SKIP THE GYM...GET FIT

The truth about cardio

By Karim Waheed

When it comes to weight loss, specifically fat loss, cardiovascular exercise may be the most popular choice. This is especially common with women because they think resistance training will make them bulky, and only cardio can make them thinner. Even though cardio can help you to lose weight, it shouldn't be the only exercise mode you use.

I'm about to burst your bubble: it takes more than cardio to successfully lose weight and keep it off. An important factor in any weight loss programme is your resting metabolic rate, which is dependent upon how much muscle you have. The more muscle that you have, the more calories you will burn in a day at rest.

Cardio should be an adjunct to an effective resistance-training programme, in addition to a sound nutrition programme. Here are a few reasons why a cardiovascular programme alone will not be an effective weight loss tool.

Cardio alone can actually reduce your resting metabolic rate. Cardio performed in excess can be detrimental to muscle. After about 45 minutes, catabolic hormones such as cortisol increases drastically. The negative side effect to this release is that muscle breakdown occurs, which results in a loss of muscle mass over time.

As muscle mass decreases, resting metabolism also decreases which puts you at increased risk for re-gaining unwanted fat. Yes, you can lose weight by doing cardio alone. However, keep in mind that you are also losing quite a bit of muscle with the fat.

It does nothing for your body's shape. Muscle is what makes you appear leaner and tighter.

Your body quickly adapts to cardio. Usually individuals perform low-intensity cardio exercise. They walk for 45 minutes and barely break a sweat, all while talking with their friends. They may lose weight for the first few weeks, but then they hit a plateau. They usually end up walking longer or increasing the intensity (but not high enough). Eventually, their body quits responding all together.

Research has shown that performing 45 minutes of low-intensity cardio 5 days per week is no more effective than dieting alone for weight loss.

So, what should you take from these facts? First, you should add resistance training to your weight management programme in order to boost resting and post-exercise metabolism, and reshape your body.

Next, you should consider other forms of cardio to do such as bodyweight circuits and sprinting. These options are great at boosting metabolism hours after the workout. Running is good, but you must progress slowly and mix in other options throughout the week.

FIGURING FATHERHOOD

The kid is the excuse

By Ehsanur Raza Ronny

Quote of the week: Want to be a kid again? Have a kid. Nostalgia is a cruel temptress. It makes our past seem more awesome than it actually was. And then it makes us mope for hours on end thinking life isn't the way it used to be, which in this case was awesome, apparently.

We think of our childhood and some of us want to live it all over again. But we can't. One reason is that there is no rewind button in life. You can't go back and do the fun things all over again.

Unless of course you have a little kid.

I have one which sometimes feels like two because even Google can't advice me on what to do.

Cartoons were awesome. They still are. You can waste hours of your life in front of the flat screen devil and not feel bad. Well, not too bad. But it's okay if you watch it with your kid. Cause then you're bonding and only the most cold-hearted, cruel squidshark from the bottom of the ocean can object to fatherly bonding.

The only problem is when I'm watching Ben10 and suddenly my hyperactive almost-two-year old wants to watch Tom & Jerry. I'll never know how Ben regains his mojo after the Forever Knights steal his alien powers. I'm watching cartoons ten minutes at a time. The wife can't complain.

Then there are toys. My top two ambitions in life were to be a bank robber and to be a toy store robber. I know, not two too responsible thoughts. But my own father and mother were responsible for that. They bought me some awesome toy cars as a kid. And as I grew up, I bought some more but these cost hence bank robber.

It's when I got married that I really started buying because someday I would have a kid who might like cars. Now that I have a kid, there's no stopping me. Except, these are cool collectibles. I can't let the kid break them. So I keep them with me for safekeeping. Except I can't keep them outside cause then I would have to let him play with them too. I store them in boxes lined with tissue paper.

So you see, you can go back to some of the things you did as a kid. People ask and the kid is the excuse. It won't be as fulfilling as when you were an actual kid because nostalgia won't allow anything to be better. But it's something.

CHECK IT OUT

Kay Kraft's bridal collection

In our country, like in many others, weddings are indeed a big deal, Perhaps the single biggest event in a person's life. And it is not only for the couple getting married but also for the families and friends. Hence, it is of no surprise that it takes place with a series of events lasting for days, following months of preparation.

Kay Kraft, one of the leading fashion houses in Bangladesh, has come up with a bridal collection. Keeping in mind the different events, colours, rituals and norms of the wide array of ceremonies, Kay Kraft has designed attires not only for the bride and the bridegroom but also for their family members and friends.

Also, the fashion house has designed clothes especially for the senior members of the family like grandparents. The clothes can be bought as a set, or, you can also buy some individually. You might also want to try to one of their gift boxes of saris and clothes. These attires are crafted with bolaka silk, joy silk, muslin, endi and cotton. Kay Kraft looks towards satisfying your shopping needs for wedding ceremonies, starting from panjabi and churidar. And for the bride, of course, there are saris of various designs.

The bridal collection is available in the various showrooms of Kay Kraft. Hence, if you or one of your friends of family members are going to tie the knot this season, do visit Kay Kraft.

-- LS Desk

Menz Klub

24 September, 2001 -- the day Menz Klub started their journey at Monsur Bhaban, Elephant Road with four machines and a handful of workers. At present Menz Klub has over 20 outlets in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.

From cufflinks to socks, Menz Klub's extensive range of products can satiate the needs of any fashion conscious man. The products are locally manufactured with raw materials imported from Thailand.

This season, Menz Klub has used cotton based fabrics considering the weather. The new collection has shirts, Polo-shirts, T- shirts and others. The Panjabi section also boasts an array of new designs in comfortable fabrics and soothing summer colours.

Menz Klub has recently introduced their sister concern -- Kidz Klub, a line for boys and girls.

Available at all Menz Klub outlets.

Pizza Inn

Pizza Inn Bangladesh, a franchise of the famous American chain “Pizza Inn” is in town and through their two outlets in Uttara and Gulshan offers a wide assortment of Italian cuisine for Dhakaiites. From delicious lasagna to pasta and of course pizzas, this restaurant chain is set to tantalise your taste buds.

Pizza Inn loves to surprise their customers and that's why they have a buffet, which comprises 39 items available at their Uttara outlet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., everyday.

Founded in 1958, Pizza Inn has franchises in over 360 cities in about 90 countries worldwide. It is well recognised around the world for providing a variety of flavours and fresh and high quality food at affordable prices. Mohammed Foods and Allied Pvt. Ltd., a concern of RAK Group, the Master Licensee of Pizza Inn Bangladesh, started its operations at Uttara, Dhaka in 2009.

Just head to the nearest Pizza Inn joint and give your palate a taste of Italiana.

Contact: Pizza Inn Gulshan, House# 74, Road# 127, Gulshan Avenue; Pizza Inn Uttara, RAK Tower, Level #4, Plot #1/A,Jasimuddin Avenue, Sector-3, Uttara Model Town, Dhaka-1230. Or visit their website pizzainn.com.bd. You can also log onto their Facebook page: facebook.com/PizzaInnBangladesh.

LS EDITOR'S NOTE

Celebrating a common thread

The highlight of my week was a lovely night out with my cousins. Cousins are God's blessing to you in my belief. And I am truly blessed in this regard, for you see I have approximately or at the least a 100 of them, and no I am not making it up.

My mother had a big family of 18 siblings and my father's, though comparatively smaller, has seven. Most of my aunts and uncles had large families as well. It's only the ones who got married in the late sixties and early seventies that followed the 'two children' family motto. And the ones who got married in the eighties and nineties had one child families. But still the extended family was pretty stretched.

To simply put the cousin scenario into perspective here I'd like to point out we were a gang of 'talented ten', and this gang comprised of cousins born only towards the end of the sixties.

Trust me it was totally a 'my big fat Greek wedding' situation every weekend when we all met at Nanu's for the weekend brunch. I cannot describe the sheer merriment amid the utter chaos and madness we all had every time we met at Nanu's. Eid, Boishakh, weddings and even election days were full of exuberance and cheerfulness, because it was always a riot of vibrant energy at Nanu's house.

Well, as is the nature of time and its cruelty, these are all part and remnants of memories. Our beloved Nanu, the crux of our cosmos passed away, many of our beloved aunts and uncles joined her, we all grew up, moved away to our own worlds and most importantly, the old two-storied luxurious house fell into the trap of urbanisation. So our Garden of Eden was lost forever and with it our children were denied the first lesson in life: the pleasure of family bondage and loving.

Anyway I don't want to dwell on sob stories here; instead meeting with a few cherished cousins after eons was such a welcome change of pace that I want to actually insist that all my readers take time out to just meet cousins. You see we are always meeting friends come what may. We'll drop everything and meet friends but with cousins we hardly do that.

Their place in our list of priorities may have changed over time, but what I realised after this beautiful night out is that their importance did not. Cousins are as close to your soul as your siblings and let us all cherish their presence in life once in a while.

-- Raffat Binte Rashid

LS PICK

The ORnOB tee collection at Aarong

Over the years you have indulged your ears with his beautiful compositions and singing. Now it is time to enjoy a different aspect of his creativity! Aarong teamed up with the “shey je boshe ache” singer and launched its new T-shirt collection which is designed by Ornob himself.

Not an entirely new field that he has stepped into, Ornob did his graduation in Printmaking, worked as a visualiser in an ad firm and as a creative director at a fashion house before pursuing his career in music.

Ornob casually started making designs on his i-pad as a time killer, while stuck in traffic or during his time off from music and did not originally start it as a t-shirt designing project. What initially started as random designs eventually evolved into funny, quirky, witty designs and messages.

With T-shirts, with humorous and witty texts and images being the craze at the moment among youngsters, Ornob realised where he could use his creations and needed a platform for it. This is where Aarong came into the picture and together with Ornob, they have launched a line of T-shirts with a twist.

The designs are mostly inspired by everyday things in Bangladeshi life, such as one with a cycle on the sides of the tee and one with a truck saying “Off Jaan”.

Cockroaches scurrying around being a regular phenomenon here have been depicted in one of the tees with a cockroach printed on the back making it seem as if a real cockroach were sitting on one's back. CNG auto-rickshaws slithering their way through narrow gaps have also been depicted. One design girls may enjoy is a huge Bengal tiger sprawled in pink across the chest.

These are just a few of the designs available with the line consisting of 8 to 10 designs available in both His and Her sizes and also in duos for couples. The designs are all screen printed onto the t-shirts and are available at Tk. 500.

This is just the first collection and has already received quite an enthusiastic response, more designs will come in the future hopefully. So drop by at an Aarong outlet near your home and pick the tee that you love the most.

To take a look at the collection visit the Facebook page: ORnOB

By Karishma Ameen and
Afrida Mahbub

ASK DR SAGIR

The puppy chronicles III

By Sagir U Ahmed

In previous weeks, we discussed a puppy's initial days at a new home and also some training methods. This week, we'll focus on a puppy's diet, exercise and healthcare requirements, all of which are of utmost importance for your puppy's well being.

Healthcare
Register your puppy with a local vet and have him checked out as soon as possible -- don't wait for an emergency. Routine healthcare is very important and should begin when your puppy is young and be maintained throughout his lifetime.

Should your new puppy show any signs of illness, ensure you seek early veterinary advice. Make enquiries regarding pet healthcare. Veterinary treatment can be expensive, particularly when you least expect it.

If your puppy is not vaccinated, ask your vet's advice as to the best age for the puppy to start the course. If possible, allow your puppy a week to settle in before making the appointment.

It is also important to maintain a strict worming and flea treatment regime, particularly during the puppy's first year. Your vet will advise you in regard to what preparations he will need and how often they should be used.

It is important for you to accustom your puppy to being examined regularly. Gently and regularly check his entire body including his ears, mouth, eyes, and paws. This will allow a vet to check your pet's general health and also make it easier to administer any veterinary treatment that may be necessary at present or in the future.

Contact vet chambers or pet shop about coat care and grooming equipment for the particular breed. Not only is regular grooming beneficial to the dog, it also helps build a good relationship between the two of you. Train the puppy to stand quietly and reassure him throughout the procedure. Try to make this an enjoyable experience for the puppy and remember to give plenty of praise and rewards for good behaviour.

Only bath your puppy if necessary. This should be done with warm water and a mild shampoo. How often your puppy should be bathed, will depend on the breed and coat type.

By eight weeks of age, your puppy will have a complete set of temporary teeth. Between the ages of three and six months the puppy will shed its baby teeth to allow for the adult teeth to come through.

Dental care should start as soon as possible. Tooth brushing, when done regularly, is the most effective way of removing plaque from your dog's teeth and keeping the gums healthy. You may find that your puppy will want to chew everything. Try to avoid leaving any objects lying around that you would not want to be chewed.

Feeding and exercise
Feed your puppy at regular intervals (at least four times) throughout the day. Some puppies may develop an upset stomach during the first few days in a new home. Stick with a diet that the puppy is used to and avoid offering a variety of rich foods or overfeeding during these early days.

It is essential that your puppy is provided with a carefully balanced diet containing high quality ingredients. The amount each puppy needs will vary with age, size, breed and activity levels. Ask your vet for animal nutrition based advice on which diet will suit your puppy.

Your puppy will receive all the exercise he needs in the house and garden during the first few weeks. Over-exercise at an early age, particularly in some larger breeds, can lead to problems with bone development, if extra care is not taken.

Just like a new baby, your puppy will need plenty of rest and sleep during the early stages. The new puppy should be encouraged to rest regularly. It is also important for your puppy to gradually learn to spend short periods of time alone, so that he doesn't develop separation problems as he gets older.

If you have another dog, or a friendly cat in the home, who will be around when you're not there, encourage them to bond as this makes it much easier for your puppy to cope.

This wraps up our segment of care for puppies. In the net instalments, we'll be moving onto other pets.

Dear Sir,
How are you? I am from Comilla. About 3 months ago, I adopted a male puppy. He is now 8 months old. His health is quite well but there is a problem in his eyes. His eyes always seem clogged with large amounts of what is known as morning sand and hence he has trouble opening his eyes after waking up. The sand or dust is also yellow in colour. I hope you will be able to find a solution to this problem.

Thanks and regards, Abdul Momen

Dear Mr. Momen,
You did not mention which breed you have. Generally flat-headed dogs, like pugs, pekingese, boxers, and bulldogs, can be more prone to eye discharge than other breeds because their flatter faces often mean shallower eye sockets and protruding eyes.

You need to clean your dog's eye with a soft cotton or cloth soaked with saline eyewash. A good saline eyewash will bring soothing relief to your pet and help prevent further damage to the eye.

Ordinary Eye Wash (Sterile Buffered Saline) is proper to use in a dog's eye to clean it. Put saline or just warm water on a facecloth (not just any paper products as they will leave bits behind), and gently wipe from the outside of the eye to the inside (you should do this outside in so that you don't spread any gunk from the tear duct, which could be infected, to the rest of the eye).

From what you detailed, it seems there is inflammation and infection in your dog's eye as there is visible existence of yellow discharge and keeping the eyes closed, which are all signs of conjunctivitis.

There's a wide range of causes for conjunctivitis from allergies, injury, birth defects, tear duct problems, to foreign matter, dry eye, distemper, or even tumours. But in your pet's case, it seems a simple infection with discharge, so along with saline water you may use 0.5% Chloramphanicol. (Dose will be 2 drops in both eyes 4 times daily for 7 days.).

In addition to this, you may use blunt-nosed scissors to trim the hair around his eyes. Hair can sometimes scratch against the eyes and deposit bacteria that can cause infections.

Send all your questions regarding today's topics or any other pet related query to lifestyleds@yahoo.com. All mail is forwarded to the Doctor for him to answer.

TIPS

Why spay or neuter?
Behaviour problems can be prevented or minimised by spaying or neutering your cat. Sexual behaviour in both male and female cats is reduced following surgery. In 90 percent of male cats, neutering eliminates roaming, urine spraying, and fights with neighborhood cats, regardless of their age when neutered.

Female cats no longer show "heat" behaviour. Overall, being sexually intact increases the risk of relinquishment to a shelter. There are, however, large individual differences and not all cats undergo a behaviour change following spaying or neutering.

Will my cat's personality change?
Other than the previously mentioned behaviour changes, spaying or neutering your cat is unlikely to change their basic personality. Some cats appear "lazy" since they are less likely to roam and may gain weight. In one study, 25 percent of cat owners felt their cats became more "docile" following castration. Hunting skills, playfulness, general activity levels, excitement, and vocalisation also do not typically change following surgery.

When should I spay/neuter my cat?
Studies have shown that cats spayed or neutered at less than six months of age do not have an increased risk of physical or behavioural problems as compared to those that undergo surgery later. Early-age spaying and neutering may prevent problem behaviours before they occur.

Source: University of California School of Veterinary Medicine

LS Desk