BEAT WORKOUT BOREDOM

I just discovered this great WORKOUT FINDER! Click on the link at left to find workouts by body-region, keyword, or readers' favorites!

New healthy lifestyle changes can be difficult to maintain once you get to the point of boredom and forced repetition, so try incorporating one of the many different workouts from the link above or click below for direct links to the reader favorite workouts:

* Cellulite Solution Workout
* Super Sculpt Your Body
* Drop 10lbs This Month
* Hollywood's Sexy-Body Secret
* Score Sexy Arms in 4 Weeks

Mix up your workouts to maximize your results! And add a workout buddy to the mix to help keep each other motivated. On top of a sexy new body you'll increase your overall health and reduce your risk of developing cancer and other diseases!

And in case you missed my previous post CLICK HERE for fun calculators that can give you your BMI, Caloric Needs, Ideal Weight, Happy Weight, and more!

NOTE: Check with your MD before starting a new exercise regimen

BULGE FREE BELLY

HERE is an article about what foods to EAT and what foods to AVOID if you're looking to target belly fat (or as my father always called it, your "energy reservoir").

FYI: Diet is a HUGE part of fighting fat stored around your waist, but in order to get rid of the bulge for good you need cardio exercise too. If you want a taught mid-section, nothing is better than adding criss-cross sit-ups (where arms are behind your head, you then take opposite elbow to opposite knee. One leg straight out parallel to floor, one leg bent in knee to chest. Don't just move your arms! Twist from the waist!) to your cardio and diet changes! This exercise activates more muscles in your abdomen than normal crunches.

And don't forget: a little pooch is NATURAL! A perfectly flat stomach only exists in photo-shopped pictures.


For a slimmer center, EAT:
*Melon (low calorie, high in potassium which prevents excess salt, therefore water, retention)
*Wine (or POM juice, for us non-drinkers)
*Whole-grains (high fiber helps to remove cholesterol, fatty acids, from the blood stream, reducing storage around your waist)
*Grapefruit (can prevent the insulin spike that increases fat storage around your middle, plus vitamin C which has been shown to play a role)
*Walnuts (or Flax! Omega 3's may be fats, but they help to prevent storage or new fat on the body, especially in the belly region)

For a whittled middle, AVOID:
*Sugar substitutes (horrible for you and your body has trouble digesting these lab-made sweeteners, leading to bloating, gas, and increased hunger later. Use Stevia, Maple Syrup, or Agave Nectar instead!)
*Canned soup (the insanely high salt content leads to water retention which leads to belly swelling)
*Partially and fully hydrogenated oils (aka trans fat. READ LABELS! "0 trans fat per serving" does NOT mean NO trans fat! These fats are not used for flavor, they are used to increase shelf-life. They are created in a lab by adding extra hydrogen ions to unsaturated fats, therefore creating a substance that the body does not recognize and doesn't know how to handle. Research has shown that these fats lead to increased storage of fat around the waist, so avoid these at ALL COSTS!)

SEX IS PRETTY AWESOME

So if you aren't having sex with someone, you should at least be having it with yourself! It helps to decrease blood pressure, release endorphins (happy hormones), and studies have shown that having more orgasms can even increase your life expectancy!

HERE is an article with a snippet from an upcoming book about the best and worst of sex. Super relate-able and fun to read!

So check out the article and then go... well... you know :)





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ADD THIS TO YOUR DIET TO INCREASE THE DECREASE

HERE is an article on 44 superfoods that can help your body to fight fat. Some you may know, but there are several that are great additions to anyone's "must eat" list! Summary:

1) Almonds
2) Flaxseeds
3) Sesame seeds
4) Walnuts
5) Apples
6) Blueberries
7) Cherries
8) Grapefruit
9) Oranges
10) Pomegranates
11) Blueberry juice
12) Cherry juice
13) Green Tea (and White Tea even more so!)
14) Pomegranate Juice
15) Vegetable juice
16) Arugula
17) Bell Peppers
18) Broccoli
19) Cabbage
20) Carrots
21) Leeks
22) Onions
23) Romaine Lettuce
24) Scallions
25) Shitake Mushrooms
26) Spinach
27) Tomatoes
28) Basil
29) Black Pepper
30) Cardamom
31) Chives
32) Cilantro
33) Cinnamon
34) Cloves
35) Ginger
36) Garlic
37) Parsley
38) Tumeric
39) Flounder
40) Salmon
41) Sole
42) Tilapia
43) Egg Whites
44) Yogurt (plain, non-fat or low-fat)

Remember: Avoid meat when you can (even fish) for a healthier you and a healthier and more humane planet!

Spice up your foods with herbs whenever possible because many of them, including the ones listed above, aid digestion and decrease inflammation in the body. They also taste great!

Watch your salt content and overall calories. Excess salt will make you retain water (aka extra pounds on the scale) and overdoing it on the calories will make you gain weight even if the foods you chose were healthy.

Remember to exercise frequently and before you know it, you'll be seeing results.

SPLURGE (NOT!) SMOOTHIE

I found this AWESOME recipe for a healthy version of a peanut butter and chocolate sundae/smoothie (from Fitness magazine):

CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE
*3/4 cup frozen berries (I'd go for blackberries or raspberries, or you could use banana)
*1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt (soy or regular)
*1/2 cup low fat chocolate soy milk
*2 tbsp all natural peanut butter (smooth is best)

Add all items to a blender, blend until smooth. Only 355 calories and TASTY! Decadent without diet sabotage!

SELF LOVE

Take a moment today to relax and think about all that you love about yourself. Think about all that you appreciate and all the blessings you currently have in your life.

A game that I encourage everyone to try today:

1) Look around the room for 1 whole minute. Focus on finding all of the red in the room. Go ahead! Don't read ahead till you've finished!


2) Now, without looking, review all of the green you saw in the room.


Hard, isn't it? Isn't it interesting how difficult it is to notice something right in front of your eyes when your focus is elsewhere? Think about this today. Try to find the positive and suddenly the negative doesn't feel so overwhelming. :)

THE DAY AFTER

So, you've started a new eating and exercise plan and it's going really well. You feel motivated, positive, and on top of the world! Nothing is going to stop you this time, you finally feel fully committed and you're starting to see results!

Then it happens... One night you feel antsy and in the mood to snack. You start looking around the kitchen, in the fridge, in the pantry. Then you see something that you've been CRAVING! You start to justify it, "just a little, I'll just have a little, I've been so good lately, a little can't hurt".

You start to eat and you have more than you had planned. At first it's no big deal, but then you start to think about your unplanned mini-binge and you start to feel guilty and defeated. "Well, now I've blown my whole day, I might as well have some more". The combination of your guilt and your urge to snack leads to an all out binge. You eat any and everything that looks remotely tasty and even some things that you don't really want. The eating becomes a blur, you're no longer eating for satisfaction, you're eating just to eat... ultimately you're eating to self-sabotage. "If I'm not going to do it perfectly I'd rather just fail completely". Through this process you start a cycle that ruins your diet and reinforces your feelings of inadequacy. "Tomorrow I'll start a new diet and this time it'll be different" you tell yourself. And so the process starts all over again.

So what is a person to do when then find themselves on a diet detour? What do you do the day after you've fallen off the wagon? I've had this question posed from several people and I've gone through this myself, so here if what I feel is the best option:

1) Take a deep breath and start going through your emotions. What were you feeling when you started to eat? What did you feel when you "gave up"? Once you can identify what you were feeling, jot it down in a journal. Next jot down what your response to these feelings was (what you did) and think about what you could do differently next time.
2) LIVE IN THE PRESENT! Don't ignore your feelings, but don't dwell on them either. Focus on where you are RIGHT NOW, not what you did yesterday or what you're doing tomorrow. "Right now I am starting a new day and I am starting it positively".
3) FORGIVE YOURSELF and don't try to "make up" for it today. There's ultimately no real need to "forgive" yourself... to err is human. Perfection is a moment, not a state. Slip-ups are a part of life, so instead of focusing on making up for them or repenting, just focus on making good choices TODAY! Nothing you do will make up for last night, but every choice you make in the present WILL influence your end result TODAY.
4) Tonight, don't give yourself the chance to repeat the carnage. When you wind down for the day, take a half an hour to meditate. Taking time for reflection after a positive day of eating can help you to appreciate your accomplishments. It can also help to reduce your anxiety.
5) If you still have the urge to snack in the evening, TAKE A WALK! Getting outside and doing something physical can help to clear your head, put you in a positive mood, and prevent mindless snacking.

And so the cycle is broken! On top of these tips it is GREAT to keep a food/emotion journal. Keeping track of what you eat during the day and what you were feeling at that time will draw connections you can see between your emotions and food. Before you know it, you'll be eating better and appreciating yourself more!

SWINE FLU

I was going to avoid discussing Swine Flu because the hype and panic surrounding it only increases when it is at the forefront of the news. I have, however, decided to discuss the issue in order to help decrease some of the panic.

WHAT IS SWINE FLU AND WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS?
Swine flu is a genetic variant of the Influenza A virus, aka the flu. The reason experts are concerned about the swine flu is because it is a NEW flu virus, one that no human body has ever dealt with before, and therefore no one has immunity to it.

Think of the last time you had the flu. You felt miserable, your whole body ached, and all of these symptoms were related to your immune system trying to kill the flu virus. Once your body figured out how to kill that flu virus, the next time you came into contact with it, you didn't get sick (or it was less severe) because your body was prepared. When a new virus appears, your body has to fight the war all over again, and if you have a weakened immune system (like in the elderly and the young) or the virus is particularly virulent, your body might not be able to fight it off.

Now, on top of the lack of immunity in the general public, viruses have a tendency to mutate rapidly, as we have seen with the swine flu. It's ultimate goal as a virus is to survive, so it evolved its DNA to make it possible for it to pass from animals to humans, then from humans to humans. The problem is no one knows what the next evolution will be and the best way to prevent finding out is to stop the spread of the disease. That is why governments around the world are trying to be proactive in containing the outbreak: the less transmission, the less opportunity for the virus to mutate.

In addition to lack of human immunity and mutation, scientists do not know the long term effects of the swine flu since it only recently came into being. To spare you the microbiology, it is suffice to say that some viruses lead to increased risk of other conditions later in life. For example, Mono can increase your lymphoma risk and H. Pylori, which causes stomach ulcers, can lead to increased risk of contracting stomach cancer in your lifetime. Does Swine Flu have long-term effect on health? We just don't know and we don't want to find out.

HOW CAN I PREVENT SWINE FLU?
Avoid traveling to areas where swine flu is known to be and WASH YOUR HANDS!!!! Nothing helps to prevent the spread of disease MORE than washing your hands with plain old soap and water (NOT antibacterial soap, plain old castille soap). But keep in mind when washing your hands that the purpose of hand washing is the MECHANICAL removal of bacteria from the surface of your skin. In other words, you "wash off" bacteria and viruses, you don't kill them. To effectively do this, WET YOUR HANDS before applying soap and wash all areas (including between fingers!) for at least 30 seconds.

Taking Echinacea, Vitamin C, and Zinc can also help to bolster your immune system and prevent transmission of the disease.

Skip the masks! They only help in close contact and even then they aren't effective against viruses.



Swine Flu is just like the regular flu, so take precautions you would normally take, live your life and don't obsess!



ON ANOTHER NOTE: The inhumane conditions of large factory farms are breeding grounds for viruses like the swine flu. Become a vegetarian or petition your senator/congressman to introduce legislation that respects the welfare of the animals and increases regulation of the conditions animals can endure in factory farms. It's difficult, but watch the whole video below. Very informative

FOODS WITH PURPOSE

HERE is an article about foods you can eat to help improve specific aspects of your health. Good article, short and to the point. Here's a summary:

SKIN AND HAIR:
*Citrus fruits (for vitamin C)
*Tomatoes (for lycopene)
*Tofu (for soy protein)
*Flax (for omega 3 fatty acids)

EYES:
*Eggs
*Leafy Greens
*Broccoli
*Winter Squash
*Brussels Sprouts (all of these provide lutein and zeaxanthin)

BONES:
*Spinach & Broccoli (Vitamin D, Calcium, and Phosphorus together... good combo for bones!)
*Calcium-fortified Tofu

HEART:
*Whole Grains (for fiber)
*Fatty Fish (and Flax, for omega 3's)
*Fresh Fruits & Veggies (organic is even better!)

BRAIN:
*Flax (for omega 3's)
*Whole Grains (for fiber and minerals)
*Vitamin C, E, and Folate

DANGEROUS DIET PILLS

The FDA has just recalled the diet pill "Hydroxycut" due to numerous cases of liver failure and damage.

This is just one in a long line of cases that emphasize how dangerous diet pills are. Remember: diet and exercise lead to weight loss and some natural foods/herbs assist the body in the process (like tea and cayenne peppers), but NO pill or "herbal miracle" will take the weight off for you, and many diet pills just might kill you.

Most "diet" specific pills and teas contain compounds that put stress on the cardiovascular system (they stimulate heart rate, therefore increasing caloric needs and burn), like caffeine and guarana. But what they don't tell you is that the stress they put on your body can lead to permanent damage, including heart disease, hardening of the arteries, stroke, and heart attack. Apparently Hydroxycut also had ingredients that were hepatotoxic (damaging to the liver), and unfortunately you don't truly show signs of liver failure until it's gotten really bad, so the pills may be damaging your liver and you wouldn't even know it. Long story short: DON'T EVER TAKE DIET PILLS. They don't work and they're dangerous!

Also good to know: diet pills and herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA and therefore you never really know what you're getting. Another study came out about a month ago showing that 20 leading brands of multivitamins contained unsafe levels of lead!! Lead?! In my MULTIVITAMIN!!?

If you do take herbal supplements (NOT diet pills) like a multivitamin, make sure you buy from a reputable brand. NOTE: Don't start a new herbal supplement without speaking to your MD first!