HIIT Core Workout in Bergen County
HIIT Core Workout
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a brilliant fat burning tool and when combined with specific exercises for your core muscles, it’s one of the best ways to develop a tight, toned midsection. This HIIT core workout does exactly that by blasting through 500 calories and giving your core muscles a thorough workout in just 30 minutes.
To complete the workout, simply perform each of the 9 exercises below in succession and then repeat the cycle 5 more times. If you find 6 cycles too difficult, start by performing each exercise once and gradually build up until you can successfully complete the full 30 minute HIIT core workout.
Exercise 1 – Planks
Planks are one of the most challenging bodyweight exercises around and involve holding your body in a flat, horizontal position for a fixed amount of time. To perform planks, follow the instructions below:
- Kneel down on the ground and then place your forearms on the ground and in line with your head.
- Straighten your legs, lift your knees off the ground and support your bodyweight on your toes and forearms.
- Once your body is fully supported, tighten your core muscles and hold the plank position for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 2 – Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches are similar to regular crunches but involve moving your legs in a cycling motion as you crunch your core muscles. To perform bicycle crunches, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you, your hands at either side of your head and your elbows sticking out.
- Lift your legs off the ground, keep your left leg straight and bend your right leg toward your chest.
- At the same time, twist your upper body toward your right knee and touch it with your right elbow.
- Straighten your right leg and bend your left leg toward your chest.
- At the same time, twist your upper body toward your left knee and touch it with your left elbow.
- 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.
Exercise 3 – V Sit Hold
The V Sit hold is a simple looking but very challenging core exercise. To perform the v sit hold, follow the instructions below:
- Sit on the ground with your back straight, your knees bent and your feet flat.
- Lift your feet off the ground, straighten your legs and raise them up to a 45 degree angle.
- Once your legs are at a 45 degree angle, lean back until your upper body is at a 45 degree angle.
- Hold your arms straight out in front of you and balance on your tailbone for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 4 – Twisting Crunches
Twisting crunches are performed in the exact same way as regular crunches except they involve rotating your body as you crunch your core muscles. To perform twisting crunches, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down on the ground with your knees bent, your feet flat, your hands at either side of your head and your elbows sticking out.
- Curl your lower back, crunch your abdominal muscles and twist your left elbow toward your right knee.
- Straighten your lower back, relax your abdominal muscles and lie down on the ground.
- Curl your lower back, crunch your abdominal muscles and twist your right elbow toward your left knee.
- Repeat steps 2-4 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 5 – Lying Leg Raises
Lying leg raises target your lower abdominal muscles. To perform lying leg raises, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down flat on the ground and put your hands alongside your butt.
- Lift your legs off the ground, stopping once the bottoms of your feet are facing the ceiling and your legs are at a 90 degree angle to your hips.
- Lower your legs back down toward the ground, stopping just before your feet touch the ground.
- 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 – Side Planks
Side planks involve holding a similar position to regular planks but with more emphasis on your oblique muscles. To perform side planks, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down on the left hand side of your body.
- Place your left forearm on the ground and your right hand behind your head.
- Lift your hips off the floor and support your body on your feet and left forearm.
- Once your body is fully supported, tighten your core muscles and hold the side plank position for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then lie down on the right hand side of your body.
- Place your right forearm on the ground and your left hand behind your head.
- Lift your hips off the ground and support your body on your feet and right forearm.
- Once your body is fully supported, tighten your core muscles and hold the side plank position for 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 second and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 7 – Lying Twisting Windmills
Lying twisting windmills are another great exercise for your lower abs that involve twisting your legs from side to side while holding your upper body in a fixed position. To perform lying windmills, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down on the ground with your arms straight out to the side and in line with your chest, your legs bent and your feet flat.
- Straighten your legs and point the bottoms of your feet toward the ceiling.
- Twist your legs and hips to the right while keeping your upper body in the same position, stopping just before your feet touch the ground.
- Twist your legs and hips back to the starting position.
- Twist your legs and hips to the left while keeping your upper body in the same position, stopping just before your feet touch the ground.
- Twist your legs and hips back to the starting position.
- Repeat steps 3-6 for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 8 – Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks are a fun, fast paced core exercise. To perform flutter kicks, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you.
- Crunch your hands into fists, place them underneath your butt and lift your feet a couple of inches off the ground while keeping your legs straight.
- Kick your left foot a couple of inches above your right foot.
- Lower your left foot back down and then kick your right foot a couple of inches above your left foot.
- Lower your right foot back down and then kick your left foot a couple of inches above your right foot.
- Repeat steps 4-5 rapidly for as many repetitions as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then move onto the next exercise.
Exercise 9 – Reverse Crunches
Reverse crunches do exactly as the name. To perform reverse crunches, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down on the ground with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and your hands by your butt.
- Pull your knees toward your chest and tighten your core muscles, stopping when they are fully crunched.
- Lower your knees back down toward 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 or complete your workout.
Workout Summary Chart
| Phase | Exercise | Time (seconds) |
| 1 | Planks | 20 |
| 2 | Rest | 10 |
| 3 | Bicycle Crunches | 20 |
| 4 | Rest | 10 |
| 5 | V Sit Hold | 20 |
| 6 | Rest | 10 |
| 7 | Twisting Crunches | 20 |
| 8 | Rest | 10 |
| 9 | Lying Leg Raises | 20 |
| 10 | Rest | 10 |
| 11 | Side Planks (Left) | 20 |
| 12 | Rest | 10 |
| 13 | Side Planks (Right) | 20 |
| 14 | Rest | 10 |
| 15 | Lying Twisting Windmills | 20 |
| 16 | Rest | 10 |
| 17 | Flutter Kicks | 20 |
| 18 | Rest | 10 |
| 19 | Reverse Crunches | 20 |
| 20 | Rest | 10 |
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the standard length for this HIIT core workout is 30 minutes but it can be shortened if you find the full workout too difficult or you’re pushed for time. To adjust the workout to your desired duration, follow the instructions below:
- 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
Top 5 Weight Loss Mindset Tips in Bergen County Life Style
A strong, positive mindset is one of the most important tools on your weight loss journey. With the right mindset, you’ll find facing weight loss challenges and sticking to your weight loss goals a breeze. However, developing and maintaining a positive weight loss mindset can be difficult especially living in Bergen County, New Jersey. That’s why in this article I’m going to be listing five top weight loss mindset tips.
Tip 1 – Be Patient
If you’re trying to lose a large amount of weight then you need to accept that it’s going to be a long term process and stay patient as your work towards your final fat loss goal. Most healthy weight loss programs will result in around 2lbs of fat loss per week, so use this as a benchmark and get a general idea of how long it’s going to take to achieve your desired amount of weight loss. Then when impatience sets in, remind yourself that reaching your weight loss goal will take time but every day is taking you a step closer to your ultimate fat loss goal.
Tip 2 – Learn To Focus On Successes
As with many long term goals, it can sometimes seem natural to focus on the negatives on your fat loss journey. However, by doing this, you’re ignoring all the positive steps you’ve made along the way and setting yourself up for disappointment. So next time something doesn’t go to plan on your weight loss journey and you feel disappointment setting in, make an effort to think about all the positive steps you’ve made that week. By doing this, you’ll quickly realize that the positives heavily outweigh the negatives, feel more motivated and discover that you’ve got nothing to be disappointed about.
Tip 3 – Accept That Setbacks Will Happen
While it’s important to focus on successes and not setbacks, you still need to accept that setbacks will happen. Once you accept that they’re a necessary part of your weight loss journey and something that you can use to make yourself stronger and more motivated, you’ll stop seeing them as a negative thing, they’ll have much less control over you and you’ll find it much easier to stay motivated.
Tip 4 – Meditate Daily
Meditation allows you to clear your mind of negative thoughts and puts you in a neutral mental state from which you can then build positive, constructive thoughts. Therefore, by meditating daily, you’ll find it much easier to implement the three tips above and maintain an increasingly strong positive mental attitude which helps you achieve your weight loss goals.
Tip 5 – Get At Least 6 Hours Of Sleep Every Night
Getting at least six hours of sleep every night has both a physical and mental impact on your weight loss efforts. First, it gives your weight loss efforts a physical boost by stimulating the release of growth hormone (a hormone that promotes fat burning). It also gives your weight loss efforts a mental boost by naturally suppressing your appetite and increasing your energy levels. Therefore, by getting at least six hours of sleep each night, you’ll put yourself in a mental state where you’re less likely to overeat and more likely to exercise which is exactly what you want if you’re trying to lose weight.
Summary
With the right mindset, you can achieve any weight loss goal that you set yourself. So if you’re currently having issues with motivation or discouragement when it comes to weight loss, make sure you implement all five of these tips and start realizing the benefits a positive mental attitude can have on your fat loss success.
Top 5 Healthy Alcohol Consumption Tips
Top 5 Healthy Alcohol Consumption Tips
When it comes to eating healthy, most people don’t give alcohol a second thought. They change the actual foods they’re eating but continue drinking the same types and quantities of alcohol as they did before. However, alcoholic drinks often contain more calories and can be worse for you in terms of health than junk food. So if you really want to improve your overall health, you need to be factoring in your alcohol consumption. In this article I’m going to be helping you do exactly that and providing you with five top tips that will allow you to enjoy alcohol in moderation without it sabotaging your healthy lifestyle goals.
Tip 1 – Limit Your Consumption To A Maximum of 2 Alcoholic Drinks Per Night
Heavy alcohol consumption can cause you to become dehydrated and this has a negative effect on your metabolism, your blood flow, your vital organs and more. In addition to this, heavy alcohol consumption directly damages a number of vital organs including your brain, your kidneys and your liver. Finally, most alcoholic drinks are relatively high in calories, so by drinking excessively, you’re likely to gain weight. By moderating your alcohol consumption and drinking no more than two alcoholic drinks per night, you can avoid all these negative effects without giving up on alcohol completely.
Tip 2 – Have At Least 2 Alcohol Free Nights Per Week
Even if you’re drinking in moderation, consuming alcohol on a daily basis is not good for your health and the buildup of alcohol in your system can lead to the same health complications discussed above. Therefore, it’s important that you have at least two days per week where you completely avoid alcohol. Doing this cleanses your system and gives your vital organs a break from alcohol exposure.
Tip 3 – Drink A Large Glass Of Water After Drinking Alcohol
As mentioned in the first tip, one of the health risks of excessive alcohol consumption is dehydration. However, even in small amounts, alcohol does have a dehydrating effect. Therefore, to fully protect against dehydration and avoid the health complications, make sure you drink a large glass of water after drinking alcohol.
Tip 4 – Choose Low Calorie Alcoholic Drinks
Alcohol is relatively rich in calories and contains 7 calories per gram. In addition to this, most alcoholic drinks contain large amounts of carbohydrates and sugar which adds further calories to the drink. As a result, just a couple of regular alcoholic drinks can add over 500 calories to your daily intake. Not only can this lead to unwanted weight gain but the large amount of calories in liquid form can also cause your blood glucose levels to surge and drop rapidly. By choosing low calorie alcoholic drinks, such as champagne, light beer or spirits, you can slash the total calorie count to below 100 calories per drink and avoid these complications.
Tip 5 – Don’t Drink Alcohol Within The Last 2 Hours Before You Sleep
Drinking alcohol close to your bedtime can interfere with your sleep patterns and reduce the amount of deep sleep you get during the night. As a result, the sleep you get will be less effective and you’ll feel exhausted if you drink alcohol close to your bedtime. Therefore, make sure that on the nights you do drink alcohol, you drink it at least two hours before you go to sleep.
Summary
If you’ve been rigorously sticking to your healthy eating plans but haven’t been getting the results you desire, your current level of alcohol consumption could be why. So if you’re not presently implementing all five of the above tips when it comes to alcohol, start making some changes today and give your health a huge boost.
4 Minute Tabata Workout
4 Minute Tabata Workout
Tabata is probably the most popular style of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It involves completing 8 exercises successively and performing each exercise for 20 seconds at a high intensity followed by 10 seconds of rest. While a 4 minute workout may sound deceptively simple, tabata workouts are one of the most challenging routines you’ll come across. Keep reading for full details of this HIIT Tabata workout.
Exercise 1 – Burpees
Burpees are a fantastic bodyweight exercise that give you a full body workout while also firing up your cardiovascular fitness. To perform burpees, follow the instructions below:
- Bend your knees and put your hands on the ground so that they’re parallel with your chest and around a shoulder width apart.
- Kick your legs out behind you, bend your arms and lower your body down toward the ground, stopping when your nose touches the ground.
- Straighten your arms, 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 2 – Skaters
Skaters are a great lower body exercise that improve your balance, coordination and reflexes. To perform skaters, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight with a slight bend in your knees and your arms by your side.
- Lean forward at the waist while keeping your lower back flat and your core muscles tight.
- Take a long step to the right with your right leg, place your right foot flat on the ground, then step across with your left leg and place your left toes on the ground behind your right leg.
- Take a long step to the left with your left leg, place your left foot flat on the ground, then step across with your right leg and place your right toes on the ground behind your left leg.
- 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 3 – Plank Jacks
Plank jacks are a fast paced variation on regular planks that involve hopping your legs in and out. To perform plank jacks, follow the instructions below:
- Kneel down on the ground and then place your forearms on the ground, making sure that they’re in line with your head.
- Straighten your legs, lift your knees off the ground, tighten your core muscles and support your body on your toes and forearms.
- Once your body is fully supported, jump both your feet off the ground, widen your legs as far as you can manage and land in this position.
- Jump both your feet off ground, bring your legs back together and land in this position.
- 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 4 – Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches are a top exercise for tightening and toning your abs. To perform bicycle crunches, follow the instructions below:
- Lie down on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you, your hands by your ears and your elbows pointing outward.
- Raise your legs off the ground, keep your left leg straight and bend your right knee toward your chest.
- At the same time, rotate your upper body toward your right knee and touch it with your right elbow.
- Straighten your right leg and bend your left knee toward your chest.
- At the same time, rotate your upper body toward your left knee and touch it with your left elbow.
- 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.
Exercise 5 – Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are similar to burpees but place more emphasis on your lower body. To perform mountain climbers, follow the instructions below:
- Bend your knees 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 6 – Punches
Punches are a simple but effective exercise that engage your upper body and get you fighting fit. To perform punches, follow the instructions below:
- Stand in a wide stance with your toes facing outward and your knees bent.
- Tuck your elbows into your body, bend your arms so that your hands are just below your chin and clench your fists.
- Straighten your left arm and throw a punch while twisting the left side of your body into the punch.
- Bend your left arm back into the starting position while straightening your right arm, throwing a punch and twisting the right side of your body into the punch.
- 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 7 – 180 Jump Squats
180 jump squats are a fun, challenging exercise that combine squatting, jumping and twisting in one fluid motion. To perform 180 jump squats, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight with your feet a shoulder width apart and your arms clasped together 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 and rotate your body 180 degrees.
- 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 8 – Lunge Kicks
Lunge kicks enhance your flexibility, boost your cardiovascular fitness and tone up your lower body. To perform lunge kicks, follow the instructions below:
- Stand up straight and place your hands on your hips.
- Take a big step backward with your left leg, slowly bend both of your legs and lower your body down toward the ground, stopping just before your left knee touches the ground.
- Slowly straighten both of your legs, step forward, kick with your left leg and land in the starting position.
- Take a big step backward with your right leg, slowly bend both of your legs and lower your body down toward the ground, stopping just before your right knee touches the ground.
- Slowly straighten both of your legs, step forward, kick with your right leg and land in the starting position.
- Repeat steps 2-5 for as many reps as you can manage within 20 seconds.
- Rest for 10 seconds and then complete the workout.
Workout Summary Chart
| Phase | Exercise | Time (seconds) |
| 1 | Burpees | 20 |
| 2 | Rest | 10 |
| 3 | Skaters | 20 |
| 4 | Rest | 10 |
| 5 | Plank Jacks | 20 |
| 6 | Rest | 10 |
| 7 | Bicycle Crunches | 20 |
| 8 | Rest | 10 |
| 9 | Mountain Climbers | 20 |
| 10 | Rest | 10 |
| 11 | Punches | 20 |
| 12 | Rest | 10 |
| 13 | 180 Jump Squats | 20 |
| 14 | Rest | 10 |
| 15 | Lunge Kicks | 20 |
| 16 | Rest | 10 |
If you lead a busy lifestyle and never seem to have time to workout, this 4 minute HIIT Tabata workout is the perfect solution. No matter how packed your schedule is, you can always find time for it and by performing the workout on a regular basis, your health and fitness levels will improve substantially.
Get Leaner with Protein Weight Loss tips
Protein has always been promoted by muscle heads as the key to getting it. While the extreme amounts of protein consumed by some bodybuilders is unnecessarily extreme, the research has shown time and time again that more protein is better when it comes to fat loss.
One study found that after 8 weeks, people who ate more protein lost an extra 2.8lbs of fat. Another study found that following a higher protein diet for 12 weeks led to an additional 1.5lbs of fat lost specific to the abdomen. Finally, another study in women found that 12 weeks of eating twice the ‘recommended intake’ of protein led to greater fat loss and greater increases in lean mass (e.g. muscle).
How does eating more protein do this?
Protein & Fat Loss Hormones
Part of the beneficial effects of fat loss have to do with the hormones that it stimulates. When the protein you eat hits your digestive tract, it causes the release of a hormone called CCK. CCK acts very quickly to slow the digestive process, slowing the rate in which foods is released from your stomach. This is step one is making you feel full – helping you eat less. CCK also signals your brain that you should no longer be hungry.
More Protein = Less Calories
The appetite suppressing effects of protein work right away with the meal that you are eating and it also makes you feel more satisfied after the meal is over. This will make you eat less without even trying. One study showed that eating a higher protein diet lead to people eating greater than 400 calories per day less!
Protein Burns More Calories
Protein helps you burn more calories in two different ways. The first is through the calories burned to digest and process food. It takes your body ~2x energy to digest protein compared to carbohydrates.
A majority of the protein that you eat is used to build and rebuild your muscle. Muscle loss while dieting is a big concern, as muscle burns calories. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn (even just sitting on the couch). Optimizing your protein intake and exercising with intensity ensures that you won’t lose any muscle, you might gain some!
You get it, protein is key for optimal fat loss. So how do you optimize your protein intake?
Eat More Protein
Chances are that you are eating the recommended amount of protein. This means that you aren’t going to be suffering from protein malnutrition. But it does mean that you could still be anywhere between 20-40g away from an ideal or optimal intake of protein so that you can reap the benefits we have been talking about.
Eat Protein More Evenly
People generally eat a lot of protein at dinner and smaller amounts of protein at breakfast and lunch. Research shows that by just spreading your protein intake out more evenly throughout the day (not necessarily eating more) can lead to a 25% increase in protein synthesis (e.g. muscle building).
Have a Protein Shake After Exercise
Exercise has a profound effect on your body and having a protein shake after you exercise can increase the impact of that effect. A protein shake is a convenient way to quickly get quality amino acids into your body. This will boost the muscle building potential of your workout while also jumpstarting the recovery process so you can train harder the next workout.
Have an Afternoon Protein Snack
An afternoon protein snack like Greek yogurt, a protein shake, or bar might be the key to controlling unwanted snacking at night. Research shows that protein acts on your brain to dampen the craving effects that high fat/calorie/sugar foods have on your brain. This effect lasts several hours.
Protein for Your Heart!
Many of the benefits of protein are often associated with dieting and fat loss but optimizing your protein intake is also good for your heart. The OmniHeart study looked at the role of increased protein in a heart healthy diet compared to a traditional approach, or increasing unsaturated fat.
The researchers found that the high protein diet led to the greatest improvements in blood pressure and 10 year risk of cardiovascular disease.
Protein is not just good for your abs, but your heart too!
Holiday Weight Gain
4 Simple Steps for Surviving Holiday Parties
Holiday weight gain happens to everyone, right? Not you. Not this year.
Holiday Weight Gain Basics
Research has shown that Americans are gaining more weight each year with most of the gain occurring between October and February.
The weight gain during this time of year can be attributed in large part to the increase in social eating situations. Have you been gaining weight slowly over the past several years? Do you always gain a little weight during the holidays, promise yourself you’ll lose it after the first of the year, but never really get around to it??
It’s okay, be honest.
The best plan is a proactive one. If you can avoid putting on the extra weight in the first place, then you won’t have to go through the much more difficult process of losing it. Fortunately, curbing your holiday weight gain is actually very simple.
Below, I have outlined 4 action steps that you can use to prevent holiday weight gain.
- Pre-Eat
The worst choice you can make is going to a holiday party on an empty stomach. This is setting yourself up for complete and utter disaster. Pre-eat before you go, with a small amount of food that will increase your feeling of fullness, prevent cravings, and slow the digestion of any foods that you do eat when you go out. My top pre-eating foods are:
Small Salad – This has been consistently shown in scientific studies to reduce the amount of food you eat in the subsequent meal. Having a salad before you go to a party, or having a salad as your first item at the party, could help you eat 200-300 calories less.
Apple & String Cheese – The apple provides fiber and volume while the string cheese provides fat and protein. These components will signal your body that you are full and slow down digestion (making you feel full longer).
- Skip The Crackers
Most holiday parties are loaded with breads, crackers, cookies and cakes. Just say no. Loading up on these starchy carbohydrates will send your blood sugar levels for a ride. This, along with the lack of fiber in these foods, will cause you to end up eating a lot of them and quickly stack up the calories….Honestly, when was the last time you ate just one cracker? Exactly. Skip the crackers.
- Shrimp & Veggies Please
So, what can you eat? Shrimp, smoked fish, cheese, and vegetables (not the fried ones) are staples at holiday cocktail parties and are all good choices. Many parties also have a featured meat item that would work, such as roast beef or a spiral ham.
Broccoli, carrots, celery, and whatever other vegetables sitting near the ranch dressing are all fair game. The protein-based foods like shrimp, smoked salmon, the meat entrée and cheese are nice compliments to your veggies, by providing fat and protein (components that help with fullness).
If you have a choice, opt for hummus over Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing to dip your vegetables. The carbohydrates in hummus have very little impact on your blood sugar and the chickpeas, which are the basis for hummus, will give you additional fiber. The calorie content of creamy dressing is a nutritional black box. Just 2 TBSPs can contains 7 to 17 grams of fat. These fat grams and calories can add up fast, thus it is best to save the dressing for another time.
- Watch Where You Stand
Holiday parties are full of mindless eating opportunities. I’m sure you’ve been in the following, or a similar, situation before. You’re chatting with a friend or colleague and a bowl of Chex Mix lays just within reach. Next thing you know, the conversation is over and the bowl of Chex Mix is empty. When it comes to feeling full, your body doesn’t sense these mindless eating calories, but your waistline does.
Watch where you stand at parties. Take a small plate and pile on your veggies and proteins. Then, go start a conversation on the other side of the room, away from the food table.
This tip alone can reduce how much you eat by 50%.
Holiday weight gain isn’t inevitable. Put these simple strategies into play to control the greatest source of holiday weight gain and keep the pounds off this year.
The Dirty Dozen
12 Foods With the Highest Levels of Pesticides
You’ve probably heard that the fresh fruits and vegetables in your local supermarket might be tainted by pesticides. A nonprofit organization call the Environmental Working Group looked at 51,000 pesticide tests for 53 popular fruits and vegetables and then ranked them based on how much and how many different pesticides were found. The Dirty Dozen is their list of the 12 foods shown to have the highest levels.
Whenever possible, buy the organic versions of these 12 fruits and vegetables.
Dirty Dozen
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet Bell Pepper
Imported Nectarines
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Imported Snap Peas
Potatoes
Dirty Secrets
Here are some of the scary details on the levels of pesticides found on fresh food you’ve probably bought at your local supermarket.
- Every imported nectarine examined tested positive for pesticides
- One sample of strawberries contained 13 different pesticides
- Apples might be treated with 56 different pesticides
Why You Should Use Kettlebells
Even though they look a bit odd, there are a number of reasons you should use kettlebells. Kettlebells were originally used in Russia to provide a means of weighing crops. As with many different farming tasks, they became part of the contests at festivals, with farmers showing off their strength by lifting them. Eventually the Russian military realized how beneficial they were for training and used them, followed by fitness enthusiasts in the US in the 60s. Today, there are certification programs for instructors to teach kettlebell training.
Kettlebells give overall body training.
You’ll not only get your blood flowing and build your strength and endurance, you’ll work out your cardiovascular system too. The odd shape of the kettlebell makes your moves more challenging than they would be with a dumbbell. The weight is unevenly distributed, so it makes your stabilizer muscles work far harder than they would with ordinary dumbbells. You’ll be building both strength and endurance when working with kettlebells and exercising many different muscles at the same time.
Kettlebells cut your time in the gym.
Since you’re working multiple groups of muscles at once, you won’t spend extra time focusing on each muscle group. Instead, you’ll cut your time in half by working several groups at once and also working on endurance and cardio at the same time. You’ll not only build strength, you’ll also build flexibility and increase your range of motion, which helps prevent injury, making workouts safer. Kettlebells provide both anaerobic and aerobic exercise at the same time. They work the muscles to create a synergistic movement.
Kettlebells burn calories faster, making weight loss quicker.
You’ll be amazed at just how fast you’ll lose weight when you exercise with kettlebells. Kettlebells burn an average of 20 calories every minute you exercise. That’s a whopping 1,200 calories every hour. Jogging at 6 miles per hour burns approximately 700 calories. Tennis burns 450 calories per hour and rock climbing almost 700. As you can probably tell, kettlebells lead the pack. In fact, it burns over twice the number of calories as swimming.
You’ll increase your strength but you won’t develop big muscles with kettlebells. Kettlebells build leaner muscle mass with less bulk, which appeals to both sexes.
A kettlebell workout improves your functional fitness so you can perform everyday tasks better and reduce the potential for injury.
Kettlebell workouts help improve posture.
You’ll be amazed when you see how a kettlebell swing not only works on building your abdominal muscles to flatten your stomach, but also works on your glutes to lift your buttocks at the same time.
Experience the Benefits of Prenatal and Postpartum Exercise
At one time doctors discouraged both prenatal and postpartum exercise, stating it wasn’t good for either mother or child. Of course, in those days, women were restricted to bed for days and sometimes weeks after childbirth. Today, scientific studies paint quite a different picture on whether to exercise during pregnancy and immediately following, or to remain in bed. Studies show that there are many different benefits from exercising both during pregnancy and after the delivery of the child that range from regaining your figure to boosting the immune system and providing the same benefit to the baby if mother is breast feeding.
Exercising during pregnancy can make delivery easier.
Not only does prenatal exercise strengthen the muscles and make delivery easier, it also helps increase the energy level. Posture changes during pregnancy and exercise can help prevent back aches that often occur otherwise. Mothers-to-be find that exercise helps their sleep pattern, which is important when you consider that sleep won’t be as available after delivery. It also helps prevent constipation, swelling and bloating that can sometimes occur in pregnancy. If you’re pregnant and have never been active before, it’s always best to check with your doctor and use the expertise of an exercise specialist, such as a personal trainer. Even if you’ve always been active, you should check with your doctor if you have any health considerations. A personal trainer can also benefit you by choosing the right type and intensity of exercise to provide a safe exercise program.
Delivery is easier is you’re fit.
Women who are fit have shorter labor, both in the first and second stage of labor. Women who exercise regularly while pregnant also have a higher pain tolerance and increased stamina, so they tire less during labor. Studies show there are fewer caesarian births among exercising mothers-to-be and the improved muscle tone in the pelvic area also helps lower the incidence of episiotomies and tearing during delivery.
Postpartum exercise can help prevent the after baby blues.
While most people are aware that exercise produces mood enhancing hormones and burns off stress hormones, most people don’t realize that it also helps build energy. Regular exercise helps you improve your energy levels, which is particularly necessary for this busy time. It restores muscle strength and your abdominal muscle tone, besides promoting weight loss. Women who exercise often find they can cope better with the stresses of motherhood. Lactating mothers also pass benefits on to their children. Exercise boosts the immune system and that benefit goes directly to the newborn at feeding.
You’ll look better and feel better when you exercise during and after pregnancy. It also sets the stage for a healthy lifestyle for your family.
Knowing the best exercises to do both before and immediately following delivery can be tricky. Using the expertise of a personal trainer or exercise specialist during that time is quite beneficial.
Exercise not only helps improve the sense of well being and provides mood improving hormones, it also contributes to improving the self-image.
Prenatal and postpartum exercise prepares you for all extra lifting and bending necessary as a new mother. It provides functional fitness to help prevent injury, such as pulled muscles or prevent backache.
Keeping Up With Your Kids
If you’re already a parent, you know just how exhausting raising a child can be. Not only does it require a lot of work, play can be just as taxing. Keeping up with your kids in Fort Lee, New Jersey doesn’t have to be difficult if you exercise on a regular basis. In fact, people who are considering children often start an exercise program. For women, it’s a great way to prepare your body for childbirth. Studies show that fit women have shorter labor and have an easier postpartum recovery time. Exercising helps prevent constipation that often occurs. It also can help prevent the after baby blues or relieve them. For both parents, keeping in shape not only will give you vitality, it can also provide a number of other benefits.
Exercise boosts your immune system.
Let’s face it, as a parent, you can’t afford to get sick. In fact, your job has no sick days…or holidays for that matter. When you exercise on a regular basis, you’re not only staying active and maintaining stamina, you’re also boosting your immune system to help prevent both serious and minor illnesses. Regular exercise can help reduce the potential for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and many other serious conditions. It can also help you fight off a cold or the latest strain of influenza.
Teach your kids good habits for life.
Exercising on a regular basis and an active lifestyle is not only good for you, it also sends an important message to your children. Kids mimic what they see. If you smoke, the chances of your children smoking increases. If you exercise regularly, they probably won’t end up as couch potatoes, but follow your lead. Just as reading to children encourages the child to read, running and playing with them encourages them to have a more active lifestyle.
Exercise burns off stress hormones.
Raising children is very rewarding, but anyone that says there aren’t frustrating and trying times in that process either never raised a child or has a short memory. When the demands of life look overwhelming, you can sit and worry about it or get moving. Doing any kind of physical activity can help eliminate stress hormones. When you workout at your maximum, your body also replaces those stress hormones with ones that make you feel good, such as endorphins. These hormones can make you feel calmer and more in charge, allowing you to handle the next catastrophe that appears on the horizon.
Regular exercise keeps you in shape for a longer healthier life. You’ll not only be the active parent, but also the active grandparent and maybe even great-grandparent.
When you exercise on a regular basis and eat healthy, you’ll have the energy to keep up with the kids during the day and still have some left for grown up activities at night, such as dancing the night away.
Exercise not only gives you strength and stamina, it makes you look good too. It keeps you feeling young and looking young.
Exercise can give you presence. You’ll speak with more authority, walk tall and feel more confident. Not only will you maintain your cool during stressful times, you’ll find your attitude and carriage brings you more respect from your children.