3 simple exercises for a flat tummy

Belly fat is a problem that affects most of the people.  But there are a number of exercises which you can practice to burn this fat and get yourself with a flat tummy.  This article explains about 3 simple exercises you can practice to reduce belly fat and get a flat tummy.   You can see the results within few weeks.


1. Abdominal Crunches
People normally think abdominal crunches are difficult to practice.  But it is not so.  When done properly, this is one of the most effective exercise to reduce belly fat.  Crunches are a great exercise to practice because they target the fat around your waist.  Follow the instructions given below.

• Lie down on your back on a hard surface such as floor.  Bend your knees and place your feet against the floor
• Put your hands behind your head at ear level
• Slowly arch your back up so that your shoulders are away from the floor
• Hold this position for as long as you can comfortably, preferably for 5 seconds
• Repeat this exercise several times

The abdominal crunches are very easy to practice as you do not need any special equipment. You can do these exercises any where as long as there is floor space.  If you practice these exercises every day, then you can burn the fat in no time and tone up your stomach muscles.

2. Torso Twist
This is also a simple exercise.  Here is the procedure.

• Stand on a floor with your feet separated.
• Place your hands on your waist and start twisting your torso from left to right without moving your legs or knees
• Repeat this for few times
• Once you have done a few repetitions like this, you should try to twist and stretch your arms to reach the opposite foot at the same time
• When you have done all this perfectly, you can then raise your arms above your head and do the twists.  

 The torso twist will help to remove any fat around your torso.
 3. Cardio exercises
In order to tone up your stomach, you need to burn all the fat around your belly. You can practice cardio exercises like jogging, swimming, walking to achieve this goal.  While these exercises are not specially targeting belly fat, they are very easy to do and will burn fat in your whole body.  So you should be very active to start burning belly fat.

By combining all of the above exercises, you can get a faster results to achieve a flat tummy.

Diabetes diet for Indians

It is very important to know what to eat and what not to eat for controlling diabetes.  It is very important to follow a diabetic diet in order to prevent or control diabetes.  So it is very much essential to have a healthy diabetes diet along with exercise to have a healthy living.  Do you know what makes up a good diabetes diet for Indians?  You can see a lot of diabetes diets published online but let us what are the foods locally available in India for a good diabetic diet.   I have gone through various websites and checked the diabetes diets for Indians.  Here is a summary of diabetes diet for Indians.

Diabetes diet for Indians

A duabetes diet should be high on fiber and must contain milk without cream, butter milk, fresh fruits, green vegetables etc.  The diabetes diet for Indians must be in the ratio of 60:20:20 for carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  The calorie intake per day should be between 1500 to 1800 calories with the proportion of 60:20:20 as indicated above.  The diabetes diet should have at least two seasonal fruits and three vegetables in the diet plan.  Here is a list of diabetes diet for Indians as shared by a doctor.

-  One teaspoon of methi seeds soaked in 100 ml of water overnight.
-  Drink tomato juice with salt and peppar every morning on empty stoamch
-  6 almonds soaked overnight each day is also helpful for keeping a check on diabetes


Here is  a diabetes diet for Indians as suggested by experts

- Grains, oats, channa atta, millets and other high fiber foods should be included in your meal. 
-  Milk is the right combination of carbohydrates and proteins.  Two servings of milk daily controls blood sugar levels
-  High fiber vegetables like peas, beans, broccoli and spinach and leafy vegetables should be included in your diet. pulses and sprouts are a healthy option in the diet
- Vegetables rich in fiber help in lowering blood sugar levels
- Good fats like Omega 3 and MUFA should be consumed as they are good for body.  The natural sources for these are  canola oil, flax seed oil, fatty fish and nuts. 
- Fruits high in fiber like papaya, apple, orange and guava should be consumed. Mangoes, bananas, grapes contain high sugar and hence can be consumed in lesser quantities.


The diabetes diet for Indians includes carbohydrates, proteins and fats. As always, a balanced and planned diet can build and improve personal health. A controlled diabetes diet may seem like a drag and bore, but a good cook can add life to a diet. Time to call up mom and experiment with diabetes diets!

Causes of High Blood Pressure

Before going into the details, let us see what is Blood Pressure?  Blood pressure is nothing but the measure of the force with which the blood is pushing against the blood vessel walls.  The heart pumps the blood into the arteries which carry the blood throughout the body.  High blood pressure is very dangerous because it causes your heart to work harder to pump the blood to the body and causes hardening of the arteries and may develop into heart failure.

Let us now see what is the normal blood pressure readings before going into the causes of high BP.  A blood pressure reading has a top number (systolic) and a bottom number (diastolic).  The range of values of blood pressure are listed below.

•  Normal blood pressure : 120 over 80 ( 120 / 80 )
• Pre hypertension : 120 - 139   over 80-89
• Stage 1 high blood pressure :  140-159  over 90-99
• Stage 2 high blood pressure :  160 and above over 100 and above

If your blood pressure is above the normal range, you should immediately consult your doctor about the steps to be taken to control it and bring to normal.

What causes high blood pressure?

 The exact reasons for high blood pressure are not known, but there are several factors and conditions which play a role for development of high blood pressure.  These factors responsible for High Blood Pressure include :

• Smoking 
• Over weight
• Lack of physical activity
• Too much salt in the diet and too much alcohol consumption
• Stress and old age
• Genetics
• Family History
• Old Age
• Kidney disease
• Thyroid disorders 

 There are two types of high blood pressure.  1.  Primary ( essential ) Hypertension   2.  Secondary Hypertension

1. Primary Hypertension : There is no exact cause for high blood pressure.  This type of high blood pressure is called as Primary or Essential Hypertension.  This tends to develop gradually over many years.

2. Secondary Hypertension :  Some people has high BP caused by a certain underlying condition.  This type of high blood pressure is called as Secondary Hypertension. This kind of high blood pressure tends to appear suddenly and cause higher blood pressure than does primary hypertension.  There are many conditions and medications which can lead to secondary hypertension which include:

• Adrenal gland tumors
• Kidney problems
• Defects in blood vessels
• Some medications like birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, pain relievers and some other drugs
• Illegal drugs like cocaine and amphetamines