Beat Winter Weight Gains...

Who does not enjoy steaming hot chocolate or a creamy coffee on a cold winter morning ? This is the season of the year when people tend to gain weight. Winter makes you feel lethargic, it being cold and dark outside everyone likes to stay indoors, cuddle up in a warm blanket, watch movies and snack. The extra pounds gained during this time of the year may stay year after year and finally lead to serious health issues and obesity .Simple changes in your diet plan and habits can offer you enormous health benefits.

Here are some tips to beat this winter weight gain :

Cut down on the hours that you spend in front of the screens, and keep moving even  if it is inside your house. Did you know that washing your plates for half an hour, helps you lose around 75 to 80 calories. Vacuuming or sweeping floors of your house for an hour helps you lose calories more than two hundred! So instead of couching in front of fire places try doing some household chores.

 More and more studies have revealed that you develop a tendency to eat more during winters. The reason behind this is the lack of sunlight and short daylight hours.The sleep hormone levels are reduced when we are exposed to sunlight and therefore you remain active during summer. Another hormone named "Serotonin" level increases with light and it is this hormone that regulates some physical functions such as eating and other emotional functions like mood and energy levels. During winter it is vitamin D that helps rise this hormone level. Light is required which produces cholecalciferol, which the body transform to vitamin D, that in turn helps increase the level of "Serotonin",  thereby keeping your moods and energy levels high.

Go out for a stoll outside when the temperatures are comparativley low. Stick onto a regular schedule for physical activities. Physical activities, if not possible outdoors, try to get a membership to the gym. There are lots of  centers having indoor table tennis and badminton courts. Heated indoor swimming pools too are an option to keep yourself active.Try to get eight hours of sleep because else the part of our brain responsible for self control will have to be compromised by sleep loss. Start your day with a high fiber or high protein breakfast that might help you from over eating through out the day.

Keep away from alcohols, it is loaded with calories. Avoid hot chocolates or cream laded coffees. Instead you can try some herbal tea with a squeeze of lemon juice in it, or black tea, green tea are also two good options as they have antioxidants and are also low in calories. Remember to stay hydrated. Many a times our body gets confused between thirst and hunger. The body maybe crying out for water, but we think it is hunger and find ourselves digging into food shelves.