Question

How many calories do I have to lose to drop ½ kilo?

Answer

½ kilo contains 3500 calories. If you want to lose ½ kilo you have to eliminate the equal number of calories from your diet, or increase your exercise regime so that you burn these extra calories. However, I suggest you do both. If you reduce your food intake by 250 calories, and you do a brisk walk for an hour (which will burn 250 calories), then you will be down 500 calories for the day. This will interpret into losing ½ kg for the week.

Question

There was recently an article in the paper that drinking milk and eating yoghurt can help you lose weight. Should this be skim milk varieties? How does it work?

Answer

A conference was recently held in which one of the presenters Dr. Michael Zemel, Director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennesee, explained that the calcium in yoghurt and milk can help to lower body weights and body fat. However, I must emphasise that this is dependent on the rest of the diet being balanced and the energy equation being in negative balance. The recommended dietary allowance is approximately 800-1000mg of calcium per day, which requires 2-3 servings of dairy product per day. A serving would be 250 ml milk, 200 g of yoghurt, 30g hard cheese. Ideally use the low fat varieties. Research has shown that not getting enough calcium can make it easier to gain weight. It appears that the body responds to a calcium deficiency by secreting hormones such as calcitriol in order to assist in the absorption of more calcium. Michael Zemel, explained that calcitriol send the fat cells a message to start making more fat and sends another message to slow down the fat the process of fat breakdown and oxidation. In his words “A higher calcium diet helps you burn more fat for a smaller, leaner fat cell”. Consequently you should meet the recommended daily intake for calcium both for weight loss and to prevent osteoporosis.

Question

I have not exercised in years and really want to boost my energy and lose weight. What is a good treadmill workout for beginners?

Answer

To prevent injury and burnout and to make sure you are successful in your new endeavour, begin by doing less than you think you can do. You will still feel an energy boost and burn calories. For most beginners, a good starting point is walking four times a week, gradually building from 10 minutes to 30 minutes at a comfortable pace. Keep a workout diary to track your fatigue, soreness and progress. You should not be sore for more than 24 hours after a workout, if you are you are overdoing it. After every workout, gently stretch your hamstrings, calves and shins, holding for at least 30 seconds without bouncing. After four weeks of consistent exercise, start including intervals of higher intensity exercise, either by cranking up the speed or by using the treadmills incline feature. For example, after a five-minute warm-up, alternate one minute at an intensity that leaves you slightly out of breath with one minute at a comfortable pace. After five to 15 minutes of these intervals, cool down for about five minutes. As you become more fit, increase your intervals so that you are doing two-three minutes at higher intensity for every minute rest. Your body adapts quickly, so in order to keep progressing it is important to keep changing your workout and make them more frequent (daily).

Question

You always hear about the benefits of red wine; what about blush wines such as white zinfandel or white merlot? Do they have the same health benefits as red wine?

Answer

The cardiovascular benefits attributed to red wine may derive from the antioxidant resveratrol, which some research suggests may help reduce inflammation, prevent blood clots and increase “good” cholesterol levels. But moderate consumption of any alcohol, regardless of whether it contains resveratrol, is thought to contribute to heart health. Much research remains to be done as to why and how. White wines and blush or rose wines contain some resveratrol, but generally far less than red wines. The resveratrol is contained in the grape skin, and both the kind of grape and the amount of fermentation time the wine spends in contact with the skin determines its resveratrol content.

Question

We hear a lot on the claimed benefits of drinking green tea. What are the potential benefits – and downsides – of green tea?

Answer

It’s difficult not to gush about green tea. More than a decade’s worth of research about green tea’s health benefits — particularly its potential to fight cancer and heart disease — has been more than intriguing, as have limited studies about green tea’s role in lowering cholesterol, burning fat, preventing diabetes and stroke, and staving off dementia. Still, real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea’s health benefits have come out of the lab. The few large-scale human studies that have focused on green tea’s impact on heart disease and cancer are promising, but many of those were conducted in the East, where green tea is a dietary mainstay. The outcomes are likely influenced by other lifestyle factors such as high consumption of fish and soy protein. Green tea has important antioxidants and compounds that help in maintaining good health. There does not appear to be any harm in drinking grebe team and many experts recommend including several cups a day in your diet.