Does Calcium Help You Lose Weight?
One of the latest tricks to have hit the market is calcium for weight loss. This brings up the question, is calcium indeed helpful in the process of losing weight. According to new research calcium and weight loss indeed do go hand in hand and should be an important weapon in the weight loss process.
Calcium is an important mineral required for the body. It has an important role to play in keeping the teeth and the bones strong and healthy. As a matter of fact, it is also important for blood clotting, muscle contraction, cell membrane function and nerve conduction. Other than these benefits, a new research has proved that one can make use of calcium for quick weight loss.
The research points to the fact that calcium helps in weight loss by converting dietary energy to heat as opposed to body fat, which is often the cause of weight gain. Now that the fact has been established, that calcium helps in the weight loss process, the next question which arises is what is the right quantity of calcium that one should consume. About 1000 to 1200 milligram of calcium should be a part of the diet everyday. This calcium can come from any of the natural sources of calcium.
However, this dose of calcium should not be consumed at one go. It has to be divided over the day into three to four servings. The best is to include calcium rich foods in small quantities in all the meals. The best and healthiest of the calcium sources are the natural sources of calcium. The healthy source of calcium are no doubt the dairy products. One can include milk, yogurt or cheese in the diet to increase the calcium intake.
Since one wants to lose weight, it is important that only the fat free or low fat versions of the dairy products are included in the diet. However, if someone is lactose intolerant, there are other natural sources of calcium, which can be included in the diet. Dark leafy vegetables, like spinach, lettuce, etc.; broccoli, sesame seeds, salmon, almonds, etc.; are also healthy sources of calcium. Including fruits like figs, prunes, etc., in the diet is also recommended to increase the consumption of calcium.
Calcium fortified tofu can also be included in the diet by vegans or by people who are lactose intolerant. Many people will want to know, if they can choose to take calcium supplements, so that they can take care of the daily intake of calcium. However, there is an interesting fact, when it comes to the use of supplements instead of the natural sources. A research was conducted to find if calcium supplements have the same effects as that of natural calcium in the weight loss process.
The research proved that taking supplements causes the person to in fact pile up some weight as opposed to lose weight. Therefore, it is best to stick to the natural sources of calcium itself to lose weight. After reading the correlation between calcium and weight loss, you will want to include calcium in your diet. It is advised to consult your health care professional for the right quantity of calcium for your condition. The health care professional will also take your ailments into consideration, before he recommends the right calcium quantity for you.
One diet method that is very effective is to cut your meals in half and add 2 extra meals (equivalent to half the quantity of your normal meal). Let me explain. Lets say you normally take 3 meals a day each consisting of 1000 calories. You would cut those meals to half the content – which would now consist of 500 calories – and add 2 more meals also containing 500 calories each. Lets compare. Originally your 3 meals, each containing 1000 calories, would total 3000 calories a day.
If you change that to 5 meals a day at 500 calories each, that would total 2500 calories. So in this example you would be saving 500 calories a day. This is a very easy and effective method to start implementing right away because you dont really have to do any calculations. Just visualize what your normal meal would consist of and cut it in half. Then add 2 more similar meals.
Its that simple. Increasing the daily number of meals also helps to make this transition easier. You would be eating less per meal but you wouldnt have to wait as long for the next one. Furthermore, studies have shown that more frequent smaller meals increase the bodys metabolism. And we all know how important an increase in metabolism is for weight loss. An efficient weight loss system must include an adequate amount of physical activity – more so for people over 35. It seems that Im picking on the older generations here.
The reason why I keep bringing up the subject is because Im talking from personal experience. Im 37 years old and I know exactly how much more difficult it is to shed weight today as opposed to ten or fifteen years ago. In my twenties, whenever I noticed extra weight creeping in, I would start jogging 5-6 times a week for 30-45 minutes and within a few short weeks (sometimes 2 weeks) the extra weight was gone.
It was that easy - and without any adjustment to food intake. Today I would need a combination of exercise and proper dieting to reach that goal. And it would still take a longer period of time. How much should you be exercising? Well it depends how much weight you want to lose. By the way, besides weight loss, exercise participation results in many other health benefits.
It improves flexibility, strengthens the musculoskeletal system, improves blood circulation and heart condition, just to name a few. To start getting results in weight loss you should be exercising 5-6 days per week for 30-60 minutes at a comfortably vigorous intensity level. Once you lose the desired weight you can then tone it down to maintain the weight loss. For weight loss maintenance you can reduce it to 3-4 days a week, 30-45 minutes at the same level of intensity. Be sure, however, to get clearance from your doctor first. Eat healthy, exercise, live a healthy lifestyle and have a great summer. John Tiniakos helps make weight loss easier through proven weight loss methods using information and analysis from the worlds leading scientists.
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