Do you know that adding more spices to your meals can actually slim you down?

Eating chilies with your meal can actually help your body keep that cholesterol at bay and boost your body’s metabolic rate. This is because chilies such as jalapeño, Asian, habaneras and cayenne contain capsaicin. This compound creates that spicy and pungent taste in chilies and is responsible for that burning sensation you feel in your tongue. Capsaicin can be found concentrated in the white ribs where the chili seeds are attached inside the chili. This is why removing the chili seeds can help ease the spice. As a rule, the hotter the chili is, the more the capsaicin it contains.

Recent studies have found capsaicin effective in stimulating faster metabolism. Consuming more spices or more capsaicin increases the release of stress hormones like adrenaline. This, in turn, triggers a thermodynamic burn in our body that can last up to three to five hours after eating, thus helping our body burn additional calories. This thermodynamic burn speeds up the metabolism by dissolving calories and preventing new fat from forming.

Sprinkling more spices or more capsaicin in your diet can boost your body’s ability to process cholesterol and fats. Capsaicin allows your body to excrete more cholesterol and helps in increasing the production of fat-dissolving enzymes in your liver. As a result, the insoluble fat triglyceride, which can also accumulate in dangerous levels in your blood vessels, is secreted effectively by the liver.

Spicy food can also keep eager eaters from over-indulging. Isn’t it more difficult to keep on eating when you feel that hot, tingling sensation in your mouth?

And while capsaicin is barely soluble in water, we all know that the knee-jerk reaction to a spice bite in your tongue is to drink water. An increased water consumption aids in cleansing our body of toxins, including that unwanted fat. What you also might not know is that water actually can help your body heal itself.

So, start firing up that meal with a dose of chili powder. Sauté vegetables in hot salsa, instead of butter, and add chopped mild chili peppers into that salad. Compared to exercise and dieting – the tried and tested methods of weight reduction – indulging on that hot meal is definitely more enjoyable.

Spice Up to Slim Down: How Can Chili Help Reduce Fat?

Do you know that adding more spices to your meals can actually slim you down?

Eating chilies with your meal can actually help your body keep that cholesterol at bay and boost your body’s metabolic rate. This is because chilies such as jalapeño, Asian, habaneras and cayenne contain capsaicin. This compound creates that spicy and pungent taste in chilies and is responsible for that burning sensation you feel in your tongue. Capsaicin can be found concentrated in the white ribs where the chili seeds are attached inside the chili. This is why removing the chili seeds can help ease the spice. As a rule, the hotter the chili is, the more the capsaicin it contains.

Recent studies have found capsaicin effective in stimulating faster metabolism. Consuming more spices or more capsaicin increases the release of stress hormones like adrenaline. This, in turn, triggers a thermodynamic burn in our body that can last up to three to five hours after eating, thus helping our body burn additional calories. This thermodynamic burn speeds up the metabolism by dissolving calories and preventing new fat from forming.

Sprinkling more spices or more capsaicin in your diet can boost your body’s ability to process cholesterol and fats. Capsaicin allows your body to excrete more cholesterol and helps in increasing the production of fat-dissolving enzymes in your liver. As a result, the insoluble fat triglyceride, which can also accumulate in dangerous levels in your blood vessels, is secreted effectively by the liver.

Spicy food can also keep eager eaters from over-indulging. Isn’t it more difficult to keep on eating when you feel that hot, tingling sensation in your mouth?

And while capsaicin is barely soluble in water, we all know that the knee-jerk reaction to a spice bite in your tongue is to drink water. An increased water consumption aids in cleansing our body of toxins, including that unwanted fat.

So, start firing up that meal with a dose of chili powder. Sauté vegetables in hot salsa, instead of butter, and add chopped mild chili peppers into that salad. Compared to exercise and dieting – the tried and tested methods of weight reduction – indulging on that hot meal is definitely more enjoyable.

It hardly seems fair, but most folks who have heartburn say the flames burn higher at night. In fact, as many as eight out of 10 heartburn sufferers may have this problem. Even worse, it keeps them from falling asleep or wakes them up with that burning feeling in the chest. This can have a resounding impact on anyone’s ability to function the next day.

This heartburn is a problem that no one should ignore. After all, the consequences of nighttime heartburn can be far more serious than just feeling tired and sleepy after a restless night. According to one study, it means you are 11 times more likely to develop cancer of the esophagus than other people.

That’s why it is important to see your doctor if you have ongoing heartburn. He will prescribe a medication to calm your acid reflux. In a recent survey, however, about half of those who take medicine said they still have some symptoms. So, consider these ways to turn out the lights on stomach acid and help yourself to a better night’s sleep:

1. Rest on your left side. Your esophagus angles a bit to the left where it connects to your stomach. If you sleep on your right side, stomach acid is more likely to flow into your esophagus and stay there. Lying on your back brings on more frequent reflux, but, even then, the acid tends to clear out faster than when you are on your right side. Sleeping on your left side seems to be the best solution. You may want to use a sleeping wedge behind your back to keep you facing left.

1. Raise the head of your bed about six inches with wooden blocks or sleep with a foam wedge under your upper body. At this angle, gravity helps keep the juices in your stomach. Pillows do not work as well because they make you bend at the waist, and that just puts more pressure on your stomach.

1. Stick with light suppers. If you stretch your stomach with a lot of food, you practically force acid back into your esophagus. If you eat lightly and wait a few hours after your last meal before you go to bed, you will have less acid in your stomach to cause problems. This strategy may also help you lose weight – and that could ease heartburn, too.

1. Wear loose clothing. For example, choose a nightgown rather than pajamas. Elastic around your middle can put pressure on your stomach and boost your chances of nighttime heartburn.

1. Look for ways to unwind and grow calm before bedtime. Worries can bring on heartburn, so try to set aside any problems and relax before you turn in for the night. Professional counseling, relaxation techniques, and regular exercise can all help. If symptoms continue, it is important to see your doctor.

1. Nicotine relaxes the valve between your stomach and esophagus, allowing the acid to back up. So, give up smoking as soon as possible. And if you are already trying to quit, do not wear your nicotine patch to bed. The nicotine it releases can cause heartburn.