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Saturday, December 21, 2019

Fitness

Feel lighter in that cloth with this Ten minutes workout

Feel lighter in that cloth with this Ten minutes workout
December 21, 20190 Comments
If you're tired of that section of skin that rolls over the top of your jeans (commonly referred to as a 'muffin top' or 'love handles'), no shame; you're far from the only one looking for how to slim down in this area.

The hard truth: No matter how many lower abs, obliques, and lower back exercises you do, you can't tone your muffin top into oblivion. It's fat, meaning the only way to truly get rid of it is to lose weight.


That being said, you can firm up the muscles underneath to make you feel better, look sleeker, and burn cals that will ultimately help you get the stomach you want. How? This muffin top workout from insanely fit (and funny) trainer Kym Perfetto (@KymNonStop). (This muffin-top melter workout will also help you burn cals and torch your core like crazy.)

If your abs aren't totally toasted after this, cue up Kym's 10-minute lower abs workout next, and you're sure to be burned up in no time.

How it works: Follow along with Kym and just do the moves step-by-step below. Complete the warm-up, then do each superset twice. Ex: Do a full sets of exercise 1a then do a full set of exercise 1b. Repeat. Then move on to 2a and 2b.

Warm-Up
Cobras

A. Lie facedown on the floor, palms flat on the floor below shoulders.

B. Inhale to press into palms and lift chest off the floor, pulling shoulders back and extending head toward ceiling.

C. Exhale and slowly lower to starting position. Do 5 reps.

Extended Cobras

A. Lie facedown on the floor, palms flat on the floor, and forehead resting on fingers.

B. Inhale to lift chest and extend arms backwards next to hips, fingertips reaching toward toes.

C. Exhale to lower chest and return to starting position. Do 5 reps.

1a. Bicycle Crunches

A. Lie faceup on the floor, hands clasped behind head and elbows pointing out to the sides.

B. Lift shoulders and feet to hover off of the ground. Drive right knee in toward chest and rotating torso to drive left elbow to knee.

C. Switch, extending right leg, and driving left knee and right elbow toward center. Continue alternating.

Do 20 reps, counting each side as 1 rep.

1b. Plank Bird-Dog

A. Begin in a high plank position.

B. Keeping core tight and maintaining plank position, lift straight right arm to extend forward and lift straight left leg as high as possible.

C. Return to starting position, then repeat on the other side, lifting left arm and right leg.

Do 20 reps, counting each side as 1 rep.

Repeat moves 1a and 1b.

2a. Side Plank Toe-Touches

A. Begin in a right side plank, resting on elbow with fingertips pointing forward. Extend arm overhead so biceps is next to ear.

B. Bring straight left leg forward and straight left arm forward to touch fingertips to toes in front of belly button.

C. Return to starting position.

Do 20 reps on each side.

2b. Mountain Climbers

A. Begin in a high plank position.

B. Drive right knee in toward chest, then return to high plank, and draw left knee in toward chest.

C. Continue alternating quickly while keeping core tight and hips in line.

Do 20 reps, counting each side as 1 rep.

Repeat moves 2a and 2b.

3a. Plank Twists

A. Begin in an elbow plank.

B. Rotate hips to the right, lowering until right hip taps the floor.

C. Lift hips back to center, then rotate hips to the left, lowering until left hip taps the floor. That's 1 rep.

Do 20 reps.

3b. Washer Crunches

A. Lie faceup on the floor, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hands are clasped behind head with elbows pointing out to the sides.

B. Lift shoulders off the floor. Squeeze right obliques to curve torso to the right, drawing right elbow toward right foot.

C. Squeeze left obliques to curve torso to the left, drawing left elbow toward left foot. That's 1 rep.

Do 20 reps.

Repeat moves 3a and 3b.
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Friday, December 20, 2019

Weight loss

These are the hormones that sabotage your weight loss

These are the hormones that sabotage your weight loss
December 20, 20190 Comments
You’ve tried everything to lose weight.
Not just exercising, but every kind of exercise—running, lifting, yoga, Pilates, CrossFit.
Not just dieting, but every kind of diet—Weight Watchers, Atkins, vegetarian/vegan, Paleo, low carb, SlimFast, Beachbody.
Not just supplements—but hundreds of dollars of pills, powders, shakes, you name it.
Not just self improvement, but every kind of self improvement—meditation, prayer, deep breathing, affirmation, self love.
Then why is it STILL not working?




You’ve followed the rules. You’ve read the blogs. You’ve bought the supplements. Cooked the food. You feel you should be able to figure this out.

But you haven’t. And it frustrates and exhausts you to no end. It doesn’t seem fair.

Your hormones could be to blame.

My team of Dietitians and I see clients just like you—people who are seemingly doing everything “right” and yet they aren’t seeing the fat loss they want. I know how frustrating it is to work so hard and not see results on the scale or in the mirror!

That’s why we always look deeper in our 1-1 coaching—beyond just food, calories, and exercise. We know that the real answers lie in the commonly overlooked factors (many of which I share with you in my #1 bestselling book.)

One key that has been a huge “a-ha” for both myself and our clients, is hormones!
When your hormones are in harmony, your metabolism is supported and you feel amazing—you’re energized, in control of your moods, your cravings fade away, and you’re ready to conquer the world!

On the flip side, when they’re out of balance, you feel exhausted, out of control, and your metabolism tanks. (And that's when it seems impossible to lose weight, or worse—you gain weight.)

Four Key Hormones and How to Keep ‘Em Balanced:

A. Insulin

You can think of insulin as your master hormone because when insulin is at work, the activities of other major hormones are suppressed. When insulin plays its trump card, all other hormones step out of the way. Insulin’s main job is to store fat, which is why it’s important to keep insulin’s workload as light as possible. When insulin is working hard, you’re packing on more pounds.

How to keep insulin on the sidelines: Keep your blood sugar levels stable to keep insulin levels low...or else insulin takes over the show. Do this by eating in PFC balance to stay off the blood sugar roller coaster that drives insulin (and your weight) up.

B. Cortisol 

Cortisol (also known as your “stress hormone”) is one of the most important hormones in your body because without it, you couldn’t handle stress. It regulates your “fight or flight” response, and exists as a survival mechanism—it is triggered when you are in danger and is meant to be released in small doses and for short lengths of time. It serves its purpose when you need to kick into high gear. It increases your blood sugars and blood pressure. You can thank cortisol for the surge of energy you get when you are being chased by a tiger. Because cortisol causes your blood sugars to rise, any time you are stressed out, you have elevated blood sugars, so it’s as if you’re eating high amounts of sugary foods all day long. As we just discussed, this causes insulin—your fat storing hormone—to come out to do its job of transporting sugar from your bloodstream to your cells to be stored as fat. And, well, you see where that can lead. This is how you gain weight when you’re stressed...independent of your nutrition...without even eating any more, less, or differently!

How to keep cortisol balanced: Manage your stress. I know…easier said than done. But the reality is that stress is the enemy of a balanced hormonal system. In short, when your body is stressed, it shifts its resources to make cortisol, your stress hormone, and and other hormones such as the sex hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, suffer. (That explains why you might notice a low sex drive when you’re stressed out.) Take time out to deep breathe, go for a walk, journal for a few minutes, talk to a counselor, take stress-reducing supplements, and make it a priority to keep your stress in check.

C and D) Estrogen and Testosterone 

These are BIG ones. Estrogen is what we often think of as our female hormone and testosterone our male hormone. A lot of people don’t realize that both sexes have both hormones, and that estrogen dominance can occur in both men and women. Testosterone tends to be converted into estrogen when men and women gain weight, and problems arise when estrogen levels are out of balance. This can easily happen when we are under stress, eating processed foods, consuming soy, not getting enough sleep, taking hormones (like the birth control pill), and also when we’re exposed to estrogen-like compounds found in plastic and styrofoam. These problems continue to pile up if we aren’t doing anything to eliminate the negative effects. When estrogen levels are too high, we see an increase in the prevalence of breast cancer (in both women AND men!), infertility, low libido and weight gain. Women specifically can suffer from endometriosis, excessive PMS, perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms when their hormones are out of whack.
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Beauty

The simple ways to get your sensitized skin back to normal

The simple ways to get your sensitized skin back to normal
December 20, 20190 Comments
Turns out, more than 60 percent of women say their skin is sensitive, but most of them don’t actually have chronic sensitive skin, says the New York City dermatologist Michelle Henry, M.D. “Many women are experiencing what we call sensitized skin,” she says. “That’s when something in the environment changes the skin’s normal function. The results are a stinging sensation, burning, and physical markers like redness.” Sound like your skin? Luckily, there are simple ways to get it back to normal.



What Causes Sensitized Skin and How Do You Treat It?

Your Skin Barrier Is Weak 

That squeaky-clean feeling? That means your skin has been overwashed. Harsh cleansers and scrubs weaken your skin’s barrier, which can lead to an allergic reaction.

“When skin looks red or feels stingy, it’s protesting against such abuse,” Dr. Skotnicki says. The easiest way to steer clear of irritation is to keep your skin barrier strong, so it can respond to your environment. “Harsh cleansers can also disrupt our skin’s pH, wiping out the healthy bacteria that live in our skin’s microbiome, which protects us from germs that lead to infections,” Dr. Henry says. Certain soaps can be especially alkaline, while products like at-home peels might be too acidic. “The pH of your skin is 5.5, and it performs best when kept near this number,” says Alyssa Acuna, a product developer for Schmidt’s.

Most products are formulated with a pH of 4 to 7.5, but certain treatments with acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acids are more acidic. This could be why some people don’t tolerate them, says Iris Rubin, M.D., a dermatologist and the founder of Seen Hair Care. If your skin is sensitized, switch to a cleanser with a pH-balanced callout on the packaging, like Drunk Elephant Pekee Bar or a moisturizer with ceramides, like Cerave AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion With Sunscreen. 'Ceramides repair the lipid barrier, so skin can retain more moisture and stop irritants from penetrating,' Rubin says.

You Have An Allergy 

“You can develop a negative reaction to an ingredient in any product at any time,” Dr. Rubin says. Dermatologists have connected skin irritation to shampoo, essential oils in a room diffuser, and detergents. Your dermatologist can do a patch test to determine the allergic reaction’s cause. (BTW, this could be what's causing your itchy skin.)

One increasingly frequent allergy is to preservatives. Water-based formulas need preservatives to prevent harmful microorganisms. “But they are irritants, so they can cause a reaction,” Dr. Henry says. Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone are the most common irritators. In response, Codex Beauty uses a plant-based preservative that works just as well without irritation. “Each ingredient in the formulation is edible,” says Barbara Paldus, the brand’s CEO. “And it’s believed to be benign to the microbiome.” 

You’ve Overloaded On Skin-Care Products

Today’s potent, multistep skin-care regimens are the leading cause of sensitized skin. “Many of my patients come in with inflamed skin and then pull out their huge bag of skin-care products,” says dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, M.D. “They may have a complex routine with 10 to 15 steps that are based on Korean skin care, but a Korean regimen tends to be light and hydrating, unlike the acids and exfoliating products used in the U.S.”

The most likely culprits are harsh cleansers that strip the skin (more on those to come) and acne or wrinkle fighters with high levels of benzoyl peroxide or alpha hydroxy acids. The combination of these active ingredients often leads to more breakouts, redness, and burning.

If your skin has become sensitized, dial down your routine to two steps: a gentle cleanser and a moisturizer, says Sandy Skotnicki, M.D., a dermatologist and the author of Beyond Soap. (Your morning moisturizer should include SPF 30.) When your flare-up heals, add in a retinol every other night to keep skin clear and promote collagen production, Dr. Bhanusali says. (Try Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Oil ) Once you can tolerate that, start to use an antioxidant serum in the morning after you cleanse, like Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique C-Therapy Serum. Space out additional steps by a few weeks to see how the skin reacts, Dr. Bhanusali says.
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Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Belly fat

Seven(7) Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life

Seven(7) Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life
December 17, 20190 Comments

Maintaining a trim midsection does more than make you look great—it can help you live longer. Larger waistlines are linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Losing weight, especially belly fat, also improves blood vessel functioning and also improves sleep quality.
It’s impossible to target belly fat specifically when you diet. But losing weight overall will help shrink your waistline; more importantly, it will help reduce the dangerous layer of visceral fat, a type of fat within the abdominal cavity that you can’t see but that heightens health risks.


Here’s how to whittle down where it matters most.

Think eating plan, not diet

Ultimately, you need to pick a healthy eating plan you can stick to, Stewart says. The benefit of a low-carb approach is that it simply involves learning better food choices—no calorie-counting is necessary. In general, a low-carb way of eating shifts your intake away from problem foods—those high in carbs and sugar and without much fiber, like bread, bagels and sodas—and toward high-fiber or high-protein choices, like vegetables, beans and healthy meats.

Keep moving

Physical activity helps burn abdominal fat. “One of the biggest benefits of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck on body composition,” Stewart says. Exercise seems to work off belly fat in particular because it reduces circulating levels of insulin —which would otherwise signal the body to hang on to fat—and causes the liver to use up fatty acids, especially those nearby visceral fat deposits, he says.

The amount of exercise you need for weight loss depends on your goals. For most people, this can mean 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise nearly every day.
Become a label reader.
Compare and contrast brands. Some yogurts, for example, boast that they’re low in fat, but they’re higher in carbs and added sugars than others, Stewart says. Foods like gravy, mayonnaise, sauces and salad dressings often contain high amounts of fat and lots of calories.

Try curbing carbs instead of fats

When Hopkinsmedicine researchers compared the effects on the heart of losing weight through a low-carbohydrate diet versus a low-fat diet for six months—each containing the same amount of calories—those on a low-carb diet lost an average of 10 pounds more than those on a low-fat diet—28.9 pounds versus 18.7 pounds. An extra benefit of the low-carb diet is that it produced a higher quality of weight loss, Stewart says. With weight loss, fat is reduced, but there is also often a loss of lean tissue (muscle), which is not desirable. On both diets, there was a loss of about 2 to 3 pounds of good lean tissue along with the fat, which means that the fat loss percentage was much higher on the low-carb diet.

Lift weights

Adding even moderate strength training to aerobic exercise helps build lean muscle mass, which causes you to burn more calories throughout the entire day, both at rest and during exercise.

Move away from processed foods

The ingredients in packaged goods and snack foods are often heavy on trans fats, added sugar and added salt or sodium—three things that make it difficult to lose weight.
Focus on the way your clothes fit more than reading a scale.
As you add muscle mass and lose fat, the reading on your bathroom scale may not change much, but your pants will be looser. That’s a better mark of progress. Measured around, your waistline should be less than 35 inches if you’re a woman or less than 40 inches if you’re a man to reduce heart and diabetes risks.
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