15 Best Food For 6-Pack Abs

You hit the gym religiously, go through countless reps of sit-ups and stability exercises and log tons of time on the treadmill—but still nothing. Nada! Not an ab in sight. Not even a one-pack. It’s disheartening, we know.

The saying “abs are made in the kitchen” is cliché by now, but its foundation is still true. It doesn't matter how strong your core is, no one will be able to see your abs if you don’t do something about the pesky layer of lard that's sitting on top of it. To beat the belly bulge, you’ll not only have ditch the junk food, you’ll also have to incorporate fare into your diet that boosts metabolism, torches belly fat, wards off future weight gain and banishes bloat. Down them all to trim inches from your waistline and make your abs pop—courtesy of this Eat This, Not That! special report.

1. BELL PEPPERS
Even if you eat well and exercise, constantly pulling your hair out can prevent your abs from showing. When we stress out, the body starts pumping out the hormone cortisol, which encourages the body to store cholesterol-raising fat around the midsection. The good news is that vitamin C-rich foods like peppers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts can help keep you trim. How does eating the produce squash stress? According to German researchers, the nutrient can lower levels of cortisol during stressful situations, helping those abs take center stage.

2. EGGS
This breakfast favorite contains a nutrient called choline that boosts metabolism and may help turn off the genes responsible for belly fat storage. Research has also revealed that eating eggs for breakfast instead of a high-carb dish like a bagel can make it easier to lose weight—likely due to egg’s satiety value. Make hard-boiled eggs or whip up a batch of mini frittatas so you can reap the nutrient-packed, ab-shredding benefits on the go.

3. BANANAS
A bloated belly can make even the most toned stomach look a bit paunchy. Fight back against the gas and water retention with bananas. One study found that women who ate a banana twice daily as a pre-meal snack for 60 days reduced their belly-bloat by 50 percent! Not only does the fruit increase bloat-fighting bacteria in the stomach, it’s also a good source of potassium, which can help diminish water retention. Once you’ve kicked the bloat to the curb, you can hit the beach with confidence and show off that hard-earned body!

4. FORTIFIED MILK
Help your six-pack show its full potential with a daily serving of milk and vitamin D-fortified yogurt. A 2013 Nutrition Journal study found consuming a combination of calcium and vitamin D can significantly decrease visceral (abdominal) fat and lipid absorption in overweight populations. To come to this finding, study participants were divided into two groups: The control group was fed a 500-calorie restricted diet without vitamin supplementation. In addition to having 500-calories cut from their diet, the second group was given a 600 mg calcium supplement and a 25 IU vitamin D supplement. At the end of the 12-week experiment, the group who had taken the supplements had lost 2.6 percent of their body fat and 1.1 pounds of visceral fat while the control group only experienced a 1.5 percent decrease in overall body fat and a loss of 0.4 pounds of belly fat.

5. GREEN TEA
Sipping green tea can make your time spent at the gym more worthwhile. A recent 12-week study found that those who sip 4 to 5 cups of green tea each day and log 25-minutes at the gym lose more belly fat than their non-tea-drinking counterparts who also broke a sweat. What makes the drink such a powerful ab-chiseler? This brew contains catechins, an antioxidant that hinders the storage of belly fat. Not a fan of tea? Munch on fresh pears instead. The fruit is another good source of the antioxidant. Green isn't the only slimming tea on the block, though. Stock your cabinet with these 4 Teas That Melt Fat Fast foreasy slim-down success.

6. LEAN POULTRY
Double-team your belly bulge by eating lean cuts of turkey and chicken every day. Research has found that eating protein not only boosts satiety and helps people eat less at subsequent meals, it also has a high thermogenic effect compared to fats and carbs. Translation: Your body actually burns off a fair percentage the meat’s calories as it digests. Protein can also boost post-meal calorie burn by as much as 35 percent! For the best flab-frying results, experts suggest consuming 0.8 to one gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight each day.

7. WHOLE WHEAT PASTA
You know brown is better, but do you know why? It’s because whole wheat contains three parts of the grain, all nutrient rich and fiber-filling. Also try varieties with lentils, chickpeas, black beans or quinoa.

8. ACORN SQUASH
Besides serving up a third of the day’s fiber, a one-cup serving of this highly nutritious, naturally sweet veggie contains 30 percent of your daily vitamin C needs. The body uses the nutrient to form muscle and blood vessels, and it can even boost the ab uncovering effects of exercise, according to Arizona State University researchers.

9. LEGUMES
Lentils, chickpeas, peas and beans — they're all magic bullets for revealing abs. In one four-week Spanish study, researchers found that eating a calorie-restricted diet that includes four weekly servings of legumes aids weight loss more effectively than an equivalent diet that doesn’t include them. Those who consumed the legume-rich diet also saw improvements in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and systolic blood pressure. To reap the benefits at home, work them into your diet throughout the week. Salad is an easy way. Toss them up with more of the Best Salad Ingredients for Weight Loss!

10. WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
If you’re going for abs, you're already sending the restaurant bread basket back. But don’t shirk from whole-wheat bread completely. As with whole-wheat pasta, you’re getting all three parts of the grain, with fiber to increase satiety and prevent overeating. Just be careful—most breads in the sandwich aisle are filled with high fructose corn syrup or a blend of whole and enriched wheats. It’s worth splurging on the pricier stuff, often found in the freezer section.

11. BLACK BEANS
The simple bean is actually an advanced fat-burning, muscle-building machine. “Beans are a great source of protein that includes fiber,” says Leah Kaufman, a New York City based registered dietitian. “That’s going to ensure your blood sugar doesn’t spike and will give you energy to build the muscle you want.” One cup of black beans has 12 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber; they’re also rich in folate, a B vitamin that stokes muscle growth, and copper, which strengthens tendons. On top of that, a Spanish study showed that consuming four weekly servings of beans or legumes accelerates weight loss.

12. OATMEAL
Yes, oats are loaded with carbs, but the release of those sugars is slowed by fiber, and because oats also have 10 grams of protein per half-cup serving, they deliver steady, ab-muscle-friendly energy. And that fiber is soluble, which lowers the risk of heart disease. The éminence grise of health food, oats garnered the FDA's first seal of approval.

13. QUINOA
Quinoa is higher in protein than any other grain, and it packs a hefty dose of heart-healthy, unsaturated fats. "Quinoa is also a great source of fiber and B vitamins," says Christopher Mohr, Ph.D., R.D. a professor of nutrition at the University of Louisville. Try quinoa in the morning. It has twice the protein of most cereals, and fewer carbs.

14. KAMUT
Quinoa, make some space at the table—there’s a new ancient grain on the block. Kamut is a grain native to the Middle East. Rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, it’s also high in protein while low in calories. A half-cup serving has 30% more protein than regular wheat (six grams), with only 140 calories. Eating kamut reduces cholesterol, blood sugar and cytokines, which cause inflammation throughout the body, a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found. Toss it into salads or eat it as a side dish on its own.

15. CHOCOLATE MILK
Want to know the secret to staying slim? You need more muscle. That’s because muscle burns more calories than fat, so for every new muscle fiber you create, your resting metabolism receives another surge of fat-torching energy. And chocolate milk can help you do that. Researchers have determined that the ideal protein load for building muscle is 10 to 20 grams, half before and half after your workout. How much protein will you find in low-fat chocolate milk? Eight grams per cup. (That means one serving before your workout and one serving after will give you a total of 16 grams of highly effective whey protein—a perfect serving.) Add that to the extra cup you drank first thing in the morning and you’re looking at a turbocharged metabolism that keeps you burning calories all day long.

10 Supplements You Didn't Know Could Burn Fat

We all know one of the biggest reasons guys make their daily trek to the gym: Burning off (and keeping off) the little layer of fat that hides your hard-earned gains. But if you want to really make sure those few pounds of fat are gone for good, consider some help from supplements.

Supplements work through a number of mechanisms to help your body burn more fat. To maximize their effectiveness, combine ingredients that work in tandem to enhance both fat release and elimination. Here, we break down the most popular fat-burning ingredients by their mode of action. Find out here which ingredients to look for in a commercial fat burner, or build your own synergistic stack.

1. Caffeine
When you think of this popular stimulant, you'll likely think of the buzz you get and how it ramps up calorie burning. While caffeine does torch calories, its main benefit is that it binds to the receptors on your fat cells.

This is particularly effective when caffeine is taken before workouts, as several studies have confirmed. Take 200–400 milligrams of caffeine between meals two to three times per day; take one dosage 30–60 minutes prior to training-day workouts.

2. Yohimbe
Yohimbine is extracted from the bark of the yohimbe tree in Central and West Africa. In addition to boosting libido, yohimbine aids fat loss by increasing the amount of fat that gets released from your fat cells, much like caffeine does. A dose of yohimbe contains 5-20 milligrams; take this two to three times per day. One dosage should be consumed 30-60 minutes prior to training-day workouts.

3. Greentea Extract
Green tea extract is a real no-brainer. It aids fat loss by boosting the number of calories you burn each day. The active ingredients in green tea that are responsible for the fat-burning effect are catechins, particularly one known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Take about 500–1,000 milligrams of green tea extract (standardized as EGCG) two to three times per day. Take one of those dosages 30–60 minutes prior to training-day workouts.

4. Synephrine
This is one of the active ingredients in the bitter orange plant (Citrus aurantium). Synephrine works by boosting the metabolic rate (the number of calories you burn). Take about 5–20 milligrams of synephrine two to three times per day, having one of those doses 30–60 minutes prior to workouts.

5. Capsaicin
Commonly found in chili peppers, this natural plant chemical increases the amount of calories your body burns, thanks to its ability to raise epinephrine levels. A study from the University of Oklahoma found that subjects who took a supplement that contained both capsaicin and caffeine burned more calories both during exercise and afterward.

Look for capsaicin or cayenne pepper supplements that list Scoville Heat Units (SHU), and take about 40,000–80,000 units. Take the supp 30 minutes before meals two to three times per day. One of those doses should be taken 30–60 minutes prior to workouts.

6. Olea Europaea Extract
This is the scientific name for olive leaf extract, and one of its most important ingredients is a chemical known as oleuropian. Oleuropian is not only a powerful immune-boosting antioxidant, but also proven to boost norepinephrine levels—raising the amount of calories and fat burned. Take about 500 -1,000 milligrams of olive leaf extract two to three times per day with meals.

7. Carnitine
This amino acid-like molecule is a critical component of the complex transportation system that brings fat into your cells' mitochondria, where it gets burned up and transformed into energy. Several studies confirm that supplementing with carnitine increases the amount of fat burned by the body. Take 1-3 grams of carnitine in the form of L-carnitine, L-carnitine L-tartrate, or acetyl-L-carnitine, two to three times per day with meals, allotting one dose for your pre-workout meal and another for your post-workout meal.

8. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
CLA is a naturally occuring group of healthy fats, specifically omega-6 fats. Numerous research studies confirm that CLA enhances fat loss while simultaneously boosting muscle growth and strength. Take 1-3 grams of CLA with breakfast, lunch, and your last meal or shake at night.

9. Fucoxanthin
This difficult-to-pronounce chemical gives brown seaweed its brownish, olive-green color. When taken as a supplement, this carotenoid turns on genes that increase the number of calories burned. It also turns off genes that increase fat-cell growth. Research in humans and animals shows that this increase in calorie burn and subsequent inhibition of fat-cell growth leads to significant fat loss over time. Take about 200 milligrams two to three times a day.

10. Fish Oil
This source of essential omega-3 fats provides both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These omega-3 fats have been found to turn on genes that increase fat burning while turning off genes that decrease fat storage. Take 2-3 grams two to three times per day with meals.

The 7 Best Barbell Exercises For A Strong Core

Attack Your Core
It’s true that "abs are built in the kitchen." But as with any muscle, abs are built in the gym, too. You still have to blast them with intense exercises to create the stimulus for growth and definition. Yet the common ab exercises guys use to target their core— situps, stability ball crunches, etc.—leave much to be desired.

By using a barbell, however, you’ll be able to easily add resistance to each core exercise and intensify your training for more hypertrophy. Also, because you’re moving a weight with your arms while keeping your torso stable, you’ll attack your core from a variety of angles that are impossible with traditional core exercises.

Add any of these seven best barbell core exercises to your workout and take your ab routine to the next level. Don’t be surprised if you’re painfully sore the next day.

Landmine Rainbow
The landmine lets you use a barbell as a lever to unlock a different array of exercises as the weight twists and turns. With a landmine rainbow, you attack your core by moving your arms in an arc while keeping your spine and ribcage stable.

How to do it:
Place one end of a barbell in a landmine. At the other end, stand facing the landmine, grab the other end with your arms extended, and start with the barbell end about eye-level. Twist the barbell to one side without turning your hips or shoulders and keeping your arms as straight as possible. Alternate sides. To make it harder, add weight by sliding small plates on the end.

If you don’t have a landmine, just place a folded-up towel in the corner of a wall and wedge one end of a barbell there.

Barbell Rollout
With rollout exercise, the farther you extend, the more you strengthen your abs. Using a barbell lets you descend close to the ground and even adds resistances as you roll back up. It’s also harder than an ab wheel because you have to control a wider weight.

How to do it:
Get on your knees and grab a barbell with 45-lb. plates. Push your hips forward, keep your arms straight, and go as low as you can without letting your ribcage flare out—keep your hips straight and squeeze your glutes the entire time. To make it harder, use shorter plates or heavier plates.

Barbel Side Bend
Target your obliques with side bends. By using a barbell instead of dumbbells, you’ll spike the intensity on your sides because there’s more weight and the level arm is longer—it’s harder to move a seven-foot long bar than dumbbells held at your sides.

How to do it:
Hold a barbell behind your neck like on a back squat. Stand with legs about hip-width apart and bend your torso to the side, trying to get the barbell almost vertical. Alternate sides.

Barbell Straight-Leg Situp
This isn’t your old-fashioned situp that shortens your hip flexors and rolls your shoulders forward. With a barbell straight-leg situp, you need to rise by keeping your torso rigid and neutral.

How to do it:
Lie on your back with your legs straight, holding a barbell overhead with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your arms straight, keep your chest out, and lift your torso until you’re sitting straight up. Keep your legs extended throughout and do not let your back round forward.

Zercher Squat
No squat variation blasts your core like a Zercher squat. (Don’t be surprised if you feel it there more than in your legs.) Because you’re holding the weight right in front of your body, your core will work like crazy as you stay tall and avoid collapsing forward.

How to do it:
Start with a barbell in the crook of your elbows, with your hands held together in front of your chest. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out. Squat down by sitting back, spreading your knees, and keeping your weight on your heels. Once your hips are below parallel, drive through your heels and rise. Keep your lower back flat and your shoulder blades squeezed together throughout.

Barbell Overhead Carry
Weight carries are a must-have exercise in any strength program. They build bulletproof conditioning as well as phenomenal core strength and endurance. The overhead carry amplifies the intensity on your abdominals and obliques because they have to fight to control a higher center-of-gravity.

How to do it:
Hold a barbell overhead with your hands much wider than shoulder-width apart and your elbows locked. Don’t let your ribcage flare out and don’t let your lower-back arch excessively. If you get tired, slowly lower the weight onto your traps. To safely move the weight overhead, do a push press.

Single Arm-Landmine press
Overhead presses are an underrated exercise that carves your abdominals. When the weight is fully extended overhead, your core must brace hard to stabilize your entire torso and connect your upper body to the ground. By pushing with one arm, however, you’ll spike the stability challenge to get more core work.

How to do it:
Place one end of a barbell in a landmine. At the other end, stand facing the landmine, grab the other end with one arm and hold it near the same shoulder. Drive the barbell overhead without twisting. Finish all your reps on one side and alternate. To make it harder, add weight by sliding small plates on the end.

If you don’t have a landmine, just place a folded-up towel in the corner of a wall and wedge one end of a barbell there.

21 Day Detox Diet Menu

A 21-day detox diet usually is used for weight loss, but is also cleanses your system of toxins. The 21-day detox diet menu plan that can be combined with other herbal detox products. However, before you begin any diet, consult a doctor to make sure this diet is correct for you and safe.

Breakfast
Start your day with a healthy breakfast. When on the 21-day diet you can have a bowl of cereal of your choice. The recommended type of cereal is one with fruit and fiber and whole grains and oats. Use 1 percent skim milk or fat free milk. Also, drink one glass of water. You also may have a cup of coffee.

Mid-Morning
Eat snacks to curb your appetite during a long day and help you to feel full between breakfast and lunch. Instead of eating a doughnut or a muffin or other snacks that are full of sugar, choose a slice of wheat or whole grain bread with low-fat peanut butter. Peanut butter is a nutritious snack because it contains fairly high quantities of dietary fiber which helps in regulating both blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Your mid-morning snack should also include an orange and two cups of water to help keep you full.

Lunch
Have a hamburger made with lean ground beef on a toasted whole wheat or whole grain bread and a slice of low fat cheese of your choice for lunch. Add a cup of turkey and rice flavored healthy soup that’s low in sodium. Drink an additional 16 ounces of water.

Afternoon Snack
Eat one large Fuji apple for an afternoon snack and drink 8 ounces of water. Eat an afternoon snack to help keep you full before dinner. Eating an afternoon snack can help prevent you from getting too hungry during dinner.

Dinner
For dinner, your meal includes tomato herb chicken with steamed cabbage and broccoli and 8 ounces of water. The ingredients that you’ll need are1/4 cup of fat free chicken broth, one small chopped onion, two minced garlic cloves, an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce, 1/2 a cup of light corn syrup, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper and four boneless and skinless chicken breasts. This recipe feeds four people. Heat the broth over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet and saute the onion and garlic for about two minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chicken and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and stir occasionally. Add the chicken and let it simmer until it is cooked. You can have dessert totaling 130 calories such as a light, low-fat pastry.

11 surprising ways to prevent a heart attack

Chances are you’re still riding the New Year’s high and you’re motivated and committed to eating healthy and getting to the gym. Sure, it’s a good start for your waistline but there are other things that you probably never thought of that will also prevent a heart attack or stroke. Try these.

1. Take probiotics.
There’s more evidence than ever that the gut microbiome, or the collection of billions of bacteria in the GI tract, is necessary for digestion, strengthens immunity and regulates inflammation. Yet when the bacteria are imbalanced, it can lead to problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and may even lead to heart attack and stroke.

The good news is that taking probiotics daily and maintaining a healthy diet can help. In fact, a study in the International Journal of Cardiology found when patients with congestive heart failure took saccharomyces boulardii, a type of probiotic, their conditions improved.

You can also ask your doctor about the TMAO blood test, which measures how healthy your GI tract is and determine your level of TMAO, a chemical in the gut that directly damages the arteries and the heart, said Dr. Joel Kahn, a clinical professor of medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Mich. and author of  “The Whole Heart Solution.”

2. Get help for sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea, which affects more than 18 million people, significantly increases your risk for high blood pressure, especially at night. What’s more, people with sleep apnea may also have resistant hypertension, or high blood pressure that doesn’t respond to treatment and significantly increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, said Dr. Peter Jones, an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Tex. and chief science officer of the National Lipid Association. Sleep apnea can also increase your risk for atrial fibrillation, which can lead to blood clots and stroke.

If you suspect you have sleep apnea or your partner complains about your snoring, talk to your doctor about having a sleep study, which you may be able to do at home, as well as treatment options.

3. Make a dentist appointment.
You already know that brushing, flossing and dental cleanings every six months is one of the best ways to prevent periodontal or gum disease, but it can also prevent heart disease.

Just like your gut, your mouth has bacteria that is either beneficial or bad for the blood vessels and the heart. So in addition to preventive care, ask your doctor about an oral DNA test which can tell you how much of each type of bacteria you have and help him customize a treatment plan for you, Kahn said.

4. Question cholesterol tests.
A standard lipid panel looks at total cholesterol, “good” HDL cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Yet if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, are overweight or obese, have a poor diet, are sedentary and have a family history of heart disease, your doctor should also look at the LDL particle count and apolipoprotein B (apoB).

“Those are both better measures of your true risk related to bad cholesterol,” Jones said.

Plus, your doctor may also do a blood test to look at your C-reactive protein (CRP) level, a sign of inflammation.

5. Lose belly fat.
You might think your beer belly is just a sign of getting older, but excess belly fat can increase your risk for heart disease and death. In fact, a recent study in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine found that people with a large waist-to-hip ratio were more likely to die prematurely even if they had a normal BMI.

6. Check your homocysteine level.
If you’re deficient in vitamins B6, B12 or folic acid, you can have high levels of homocysteine, an important amino acid in the blood, which can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease and artery damage, Kahn said. Plus, a common genetic defect known as MTHFR can affect your homocysteine levels too.

The good news is that if your blood homocysteine levels are elevated or you have MTHFR, a B complex supplement is all that’s needed.

7. Make meals tasty.
A study in The BMJ found that eating a spicy meal once a week significantly reduced the risk from dying of heart disease. So experiment with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, parsley, rosemary and thyme in your meals.

8. Look on the bright side.
Seeing the glass half-empty has a wealth of benefits and heart health is no exception. In fact, a study out of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that optimistic people have better cardiovascular health than pessimists.

9. Get help for anxiety and depression.
Studies show that both anxiety and depression not only lead to cardiovascular disease but in patients who already have cardiovascular disease, it can cause recurrent cardiovascular events and death. If you struggle with either, it’s important to talk to your doctor and get treatment and find ways to keep stress at bay.

10. Stand up.
Studies show that more time spent sitting leads to coronary artery calcification and damage to the arteries. Exercise during commercials, take frequent breaks from your computer or consider a treadmill desk.

11. Sleep.
Getting enough sleep lowers adrenaline and cortisol levels and heart disease risk. But more isn’t always better. Aim for seven hours a night, which studies suggest is the magic number.

6 Genius Tricks for Sleeping Better

Tossing. Turning. Watching Chuck Norris fitness-apparatus commercials. No one likes insomnia. So we rounded up our favorite little tips for trying to get some quality shut-eye.

WARM YOUR FEET WITH SESAME OIL
The natural oil (not the toasted cooking kind) is known to relieve anxiety and promote restful sleep. So give your tootsies a quick massage, slip on some cozy socks and get in the mood.

DRINK A GLASS OF MILK--AND EAT A FEW ALMONDS
The two contain tryptophan and melatonin (natural snooze boosters), respectively. Opt for food with calming effects (not that half-eaten Hershey’s bar and leftover Thai takeout, which have adverse, stimulating effects).

TURN ON THE HUMIDIFIER
Got a snoring problem? Fire up the vaporizer. (Or make a garlic steam treatment on the stove.) The moistened air can curb seasonal allergies or ward off other congestion troubles that are causing you to mouth-breathe--and not get any real rest.

FIND OUT EXACTLY WHEN YOU SHOULD DOZE OFF
When it comes to hours of sleep, more does not always equal better. Work backward from the time you need to wake up, and then calculate your REM cycles with a bedtime generator. It’ll tell you when you should really fall asleep to reduce grogginess the next day.

TRY A TRICK FOR FALLING ASLEEP FAST
So, you want to start said REM cycles…right now? Calm your mind by imagining your childhood home. Walk in and out of each room, reminisce about the artwork and furniture. And voilà: You won’t even realize you conked out.

ATTEMPT A BREATHING EXERCISE
If childhood houses aren’t your cup of tea, get to know the “4-7-8” method. What you do: Exhale completely through your mouth; then close your mouth and inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold your breath for seven counts and exhale again for eight counts. Repeat as needed. It’ll up your oxygen levels, slow your heart rate and signal your body that it’s time to hibernate.

How to Use Aloe Vera for Weight Loss

Taking an aloe vera gel complex for eight weeks may help with weight loss in people who are obese or pre-diabetic, according to a study published in Nutrition in September 2013. The Center for Science in the Public Interest doesn't recommend internal use of aloe, however, because of the potential for serious adverse effects. Speak with your doctor before using any aloe vera product internally.

Potential Risks
Consuming aloe vera gel is safer than consuming aloe vera latex, but not all products specify which parts of the aloe plant are included. Aloe latex can cause vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, blood in the urine, kidney problems, muscle weakness, low potassium and heart disturbances. Aloe may lower blood sugar levels and can make intestinal conditions or hemorrhoids worse. It can interact with medications, including blood thinners, laxatives, diuretics and diabetes medications. Taking aloe internally may also increase your risk for hepatitis and cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

A Healthier Alternative
Make diet and lifestyle changes in a healthier way to lose weight. Increase your physical activity levels and eat fewer calories. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recommends filling up on vegetables, fruits, lean protein and whole grains and limiting the amount of refined grains, desserts, fatty foods and sweets you eat so that you get all the nutrients you need while consuming fewer calories. You need to create a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, which is a healthy rate of weight loss.

How to Treat Back Spasms

Back spasms send many people to the doctor and emergency room each year to deal with the excruciating pain and sometimes fear. While serious medical conditions can cause back spasms, a herniated disc or sports injury for example, often it results from muscle misuse and/or sedentary living.

Things You'll Need

• Ice pack
• Heating pad
• Chair
• Pillows
• Physician recommendations

Treat back spasms with cold initially, such as a ice pack, to limit swelling and blood flow, both which produce increased pain following an injury. Cold may help for future muscle spasms as well, especially if a heating pad fails to provide relief. Otherwise, switch to a heating pad and use this on the surrounding muscles if the back spasms continue.

Rest as much as possible during the first two to three days, if needed, to allow the muscle injury to heal. Try to maintain some mobility, however, unless directed otherwise. Though painful, walking a minute or two several times a day will help prevent other muscles from tightening due to disuse.

Elevate your legs to treat back spasms and take pressure off of the back. The best position for many sufferers is to lie on the floor with knees bent at a 90-degree angle and the lower legs resting on a chair seat. Other measures include elevating the legs on pillows or placing the feet on a foot stool while sitting, elevating the knees above the pelvis. Poor pelvic alignment can make one more susceptible to back spasms.

Talk to your physician or pharmacist about over-the-counter medications that you can take to treat back spasms. Most patients will do best with an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or naproxen, but some individuals may be directed to take aspirin or acetaminophen. If medical treatment is sought additional medications such as muscle relaxers may be recommended.

Try gentle back and leg stretching exercises designed for back strain as you improve, unless this aggravates the back pain. One effective exercise involves laying on the floor with the knees bent and the soles of the feet placed on the floor. Grab a knee and pull it gently towards the chest, hold for five to 10 seconds and release to the original position, then switch to the other knee. Repeat five to 10 times on each side. Note that exercise is best started some days into the healing process, when pain is less severe, or when the doctor recommends.

Use distraction and relaxation techniques to treat back spasms and reduce suffering. Whether it is meditation or reading, keeping your mind off of the back pain can help you relax, breathe effectively and promote healing.

Green Tea Dosage for Weight Loss

Green tea is an increasingly popular weight loss supplement. Not only is it able to rev up your metabolism and help burn fat more effectively, it also has great antioxidant properties, attracting free radicals within the body and removing them before they damage healthy tissue. Whether in pill or tea form, green tea extracts can lead to weight loss, but just how much do you need to take to see the benefits?

Brewed Green Tea Dosage
Green tea has been used in China for 5,000 years as a medicinal remedy for such conditions as arthritis, high cholesterol and even cancer. Most people enjoy a nice, hot cup of tea, but few realize that switching to green tea can actually boost the metabolism. The epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea has been shown to boost metabolism and help the body burn up to 80 more calories. The recommended dosage for brewed tea is five cups a day, or a cup of tea with each meal and snack. It may seem like a lot, but since an average coffee mug holds 8 ounces, drinking five cups will knock out a majority of your daily fluid intake, while helping you lose weight.

Green tea contains caffeine, which can help stimulate the metabolism; however, the amount of caffeine is significantly less than coffee, at about 30 to 60 milligrams per serving, as compared to coffee's 100 milligrams. Caffeine does assist the body with fat burning, but if you are sensitive to caffeine, don't drink the tea close to bedtime. Give your body about five hours to metabolize the caffeine and flush it from your system so you're not wide awake all night.

Green Tea Supplements
If you do not want to drink 40 ounces of green tea a day, you can purchase green tea extract pills. There is no consensus within the medical community on a recommended dosage for green tea in supplement form, but a supplement that gives you 300 milligrams a day has been shown to boost metabolism, according to a study done recently by Dr. Venket Rao, professor emeritus at the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and Dr. Kathee Andrews. The study proved that individuals taking approximately 270 milligrams of EGCG and 3,400 milligrams of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), both active ingredients in green tea, did show noticeable weight loss. Taking 300 milligrams of green tea extract will give you the amount of EGCG and CLA that you need to lose weight. An earlier study in the journal Phytomedicine showed a weight loss of about two pounds per month for participants who included green tea in their diets.

Where To Find Green Tea
Green tea can be found in most grocery and health food stores. It is available in tea form, both in bagged tea and loose leafed, as well as in pill form. If you have trouble swallowing all the pills required, or five cups of tea per day is too much, alternating the methods may be the best solution. Note, however, that green tea is most effective when consumed without sweeteners, so put away the sugar, artificial sweeteners and honey.

Most green teas and green tea supplements are reasonable for any budget. With the tea and supplements costing less than $10 each, it is a cost-effective addition to any weight-loss program. Green tea also can be purchased online through tea emporiums, but it will cost more, upwards of $30, for loose-leaf products. However, if you're wanting premium taste and quality, it may be worth the extra money.

As with any diet program, it is best to consult a physician first. A professional can instruct you on how to properly structure your diet to fit your particular needs.

What Are the Functions of the Right Side of the Brain?

The brain is divided into two hemispheres that each control specific functions. When you're doing mathematical and analytical thinking, for example, you're utilizing the left side of your brain. When you're creatively thinking or daydreaming, the right side of your brain takes over. Both sides of the brain are connected to each other, so they switch off taking control when necessary. For example, when you're driving, the right side of the brain is at work. When you're balancing your check book, the left side of your brain is in control.

Significance
The right side of the brain controls many of the body's thought and actions. It focuses around judging the position of things in space, knowing body position, understanding and remembering things we do and see, putting bits of information together to make an entire picture, and it controls the left side of the body. It processes its information through feelings, symbols, images, imagination, philosophy, religion and creative thinking.

Big Picture
The right side of your brain looks at pictures as a whole, opposed to the left side, which looks at sequential steps to make a whole come together. Take the example of driving a car in traffic. While you're driving, the right side of your brain looks at all factors affecting your actions (the number of cars on the road, the average speed, the width of the lanes, any construction, etc.) and quickly processes the information so you can act on it. The right side of your brain looks at the whole scenario and tells your body what to do. The lefts side would process all the information in sequential order, causing you to react much slower.

Spatial Relationships
One of the most important functions of the right side of the brain is judging the position of things in space. This function is the number one reason why you can drive a car in traffic and not get into an accident every single time. The right side of your brain will figure out how far away an object is from you and recognizes it location in space. Without this function, you would be walking and bumping into things all the time.

Knowing Object Functions
Another one of the most important functions of the right side of the brain is understanding object functions. If the right side of your brain is inactive and you see a pencil and a piece of paper in front of you, you wouldn't know what to do. The left side of your brain would be able to tell you that the objects in front of you are a pencil and a piece of paper, but wouldn't tell you how to use them. If the left side of your brain is inactive, and you're in the same scenario, the right side of your brain would tell you how to use the pencil and paper, but it wouldn't define to you that the two objects in front of you are a pencil and a piece of paper.

Creative Thinking
The right side of the brain tends to use more creative, fantasy and philosophical thinking, where as the left side of the brain focuses more on facts, numbers and analytical thinking. When you daydream, you're using the right side of your brain. When you're thinking of an original design or drawing, that's also the right side of your brain at work. People who are dominated by the right side of their brain tend to be more creative than people who mostly use the left side of their brain.

How to Build Arm Muscle (4 steps)

Building arm muscles takes regular, high-volume, weight-training workouts that target the biceps, triceps and forearms. High-volume weight-training workouts feature a high number of exercises, sets and reps. Even though your focus here is the muscles in your arms, your workouts should contain compound, multi-joint exercises that work other muscle groups in addition to isolation exercises that specifically target the arm muscles.

Scheduling Your Arm Workouts
In a muscle-building weight-training program, allowing your muscles enough rest is as important as the workouts themselves. Therefore, to give your arm muscles adequate time to fully heal between workouts, schedule just two arm-focused workouts into your training regimen every week. Spread out your workouts throughout the week so that there are two to three days off in between, such as a Monday and Thursday routine.

Starting With Compound Lifts
Compound lifts require movement at multiple joints and therefore work numerous muscle groups. For example, chinups require your shoulders and arms to move and therefore build strength and size in your latissumus dorsi, which handle movement at your shoulder joints, and your biceps brachii, which control movement at your elbows. Start your workouts with compound exercises since they are most effective at bringing about muscle gains. First choose an Olympic lift -- like hang cleans and push jerks; these are compound exercises that heavily involve muscles in your legs, hips and torso, but the muscles in your arms help guide the barbell. Next, add two to three compound exercises that work just the upper body. Choose from dips, close-grip pushups and close-grip bench presses, which work your chest and shoulders and challenge your triceps to straighten your arms and your forearms to stabilize your wrists. You can also include chinups and close-grip, underhand pulldowns, which recruit your latissimus dorsi in your back and place a significant load on your biceps and forearms.

Isolating the Arms
Once you’ve finished your compound lifts, move onto isolation exercises that specifically target your biceps, triceps and forearms. For your biceps, choose from barbell biceps curls, dumbbell biceps curls, cable curls and dumbbell incline curls. Focus on your triceps with lying barbell triceps extensions, overhead dumbbell triceps extensions and standing cable triceps pushdowns. During each biceps and triceps exercise, keep your elbows in a static position as you either straighten or bend them. Work your forearms with wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, hammer curls and wrist rollers.

Significance of Volume
Workouts designed for building muscle are different than ones that focus on developing strength. Muscle-building training requires high-volume workouts, which mean sessions should consist of numerous exercises that are done for multiple sets for a relatively high number of reps. Pete McCall of the American Council on Exercise recommends doing three to five sets of eight to 12 reps of every exercise and resting just 45 seconds in between each set. Use a weight that makes finishing the reps within each set challenging. For example, if you're unable to do eight reps, you should lighten the weight. If you can do more than 12 reps with relative ease, you should bump up the weight slightly.

Yoga for a Beautiful Body

A leaner you in no time
If you long for an even more gorgeous and graceful body, "there’s no better way to get it than through a yoga routine," says certified yoga instructor and personal trainer Kristin McGee. "This series not only works your entire body, front and back, from toes to fingertips, but it includes strengthening, twisting, and balancing. You’ll sculpt, get grounded, and build confidence."

Repeat the routine (on both sides) 3 to 5 times—it’ll take about 20 to 30 minutes total—at least 3 to 4 times a week. As you master the poses, you’ll begin to notice amazing changes both inside and out.

Awkward Chair
Stand with feet together and abs contracted. Exhale as you push your hips back to squat down as if sitting in a chair; at the same time, lift your arms by your ears. Arms should be shoulder-width with palms facing and fingers pointing toward the ceiling. Hold for 5 to 8 breaths.

High Lunge
Keeping arms raised and abs tight, step your left foot back and lower into lunge position so front knee is bent at 90 degrees and directly over your ankle. Hold for 5 breaths.

Downward Dog
Lower your hands to the mat on either side of your front foot and step your right foot back so it’s even with your left. Straighten your legs and push into your hands and feet as you lift your hips toward the ceiling. Move your shoulders away from your ears and draw your front ribs in toward each other. Hold for 5 breaths.

Plank
Lower your hips, coming onto your toes and moving your torso forward until your shoulders are directly over your hands. Your abs should be tight, with your body in a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 5 breaths.

Low Plank
Keeping your body in line, inhale and bend your elbows to 90 degrees to lower yourself toward the floor. Hold for 1 breath.

Upward Dog
With hands still in place, inhale and slowly lower hips toward floor (try not to touch). Untuck toes and push gently into hands, straightening your arms and lifting your chest. Hold for 1 breath.

High Lunge Twist
Tuck your toes and push into your hands, lifting your hips toward the ceiling to return to Downward Dog.

Step your right foot forward between your hands into lunge position, then lift your chest and bring your hands to prayer position; twist your torso to the right, bringing your left elbow to the outside of your right knee; look to the right and up. Hold for 5 to 8 breaths.

Half Moon
Return to center and drop your right hand to the floor about 10 inches diagonally in front and outside of your right foot. Raise your left arm, pointing fingers toward the ceiling as you straighten your right leg and lift your straight left leg into the air, foot flexed and pointing to the side; look up at your left hand. Hold for 5 breaths.

Revolved Half Moon
Turn your left toes toward the floor so hips are even; drop your left hand to the floor and twist your torso to the right, lifting your right hand to the ceiling. Look up at your hand (or as far to the right as is comfortable). Hold for 5 breaths.

Standing Split
Return to center, dropping your right hand to the floor so it’s even with your left hand. Lift your straight left leg as high as is comfortable; hold for 5 breaths. Return your left foot to the floor next to your right, then slowly round up to standing. Push hips back to lower into Awkward Chair and repeat whole sequence on the opposite side.

Add some oomph to your om with this yoga-with-weights routine. It torches 200 calories in 30 minutes (that’s double the burn of the classic kind!).

3 Basic Exercises for Energy

Instant wake-up
Cardio—even a 15-minute walk—gets your blood pumping and moves oxygen through the body. New York City personal trainer Jen Cassetty also recommends these moves anytime you feel yourself fading. Do two sets of 10-12 reps each.

Morning bend
Stand with feet shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, hands behind head. With your back flat, bend forward until your back is parallel to the ground, keeping weight in your heels and hips. Return to standing.

Wall angel
Stand against a wall with spine touching it from shoulders to hips, then raise arms parallel to floor. Keeping arms and back against the wall, rotate arms upward as far as you can, then down to starting position.

Side crunch
Sit on a chair or bench with hands behind head. Press elbows straight back to stretch your chest and open your lungs, then bend sideways at the waist to crunch to your left. Come back up and repeat crunch to the right. That's one rep.

Coconut Oil for Acne

Coconut Oil is every effective in the treatment of acne, and below, we’ll explain exactly why it is such a benefit for those suffering from this uncomfortable and stubborn condition.

Acne has been an infamous and widespread problem for many years, and although it is most common among teenagers, it can affect adults of all ages. Although the symptoms mostly disappear or decrease once puberty is passed and hormones become more normalized, acne can still be a very painful and awkward condition while it lasts, and can leave permanent marks on the face and body. Some lucky people are able to get rid of acne without having to spend much time, energy, or money in its treatment, while other unfortunate patients sometimes spend a fortune on treatment and still don’t get the results they had hoped for.

The solution we propose is to use coconut oil as a natural and effective treatment for your acne symptoms. That might strike you as unusual, considering most other specialists advise people suffering from acne to avoid oils and oily food, but keep reading. There are plenty of good reasons why coconut oil is a surprisingly effective treatment, and is worth trying before or after the common prescription medicine doesn’t deliver on all of its promises. Honestly, what do you have to lose?

What Causes Acne?
Do you know what causes acne? Acne is actually caused by an infection in the openings of sebum glands, which are the glands on the skin which secrete various oils to keep it moist and prevent it from drying up and cracking.  These glands can become clogged by bacteria and the resultant obstruction in sebum secretion is followed by inflammation, redness, swelling and pain. Voila, acne!

The next common question is, why do teenagers suffer from this condition the most? The reason is, during the teenage years, due to certain hormonal changes, sebum production is greatly increased, which gives the skin a slightly oily look. The increase in sebum may lead to some pimples or minor acne, but nothing nearly as obvious or painful as full-blown acne. Unfortunately, at that point, teenagers often resort to indiscriminate use of soaps and lotions to remove the pimples, but they don’t stop the oily secretions.  They do, however, rob the skin of its antimicrobial acid guard, which leaves the pores open and defenseless to infections. These pores become infected by bacteria and dirt blocks the sebum glands. These glands then begin to deposit their sebum beneath the surface of the skin, making it red, puffy, irritated, and painful.

The Role of Coconut Oil in Acne Treatment
So, what is role of coconut oil in Acne treatment?There are a number of nutritive agents in coconut oil that help combat this condition, and the major functions are explained below.

Fatty Acids: Coconut Oil is the source of two of the most powerful antimicrobial agents found in food. These two antimicrobial powerhouses are Capric Acid and Lauric Acid. They are the same acids that are found in breast milk which keep newborn babies protected from infections. When these are applied on the skin, some microbes (good ones) present on the skin convert these acids into Monocaprin and Monolaurin, respectively. This helps to replace the protective acid layer on the skin which is removed through constant washing and wiping by frustrated teenagers. Basically, without the microbial infection, acne cannot develop! Not only external application, but also internal consumption of coconut oil will give you a similar level of protection, but direct application is usually suggested.

Vitamin E: Furthermore, coconut oil is a rich source of Vitamin-E. This keeps your skin healthy and ensures proper functioning of the sebum glands and clears blockage. This means that it treats the actual root cause of acne, not just the behaviors that lead to its appearance, or the symptoms once they have occurred. Hormone regulating-substances, as vitamin-E is in some ways, can reduce some of those natural hormonal fluctuations that lead to the sebum gland becoming hyper-active.

Anti-Inflammatory: Coconut Oil is also soothing to the skin and highly penetrating, so when it is applied, it is absorbed quickly and immediately begins to reduce the inflammation from acne that is already present. Coconut oil also helps heal any sorts of open wounds on the skin from severe cases of acne. Above all, Coconut Oil improves the rate of metabolism. This also indirectly affects proper secretion and hormonal balance, thus curbing the chances of developing acne, and increasing the rate of healing and repair to skin cells damaged by this widespread condition.

As mentioned before, coconut oil can be either topically applied or consumed. Some experts recommend both internal and external use for maximum benefits, and only 2-5 tablespoons are needed each day to have an effect. It can be added to food, or even eaten straight, as it has a pleasant taste.

Choice of Coconut Oil
To use coconut oil for the treatment of acne, you should choose the highest quality available. Do not go for the unrefined, crude variety, since it may be unhygienic and may contain dust particles that will further clog the sebum glands.

Always choose the refined variety instead. The best choice is typically Virgin Coconut Oil, which may be more expensive, but it has no negatives, and a whole lot of positives.

A Few Words of Warning
Coconut oil does have a wealth of positive effects on the symptoms, severity, and healing process of acne, but it is still classified as a light-microbial agent. This means that against firmly ingrained or serious cases of acne, it cannot be your only method of treatment. You should approach the problem from numerous angles, but if you have a serious or sever case of acne, you will most likely need more defensive and preventative methods than simply coconut oil.

The Last Word
Results may vary from person to person depending upon their skin type, age, profession, lifestyle, eating habits, hygiene, and sanitary behavior. It should also be remembered that coconut oil is not a cure for Acne, simply a treatment.

3 R'S Of Workout Recovery Nutrition

The principles of post-workout or recovery nutrition can be quite simple and easily be accounted for in a client’s custom nutrition plan. These principles include providing energy to replace muscle glycogen stores, helping to maximize the repair of muscle damage, and sufficiently replenishing any fluids and electrolytes lost during training.

Simply put, you need to help your clients follow the three “R’s” of recovery—refuel, rebuild and rehydrate. These are the cornerstones of post-workout and recovery nutrition. They are also essential for maximizing the training effect, which can have different applications depending on the type, intensity and duration of the activity. Here is a brief overview of the three R’s of recovery, followed by sample recovery diets for three specific workouts.

1. REFUEL
Nutritional recovery starts by refueling with glycogen or carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the body and brain with the fuel needed to recover and ultimately adapt to the training session.

Current data indicates that after a workout the muscle cells’ ability to begin rebuilding and replenishment peaks at about 15 minutes and declines by as much as 40 percent within 60 minutes.

Researchers report that immediate intake of carbohydrates results in a 300 percent increase in muscle glycogen at two hours and a 135 percent increase at four hours.

2. REBUILD
The next step is rebuilding cells by focusing on the protein and amino acids required to help maximize muscle repair. Even a simple cardio session results in muscle breakdown, so protein is an essential component for all post-exercise nutrition.

In a 2010 review published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition Exercise and Metabolism, researchers noted that the consumption of 20 grams of protein, or an equivalent of 9 grams of essential amino acids, can maximize muscle protein-synthesis rates during the first hours of post-exercise recovery.

However, the amount of protein needed in the post-workout period is often overestimated. There are certain levels of protein that are needed, but more doesn’t always mean more muscle or better recovery.

Depending on the type and intensity of exercise, and the total calories of course needed for recovery, a range of 0.3 to 0.5 grams per kg of bodyweight, or a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, is recommended.

3. REHYDRATE
The final step is rehydration. Adequate fluids help regulate body temperature and blood pressure, and transport energy and nutrients throughout the body.

That is why it is essential to allow the body to achieve balance and maintain the process of recovery by replenishing any fluids lost during activity.

Cramping and muscle fatigue can often keep clients from sticking to a workout plan. By rehydrating and replenishing sodium, they’ll be able to reduce these post-workout symptoms.

To learn more about how you to calculate how much water your clients should be drinking, check out this Evolution Nutrition blog on hydration.

Now that you’ve had a chance to skim over the three R’s, let’s put them into practice using three different workouts.

STEADY-STATE CARDIO RECOVERY NUTRITION
Goal: To rehydrate and replenish electrolytes, while maximizing post-exercise calorie burning

Recovery Snack Options: Whole-wheat crackers, fresh fruit with high water content and cheese

6 whole-wheat crackers
1 medium apple (sliced)
2 slices non-fat cheese

Nutrition: 278 Calories / 43g Carbohydrate / 13g Protein / 6g Fat

POST-WORKOUT YOGURT PARFAIT
¼ C nonfat yogurt
½ C whole grain cereal
½ C fresh strawberries (or other berry)

Nutrition: 270 Calories / 62 g Carbohydrate / 10g Protein / 2g Fat

Guidelines: Fluids and electrolytes can be consumed immediately after and should be equal to about 16 to 20 ounces of water/fluid for every pound lost during the steady-state cardio. If bodyweight loss cannot be measured, a good rule of thumb is to drink 1 cup immediately after exercise, and 2 to 3 cups of fluid over the next few hours of recovery. Wait 20 to 30 minutes before you start to replenish energy stores with carbohydrates, proteins or fats, but listen to your body and eat if you feel like you need to fuel.

WEIGHTLIFTING RECOVERY NUTRITION
Goal: To maximize the “anabolic window” or recovery phase 30 to 45 minutes after the workout

Recovery Snack Options: Pita bread with hummus and black bean spread.

½ whole-wheat pita (large)
2 T hummus
2 T black bean spread

Nutrition: 261 Calories / 46g Carbohydrate / 8g Protein / 5g Fat

OATMEAL PROTEIN POWER
½ C cooked steel-cut oats
1 T shaved almonds
2 T protein powder

Nutrition: 287 Calories / 40g Carbohydrate / 16g Protein / 7g Fat

Guidelines: As with any workout, carbohydrates are essential to recovery post-weightlifting. To successfully rebuild muscle, special attention should be paid to how much protein is being consumed.

RECOVERY NUTRITION FOR HIIT (CARDIO AND WEIGHTLIFTING) 
Goals: To replace energy stores within 30 minutes after workout and to repair muscle tissue

Recovery Snack Options: One post-workout drink that is equal to about one-quarter of total carbs needed for recovery (e.g., 12- to 16-ounce fruit smoothie made with water, skim milk or a non-dairy milk alternative and protein powder) AND one workout snack

POWER FRUIT SMOOTHIE
1½ C skim milk (nonfat)
½ C frozen berries

BANANA AND PEANUT BUTTER ON A RICE CAKE
½ banana (small)
½ T peanut butter
1 multigrain rice cake

Nutrition: 297 Calories / 47g Carbohydrate / 16g Protein / 5g Fat

Guidelines: Because HIIT has a higher work rate, more fluids are used and more fuel is burned. That means both will need to be replenished in higher rates than in the other two workouts. HIIT’s combination of cardio and weightlifting requires an initial liquid recovery snack, which can be consumed first or closely followed by a nutrient dense meal or snack. Post-workout, a 3:1 ratio is a good standard to use with carbs and protein (e.g., 30 to 40 grams of carbs with 10 to 15 grams of protein).

Grapefruit Juice Benefits

From the daily fortification provided by its vitamins to its effects on more serious illnesses, grapefruit juice is a nutrient-rich beverage that serves as a great supplement to any healthful diet. In its raw form, the juice carries all the vitamins and minerals found in the fruit itself. The dense concentrations of several of these nutrients make grapefruit juice an effective component of a healthful diet.

Vitamins
Pure grapefruit juice is packed with vitamin A and vitamin C as well as a healthy amount of folates. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, vitamin A has many health benefits, ranging from improved vision to the healthy development of soft tissue, skin and bones.
Vitamin C is found in most citrus fruits. One of its main benefits lies in its role in generating collagen, one of the main connective tissues in the body that forms the skin, ligaments, tendons and bones. Also, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron--an essential mineral that helps transport oxygen to the body's cells. The folates found in grapefruit juice help provide the building blocks for cells. This makes it necessary for the growth and maintenance of new cells in the body.

Minerals
The main mineral provided by grapefruit juice is potassium. In order to properly function, the body must maintain certain levels of water within its cells. Potassium's main responsibility is to monitor fluid levels and keep them at a healthful level.

Fat Content
Grapefruit juice is a naturally low-fat food. However, the density of nutrients found in the juice makes it an easy way to consume vitamins and minerals while controlling one's fat intake. A moderate consumption of fat is vital to a balanced diet.

Effects on Certain Medication
One of the qualities that makes grapefruit juice a rare beverage is its interactions with the body after consumption, especially in regards to medications. While scientists have found that at times, these interactions can be dangerous, such as the mixture of grapefruit juice with certain heart medications, they've also discovered that it can act as a catalyst.
In 2009, scientists at the University of Chicago discovered that taking a certain cancer medicine weekly with a glass of grapefruit juice mimics the effect of taking the pill daily without the juice. However, the researchers noted that the juice must be fresh or fresh-frozen in order to provide the potency necessary for these results.

Other Possible Benefits
Because of its high levels of vitamin C, the benefits of grapefruit juice are often lumped in with the widespread (if not proven) benefits attributed to citrus fruits. First and foremost, there is the belief that consumption of juices high in this vitamin can help prevent the common cold.

There are also many unsubstantiated links between grapefruit juice and weight loss. Many claim that the juice and the fruit it originates from contain a certain enzyme that can prevent the body from absorbing fat and carbohydrates. It should be noted, however, that both of these theories still exist in the realm of the old wives' tale---neither have actually been proven by strong scientific evidence.

How to Take Care of Yourself Physically, Mentally and Emotionally

When you take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally, your overall health improves. Your physician and fitness trainer might have told you about the importance of eating a healthy diet, lowering your stress levels and exercising. These and other activities can help extend your life and improve your self-esteem and outlook on life.

Eat a healthy diet of protein, minerals and vitamins. If you don't get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet, consider taking a multivitamin. Also drink water every day. Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNNHealth's diet and fitness expert, recommends that children drink between six and eight glasses of water a day, and says that people who are more active need to drink up to 11 glasses of water a day. Also watch the amount of calories you consume to avoid gaining excess weight.

Exercise for at least two and a half hours a week if you're an adult. Add an additional two days of stretching and weightlifting to your weekly exercise routine. If you jog or run and get your heart rate up faster and for longer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you exercise for at least 75 minutes a week, adding in an additional two days of strength or muscle training (e.g., weightlifting). The CDC advises children to exercise for at least 60 minutes a day for at least three days a week. Of course, you can always exercise longer if you want.

Meditate daily. For example, you could meditate for 10 minutes as soon as you wake and before you get showered and dressed. In fact, you can sit on the side of your bed and meditate for 10 minutes each morning. If you start to feel overwhelmed later in the day, sit still for one to two minutes or until you start to feel centered and calm.

Socialize with relatives and friends to create intimacy in your life. Share concerns you have about life events, news stories or local events in your neighborhood or community with your friends. Doing so can help you gain insight into events that concern you. When you spend time with relatives and friends, you also focus on their conversations, taking your mind off of chores, responsibilities or personal situations that you might otherwise worry about. It's also fun and feels emotionally rewarding when you're in the company of people you love and who you know love you in return.

Reduce your stress levels by getting outdoors and spending time in nature, listening to your favorite music or reading a book you enjoy. You can also reduce your stress levels by avoiding overworking and taking vacations. Additionally, when you work jobs that you love, your stress levels can lower. If you struggle to lower your stress, consider contacting a licensed medical professional and discussing your concerns with that person.

5 Simple Daily Strategies To Supercharge Your Energy

Early mornings, late nights, commitments, demands, responsibilities and expectations can make us feel like we're a sponge that has been squeezed dry of one of our most precious resources: energy. When we walk around feeling like this day after day, it negatively affects almost every aspect of life. From our health and careers to our relationships, when we have no more energy to give, the going gets tough.

So when the going starts to get tough, how do we get going again? 

Energy has physiological, neurological and even psychological components. It is also a carefully regulated economy within our lives. If we're constantly spending energy, we need to have some strategies to earn and replenish it as well. All spending and no earning is a failing formula in any arena.

With a few simple daily steps in our demand-laden, busy, stressed-out life, however, we can replenish our energy bank account and actually earn more energy to spend on the things that are most important to us.

What would you do with more energy? 

Here are five simple steps you can take every day to ensure that your energy economy ends up in the positive column, so you can do more of the things that feed your soul.

1. GO TO BED AND GET UP AT THE SAME TIMES EVERY DAY
From a physiological standpoint, sleep is the ultimate energy recuperator. The relationship between going to sleep at night and waking up in the morning used to be simple—when the sun went down, the darkness would trigger the brain to release sleep hormones and neurotransmitters. When the sun came up, the light would trigger wake-up hormones and neurotransmitters.

With this natural, consistent balance of sleeping and awaking, our ancestors had the energy they needed to hunt, gather, build and do anything else they needed to do. Today, our sleep cycle is more dependent on evening television programming than the sun. Artificial light convinces our brain that it is daytime whenever we want it to be. Instead of the sun deciding when we go to sleep and wake up, we have to regulate this ourselves.

As mentioned, falling asleep and waking up are largely affected by hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. When the sun was our sleep regulator, these chemicals "learned" when to be released. With this learned consistency, we would get sleepy at bedtime and feel alert after waking up in the morning.

We no longer rely on the predictable sun, so it's up to each individual to go to bed and wake up at consistent times so the sleep and waking hormonal and neural processes learn when to do their thing. The more consistent we are, the more efficient the process works. The better we sleep, the more we recuperate our energy.

2. MOVE MORE 
Humans are perpetual motion machines. The process of getting enough of the good stuff in and the bad stuff out of our brain, muscles and other cells relies heavily on frequent movement throughout the day. Research suggests most Americans are completely sedentary for up to 15 hours per day, independent of sleep. It appears this level of inactivity may be as risky to our health as smoking cigarettes.

When you move, you aid in driving blood circulation, which gets more oxygen and glucose to the brain and energy-producing “engines” of the cells (the mitochondria). You also stimulate areas of your brain in charge of coordination, which can also help keep you out of the midday fog. Go ahead and stand up right now and lift your arms above your head. Stay standing for about 10 seconds. You will actually notice a change in your energy even in that short amount of time.

Try to create a work/home environment where you are able to stand up and move frequently. Try parking farther away from destinations, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and standing up for at least a few minutes every 30 to 45 minutes.

Even something as simple as standing up can drive more oxygen and glucose to create energy, so imagine what exercise can do for your energy levels. Every day, do 20 minutes of something that elevates your heart rate—dancing, running, swimming, hiking, jogging, or anything else you enjoy doing.

3. EAT SMALLER MEALS FREQUENTLY
While eating frequent small meals does not appear to play as large a role in weight loss as once believed, this simple daily habit can create a drastic change in your energy levels.

The brain uses glucose (blood sugar) as its food. When it doesn’t have enough, or when there is too much, we get tired, foggy, lazy and unfocused. Think about your level of energy when you’re really hungry, then consider how your energy levels are after a large meal.

Unfortunately, many American’s have developed the habit of not eating breakfast and then consuming a large, high-calorie lunch, a few high-sugar, high-fat snacks, and a large dinner. With this “feast or famine” level of blood sugar supplied to the brain, it makes it difficult to create consistent energy levels.

Start each day with a balanced breakfast that includes protein, fat, carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. About three hours later, have a small snack with a similar nutrient profile. You’ll be less hungry for lunch and more apt to make better choices when you’re not voraciously hungry. Another balanced snack after lunch and before dinner curbs the pre-dinner and even post-dinner snacking, while decreasing the likelihood you’ll overeat at dinner.

Fruit, nuts, shakes and other snacks are easy to prepare and carry with you.

4. STOP MULTITASKING AND INSTEAD CREATE TIME CHUNKS
The more tasks we split our energy between in a given period of time, the poorer our performance on each of the tasks will become. In addition, we use our energy inefficiently when we try to do many things at once, so we end up spending quite a bit of energy with a very limited return on our investment.

Instead of attempting to do multiple tasks at once, create a clear time frame to focus on one thing. This could be as short as a few minutes or it could be hours. Most people will find a “sweet spot,” during which they can apply maximal focus without going off course. If you have to keep up with multiple demands, you may need to create short time chunks. This way, you can use your energy effectively and efficiently on one task, do it well, then move to another task and repeat.

Many successful people have learned to use time chunks for meetings, email, projects, hobbies and other work or leisure tasks so they can get the largest return for their investments of time and energy.

5. GRATITUDE
When we’re flying through each day, trying to keep up with the constant demands being thrown at us, it’s easy to slip into “the sky is falling, whoa is me” mode. When we’re stressed, our brains work differently. We tend to only see what’s in front of us and we lose scope of a bigger picture.

While it’s true that things can go very wrong, there are always things that are going very right,  but this can be tough to remember when the going gets tough.

When you let your fight-or-flight brain completely take over for long periods of time, you squander your energy levels and drain them quickly. Something as simple as taking five minutes a day to write down a short (or long) list of things you are thankful for can help turn off, or at least turn down, the fight-or-flight brain. This realization that there are positive things in your life despite negative events can help boost your mood, energy and even performance.

Try one or all of these simple, energy-exploding strategies every day to refill your energy tanks and live an extraordinary life.

How to Increase Brain Functions With Vitamins

A healthy and nutritious diet is an important factor in brain development, according to Sean Brotherson, family science specialist at North Dakota State University. Keep the brain healthy by eating a nutrient-rich diet that provides essential brain vitamins and minerals. The website Brain Health & Puzzles states that these brain vitamins cannot be made by the body alone. They have to be found in the food you eat. They aid with brain functions such as improved memory, concentration and mood, so enhance a flagging brain by knowing which vitamins are needed and in what quantity.

Ensure your diet is full of foods that provide the vitamin B complex, especially those that contain vitamin B12 and vitamin B6. According to The Diet Channel website, these vitamins help manufacture and release neurotransmitters, upon which the brain relies to communicate messages of hunger, sleep and mood, while vitamin B itself helps spatial awareness and memory. Ensure your diet is rich in spinach and other dark leafy greens, as well as broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, bananas, strawberries, melons, lentils, chili peppers, liver oil, liver, turkey, tuna, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits and soybeans. The recommended daily dosage of vitamin B complex is 300 milligrams.

Arm your brain with the appropriate levels of vitamins C and E. Both these vitamins are antioxidants -- nutrients that defuse the harmful effects of free radicals. The Brain & Mind website states that the brain consists mainly of fatty acids, making it susceptible to the oxidation damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals can destroy brain cells, leading to memory loss and, in worst cases, dementia. Brain & Mind goes on to say that vitamin E maximizes brain functioning by aiding good circulation of blood to the brain. Oils such as palm, corn, sunflower and olive are good sources, as are nuts, sunflower seeds, kiwi fruit, fish and peanut butter. The recommended daily dose of vitamin E is 15 milligrams. Most fruit, vegetables and plant contain vitamin C. The recommended daily dose is 90 milligrams.

Expose your skin to the sun for at least 15 to 30 minutes, three times a week to allow your body to synthesize enough vitamin D for healthy brain functioning. According to Robert J. Przybelski, doctor and research scientist at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, "vitamin D activates and deactivates enzymes in the brain and the cerebrospinal fluid that are involved in neurotransmitter synthesis and nerve growth." Neuroscientist David Llewellyn of the University of Cambridge conducted a study which assessed vitamin D levels in more than 1,700 men and women from England, aged 65 or older. He found that the lower the level of vitamin D, the lower the level of mental performance. Foods such as milk, soy milk and cereal grains have been fortified with adequate levels of vitamin D.