Life-Giving Foods With Eating-for-Longevity Guide

                           

                  Healthy organic fruits and vegetables

Simple "Food Rules"

The "Food Rules" below are based on the conclusions from my paper "Life on Earth - flow of Energy and Entropy". Food is a vehicle to deliver Energy and Negative Entropy (organization) to living organisms. Any kind of food processing increases food's Entropy, making it less valuable for the sustaining of Life, thus promoting disease and the aging process. Below are some specific rules based on this model:

Foods to Avoid

Non-organic, genetically-altered, irradiated and highly processed foods - in particular: all sorts of fast, processed foods, hamburgers and other red meats (animals are too high on the food chain), vegetables, fruits, eggs and seafood produced on non-organic farms, margarines & shortenings (hydrogenated oils - very dangerous ! Hydrogenation is a chemical process which damages the molecular structure of oils and fats, forming many toxic molecules not found in nature.), deep-fried foods, ice cream, homogenized and skim milk, non-organic and non cold-pressed oils, sweets, chocolates and pastry which are made from refined sugars, hydrogenated oils (margarines & shortenings - if margarine was better for health than butter, cows would evolve to make margarine) and non-organic and highly-processed ingredients, soft drinks which are not based on natural juices and are highly- processed, artificial sweeteners, colours etc., all should be avoided. Avoid soy and soy-derived food products. They contain food absorption inhibitors, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, denatured proteins, solvents and aluminum. For more information look under "Soy Alert !".

By Pamela Rae Schuffert

1. Eat organic food which has not been genetically altered.
2. Eat food which is local and as fresh as possible. Eat foods which were familiar to your ancestors, rather than exotic foods not known in your region. Test these foods for your tolerance first if you wish to eat them. Test them item by item and then in combinations.
   
   
3. Eat food which is as close to the Sun as possible (i.e. low on the food chain). This usually results in much reduced levels of contaminants and fewer "broken" molecules which promote the aging process. Also, more food can be produced this way, therefore it is an environmentally-friendly way of eating.
   
   
4. Plant sources of organic substances are better than animal sources, since they are lower on the food chain. Again, one will find fewer contaminants in plants and fewer "broken" molecules which promote the aging process.
   
   
5. Avoid the processing of foods. The most valuable benefit of food is when it is raw. If processing is required, (due to viruses, bacteria, parasites or to improve digestion) - short cooking in boiling water, (at 100 degree Celsius) is the safest with the least damage. Frying, BBQ, Micro-waving, baking, etc., all damage the structures of foods due to high temperatures, making them less valuable. It also produces "broken" molecules which are then incorporated into one's body, speeding up the aging process. If one's body cannot synthesize certain molecules, it most likely cannot check them atom-by-atom for lack of structural damage. Damaged structures will be therefore incorporated into the body, speeding-up the aging process. Simple experiments on lab animals could easily prove this.
   These ways of handling food could be called "Low Entropy Cooking" or "Low Entropy Diet". The benefits of this kind of food preparation are; money-saving, since food contains more valuable ingredients; time saving, since it takes much less time to prepare food this way; health improvement and maintenance, since this food will deliver all the required components for the body and its immune system; extension of the life span, since this kind of food will slow the aging process (by about 20% to 40% in my estimation).
   
   
6. Eat moderate amounts of food and divide it into 5 small meals a day. In this way, your body will digest and absorb food more thoroughly.
   
   
7. Do not mix too many foods at once. Certain foods go well together and promote better digestion.
   
   
8. Each meal should be well-balanced and should contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, proteins, oils, enzymes, water, etc.
9. Avoid foods which use cheap, non-organic ingredients and are overprocessed. These foods will have a lot of contaminants and many molecules in these foods will be damaged due to heavy processing. This will result in health problems and promote aging (as much as 20% to 40% in my estimation).
   
   
10. Avoid foods containing preservatives or those that have been irradiated with X-rays, gamma and other rays. If bacteria are not eating the food, it is probably not good for you.
    
    
11. Your diet should include: plant protein (whole grains and beans are the best source), various plant oils (whole grains, seeds, nuts and beans are the best source), various nuts (fresh almonds and hazel nuts are best), various types of fish which are from the ocean and are low on the food chain, vitamins and minerals, eggs, yogourt, milk and white cheese (goat's milk is the best, if you can tolerate this).
    
    
12. A good diet should include 8 to 16 glasses of pure, body-temperature, well pH-balanced water per day. Contaminants such as chlorine, lead, pesticides, herbicides etc., should be removed with a good-quality water filter from reputable companies.

Organic foods, supplements and books can be found in your local organic food stores. Always check ingredients and the source of your food as well as what kind of processing it underwent.

Why Sugar Is Dangerous To Depression

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to appreciate the link between sugar and depression.
Anyone who doubts the relationship need only to spend a night in our house and see what type of behavior happens when two kids consume 12-ounce cans of Coke or Sprite — and the demonic demonstrations that happen after a 7-11 slurpee, especially if it’s red or blue, or God forbid, a mix.
People who suffer from depression are especially vulnerable to sugar’s evil power. I am so sensitive to white-flour, processed foods that I can practically set an alarm to for three hours after consumption, at which time I will be cursing myself for inhaling the large piece of birthday cake at the party because I am feeling so miserable. That doesn’t stop me from eating dessert at the next gathering, of course, but the awareness between sugar and mood does help me better understand some of my crashes.
What, exactly, is going on inside our brain when we take a bite of that fudge cheesecake?

I found a cool site called “Food for the Brain” that offers this simple explanation:

Eating lots of sugar is going to give you sudden peaks and troughs in the amount of glucose in your blood; symptoms that this is going on include fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, excessive sweating (especially at night), poor concentration and forgetfulness, excessive thirst, depression and crying spells, digestive disturbances and blurred vision. Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose it is no surprise to find that sugar has been implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depression, and fatigue.
Lots of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (meaning white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods,) is also linked with depression because these foods not only supply very little in the way of nutrients but they also use up the mood enhancing B vitamins; turning each teaspoon of sugar into energy needs B vitamins. In fact, a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression.
Sugar also diverts the supply of another nutrient involved in mood – chromium. This mineral is vital for keeping your blood sugar level stable because insulin, which clears glucose from the blood, can’t work properly without it.

So what do you do if you want to level out your blood sugar so that it’s behaving more like the Dalai Lama than Michael Jackson inside your brain? In her national bestseller “Potatoes Not Prozac,” Kathleen DesMaisons offers a seven-step dietary plan for sugar-sensitive people like me. I’ve tried to implement her suggestions into my diet because, as a recovering drunk and depressive, too much sugar can get downright ugly.
Here’s what DesMaisons proposes:

• Keep a food journal. The journal keeps you in relationship to your body. It reminds you of the connection between what you eat and how you feel.
• Maintain your blood sugar level. Stay steady and clear. Always have breakfast. Eat three meals a day at regular intervals. Eat brown things (whole grains, beans, potatoes, and roots), green things (broccoli and other green vegetables), and yellow things (squash and other yellow vegetables). Choose foods with the least sugars and the most fiber.
• Enhance your serotonin level. Eat protein at each meal. Make sure that enough tryptophan is swimming around in your blood. Have a complex carbohydrate (without any protein) three hours after your protein meal to boost tryptophan into your brain. The baked potato as a nightcap is a powerful tool.
• Enhance your beta-endorphin level. Reduce or eliminate sugars and white things to minimize the beta-endorphin priming that comes with a hit of sugars. Make life changes to enhance behaviors and activities (meditation, exercise, music, orgasm, yoga, prayer, dancing) that evoke or support the production of your own beta-endorphin in a steady and consistent way.

Reference - Therese J Borchard

Diet and Exercise Tips

Excessive body weight contributes to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, in addition to being a major influence on general health and well-being. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs in about 50-60 percent of those who are obese.

A recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics concludes that  35 percent of adults exercise regularly (more than 6 of 10 don’t), and nearly four in 10 aren’t physically active. Lack of exercise can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The CDC estimates that “about 112,000 deaths are associated with obesity each year in the United States.” However, this estimate is likely to change in the future as more data become available.

Proper diet and exercise are the mainstays for a healthy lifestyle, although many Americans turn to costly fad diets and exercise programs that fail to provide weight loss and a healthy lifestyle. The basic tenets to gradual weight loss and good health include developing healthy eating habits and increasing daily physical activity.
Self-Help Guidelines for Healthy Activity:

• Consult a physician – men over age 40; women over 50; people with (or at risk for) chronic health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, or obesity.

• Start out slowly and build up activity gradually over a period of months. This will help avoid soreness and injury.

• Try to accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity each day. You can do all 30 minutes together or through short bouts of intermittent activity (e.g., 10 minutes at a time).

• Add strength-developing exercises at least twice per week.

• Incorporate physical activity into your day (walk to the office or store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or jog at lunch time, etc.)

• Make leisure time active – garden, walk, ride a bike with family and friends, participate in an exercise class, join in a sports activity.

• Select activities you enjoy, find satisfying, and that give you a feeling of accomplishment. Success leads to increased motivation to be physically active.

• Be sure your activities are compatible with your age and physical condition.

• Make it convenient to be active. Choose activities that are readily accessible (right outside your door) like gardening, walking, or jogging.

• Try “active commuting.” Cycle, walk, or in-line skate to work or to the store.

• Make your activity enjoyable – listen to music, include family and friends, etc.

For those who are already moderately active, increase the duration and intensity for additional benefits.

Weight Loss Tips:
Take in fewer calories than you expend. Few people understand this basic, simple concept.

• Eat smaller meals 3-5 times per day.

• Eat nutrient dense foods such as whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables.

• Eat slowly, and wait 10-15 minutes before taking second helpings.

• Don’t eliminate everything you like from your diet. Eat those things in small amounts (pizza, candy, cookies, etc.).

• Prepare healthy snacks that are easily available (cut carrots, apples, etc.).

• Avoid buffets.

• Drink plenty of water, especially immediately before meals.

The Healthy Weight Approach to Dieting:

• Enjoy a variety of foods that will provide essential nutrients.

• Three-quarters of your lunch and dinner should be vegetables, fruits, cereals, breads, and other grain products. Snack on fruits and vegetables. Eat lots of dark green and orange vegetables. Choose whole-grain and enriched products more often.

• Choose lower-fat dairy products, leaner meats and alternatives, and foods prepared with little or no fat. Shop for low fat (2% or less) or fat-free products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Eat smaller portions of leaner meats, poultry, and fish; remove visible fat from meat and the skin from poultry. Limit the use of extra fat like butter, margarine, and oil. Choose more peas, beans, and lentils

• Limit salt, caffeine, and alcohol. Minimize the consumption of salt. Cut down on added sugar such as jams, etc. Limit beverages with a high caffeine content (tea, sodas, chocolate drinks) and caffeinated coffee to two cups per day. Minimize alcohol to one to two drinks per day.

• Limit consumption of snack foods such as cookies, donuts, pies, cakes, potato chips, etc. They are high in salt, sugar, fat, and calories, and low in nutritional value.

• Eat in moderation. If you are not hungry, don’t eat.

Refference - American Academy of Otolaryngology

The 3 Day Tummy Trimming Diet Plan

• 

Women have always battled the old waistline, but new findings show we're all creeping over the healthy mark and need to get those tummies in check for the good of our health.

The average waist size for women in the UK is 4.9cm larger than recommended as healthy, the new research has found.

The survey of 54,000 women carried out by Britain’s largest healthcare charity Nuffield Health shows that the vast majority of women assessed had a waist size in the ‘high health risk’ category.
Not only does this not look great in your bikini, but carrying weight around your middle significantly increases the risk of breast cancer, infertility, not to mention heart and liver disease and type 2 diabetes. Cripes!
So, what’s the key to a trimmer tummy?
Nutritional Therapists from Nuffield Health recommend a diet that delivers a full range of important vitamins and minerals, which will help keep you full and regulate fat storage.

Try this three day tummy trimming plan to kick start that waist weight loss:
Day 1
Breakfast
Porridge with a tablespoon of crushed, mixed seeds (pumpkin, linseed, sunflower)
Lunch
Vegetable and Lentil Soup
Dinner
Grilled Salmon with salad and new potatoes
Snacks
Plain yoghurt with fresh fruit

Day 2
Breakfast
Boiled Egg with a slice of wholemeal toast
Lunch
Jacket sweet potato with hummus and mixed salad
Dinner
Stir fry chicken & vegetables with brown rice
Snacks
Fresh Fruit and a small handful of unroasted, unsalted nuts

Day 3
Breakfast
Fresh fruit with plain yoghurt and a dessertspoon of mixed nuts & Seeds
Lunch
Sardines on toasted rye or wholegrain bread with grilled tomato and a sprinkle of herbs & green salad
Dinner
Lentil Dahl with mixed steamed vegetables
Snacks
Oatcake with cottage cheese
We're on it! Slimmer tummies here we come…

Reference - Handbag.com

The Benefits of a Vegan Diet

A Vegan diet is an excellent way of improving health, as it excludes all meat, dairy, and animal derived products. These products are generally filled with hormones, and are often responsible for many of the ailments which affect the common American.
A Vegan diet consists of beans, grains, seeds, nuts, and of course, fruits, and vegetables. It is very similar to the Mediterranean diet, which has been touted for it's health benefits, by using the same principals of consuming fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. These are the "good" fats, such as the ones found in nuts. Nuts, and foods such as avocados, boost HDL cholesterol levels. This "good" cholesterol has been shown to help fight heart disease.
The main concern that often arises as an argument against a Vegan diet, is that there will not be enough protein to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In fact, the average American eats twice as much protein as is necessary for a healthy diet, and much of that is from red meat. Getting protein from beans and grains is much healthier, and also reduces the risk for osteoporosis. Recent studies have shown that 1 oz of almonds, or walnuts, contain just as much protein (6 grams) as 1 oz of lean beef. Another point to consider, is that the world's largest living land mammal, the Elephant, consumes an exclusively plant based diet. If this enormous animal can not only survive, but thrive on a plant based diet, it is evidence enough that there is more than sufficient protein to be found in a Vegan diet for a human being.
Further benefits of a Vegan diet, is that it has been shown to prevent a number of diseases. These include Type 2 diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Breast cancer, Colon cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Macular Degeneration, to name a few. I have had personal results with eliminating High Blood Pressure by switching from a Vegetarian diet, to a Vegan diet. Having been on medication to regulate my blood pressure, I found that after taking the next step to a Vegan diet, my blood pressure dropped to normal levels on it's own, and my need for medication was eliminated. 8 years later, my doctors have to agree.
So how to get started transitioning? Many people think this would be very difficult. Eliminating all animal products "cold turkey" probably isn't for everyone. Start small. Hopefully, not many people are actually eating red meat anymore. Cut out eggs one week, then progress to no dairy. It has been shown that 75% of the world's population is lactose intolerant. Being unaware of this condition, and continuing to consume dairy can be responsible for many health issues, beginning with allergies.
There are also many of Vegan versions of familiar foods that are available in your local grocery store. As Veganism has become more mainstream, there are soy and coconut based "ice creams", Vegan "cheese" (You do not have to give up pizza! Google "Daiya") Vegan "hot dogs" Vegan "mayonnaise" (Veganaise is delicious), and also, a very wide variety of Vegan "burgers". There is absolutely no reason to feel deprived in any way. One of the most amazing products to come out in recent years is called Gardein.
The benefits of a Vegan diet are disease prevention, and even reversal. A Vegan diet can also greatly reduce the toll on our planet's resources. Growing plants takes far fewer resources than breeding animals for food. By eating vegan, you can help reduce the toll on the environment. Factory Farming consumes enormous amounts of water, grain, petroleum, pesticides and drugs. The grain used to feed cattle could be used to end the global world hunger problem. Going Vegan will also help you to look an animal in the eye with a clear conscience. Go Vegan for the health benefits, for the planet, for the animals, but most of all, for yourself.

Reference -by Katherine Botelho

72 year old vegan woman

It seems to me that all of the food systems in the world, are designed to make money from us, dairy, meats, fast foods to name but a few, but are these things actually good for us whilst linning other peoples pockets do they really care obout their customers health and well being or just about the health of their bank accounts.

The world is rapidly becoming obese so something has to be wrong, weather you beleive in creation or evolution the origins of man had to be vegitarian/vegan lets face it until man/woman gained the ability to kill animals for meat they had to eat something and if we did indeed evolve from monkeys/apes them our origins are indeed non meat, non dairy and definately non junk food, even from a creation point of view in the garden of eden, Adam and Eve were vegitarians, so at what point did someone decide that we should change from the original design, it seems to me it all started when people decided they needed money from the food industry.

I work in a hospital and the majority of patients with problems seem to be either overweight or underweight or just ill from putting the wrong things into their bodies, smoking, drugs, high sugar diets and fats etc etc etc.

Take a look at the above video, no one is making money out of this woman, there are no tricks or magical systems, i beleive she is just sticking to the original design spec for a human being and the results speak for themself..

Vegan Children - Is it Good For Them?

Raising vegan children can create quite a stir in non-vegan communities - most doctors and nurses will discourage it and other parents may believe that you are damaging your child's health and growth by not allowing them to consume animal products. However, it is only natural that young children do not eat meat, and these concerns are misguided as long as you ensure that your child gets all the nutrition they require during the important development years.
Having a sound knowledge of the vitamins and minerals required for a vegan diet shows others that you are not putting your child at risk and may even show friends and family that a vegan diet is not such a bad idea. It is of course imperative that you are aware of your child's needs as a vegan, study vegan nutritional information for children, including required vitamins and minerals, and get reputable advice wherever possible, to ensure your child is at his or her optimal health.
Below are some vegan children book titles with vast amounts of information, tips and useful advice:

• "Pregnancy, Children and the Vegan Diet" - Authors: Michael Klapper, M.D;


• "Raising Vegan Children in a Non-vegan World: a Complete Guide for Parents" - Authors: Erin Pavlina;


• "Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet" - Authors: Brenda Davis, Vesanto Melina.

Dr. Michael Klapper, an American general practitioner and physician, has published 2 books on the benefits of a vegan diet in children and adults after noticing drastic improvements with patients who he had prescribed a vegan diet to. Dr. Klapper states that dairy is responsible for chronic runny noses, ear and bronchial infections, inflammations of the joints, skin and bowels, eczema, ear and bronchial infections.
"The bovine leukaemia virus infects up to 20% of all milk cows and it is not destroyed in the pasteurisation process... The highest rates of leukaemia are found in children ages 3 through 13, who consume the most milk and dairy products" - Michael Klapper, M.D.: Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet.
There has been a vast amount of research done on adequate vegan nutrition and its benefit for both adults and children that it is perfectly viable to want your children to have the same benefits. Just as an adult vegan survives day to day, often with more vigour than that of a meat eater, so can a child. With proper nutrition, vegan children benefit from a diet free of animal products as adolescents and well into their old age.

Reference - by Olive Flower

Raw Food For Life : Changing How You Lose Weight

You may be a person who is very fitness conscious but is unable to keep off those pounds. Have you tried every diet in the book only to lose some and then gain some more? There is a solution that will change how you have been dieting and your food habits so you end up with the best food that not only makes you lose weight but also has you feeling ready to go exercise at all times. Raw food for life is defying all the usual blocks to losing weight. No more fat genes and no more struggles with eating right. This is vegan food and organic food that has all the nutrients intact, so you are gaining a lot of minerals and vitamins in your system by being on this diet.
Many popular diets are there, but a huge problem people face when dieting is that they feel tired more often than not. Deprived of what they need, the body tends to grow lethargic and unable to function optimally. Raw food for life will give you a new lease on life. It will change the drudgery and make you feel so full of life at all times that you cannot but burn it out. You are going to have enough and more energy to jog, run, skip, and exercise and you will feel incredibly fit throughout the day. Raw food for life will change how you feel about your body.
You need not worry that it is something in you that is stopping you from losing weight and being healthy. This is one diet that breaks all the boundaries and will guarantee you results like no other. What you can also celebrate in addition to this is the fact that with raw food for life you will not feel like you are losing anything but your weight. You will find many positive changes in your system including more energy to do everything you have been doing and more.
Raw food for life is so much about healthy eating and recharging your system that you will be amazed. As you get enough and more nutrients in your system form this clean and toxin free diet you will find your body healing and becoming stronger. With miraculous results no dietician or doctor can promise you this will transform you into a healthy, happy individual very comfortable with your body. This is a very real diet and it is all about good health. It is not going to let you down like the other diets where you lose a few Kg's only to gain twice the number later on.
If you are someone who is looking for organic food and green ways to lose weight then the raw food for life concept will appeal to you as it is the one answer to all your problems with weight and health concerns as well. With proper dieting and lifestyle changes you can shed that excess weight and feel beautiful all over again.

Reference - by Shivangi Mehra

Healthy Melon Juice

Melon juice is one of the healthiest ways in which one can get rid of annoying health problems but one of the most overlooked. It is interesting to see how people seek for relieve from different symptoms that are often bothersome and yet not serious enough. We now want drugs for every little thing that seems to be going wrong and not often remember that a healthy juice such as the melon juice can help us overcome these health issues without having any negative impact on our bodies. Read on and find out how melon juice can help you when you experience loss of appetite, excessive sweat or dizziness.
Indian culture reveals one of its greatest remedies when it comes to symptoms of loose bowels, loss of appetite, excessive sweat, summer heat, and even kidney diseases. A healthy juice prepared according to the ancient recipes can even cure dizziness, vomiting and not to mention how beneficial this melon juice is against thirst. Moreover, a well prepared healthy juice may even help those suffering from renal stones, dropsy or spleen disorders. The secret lies of course in the properties of this wonderful fruit. Watermelons are cooling, extremely hydrating and full of substances that benefit very part of our bodies.
Such a beneficial healthy juice can be prepared from half of a watermelon, 3 spoons of palm sugar and a quarter of a lemon. All these ingredients are highly accessible and can be acquired at every supermarket or fruit market. The only thing one needs to do to make this healthy juice is to extract the juice of the watermelon in a blender, to add the palm sugar and few drops of the lemon juice.
The melon juice is not only beneficial from a medical point of view, but it is also extremely cooling and refreshing. Melon juice could be the answer to many problems that individuals may develop over time. Unlike medical treatments, this healthy juice poses no threat or risks of side effects as it is completely natural and free of any harmful chemicals. Some even suggest that watermelon is an extremely efficient remedy against male problems such as erectile dysfunction. Some studies have shown that a particular ingredient in this fruit increases the levels of testosterone in men and improves that blood circulation, enabling them in the end to attain harder and longer lasting erections.
Thanks to the medical technology we can nowadays benefit from a wide range of treatments that may help us with our symptoms but which on the other hand may harm our bodies. Every drug comes with advantages and disadvantages, the so called adverse reactions. Unlike all these medications, melon juice is extremely helpful in many situations and does not bring any side effects or other damaging impact on our health.

Reference = healthyjuiceguide.com

Top 10 worst female health habits

Wearing heels

More and more of us are opting to wear heels on a daily basis, and this could be bad news for our health. High heels affect our posture, put pressure on joints, and can lead to a range of conditions including arthritis, hammer toes, back pain and tendon injuries – and that’s before you take into account any heel-related accidents! To minimise damage, limit your heels to 1.5 inches for daily wear, and wear insoles to help reduce the pressure on joints.

Women wearing high heels

Carrying a heavy handbag

With the rising number of gadgets and accessories the majority of women haul around, many of us are carrying around several pounds of weight on our shoulders every day. As a result, lots of us are also putting our long term health at risk. While you may not feel the effects right now, lugging around a heavy handbag can lead to serious back problems and neck pain as well as poor posture. Don’t wait until the damage is done – do your health a favour and try clearing out all non-essential items and switching to a smaller bag.

Sleeping in makeup

Most of us have succumbed to the temptation to sleep in our post-party makeup at some point. However, leaving makeup on overnight – along with the dirt and oil that naturally accumulates on skin throughout the day – is a quick route to clogged pores, congested skin and spots. Sleeping with mascara and eye makeup on can also affect your health by causing eye irritation, bloodshot eyes or even infection.

Matching men drink for drink

From networking drinks to first dates and social events, there are many instances when women may feel compelled to keep up with the drinking habits of the opposite sex. However, women not only tend to weigh less than men but they have less body water to dilute the alcohol, which means they tend to get more drunk more quickly. To minimise the risks of alcohol on your health, try to keep within the recommended guidelines for alcohol consumption and alternate alcohol with soft drinks.

Wearing the wrong bra size

It is thought that more than 70 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. However, wearing a badly fitted bra can not only affect the look of your clothes, but research suggests it can cause a range of health problems including back, neck and breast pain, breathing difficulties, poor posture, skin irritation, circulation problems and even irritable bowel syndrome. Rather than guessing your size, make sure you get measured to ensure you are getting the support you need.

Worrying and harbouring regrets

Stress is damaging to both our physical and mental health, and women are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related disorders, as well as having higher rates of depression and anxiety. While it is thought there may be biological reasons for this, worrying about the future and dwelling on regrets can also add to our problems, with research suggesting that women are more than twice as likely as men to harbour regrets over lost loves and broken relationships.

Obsessing over appearance

While both genders suffer from body insecurity, many women tend to overly obsess over their idea of the “perfect” body. Research findings published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that 16 per cent of the normal or underweight women studied believed themselves to be overweight, while a study commissioned by Dove found that 90 per of women wanted to change at least one aspect of their appearance. Body insecurity not only affects our mental health, but it can also lead to physical damage caused by extreme diets, yo-yo dieting, eating disorders and cosmetic surgery.

Woman looking in the mirror

Emotional eating

While comfort eating affects both genders, research has suggested that men are more likely to reinforce positive emotions with food, while women comfort eat when they’re sad. Women are also more likely to satisfy their cravings with sweet, high-calorie foods. Rather than letting your waistline suffer next time you’re feeling blue, try distracting yourself from cravings by doing something you enjoy, or boost your endorphins and health with an uplifting workout.

Not getting enough sleep

Not only can lack of sleep make us look and feel at our worst, but insufficient shut-eye can also lead to increased accidents, calorie consumption and heart disease risk. Unluckily for women, statistics suggest that sleep problems affect more women than men, while a study by the University of Michigan found that women are more than twice as likely to give up sleep to care for others. Unfortunately, sleep has been found to affect women’s blood pressure and mood more than men’s, making it imperative that you do your best to get a good night’s sleep.

Putting themselves last

Not only are women more likely to compromise their sleeping habits to care for children and others, they are also prone to putting their own wants and needs at the bottom of a hectic to-do list of chores and obligations. To avoid running yourself into the ground, learn to sometimes say no to those requests and commitments that are less than essential, and make sure you set aside some “me” time each week to do something enjoyable just for you.

Reference - Rebuzz.com

Pregnant women should not 'eat for two'

Staying on a healthy diet while pregnant is a safe and effective way of avoiding gaining too much weight, researchers found.Dieting in pregnancy, if done in a healthy way, is safe for your baby

Exercise or a combination of exercise and diet were not as effective, it was found.

Women who dieted gained four kilos less than those who did not and their risk of suffering pre-eclampsia, a potentially life threatening condition involving high blood pressure, was reduced by a third.

They were also 61 per cent less likely to develop gestational diabetes, 70 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure and were a third less likely to give birth prematurely.

The baby was also less likely to suffer a shoulder injury associated with getting stuck but there was no difference in other factors, such as caesearean section deliveries, or induction of labour.
Related Articles

Birthweight of the babies was not affected by the diet, the researchers said.

The research, involved studying data from 44 studies on more than 7,000 women.

Three interventions were investigated, diet which included a calorie controlled diet, advice on a healthy diet and a very prescriptive diet specified by a dietician; exercise including specific instructions on type and duration of activities, and a combination of both. All three interventions were compared to similar groups who were given standard advice.

But the team of researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, who carried out the study found weight management interventions in pregnancy were effective in reducing weight gain in the mother.

Dietary intervention resulted in the largest average reduction in weight gain (almost 4kg) compared with 0.7kg for exercise and 1kg for a combination of the two.

The research was led by Dr Shakila Thangaratinam, a Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant Obstetrician at Queen Mary, University of London with researchers in UK and Europe.

She said: “We are seeing more and more women who gain excess weight when they are pregnant and we know these women and their babies are at increased risk of complications.”

“Weight control is difficult but this study shows that by carefully advising women on weight management methods, especially diet, we can reduce weight gain during pregnancy. It also shows that following a controlled diet has the potential to reduce the risk of a number of pregnancy complications.

“Women may be concerned that dieting during pregnancy could have a negative impact on their babies. This research is reassuring because it showed that dieting is safe and that the baby’s weight isn’t affected.”

Dietary advice was based on limiting overall calorie intake; balancing protein, carbohydrate and fat; and eating foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and pulses.

Dr Thangaratinam added: “What we don’t know is why diet should be so much better than exercise in controlling weight gain. It could be that it is simpler and easier for women to stick to. It may also be that eating a high-fibre diet has other positive health effects for a pregnant woman.”

The study could not answer what was a healthy amount of weight to gain or how many calories a woman should stick to while pregnant.

The findings were published in the British Medical Journal online at bmj.com

Dr Thangaratinam said: "We are not saying gain as little weight as possible. Women should be aiming for a healthy diet, avoid eating for two and if they are obese or overweight they should see a dietician for specific dietary advice."

There are currently no guidelines on ideal weight gain in pregnant in Britain.

However in America guidelines say women of a healthy weight, those with a body mass index of between 18 and 25 should gain between 25lbs and 35lbs (11.4kg and 15.9kg). Overweight women with a BMI of between 25 and 30 should gain between 15lbs and 25lbs (6.8kg and 11.4kg) and obese women with a BMI of 30 or more should gain between 11lbs and 19.8lbs (five and nine kilos).

In the UK, more than half of women of reproductive age are said to be overweight or obese, and across Europe and the US up to 40 per cent of women gain more than the recommended weight in pregnancy.

Experts at St Thomas' Hospital in London suggested there was not yet sufficient evidence to support any particular intervention.

Lucilla Poston, director of the maternal and fetal research unit, and Lucy Chappell, clinical senior lecturer in maternal and fetal medicine, said it would be "premature" for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to reassess its guidelines, which do not advise regular weighing of pregnant women.

Jane Brewin, chief executive of pregnancy research charity Tommy’s, said: “As part of our work to educate women on the best lifestyle choices during pregnancy, we welcome this study and believe that there is growing evidence to re-evaluate current guidelines for weight management during pregnancy.

"For women who start pregnancy overweight, we must encourage and support them to adopt healthier eating habits while pregnant – it’s never too late to do so, and will help ensure they have the  best pregnancy outcome possible.

Reference - The Telegraph

Drop a dress size diet rules

Eat your way lighter

Zest fitness expert Jane Wake advises, 'Get the right balance of foods in the right amounts to keep your energy levels high for exercise that will help burn off the inches.'

'Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and think about what you eat too - good portions, more protein and healthy fats.'
See below for the drop a dress size eating plan.
Each item on the drop a dress size eating plan is equal to one portion.

 

BREAD, CEREALS AND POTATOES (5–8 portions a day)

1 bread roll, bagel or bun/ 1 slice of bread or toast/ 2 tbsp (30g) of flaked cereal (eg oats)/ 3tbsp (30g) commercial cereal (eg cornflakes)/ 3 crispbreads or crackers/ 1 naan or chapati/ 2 small boiled potato/ 2 heaped tbsp boiled rice (30g)/ 3 heaped tbsp boiled pasta (30g)

FRUIT (5 portions minimum a day)

A portion is either a piece of fruit, freshly squeezed glass of juice or 2-3 tablespoons of berries/grapes etc. Vary this as much as you can (aim for approx 80g).

VEGETABLES (6 portions minimum a day)

A portion is around 2-3 tablespoons. Choose a wide variety of fresh, raw or lightly cooked veg (approx 80g).

MILK AND DAIRY (2 portions a day)

200ml milk/ 150g yoghurt/ 1 small piece of hard cheese (15g/matchbox size)/ 80g soft cheese.

MEAT, FISH AND ALTERNATIVE (2-3 portions a day)

3 medium slices (50g) lean beef, lamb, pork, ham, liver, chicken/ 50g white or oily fish/ 2 eggs/ 4-5 tbsp (80g) cooked beans, pulses, lentils, dahl/ 2 tbsp nuts or nut butter (25g)

FATS AND OILS (1-4 portions a day)

1tsp (5g) butter, margarine or spreading fat/ 1tsp cooking oil or ghee/ 1 dsp (10g) sour cream/ 1dtp (10g) salad dressing or mayonnaise/ 5 walnut, pecan halves/ 8 almonds or hazelnuts/ half and avocado

SUGAR (0-2 portions a day)

1tsp jam or honey/ 2 small biscuits or cookies/ 1 small matchbox-size piece of cake/ 1 small chocolate bar

DRINKS

2-3 litres of water per day. This can include fruit juice but not caffeinated products or sugary drinks such as tea coffee and colas. Try to avoid alcohol.

Reference - Zest

Top 10 diet foods that can make you fat

Healthy? Maybe. But also secretly fattening...Juices and smoothies
When totting up our daily intake of calories, many of us forget to take into account those that come in liquid form. However, the drinks you consume throughout the day can vastly contribute to weight gain. While smoothies and juices count towards your daily intake of fruit (and swapping fry-ups for a morning smoothie would certainly do wonders for your waistline!) supplementing meals with these sugary fruit drinks could add hundreds of extra calories on to your daily intake. Smoothies and juices contain more sugar but less fibre than whole fruit, making fresh fruit a much better snacking option.

 

Cereal bars

Many of us believe that cereal bars are the perfect healthy snack and breakfast-on-the-go. However, most breakfast bars are packed with cane sugar and corn syrup, not to mention high levels of fat. In fact, despite their healthy image, cereal bars can contain as much fat, sugar and calories as an average chocolate bar, and can cause crashes in blood sugar levels which will leave you craving more food.

Dried fruit

As with smoothies and juices, dried fruit has many beneficial properties and counts towards your daily intake of fruit. However, due to the concentration of sugars that occurs when fruit is dehydrated, it is also very high in calories and sugar when compared to the same amount of fresh fruit, and is much lower in fibre and nutrients. On top of this, many brands add sugar to dried fruit to improve the flavour, which boosts the calorie content even further.

Diet drinks

Many of us turn to sugar-free versions of our favourite drinks to help stay trim, yet diet drinks may actually be causing you to pile on the pounds. Research by the Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that those who consumed diet drinks daily experienced a 70 per cent greater increase in waist circumference than those who drank none, while a previous study showed that obesity risk increased by 41 per cent for each diet drink consumed. A suggested reason for this is that artificial sweeteners trigger appetite, and they may also inhibit the brain cells that make you feel full.

Salads

When eating out or buying food on the go, salads are generally presented as the “healthy option”. However, often this is not the case. While salads contain vegetables and other healthy ingredients, these are often buried under a layer of oily, sugary dressings which can be high in both fat and calories. Many salads do contain good fats that can help with weight loss (such as in the case of avocados and olive oil), yet this is not always so. Avoid those sneaky calories by drizzling your salads with a light dressing such as balsamic vinegar, or skipping the dressing entirely.

Soup

While soup can be the perfect weight loss food when prepared correctly, not all soups fall into the diet food category. In fact, many soups can rack up a significant amount of fat and calories, particularly those containing dairy products such as cream or cheese. On top of that, many soups are very high in salt, which can lead to bloating. To help stay trim and cut calories, try purchasing (or better yet, making your own) vegetable-based and cream-free soups.

Dips

Hummus is often perceived as the perfect diet-friendly dip. However, while the healthy snack is undoubtedly nutritious, it is also packed with calories and fat from its principle ingredients of oil and tahini. Another dip for dieters to watch out for is guacamole which, while traditionally packed with nutrients and good fats, often contains calorie-laden double cream. While most dips can be eaten in moderation, if you want to splurge guilt-free go for a homemade tomato salsa which is packed with nutritious ingredients and is almost fat-free.

Vegetable crisps

Many people view vegetable crisps as the “healthy” alternative to the potato variety. However, while some vegetable crisps contain slightly more fibre and vitamins than potato crisps, this is not always the case and the difference is generally very slight, with most of the vitamins derived from fresh veggies being lost in the process of making them into crisps. On top of this, vegetable crisps are often just as high in fat and calories as potato ones and contain just as much salt.

Popcorn

Air-popped popcorn is a great nutritious, high-fibre and diet-friendly snack. However, when butter is added into the equation, the tasty snack can quickly lose its healthy credentials. Store-bought and cinema popcorn can be extremely high in fat and calories due to its liberal coating of butter and/or sugar, and is often also served in large quantities. Furthermore, as the TV-friendly snack is often eaten in front of a screen, we can easily consume far more than we intend to due to mindless snacking.

Granola

It’s marketed as a health food, is sold in health food stores and even looks remarkably healthy, so it must be a diet food, right? In the case of granola, sadly the answer is no. While granola is undoubtedly nutritious and full of fibre, it also contains high quantities of sugar and oil, making it extremely high in fat and calories. To help save your waistline, try eating granola in small portions or, better yet, switch to a lower fat sugar-free muesli which will deliver the same health benefits without the calories.

Reference - Realbuzz.com

Sugar can make you dumb, US scientists warn

Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories.

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup -- a common ingredient in processed foods -- as drinking water for six weeks.
One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was not.
Before the sugar drinks began, the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the rats were then placed back in the maze to see how they fared.
"The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
"Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier."
A closer look at the rat brains revealed that those who were not fed DHA supplements had also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates brain function.
"Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss," Gomez-Pinilla said.
In other words, eating too much fructose could interfere with insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar, which is necessary for processing thoughts and emotions.
"Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning," Gomez-Pinilla said.
"Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new."
High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in soda, condiments, applesauce, baby food and other processed snacks.
The average American consumes more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
While the study did not say what the equivalent might be for a human to consume as much high-fructose corn syrup as the rats did, researchers said it provides some evidence that metabolic syndrome can affect the mind as well as the body.
"Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Gomez-Pinilla.
"Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage."

The study appeared in the Journal of Physiology.

Top 10 cellulite-busting foods

Ginger

One cause of cellulite is poor circulation, so eating foods such as ginger that boost blood flow can help to improve its appearance. As well as being good for circulation, ginger is also good for detoxification and strengthening the lymphatic system, which can help with the circulation of lymph fluid and toxins that can accumulate in fat pockets under the skin, contributing to the bumpy appearance of cellulite.

Asparagus

Asparagus is another food with circulation-boosting properties. On top of this, asparagus is a great stress reliever due to its abundance of folic acid, which can help to stabilise a stressful mood. As prolonged levels of stress can increase fat storage on the body, adding foods such as asparagus to your diet can help to reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Avocados

While anyone fat, thin, young or old can suffer from cellulite, ageing does tend to increase the visibility of cellulite due to the loss of elasticity and thinning of skin. Therefore, try eating foods rich in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) which can help to strengthen skin and keep it supple and elastic. Avocados are a particularly rich source of EFAs, as well as being high in many essential nutrients.

Oily fish

Another top food for keeping the skin in good condition is oily fish, which is high in skin-strengthening omega-3 fatty acids. As an added bonus, the fatty acids present in oily fish are also good for reducing inflammation and boosting the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, making them a good choice for keeping cellulite at bay.

Dark, leafy greens

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are rich in an antioxidant called lutein, which research has shown is good for helping the skin to retain its moisture and elasticity and increase its lipid levels - all good news for those suffering from cellulite. On top of this, leafy greens are nutrient-rich and are good for the circulation and detoxification.

Cranberry juice

A sluggish lymphatic system is one of the primary causes of cellulite, so those wishing to reduce its appearance should try boosting their intake of cranberry juice, which is noted for its abilities to cleanse the lymph system. This powerful juice helps to emulsify stubborn fat deposits in the lymphatic system so that they are more easily flushed out the system.

Bananas

Bananas are a rich source of potassium, which is helpful for reducing cellulite in many ways. Firstly, potassium helps to reduce water retention which can be a leading cause of cellulite. Furthermore, potassium can help to support the lymphatic system and ensure it works efficiently at circulating fluid and cleansing the body of impurities.

Whole grains

Whole grains are packed with fibre, which is an essential for keeping your body running smoothly. Fibre helps speed up the process of detoxification and clear out waste products that can build up in your system, often leading to cellulite. Eating whole grains also helps to keep the heart healthy and boost circulation to cellulite-prone areas.

Papaya

Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is one of the best ways to detox the body and reduce the appearance of cellulite, and papaya is a particularly good choice of fruit. Papaya is not only rich in potassium - one of the most important nutrients when it comes to battling cellulite - but it is also high in antioxidant beta-carotene, which can help prevent damage to body tissue.

Berries

To help keep skin firm and taut and disguise the appearance of cellulite, try adding some vitamin C to your diet to help boost your skin's collagen levels. Berries are a particularly good source of vitamin C, as well as being extremely high in the antioxidants necessary for fighting toxic waste, which can slow down the lymphatic system and accumulate in cellulite-prone areas.

Reference - Realbuzz.com

Energy Diet - Feel Lively Healthy & Happier!

Do you often feel tired drained and lacking in energy? Well follow the energy diet tips below and you will be full of energy, healthy and approach the day with renewed vigor.
The energy diet tips are easy to use, so let's look at them.
A change of diet is the simplest way to boost energy levels and this means you need to:

1. Eliminate Energy Sapping Foods
Firstly, energy draining foods such as sugar, coffee, alcohol and cigarettes should be reduced or eliminated altogether.

2. Eat naturally from the earth
Get rid of energy sapping processed foods and go for fresh natural produce.
Make sure you eat good carbs such as brown rice, pasta and baked potatoes and get rid of the fries and pizza!

3.Make sure the meat you eat is lean.
Great choices are: Steak, turkey, chicken and fish.

4.Saturated fats and salt should be eliminated or cut down and good fats containing omega 3 from oily fish, should be consumed at least 3 - 5 times a week.
Great choices are salmon, mackerel and sardines
.
5. Eat 5 meals a day
You need to start eating 5 meals a day, so your energy levels don't flag and you will not suffer from hunger pangs.
Make sure you eat breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day.

6. Get extra Iron for energy
Eating to little iron can make you feel exhausted, so make sure you get iron rich food in your diet everyday.
Good choices include:
Lean red meats, eggs, fortified breakfast bran, sardines, dried apricots, crab and dark green leafy vegetables.

7. Up your protein for extra focus
Protein rich food like fish, meat and tofu are proven to improve focus so get daily portions.
Make sure your lunch is protein rich as it will help you avoid that flagging feeling in the afternoon.

8. Eat bright fruits for a quick pick me up
Brightly colored fruit is proven to send energy messages to the brain.

For a great snack combine apples, strawberries raspberries and apricots for an instant pick me up.
You can incorporate the above into your daily diet and you will feel more energetic and able to face the day with renewed enthusiasm.
Always remember your body is a whole and you also need to ensure that to feel energetic you also need the following:

9. Get proper sleep
Make sure you get at least 8 hours sleep per night.

Your body needs time to replenish itself and sleeping is essential to boost overall energy levels.

10. Move your body
You may not have time for the gym, but you don't have to go to the gym to be healthy.
When you walk, walk quickly, skip the elevator and use the stairs instead, or do the housework as a workout.
Your body will respond to this and you energy levels are guaranteed to increase.

11. Take time out
Finally, take 30 minutes a day to relax and just think.
Meditate and get away from all distractions and loose yourself in your thoughts.
If you have lack of time do it in the bath just relax for 30 minutes in silence and think of you
.
Energy for life!

We all need energy and all the above tips are easy enough to do so try them today.

Reference - Sacha Tarkovsky   

Top 5 best exercises to lose belly fat

Who doesn't want flat abs? People desperate to lose weight will willingly starve themselves, take expensive supplements or do the latest fad diet that promises to give them that flawless figure in 30 days. Thankfully, belly fat is metabolically active and easier to lose. However, if proper nutrition is not observed and the resort is made to low calorie diets, weight loss may not happen within the desired time frame. Hunger and calorie deprivation will eventually kick in and dieters confronted with that favorite food they have been avoiding will have the tendency to binge at the first opportunity. The likelihood of gaining more weight than they originally lost is not far-fetched.

According to Christine Rosenbloom, a nutrition professor at Georgia State University, eating a calorie-controlled diet and 60 minutes of daily moderate exercise activity will result to weight loss and can even help with the desired weight maintenance. In fact, according to Professor Michael Jensen of the Mayo Clinic, intense aerobic exercise will result to being leaner around the abdomen.

It is important to remember that keeping the body's metabolism up and running so that the body continuously burns calories prevents it from going into the fat-storing mode that causes unnecessary weight gain.

Why exercise is necessary

Most people involved in weight loss believe that it's all about the calories. If you burn calories more than you take in, you lose weight. If you take in more calories than you can burn, the body gains fat. While this piece of logic may make sense, it is only partly true. What burns calories nonstop is actually the lean muscle mass underneath body fat that allows more intake of calories without weight gain.

The body actually adapts to the changes it undergoes. Losing weight without exercising increases the risk of losing lean body mass, slowing the metabolism and putting the body into fat-storing mode. People who have lost body fat and muscle mass may notice that they don't have the muscle mass they once had. Worse yet, once they overeat even a little bit, they start filling up on body fat once again.

Building up muscle mass

An important thing to remember when undergoing a weight loss program is to understand what needs to be done. Realistic and achievable goals can help in building the confidence needed to make the necessary leap for the achievement of a desired weight.

Researchers at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University took a look at some popular abdominal exercises and ranked them. Results of the study revealed that exercises that require constant abdominal stabilization and body rotation resulted in the most muscle activity in the abdomen.

Below are the top five belly exercises as ranked by the study:

1. The Bicycle Exercise - best for targeting the six pack muscles and the obliques. To do this exercise, get into a supine position with hands at the back of your head. Bring knees to the chest while lifting shoulders off the floor. Slowly bring your right elbow towards your left knee as you straighten your right leg. Switch sides and continue in a pedaling motion. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

2. The Captain's Chair Leg Raise - This exercise requires a captain's chair, a rack with padded arms allowing for the legs to hang free that is commonly found in gyms or health clubs. To do this exercise, stand on the chair and grip hand holds. Press back against the pad then raise knees to the chest to contract the abs then lower them back down. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

3. Exercise Ball Crunch - For this exercise, an exercise ball is necessary. In this routine, the abdomen does more exerting but will still need the entire body to stabilize it throughout the routine. To do this exercise, lie on the ball with your lower back fully supported. Place hands behind the head. To lift the torso off the ball, contract the abs to pull the bottom of the rib cage towards the hips. Keep ball stable as you curl up, then lower back down to stretch the abs. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

4. Vertical Leg Crunch - Performing this exercise is similar to doing a leg crunch except that the legs are straight up, forcing the abs to work and adding intensity to the routine. To do this, lie on the floor with the legs straight up, knees crossed, and place the hands beneath the head for support. Contract abs lifting the shoulders off the floor and keep legs in a fixed position to crunch. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

5. Long Arm Crunch - This is a variant of the traditional floor crunch where the arms are held straight behind you, adding a lever to the move and making for a challenging exercise. To do this, lie on the floor or a mat then extend arms straight behind, keeping them clasped and next to the ears. Slowly contract abs and lift shoulders off the floor carefully to keep the arms straight. Do 1 to 3 sets with 12 to 16 repetitions.

The best strategy to weight loss is to observe a healthy diet coupled with exercise of at least an hour a day. Although there is no sure fire way to deal with belly fat, there are a number of activities from which to choose and enjoy. As long as you're having fun, you can lose weight without realizing it. It is important to look for an exercise you enjoy. If the suggested exercises above do not suit your taste, taking a hike, swimming or biking are just as effective in burning fat and toning muscles.



Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035071_belly_fat_exercises_fitness.html#ixzz1uPN7DLIm

Pole-dancing: The new bums and tums

Pole-dancing

Never one to turn down a challenge, when a friend told me there were free pole dancing sessions taking place at a nearby gym, I immediately said yes.

It sounded exciting - something a bit different, and something a bit more fun than pounding the treadmill.
Then questions started to rear their heads. Images of smoke machines and film star-shaped girls in hotpants and crop tops swam through my head.
What should I wear? I'm about as comfortable in hotpants and heels as I would be in chainmail -but were gym shorts and trainers acceptable?
And would it all be super-skinny, petite blondes wiggling around the pole? At 6ft 2ins and a size 12 at the time, I was a little shy and worried I would stand out like a sore thumb.
Luckily, the reality was nothing of the sort.
Everyone was very laid back, and comfortingly normal. This was pole fitness, not pole training.
Not only was sporty gear and trainers - sometimes barefoot - the standard uniform for the class, there were women aged from 18 to 45 all taking part.
As beginners, the instructors were kind to us. The 'grade one' moves included a few basic spins - the self-explanatory "firelady" among them - which had me clinging desperately to the pole, barely making it a single 360 degrees around in what must have been more of a graceless stumble than anything approaching an elegant spin.

                                       
Another move, the so-called "basic climb", involved hopping on to the pole and wrapping your legs around it, effectively sitting down while holding onto the pole with both thighs and arms. The next step - leaning back and extending one arm over the head - was something I couldn't quite bring myself to brave during that first hour.
The next day at work, I could barely move. My arms, my legs, and my bum were so stiff I felt like I had been pummelled.
And I was hooked.
Since then, I have been a weekly regular. And even though I only occasionally go to the gym or do zumba between lessons, the benefits have been tangible.
My upper-body strength had been negligible until I started, but within weeks I started to notice a difference.
My arms started to tone up, my bum became slightly firmer, and my flexibility improved dramatically. I also dropped a dress size.
And now, far from that timid, clingy beginner I described above, I'm now more often found upside-down.
There are, of course, some moves I have yet to conquer. The bane of my life is the spinning splits - which involves spinning around the pole face-on, legs straight out in front and 90 degrees apart. My excuse is that being so tall, it's harder for me to lift my legs that far.
Luckily, despite the fun grading, it's more about fitness and the instructors acknowledge this weakspot, only making me practice a couple of times a lesson before moving on to new or more fun moves.
The main advantage of the class above other aerobics and fitness groups is, in my humble opinion, the sociability of it.
In groups of two or three, you are stood chatting with others while you wait your turn, or helping one another stretch out.
Once you leave university, it can be difficult to make friends outside the workplace. Pole dancing has been a great way to meet new people and have some genuine fun, as well as getting fit.
And that has helped boost my confidence no end. Along with being able to support myself upside-down, of course, which has proven to be another successful confidence-booster.
In short, don't be put off by fear of looking silly, or being too weak or old or fat to "do it properly".
As long as you throw yourself into it, it's worth a shot.
And it's always a good conversation starter at a party.

Reference - Chalotte Cross

The Test That Tells If You Are A Workaholic

Revealed: the test that tells if you are a workaholic

Psychologists have developed a test that claims to differentiate between workers who are merely keen and those who are addicted to being in the office.

While one group may simply be seeking to impress the boss, the other could be risking their mental and physical health, as well as their relationships, the study found.

The 'Bergen Work Addiction Scale' looks at the kind of behaviour that is displayed by all kinds of addicts, from drug users to alcoholics, but related to the workplace. Those who, for instance, free up time to fit in extra work or feel guilty if they don't stay late on a regular basis may be full blown workaholics.

Test subjects are asked to rank themselves in seven categories to see whether they are "driven to work excessively and compulsively" - the definition of an addict. These are salience, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, relapse and problems.

[Related feature: Five ways to cope with digital stress]

The scale was designed by psychologists from Norway's University of Bergen and from Nottingham Trent University.

Work addiction is getting worse, they believe, because the boundaries between home and office are becoming blurred.

Being in constant touch through mobile phones and laptops and tabled computers means it is harder to 'switch off' and easier to work from home. Employees of globalised companies are under pressure to stay in constant touch with colleagues in different time zones.

The test, sampled on 12,000 workers from 25 industries, was published in the Journal of Psychology.

Take the test

Look at each of the following statements and rank yourself on each one according to the following:
1 = Never; 2 = Rarely; 3 = Sometimes; 4 = Often and 5 = Always.

1. You think of how you can free up more time to work.

2. You spend much more time working than initially intended.

3. You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression.

4. You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.

5. You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.

6. You deprioritize hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.

7. You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.

If you score 'often (4)' or 'always (5)' on four or more of these seven statements, it 'may suggest you are a workaholic.'

 

Reference- The Daily Telegraph

Diet or Exercise What To Do First.

I sometimes watch the biggest loser and cringe, overweight people being made to do hard physical activity, it puts severe strain on joints,the spine and the heart, its definately a sure fire way to damage yourself for good.

Being overweight often goes hand in hand with lethargy and tiredness so starting a physicaly challenging work out program will not only be impossible to keep up mentally, but physicaly it will hurt, and often is the reason most of us never get very far.

Diet is the best starting point, find the fuel your body craves, thats right your body actualy craves the correct food, when you find this food your body will naturaly shed the unwanted weight and even better the very toxins that make you feel lethargic, tired and even ill will be flushed form your body.

The toxins in your body come form poor food choices, fast food, burgers, unhealthy mass produced sandwitches, really the list is endless, a rule i use is - " if i didnt make it then i dont know whats in it"

When you get your diet right, you head will clear, your attitude will change, you will feel clean and healthy on the inside, you will feel light and refreshed every day,your skin will look healthy, your eyes will be bright and your hair will be full of life, then and only then you will probably feel like exercising.

One important thing to point out here, this will take time, just consider how long it took you to put on your weight, so it makes sense that it will take a while to lose it again, the good thing is though, it is often quicker to lose the weight than it was to put it on and in a matter of weeks you will see the changes, drop a drees size and just start feeling like a new you.

A few years ago i was a candida suferer, i had serious fungal overgrowth, my treatment consisted of a sugar and yeast free diet, exercise was banned as it released sugar stored in the body, this sugar would have fed the fungus, my diet was a pure natural foods diet, i lost 3 stone/48 pounds in three months, and felt the best i had in years.  Just remember this was with no exercise at all !

To sumarise, to get yourself ready to exercise firstly prepare your body physicaly and mentally with a good healthy natural diet, its all about clearing the body of toxins and getting your body to run efficiently, dont ever feel its too late for you, your body has an amazing ability to survive and recover when fed the right fuel.

If you want information on Healthy living, diets and detox you can get it free on this page, look for the green box at the top right hand corner of this page for details, also i really recomend the two books near the top left hand side of this page by Jason Vale - "7lbs in 7 days " and" Turbo charge your life " these are fantastic books, and very resonably priced.

Forget expensive Gym membershipsjust eat natural, and let nature take its course with your body, you will be suprised how much money you save and how much more enjoyable natural foods are than the junk we normaly put into our bodys.

So start your energy filled lifestyle today for FREE by putting your name and email address in the green box on the top right hand side of this page and you will receive 4 fantastic ebooks that will give you all you need to find the new energy filled healthy you, from DETOX, DIET to healthy lifestyle choices.

The Flat Belly Diet May Be One Of The Best Diets Ever!

Sick of carrying around extra pounds? Its time to get rid of them, using the all-new Flat Belly Diet. This new diet may be one of the best diets of all time, as it is easy to follow,healthy , and a plan that you can follow the rest of your life.
You may have heard about it on Good Morning America. Or, a friend may already be raving about it. It's the amazing new diet called the "Flat Belly Diet". The reason you've heard about it is because... it works! Even better, it's simple and easy to follow. What better way to lose the extra pounds you gained over the Holidays?
The diet was created by the folks at Prevention Magazine. It was created by Prevention magazine's Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello and Nutrition Editor Cynthia Sass. A number of dieters have raved about the diet. For example, one 46 year old lost twelve pounds in just over a month... and over 11 inches!
The mantra of the Flat Belly Diet is "A MUFA at every meal". What's a "MUFA" you ask?
A MUFA (MOO-fah) is a term that nutritionists have used for years. It's an acronym for "monounsaturated fatty acid"... the "good" kind of fat. A MUFA is a type of heart-healthy, disease-fighting, "good" fat found in foods like almonds, peanut butter, olive oil, avocado, even chocolate. MUFAs are an unsaturated fat, and have the exact opposite effect of the unhealthy saturated and trans fats you've heard about in the news. According to exciting new research, MUFAs can actually help you lose weight, specifically around your middle.
According to the folks at Prevention Magazine, a number of studies have shown that a diet rich in MUFAs is linked to a reduction in LDL cholesterol, the kind that clogs up arteries, and a boost in HDL, the kind that sweeps cholesterol out of the arteries and clears it from the body. They can also lower the risk of heart disease and improve insulin.
But that's not all. Not only are MUFAs healthy, but they are also satisfying and delicious in and of themselves. Eating a MUFA with every meal makes sure that you are satisfied, healthy, and don't feel deprived in this diet. Foods packed with MUFAs include delicious foods such as olive oil (use it as a delicious salad dressing), chocolate chips (dessert on a diet? Yes!) These delicious foods (and many others) are what make the Flat Belly Diet different. This is a diet everyone can stick to, and see awesome results.
Here's a brief overview of what the diet involves:
- Start with a Four-Day Anti-Bloat Jumpstart, and add
- A daily dose of Sassy Water and
- A Mind Trick at every meal plus
- A Four-Week Eating Plan, comprised of
- Three 400-calorie meals a day of your choice and
- One 400-calorie Snack Pack of your choice and
- One daily Core Confidence reflection
- An Optional Exercise Program, plus
The foundation for a way of life you can continue for decades.
The Flat Belly diet centers around five foods that have these good fats in them naturally and those five food groups are oils, chocolate, nuts and seeds, olives, and avocados. You simply need to eat one serving from any of these groups at a meal. All meals should be around 400 calories, enough to curb your hunger but not to stuff yourself. This diet will give you energy and will melt off the stubborn belly fat.
One of the key features of the Flat Belly Diet is its flexibility. The meals and foods have been selected to accommodate our hectic lives. If you are short on time, you can easily assemble healthy and delicious meals without breaking your diet. Many of the meals require little or no cooking. Other meals are more complex and can be enjoyed by the whole family or even guests on special occasions. You can even get creative. If you don't like a suggested meal, mix and match other meals. Flexibility is one reason why this diet is one of the best diets ever!

Reference - Kurt Lehman