Health tip # 63


Don't crash diet before you go away on holiday, you'll be so hungry when you get to your destination you'll eat everything and anything. It's better to eat sensibly before and during your stay.

Health tip # 62


Canned rice pudding is great for lifting calcium levels, pilchards offer Omega-3 fatty acids and vegetables are full of vitamins. Adding beans, peas and lentils into a dish will make it go further and increase the protein and iron values of the meal.

You've been missing your routine at the gym very often thanks to your busy schedule (or plain laziness) and suddenly you realize that in one week you have to attend a wedding.

You want to wear your favourite saree or figure-hugging dress but are worried about your flabby stomach bulging out. Well, you still have a last option. While you cannot reduce fat, you can lose belly fat by decreasing your total body fat percentage. And you don't have to completely alter your daily habits to get a flat stomach within 7 days!

Step one:

If you want to build muscle and burn fat at the same time, you have to perform circuit training, three days per week. How can you achieve this? Indulge in full body exercises like lunges, push-ups, and pull-ups, for one set of 15 repetitions. Don't forget to follow every exercise with one minute of jumping rope. You should be able to burn around 500 to 600 calories per workout.

Step two:

You have to work on your abdominal muscles three times in the week. Crunches and leg raises for three sets of 20 repetitions should be done. Also, do planks by holding your body in a push-up position on your elbows for 30 to 60 seconds for four sets.

Step three:

The kind of food you will eat in this period is vital in bringing about any change. Natural foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and pastas, chicken, beef, fish and low fat dairy should replace processed foods full of sugar.

Step four:

To minimize water retention, lower your sodium intake. This means you need to avoid salt. You can flavour your food with other herbs and spices instead.

Step five:

Stressing and anxiety can cause the over-production of a certain hormone called cortisol, which encourages weight gain about the belly area. So try to keep your cool!

Health tip # 61


Tropical fruits, especially pineapples and paw paw are very good foods to protect you against cellulite. They're extremely rich sources of beta carotene, which is very important for healthy skin and contain natural enzymes that are extremely good for the digestions and help break down fat deposits.

Health tip # 60


If you're trying to lose weight, remember to count the booze - a single gin and tonic has about 140 calories.

How to Flatten Your Abs!

When it comes to losing weight and getting trim, the so-called Holy Grail for most individuals is getting flat abs. Specifically, they’re called six-pack abs – abs that you can shred cheese on. There are dozens of companies that offer medications, gels, food, and exercise equipment that is specifically designed and marketed to help you achieve six-pack abs.

If you’re one of the millions that have bought something from one of these companies, or you do hundreds of crunches a day and have seen no major results – we might have the answer for you.

Ab exercises are not enough!

If you’ve been working out for a while, you probably have discovered that crunches alone are not enough to flatten your abs. It is important to work on your abs, but if they are covered by a layer of fat you’ll never see them show up. Some may not know this, but “spot reducing” doesn’t work. This means that you can’t concentrate on one part of your body and expect to see results from that work alone. Your body is not designed to be “forced” to lose weight in a specific area by exercising that area – what you should be doing is focusing on losing body fat as a whole and gaining/toning muscle.

Change Your Diet:

The first thing to do to lose body fat is to change your diet. You can always decrease calories by participating in daily activities like walking, climbing stairs, etc., but unless you consume less calories – you’ll never shed the pounds.

Eat frequently:

 You may be thinking, what? But it’s true. Eating several small meals throughout your day will boost your metabolism, which helps your burn more calories. Meal replacements like protein bars should be used as snacks between meals instead of traditional calorie heavy snacks.

Eat less calories:

 Cookies are great, but they’re not so great for six-pack abs.

Drink more water:

Cleanses your body and can make your body feel full.

Setting up an ab workout routine:

Once you’ve completed the first step of lowering the amount of calories you consume, you need to begin working out. As mentioned above, diet without exercise can and will lead to weight loss – but it will only go so far. You must implement exercise into your daily life to see long-term, permanent results with weight loss. Your ab workout routine should include:

·     Weight training that focuses on all of your muscle groups, not just abs. Do this 2 or 3 days a week, in days that are not back to back. You must give your muscles time to rest.

·     Perform 30 to 45 minutes of cardio 3-5 days a week. You can substitute regular cardio with any intense recreational activity, like football, soccer, or basketball.

·     Stretch before and after your workouts for flexibility and relaxation. Also, warm up before each workout that you do (simple stretching and exercises). Remember to do cool-downs, which means gradually decreasing in your intensity until you stop.

Are ab exercises still necessary?

Reading this, you’ve discovered that ab exercises aren’t going to be a dominant factor in reducing the amount of fat around your body. Should you still do them? The answer is both yes, as well as no. You do want to work your abs (as well as your entire body), but not necessarily with the usual crunches and sit-ups that you might be doing now.

To have a maximum impact on your abs, switch it up and get more creative. Invest in an exercise ball, use a hoola hoop, or go salsa dancing. Move around your mid-section a lot more and you’ll not only have fun, but get tighter and better looking abs.

Health tip # 59


Cool-downs are your first line of defence against lactic acid build up and muscle soreness, but you don't have to fight the fight on your own. Massage is a great way of helping your metabolism recover from the effort and trauma of your gym sessions. A good massage also helps reinforce the sense of reward.

Health tip # 58


Get up earlier in summer and later in winter, in line with natural sunlight hours. Don't eat late at night or before you're fully awake.

Top 10 Leg Toning Tips

Women’s legs still seems to be the hot topic around the women’s fitness blogs so I thought I would write a list of the top 10 women’s legs toning tips.

1 - Take it slow

Getting the perfect set of toned legs takes time and hard work. Learn to relax your mind and keep your goals long term. If you take it slow the results will be lasting instead of fleeting and unstable. It will also seem like less work.

2 - Mix it up

Mix up your legs training so that your legs never get used to one type of exercise. If you spend a lot of time doing long distance cardio, change to some short high intensity workouts. This has worked wonders for me and my clients in the past.

3 - Use heavy weights

A lot of women are afraid of using heavier weights because they think they will get bulky or injured. Take your time, learn the techniques properly and start adding weight each session. You will see progress much faster.

4 - Hill Sprints

I love running hills! It is one of the hardest forms of exercise you can do. It works your whole lower body so well that sometimes I am fooled into thinking I don’t need to weight train! Use hill sprints on a regular basis and you will see amazing weight loss and leg toning results.

5 - Learn to eat well

Toning a muscle is more about diet than it is about working out. For a long time there was this theory that if you use high reps and low weight you will tone your muscles. This is crap. If you are fat you will not have any muscle tone. So, learn to eat well everyday - protein, fruit, vegetables, etc. If you want toned legs you have to lose the fat.

 6- Drink water

As always I have managed to fit in a tip relating to water. Water will help you lose weight, keep you full as well as making your muscles look full and tight. Drink water all throughout the day - everyday.

7 - Slow reps

When doing your squats, lunges and other leg exercises start slowing down your reps to at least five seconds. If you cannot do both motions that slow then at least perform the negative as slowly as you can. So, if you are doing a squat, make the squatting down part five seconds long. This will boost your progress very quickly.

8 - Stretch

Part of weight training is recovering and your muscles can recover faster if you keep them flexibile. Stretch before, during and after a legs workout so that they are ready for the next one. And never train when sore unless you need to do the cardio and aren’t worried about muscle gain.

9 - Eat good protein

Get lots of protein after your workout and all day from good quality sources like meat, fish, milk, eggs and whey protein. Muscles need protein to grow so if you want to tone your legs make sure you help them as much as possible by getting enough protein.

10 - Keep them busy

The best women’s legs in the world are on women who stay active and use them a lot. Do weight training, cardio, martial arts classes, tae bo… anything to keep moving! Your legs do a lot of work during the day so you really need to challenge them.

Health tip # 57


Maintain a healthy weight; The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

Health tip # 56


All fats are a combination of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Each of these types of fats have different effects on the body, but all contain nine calories per gram.

Health tip # 55


Make changes gradually,  Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too

Diabetes and Exercise

In a new randomized controlled trial, both aerobic and resistance exercise improved glycemic/blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. The greatest improvements came from combined aerobic and resistance training. 

The study included 251 adults, between ages 39 and 70, who were not exercising regularly and had type 2 diabetes. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: performing 45 minutes aerobic training three times per week, 45 minutes of resistance training three times per week, 45 minutes each of both three times per week, or no exercise.

Both the aerobic and resistance training groups had improved blood sugar control A1C value decreased by about 0.5 percent. The group that did both kinds of exercise had about twice as much improvement as either other group alone - A1c value decreased by 0.97 percent compared to the control group. The control group that did not exercise had no change in A1C value.

The bottom line is that doing both aerobic and resistance exercise is the way to maximize the effects of exercise on blood glucose control in type 2 diabetes. 

Exercise is an inexpensive pill that could decrease the hemoglobin A1c value by 1 percentage point, reduce cardiovascular death by 25 percent, and substantially improve functional capacity (strength, endurance, and bone density). 

How exercise can help
Aerobic exercise increases insulin sensitivity and, along with proper nutrition, helps restore normal glucose metabolism by decreasing body fat. Low-impact exercise such as walking or stationary is recommended, along with enough exercise to promote weight management. The goal should be to exercise five times per week, up to 40 - 60 minutes per session at a moderate intensity. This level of exercise can be reached gradually, starting as low as 10 - 20 minutes a few times a week for a person who has never exercised. Remember to increase only one factor at a time (days per week, length of session, or intensity).

Strength training also decreases body fat by raising the lean body mass and metabolism. It's main benefit, however, is increasing glucose uptake by the muscles and enhancing the ability to store glucose. A basic recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine is to train a minimum of two times per week, doing 8 - 12 repetitions per set of 8 - 10 exercises targeting major muscle. Safety precautions must be followed for the exercising diabetic. A personal trainer can help to set up a program for the Type 2 diabetic and help them exercise correctly. With your doctor's permission, exercise bands a safe, simple and effective way to exercise at home.
 

Exercise and good nutrition provide real physical payoffs--they are essential to controlling diabetes. Exercise can help prolong your life and improve the quality of your added months and years. Sticking to an exercise program can be a challenge for anyone, even with strong medical reasons to exercise.
 

Measuring your blood-glucose level before and after exercise can be a motivator. Diabetics who play the "numbers game" commonly see a twenty percent decrease in their blood-glucose level after exercising. 
 

Make sure that the exercise routine is fun, something you look forward to and there is some variety. 

 

Health tip # 54


 Tomato is a superstar in the fruit and veggie pantheon. Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful cancer fighter. They’re also rich in vitamin C. The good news is that cooked tomatoes are also nutritious, so use them in pasta, soups and casseroles, as well as in salads

Health tip # 53


Many people don't know how to brush their teeth properly. Improper brushing can cause as much damage to the teeth and gums as not brushing at all. Lots of people don’t brush for long enough, don’t floss and don’t see a dentist regularly. Hold your toothbrush in the same way that would hold a pencil, and brush for at least two minutes. This includes brushing the teeth, the junction of the teeth and gums, the tongue and the roof of the mouth. And you don't need a fancy, angled toothbrush – just a sturdy, soft-bristled one that you replace each month.

Hot Girl Workout At Home Part 1 

Top 8 most entertaining exercises

As we all know exercise can be pretty darn boring at times. I am always looking for ways to try and spice up ordinary exercise but I thought I would write a post that shows my top 8 most entertaining exercises that will keep you entertained for months without any additional spicing up.

8 - Bike riding

This may not seem like a very entertaining exercise at first but I have been riding bikes for years around the streets and I have seen some pretty crazy and amazing things. When you are out exercising on a bike you sometimes forget that you are exercising and just enjoy the scenery.

7 - Group pool classes

I had to mention it.  The good old gym pool classes where you splash around for an hour and get fit. I don’t buy it. I suppose it could be good for people with bad joints or injuries. However, I included it in the list as an exercise that is entertaining to watch, not do.

6 - Circuits

My friends and I used to do these all the time and they are fun because you have to change exercises in such rapid succession that you often end up doing really silly things. They get you really fit though!

5 - Martial arts classes

I am a big fan of martial arts. There is a big group practicing their technique together - punching, kicking, shouting - it is great! Martial arts also has a great sense of history and tradition which can really get you going.

4 - Personal training

I know it’s not really an exercise but personal training is a great way to stay entertained. If you have your own trainer to run with you or force you to push out one more repetition then exercise automatically becomes a little more fun.

I also do some online personal training so if you need a new workout program or weight loss program then drop me an email.

3 - Team sports

I think playing a team sports is one of the best forms of exercise for staying entertained. The reason for this is that there is an ongoing season and a ladder and you always want to better your position or beat that team that beat you last week and so on. You also have a whole host of team mates around you to spur you on. It is wonderful!

2 - Hiking

I go to visit the Himalayan moutains   at the end of every year and one of my favorite exercises while I am over there is hiking up the beautiful Himalayan mountains. Obviously I don’t climb up the top but the hills and valleys that surround the mountains make for some awesome day trips which is a really good way to blast your fitness.

1 - Pole Dancing

My friend  has been doing pole dancing with a friend for about a year now and the stories they come home and tell me are simply hilarious! Learning to hang upside down on a poll and spinning around is a great way to cause an accident. However, they have both toned their upper body so well by doing weekly classes. It is really impressive.

Health tip # 52

 Train with a barbell: Again, this improves posture and can also lend a hand in toning up the lower parts of your body as well.

Health tip # 51


Kill two birds with one stone and exercise with a friend. Not only will you get a better quality workout as you motivate each other, but you'll fit in some quality bonding time too. Arrange a hike, beach walk, yoga or spinning class.

Health tip # 50


Get your daily calcium by popping a tab, chugging milk or eating yoghurt. It’ll keep your bones strong. Remember that your bone density declines after the age of 30. You need at least 200 milligrams daily, which you should combine with magnesium, or it simply won’t be absorbed.

Choosing The Right Diet!

While the new flashy sports car that everyone is driving can be appealing to you, it may not be right for you depending on your situation. There could be the obvious obstacle that you must overcome to obtaining it, and that is its cost. Or, if you have a family of five, it’s simply not a reliable form of transportation. So why do some choose to follow “fad” diets, diets that everyone else follows?

Diets are a lifestyle choice, and as such, they should be very unique to your overall lifestyle and should not simply mimic what those around you are doing. The countless fad diets you hear being advertised on television are simply not for everybody.

To figure out the diet that is right for you, there are a few standard questions you can ask:

1. Does it match the style in which I eat?

While it may be healthy to eat several meals a day and the diet suggests this, but you know you can realistically only eat lunch and dinner – you won’t last long. Alternatively, if you travel a lot and have to eat out and can’t eat the diet’s recommended home cooked meals or spend a lot of time preparing your own dinner, you should avoid it.

2. Can truly I exercise this much?

Some diets mix in a lot of physical activity, while others keep it simple to aerobics. If you’re the kind of person who can’t stand exercise, or isn’t very active, following a diet that requires 5-6 visits a week to the gym won’t be something you can realistically follow.

3. Am I willing to deal with this forever?

When many people start a diet, they have a goal in mind to lose X amount of pounds. This is the incorrect mindset to have – a diet isn’t a temporary thing, it’s a lifestyle decision. So, if you think to yourself, “Well, I only have to deal with this for 6 months to lose 20 pounds” you’re wrong. As soon as you go off your diet, you will quickly regain those lost pounds.

To keep the weight off permanently, you need a weight loss plan that you can follow every single day for the rest of your life.

4. Are the foods practical?

There are multiple parts to this question. First, don’t pick a diet that excludes your favorite food groups or is simply not something you like, As said previously, a diet isn’t a temporary thing – you should be comfortable with following it for the rest of your life. Secondly, can you afford the food? While eating fresh fruits and vegetables all day can be rewarding to your health, fresh fruits tend to be much more expensive than other types of diet food.

5. How serious am I about this?

Do you go out to bars with your friends on weekends? Or do you want to have a little bit of birthday cake at your child’s birthday party? Diets only work because we can stick to them. The fact is, we don’t like to be chained down by them either and you need to consider that when choosing a diet. Some diets allow you some flexibility, while others make you eat nothing but cabbage soup for every meal.

Take your goals into consideration, your lifestyle, and your ability to follow a diet and you’ll be sure to select one that is right for you.