2020

written by qalfit

Google any fitness diet plan, you’ll see a shift of focus from your favourite foods to fresh, whole foods loaded with proteins and healthy fats. While most of your favourite foods are crossed out on your diet plan for fitness, there are some super healthy foods to eat every day that are approved in all the diet plans. These foods are considered so nutritious that they can be eaten regularly without worrying about your fitness. In fact, they can even help you achieve your fitness goals faster.

Here are 5 super-healthy foods to eat every day.

1. Avocado.

Super healthy foods to eat every day | Qalfit

Avocados are the best source of healthy fats. Every diet regardless of high or moderate or low-fat plan will have avocados on its list. These healthy fats won’t make you fat, but instead, it lowers the fat level in your body. It is rich in monosaturated fats which improves your cardiovascular health.

2. Salmon

Salmon is one of the super-healthy foods you can eat every day. Salmon is a super-healthy food loaded with omega-3’s and fatty acids. They help the heart by slowing the accumulation of plaque. It also lowers the risk of High blood pressure. Most nutrition experts and doctors recommend consuming salmon at least 2 times a week.

3. Walnuts

Some of you may have a wrong conception of nuts in your mind that they make you fat, but the truth is that people who regularly consume nuts are less likely to gain weight. Walnuts are particularly special in this case because it has ALA (Alpha-linoleic acid), magnesium and fibre. These nutrients play a major role in maintaining the chemical composition of the body.

4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is considered the healthiest fat on earth! The fatty acids and antioxidants in olive oil can protect your heart from diseases and also keeps you younger. Regular use of olive oil can also help in weight loss which makes it a super-healthy food to eat every day.

5. Berries

Berries are one of the healthy foods with natural sugar that is rich in disease-fighting polyphenols and low in carbohydrates. They are also loaded with antioxidants and nutrients which helps you improve your insulin response and lowering cholesterol.

Whether you’re on a keto diet or a green food diet or paleo diet for weight loss take note of these super-healthy foods to eat every day and include it in your diet plan.

March 4, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Top 10 foods to burn fat faster- Your food guide for weight loss!

by qalfit February 26, 2020

written by qalfit

Health experts say that your body shape mostly depends on what you eat and your food habits and your weight loss program is the extra effort you put to burn fat. So, whatever your fitness regimen may be, it is not complete without a proper food plan to burn belly fat. Here are the top 10 foods to burn fat faster.

1. Negative calorie foods

Negative calorie foods are those foods that take more calories to eat, digest and process that food than it naturally contains and gives to your body. Grapes, Watermelon, lettuce, chillies are some of the negative calorie foods to burn fat faster.

2. Coffee

Yes! Everyone’s favourite coffee is on this list because the caffeine in coffee is one of the few substances known to help mobilize fat from your fat tissues and increase metabolism.

3. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is a miracle fat that makes you skinny. The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil are burned as energy instead of being stored as fat.

4. Eggs

Many of you don’t know the fact that egg is one of the top 10 foods to burn fat faster. Not only eggs contain plenty of protein, but they also have fewer calories that help your body burn excess fat.

5. oatmeal

A study shows that people who ate 3 or more daily servings of oats had 10% less belly fat than others. This is due to the high fibre content in oats which keeps you satiated longer.

6. Sweet potato

Sweet potato is a slow carb food that keeps your stomach full and energized for a long time. All the good things present in sweet potato helps your body to convert calories to energy rather than stored as fat.

7. Wild Salmon

Wild salmon is one of the proper proven foods to burn fat faster because it contains more protein. Proteins present in wild salmon build muscles while burning fat.

8. Spinach

Spinach is considered one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It is loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that can as reduce your appetite and encourage your body to burn more fat.

9. Avocado

The Vitamin B6 present in avocados are the best-known compounds to fight cortisol- belly fat building hormone. Also, the good fats in avocado help release bad fat from the body.

10. Dark chocolate

The antioxidants present in dark chocolate helps boost the production of fatty acid in the stomach that encourages the body to burn fat as fuel. Only dark chocolates with more than 70% cacao content do this to your body, not the regular ones.

These foods alone won’t give you your dream body, follow our list of top foods to burn fat faster and stick to your fitness program to get better results. Read our article on how to lose weight by walking for reducing your belly fat.

February 26, 2020 0 comment

Gaining weight while working out | Qalfit

Fitness

4 reasons why you are gaining weight while working out.

by qalfit February 18, 2020

written by qalfit

You’ve been working out for weeks now and you only see a weight gain, the exact opposite of what you imagined? Working out is hard enough. You don’t the heartbreak when you see the weigh scales go in the opposite direction when you step on it, post-workout. We are here to tell you that, it’s not really a big deal and you are not doing anything wrong in your workout. Actually, a lot of people go through this in the early stages of their workout. Here are a few reasons why you are gaining weight while working out.

1. You are Gaining Muscles.

One of the common reasons why you are gaining weight while working out is that you may be gaining muscles faster then you’re shedding fat. Continue your workout and over time your fat will melt away and all those muscles you gained will only make you look good!

2. Your body is healing by water retention.

Water retention is your body’s way of adapting to your new habit of working out. When you first start exercising, your body stores water in your muscles to help you heal better. So, remember to drink enough water to hydrate your body and water retention wouldn’t be a problem.

3. You’re taking in too many calories.

When you start working out you will feel the urge to take in some extra calories to compensate for your workout. This is another reason why you are gaining weight while working out. Try making changes in our diet to reduce your calorie intake and you’ll see your body gradually lose weight.

4. You’re not giving time to the body to adapt.

Just like you can’t gain weight overnight, you can’t lose weight overnight! Your body needs some time to adapt to your new workout schedule. So, in the early stages, your body may react to your training by adding weight whereas it just needs some time to adapt. Stick to your routine and your body will adapt to your work out.

Don’t stop your training and work-outs seeing the weight gain. Remember these reasons why you are gaining weight while working out and give your body some time. You will definitely get results.

Want to know other weight loss techniques? Read our article on how to lose weight by walking.

February 18, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

What is the Paleo diet? All you need to know about the Caveman diet A.K.A. Paleo diet.

by qalfit February 15, 2020

written by qalfit

Ever looked on the internet for the best weight-loss diets? If you have, you’ve probably come across the Caveman diet a.k.a. Paleo diet plan. But what is the Paleo diet and how does the Paleo diet help in weight loss which makes it better than all the other diets out there? We know you have a ton of questions about the Paleo diet. Keep calm and read on! We are sure that by the time you finish reading this article, you’ll have all the answers you need.

Paleo is short for Paleolithic, a prehistoric human period that existed over two and a half million years ago where humans ate only naturally available food in their surrounding environment. And they stayed healthy and fit because of it (or as they say).

What is the Paleo diet in the modern world?

Caveman diet a.k.a. Paleo diet is a diet for the modern-day humans that involves grass-fed proteins, wild seafood, eggs, nuts, fibrous vegetables, plant-based oils, and to a small degree, fruits. And the restricted foods in the Paleo diet include grains, sugars, dairy, and salt.

To be specific the Paleo diet foods are,

Meat- Streak, ham, pork.
Fowl- Chicken, Duck, Hen, Turkey.
Fish- Cod, Tuna, Salmon.
Eggs- Cage-free eggs.
Veggies- Spinach, broccoli, carrots, peppers, onions.
Fruits- Apples, Pears, Bananas, Grapes, Strawberries.
Nuts- Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews.

And remember only grass-fed and/or cage-free and/or wild meat counts. The same goes for veggies too- only organic.

Paleo food list is considered a healthy diet because it contains high amounts of fiber, potassium, nutrients, omega 3-fatty acids, and low sodium- An ideal diet, anyone would recommend.

Here is an example of a day on the Paleo diet for weight loss would look like.

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Breakfast: Boiled egg with spinach and fresh fruits.

Lunch: Grill chicken, Avocado dip with olive oil.

Evening Snack: Apple and almond butter.

Dinner: Steak, Carrots and a small piece of dark chocolate.

Sounds too good, right? But not everyone loves meat and veggies all day, some people need a few days to adapt to this meal.

And the million-dollar question now.

Does the Paleo diet really help in weight loss?

The answer is Yes because it gets you cut out junk food and focuses you on eating real food a.k.a Caveman food a.k.a Paleo diet. But don’t get carried away and go full rampage on the meat diet, over-eating may also make you gain more weight!

The good thing about the Paleo diet is that you’re consuming high amounts of proteins and fiber which are low in calories and it’ll make you full and restricts you from eating other carbohydrate loaded foods. That makes the Paleo diet an ideal strategy for weight loss.

We are pretty convinced that now you do know what the paleo diet is and we also know you can’t give up on your favorite cheese. But, don’t worry. Make a few small changes here and there until you can cope up with the original Paleo diet schedule and you’ll start to see those weight scales go down soon.

Wondering what else you can cut from your diet for a healthier lifestyle? Read our article on Side effects of Coca cola.

February 15, 2020 0 comment