Top 5 Cardio Exercises For A Leaner Stomach
Getting lean, washboard abs is a two-step process. First, you need to tone up your stomach muscles to get the tight, well defined, muscular outline. Then you need to reduce your body fat percentage so that your toned abs are visible. However, many people neglect this second step and end up disappointed with their ab toning results. In this article I’m going to help you stop making the same mistakes as everyone else and provide you with five of the best fat burning cardio exercises for a lean stomach.
1 – Intense Cycling (20mph) = 1,000 Calories Per Hour
Cycling’s an excellent cardiovascular exercise for a number of reasons. It’s low impact and gentle on your joints, it gets you outside and allows you to top up your vitamin D levels and exploring the outdoors on a bike is plenty of fun. It’s also a highly effective fat burner and if you cycle with maximum intensity you can blast through 1,000 calories per hour (which equates to 0.3lbs of fat loss).
2 – Intense Running (10mph) = 1,000 Calories Per Hour
If you don’t own a bike, running’s an excellent alternative to cycling. It burns off plenty of calories and by running a few times per week, you’ll see start to see your toned stomach muscles showing through very quickly. As well as being an efficient fat burner, running also strengthens your heart, boosts your immune system, protects against chronic disease and much more.
3 – Intense Kettlebell Class = 1,000 Calories Per Hour
Kettlebell classes are one of the best workout options around for developing six pack abs. The exercises themselves are performed at a high tempo and burn through an impressive 1,000 calories per hour. However, since all kettlebell exercises engage the core, kettlebell classes allow you to tone and tighten your stomach muscles as you burn body fat.
4 – Intense Zumba Class = 1,000 Calories Per Hour
Zumba is a relatively new fitness craze but it has quickly established itself as one of the most popular exercise classes in the world. Like the other suggestions above, Zumba is a potent calorie burner and an intense hour long class will allow you to work off up to 1,000 calories. In addition to this, Zumba’s also incredibly fun and social, so is a great option if you prefer more relaxed workouts or don’t like working out alone.
5 – Intense Jump Rope = 800 Calories Per Hour
The jump rope is a simple but effective piece of fitness equipment that helps you shed body fat through the simple act of jumping. Jump rope based workouts are incredibly versatile and can be performed anytime, anywhere and anyplace for as long or as little as you like.
Summary
By practicing some or all of these exercises on a regular basis, you’ll blast through body fat and reveal those washboard abs in no time at all. So if you’ve been struggling to get a desirable stomach for some time, add these exercises to your routine and uncover those tight, toned stomach muscles now.
Pasta With Mushroom & Asparagus Recipe
Pasta is such a versatile dish; one can have it for breakfast or as an evening snack or a meal. You can serve it as a main course or pair it with soup for a light and fulfilling meal. It’s easy to make and you can add any flavor or ingredients, vegetables as per your choice. This recipe serves two people and takes just 35 minutes to prepare.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup farelle pasta stoned ground whole wheat
- ½ cup mushrooms
- 6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 3-4 asparagus stalks
- 2 tablespoon grape seed oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Let’s Cook!
1. Boil four cups of water, add pasta to boiling water.
2. Add 1 tablespoon salt and let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked, then turn off the heat and drain the excess water.
3. Heat a pan with oil, add the garlic and mushrooms, then sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Add the asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Add the pasta, salt and pepper.
6. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.
7.Serve warm. It tastes great as it is and can also be enjoyed with other mixed veggies of your choice.
HIIT Bodyweight Workout
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a fast, efficient style of fitness training that involves alternating between periods of high intensity and periods of medium to low intensity exertion for between 5 minutes and 30 minutes. Bodyweight training is a simple but effective form of fitness training that boosts your cardiovascular fitness and strength levels without using any equipment. This HIIT bodyweight workout combines these two styles of training and allows you to enjoy all the benefits they provide.
It contains 10 exercises and each exercise should be performed for 20 seconds at a high intensity and then followed by a 10 second rest. The standard workout can be completed in 5 minutes but if you want a longer or more challenging workout, simply repeat the 10 exercises as many times as you like. The section below contains instructions for each of the 10 exercises.
Exercise 1 – Push Ups
Push ups are a great bodyweight exercise for strengthening the muscles in your arms, back, chest and shoulders. To perform push ups, follow the instructions below:
- Kneel down and put your hands on the ground, making sure that they’re in line with your chest and about a shoulder width apart.
- Straighten your legs out behind you, support your body on your hands and toes, tighten your core muscles and straighten your back.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body down toward the ground, stopping when your nose touches the ground.
- Straighten your elbows and lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat steps 3-4 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and move onto the next exercise.
Click Here For A Video Demonstration Of Push Ups
Exercise 2 – Burpees
Burpees are one of the most effective bodyweight exercises and help to boost your cardiovascular fitness while also strengthening all the muscles in your body. To perform burpees, follow the instructions below:
- Bend your knees and put your hands on the ground, making sure that they’re in line with your chest and about a shoulder width apart.
- Kick your legs out behind you and bend your elbows, stopping when your nose touches the ground.
- Straighten your elbows, kick your legs back in, stand up and jump in the air.
- When you land, repeat steps 1-3 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 3 – Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are a simplistic bodyweight exercise and also very efficient at burning body fat. To perform jumping jacks, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight with your feet together and your hands by your side.
- Jump in the air, kick your feet out to the side, lift your hands above your head and hold this position as you land.
- Jump in the air, bring your feet back together, lower your hands back down to your side and hold this position as you land.
- Repeat steps 2-3 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 4 – Squats
Squats are the ultimate bodyweight exercise for strengthening and toning your legs and butt. To perform squats, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight with your feet a shoulder width apart and your arms out straight in front of you.
- Bend your legs and lower your body down, stopping when your butt is parallel with your knees.
- Straighten your legs and lift your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat steps 2-3 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 5 – Jump Squats
Jump squats are an explosive alternative to regular squats that add a jump to the end of the movement. To perform jump squats, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight with your feet a shoulder width apart and your arms out straight in front of you.
- Bend your legs and lower your body down, stopping when your butt is parallel with your knees.
- Straighten your legs and lift your body back up to the starting position, then jump in the air as high as you can.
- Repeat steps 2-3 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
- Exercise 6 – High Knees
High knees are a top bodyweight exercise for enhancing your cardiovascular fitness levels. To perform high knees, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight and then lift your right leg up to hip height and your left arm up to shoulder height.
- Lower your right leg back down to the ground and your left arm back down to your side.
- Lift your left leg up to hip height and your right arm up to shoulder height.
- Lower your left leg back down to the ground and your right arm back down to your side.
- Repeat steps 1-4 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 7 – Planks
Planks are a fantastic bodyweight exercise for tightening and toning your core muscles. To perform planks, follow the instructions below:
- Kneel down on the ground and then put your forearms on the ground so that they are parallel with your head.
- Straighten your legs, raise your knees off the ground and balance your body on your toes and forearms.
- Once you have your balance, tighten your core muscles and hold the plank position for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 8 – Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers strengthen and tone the muscles in your lower body while also improving your cardiovascular fitness. To perform mountain climbers, follow the instructions below:
- Bend your legs and put your hands on the ground, making sure that they’re about a shoulder width apart.
- Straighten your right leg out behind you, bend your left leg and point your butt up toward the ceiling.
- Jump both feet off the ground simultaneously and switch your leg position so that your left leg is now straight out behind you and your right leg is now bent.
- Jump both feet off the ground simultaneously and switch your leg position so that your right leg is now straight out behind you and your left leg is now bent.
- Repeat steps 3-4 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 9 – Sprints
Sprints help to develop your speed and reflexes while also blasting through calories. To perform sprints, follow the instructions below:
- Find an open space of at least 50 meters.
- Sprint across the open space, then turn and sprint back.
- Continue doing relay sprints for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 10 – Lunges
Lunges are another excellent bodyweight exercise for your legs and butt. To perform lunges, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight and place your hands on your hips.
- Take a long step forward with your left leg, bend both of your knees and lower your body down toward the ground, stopping just before your right knee touches the ground.
- Slowly straighten both knees and step back to the starting position.
- Take a long step forward with your right leg, bend both of your knees and lower your body down toward the ground, stopping just before your left knee touches the ground.
- Straighten both knees and step back to the starting position.
- Repeat steps 2-5 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise or complete the workout.
Workout Summary Chart
| Phase | Exercise | Time (seconds) |
| 1 | Push Ups | 20 |
| 2 | Rest | 10 |
| 3 | Burpees | 20 |
| 4 | Rest | 10 |
| 5 | Jumping Jacks | 20 |
| 6 | Rest | 10 |
| 7 | Squats | 20 |
| 8 | Rest | 10 |
| 9 | Jump Squats | 20 |
| 10 | Rest | 10 |
| 11 | High Knees | 20 |
| 12 | Rest | 10 |
| 13 | Planks | 20 |
| 14 | Rest | 10 |
| 15 | Mountain Climbers | 20 |
| 16 | Rest | 10 |
| 17 | Sprints | 20 |
| 18 | Rest | 10 |
| 19 | Lunges | 20 |
| 20 | Rest | 10 |
With this HIIT bodyweight workout you can build up your muscles and blast through calories. The best part is that since it requires no equipment, it can be performed anytime and anywhere. Simply memorize the 10 exercises and then whenever you have a few minutes to spare during the day, complete a quick HIIT bodyweight workout routine. You can use the recommendations below to find a workout duration that’s right for you:
- For a 5 minute workout, complete phases 1-20 once
- For a 10 minute workout, complete phases 1-20 twice
- For a 15 minute workout, complete phases 1-20 three times
- For a 20 minute workout, complete phases 1-20 four times
- For a 25 minute workout, complete phases 1-20 five times
- For a 30 minute workout, complete phases 1-20 six times
One Pot Cantonese Noodles Recipe
If you love Chinese take-out, lo-mien, or plain easy meals, this recipe is a sure treat. A balanced meal which comes together in mere minutes and uses only one pot is everyone’s friend. With this one-pot Cantonese noodles recipe, putting together a healthy dinner fix is a breeze.
What You’ll Need
- ½ lb prawns (or sliced chicken breast, or a combination of the two)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup chopped spring onions
- 2-3 cups frozen vegetable mix of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower
- 2 cups chicken stock (you may need to add ½ cup water)
- 4-5 ounces of Cantonese noodles (you may also use egg noodles)
Let’s Make Some Easy-Peasy Cantonese Noodles!
1. Have all your ingredients ready.
2. Place everything in a deep enough pan (except half of the spring onions).
3. Cover for 3 minutes over medium-high heat.
4. Give it a stir to ensure the noodles cook through and the veggies and prawns are done nicely as well. At this point, you may add soy sauce for color but it’s not that important. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cover again for another 3 minutes until the noodles has absorbed all the liquids.
6. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped green onions, enjoy! This recipe makes 2-3 generous servings.
Sizzling Chicken Mushroom Recipe
Want a new idea to use your sizzling plate or stove top griller? Why not try this easy peasy chicken for a no-fuss crowd pleaser meal for your grilling party? It will make your cooking time really sizzle!
What You Will Need:
- ½ pound chicken breast, cut into strips
- ½ cup button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup frozen green peas, thawed
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- A pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Lets Get the Chicken Sizzling!
1. Make sure you got all of your ingredients ready to go.
2.Heat your sizzling plate over high heat and grill the chicken on it until cooked.
3. Add the mushrooms and the peas and cook for 3 minutes.
4. To make the sauce or the gravy, mix together the water, soy sauce, ground pepper, onion powder and cornstarch.
5. Pour over the chicken, mushrooms and peas mixture. It will thicken immediately. Take off the heat and serve.
6. The dish easily serves two persons and the recipe can be easily doubled to feed more. Enjoy!
Top 5 Healthy Hydration Tips
If you’ve been interested in health and fitness for a while then one piece of advice that you’re likely to have heard over and over again is to ‘drink at least 8 glasses of water per day’. While this is sound advice, there’s a lot more to staying healthy while you hydrate than just drinking water. In this article I’m going to be taking a deeper look at healthy hydration and listing five of the best tips for staying healthy as you rehydrate.
Tip 1 – Consume The Equivalent Of 8 Glasses Of Water Per Day
As mentioned above, many health and fitness publications recommend drinking eight glasses of water per day. However, what most of these publications fail to state is that you can consume this water in any form. So if you’re finding drinking eight glasses of water per day difficult, try getting some of your water from other sources such as black tea, coffee, green tea, water rich fruits or water rich vegetables. Not only does this add variety and stop you getting bored when trying to hit your water target but it also allows you to fill up on plenty of other health boosting nutrients in the process.
Tip 2 – Mix Up Your Water Intake With Coffee & Tea
Black tea, coffee and green tea are all excellent ways to top up your water levels and stay hydrated. In addition to this, all of these drinks contain a number of health boosting nutrients. Black tea and green tea contain high levels of flavan-3-ols which fight allergies, boost your blood heath, protect against chronic disease, strengthen your immune system and much more. Coffee on the other hand is rich in hydroxycinnamic acids which reduce inflammation within the body, strengthen your bones and your heart, relieve chronic pain and much more. Therefore, by drinking coffee and tea you’ll not only prevent dehydration but you’ll also be able to enjoy all these health benefits.
Tip 3 – Avoid All Types Of Soda
Although it contains water, soda is something you need to avoid if you want to hydrate in a healthy way. Regular soda is loaded with sugar and by drinking it continuously, you’ll gain unwanted body fat. Diet soda doesn’t contain the calories or regular soda but it’s packed full of harmful chemicals which have numerous negative implications when it comes to your health. So if you’re currently drinking lots of soda, make some changes today and replace it with coffee, tea or water.
Tip 4 – Enjoy Water Rich Fruits & Vegetables
Water rich fruits and vegetables are another excellent way to fill up on water while also benefiting from numerous health boosting vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Most fruits and vegetables contain a good amount of water but if you’re looking for the best options in terms of hydration, go for broccoli (89% water), grapefruit (90% water), lettuce (96% water) and watermelon (91% water).
Tip 5 – Get A Drink Alarm App
One of the biggest reasons people find consuming the equivalent of eight glasses of water per day difficult is that they simply forget. They’re not used to drinking this volume of water and then once the day gets going, they get wrapped up in their usual routine and don’t follow through with their plans to stay hydrated. The good news is that there is a relatively simple solution to this problem – drink alarm apps.
Drinks alarm apps are simple smartphone applications that log your daily water intake and remind you to drink water throughout the day. They’re incredibly easy to use and once set up, all you have to do is confirm that you’ve drank water with each reminder and the app will take care of the rest. So if you find that your poor memory is often the reason you don’t get enough water, grab a drink alarm app today.
Summary
By following the tips above, you’ll not only provide your body with all the water it needs but you’ll also fill up on a range of health boosting nutrients and avoid excess liquid calories. In addition to this, you’ll be getting your water from plenty of different sources, so you’ll never get bored.
Smoked Salmon Rollups Recipe
Want some new appetizer or cocktail recipe which is easy and palate friendly? This smoked salmon tortilla rollups is a crowd pleaser, perfect for gatherings with guests or for pot lucks. The best part is they look fancy and guests will think you got them from a specialty deli or restaurant although it is so easy that even someone who is a complete kitchen neophyte can do it.
What You Will Need:
- 12 inch flour tortilla (we are using whole wheat flour tortillas in this recipe)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- Toothpicks or cocktail skewers
- 3 ounces of smoked salmon, sliced thinly
- A few leaves of lettuce (either ice berg or romaine)
- 3 slices of mild cheese (the one used for sandwiches)
Time to Roll up Some Appetizers!
1. Get all of your ingredients ready.
2. Spread the mayonnaise and the mustard over a rectangular area of the flour tortilla.
3. Add in the lettuce.
4. Add a layer of smoked salmon.
5. Then a layer of cheese. Arranging them this way will create a nice color contrast when you cut the roll up into slices.
6. Roll the tortilla tightly, secure with toothpicks/cocktail skewers about an inch apart. Use this as a cutting/slicing guide. Cut the rolled up tortilla using a very sharp knife.
7. This recipe is for a single roll which makes 10-12 slices.
HIIT Cardio Machine Workouts
One of the biggest complaints people have about cardio machines is that they find the long, steady state workouts boring and unchallenging. However, with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), you can add some pace and excitement to your cardio machine based workouts. Keep reading for 3 of the best cardio machine HIIT workouts.
1 – HIIT Exercise Bike Workout
This simple HIIT exercise bike workout is fast, fun and varied. One of the best things about this workout is that despite its high intensity, it places very little pressure on your joints and allows you to enjoy an efficient workout without experiencing pain or swelling in your ankles, hips or knees.
The table below contains instructions for this HIIT exercise bike workout:
| Phase | Intensity | Time (seconds) |
| 1 | High Intensity Cycling | 10 |
| 2 | Low Intensity Cycling | 20 |
| 3 | High Intensity Cycling | 15 |
| 4 | Low Intensity Cycling | 20 |
| 5 | High Intensity Cycling | 20 |
| 6 | Low Intensity Cycling | 30 |
| 7 | High Intensity Cycling | 30 |
| 8 | Low Intensity Cycling | 20 |
| 9 | High Intensity Cycling | 30 |
| 10 | Low Intensity Cycling | 20 |
| 11 | High Intensity Cycling | 20 |
| 12 | Low Intensity Cycling | 15 |
| 13 | High Intensity Cycling | 20 |
| 14 | Low Intensity Cycling | 10 |
| 15 | High Intensity Cycling | 20 |
The workout itself is highly flexible and can take between 5 minutes and 30 minutes depending on how much time you have available. Simply follow the recommendations below to adjust the duration of this HIIT exercise bike workout:
- For a 5 minute workout, complete phases 1-5 once
- For a 10 minute workout, complete phases 1-15 twice
- For a 15 minute workout, complete phases 1-15 three times
- For a 20 minute workout, complete phases 1-15 four times
- For a 25 minute workout, complete phases 1-15 five times
- For a 30 minute workout, complete phases 1-15 six times
2 – HIIT Treadmill Speed Workout
If you want to increase your running speed, this HIIT treadmill speed workout is a great tool that takes only 15 minutes to complete. With just a couple of HIIT treadmill speed workouts each week, you’ll find that you’re able to sprint faster and longer than you ever have done before.
The table below contains instructions for this HIIT treadmill speed workout. If you can’t currently sprint at 15kph or can sprint faster than 15kph, begin the workout at your maximum sprint speed and adjust the other workout speeds accordingly:
| Phase | Speed (kph) | Time (seconds) |
| 1 | 15 | 10 |
| 2 | 5 | 30 |
| 3 | 15 | 20 |
| 4 | 5 | 30 |
| 5 | 15 | 30 |
| 6 | 5 | 30 |
| 7 | 14 | 10 |
| 8 | 5 | 30 |
| 9 | 14 | 20 |
| 10 | 5 | 30 |
| 11 | 14 | 30 |
| 12 | 5 | 30 |
| 13 | 13 | 10 |
| 14 | 5 | 30 |
| 15 | 13 | 20 |
| 16 | 5 | 30 |
| 17 | 13 | 30 |
| 18 | 5 | 30 |
| 19 | 12 | 10 |
| 20 | 5 | 30 |
| 21 | 12 | 20 |
| 22 | 5 | 30 |
| 23 | 12 | 30 |
| 24 | 5 | 30 |
| 25 | 11 | 10 |
| 26 | 5 | 30 |
| 27 | 11 | 20 |
| 28 | 5 | 30 |
| 29 | 11 | 30 |
| 30 | 5 | 30 |
| 31 | 15 | 10 |
| 32 | 5 | 30 |
| 33 | 15 | 20 |
| 34 | 5 | 30 |
| 35 | 15 | 30 |
| 36 | 5 | 30 |
3 – HIIT Treadmill Incline Workout
This treadmill HIIT incline workout is a fantastic alternative to the speed workout above that helps to develop your strength and stamina while running. It takes just 15 minutes to complete and is both fun and challenging.
The table below contains instructions for this HIIT treadmill speed workout:
| Phase | Speed (kph) | Time (seconds) |
| 1 | 15 | 10 |
| 2 | 5 | 30 |
| 3 | 15 | 20 |
| 4 | 5 | 30 |
| 5 | 15 | 30 |
| 6 | 5 | 30 |
| 7 | 14 | 10 |
| 8 | 5 | 30 |
| 9 | 14 | 20 |
| 10 | 5 | 30 |
| 11 | 14 | 30 |
| 12 | 5 | 30 |
| 13 | 13 | 10 |
| 14 | 5 | 30 |
| 15 | 13 | 20 |
| 16 | 5 | 30 |
| 17 | 13 | 30 |
| 18 | 5 | 30 |
| 19 | 12 | 10 |
| 20 | 5 | 30 |
| 21 | 12 | 20 |
| 22 | 5 | 30 |
| 23 | 12 | 30 |
| 24 | 5 | 30 |
| 25 | 11 | 10 |
| 26 | 5 | 30 |
| 27 | 11 | 20 |
| 28 | 5 | 30 |
| 29 | 11 | 30 |
| 30 | 5 | 30 |
| 31 | 15 | 10 |
| 32 | 5 | 30 |
| 33 | 15 | 20 |
| 34 | 5 | 30 |
| 35 | 15 | 30 |
| 36 | 5 | 30 |
Summary
With these 3 HIIT cardio machine workouts, you can breathe new life into a stale cardio routine, fire up the amount of calories you burn and complete your workouts in 30 minutes or less. So pick your favorite routine and take your cardiovascular fitness to the next level today.
Pasta Arabiata (Filipino Style) Recipe
This may be an Italian classic but this time we will be using locally grown ingredients. It’s very easy to do and something that I turn to when I am craving for pasta but I don’t have the luxury of time to do it.
What You’ll Need:
- 500 g Spaghetti noodles or Penne Rigatte – Cook pasta per package direction, when briskly boiling put salt and oil before adding the pasta
- 2 cans of good quality chunky tomato
- 120 g of bacon – chopped, any bacon will do but I prefer using honey cured because I like it a bit sweet, Yes, 120 g only because you just want a kick of bacon flavor to your sauce
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar – yes, Filipinos have a sweet tooth but don’t worry it won’t be overwhelming
- Fresh basil
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili-flakes – you may adjust it according to preference
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Method:
1. In a large skillet, put a teaspoon of olive oil. The reason why I only use a teaspoon of oil is because the bacon will release its natural fat which will add flavor to the sauce. When the oil is hot enough, add the bacon, cook it for a few minutes under medium heat or until the bacon is slightly golden brown and has released a lot of its own fat or juices. Then add in the garlic.
2. Add a pinch of hot pepper flakes. You can put as much as you want until you get the right kick that suits your taste.
3. Cook it for a minute or so or until the garlic becomes lightly brown.
4. Now, add in the crush tomatoes and sugar. Again, make sure you get yourselves good quality ingredients. When it comes up to a boil, reduce the heat on medium low and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Make sure you taste your sauce first before adding in the pasta.
5. Turn off the heat and toss in the pasta. Mix to perfection! Add parmesan cheese should you prefer to.
6. Serve the pasta and enjoy!
Top 5 Healthy Snacking Tips
For many people, snacking is their Achilles heel when it comes to healthy eating. They manage to adapt their main meals and make them healthy with relative ease but when they get hungry between meals, the lure of candy, chocolate or chips becomes too much. The good news is that with a little extra preparation, you can ensure that unhealthy snacks don’t get the better of you and enjoy healthy snacks instead. In this article I’m going to be showing you how to do just that by listing five top healthy snacking tips.
Tip 1 – Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With Fruits
Fruits are a fantastic low calorie alternative to sugary snacks. Due to their relatively high concentration of fiber and water, they’re much lower in calories than sugary snacks. In addition to this, they contain plenty of health boosting vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients which enhance your health in countless ways. However, the best thing about fruits is that there are so many different varieties to choose from that you’ll easily be able to find lots of different types you like.
Tip 2 – Replace Soda With Smoothies
Soda contains no nutrients and often packs well over 100 calories per glass. Due to its high refined sugar content, soda also has an adverse effect on your energy levels and causes them to surge and crash in rapid succession.
Smoothies on the other hand contain high levels of natural, health boosting nutrients and fewer calories. Their high fiber content also ensures that the energy you get from smoothies is released in a slower, more controlled fashion and provides you with a steady, consistent flow of energy.
Therefore, by swapping soda for smoothies, you still get to enjoy a sweet tasting drink, consume less calories in the process and enjoy the enhanced health and energy that smoothies provide.
Tip 3 – Substitute Chips For Seasoned Nuts & Seeds
Chips are a popular but unhealthy snack that contain large amounts of calories. However, the most dangerous thing about chips in terms of health is that they contain large amounts of unnatural chemicals which increase your risk of chronic disease, interfere with your body’s processes and much more.
To eliminate these harmful chemicals while also enjoying a snack that tastes similar to chips and is packed full of protein and healthy fats, try making up your own bags of seasoned nuts and seeds. To do this, simply add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a plastic freezer bag with the seasonings of your choice (black pepper, chili powder, garlic and salt are all good options). Then add 4 oz. of nuts or seeds to the plastic freezer bag, hold the opening of the bag tight in your hand, give it a good shake and pour the seasoned nuts or seeds onto a baking tray. After this, place the baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes at 275°F, leave the nuts or seeds to cool for a couple of hours, divide them up into four portions, place each of these four portions in a small sealed plastic bag and enjoy a bag whenever you fancy a snack.
Tip 4 – Make Your Own Cold Cuts Of Meat
Cold cuts of meat are another excellent healthy snacking option that contain plenty of protein. However, store bought cold cuts of meat are often loaded with harmful artificial preservatives.
To eliminate these preservatives, try making your own cold cuts of meat. Simply chop your favorite choice of meat into thin slices, soak these slices in a homemade marinade for a couple of hours, cook them as normal and then snack on them whenever you feel hungry.
Tip 5 – Fill Up On Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a top healthy snacking choice that contains high levels of healthy fats, protein and calcium. It’s also incredibly versatile and can be eaten on its own, with a range of fruits, sprinkled with chopped nuts or seeds or enjoyed with a spoonful of honey. The best part is due to its thick, creamy consistency, Greek yogurt is very filling and is sure to fully satisfy your appetite between meals.
Summary
If you’ve struggled with unhealthy snacking habits in the past, I hope this article helps you make the necessary changes. These five tips are simple but effective and when you apply them, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your overall health.
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