Tag Archive for: #wonderfullyfit

Tips for Better Sleep

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Sleep is an important aspect of our day-to-day lives. Not only does it help restore our energy levels, but sleep supports healthy brain function so you can protect your mental and physical health. In fact, ongoing sleep deficiency is related to a number of chronic health problems while also having negative effects on your thoughts, behavior, and concentration.

In other words, without proper sleep you risk problems at work, in relationships, and with your health. Fortunately, there are many ways you can improve your sleep so you are well rested and ready to take on anything that comes your way. The following tips for better sleep are easy to follow and effective.

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Listen to your Body

Mostly, you should go to sleep when you feel tired, but you also want to move toward a stable sleep and wake cycle. Especially if you’re a night owl, you should try to gradually move your bedtime earlier so you get sufficient sleep. Most experts recommend about 8 hours of sleep per night, but it’s actually more important to get good quality sleep than a particular quantity of sleep.

Avoid your Clock

Clock watching usually exacerbates sleep-related stress when you’re not able to sleep. So set your alarm to wake up, but turn your clock or watch away from you while you sleep. This way you’ll avoid staring at the clock and you’ll be less likely to stress about when you are going to finally fall asleep.

Avoid Caffeine

Many insomniacs are shocked to learn that their own behavior is a leading cause of sleep disturbances. Avoid caffeine drinks for at least 6 to 8 hours before bedtime.

Try Breathing Exercises

Concentrated breathing exercises can bring about a state of relaxation and promote sleeping. At the same time, breathing exercises can distract an overly active mind that prevents you from sleeping. Most importantly, breathing exercises needn’t be difficult. Simply concentrating on long, slow breaths in and out may be enough to put you to sleep.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps you to burn calories during the day so your body doesn’t have to do it overnight. Also, exercise helps to drain you mentally and physically so you feel more tired at night. Research shows that even morning exercise can help you sleep at night. Plus, exercise can ameliorate many conditions, such as restless leg syndrome, that are known to prevent a restful sleep.

Sound Therapy

Finally, sound therapies have also been shown to be highly effective in promoting sleep. In fact, sound products can reduce the time required to fall asleep while also concentrating the amount of restorative sleep you receive. Individuals who suffer from stress, anxiety, and pain may benefit from the relaxing nature of sound therapies that serve to reduce mental activity that may prevent sleep.

5 Cardio Workouts to Burn Fat

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Everything you know about cardio is about to change. You’re about to discover the truth about 5 cardio workouts to burn fat and lose more belly fat in less workout time.

Let’s start by looking at the old, outdated way of burning fat.

cardio

Cardio Workout #1 to burn fat: Slow cardio

The first cardio workout to burn fat is “Old School Cardio”. For years, we’ve been fooled into thinking that we need long, slow, boring cardio workouts to burn fat. However, too many men and women slave away on the cardio machines for 40, 60 and even 90 minutes per workout without burning fat. How is this possible?

To be honest, I don’t know exactly why it doesn’t work, but two recent research studies found that women doing 40-60 minutes of low intensity cardio, 3-5 days per week, did not lose belly fat after at least 12 weeks of cardio. Based on those results, slow cardio is not one of the best cardio workouts to burn fat.

In fact, in one of those studies, researchers tested high-intensity cardio, and found that high-intensity cardio was able to burn fat.

Cardio Workout #2 to burn fat: High-intensity cardio

The only problem is that high-intensity cardio requires you to work as hard as you can until you burn at least 400 calories in a workout. That will take you at least 40 minutes – so while this is one of the better cardio workouts to burn fat, it’s still not the best.

A better approach is to use interval training. This is the third cardio workout to burn fat.

Cardio Workout #3 to burn fat: Interval training cardio

In a study from Australia that compared 2 cardio workouts to burn fat, subjects doing 3 interval training workouts per week lost a significant amount of belly fat while another group doing 40 minutes of slow cardio per week did not burn belly fat.

So interval training is a much better workout choice for fat loss. To do interval training, you do a normal warm-up, and then you alternate between hard exercise and easy exercise, then you follow with a cool down. This routine only takes twenty minutes.

Here’s a sample of the interval cardio workouts to burn fat. Do a 5 minute warm-up, and then exercise for 1 minute at a pace that is 10-20% harder than your normal cardio intensity. After that 1 minute, decrease your exercise pace all the way down to cool-down level. Repeat that hard-easy cycle 5 more times. Finish with 3 minutes of cool-down.

Cardio Workout #4 to burn fat: Tabata Interval cardio

Since interval training became popular, personal trainers have been looking for other short cardio workouts to burn fat. A study from Japan used something that is known as the “Tabata Protocol”, and many trainers believe this is even better than cardio and regular intervals. The fourth cardio workout to burn fat is the Tabata Interval program.

I’m not convinced it is better than regular intervals, but it is a heck of a hard way to do a fat burning workout. After a warm-up, you 20 seconds of hard work followed by 10 seconds of recovery. Repeat that 8 times. This fat burning workout takes only 4 minutes!

Cardio Workout #5 to burn fat: Bodyweight circuit cardio

Finally, the fifth cardio workout for fat burning is bodyweight circuit training. Like intervals and the Tabata workouts, bodyweight circuit training is not really “cardio”, however, these are the three better cardio workouts to burn fat.

Whatever you want to call bodyweight cardio, here’s how it works.

First, you start with a quick, easy bodyweight exercise, such as Jumping Jacks.

After that, alternate between 3 lower-body and 3 upper-body bodyweight exercises, using squats, push-ups, lunges, pulling exercises like rows or chin-ups, split squats, and total body ab exercises like mountain climbers.

Finally, finish off the 8 exercise circuit with a tough total body exercise like jumps, burpees, or running in place. Now that’s fat burning cardio!

Those are 5 cardio workouts to burn fat. Only two are “traditional”, but those 2 are the longest, and least effective. The shorter fat burning cardio workouts are the best way to burn belly fat fast.

Exercise for Better Sleep

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Of all ailments that folks can end up having, insomnia has effects on thousands and thousands of folks every single year, meaning so many people are wandering around sleep-deprived. This kind of unpleasant condition can certainly cause disorder in an individuals everyday life if not dealt with.

On the other hand, taking prescription drugs just isn’t a decision many folks desire to explore simply because it can make waking up in the am extremely hard. Now there are several other ways for just how to fall asleep fast, by researching natural methods which can include lifestyle improvements, physical exercise, health boosting eating plan, and herbal supplements.

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The initial method will be to take a look at your eating routine. Have you been eating fried or greasy ingredients? This could trigger stomach upset and also heartburn, thus resulting in an inability to fall asleep rapidly at night. Converting to a healthy eating routine is usually an awesome method for ways to fall asleep easily at night. Enjoying plenty of fresh fruits, produce, whole grain products, and plenty of lean meats will go a very long way when it comes to having your rest.

Do you work out around 30 minutes a few times a week? If not, then perhaps you should, as there is medical studies that performing light exercise can produce a relaxing and good slumber. If you’re searching for an effortless to go to sleep fast, this process is definitely a clear winner. Furthermore, one’s body will give many thanks, both inwardly and outwardly.

Performing way of life adjustments in your normal routine will be able to lower tension in your life as well as make it easier to follow a proper sleeping pattern. For example, make a habit of going to bed by a particular time frame each night, and waking up at the same time every morning. This will re-establish your “body clock”, and you’ll realize how to (blank) asleep fast each and every time you retire for the evening.

Herbs as well as green teas may also perform in conjunction with changes in lifestyle, good diet, and simple working out. Try having some chamomile teas, since it is well-known due to its calming attributes and it quite safe to use. Herbal products just like Valerian root and melatonin, are perfectly tolerated by nearly everybody and possess practically no unwanted effects.

The Top Ten Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss!

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In conjunction with daily exercise, including healthy snacks in your diet is crucial. There are fibrous foods and protein foods, which make up the two main sources of nutrition.

Food that burns fat needs a higher calorie amount in order to burn energy than what is actually present in the food content, which is a proven fact. The term “calorie negative foods” is used to describe this.

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Here is a series of healthy snacks to include in your diet:

#1. Apples

Apples contain a chemical called pectin that inhibits a cell’s fat absorption abilities. In addition, you will eat less since the fiber content in apples causes you to feel full more quickly. On a final note, the stored cellulite in your body is able to be dispersed through the food’s water absorption.

#2. Fruits Containing Vitamin C

Oranges, grapefruits, guava, sweet limes, papayas, lemons, tomatoes and tangerines are citrus fruits that contain high concentrations of fiber and Vitamin C. These citrus fruits are considered to be healthy snacks because of their ability to burn fat. The body needs a certain amount of Vitamin C to ensure proper function in fat burning.

The body is also able to burn fat more quickly because of the production of carnitine amino acid. Vitamin C is able to dilute any stored fat in the body, thus hampering its functionality. In other words, the fat in your body is more readily dissolved.

#3. Dairy/Calcium Foods

Products such as cheese, milk and yogurt enhance fat burning in the body. You could start making your own frozen yogurt popsicle to eat as a dessert.

#4 Nuts

While these boost metabolism and allow you to feel fuller more quickly, nuts are an ideal snack. However, avoid including any salted or processed nuts in your snacking. The most ideal choice would be to eat organic almonds.

#5. Frozen Juice Bars

You might as well have an ice cream truck visiting your street when you pull out one of those delicious frozen juice bars. Gidus has said, “They’re sweet and tangy, and anything frozen takes longer to eat”. “They’re just a few calories, and they’ve even got some vitamins.”

#6. Bubble Gum

You ought to ask yourself just how hungry you really are when you are thinking about grabbing that extra snack. You should take out a piece of bubble gum if you feel any uncertainty whatsoever. In fact, in a matter of sixty minutes, chewing gum could very well burn as much as eleven calories.

#7. Beef Jerky

You may be surprised, but this is quite a healthy snack to eat. There is approximately one gram of fat, twelve grams of protein and anywhere from seventy to eighty calories in an ounce of beef jerky.

#8. Avocados

This fruit makes you feel full more quickly since it is packed with fiber.

#9. Protein

Foods containing high levels of protein that burn more energy than what is stored during digestion would be oatmeal, low-cal dairy foods, whole grain foods, eggs and legumes.

#10. Green Tea

Green tea would be an ideal beverage to consume on a regular basis since numerous studies from the past have concluded that this drink actually boosts the metabolic rate.

The foods that have been outlined here are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to snacking your way through to weight loss. Feel free to download our free report from the home page on this website.

You will have to use more energy than you consume through food if you are going to lose weight, but you must also understand that not eating three times daily can actually pose adverse effects on your metabolic rate.

By incorporating these healthy, calorie negative snacks into your diet, you can be sure that you will realize the desired calorie deficit results in your weight loss. You can make your goals into a reality by eating these healthy snacks for weight loss on a daily basis.

Top 4 Bodyweight Training Myths

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Bodyweight exercsies are very quickly becoming an extremely popular way to improve ones body. But this great popularity also comes with lots of “myths” surround bodyweight training.

I’m here to clear all these up and get to the bottom of all the confusion:

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Bodyweight Training Myth #1: The Only Way to Lose Fat with Bodyweight Training is to Perform Super High Repetitions

Most people stick to basic pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats. And when the workout starts to get too easy, they simply add repetitions or add sets, especially if their goal is to lose fat. The only thing this does is make a workout last incredibly long.

The real way to lose fat with bodyweight exercises is to make your workouts more intense and challenging. Do this by using intensity techniques such as circuit training. Circuit training is where you choose 4 or more exercises and perform them back to back with little to no rest in between each exercise.

Bodyweight Training Myth #2: Bodyweight Exercise is another Form of Cardio

I think there’s a confusion between bodyweight exercises and calisthenics. Calisthenics is aerobic exercises using your own bodyweight. Exercises such as jumping jacks, run in place, and high knees would be classified as calisthenics. Bodyweight training is strength exercises using your own bodyweight.

Pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats are not a form of cardio. Both bodyweight exercises and calisthenics are very good ways to use your bodyweight to lose fat. However, you do need to place a distinction between the two. These two words are not interchangeable.

Bodyweight Training Myth #3: There’s No way You can Burn fat and Build Lean Muscle mass at the Same time with Bodyweight Exercises

People are starting to understand how you can burn fat and gain muscle mass with high intensity weight training. So why can’t you do the same with bodyweight exercises? If you use exercises that challenge you enough, then you can easily burn fat and build muscle at the same time.

Once again, the formula to achieve this is to organize difficult movements into workouts using high intensity techniques. One of these techniques is circuit training. But I’ll now reveal a second effective training techniques called interval training. Interval training is simply alternating between periods of high and low intensity training intervals.

Bodyweight Training Myth #4: Bodyweight Exercises won’t work if you’re Overweight or Obese

If anything, overweight and obese individuals need to perform bodyweight exercises. This is because the greatest problem with these individuals is a lack of mobility. Greater mobility and flexibility can be achieved with very simple bodyweight movements such as the chair squat.

The chair squat is exactly what it sounds like: sit on a chair, and get up. But think about how many times we sit down and get up on a daily basis. This is the most basic function of our lives, and yet our hip muscles are not being effectively strengthened to perform such a basic activity.

Low Carb Diet – Is It Suitable For You?

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The Low Carb Diet has been steadily growing in popularity over recent years. There have been claims by many that reduced levels of carbohydrates in the diet of a person can assist with weight loss as well as help to improve other aspects of the body’s health.

Today there are a multitude of carbohydrate reduction programs available in the market. Some of these programs are based around promoting meal replacement products, which is an industry in itself these days. Other programs involve the participant completing an initial detox followed then with a diet that produces a great reduction in carbohydrate intake.

When deciding which program to follow, it is well worth taking the time to compare your options as methods in each program will suit some people and not others. Books and magazines containing reduced carbohydrate recipes can be found in abundance these days. Check with your local book shop and also online if you would like to purchase your own.

When it comes to selecting foods for your Low Carb Diet there is a category of foods that are often referred to as ‘super foods’. What are these super foods? Dark leafy greens are number one. These are rich in vitamins and minerals so it is advised to try to consume some of these in each of your meal portions throughout the day. Next is salmon.

This super food is renowned for its high levels of nutrients as well as the highly publicized omega-3 fatty acid content. Flax seeds may be completely new to some people. These are also super foods and are high in fiber, contain omega-3 fatty acids and are also rich in nutrients. When devising your eating plan, try to mix in as many of these as you can.

So the big question is, is a Low Carb Diet suitable for everyone? Absolutely not. People suffering eating disorders such as anorexia which may have already left them underweight should steer clear of any diet that reduces carbohydrate intake. Pregnant women should also avoid this type of diet. The only exception to this is if they have been specifically instructed by their doctor or a health professional to follow such a regime.

Diet alone is not the answer when it comes to weight loss. Moderate exercise should become a part of your weekly diet plan. Reducing carbohydrate intake can produce a great reduction in weight and body fat. The key to achieving these results is consistency.

This type of diet is also a great way to shed those extra couple of pounds that can sometimes be put on quickly. If you are considering a Low Carb Diet or any other type of diet, it is recommended that you consult a doctor or nutritionist.

Avoiding and Curing Halitosis

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Halitosis, or bad breath, is mainly caused by bacteria building up on the back and under layers of the tongue. There are plenty of treatments available for bad breath, and these are important in good oral health.

It is often asked whether only some people or everyone suffers with halitosis? In order to cure, you must know the causes and triggers of bad breath.

Halitosis

Bad Breath Indicators

When observing people reporting problems, it is common to see a build-up of mucus and bacteria, especially towards the back of mouth and tongue. Removing this film will not always cure the bad breath. Other symptoms of halitosis are a beige or white layer on the tongue, suffering with a dry or dehydrated mouth, tasting metallic or sour tastes, drainage from nasal passages and nodules of a white color on the tonsils. Often, no amount of flossing or brushing of the teeth will cure this.

Causes of Halitosis

Halitosis will affect everyone during their life, but it is only an issue if it remains for a long period, or if it is a symptom of another medical problem. If cured by mouthwash or brushing your teeth, it is known as transient halitosis. When cured in this way, it can often have been triggered by eating foods such as fish, garlic or cheese. It can also occur if you have slept overnight, have been stressed or fasting.

Curing Bad Breath

Identifying the problem. If people you are talking to cough, cover their nose, give you a mint or back away, these can suggest you may be suffering with chronic bad breath.

Using certain types of medicine can often be a cause. Some can cause your mouth to dry, and can often cause halitosis almost immediately. If you find this, ask your doctor to see if there are alternatives.

Drinking at least 2 litres of water every day can be beneficial if you suffer from bad breath, and combined with a sugar-free chewing gum can help prevent dry mouth, which triggers halitosis.

Avoiding or minimising stress is always beneficial, as stress has been shown to trigger the dry mouth which can cause bad breath. Consider yoga, which is a known de-stresser.

Have a robust oral hygiene regime. Brush and floss your teeth, and scrape the tongue.

Avoid foods that can cause bad breath, such as dairy products and red meat, especially avoiding cheese.

Bodyweight Training (Great For Athletes and Regular Exercisers)

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Many athletes (as well as the casual exerciser), feel that they can get absolutely no benefit from bodyweight training. They feel it’s too easy for them. But i feel this is a big mistake because bodyweight exercises are essential for training athletes, as well as help exercisers of all skill levels burn fat, build strong muscles and improve fitness.

Lets look at some things advanced athletes and regular exercisers can do to make their workouts even more intense using bodyweight training.

bodyweight training

Here is what happens: We have been brainwashed to believe physical training is resistance Training (weight lifting) and Cardio. We do sets and reps of a certain exercise to target a certain muscle group with certain rest periods. Then after we are done treating the body like a bunch of parts, we do some aerobic cardio to improve the heart and lungs.

So, athletes think that doing a workout with only the resistance of their own body is too easy because there is no added resistance. And here’s the thing… if you are only getting the inflated muscles of bodybuilders, they are probably right.

However, I believe the body should be trained as one complete unit. The entire body, all the muscles as well as the heart and lungs should be challenged at the same time. The lines between resistance training and cardio training need to be blurred. I would ask the athletes, “Is your sport done in a compartmentalized way with robotic actions where strength and cardio-respiratory endurance are separate?

Or, is your entire body needed to work in unison in order to excel at your sport?” Bodyweight training is great for switching between strength exercises and “cardio” exercises seamlessly… which is an excellent way to train.

Plus, exercise is really a question of movement. And there are two types of movement: moving your own body through space, and moving objects through space. I would argue that for most athletes, being able to control and move your own body around with strength, balance, flexibility and coordination is going to help your perform better. And for the regular exerciser, bodyweight training is important to prepare your for the physical and mental challenges you face in your everyday life.

My recommendation is to blur the lines between strength training and cardio-respiratory training in the same bodyweight workout. For example, complete a circuit of push up, air squats and crunches as fast as possible without rest, and then do 50 jumping jacks before repeating the circuit 2-5 times… and repeat for 20 minutes without rest. This type of bodyweight workout targets all your muscles as well as your heart and lungs and trains the body to work as one complete unit.

I encourage you to add bodyweight training to your overall workout program regardless of whether you are a high-performance athlete or just a regular exerciser trying to improve fitness and control your weight. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective bodyweight training can be. And when your heart is pounding, your breathing is hard and you are laying on the ground in a pool of your own sweat, ask yourself… “Are bodyweight exercises too easy?”

Low Carb Diet Foods – How to Identify Them So You Can Lose Weight Fast

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Losing weight and sticking with a diet is all about not giving up. You give up when it gets too challenging – thus the easiest way to diet is by… making it easy on yourself! This can be as simple as making smarter food choices during the day, and substituting one thing for another in ways you’ll hardly even notice.

Lets talk about low carb diet foods and how to incorporate them to melt fat off you immediately.

The number one carbohydrate you need to avoid is sugar. Sugar will send your body into fat storage mode by spiking insulin immediately. That seems simple – stay away from soda, right? Unfortunately even the foods you believe are the healthiest are loaded with sugar.

This is the reason so many people are confused when they diet. Low fat yogurt sounds like a diet staple, right? Would you be surprised to hear that one small low fat yogurt has nearly the amount of super-fattening refined sugar as a can of Pepsi? Check the label.

Read labels, and pick only the items and sauces that have less sugar. Even easier than this is by adjusting what you drink. Fruit juices are loaded with sugar and can be subbed out for teas you can sweeten with Splenda. Obviously, soda should be switched for diet soda.

Even replacing sugary beverages alone will allow you to cut between 200-800 calories per day. Less sugar will also keep your metabolism boosted, allowing you to burn more calories as the day progresses. Green tea will also turbo-charge your metabolism and reduce your appetite.

To Go or Not to Go Herbal, that is the Question…

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Many people nowadays are turning to “organics” and “naturals” otherwise known as herbals. The rising popularity of herbal supplements has created a new fad if not a new health lifestyle. But before you join the bandwagon, here are some things you need to know about this mean, “green” dietary supplementing machine.

What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?

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According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims.

For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.

Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.

Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources.

But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.

Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?

Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.

Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?

Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health—whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:

Your doctor knows best.

First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.

Follow the directions for use.

Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of

It has no approved curative effect.

No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.