When being performed one needs to inhale and exhale at every alternate position, beginning with inhalation, except in the 6^th position where the breath is held.

Surya Namaskar is ideally done, in an open space and most preferably facing the sun. The most suitable time is in the morning before any heavy food intake.

Usually people begin with 6 rounds and then move on to 12 rounds. A set of Surya Namaskar can consist of either 12 or 24 rounds. Each set should be followed with a break of 3-5 minutes in shavasan. The maximum number of rounds that can be practiced, with the breaks, are 108. More than that would be more physical exertion than the body can take.

Start slow. Within a week get to 12 rounds every morning and stick to it. If you feel the need to do more number of sets to lose more weight, gradually increase the number of rounds.

To have more information see Surya Namaskar

But today Surya Namaskar is widely practiced as an amazing exercise that works out all the muscles of the body. It can be practiced at different states of the mind from simple exercising to deep chakra meditation, which is mediation that concentrates on all our body’s energy centers.

Surya Namaskar offers stretch in every muscle at each position and gives a complete workout to the entire body. Regularly practiced, it can alone result in weight loss and muscle toning.

Surya Namaskar is an exercise in itself, but it is also used as a warm up for other, more strenuous workouts. You can perform Surya Namaskar at the end of other exercise routines as well, as a way to relax and wind down strained muscles.

To have more information see Surya Namaskar

• Keeps you Energetic: You are fresh in the morning and the noon but towards the end of the day, you feel tired and lethargic. The reason is, all our activities require energy and we are burning energy even when we are resting or sleeping. So a few hours after eating when energy imbibed from the meal is used up, our body requires us to refuel it. Thus proper snacking ensures that you feel energetic and healthy even at the end of the day.
• Aids Weight Loss: When you eat frequently, your appetite is under control and you don’t overeat at meals. Your metabolism or the ability to burn calories also remains active, burning more calories and aiding weight loss.

To know more see Snacking between Meals in a Healthy way

• Unexplained weight loss: When you start losing weight, you rejoice, but this weight loss is not caused as a result of any efforts on your part and brings along a feeling of weakness. It may mean anything from diabetes to an overactive thyroid or hyperthyroidism to liver disorder. Refer to your doctor as soon as possible.
• Numbness in one side of the body: Feeling numb in one side of the body is nothing to joke about. But remember that this numbness is different than your arm falling asleep when you sleep on one side. Numbness in one part of the body especially on the face may be due to transient ischemic attack or TIA. TIA is known as ‘mini stroke’ and goes away without harm but you need to take it seriously because it is one of the warning signals of stroke and 20% patients get a stroke attack within 90 days of getting TIA.
• Blood in the urine or stool: Blood in the urine can be due to harmless reasons but should be taken seriously; it can be due to kidney cancers, bladder cancer and even kidney failure. A burning sensation during passing urine generally however only means urinary tract infection which can be solved easily.

To know more such symptoms see Simple Symptoms you shouldn’t ignore!

To read more see Spot Reduction, Does it work?

• Nutritional Deficiencies

Nutritional deficiencies are again a common occurrence for those who undergo rapid weight loss, as a slowed down metabolism affects the nutrition absorption process. Moreover, weight loss achieved by means of dieting (read – liquid diet, low calorie diet or crash dieting) sorely lacks in nutrition.

• Dehydration

Dehydration occurs with rapid weight loss firstly because muscle consists mostly of water and with muscle burning; water is lost from the body. Secondly dehydration occurs because water intake is restricted to facilitate rapid weight loss, as water is known to cause bloating.

To read more see Effects of Rapid Weight Loss

• Loose Skin

Even though our skin is elastic, it needs time to adapt to the changes in our body. But with rapid weight loss, the skin does not get the needed time to adjust to the sudden shrinking of the various body parts, a result of which is sagging skin. Loose skin due to sudden weight loss is mostly visible around the abdomen and in the arms and thighs of the individual.

• Hair Loss

Hair Loss is a common occurrence when it comes to rapid weight loss caused by dieting. As most diets aiming for a considerable weight loss advise either a liquid diet or a low calorie diet, both of which lack proteins.

Hair needs protein for its growth and upkeep. In case of a rapid weight loss, where even the metabolism is decreased, protein absorption from the food consumed is low. With lack of protein in the body, the hair becomes brittle and eventually breaks.

To read more see Effects of Rapid Weight Loss

• Muscle Loss

Rapid weight loss is often accompanied with loss of muscle, as with this kind of sudden weight loss the body slips into ‘ketosis’, a state in which the body begins to burn muscle for energy! Plus with fat not being an effective energy source, the body tends to preserve it as an energy source, using it only as the last option. This leads to more muscle being burned for energy generation purpose by the body, leading to muscle loss.

• Slowed down or Decreased Metabolism

When faced with a sudden weight loss, the body tends to go into ‘preservation’ mode, where it focuses more on the preservation of its energy sources. This results in a sluggish or slowed down metabolism that burns fewer calories and less fat, forcing the body to burn muscle for energy generation.

To read more see Effects of Rapid Weight Loss

However unlike other forms of weight loss achieved by dieting and exercise, rapid weight loss is often temporary and leads to harmful effects on health.

To read more see Effects of Rapid Weight Loss

Negative calorie foods are thus excellent for losing weight because since they are high in fiber, they keep us full for long and reduce our consumption of other high calorie food options. Most foods included in the negative calorie foods contain essential vitamins and nutrients as well that aid weight loss and improve health.

To read more see Negative Calorie Foods: Foods that Burn Calories