Which One of These is Your Reasons for putting on weight?

Listing down a few factors that can lead to obesity.

Wrong Food, Wrong Time: Wrong diet is the first reason that leads to weight gain. Eating processed food, eating at wrong time, or overeating…all lead to weight gain. For your weight gain it is food that is 80% responsible, only 20% can be attributed to lack of exercise.

Balanced and right meal as per expert nutritionists at Harvard Eating Plate comprises half plate of fruits and veggies; barring potatoes as they contain lot of sugar, therefore aren’t counted as vegetable;1/4^th of your plate should be filled with whole grains comprising items made with barley, wheat berries, oats, brown rice, etc. Opt for bread or pasta made with whole grains rather than refined floor as the latter adds to blood sugar. And the remaining quarter should be diet rich in protein.

Along with the above one can also use cooking oil i.e. vegetable oils like peanut, olive, canola, soy, sunflower, etc; however one should know that low fat oil may not always mean healthy and  one should also steer clear of partially hydrogenated oils that may contain unhealthy trans fats. Beverages one should prefer tea, coffee, and water over sugary aerated drinks.

The other factor responsible for obesity is our genes. Some of us may be genetically programmed to store fat and gain weight. But what requires your attention here is that genes are genes, and not your destiny. By eating right and leading a healthy lifestyle, to a great extent it can be kept under control.

Sedentary Lifestyle: No room for exercise in one’s day otherwise packed with routines is an incomplete day and will create room for storing fat leading to a string of diseases. Therefore everyone should make exercise a part of daily routine. It could be anything that one feels good about but exercise will keep you mentally and physically fit.

Sleep: However bizarre that it may sound to some of you research has proved that sleep plays a major role when it comes to obesity. Quality as well as hours of sleep one gets has an effect on their health. Studies show that people who do not get enough sleep tend to gain weight.  Besides people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to get heart disease than those who get good 7-8 hours of sleep. So is the case with short sleepers. Some theories that are doing the rounds for sleep being responsible for obesity are that people who sleep less lack energy and the easiest to is to give a skip to exercise. Another reason is that those who are awake longer may feel hungry more often and eat more than those who sleep long hours. Not maintaining proper sleep routine can throw one’s hormones haywire which can affect digestion adversely.

If any of the above factors exist in your daily routine, fine ways to eliminate them and lead a healthy life!