Effective tips for weight loss!

Our body weight is determined by the amount of energy that we take in as food and the amount of energy we expend in the activities of our day. Energy is measured in calories. If your weight remains constant, you are probably taking in the same amount of calories that you burn each day. If you're slowly gaining weight over time, it is likely that your caloric intake is greater than the number of calories you burn through your daily activities.

The beginning of any weight loss journey is to know what the best ways to lose weight are. You need to know exactly what all you will have to do to get rid of unwanted body fat.

It is also important for you to stay motivated if you want to lose your body fat quickly. The best way to lose weight quickly is to burn more calories each day than what you consume.

There are few of the best and effective ways to lose weight:

1. Keep track of what you consume- Dieters who keep track of everything they eat lose twice as much weight as those who don't, research shows.

2. Drink lots of water- Drink lots of water because water acts as a fuel to your body and it can burn your body fat much faster.

3. Avoid hunger- Eat regular meals and snacks. Make sure you have some protein foods such as yogurt, tuna, beans or chicken for most meals. Research suggests that protein helps you feel full longer.

4. Make some stealth changes- This will get everyone in the family eating healthier. Buy low-fat 1% or skim milk, low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheese instead of the full-fat versions. Use them in recipes to cut the fat and calories.

5. Change your eating habits- The best and the most effective tip for weight loss is to change your eating habits. You need to get rid of all your bad habits. You will have to stop eating all types of fattening foods like fast foods and junk foods.

6. Buy a pedometer and get moving- Health experts recommend taking at least 10,000 steps a day, which is roughly 4 to 5 miles, depending on your stride length.

7. Treat yourself occasionally- If your chocolate craving is getting to you, try diet hot-chocolate packets. If you need a treat, go out for it, or buy small prepackaged portions of ice cream bars. If you love chocolate, consider keeping bite-size pieces in the freezer.

8. Cut out liquid calories- Eliminate soda and sugary drinks such as sweetened iced tea, sports drinks and alcoholic beverages. Liven up the taste of water by adding lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. Choose fat-free and 1% low-fat milk.

9. Pace, don't race- Force yourself to eat more slowly, and savor each bite.

10. Weigh yourself regularly- That's what successful dieters and those who manage to maintain weight loss do. Some step on the scales once a week. Others do so daily. Some find once a month is enough.

source by http://www.usatoday.com

Exercise Games and Fun Indoor Activities for Kids

A way to make exercising fun is through exercise games. Research shows that one of the most effective approaches to having an individual stick to a health fitness plan is by making their workouts fun. By turning working out into a games, you will forget that you are working out and instead laughs and compete your way toward a better body.

1. Jump Rope - Jumping rope is still a favorite on most playgrounds. Whether alone or in a group, jumping rope challenges both coordination and stamina. It's also a unique part of our cultural heritage. Historically it was first a game primarily for boys. Males usually did not use rhymes.

2. Popcorn Pushups – Put a small bowl of popcorn on the floor. Lower yourself down and stick out your tongue to get a piece of popcorn with each thrust.

3. Chart goals - Create a family fitness chart with things like jumping jacks, up and down stairs, hop on one foot and more favorite exercises. Have kids check off the activities or mark them with stickers as they complete the moves throughout the day.

4. Sock Skating – If you have hard floors, put on socks and skate around. See if you can do spins or hockey stops, or who can slide the farthest. Make sure to move the furniture and watch for splinters

5. Clean-Up Race – Set a timer or put on a song and see who can right the room the fastest.

6. Be video-game friendly. Not all video games are about becoming a couch potato. The Wii Fit and many others now have workout-themed games. Encourage your kids to get physical by skiing, dancing, balancing and more.

7. Jumping Jacks – Simple but good for coordination and they get your heart going. When my kids can't sleep, I make them do 25 to tire them out.

8. Obstacle Course – Create a furniture course in your apartment or take chalk and make a course outside.

Source by http://mommypoppins.com

Get Perfect Idea for Body Massage

There are various tips on massages and their techniques which are beneficial and can help you to make the most use of these massages. These top tips on massages are beneficial for your health and can provide benefits for both face and body massages also. A vital tip to remember here is that a full body massage can produce multiple benefits for your health. Since the full body massage includes the systematic, therapeutic stroking and kneading of your body's muscles it has various benefits.


1. Choose mild scented body massage oils. Use body oils that are mildly scented. Since you will be using the massage oil over the body, you don’t want the smell to become overwhelming.

2. Set and test the temperature in the room. The room needs to be at a pleasant temperature. She will be in her birthday suit and the last thing she wants to be covered in is goose bumps. So strip down and check it out.


3. Make the room a no phone zone. This time should be about you and the lucky person getting the body massage. You and she should leave your phones outside of the room, so there won't be any distractions.



4. Have a few refreshments. It won't be easy for her to enjoy the massage on an empty stomach. Have her eat nothing heavy, just some cheese, crackers and or strawberries with a little mild wine to wash it all down. That should be enough to curb the appetite.


5. Wrap a towel around her. You should start the body massage from her neck and work your way down. Have a full body towel to cover her with and just pull it down as you go, so she won't catch a chill. After a few minutes, her body heat will increase from the massage. She may no longer need a towel to keep her warm.


Source by http://www.mademan.com

Types of Exercise

A comprehensive physical activity routine includes three kinds of activities:

 1.  Aerobic exercise
 2.  Resistive or strengthening exercise
 3.  Stretching


 What is Aerobic Exercise ?

 Aerobic exercise is vigorous enough to increase the body's need for oxygen and hence air intake and breathing rate increase.  Aerobic exercise is done at a pace that allows an adequate supply of oxygen to reach your muscles as you work out.  If you can hum to yourself or carry on a conversation as you work out then you are probably exercising aerobically.  This type of exercise can be continued for 20 - 45 minutes without being exhausting.

Some Examples of Aerobic Exercise include:

 1.Swimming

 2.Brisk Walking

 3.Rowing

 4.Dancing

 5.Jumping rope

 6.Aerobics classes


 What is Resistive or strengthening exercise ? 

 This exercise increases muscle mass, which increases your metabolism and strength. Strength training isn't just for body builders. Many strengthening exercises also help improve your balance and endurance for everyday activities. Resistive exercises can be done using:

 1.Weight machines such as those in a gym or fitness center

 2.Elastic bands

 3.Your own body weight


 What is Stretching Exercise ?

Stretching is important!Stretching increases your flexibility, helps prevent injuries, and can be very relaxing. (Meaning it's good for your physical and mental health.) The two most important things to remember when stretching are:

 1.Do each stretch slowly

 2.Hold each stretch for 30 seconds

source by http://www.wakehealth.edu

Top Heart Healthy Foods

1. Yogurt

Researchers from Japan analyzed dietary intakes from nearly 1,000 adults and found those who consumed the highest levels of dairy—specifically yogurt and yogurt-type drinks—had the healthiest gums. Their report, published in the Journal of Periodontology, credits probiotics (a.k.a. “good bacteria”) as one possible champion of gum health. Experts believe that probiotics may help to counter growth of the “unfriendly” bacteria in the mouth. Probiotics are live active cultures used to ferment foods, such as yogurt and kefir (fermented milk), and studies suggest that they may improve digestion and boost immunity too.

2. Raisins

Research has shown that antioxidants in raisins fight the growth of a type of bacteria that can cause inflammation and gum disease. People with gum disease—which affects up to 50 percent of American adults—are twice as likely to suffer from heart problems. So, dealing with one can help people avoid the other. Last summer, a major heart journal and a major periodontal journal simultaneously published a consensus paper that outlines the link between the two diseases: inflammation. As a result, choosing certain foods, such as raisins, may help you protect both your gums and your heart.

3. Beans

Eating beans regularly is good for your heart, and you don’t need to eat a lot of them to benefit. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests having just 1⁄2 cup of cooked pinto beans daily might lower cholesterol. Soluble fiber is a key reason why, says Philip Ades, M.D., author of the EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (The Countryman Press, 2008). “Like all foods that contain a lot of soluble fiber, beans help bind cholesterol and keep it from being absorbed in the gut,” he explains. And, as the fiber is fermented, it produces changes in short-chain fatty acids that can inhibit cholesterol formation. (By-products of this same fermentation process are what cause the gas so often associated with eating beans.)

4. Nuts

Nuts are chock-full of vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and low levels of saturated fats. Research suggests that people who eat nuts—walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and peanuts (which actually are legumes)—two to four days or more per week have a lower incidence of heart disease than people who eat them less often.

5. Tomatoes

An excellent source of vitamin C, plus vitamin A, potassium and fiber, tomatoes are high in lycopene, which works with other vitamins and minerals to aid in disease prevention. Research suggests that the combination of nutrients in tomatoes may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Cooking may actually increase the health benefits of this lush fruit because although cooked tomatoes have less vitamin C, their lycopene is more available and antioxidant activity is undiminished by cooking.

Source by http://www.eatingwell.com

How do you keep yourself Healthy & fit?

The path to a regular exercise routine has great rewards as well as roadblocks. We’ll help make it simple and safe – and give you motivation to push on.

1.       Mix-and-Match Pilates Moves for a Strong, Sleek Body

These Pilates moves with a twist—from Molly Sigman’s new Pilates with Weights class at The Sports Club/LA–San Francisco—mixes the core-firming of Pilates with the muscle-shaping of weight-training.

2.       10 Minutes to All-Over Toned

Get a more beautiful body in less than 10 minutes a day with these fat-blasting (and energizing) moves from trainer Erin O’Brien, who created the workouts for Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi’s new DVD, Power Workout.

3.       The Beach Body Workout

Say hello to summer with these pointers from personal trainer and former top boxer Cara Castronuova, who’s just finishing up her first season shaping bodies and minds on NBC’s hit show The Biggest Loser.

4.       10 Best Workouts for Your Sex Life

Apart from doing the deed itself, these 10 exercises are the sexiest ways to break a sweat. They’ll get your heart racing—in more ways than one!

5.       Bounce Off Belly Fat!

Have a ball with this fast ab-sculpting workout!

6.       Your Best Body Ever: The Workout

Love your shape—starting right now—with this five-week plan that gets you strong, toned and thoroughly thin (Loose 15 pounds down in just 5 weeks).

7.       Mix and Match Total-Body Workout

Design your own fresh routine with these moves from exercise physiologist and trainer Amy Dixon.

8.       How to Make Your Winter Workout Seem Easier

I woke up Sunday morning and stuck my head out the window, hopeful that my friends who were running the ING New York City Marathon would have good weather. They were in luck.

9.       Create Your Own Sculpting Workout

Get a beautiful body your way by mixing up these moves from hot Hollywood trainer Tracy Anderson.

10.   Bar Method Silver Lake

The Targeted Body Sculpting Workout $100/Unlimited Month - New Clients

Source by  http://www.health.com