Monday, 7 October 2013

Make Your Skin Healthy and Looking Great after Losing Weight

Two affects that can come after a tight diet plan and losing weights are loose and wobbly skin which will make you look flabby. The reason for the flabby affect can be caused if the weight loss process is too drastic like from a fad diet plan (a temporary fast diet like the dukan diet and carbo diet plan).
We must know that skin has multiple fat layers on it. When there is a drastic loss of weight in a fast duration the body isn't getting enough time to synchronize to the new body form. Having a flabby slim and tight body isn’t a nice thing to see. But if you don’t want any of this to happen then you must know several things before you start a tight diet plan.

1. Start it at a young age
If you have an overweight problem since the age 20 years old then you must consider having a diet plan when you are still at a young age. With the increase of your age the skin will have more difficulty to synchronize with your body because the decrease of the elastic levels. Make sure you have a diet plan because of a “healthy” reason and not because a “fashion and looks” reason. This way you’ll be motivated to have a healthy body diet plan.

2. Lose your weight slowly
Short-term diet plans are more to burn the muscles than the fats. The impact is the metabolism disorder and could make your body weak in the long term. Don’t do a lose weight diet plan in a hurry. Do it in a slow and routine manner. Add some weightlifting in your workout sheet because it will make your skin tighter and build your muscles.

3. Combine it with massage
A perfect and targeted massage would help tighten the skin and muscles. Do routine massage once every 2 weeks. Make sure the massage is done by trained experts and massage staff so it would make an effective result.

4. Drink lots and lots of water

Water is known for the capability to retain and improve the skins elastic level. Drink a minimum 2 liters of water in a day. Water is also good to help you lose your weight and makes your stomach full without calories.

5. Be aware of your food nutrition
High protein foods like low-fat milk and fish are rich for collagen that has been known to retain the skins elastic levels. Fruits and vegetables are also good to help the weight loss process and tighten up the skin.

6. Avoid the Yoyo Diet Plan
One thing you must realize is the “wrong diet plan and an over tight diet plan could ruin your skins elastic levels”. These kinds of diet plans also reduce the skins capability to get back to what it was. So remember to avoid the yoyo diet plan, keep up the food nutrition and have a routine workout.


Sunday, 6 October 2013

Benefits of Healthy Living on Your Longevity

We all want to live longer, well most of us. While there is no guaranteed way to live to 100 there are habits you can choose to do to make your chances higher! Choose the path of a centenarian and adopt these healthy lifestyle changes. Learn the benefits of healthy living on your longevity.
Healthy living benefits are not just limited to a sizzling bikini body. The benefits of a healthy lifestyle include helping you live longer. Learn more on how simple healthy lifestyle changes can benefit your life span.

What Smoking Does To Your Life Span

Ditch the smoke to live longer. People who smoke take at least 10 years off their life expectancy, a new study has found. On the other hand, those who kick the habit before age 40 reduce the excess risk of death associated with continued smoking by about 90%, according to the study in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine. “Smoking is the No. 1 preventable cause of death in the U.S.,” says Tim McAfee, a co-author of the study. “We need to do more to educate the American people about these findings,” adds McAfee, director of the Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Every Hour of Exercise Is More Hours To Your Life Span

Regular, moderate physical activity such as brisk walking can increase life expectancy by several years, even for people who are overweight, a new large study shows. While higher levels of activity were linked to even longer life expectancy's, moderate activity was beneficial, according to the study of people ages 40 and older. The benefit of exercise was seen regardless of people’s weight, age, sex and health conditions such as heart disease and cancer. 

Weight and Life Span

Benefits of healthy living include a lower weight and therefore a longer potential life span. ”Excess weight shortens human life span,” study researcher Gary Whitlock of the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford says in a written statement for WebMD’s weight loss and diet plans. “In countries like Britain and America, weighing a third more than the optimum shortens life span by about three years. For most people, a third more than the optimum means carrying 20 to 30 kilograms (or 50 to 60 pounds) of excess weight. If you are becoming overweight or obese, avoiding further weight gain could well add years to your life.”

Healthy Diet and Longevity

The benefits of healthy living when paired with a healthy diet can promote longevity. In order for you to increase your longevity, you first have to accept the challenge of healthy eating. You need to realize the importance of putting the right things in your body. Healthy eating is your all-in-one-pharmacy, on a plate. This is because you can effectively fight, and prevent, diseases if you eat healthy foods. It is a known fact that most diseases today are caused by an unhealthy diet. Also, I’m sure that you know that healthy eating habits are the key to losing weight. Another major benefit of healthy eating habits is increased energy levels. You can become more productive, and socially active, if you will only stick to healthy foods. You can also invest in an antioxidant rich supplement to fill in any nutrition gaps.


Saturday, 5 October 2013

Running with High Intensity Interval Training

Training April 2013
If you want to run fast, the saying goes, you've got to run fast. To stoke speed, most runners do traditional speedwork: aiming for near race pace over distances of 400 meters or more, with recovery periods equal to the length of the repeat (or slightly less). Or you can get fast even faster with supershort, superfast efforts, sometimes referred to as high intensity interval training (HIIT).

While HIIT definitions vary, repeats are generally 10 to 60 seconds long, run nearly full out, and are followed by a rest period lasting one to four times the length of the effort (so you're recovered to do the next repeat at the same speed and with good form). Researchers have found the low volume, high intensity approach of HIIT training can boost your speed and fitness.

"For the athlete who's already doing intervals," says Martin Gibala, Ph.D., a McMaster University researcher, "upping the intensity with short bursts of speed may provide new benefits." Your cardiovascular system gets stronger and pushes more oxygen-rich blood through your body. Muscles get better at using that oxygenated blood. Your stride becomes more efficient as coordination between the muscles and nervous system improves. The perks may even extend to reducing your risk for chronic diseases by improving blood sugar control.

Running superfast does increase the risk of injury, however. You need to be strong and flexible and have a solid base of both mileage and speedwork to safely do this training, says Joe McConkey, M.S., an exercise physiologist and coach at the Boston Running Center. You're ready for HIIT workouts if you've been running four to five times a week for at least four months, regularly doing some runs at paces 60 to 90 seconds per mile faster than easy pace, and completing a weekly long run of at least 50 minutes. In terms of strength and flexibility, you should be able to hold a squat position for 90 seconds and, while standing, grab and touch your heel to your butt, feeling only a minor stretch in your quad. Start with one HIIT session a week, and build up to no more than two in a 10-day period.

ON THE TRACK
High-intensity track sessions move the muscles through the full range of motion, improving elasticity and enhancing coordination between your nervous system and muscles. With time, you'll develop a more efficient stride at all your paces, says McConkey.
HIIT IT: Begin with two 100-meter accelerations that include 40 meters at top speed, with two to three minutes of walking or jogging between. Build to 6 x 150 meters hard, including 80 meters at top speed, with three to four minutes jogging or walking rest. Over time, increase the number of repeats to 10, lengthen reps to 300 meters (running nearly the entire distance at top speed), or reduce the rest interval to one minute.

ON THE TRAILS
It adds to the challenge, but running fast over softer, less-groomed terrain like bridle paths, trails, or grass can increase agility and athleticism—or your ability to run with the "precise amount of power, speed, and coordination needed for efficient movement," McConkey says.
HIIT IT: Because of the terrain and potential strain on your leg muscles, ease into off-road workouts. Do five 30-second pickups at a moderate intensity during an easy 20-minute run, and build up to ten 60-second near-all-out bursts during a 40-minute run. From there, progress to running five cycles alternating 30 seconds of all-out running with 90 seconds jogging, then to 10 cycles alternating one minute easy with one minute superhard. Just be careful not to trip.

ON THE HILLS
Inclines are a great venue for superfast speedwork. Compared with a flat surface, hills reduce the impact on your legs and limit your range of motion, thereby lowering the risk of strains and pulls. Plus, hill repeats build muscle power, which helps you run more efficiently on level ground, says McConkey.
HIIT IT: On an incline, start with three 30-second moderate repeats and walk down the hill for recovery. When this becomes comfortable, progress to 4 x 1 minute near all-out efforts with a downhill jog and an additional 30 to 60 seconds jogging or walking rest. Over time, add additional reps, extend effort length up to two minutes, and aim for steeper hills, says McConkey.

Friday, 4 October 2013

Motivation For Weightloss

Meditation is a centuries-old method for clearing the mind and calming the body. A few decades ago, it was known only as an Eastern religious practice or as mysteriously bohemian (The Beatles, for example, were avid meditators). Now, meditation has gone mainstream. Recommended as a stress-reducing technique by hospitals and doctors across the country, its myriad benefits include reduced blood pressure, healthier arteries and an enhanced sense of well-being. With all these benefits going for it, meditation is an ideal tool for relaxation and self-discovery on the way to your weight goal. 

Breathing Your Way to Peace and Thinner Thighs?
"The very core place to start is the breath," says Alison Shore Gaines, a holistic counselor at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts. In her "Conscious Eating for Sacred Nourishment" workshops, Gaines teaches students to take five deep breaths before eating. "A lot of times when we eat habitually, we get poised for action we lean in and the tummy gets tight and we get ready to shovel," she says. Taking five breaths relaxes the body and clears the emotional palate. "This way people enjoy their food, they really taste it, they really see it and they eat less because they're enjoying more and going slower," adds Gaines.

Before you get too excited, though, remember: Meditation is not a quick fix. "You can't just magically sit down and meditate and tomorrow have no weight on your body," says DeDe Lahman, a certified yoga instructor and body image lecturer in New York City.

A Practice of Presence
Of course, a meditation practice involves more than a few deep breaths. But it is simple not easy, but simple. "Meditation is about stopping and being present, that is all," writes Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., in Wherever You Go, There You Are; Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1994). He adds, "Mostly we run around doing. Are you able to come to a stop in your life, even for one moment? Could it be this moment? What would happen if you did?"

What happens on the physical level is what Dr. Herbert Benson, M.D., the Harvard doctor who initiated meditation studies in the 1970s, calls the "Relaxation Response." He discovered that during meditation, brain waves shift into a state similar to and sometimes more relaxed than sleep. This level of relaxation lowers the amount of stress hormones that cause pain and illness.

Meditation can also clear a foundation for healthier thinking and feeling. "When you meditate, all the junk comes up, all the clutter," says Lahman. "The negative body images come up, the desires for certain foods come up and the emotions that are attached to those desires come up. The more they surface, the more you can put them in your mental recycle bin and start with a clean slate," she adds.


Thursday, 3 October 2013

3 Back Exercises for Women


The back muscles are so important for our entire body because it is the area that holds our vertebral column, provides support and alignment for the upper skeletal system, and helps the bones that protect our internal organs.  





There are certain exercises that women can do to not only add definition to their back muscles, but to improve their posture, strength and endurance. One of the most challenging exercises for women to do is the pull-up. Below are a few exercises that can provide the framework to build enough strength to do those exercises.
Whenever you work your back muscles, you are also exercising secondary muscles such as your biceps and forearms. As a rule of thumb, you never want to do these muscles groups first because they will fatigue when trying to do main back exercises.
Here are three exercises that you can do to build a stronger back:

LAT PULL-DOWNS (UNDERHAND GRIP)
Exercises upper and mid-back; places a good amount of stress on the lower lastissimus dorsi, biceps and muscles
What you want to do is grab the bar with an underhand grip, sit down and then pull the bar down between your chin and upper chest. You want to have a full range of motion (ROM) in order to strengthen the muscles throughout the movement.  If you only go half-way, then you will only be strong at that angle, so complete the entire motion. Make sure you do not jerk the weight. Be sure to maintain proper form.
Do three sets X 20 reps. Use a moderate weight.

SINGLE DUMBBELL ROW WITH WEIGHTS
Exercises the mid-back, biceps and forearm muscles
Choose a weight that is not too light, but will provide somewhat of a challenge when you are getting the last few repetitions. When you pick up the weight with your right hand, make sure your left foot is forward and your right foot is back. Your left hand should be on some kind of support and you should be slightly bending forward, putting most of your weight on your left leg and left arm/hand. When you are ready, pull the weight with your right elbow close to your rib cage and then bring it down (do the opposite for the other side). The movement is like pulling a lawn mower cord or picking up an item out of a grocery cart.
Do three sets X 20 reps. Use a moderate weight

THE SWIM
Do this on your stomach while on the floor. We don't want to neglect the lower back.
When you are on your stomach,  lift your right arm and left leg up for one second and then lift your left arm and right leg up for one second. When you've got the brain connection correct, speed it up and go faster as if you are pretending to swim.
Do three sets X 30 repetitions (per side) - so it is one/one, two/two, three / three and so forth

Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie


Servings: 4 Smoothies    
Serving Size: About 1 1/2 cup
WW Points+: 2    Calories: 102   Total Fat: 0.2 g

I was at the grocery store and saw that the frozen fruit was on sale and I knew I wanted to make smoothies! So, I bought a few bags of strawberries, mixed berries, and mangoes. Then I grabbed a few fresh bananas and some fat-free vanilla Greek Yogurt. I made a batch of Strawberry Banana Smoothies but stopped there because I was pretty sure my old blender couldn't handle any more ice crushing (the burning smell gave it away). I'll definitely be making more this weekend though!

This smoothie is sweet and has lots of flavor. I add a splash of lime juice to bring out the flavors of the fruit. It is quick and easy to make and great to sip on a warm day!

               


Ingredients:
  • 8 oz (1 cup) Chobani Fat Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt
  • 1 medium Banana
  • 1 cup Strawberries (I used frozen but you can certainly use fresh).
  • 1 tsp Lime Juice
  • 1 tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey (the nutrition facts are nearly the same)
  • 2 cups Ice

Chop up banana and let strawberries thaw for a few minutes. 


Add ice, Strawberries, Banana slices, Greek Yogurt, Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar to a blender. 



Blend until smooth. If you have an old blender (or just a crappy one) like me, you may need to stop it and stir everything around with a spoon just to break up the ice chunks. 


Pour into glasses, garnish with fruit, and serve with a straw!


Enjoy!


http://www.wickedyummy.com/2012/03/strawberry-banana-yogurt-smoothie.html

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

How to Lose Inches Fast

Quick and simple... how to lose inches off waist. I want to be very clear with you, this is totally possible without having to rely on some extreme diet where you starve yourself or feel deprived... and without having to exercise for an hour a day.
So if you're struggling with weight loss, then take a look at some of these SECRET BREAKTHROUGH tactics to lose pounds and inches fast.

How to Lose Inches off Waist


1. How to lose inches fast, it's not all about diet and exercise... think hormones
Your hormones are an important factor regulating whether you lose weight or not. If you're really overweight, the chances are that your hormones are unbalanced and hurting your weight loss efforts.
A secret exercise that is becoming widely popular is to spin around like children. Research is just now learning about the effects of spinning on your hormones. Spinning regularly will balance your hormones over time because of how your Endocrine System is affected by spinning.
Here are 2 tips on spinning. Number one, clockwise is the way to spin. Number two, don't worry too much about how fast or how many times you spin around during each set... just spin until you get slightly dizzy.
Doing this will FORCE YOUR BODY to lose inches fast.

2. Top waist reducing exercise... the vacuum pose
No direct abs exercise beats this one when it comes to dropping inches from your waist. NONE! It's basically an isometric belly sucking-in exercise. You know how to suck in your belly already, just make sure to make a small change by focusing on sucking in your belly button when doing these.
Besides that, just hold the isometric pose for 20-30 seconds or longer to get great results. What kind of results? Well, just 5 minutes a day for around 25-30 days and you'll lose about 1.75 inches from your belly!
That's how to lose inches off waist... FAST!