A big congratulations to our winners Linda, Becky and Simon… and to the grey team who won the team event with 6 straight wins! As usual we had many fantastic results, way too many to mention here so I’ll just announce the winners for each category. In the female category we had two winners with both ladies losing […]
The post 6 Week Challenge Winners appeared first on Personal Trainer Sydney | Dangerously Fit | Boot Camp Fitness.
Cucumbers don't just hydrate - there's more to this nutritious treat. Cucumbers are a good source of vitamin C and fiber, not to mention silica, which is responsible for healthy tissue, bones, and skin. Luckily, Summer is the perfect time to enjoy this refreshing veggie. Check out these 18 cucumber recipes that will help you beat the heat!
- Additional reporting by Aemilia Madden
Having a strong back and abs is the support system to the way the rest of your body functions. Get stronger, and ward of injuries.
There are tons of hummus varieties available to purchase, from roasted red pepper to spinach and artichoke. But making homemade hummus takes next to no time, tastes fresher - and the best part is you can experiment with unique ingredients to make it even more delicious and nutritious.
If you're always aiming to get more fiber in your diet, this recipe made with black beans instead of garbanzos will offer slightly more than a traditional hummus recipe. Half a cup of black beans contains six grams of fiber and seven grams of protein. And while chickpeas contain the same amount of protein, they only have five grams of fiber. Black beans are also slightly higher in iron, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B1. Pair this tasty hummus with crackers or fresh veggies or smear it on toasted bread.
From Jenny Sugar, POPSUGAR Fitness
1 clove garlic
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Nutritional information for 1 tablespoon of dip:
Could you be Allergic to Exercise? Some people are in fact, allergic to exercise, and in unusual instances, a sweaty workout might just be enough to kill them. An individual with exercise-induced angioedema or EIA is an allergic reaction to exercise in which a person may feel tired, warm, or itchy during the first few […]
The post Life Threatening Allergy to Exercise – Exercise-Induced Angioedema (EIA) appeared first on Personal Trainer Sydney | Dangerously Fit | Boot Camp Fitness.
Take 10 minutes out of your day to lift your seat! This tush-toning workout from Hayden Panettiere's Pilates instructor, Heather Dorak, will sculpt and tone your backside. Grab a light weight - three to five pounds - and get ready to feel the burn.
Take 10 minutes out of your day to lift your seat! This tush-toning workout from Hayden Panettiere's Pilates instructor, Heather Dorak, will sculpt and tone your backside. Grab a light weight - three to five pounds - and get ready to feel the burn.
You've been eating right and exercising for a while, but that stubborn belly fat just won't budge! Along with incorporating foods that fight fat into your diet, here are some ways to burn that pooch away while you are out on a run.
Intervals are proven to reduce belly fat and rev up metabolism; instead of running at the same pace for the entire workout, try alternating between periods of pushing your body to the max and periods of recovery. Here's a list of interval workouts for you to try:
Unfortunately you can't spot treat when it comes to weight loss, which is one reason why solely doing crunches won't whittle your waistline. The key is to decrease overall body fat, and the one way to do that is to burn calories. Lengthening your workout will do just that. Every five minutes of running at a 10-minute-per-mile pace burns about 45 calories. Think about that on your next run, and it'll motivate you to keep going!
You're working hard to diminish your overall body weight, which will slim down your belly, so you can reveal toned abs underneath. Here's one way to strengthen your core. Do one-minute intervals in which you run with high knees (like in this cardio workout you can do in your living room). Concentrate on using your abs rather than your leg muscles to kick your knees up as high as you can.
Here's another core killer if you're using a treadmill. Set the pace to 1.0 mph. Place your feet on a Plyo Box that's set up about two feet behind the back of the treadmill. Come into plank position with your hands straddling the treadmill belt. Step your hands on the belt and start walking, keeping your torso in one straight line. Do this for one minute, pulling your belly in toward your spine. Watch the above shredmill move in action here!
When you want to really get your heart pumping, there's nothing like a cardio workout. But even a few minutes on the treadmill or elliptical can leave us feeling like hamsters on a wheel, and ending a workout early certainly won't accomplish the burn we desire. Thankfully, there are plenty of other cardio workouts that don’t require stepping on the dreadmill.
Follow along as Jaime McFaden, a personal trainer at Grokker, leads this 20-minute cardio routine complete with jumping jacks, mountain climbers, and chair squats. It’s impossible to get bored because you’ll switch up the moves every minute. Once you complete one circuit, repeat it, then finish off with the cool-down.
Ready to get sweaty? Just press play.
Here’s the full recap:
Perform each move for 60 seconds.
Circuit (2 rounds)
Jumping jacks
High plank with knee extension
Squat hops
March
Mountain climbers
Fast feet
Good mornings
Push-ups
Chair squats
Cool-Down (on both sides)
Runner’s lunge
Hamstring stretch
Triangle pose
Interested in more short and effective home workouts? Find thousands more on Grokker, the one-stop online resource for wellness. Grokker sifts through thousands of videos on the web, constantly filtering and aggregating the best cooking, yoga, and fitness videos available so you don’t have to.
If a 10-minute mile is your speed, here's a playlist custom-made for your workout routine. Each tune is 150 BPM, the perfect tempo to keep your pace. Whether you love Florence + the Machine or DJ Khaled, there's a little something for everyone on this mix. Subscribe to the Spotify playlist, then keep reading for the full list of songs.
If this mix isn't your pace, check out all our workout playlists here to find something that works.
Remember, you will need to download the free Spotify software or app to listen to our playlists.
Following a daily routine can be comforting, and it’s a great way to add stability to your life, especially with the chaos of the world around us. But keeping a rigid schedule also means we rarely step out of our comfort zones. So we’re not just forgetting to take time to smell the roses, we also miss out on that spontaneous hike that would have shown us even more glorious parts of nature. We get it; trying something new requires courage, but taking that leap can open up amazing life experiences.
That’s why we’ve partnered with our friends at STOKED to create a challenge that’s all about taking small risks every day. The award-winning non-profit is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and over the last decade, STOKED has helped thousands of underprivileged kids try something new and uncomfortable, like snowboarding and surfing. These experiences help kids build confidence and teaches them they can succeed at things that seem daunting. (To learn more and/or donate to STOKED, check out their website.)
This month’s challenge includes small risks designed to make you feel a little uncomfortable, from introducing yourself to stranger on the street to rocking a solo karaoke performance. We all have a different level of tolerance for risk taking, so we also recommend jotting down a few activities that scare you and taking time to tackle them throughout the month. If you're feeling inspired, share your risky adventures and new beginnings by using the hashtag #greatistrisk! And don’t forget to check back next month for a brand new challenge.
Want to have a perfect day of eating? Registered holistic nutritionist Yuri Elkaim shared these science-backed tips with YourTango on what you should and shouldn't be eating every day.
No excuses. Eat like a champ.
While chatting with one of my coaching clients last week, I heard something I hear a lot:
"Thank you for making this so straightforward. I hear so many different diet suggestions, and so many of them are contrary. I can't tell what I'm really supposed to be eating, so I get confused and frustrated, and just fall back into old, familiar habits."
Yep, I hear that. I get that. And I bet you do, too.
Diet advice is all over the map. Some diets say you can have your cake and eat it, too. Others tell you cake is the root of all evil. So, which is it?
The answer to that question is: it's both. All these diets are mostly right about there being a thousand ways to drop pounds. You can count calories or cut carbs. You can focus on fat and eat bacon, or go 100 percent vegan and never touch a piece of pork again.
After years of studying nutrition and fitness, it's clear to me that different people want different things from their bodies. And there are diets and plans for all of them.
If you want to bulk up, you'll chase protein.
If you want to optimize for marathons or extreme sports, you'll need a precisely balanced plate of carbs and proteins and fats.
If you want to heal illness and inflammation, you'll start by cutting sugar.
But, what if you just want to eat right?
What if you want to do all the things - lose weight, cleanse toxins, find a flat belly, boost energy, and live a long and healthy life?
There is a way to optimize your health, to give your body exactly what it needs. There is a perfect way to eat. One that will give you a vibrant, healthy, youthful body. As grand as that promise is, it's actually really easy to follow.
If I could take all my years of nutrition schooling, hundreds of hours of fitness coaching, and thousands of hours of reading and researching, and distill it into a single one-page plan, this is it.
Following these basic concepts will change your body for the better. Ready? Let's walk through the basics. I've also created a simple 1-page downloadable plan so you can start today.
You don't just deserve to read about the perfect day of eating; you deserve to enjoy it.
The Perfect Day of Eating is going to turn 1 day of eating into 2 simple basics:
That's it! We're going to make this so easy. There are things that should be going into your body and there are things that should not.
Here are a few things 100 percent worth cutting from your diet:
1. Sugar.
We've become accustomed to it, obsessed with it. Though many diets flirt around with sugar as a "sneak" or "cheat," sugar is completely unnecessary.
It adds zero nutritional value, and actually causes measurable harm to the body. Sugar weakens your bones, causes obesity, creates drug-like cravings, and more. Nixing sugar is a vital first-step for a perfect day of eating.
Download my FREE 7-Day Sugar Detox Plan.
2. Gluten.
Avoiding gluten isn't just a good idea for celiacs; it's a good idea for everybody. Wheat, especially refined white flour, stops up your gut, promotes inflammation, and leads to "brain fog" and other mood disorders.
If you deal with nightly bloating, low energy, or mood swings, omit grain for a week and see if you don't notice an incredible difference. Of course, in the perfect day of eating, we're focusing on cleansing and healthy foods. Gluten simply doesn't make the cut.
3. Dairy.
If added hormones and antibiotics don't turn you away from milk, consider this: cow milk contains 4 times more protein than human milk. That's because baby cows have to get big really fast.
Cow milk is designed to grow a little cow into a big one. Unless you want to be a big cow, drop the dairy. You'll likely drop weight and notice fewer gut issues, as well.
4. Processed foods.
With labels on the back of every package, it's easy to see why you don't need this stuff in your diet at all. The ingredient lists are atrocious - a tongue-twisting mix of refined carbs, artificial additives, and unpronounceable chemicals.
Processed foods are dead foods. Put a fresh apple on a shelf for a year and you'll end up with a clump of compost. Put a granola bar on a shelf for a year and you'll end up with ... well, a granola bar. Your body needs living foods to live. It needs plants that contain the chemicals and nutrients that make a body thrive.
Most processed foods are largely foil-wrapped hunks of sugar and refined carbs. Your body can't use them, so your liver panics, and frantically tries to balance your body and blood sugar, storing the excess away as fat. A perfect day of eating will give your liver a rest, and give your body what it needs to work right.
5. Caffeine.
Nutrition coaches, doctors, and dietitians are seeing a huge rise in adrenal fatigue - the effect of overworked, tired adrenal glands. Stress, poor nutrition, and high caffeine intake can all lead to adrenal fatigue, and it's been estimated that up to 80 percent of the population will deal with adrenal fatigue at some point in their lives.
Cutting caffeine is the first step. It's the easiest way to start giving your adrenals a rest. As you're heading into your Perfect Day of Eating, swap out that coffee for a green smoothie instead. You'll enjoy a natural energy boost, without the dramatic side-effects of coffee.
Now that you know what the perfect day of eating doesn't include, let's get to the great stuff.
Here is what you should you eat when you're eating perfectly:
1. 80 percent raw.
The easiest way to eat right is remember: 80 percent raw. Focus on raw, whole foods and you'll be supporting your system with powerful plant-based nutrition. Raw foods alkalize the body, creating an optimized environment for health and wellness.
2. Leafy greens.
If there's a single food everyone could be eating more of, it's greens - leafy, vibrantly colored greens. They're chock full of vital nutrients. They're cleansing.
Pound-for-pound, they're also surprisingly high in protein. Fill your gut with greens instead of sweets, treats, and processed filler foods. You'll notice a marked difference in your health and energy levels in just 7 days.
3. Plant-based protein.
Contrary to popular belief, it's easy to get protein from plants. Protein is an important part of a strong, healthy system. It's also important to eat because it keeps you full.
So many diets are bereft of proper protein. They count calories and give you tiny portions of high-sugar foods or juices that actually create a starving sensation.
They tell you willpower is all you need to muscle from one meal to the next, but this is a recipe for diet disaster. When you're not giving your body satiating protein, it doesn't matter how often you eat - you're going to be hungry.
So, fill up on plant-based protein and feel full. The only way you'll ever be able to stop that constant hunger is to quit eating the stuff that creates cravings, and start eating the stuff that stops them.
Check out my Free Vegan Protein Printable, which makes it easy to know how much protein you need, and how to get it.
4. Healthy fats.
If you've got prom photos from 1986 with big hair and shiny braces, you'll have some idea of how I feel about diet advice from the 80's. I wish it had never happened. Like acid-washed jeans and Axl Rose mullets, the whole fat-free eating movement was a horrible idea.
Too many of us today are still operating under outdated, misguided diet principles. Fat doesn't make you fat; healthy fat is actually a requirement for a healthy body.
So, toss the low-fat yogurt and let your perfect day of eating be boosted with coconut oil and avocado. Those healthy fats will satiate hunger, help you drop pounds, and super boost skin, hair, nail health.
5. Grassfed meats and wild-caught fish.
My 80 percent-raw approach leaves 20 percent up to you. If you're a meat-eater, focus on the highest quality meats you can find. Organic, grassfed is infinitely better than corn-raised, and sustainable fish consumption can offer dietary benefits.
With both meat and fish, consciously farmed and fished meat makes a difference. Choose grassfed and wild-caught whenever possible.
The above DO and DON'T principles are a great place to start, but, let's make it even easier.
I've prepped the following printable for you. It summarizes all these basics, then offers up a go-to guide and eating plan for your Perfect Day of Eating. Just click on the link above, then right-click and copy to download. It's all yours!
Yuri Elkaim is a registered holistic nutritionist and author of the NY Times bestselling book The All-Day Energy Diet. In his upcoming book, The All-Day Fat-Burning Diet (Rodale, 2015), he walks readers through a five-day food cycling program guaranteed to double your weight loss. Look for it in bookstores December 2015.
More From YourTango:
10 Kinda Scary Reasons You Need More Vitamin D in Your Life, Stat
10 Foolproof Steps Guaranteed to Kick Your Sugar Cravings For Good
9 Science-Based Reasons You Need More Coconut Oil in Your Life
Crop top and bikini season is nearly upon us! You can't spot reduce belly fat, but strengthening and sculpting the muscles underneath will only help you feel more confident in your skimpy styles. Add these three effective moves to your strength-training routine for big results. And you'll be glad to know there's no equipment necessary whatsoever.
Do you constantly wake up feeling like you could sleep for another three hours? Not everyone's a morning person, but when you wake up so tired you have a pounding headache, pour orange juice into your cereal, or practically fall asleep while checking your morning emails, then something's not right. Keep reading to find out what might be preventing you from waking up energized.
Do you constantly wake up feeling like you could sleep for another three hours? Not everyone's a morning person, but when you wake up so tired you have a pounding headache, pour orange juice into your cereal, or practically fall asleep while checking your morning emails, something's not right. Keep reading to find out what might be preventing you from waking up energized.
Sure, yoga is great for calming the mind, but this ancient practice can also give you a strong and sexy body to boot! Get psyched for beach time with these 12 challenging yoga poses that will tone your tush, thighs, abs, and upper body. Follow this 12-pose sequence through on the right side, and then repeat on the left.
