Tuesday, 4 October 2016

MY TOP 5 TIPS TO REDUCE CELLULITE


My top 5 tips to reduce cellulite

MY TOP 5 TIPS TO REDUCE CELLULITE

Do you have cellulite? Well, then you are not alone. Most women do, and one of the most common questions I get is, how to get rid of cellulite. Cellulite is something most of you experience and you might find cellulite unsightly. If you want to get rid of it, or at least reduce the appearance of it, make sure you continue to read.
Cellulite is normally found on hips and thighs and is caused by the fat deposits under the skin pushing up towards the surface of the skin. Cellulite does not only occur in women who are overweight, or obese, but also in women who are considered ‘thin’. Despite what it often said in media, cellulite is not caused by a toxic build-up in your body. Although cellulite is genetic, your lifestyle has a greater impact on the appearance of your cellulite than you think.
There are a few things that might affect how much cellulite you have, such as:
  • How fast your metabolism is
    If you have a slow metabolism the chances are that your cellulite is worse.
  • If you are not physical active
    If you are not exercising regularly, your cellulite might get worse
  • If you are dehydrated
    If you are not drinking enough water, your skin will become dehydrated. Dehydration might make cellulite worse.
  • If you are fad dieting
    Fad diets might not provide you with the nutrients your body need to keep your body and skin healthy. In addition, some fad diets can also leave you dehydrated.
  • If your diet is poor
    A poor diet might not provide you with the nutrients your body needs, or provide you with too much of some, like sodium and unhealthy fats.
  • If your total body fat is high
    Although cellulite also occurs in women who are considered ‘thin’, a reduction in total body fat often have a positive effect on the appearance of cellulite.
  • If you are a woman
    It is true that not only women have cellulite. It is, however, less common in men as they have thicker skin.
  • If you are older
    We are all getting older, and that is a simple fact. With age, our hormones change and also the amount of collagen we produce. This might result in a worsening of the appearance of cellulite.
As you can see above, there are few things we can’t really change, and we certainly can’t stop ageing. However, it is not all doom and gloom. Your lifestyle can have a major effect on the appearance of your cellulite. I see it so often in the great testimonials I receive from girls using my F.I.T. programs. Their results continue to blow me away.
Below are my top 5 tips to help you to reduce the appearance of cellulite.
  1. Reduce your total body fat
    Cellulite is fat deposits under your skin, and although this type of fat is not harmful to your health, many women don’t like the look of it. The best way to reduce the appearance of cellulite is to reduce the amount of fat you have.
  2. Get ‘back to basics eating’
    Rather than following the latest fad diet, implement lifestyle changes that will ensure that you provide your body with all of the nutrients it requires. A diet full of vegetables, fruit, fibre, lean protein, and healthy fats will make wonders to your skin and the appearance of cellulite.
  3. Get physical
    Being physically active will help reduce the appearance of cellulite by improving your muscle tone and circulation, as well as firming up the skin.
  4. Hydrate
    Hydration is really important to improve circulation, but also to keep your skin healthy. If you are dehydrated your cellulite might appear to be worse, so make sure to fill up that water glass.
  5. Try dry brushing
    Although dry brushing won’t reduce the amount of fat that is underneath your skin, it will help with improving circulation and stimulate lymph flow. A few minutes each day is all it takes.
Do you have any other tips how to reduce cellulite? I would love to hear from you.

7 Minutes Plank Challenge!



I'm on the 5th minute no rest, getting there. 
would you do this Plank Challenge?

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

10 Exercises You Can Do In Bed


10 Exercises You Can Do In Bed
We’ve all been there. We’ve got an early-morning workout scheduled for the AM, but the alarm goes off and you automatically hit snooze.
Some days, it’s simply too hard to get out of bed and get moving. Thankfully, there’s a solution for you bed-loving lazy butts out there.
No matter your motives or your preferences, working out in bed is a great way to start your day off right. While a bed workout is certainly no substitute for a rigorous fitness program, doing 10 minutes of the following exercises before getting out of bed each morning can invigorate you for the day ahead, and maybe even motivate you to get in a proper workout later in the day.
Plus, what’s better than sculpting your muscles surrounded by a cozy comforter and fluffy pillows?
Here are you 10 exercises you can try in your bed — comfy PJ's and all.
10-Exercises-You-Can-Try-In-Your-Bed-Infography-Banner-logo-min

1. Leg Circles

Let’s start with a simple movement for lower ab strength and circulation. Lying on your back, lift your legs about six inches off of the bed. Keep your abs contracted, your back flat on the bed, your arms at your sides, your knees straight, and your feet touching. Now draw small circles in the air with your feet without touching the bed. Do 20 circles clockwise and 20 circles counterclockwise.

2. Butt-Sculpting Hip Rotation

It won’t take long to feel how effective this tiny motion is. Lying facedown, fold your arms under your head and stretch your legs straight behind you. Bend your right leg and put your right foot on the back of your left knee. Both your hips should stay on the floor, with your knee pointing out. Contracting your right cheek without raising your hip, lift your right knee a few inches off the bed. Hold for two seconds before lowering your knee. Do 10 repetitions. Then switch legs and start again.

3. The Pilates Clam

This exercise tones the hips and thighs while increasing your pelvic stability. Lie on your right side, making sure your hips and shoulders are in a straight line and stacked on top of one another. Draw in your feet and bend both knees so that your legs are at a 90-degree angle to your body, keeping your feet in line with your hips and shoulders. Rest your head on your right arm, bent or stretched, keeping your neck straight. Put your left hand on the bed in front of your chest for support. Now, keeping your big toes together, slowly rotate your left hip, opening and raising the knee. As soon as you feel your hips shift out of alignment, begin lowering your leg to the starting position. Do four more repetitions, then switch sides.

4. Knee-In Leg Lifts

This leg-lift variation works your thighs, butt, and outer thighs. Lie on your right side with your right knee bent and right foot behind you. Use your right hand to prop your head up; your left hand can rest on your hip. Pointing your left toes, extend your left leg so it forms a straight line with your body. Keeping your hips on top of one another, lift your left leg straight up, pointing your toes toward the ceiling. Now bend your left knee and bring it in toward your torso. Extend the left leg toward the ceiling again before lowering it with control to the starting position. Complete 10 repetitions, then switch over to your other side.

5. Arm Extension To Shoulder Tap

This exercise will work your shoulders and core. Start in a high plank position, with your arms straight and wrists directly under your shoulders. Make sure your body forms a straight line, from the top of your head to your toes. Hold your abs and glutes tight as you extend your right arm straight out in front of you, holding for one second. Before lowering your arm, tap your left shoulder. Repeat with your left arm. Complete 30 total repetitions while alternating sides (15 per side).

6. Half Bridge

This isometric exercise will tone your rear. Start by lying on your back. Your feet should be flat on the bed, hip-width apart, with your knees bent. Contract your abs and glutes, lifting your tailbone. Push up until your shoulder, hip, and knee form a straight line. Hold for 30 seconds, keeping your butt engaged and your breathing regular. Lower back and repeat several times.

7. Marching Hip Raises

Adding a marching motion to the half bridge gives it some kick. Begin in a half bridge (see above). Keeping your knee bent, squeeze your butt and raise your right foot up off the bed until your right knee is directly over your right hip. Lower your right foot back to the bed. Repeat on the left side. Continue alternating sides for a total of 30 reps.

8. Jackknife Sit-Ups

At the height of this movement, you’re balancing only on your butt! Start by lying on your back with your arms and legs stretched out and your feet together. Keep your arms and legs straight and your core engaged throughout the movement. Exhale as you lift your upper and lower body off the bed, aiming to meet your hands to your feet. Lower down to start in a controlled way. Complete 10 reps.

9. Table-Top High Fives

Sit on the bed with your legs extended in front and arms resting at your sides. Bending your knees, place your feet flat on the bed. In one smooth motion, press into your hands and feet as you straighten your elbows and lift your hips up toward the ceiling, until your body from shoulder to knee is one straight line. Keep your glutes squeezed and your bellybutton high. Now pick your right hand up off the bed and stretch toward the ceiling. Lower and repeat with the left hand. Alternate for a total of 30 reps (15 each side).

10. Ankle Rolls

End with an exercise that stretches and improves circulation to your feet, which you’ll be using a lot once you get up and walk around. Lie down with both legs stretched out toward the ceiling. Turn your feet outward and inward, rolling your ankles for one minute.

this bed workout is interesting,
what do you think? 

source by: BIANCA VAN DER MEULEN

Grab your fellow GIRL BOSSES!! Conference Room Workout



workout at work,
will you do it?

Monday, 26 September 2016

10 REASONS WHY GOOD SLEEP IS IMPORTANT


A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for health.
In fact, it is just as important as eating healthy and exercising.
Unfortunately, the Western environment is interfering with natural sleep patterns.
People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well.
Here are 10 reasons why good sleep is important.

1. Poor Sleep Can Make You Fat

Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain.
People with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep (12).
In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity.
In one massive review study, children and adults with short sleep duration were 89% and 55% more likely to become obese, respectively (3).
The effect of sleep on weight gain is believed to be mediated by numerous factors, including hormones and motivation to exercise (4).
If you are trying to lose weight, getting quality sleep is absolutely crucial.

Bottom Line: Short sleep duration is associated with a drastically increased risk of weight gain and obesity, in both children and adults.

2. Good Sleepers Tend to Eat Fewer Calories

Young Man Wanting to Hit the Alarm Clock
Studies show that sleep deprived individuals have a bigger appetite and tend to eat more calories.
Sleep deprivation disrupts the daily fluctuations in appetite hormones and is believed to cause poor appetite regulation (25).
This includes higher levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite, and reduced levels of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite (6).
Bottom Line: Poor sleep affects hormones that regulate appetite. Those who get adequate sleep tend to eat fewer calories than those who don’t.

3. Good Sleep Can Improve Concentration and Productivity

Business Man Working
Sleep is important for various aspects of brain function.
This includes cognition, concentration, productivity and performance (7).
All of these are negatively affected by sleep deprivation.
A study on medical interns provides a good example.
Interns on a “traditional schedule” made 36% more serious medical errors than interns on a schedule that allowed more sleep (8).
Another study found short sleep can negatively impact some aspects of brain function to a similar degree as alcohol intoxication (9).
Good sleep, on the other hand, has been shown to improve problem solving skills and enhance memory performance of both children and adults (101112).
Bottom Line: Good sleep can maximize problem solving skills and enhance memory. Poor sleep has been shown to impair brain function.

4. Good Sleep Can Maximize Athletic Performance

Sleep has been shown to enhance athletic performance.
Fit Woman Doing Push Ups
In a study on basketball players, longer sleep was shown to significantly improve speed, accuracy, reaction times, and mental wellbeing (13).
Less sleep duration has also been associated with poor exercise performance and functional limitation in elderly women.
A study of over 2,800 women found that poor sleep was linked to slower walking, lower grip strength, and greater difficulty performing independent activities (14).

Bottom Line: Longer sleep has been shown to improve many aspects of athletic and physical performance.

5. Poor Sleepers Have a Greater Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Heart and Stethoscope
We know that sleep quality and duration can have a major effect on many risk factors.
These are the factors believed to drive chronic diseases, including heart disease.
A review of 15 studies found that short sleepers are at far greater risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours per night (15).
Bottom Line: Sleeping less than 7-8 hours per night is linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

6. Sleep Affects Glucose Metabolism and Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Frustrated Business Man
Experimental sleep restriction affects blood sugar and reduces insulin sensitivity (1617).
In a study of healthy young men, restricting sleep to 4 hours per night for 6 nights in a row caused symptoms of pre-diabetes (18).
This was then resolved after 1 week of increased sleep duration.
Poor sleep habits are also strongly linked to adverse effects on blood sugar in the general population.
Those sleeping less than 6 hours per night have repeatedly been shown to be at increased risk for type 2 diabetes (1920).
Bottom Line: Sleep deprivation can cause pre-diabetes in healthy adults, in as little as 6 days. Many studies show a strong link between short sleep duration and type 2 diabetes risk.

7. Poor Sleep is Linked to Depression

Mental health issues, such as depression, are strongly linked to poor sleep quality and sleeping disorders.
Woman who Cant Sleep
It has been estimated that 90% of patients with depression complain about sleep quality (21).
Poor sleep is even associated with increased risk of death by suicide (22).
Those with sleeping disorders, such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea, also report significantly higher rates of depression than those without (23).
Bottom Line: Poor sleeping patterns are strongly linked to depression, particularly for those with a sleeping disorder.

8. Sleep Improves Your Immune Function

Female Doctor Drinking Coffee
Even a small loss of sleep has been shown to impair immune function (24).
One large 2-week study monitored the development of the common cold after giving people nasal drops with the virus that causes colds (25).
They found that those who slept less than 7 hours were almost three times more likely to develop a cold than those who slept 8 hours or more.
If you often get colds, ensuring that you get at least 8 hours of sleep per night could be very helpful. Eating more garlic can help too.
Bottom Line: Getting at least 8 hours of sleep can improve immune function and help fight the common cold.

9. Poor Sleep is Linked to Increased Inflammation

Orange Clock
Sleep can have a major effect on inflammation in the body.
In fact, sleep loss is known to activate undesirable markers of inflammation and cell damage.
Poor sleep has been strongly linked to long-term inflammation of the digestive tract, in disorders known as inflammatory bowel diseases (2627).
One study observed that sleep deprived patients with Crohn’s disease were twice as likely to relapse as patients who slept well (28).
Researchers are even recommending sleep evaluation to help predict outcomes in sufferers of long-term inflammatory issues (27).
Bottom Line: Sleep affects the body’s inflammatory responses. Poor sleep is strongly linked to inflammatory bowel diseases and can increase the risk of disease recurrence.

10. Sleep Affects Emotions and Social Interactions

Sleep loss reduces our ability to interact socially.
Several studies confirmed this using emotional facial recognition tests (2930).
One study found that people who had not slept had a reduced ability to recognize expressions of anger and happiness (31).
Researchers believe that poor sleep affects our ability to recognize important social cues and process emotional information.

Take Home Message

Along with nutrition and exercise, good sleep is one of the pillars of health.
You simply can not achieve optimal health without taking care of your sleep. 

correct practice makes a habit, what do you think? 

Source By: Joe Leech, Dietitian

BENEFITS OF THE KETOGENIC DIET


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fat loss using fat,  would you like to this Keto Diet?