Men hair or Manhood: Choose wisely

Thin Hair,

Hair fall,

Baldness,

Alopecia

All these disorders are almost the same,

Do you know why these happen to men?

And

sometimes to some women also?

Health Decoder can help you understand the relationship between the male sex hormone and male-pattern baldness.

We all have different hormones in our body and one such hormone is Testosterone that is responsible for male and female sex characteristics. It is found in two different forms: testosterone itself and dihydrotestosterone, commonly known as dihydrotestosterone. About 10% of testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone which is 5 times more potent, which means 5 times more powerful than Testosterone.

Dihydrotestosterone is the same hormone that is responsible for triggering puberty and hence has its name, male sex hormone. Being an androgen hormone, dihydrotestosterone is also responsible for biological male characteristics like a deeper voice, body hair, increased muscle mass, sperm production, storage of fat around the body and even in the regulation of your moods and emotions. Low levels of dihydrotestosterone during the onset of puberty in males can lead to late or incomplete development of sex organs and irregular fat distribution, such as gynecomastia.

It is again dihydrotestosterone that is responsible for hair loss or male pattern baldness in later stages.

Both testosterone and dihydrotestosterone occur in a balanced proportion. But what happens when this balance gets disturbed?

High levels of free-flowing dihydrotestosterone in the bloodstream shrinks the hair follicles contributing to male pattern hair loss. It used to be common in males above 50 years of age, but as of today, it is getting common in men quite earlier. This occurs in a pattern with hair at the temples and crown beginning to thin and disappear first. With hair follicles getting smaller, the hair shaft starts getting thinner in every growth cycle, reducing them to soft and light hair and eventually complete disappearance.

Head hair grows in the absence of dihydrotestosterone, but armpit hair, pubic hair, and beard hair cannot grow in its absence. Conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone occurs with the help of an enzyme, 5-alpha reductase (5-AR). An increase in its level may increase the conversion and also the hair loss.

Lack of hair may get a man to lose his self-esteem, but is it really so?

What is more important, head hair or manliness? It’s better to know what cost a man has to pay to get back his scalp hair before opting for its treatment.

The treatment for male pattern baldness and androgenic alopecia involves decreasing the dihydrotestosterone levels by stopping the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone; or by blocking the binding of dihydrotestosterone to the 5-alpha reductase receptors just exactly what its approved medicine, Finasteride does. This brings back scalp hair but in the absence of dihydrotestosterone, males have to pay the cost with lost libido and virility, sometimes even erectile dysfunction and decreased ejaculate volume, early or delayed ejaculation also affecting fertility.

Because dihydrotestosterone is responsible for manly characteristics, in its absence these features also start declining. On the other hand, people who are bald due to optimum dihydrotestosterone levels will have more body hair, a high ratio of muscle mass and also high sexual drive.

But that does not mean, dihydrotestosterone should be in high proportions. It should be in balance because very high dihydrotestosterone has loss beyond the scalp hair. When dihydrotestosterone levels rise abnormally high, skin wounds heal slowly, the prostate gland may enlarge and it also has potential cardiovascular risks.

The balance of the two forms is very crucial. Neither high nor low.

So, if you are taking or planning to take any traditional medicine for male pattern baldness, it’s time you make a wise choice. There’s head hair on one side of the balance which too is going to last only a single life cycle (almost 6 years) with treatment and on the other side sits your manly features.

But with some natural remedies, you can maintain a healthy balance between testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. We will come up with these natural remedies in our future posts. 

Vitamin D and Calcium: The Twin Partners

Who came first, Egg or Hen?

Well, even we don’t know but what we know is that both needed Calcium. And that’s what we, humans too need. 

Today, more than 40% of the population is suffering from some form of calcium deficiency.

But do you know, most people are taking calcium supplements yet they are deficient? Why?

Welcome to our blog, Health Decoder.

Today we’re going to decode why are so many people deficient in Calcium and why are they still deficient even after taking its supplements. Though Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and yet, people are deficient.

Most of the health problems begin with misconceptions. Even here, there is a misconception that Calcium deficiency can be met with Calcium supplements (calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium malate).  But it is not so and that’s because people lack Calcium due to deficiency of its twin partner Vitamin D which is responsible for the absorption of dietary calcium into the blood.

Another misconception is that Calcium is needed only in the early years of growth, i.e. when the bones are growing in early childhood. That’s not true! It is needed in all stages of life, only the amount needed varies. And that’s why so many people are struggling today with health problems relating to calcium deficiency.

It is not only for bone health that calcium is essential, but it also has role plays in muscle function, heart health, nerve signalling, blood clotting and teeth health. The truth is that bones receive Calcium at the end as storage when Calcium needed for all other processes has been used up by the rest of the body. And when blood lacks calcium for essential processes, it takes up from the bone mass. Wondering, where does the Calcium go? Is all the calcium intake being stored in bones? Well, bones and teeth store nearly 99% of the body’s calcium, the remaining being in your body fluids. You shed calcium daily, it’s only that you are unaware of it. Every day, the human body sheds Calcium in form of urine, sweat, faeces, hair, nails and even skin and that makes it certain why you need to maintain your body’s calcium levels. Besides, excess calcium that is not used up or is excreted may create other side effects like kidney stones. 

When calcium is neither absorbed nor excreted, it gets deposited as calcium oxalate crystals in kidneys as renal calculi or stones which may also pass into the urinary bladder and can even block the urine flow causing intense pain needing immediate medical attention. 

Most people never realize that they are suffering from Vit. D and Calcium deficiency. They visit a physician for problems like fractures, bone and joint pain, muscle weakness and the like.

Now, these people may start taking Calcium supplements. But the problems persist because the calcium taken is not being used up by the body since it is not being absorbed and that’s mainly due to lack of Vitamin D.

For proper utilization of calcium, the calcium that we intake either through foods or through supplements has to enter our bloodstream from where it is used for vital body functions and that which is left is stored in the bones. But when this calcium neither gets in the blood, it is unable to make its way to bones. The body treats it as a waste material that has to be excreted via kidneys. Now, kidneys think that body may need calcium and it reabsorbs it from urine which traps calcium in the kidneys in the form of kidney stones. 

In events of calcium deficiency, bones weaken and get porous making them fragile and vulnerable to fractures.

Other reasons for bone loss may relate to the use of certain medications or underlying diseases, excessive smoking, alcoholism, lack of exercise or the hormone estrogen. Bones are made from collagen and non-collagen proteins, and they are fortified with calcium. If a person does not take in enough calcium from their diet, the body extracts calcium from the bones, resulting in loss of bone strength and mass. 

Since more than 90% of a person's bone mass develops before 20 years of age, and half of that bone mass develops from 11-15 years of age, so Calcium needed in this stage is more as compared to other times. But, it is not true that a person does not need it at all after crossing this age. After the early 30s, enough Calcium is needed by the body to maintain the bone mass. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium is 1,000 mg per day for most adults, though women over 50 mg and everyone over 70 should get 1,200 mg per day, while children aged 4–18 are advised 1,300 mg daily intake.

Do you drink milk? Do you eat cheese or yoghurt? How many dairy products are you taking or are you not taking them at all? OR seafood, legumes, leafy greens, dried fruits, tofu? These are all rich in Calcium. What we are trying to say is that most people do not meet their daily requirement of Calcium intake through their diet. So, the first reason for the deficiency is the lack of Calcium intake. 

What if you are taking enough calcium and still you are either deficient or you have kidney stones?

With sedentary lifestyles and most people working indoors, They don’t have time for sunshine.

This is why they do not get enough sunlight which is the natural source of Vit. D.

It is formed in our body when cholesterol in our skin gets exposed to sunlight.

Do you know Vitamin D is also known as the Sunshine vitamin?

So, even if the intake of Calcium is improved, it is useless without Vitamin D.

So, should you be taking a Vitamin D supplement alongside a calcium supplement? Well, yes if you want to stay on medicines which is ideally not recommended.

And here’s the secret, the health code decoded:

Our body stops making what it is spoon-fed from outside.

Most people may not take Vit. D deficiency as a lifestyle disease. 

And we believe that a problem that has been created by lifestyle can be treated by modifying the lifestyle. And anyone can do it anytime.

If you are suffering from health problems caused due to calcium deficiency like osteoporosis, osteomalacia, rickets, etc., then you must be taking calcium supplements which are not enough and you should start getting enough Vitamin D and that through sunlight rather than any supplement because When the twins come together, they can work wonders.

They not only make up for the deficiency, but can also reverse the damage caused that no medicine can do for you, but lifestyle can.

Deficiency of Vitamin D leads to deficiency of Calcium and also phosphorus, both of which are essential nutrients. Taking Calcium supplements without Vitamin D can also make your body prone to renal stones and calculi. 

Do read the post till the end. There’s a big secret underway.

For people who are above 50 years and have a decreased ability to form Vitamin D can have it replenished through dietary sources like egg yolk, butter, cod liver oil, fatty fish like sardines, swordfish, tuna, beef liver and certain fortified foods or supplements.

But, do not forget, what you start taking from outside, your body will stop making in the inside. It is just like forgetting to cook once you start eating out regularly. The healthy option is always to opt for natural sources. They have zero to minimum adverse effects. While consuming eggs or other fats may not be permissible for you due to other health conditions, sunlight is doing no bad.

But the question is: How much sunlight do you essentially need to have enough Vitamin D?

Well, the answer is: Try having a brunch meal in a tank top and shorts under the sun at least 3-4 times a week. 

Why brunch and not breakfast or lunch? Any guesses?

That’s because for healthy blood levels of Vitamin D, you need to expose your skin for 13-30 minutes of midday sun since it is during the noon when you get the most of UVB rays that are needed to make Vitamin D. Before noon, there are not enough UV rays reaching us.

And in the afternoon, there are skin-damaging rays. But don’t enjoy the sun from a sunny window since glass filters these rays and you won’t be able to make Vitamin D.

Moreover, only the skin exposed to sunlight will make Vitamin D and not that which is covered and this is why I mentioned tank top and shorts.

Coming to the seasons, Summers are the best time to get sunlight for replenishing Vitamin D levels. And if you have dark skin, you are blessed to have natural sunscreen protection since more melanin filters UV rays.

Therefore, you may need a longer duration of sunlight exposure to get enough Vit. D.

Also if you live at a place that falls far away from the equator, you have a lesser window of summer months to make Vitamin D and you’ll need to expose your skin for a little longer and regular. 

The last health secret why most people take both calcium and Vitamin D supplements and yet none is being absorbed as much as is needed.

Do you know why?

Because they are not taken the way they should be.

Because it’s a pill, people think they can pop it in anytime and any way they like.

But, NO!

Calcium should be taken during the day time, preferably with milk. And Vitamin D supplement has to be taken upon an empty stomach the first thing in the morning with a sole fat, like clarified butter or cream. 

Why?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, remember it is synthesized from cholesterol. 

So it gets absorbed only with fats. And when you pop it in with water, the outcomes are not as expected. 

Besides, Vit. D, Calcium absorption can also be hindered by other factors like some medicines, high intake of sodium, excess protein or oxalate intake. These substances increase calcium excretion from the body. So, you need extra calcium when taking high amounts of Calcium, more proteins, and more foods like spinach, chocolate, chard, berries, tea, sweet potatoes, etc. Besides, if you are in love with processed foods, then most likely you may be calcium deficient. Some substances in them like phosphorus also interfere with calcium absorption. And if you are trying to lose weight through a Vegan meal, you may lose weight but you’ll also lose bone health since most common vegan foods contain very little Calcium and you need to replenish the gap left. 

So, stay tuned and subscribe for more posts like this.

Tell us through your comments what health mysteries would you like to learn about and we’ll try posting them as soon as possible. Share with ones you think it may benefit.

Self-help section:

Calcium Recommended Daily Allowances:

Age Range (Years)	Calcium (mg/Day)
9-18	1300
19-50 51-70 (Men)	1000
51-70 (Women)	1200
Over 70	1200

 

Calcium in different foods:

Food	Calcium (in mg)
1 cup of milk	291-302 mg
1 cup of yogurt	345-415 mg
1 ounce of American cheese	174 mg
1 ounce of cheddar cheese	191 mg
1 ounce of mozzarella cheese	207mg
½ cup ricotta cheese	337mg
1 cup of fortified soy or rice beverage	250 mg-300 mg
½ cup ice cream	80 mg-90 mg
1 cup beans (cooked)	90mg
½ cup soybeans (cooked)	130
½ cup tofu	204
½ cup hummus	66
3 ounces canned salmon (with bones)	167
3 ounces canned sardines (with bones)	371
4 ounces salmon	300
½ cup almonds	188
1 tablespoon sesame seeds	88
1 orange	92
½ cup dried figs	144
½ cup rhubarb	174
½ cup broccoli (cooked)	89
½ cup kale (cooked)	90
½ cup collard greens (cooked)	74
½ cup spinach (cooked)	61
1 cup fortified cereal	200mg – 300mg
1 English muffin (wheat)	175
2 slices bread (white)	70

 

Secret of weight loss: Crack your own code!

 

“Crack your own code”

 

“In your quest of weight loss, crack your own code.”

 

Just like you get your clothes tailored to have the best fit-ins, similarly, you need a best befitting diet plan for you. No diet plan can be selected just randomly. A lot of working has to go in. Being successful involves a lot of trial and errors to come out with “The Perfection”. 

I am sure you may not want to gain back what you just lost. So, make sure to Crack your own code not to weight loss, but fitness. A healthy lifestyle cannot be achieved without a healthy diet.

You’ll have to work out a plan that is going to work on your system, on your body. Remember, not every diet is a free size diet and you’ll have to tailor it for your fitness. No one diet regime or a meal is synonymous with healthy. 

Stick to one plan but not to one diet. Try to understand the gist of each diet plan and the intention of the plan and then devise your diet plan because no one else can know your body as you do. Others can measure the parameters, but it’s you who knows what’s going on in there and what can be done to make it better. For reaping the full benefits of any weight loss diet, it is inevitable to follow the right rules.

 

The journey may be long, the trip may be tiring, but stick to the plan, you’ll surely get there. Come what may always keep up the thirst to achieve and the trust to believe that you’ll achieve. Never let your quest rest. Make your journey a success story. Come what may, but let nothing cross your way and come ahead your passion to fit in your definition of fashion. Whatever you wear with a fit figure becomes Fashion. So, do not chase. Instead, make your own way.

When fats go, muscles grow. This enhances your looks. You just don’t lose the weight, you even become lean. Fat goes for fluffy, while the muscle is dense tissue. It tends to accommodate in lesser space as compared to fat and make you look slim. Attractive and appealing looks are a major plus point with Fitness as the mainstay. Fitness is the route to glamorous.

Weight is the only thing which we can be happy about after losing. It is the only loss that won’t make us gloomy; instead, it can make us look glamorous.

 

“When the alarm starts buzzing,

Don’t snooze the alarm,

Let no laze complicate the fitness maze.

Instead, Let the waste on your waist be scraped down,

That extra pile of fat be peeled down.

May the handsome get in an elegant tuxedo

And the beautiful slip in a pretty long gown.”

 

“Achieve a lot with weight loss.”

 

If you didn't lose the weight, then check out WHY?

 

“Why did I not lose weight?”

 

Even after a lot of trials and errors, still, if the weight loss is not appreciable, you need to look out for the reasons as to what can have led to the failure. I am talking about these so that you can know and learn and avoid doing so much before you start on the weight loss.

Here are some of the reasons that can cause failure. But, they can certainly be avoided and prevented from falling in these pitfalls.

 

1. You are not eating right: If you have decided the pattern you’ll be following for your weight loss, then you have to follow it with the right diet devised for you and by you. For instance, if you choose the Paleo diet, but are not eating the wild, there can be some interference. Another example could be like if you are on a Low-Carb diet, but you have not restricted your carbohydrate intake. You are taking starchy vegetables when you should be taking more of non-starchy ones. Next, my advice has always been to eat what is locally available and not hunt for what has been mentioned in a meal menu. If it is written pears and the season doesn’t permit, you will more likely be getting it from a cold store or get into arranging pears only because it has been mentioned in the menu. Instead, you should be looking for the nutritional information of pear and then check for equivalent and most close relatives that can substitute the nutrition of a pear. And you’re good to go. One of the most important things which I have come across as unhealthy eating is eating the leftovers from the refrigerators. I do not take it as a healthy eating habit. I insist that you cook only as much as you can have for that meal. I know, it can be time-consuming, but for health concerns, you’ll have to manage some time. After all, if you’re healthy, only then can you be physically and mentally available for any kind of work. So, do not eat frozen foods. It is possible that you choose to go for any low-carb diet but the carbohydrate forms that you take are from the restricted category or they are more than recommended or you are not doing enough physical workouts. This will not let you achieve the metabolic shift and the state of ketosis. Low-carb means that the body shall start deriving its energy from ketones derived from the chemical transformation of the fatty acids from the fat stores. Even there can be a huge variation in dairy products. Some may be low on protein while others can be high. While on a low-carb diet, intake of proteins is also limited. Even proteins can interfere with achieving the state of ketosis. Just like vegetables vary in their contents of carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, etcetera. Similarly, even the meat, fish and other animal food vary in its nutrition. While eating animal flesh, there can be a lot of variation between the fats and protein content.
2. Misuse of cheat codes: Though every diet plan has some cheat codes, overuse of them can lead to the complete loss of all your efforts. Eating properly the whole week and then overindulging in cheating at the weekend will do no good.
3. Lack of physical activity: Without burning the extra calories, weight loss is far from reaching. If you are considerate about your health, you will have to stay physically active. I do not say that you go for high-intensity workouts every time, but you have to do some work out as a part of your routine, it can be even a mild one like a few minutes of walk. It is important to understand the incredible importance of physical activity both for weight loss as well as for fitness.
4. Stress: Stress can be a big contributor to weight gain and an obstacle to weight loss. If you stay stressed for long periods, you may not be able to lose weight. Try to bust the stress with whatever healthy thing that can work for you. Try meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, relaxing massages, music, and dance, anything that can work for you.
5. The shift of weight: When you start on a weight loss program and at the same time doing a good deal of work out. You’ll look thinner in the mirror, but not lighter on a weighing scale. You may not realize but this can be a good sign. The body worked good to change your lodged fat depots to dense muscular tissues.
6. Incomplete knowledge: Even while going on a vacation, you do a lot of research and planning. Before you go, you strive to know more about the place, available spots and sources, means of travelling, eating points, stay hostels and much more. You try to gain every speck of knowledge that you can attain. So, if you walk out straight into the weight loss battle without being equipped with the knowledge, it can become a pitfall. 
7. Sleep: If you are not taking enough sleep with a weight-loss program, you are disturbing the body’s cycle and completely spoiling all your efforts. Sleep deficiency can lead to stress. So, make sure you are getting enough sleep so that it doesn’t hamper your progress.
8. Timings: Eating, exercising, sleeping, working, everything needs time and has to be carried out on proper times. Getting the right things done at right times is essential to achieve what you’re aspiring. Make your time table and stick to it. Let your body adapt to it only then it can it work in proper synchronization to your fitness goals and the diet program you’re following to reach the same.  
9. Wrong exercising: One aspect of physical activity is that you are not doing it at all. But, another is that you are doing but doing it wrong. Even not doing exercise the right way can hinder your progress in weight loss. The purpose of physical activity during a weight loss program is not just to burn calories. Burning more calories just brings the fitness goal closer. Your metabolism has to adapt to the weight loss environment you’re creating for it. But the wrong exercise can bring about a wrong interaction between your body and metabolic pathway. 
10. Medical interruption: If you are on any medication for a medical condition, you need to check out with your physician that the medicine does not favour weight gain. Metabolic disorders like hypothyroidism where the body’s metabolic environment is not good can also be the cause of weight gain. If you are having any medical issues, do check with your physician before you start the weight loss program.

The Do's with weight loss diet

 

The Do’s

On a similar note like the don’ts with any weight loss diet program are the do’s. And, here they are:

1. Physical activity: Whatever diet plan you use, what so ever may be your physical capacity, you need to stay physically active. I do not say you to be indulging in high-intensity workouts or go to the gym. I understand, not everyone can do it. But, according to individual physical strengths and capacities, you need to stay active to kick off the sedentary lifestyle. Choose the activity that you can enjoy. Then, you won’t feel it burdensome or boring for if you go for an uninteresting workout, you’ll always find yourself finding excuses to not do so. Using your physical strength to do just a little extra will beautifully bring the desired outcome and sooner than expected. Plus the fitness and good health will follow. Try to combine various activities instead of repeating the same activity daily. This will increase your physical stamina, cover a wide range of muscular stretching plus burn the desired calories. It will also increase your body flexibility. If you are not at all involved in a lifestyle that involves routine physical activity, then I insist to start today. For the change in life that you may be wanting, you’ll have to first change yourself. Start from just a little walk. If not very far, walk for your office or your way back home. Play with kids at home. This will not just increase your physical activity, but also give you a quality time that can be spent with the kids which you might not be getting to do regularly. Another benefit will be the inculcation of a healthy lifestyle in your kids. They are more likely to adopt what they see. Just do what makes you happy.

Physical activity along with the weight loss diet can vary in terms of its intensity. These are:

• Low-intensity workout: Any mild exercise like that of walking is good to start or even continue in the long run. We are meant to walk and not sit all day and work.
• High-intensity workout: Interval training is a good form of cardio. It boosts metabolism more than any other physical activity. 
• Weight lifting: If you want to get your fats converted to muscle mass and have good glam looks, then it will be wise to lift heavyweights. You can join a gym if you’re new or an amateur and the instructor there will get you where you belong. 

 

It is very essential to choose the right kind of exercise that you can adopt and your body can adapt.

 

2.      Timing of the meals: One of the chief elements of weight loss in enhanced metabolism. And this is reached at by proper timing of meals. Eating at frequent intervals and regularly at the same time will get settled with your body clock. It is kind of training our mind needs to take control of hormones and biochemical processes in a manner that can lead to the attainment of weight loss. With the weight loss program, you train your mind and gut to behave as you want and for that, you must give it a pattern first which it can adapt and then predict and then follow.

3.      Choosing the right portion: Our eating habits vary according to our choices, preferences and availability. For healthy eating habits, it is important to know when to eat maximum and when to munch on just the minimum. From much research done on this factor and combining it with weight loss, the best recommendation is to have breakfast as the heaviest meal of the day and dinner as the lightest one.

4.      The gap between dinner and bedtime: Consuming calories just before you snuggle in your bed is in a very close association with weight gain. There must be at least a gap of 1.5-2 hours between your last meal of the day and the bedtime. Make sure you do not sleep just after you eat.

5.      Meal portions: Never eat up to the brim. Make sure you never eat full to satiety. Eat frequently but in fewer portions. Dividing your meals into varied portions will enhance the metabolism and improve weight management.

6.      Hydration Partner: Choose only water as your hydration partner. Though every diet allows juices and other beverages in some forms, they will add on calories for sure. So, if it’s the need to address to thirst and hydration, water is the best partner since it won’t add on to the calorie count. Yes, adding on some green teas or lemon juice can serve the taste and still not add any weight. These two are known to enhance metabolic processes. So, they can be beneficial additives. Or fruit-infused waters and naturally flavoured seltzers can be other options. Remember, it is water that we need for the water needs of our body.

7.      Innovation: It is not a must-do, but you can do whatever you want to do with your platter. Yes, once the diet has been selected, you can do a lot of cooking innovations with it. If you are taking care of nutritional values and calorie intake, you can make your platter interesting every time. With healthy ingredients and health as the purpose, you can make your versions in the kitchen with unlimited innovation that can be limited only by your imagination and time.

8.      Variety: Whatever diet plan you may choose, it will always be good to have any food group in varieties. Say it lean meats, grains, cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, seafood, fishes or even if they are distinguished based on the core nutrition supply, carbohydrates, fats or proteins. Just chose little from many varieties available locally and fresh. Adding variety to platters will allow you to reap multiple nutritional benefits at the same time while you are losing weight. Getting myself straight, just mix all the available veggies when you’re eating them. Instead of eating anyone whole fruit, take a cup of mixed fruits. That is what even multivitamin supplements do. They are a combination of various vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other macro and micronutrients derived from multiple sources packed together in a shell. What can be better if you can get them through food?

9.      Take fresh: It is best to be blessed with the joy of freshness. On any diet plan, try to eat fresh things. And if you can manage a kitchen-garden, your half of the purpose of weight loss can be solved with it. Its maintenance will require your physical activity. And you will always have fresh food items in your basket. You will know what you are eating since you’ll keep your garden greens free from inorganic fertilizers and various harmful chemicals. 

10.   Sleep: Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can alter the body pattern and can become a hurdle in your weight loss fight. So, tackle it by taking enough sleep that is required. Optimum sleep is 8 hours in a day.

11.   Self-control: While on a weight loss diet, you may fall in for tempting foods, especially junk food. But nothing should be greater than your motive for weight loss and should not get in the way to get you out of the tract.

12.   Preparation: When you have taken on a course of action, be prepared for the reaction. Choosing a diet is something, but keeping yourself committed to it may have to pass the test to go through the door. When you start on a weight loss diet, you are changing the internal you. And just like we resist any change that we do not know about; even our body can do the same. It will try to get back into the state it already is in. It needs time to adapt to the changes you’re putting it in. But you won’t know how this resistance will show up. It may come in any known or an unknown form. For instance, while following a low-carb diet, constipation, dehydration and bad breath are some of the reactions our body can show up. But, you do not have to fear them or worry about them. Where there is a problem, there exists a solution. It is only the thing how and where to find it. Understand the problem and the cause and then look for the potential solution. So, don’t worry. Instead, be concerned and make your way. In this case, understand the problems. Let’s see how. Constipation can be due to high intake of fats and proteins but low intake of carbohydrates. Low carbohydrates will lessen the amount of fiber and it is the fiber that cleans the gut. The lack of fiber results in constipation. Now bad breath is due to the ketones that are formed. Ketones have a chemical kind of smell and you may not like it. But drinking more water and eating a lot of non-starchy, high fiber vegetables can solve all the three problems.

13.   Track your vitamins and minerals: With any weight loss diet, there are chances of altered vitamins and minerals in your body. No weight loss diet is bad, but you’ve to keep everything on the right track. Keep a check on the levels of your vitamins and minerals by regular blood monitoring. When the diet and the sources change, you can be getting something in excess and the others less. Monitoring them in routine will give you insight and you can make the necessary changes. For instance, if Calcium levels drop, you can add Tofu or dairy if permissible with your diet plan. Else wise, you can take the supplements. And if anything goes in excess, you can take measures to eliminate that from your system. 

14.   Choice of oil for cooking: Though there are plenty of available oils to choose from when it comes to cooking. But making the best choice from all the alternatives is one of the most important things which have been studied very insignificantly. My recommendation has always been to use ghee in small amounts. But, it has the best nutritional facts. And other than that, you can use the virgin oils from the seeds that grow in your region. If you reside in a coastal region, you should be using coconut oil. Mountainous people should go for almond oil. Then we have apricot oil, olive oil, mustard oil, peanut oil. Many, many oils are available. But, you have to choose the regional and the most local. Now, you may be having plenty of choices available and to make the best choice from them depends on what you intend to cook, at which flame will cooking be done, the smoke point of various oils.