Rina Jakubowicz

Bilingual Yoga Teacher, Reiki Practitioner, Speaker, and Author

At her first yoga class, Rina Jakubowicz wasn’t at all anxious. She had gained a greater understanding of the philosophy of yoga, which made her feel more at home anywhere as long as she was comfortable in her own skin.

Rina explained that despite being a brown-skinned woman, she never saw herself as a minority in the yoga world. “I am much more than just my brown skin and my female organs,” she said.

How would Rina advise someone to start yoga?
"There are people who enjoy doing yoga for themselves, regardless of how long they take. It's a great way to relax."

Publications

25 Diet Tips That Will Help You Lose Weight and Feel Great

Think of your diet as a war against the enemy of excess fat. In order to win this battle, you need to arm yourself with an arsenal of weapons. This article is your guide to the best diet tips that can help you win the war. Whether you are aiming to lose weight, keep it off, or simply adopt a healthier lifestyle, these diet tips can help you get there.

1. Fill up on Fibe


We need fiber in our diet to stay healthy, and it's found in many foods such as vegetables, fruits beans and whole grains. Some studies have shown that simply eating more fiber-rich foods may help you lose weight or better yet keep the weight off (1 Trusted Source 2 Trusted source). Increasing your intake is simple with a few easy additions like adding beans to salads for lunch, oats for breakfast or some nuts ans seeds as snacks.

2. Ditch Added Sugar

The reasons why we should ditch added sugar is due to the fact that it can be a major contributor for unhealthy weight gain and health problems like diabetes and heart disease. Plus, foods high in added sugars are generally low on the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Cutting out these types of sweets can help you lose some extra weight. It's important to note that even "healthy" or "organic" foods might contain lots of hidden sugars! Therefore, reading nutrition labels is a must before buying something.

3. Healthy fats are essential for weight loss.

 In reality, a high-fat diet rich in foods like olive oil, avocados and nuts has been shown to maximize weight loss in several studies (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source). Better yet? Fats help you feel full longer and combat cravings so you don't stray from your diet.

4. Minimize Distractions

Eating distractions such as watching TV or scrolling through social media, can cause you to eat more and gain weight. To maintain your weight, it's best to have a distraction-free dinner with family members at the dinner table. Another way is for you not to use your phone when eating so you don't get distracted by all of the notifications that come up on the screen which is just as distracting as if it were TV or computer time.

5.Walk your way to health

 This is a great and easy activity that helps with weight loss. In fact, 30 minutes of walking per day aids in weight loss (8Trusted Source). Plus, it’s enjoyable and can be done both indoors and outside at any time of day.
Bottom Line: Walking is an excellent choice for those who are trying to lose some pounds as it not only burns calories but also improves the mood!

6. Bring out Your Inner Chef

Cooking at home has been shown to promote weight loss and healthy eating (9, 10). Eating a meal out is both enjoyable and compatible with a diet plan - but only if it does not result in overeating or mindless snacking afterwards. Equally important is cooking more meals at home! You can experiment with new ingredients on your own terms, save money while avoiding unhealthy take-out food cravings.

7. Have a Protein-Rich Breakfast

Protein-rich foods like eggs are recommended to have in your breakfast. The simple swap of switching out cereal for a protein-packed scramble made with eggs and sauteed veggies may help you lose weight (11Trusted Source). Protein-rich food intake in the morning can also help avoid unhealthy snacking throughout the day, improve appetite control, and maintain muscle mass during weight loss (12Trusted Source).

8. Don’t Drink Your Calories

Most people know that sodas and milkshakes are bad for you, but many don't realize that even drinks advertise to perform better or improve health can have unwanted ingredients in them. Sports drinks, coffee beverages and flavored waters tend to be very high in calories- artificial colorings as well as added sugar. Even juice, which is often promoted as a healthy beverage can lead to weight gain if you consume too much of it. To stay hydrated with water rather than anything else will help minimize the amount of calories consumed throughout the day

9. Shop Smart

In order to avoid buying unhealthy food, you should create and stick to a shopping list. It has been shown that this will lead to better eating habits as well as weight loss (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source). Another way is before going grocery shopping make sure you have a healthy meal or snack in your stomach so that impulse buys on high-calorie foods are reduced significantly. Studies show hungry shoppers tend to reach for higher calorie and unhealthy products the most (15 Trusted Source).

10. Stay Hydrated


Drinking enough water throughout the day has many benefits for your health, including helping you maintain a healthy weight and reducing the number of calories you eat. One study of over 9500 people found that those who were not adequately hydrated had higher BMIs (body mass indexes) and were more likely to be obese than those who were properly hydrated (16). What’s even more, drinking water before meals have been shown in studies to help reduce calorie consumption by as much as 20%!

1. Practice mindful eating

1. Practice mindful eating: Rushing through meals or eating on the go may lead you to consume too much, too quickly. Instead, be mindful of your food by focusing on how each bite tastes and what it might do for your health (18). 2. Focus on enjoying each meal slowly even if you have limited time! This will reduce overeating and make sure that you are getting all the nutrients from both healthy and unhealthy foods in order to stay healthy

Lift Heavier to Get Lighter

Not many people think of weight lifting when they imagine exercises to help with weight loss. However, adding strength training to your gym routine can actually help you build more muscle and tone your entire body! Studies have also shown that a combination of aerobic exercise and weightlifting results in a smaller increase in calories burned overall (21).

Set Meaningful Goals

It's popular to think that weight loss is all about finding the right foods and exercising regularly. However, it's much more meaningful to understand why you want to lose weight and the ways that losing weight may positively affect your life by understanding why you want to change. Having these goals in mind can help keep you committed even if exercise doesn't work out for you this time around.

Avoid Fad Diets

Fad diets are often promoted as a way to lose weight fast. However, these diets tend to be restrictive and not easy to maintain. This can lead people into yo-yo dieting, where they lose pounds, only to gain them back.
While this cycle is common in those trying to change quickly, yo-yo dieting has been linked with an increased risk of diabetes (21Trusted Source), heart disease (23Trusted Source), high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome (23 Trusted Source).

Eat Whole Foods

Keeping track of everything that is going into your body is a great way to get healthy. Eating whole foods that are nutrient-rich ensures you are getting the best nutrients from your food. When purchasing foods with ingredient lists, it's important to focus on products without any synthetic ingredients or harmful chemicals.

Buddy Up

When it comes to staying on track with a healthy weight or exercise routine, inviting a friend can be an effective way to help. Studies have shown that people who slim down and involve friends are more likely to stick with their goals. They also tend to lose more weight than those who do it alone (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26 TrustedSource). Plus, having a friend or family member along for the journey can keep you motivated and enjoy your workout.

Don’t Deprive Yourself

Some people may find it difficult to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle on their own. This is why it is important for them to join a support group that can help them with this challenge. It's also beneficial for them to make room for appropriate indulgences here and there by learning how to control their eating habits. As well, they should be able to enjoy a small portion of homemade desserts or indulge in favorite holidays without feeling resentment towards their old unhealthy lifestyle.

Be Realistic

Comparison to models or celebrities on TV is not only unrealistic- it can also be unhealthy. It’s important to remember that having a healthy role model is great, but being overly critical of yourself can set you back and may lead to unhealthy behaviors. Instead, focus on how you feel and what motivated you in order to get better.

Veg Out
Snack Smart
Fill the Void
Make Time for Yourself
Find Workouts You Actually Enjoy
Support Is Everything