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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.



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.



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.


Full Body HIIT Weightlifting Workout


Screen Shot 2015-07-28 at 12.09.01 PM

Do you want to fire up your cardiovascular fitness levels while also strengthening and toning your muscles?

If so, you’ll love this full body HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) weightlifting workout.

It includes 8 weightlifting moves which target all the muscles in your body and are performed at a

fast pace to give you a good cardio workout. To complete the workout, grab a set of light dumbbells

and an adjustable bench, then follow the instructions below. The standard workout takes just 4

minutes to complete but it can easily be extended by repeating the exercises.

Exercise 1 – Dumbbell Chest Press

The dumbbell chest press builds up your chest, shoulders and triceps. To perform the chest press, follow the instructions below:

  1. Adjust the bench so that it’s flat.
  2. Sit up straight on the bench, bend your knees and rest the dumbbells on top of them.
  3. Lie back on the bench while lifting the dumbbells up above your chest.
  4. Turn your palms forward and lower the dumbbells down toward your chest, stopping just before they touch your chest.
  5. Press the dumbbells upward, stopping just before your arms fully lock.
  6. Repeat steps 4-5 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
  7. Sit up, lower the dumbbells down onto the ground, rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.

Exercise 2 – Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension

The dumbbell overhead tricep extension tones and strengthens your tricep muscles. To perform the dumbbell overhead tricep extension, follow the instructions below:

  1. Stand up straight, hold a single dumbbell with both hands and then lift it up above your head.
  2. Keep your elbows parallel with your shoulders, then bend your arms and lower the dumbbell down behind your head, stopping when your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle.
  3. Straighten your arms and lift the dumbbell back up to the starting position, stopping just before your arms fully lock.
  4. Repeat steps 2-3 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
  5. Lower the dumbbell down onto the ground, rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.

Exercise 3 – Dumbbell Bent Over Row

The dumbbell bent over row works your upper back along with your arms and forearms. To perform the dumbbell bent over row, follow the instructions below:

  1. Stand up straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward.
  2. Bend forward at the waist until your chest is almost parallel with the ground while keeping your arms, legs and upper body straight.
  3. Hold the dumbbells out in front of you until they are in line with your chest, bend your knees slightly, then bend your arms and raise the dumbbells up toward your chest, stopping once your arms are fully bent.
  4. Straighten your arms and lower the dumbbells back down, stopping just before your arms fully lock.
  5. Repeat steps 3-4 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
  6. Lower the dumbbells down onto the ground, rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.

 

Exercise 4 – Alternating Arm Dumbbell Bicep Curl

The alternating arm dumbbell bicep curl is a popular exercise that specifically targets your bicep muscles. To perform the alternating arm dumbbell bicep curl, follow the instructions below:

  1. Stand up straight with a slight bend in your knees, hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward and tuck your elbows into your body.
  2. Bend your left arm and curl the dumbbell up toward your left shoulder, stopping once your left bicep muscle is fully flexed.
  3. Straighten your left arm and lower the dumbbell back down to your side.
  4. Bend your right arm and curl the dumbbell up toward your right shoulder, stopping once your right bicep muscle is fully flexed.
  5. Straighten your right arm and lower the dumbbell back down to your side.
  6. Repeat steps 2-5 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
  7. Lower the dumbbells down onto the ground, rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.

Exercise 5 – Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The seated dumbbell shoulder press is a fantastic compound exercise that primarily targets your shoulders while also working your chest and arms. To perform the seated dumbbell shoulder press, follow the instructions below:

  1. Adjust the bench so that it’s upright.
  2. Sit up straight on the bench, bend your knees and rest the dumbbells on top of them.
  3. Raise the dumbbells up above your shoulders and in line with the side of your head, making sure that your palms facing forward.
  4. Straighten your arms and press the dumbbells up above your head, stopping just before the dumbbells touch.
  5. Bend your arms and lower the dumbbells back down above your shoulders and in line with the side of your head.
  6. Repeat steps 4-5 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
  7. Lower the dumbbells down onto the ground, rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.

 

 Exercise 6 – Dumbbell Squat

The dumbbell squat is one of the most effective lower body exercises out there. To perform the dumbbell squat, follow the instructions below:

  1. Stand up straight with a slight bend in your knees, hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward and tuck your elbows into your body.
  2. Bend your arms and curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders, stopping once your biceps are fully flexed.
  3. Hold the dumbbells in this position, bend your legs and lower your body down toward the ground, stopping when your butt is in line with your knees.
  4. Straighten your legs and lift your body back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat steps 3-4 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
  6. Lower the dumbbells onto the ground, rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.

Exercise 7 – Dumbbell Renegade Row

The dumbbell renegade row is a top exercise for your abs and lower back. To perform the dumbbell renegade row, follow the instructions below:

  1. Put the dumbbells on the ground in front of you.
  2. Kneel on the ground, put your hands on the dumbbells, straighten your arms, straighten your legs out behind you and tighten your core muscles.
  3. Lift the left dumbbell off the ground, stopping when it’s in line with your chest.
  4. Lower the left dumbbell back onto the ground.
  5. Lift the right dumbbell off the ground, stopping when it’s in line with your chest.
  6. Lower the right dumbbell back onto the ground.
  7. Repeat steps 3-6 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
  8. Stand up, rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise or complete the workout.

 

Workout Summary Chart

 

Phase Exercise Time (seconds)
1 Dumbbell Chest Press 20
2 Rest 10
3 Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension 20
4 Rest 10
5 Dumbbell Bent Over Row 20
6 Rest 10
7 Alternating Arm Dumbbell Bicep Curl 20
8 Rest 10
9 Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 20
10 Rest 10
11 Dumbbell Squat 20
12 Rest 10
13 Dumbbell Renegade Row 20
14 Rest 10

 

I hope you like this full body HIIT dumbbell workout. For the best results, make sure you perform the workout a maximum of 3 times per week and give your body plenty of time to rest and recover between each workout. Don’t re-attempt the workout until your muscles feel fresh and fully recuperated. You can adjust the length of the workout using the instructions below:

  • For a 3.5 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 onceScreen Shot 2015-07-28 at 12.13.10 PM
  • For a 7 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 twice
  • For a 10.5 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 three times
  • For a 14 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 four times
  • For a 17.5 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 five times
  • For a 21 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 six times
  • For a 24.5 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 seven times
  • For a 28 minute workout, complete phases 1-14 eight times

Top 5 Tips For Eating Healthy At Restaurants

Sticking to your healthy eating plans at restaurants is extremely difficult. Not only are there lots of tempting meals on offer but it’s also very difficult to determine the ingredients and the calories in these meals. However, with the right strategy, you can still enjoy meals at restaurants without them sabotaging your healthy eating goals. In this article I’m going to be showing you exactly how by providing you with five of the best tips for eating healthy at restaurants.

Tip 1 – Go Low Carb

While there’s no sure fire way to be able to know how healthy a restaurant meal is, choosing a low carb meal is a good start. Carbohydrate rich meals use up very little energy during digestion and are generally quite a concentrated source of calories. Low carb meals on the other hand often contain large amounts of protein which can burn up to 25% of the calories in the meal during digestion. In addition to this, low carb meals usually contain fewer calories than high carb meals.

Tip 2 – Watch The Liquid Calories

One of the biggest ways people sabotage their healthy eating plans at restaurants is by loading up on liquid calories. Many restaurants offer unlimited refills on soda, so the temptation is to drink glass after glass. However, by doing this, you can potentially double up your calorie consumption and this isn’t good for your health or your weight loss efforts. So instead of guzzling down large amounts of calorie rich drinks, stick to just one drink for the entire meal or better yet, drink zero calorie water.

Tip 3 – Pay Attention To Your Appetite

Another mistake many people make when trying to eat healthy at restaurants is eating too fast and ignoring their appetite. This results in them consuming more calories than they need to and feeling bloated and lethargic by the end of the meal. To avoid this, slow down when you’re eating at restaurants, take the time to enjoy your food, pay close attention to your appetite and stop eating when your appetite is satisfied.

 Tip 4 – Go Easy On The Condiments

Like liquid calories, condiments can easily add hundreds of calories to your meal if you’re not careful, with many condiments packing over 50 calories per tablespoon. Therefore, if you do have condiments with your meal, make sure you limit your consumption to a single tablespoon.

 Tip 5 – Use The 80/20 Rule

One final way to ensure that eating out at restaurants doesn’t disrupt your healthy eating goals is to use the 80/20 rule. This rule is very simple and involves committing to eating healthy, natural, low calories meals 80% of the time and allowing yourself to eat whatever you want the remaining 20% of the time. So if you know that you’re going to be eating out during the week and want to enjoy the meal without thinking too much, simply make sure your restaurant meal falls into the 20% allowance and it won’t have an adverse impact on your long term healthy eating plans.

Summary

 Making a commitment to healthy eating doesn’t mean that you have to avoid restaurants completely. Simply bear these five tips in mind whenever you’re at a restaurant and you’ll have a great time and a great meal with a minimal impact on your healthy eating goals.