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Improve Your Health at Less Than 4 Calories a Stalk

Modern food lovers like to think that we discovered everything, but we can’t claim asparagus. Asparagus was originally found growing on Mediterranean hillsides, and recipes date back to late fourth-century Rome and Apicius Book III, one of the oldest known cookbooks. Early American colonists referred to asparagus as a “food of kings.”

Although farmers in California, Washington, and Michigan grow substantial quantities, the U.S. is the world’s largest importer of asparagus, with much of it coming from China and Peru. We love our asparagus, and for good reason.

Stalking Good Nutrition

One serving of asparagus – 5 stalks – contains 3 grams of fiber and 60% of your recommended daily intake of folic acid, a vitamin that’s essential for mental and physical health. Folic acid is known to prevent birth defects in developing fetuses, and is an essential part of key enzymes and neurotransmitters.

Asparagus also contains glutathione, the major detoxifying antioxidant in your liver.

One stalk contains fewer than 4 calories, making it a great tasting, low calorie addition to any meal.

Functional Fiber

Asparagus contains a unique type of soluble fiber called fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which goes undigested until it reaches your large intestine. From there, it serves as food for the good bacteria that lives in your gut and helps improve your digestive health. Because of its unique ability to support the growth of beneficial bacteria, scientists have even started putting FOS in infant formula.

In addition to improving digestion, FOS can help lower triglycerides, decreasing your risk for cardiovascular disease, and improve your body’s ability to absorb minerals from your diet.

Nature’s Hang Over Cure

Asparagus is the perfect food to have the day after a night out with friends.

A 2009 study from the Journal of Food Science found that asparagus can boost, by 200%, the effectiveness of 2 key alcohol-metabolizing enzymes in your liver. In addition, asparagus can help replenish your body’s supply of glutathione, which gets used up quickly by your liver after you have a couple of drinks.

The Best of the Best

Size matters when buying asparagus. The thicker the stalk, the more tender it will be. Make sure the tips are closed and compact; these are signs of freshness, which will lead to better taste.

Hot and Steamy

For best results, steam your asparagus with the stalks straight up for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they become tender. Top with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a little extra-virgin olive oil for the perfect complement to a salmon filet or grilled steak.

Stir It Up

Stir-frying asparagus is another fast and easy way to get this power food in your diet. Cut the asparagus stalks diagonally into 2-inch pieces and sauté them in a nonstick pan over medium heat with sesame oil, fresh ginger, and a splash of soy sauce.

You can make this a complete meal by adding sliced mushrooms, chicken breast strips, and steamed brown rice.

Benefits

Balance is important in your body. Antioxidants help provide balance by neutralizing oxidized molecules. Oxidation occurs in your body naturally but at an excelled rate due to stress, exercise, inadequate sleep, and a poor diet.

Dangers

For a long time the message was, the more antioxidants the better. However, research has shown us that too many antioxidants can be a bad thing. A little stress and oxidation in your life is good and allowing your body to fight it by itself, is a natural part of your body keeping its “edge”.

For example, exercise produces free radicals. They are generated as part of the process when your muscles are broken down (as they naturally are during exercise). These free radicals actually stimulate your body to begin rebuilding your muscle so it can come back stronger than before. Taking in high levels of antioxidants after exercise might actually hinder muscle growth and recovery!

The term antioxidants is very broad and there are many different types of antioxidants that have different functions and benefits. Let’s look at two that can specifically help improve exercise performance, weight loss, and overall health

Flavonols

Foods that are high in flavonols include: dark chocolate, apples, and tea.

The flavonols in dark chocolate can help improve the health of your blood vessels and may be able to decrease the rate in which you lose brain function as you age.

Apples are antioxidant powerhouses with a large amount of their antioxidants being in their skin. The antioxidants in apples can help fight cancer, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes. An apple a day may truly keep the doctor away!

Green tea contains one of the most famous antioxidants, EGCG. EGCG can upregulate the processes in your body that burn fat, upwards of 17%! People who drink green tea also have lower risks of many cancers. Researchers attribute most of this decrease in risk to EGCG.

Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are another extremely popular group of antioxidants with powerful health effects. Anthocyanins are found in dark red and purple foods like blueberries, pomegranates, and cherries.

Blueberries are well known for their antioxidant prowess which can help with brain, eye, and blood vessel health. Wild blueberries have 2x the antioxidants. Perfect if you are controlling calories but don’t want to sacrifice the antioxidants.

Pomegranates, with a massive ad budget, have made their antioxidant status part of modern culture. Unfortunately the benefits of pomegranates have been overstated, as they won’t save your life. But, they will improve blood vessel health and help prevent excessive stickiness of the platelets in your blood.

Cherries have anthocyanins and have been shown to be strong enough to inhibit key enzymes in the body that regulate inflammation and inflammatory pain. These are the same enzymes that drugs like Celebrex act on. Research has shown that cherries may also be able to help fight jet lag.

Supplement?

If you eat a well-rounded diet, there is probably no need to supplement with additional antioxidants. In certain cases, if you are looking to elicit a specific effect, then supplementing may be warranted so that you can get enough of a certain antioxidant in the right dose. An example of this would be twice daily supplementation with quercetin to boost exercise performance.

A tight, toned stomach is the ultimate fitness goal for many people. Not only does it look visually appealing but having a strong set of stomach muscles also improves your posture and makes performing other exercises much easier. In this article I’m going to help you develop the strong set of stomach muscles you’ve always desired by outlining five of the best stomach toning bodyweight exercises.

1 – Bicycle Crunches

Bicycle crunches are a tough but effective stomach toning exercise which involve performing crunches while cycling your legs in the air. To perform bicycle crunches, follow the instructions below:

1. Lie down on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, your hands at either side of your head and your elbows sticking out.
2. Raise your legs off the ground, keep your left leg straight and bend your right leg towards your chest.
3. At the same time, rotate your body towards your right knee and touch it with your right elbow.
4. Straighten your right leg and bend your left leg towards your chest.
5. At the same time, rotate your body towards your left knee and touch it with your left elbow.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for as many repetitions as you can manage.
7. Rest for 1 minute and then repeat steps 2-6 two more times.

Click Here For A Video Demonstration Of Bicycle Crunches

2 – Planks

Planks are a stationary abdominal exercise that look deceptively easy but in reality are incredibly tough. They involve holding your body in a tight, rigid plank position for as long as possible and give your core a thorough workout. To perform planks, follow the instructions below:

1. Kneel down on the floor and place your forearms in front of you so that they are parallel with your head.
2. Straighten your legs, bring your knees off the floor and balance on your toes and forearms.
3. Once you have your balance, tighten your core muscles and hold the plank position for as long as you can.
4. Rest for 1 minute and then repeat steps 1-3 two more times.

Click Here For A Video Demonstration Of Planks

3 – Side Planks

Side planks are an effective variation on regular planks that involve holding a similar position while rotating your body to one side. To perform side planks, follow the instructions below:

1. Lie down on the left hand side of your body.
2. Place your left forearm on the floor and your right hand behind your head.
3. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and balance on your feet and left forearm.
4. Once you have your balance, tighten your core muscles and hold the side plank position for as long as you can.
5. Rest for 1 minute and then lie down on the right hand side of your body.
6. Place your right forearm on the floor and your left hand behind your head.
7. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and balance on your feet and right forearm.
8. Once you have your balance, tighten your core muscles and hold the side plank position for as long as you can.
9. Rest for 1 minute and then repeat steps 1-9 two more times.

Click Here For A Video Demonstration Of Side Planks

4 – Lying Leg Raises

Lying leg raises are another abdominal exercise that look easy when you’re observing them but are very challenging when you actually perform them. They engage all your core muscles as you raise and lower your legs and give them an excellent workout. To perform lying leg raises, follow the instructions below:

1. Lie down flat on the floor and place your hands by your butt.
2. Slowly raise your legs off the floor, stopping once the soles of your feet are facing the celling and your legs are at a 90 degree angle to your hips.
3. Slowly lower your legs back down towards the floor, stopping just before your feet touch the floor.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for as many repetitions as you can manage.
5. Rest for 1 minute and then repeat steps 2-4 two more times.

Click Here For A Video Demonstration Of Lying Leg Raises

5 – Lying Knee Tucks

Lying knee tucks are very similar to lying leg raises but involve you bending your knees towards your stomach instead of raising them up in the air. To perform lying leg raises, follow the instructions below:

1. Lie down flat on the floor and place your hands by your butt.
2. Slowly bend your knees and bring them towards your stomach, stopping when they are fully tucked in.
3. Slowly straighten your knees, stopping just before your feet touch the floor.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for as many repetitions as you can manage.
5. Rest for 1 minute and then repeat steps 2-4 two more times.

Click Here For A Video Demonstration Of Lying Knee Tucks

Summary

By practicing the exercises in this article once or twice per week, you’ll rapidly develop a set of strong, toned stomach muscles. When combined with a solid fat loss plan, this will give you the washboard abs you’ve always desired.

If you want to strengthen and tone your stomach muscles, dumbbell exercises are a fantastic solution. Unlike stomach toning bodyweight exercises, stomach toning dumbbell exercises allow you to increase the resistance as your abs get stronger and develop a good level of core stability. So read on for five of the best dumbbell exercises for toning up your stomach.

1 – Standing Dumbbell Oblique Twist

The standing dumbbell oblique twist is a simple but effective that utilizes a twisting motion while holding light dumbbells. It mainly works your oblique muscles but also does an excellent job of targeting your other core muscles.

To perform the standing oblique twist, you will need a pair of dumbbells. Once you have your dumbbells, follow the instructions below:

1. Grab the dumbbells in both hands and stand with your feet a shoulder width apart.
2. Raise your arms your arms out to the side so that they are parallel with your shoulders, making sure that you keep your arms straight and your palms facing towards the floor.
3. Slowly twist your body to the right as far as it will go, making sure you are fully engaging your core muscles as you twist.
4. Slowly twist your body to the left as far as it will go, making sure you are fully engaging your core muscles as you twist.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 for 8-12 repetitions.
6. Once you’ve done your last repetition, slowly place the dumbbells on the floor and rest for 1 minute.
7. After 1 minute, pick the dumbbells up off the floor and repeat steps 1-6 two more times.
8. Put the dumbbells back in the correct place so that other gym members can use them.

2 – Standing Dumbbell Woodchopper

The standing dumbbell woodchopper gets its name because the exercise closely resembles the action of chopping wood. It engages all your core muscles and is a fantastic exercise for getting six pack abs.

To perform the standing dumbbell woodchopper, you will need one dumbbell. Once you have the dumbbell, follow the instructions below:

1. Grab the dumbbell with both hands and stand with your feet a shoulder width apart.
2. Slowly bend your waist, twist to the right and hold the dumbbell just above your right thigh.
3. Straighten your waist and lift the dumbbell up above your left shoulder while keeping your arms and your back straight.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for 8-12 repetitions.
6. Once you’ve done your last repetition, slowly bend your waist, twist to the left and hold the dumbbell just above your left thigh.
7. Straighten your waist and lift the dumbbell up above your right shoulder while keeping your arms and your back straight.
8. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 for 8-12 repetitions.
10. Once you’ve done your last repetition, slowly place the dumbbell on the floor and rest for 1 minute.
11. After 1 minute, pick the dumbbell up off the floor and repeat steps 1-10 two more times.
12. Put the dumbbell back in the correct place so that other gym members can use it.

3 – Standing Dumbbell Side Bend

Standing dumbbell side bend are another top exercise for the oblique muscles at either side of your core. By doing them regularly, you’ll find that the sides of your torso really tighten up to give you a slimmer, leaner appearance.

To perform the standing dumbbell side bend, you will need one dumbbell. Once you have the dumbbell, follow the instructions below:

1. Grab the dumbbell with your left hand, place your right hand on your right hip and stand with your feet a shoulder width apart.
2. Bend your waist to the left as far as possible.
3. Once your waist is bent as far as possible, straighten your waist and return to the starting position.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for 8-12 repetitions.
5. Once you’ve done your last repetition, grab the dumbbell with your right hand, place your left hand on your left hip and stand with your feet a shoulder width apart.
6. Bend your waist to the right as far as possible.
7. Once your waist is bent as far as possible, straighten your waist and return to the starting position.
8. Repeat steps 6-7 for 8-12 repetitions.
9. Once you’ve done your last repetition, slowly place the dumbbell on the floor and rest for 1 minute.
10. After 1 minute, pick the dumbbell up off the floor and repeat steps 1-9 two more times.
11. Put the dumbbell back in the correct place so that other gym members can use it.

4 – Dumbbell Renegade Rows

Dumbbell renegade rows are an extremely challenging exercise that involve lifting dumbbells in a rowing motion while balancing and keeping

your core muscles tight. As well as your core, dumbbell renegade rows also do a great job of building up your arms, upper back and shoulders.

To perform dumbbell renegade rows, you will need two dumbbells. Once you have your dumbbells, follow the instructions below:

1. Place the dumbbells on the floor about a shoulder width apart, place one of your hands on each of the dumbbells, straighten your legs out behind you and balance on your hands and toes.
2. Once you have your balance, tighten your core muscles and slowly lift the left dumbbell off the floor and towards your chest.
3. Once the dumbbell touches your chest, slowly lower it back onto the floor.
4. Slowly lift the right dumbbell off the floor and towards your chest.
5. Once the dumbbell touches your chest, slowly lower it back onto the floor.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for 8-12 repetitions.
7. Once you’ve done your last repetition, rest for 1 minute.
8. After 1 minute, repeat steps 1-6 two more times.
9. Put the dumbbells back in the correct place so that other gym members can use them.

5 – Side Plank With Dumbbell Lateral Raise

The side plank with dumbbell lateral raise is a variation of a popular stomach toning bodyweight exercise. The addition of a dumbbell makes it very tough to perform but also very rewarding in terms of results.

To perform the side plank with dumbbell lateral raise, you will need one dumbbell. Once you have the dumbbell, follow the instructions below:

1. Grab the dumbbell with your right hand and then lie down on the left hand side of your body.
2. Place your left forearm on the floor and hold your right arm straight out in front of you, making sure it is parallel with your chest.
3. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and balance on your feet and left forearm.
4. Once you have your balance, tighten your core muscles and slowly raise the dumbbell up towards the ceiling, making sure that you keep your right arm straight at all times.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down so that it is parallel with your chest.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 for 8-12 repetitions.
7. Once you’ve done your last repetition, grab the dumbbell with your left hand and then lie down on the right hand side of your body.
8. Place your right forearm on the floor and hold your left arm straight out in front of you, making sure it is parallel with your chest.
9. Slowly lift your hips off the floor and balance on your feet and left forearm.
10. Once you have your balance, tighten your core muscles and slowly raise the dumbbell up towards the ceiling, making sure that you keep your left arm straight at all times.
11. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down so that it is parallel with your chest.
12. Repeat steps 10-11 for 8-12 repetitions.
13. Once you’ve done your last repetition, slowly place the dumbbell on the floor and rest for 1 minute.
14. After 1 minute, pick the dumbbell up off the floor and repeat steps 1-13 two more times
15. Put the dumbbell back in the correct place so that other gym members can use it.

Summary

 If you want to tighten up your abs, these five stomach toning dumbbell exercises will certainly do the trick. So take another look at these exercises and start incorporating them into your workout routine today.

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.