Kickboxer's Diet

Most dieters end up regaining lost weight, and then put on some extra pounds as well. Weight cycling can increase your chances for developing hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Kickboxers are able to maintain a healthy weight by accepting their body type, staying active and eating nutritious foods. A kickboxer's diet is balanced and designed to promote muscle toning, increase energy, decrease fat and speed up injury recovery time.

Liquids
Water is the number one most important liquid for kickboxers to drink. Water helps along every single body function. You don't have to drown yourself with water; simply sip water throughout the whole day. Don't wait to drink water until your thirsty. All athletes are well-hydrated, especially before an event. While fruit and vegetable juice isn't bad for you, it's better to hydrate yourself with water and eat whole fruits and veggies. Fat-free milk is a good source of protein and calcium, and can help kickboxers lower their body fat.

Foods
Natural foods are best for kickboxers. Eat plenty of whole-grain cereals, brown rice, whole wheat breads and pastas, beans, lean meats, fish, eggs and egg whites, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. Season food with green pepper, onion, oregano, lemon, garlic and cilantro. It's okay to eat low-fat mayonnaise, cheese and yogurt, too.

Foods To Avoid
Kickboxers avoid tea, coffee, alcohol and drinks with sugar, which are all stimulants that can affect their body's rhythm. If you don't want to completely drop these drinks, reduce and limit your intake. Stay away from sugar and sugary foods, butter, sauces, full-fat foods and any food that has a high sodium content.

Preparation And Meals
Kickboxers eat foods that are grilled, baked, barbecued, boiled, steamed or microwaved. Avoid foods that are fried. Adding oil to your food means you're adding extra calories and saturated fat. Kickboxers eat a large breakfast daily. Lunch is smaller than breakfast, and dinner should be the smallest meal of the day. Kickboxers also sometimes opt to eat several small meals throughout the day. Eating more often can help you to lose weight, since your body stores less fat if it's fed approximately every three hours. Do not eat later than four hours before bed time. Eating too close to your bed time means that the food won't be digested or burnt off.

Kickboxer Mentality
It's important to recognize and respond to your internal cues when you want to eat. It's particularly important for athletes and regular exercisers to tune in to their body's cues. Ignore peer pressure and media images and determine which foods will prepare you for fitness. Think about what you're really craving. Determine if your body wants something hot, cold or room-temperature, crunchy or chewy, and sweet, bitter, salty or spicy. You may need liquid instead of food as well. Tune out all messages that will inhibit your goals of maintaining a healthy weight and being a successful kickboxer.

How to Clean My System in 24 Hours

Cleaning out your system may not only form an important part of a diet routine, but can also be used to prepare for medical tests or for surgeries and during fasting. A 24 hour detox cleans your gastrointestinal system, as well as your liver and kidneys of toxins, allowing your body's natural detox mechanism to rest from the stress caused by consuming sugars, chemicals from processed food and saturated fat. Cleaning your system of toxins takes discipline, as you must restrict your in-take of both food and certain liquids, but it makes you more conscious of what you consume during any given day and its impact on your body.

Things You'll Need

• Blender
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Beets
• Celery
• Onions
• Herbal or green tea
• Lemon juice

24 Hour Detoxification Plan
Cook four carrots, at least two sticks of celery, two to four potatoes, one sliced beet, an onion and garlic in a pot, along with either filtered or spring water. These vegetables may take up to an hour to cook and once they are soft, strain all of the vegetables. Drink one cup of the clear broth, after it has cooled. This broth starts off your 24 hour cleansing plan with some potassium. Take this broth the night before you formally begin your detox, as your final meal prior to beginning the program.

Drink one cup of either spring water or filtered water after waking up the next morning. You may add freshly squeezed lemon juice to your water and you can also boil the water and lemon juice combination, in order to drink it hot. Do not consume any food once you begin cleansing your system for the full 24 hour period.

Drink plain herbal or decaffeinated green tea during the day, since these drinks can function as natural diuretics. If you tend to retain water, your detox should include cleansing your system with the help of these diuretics. Avoid fruit teas and try to focus on chamomile or dandelion root tea during your detox. Additionally, these hot drinks may make you feel better in case of dizziness or mild nausea, caused by eliminating your food intake.

12 Reasons Why Dehydration Is Bad for Your Body

Are you low on water?
It doesn't take much to become dehydrated. Lose just 1.5% of the water in your body (the human body is usually about 60% H2O), and you've reached the tipping point of mild dehydration. It can be brought on by many things—and it can do much more to your body than just make you feel thirsty. Dehydration also brings on health effects ranging from fatigue and smelly breath to more dangerous consequences like distracted driving.

It gives you bad breath
It's easy to forget to drink water during a busy workday, but at the end of the day you may find people standing unusually far from you when you open your mouth. "Dehydration can give you bad breath," says Marshall Young, DDS, a dentist in Newport Beach, Calif. "Saliva has important antibacterial properties. When dehydrated, the decreased saliva in the mouth allows bacteria to thrive, resulting in bad breath." So drink up for your own sake, and for those around you as well.

It makes you crave sugar
Dehydration can mask itself as hunger, particularly sugar cravings. This may happen particularly if you've been exercising, says Amy Goodson, RD, sports dietitian for the Dallas Cowboys. "When you exercise in a dehydrated state, you use glycogen (stored carbohydrate) at a faster rate, thus diminishing your stores more quickly." So once you finish exercising, you will likely crave carbs to help you replenish those glycogen levels and get you ready for your next exercise bout.

It wrecks your workout
Even being slightly dehydrated affects your ability to put effort into your workout. "A 2% dehydration level in your body causes a 10% decrease in athletic performance," says Goodson. "And the more dehydrated you become, the worse performance gets." Measured by "perceived exertion," how hard you feel you're exercising, you might be working at a 6 but you feel like you are working at an 8, says Goodson.

It dries your skin out
Keeping skin healthy and glowing requires drinking enough water, says Anne Marie Tremain, MD, a dermatologist with Laser Skin Care Center Dermatology Associates in Long Beach, Calif. "It's best to hydrate from the inside out," she says. "Depending on your lifestyle you may need to adjust your water intake." If you work out every day or are a caffeine fiend, for instance, then you'll need to drink more., because workouts make you sweat and caffeine is a diuretic, which can dehydrate you. For smooth, moisturized skin, Dr. Tremain also suggests keeping showers short (less than five minutes) and using only lukewarm water as hot water can dry your skin out even more.

It may affect your ability to drive safely
Few things are more uncomfortable than being stuck in traffic or on a long drive when you need to use the restroom. Logically, it makes sense to simply not drink water before hitting the road. But new research published in Physiology and Behavior shows that the number of driving errors doubled during a two-hour drive when drivers were dehydrated versus hydrated—an effect similar to driving while drunk (defined by most states as .08% blood alcohol). Since often people purposely avoid drinking prior to a long road trip to prevent bathroom stops, dehydration could increase the risk of traffic accidents.

It makes you tired
A mid-afternoon slump may have more to do with hydration than you think. "When you're dehydrated your blood pressure drops, heart rate increases, blood flow to the brain slows – all of which can make you tired," says Luga Podesta, MD, sports medicine specialist at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles, Calif. A lack of water to muscles also makes physical tasks feel more difficult and tiring.

It sours your mood
Cranky much? Drink a glass of water and your mood may change. "Neurological effects of dehydration can cause irritability," says Dr. Podesta. A small study published in the Journal of Nutrition tested mood and concentration in 25 young women who were either given enough fluids to remain properly hydrated, or who became mildly dehydrated by taking diuretics and exercising. The dehydrated women—who were at a level that was just 1% lower than optimal—reported headaches, loss of focus, and irritability.

It can give you the chills
It may seem counterintuitive, but dehydration can bring on chills. "This occurs because your body starts to limit blood flow to the skin," says Dr. Podesta. In addition, water holds heat, so if you become hydrated it can be more difficult to regulate your body temperature, which can make you become chilled faster, even when you're not in a cold environment.

It can cause muscle cramps
A lack of water causes less blood circulation, which can make muscles cramp up, says Ray Casciari, MD, medical director of the La Amistad Family Health Center in Orange, Calif. "The body will protect its vital organs, so it shifts fluid away from muscles and anything that's not vital," he says. Muscle cramps can be extremely painful, making muscles feel harder than normal to the touch. Changes in sodium and potassium through sweat loss can also contribute to cramping.

It makes you feel dizzy and foggy
Along with muscles, your brain also gets less blood circulation when you're low on water, which can make you dizzy, says Dr. Casciari. Additionally, mild dehydration may affect your ability to take on mental tasks and cause you to feel foggy headed, according to a study from the British Journal of Nutrition. Interestingly, a study that appeared in the Journal of Nutrition showed greater mood changes in women than in men, both at rest and during exercise.

It can give you a headache
Dehydration can cause headaches in a couple of different ways. "Lack of water affects your body's serotonin levels, which can give you headaches," says Dr. Casciari. In addition, small blood vessels in the brain respond quickly to hydration levels (which is also behind hangover headaches), leading to dull aches and even full-blown migraines. Try downing a glass or two of water the next time you have a headache and you may discover it disappears. You could also eat fruit, which contains a high percentage of water, Dr. Casciari suggests.

It constipates you
Your body needs water to keep things moving through your colon. When you're not getting enough H2O, your body compensates by withdrawing more fluid from stool, making it harder and more difficult to pass. That said, it's worth noting that drinking more water when you're already properly hydrated won't necessarily relieve constipation caused by other factors, like the medications you're taking, medical conditions, or a lack of fiber in your diet.

These high-water-content foods are refreshing, filled with nutrients, and naturally low in calories.

How to Burn an Extra 100 Calories Fast

Weight-loss goals require the use of a certain number of calories each day. If you are near the end of the day, but have not reached your goal, you have options to burn 100 calories fast. From cardiovascular activities, to strength training and just-for-fun exercises, you will increase your calorie burning and get closer to your goal. Keep in mind that the more you weigh, the more calories you use during activities. The less you weigh, the less you use, so you will have to exercise for a longer amount of time. The approximate durations of the exercises in this article are based on a person who weighs 160 to 165 pounds.

Cardiovascular
Cardiovascular exercise is consistent, full-body movement that elevates your heart and breathing rates. To burn 100 calories, perform 10 minutes of cross country skiing, aerobic dancing or swimming. Or, you can walk or run at a 5 mph pace for 10 minutes. If you enjoy biking, ride for six minutes at a vigorous pace. For 100 calories used in just short of five minutes, run at a 10 mph pace.

Strength
Strength training exercises improve your muscle tone. You burn calories as your muscles contract to perform the movements. Eleven and a half minutes of basic weight training uses 100 calories, according to the American Council on Exercise. Bodybuilding.com breaks down the time based on your effort. If you lift weights with a light effort, increase your duration to 25 minutes. If you perform vigorous body-weight movements such as situps, pushups and pullups, decrease your time to 10 minutes.

Sports and Chores
Sports activities are another way to quickly burn 100 calories. Pick up a ball and play 10 minutes of basketball or 12.5 minutes of tennis. Another option is to walk and carry your golf clubs for 16 minutes while you play a quick hole or two of golf. If you would rather stay inside, burn calories and clean your house; you can vacuum for 13 minutes or clean your sinks and bathroom for just over 15 minutes.

Fun
Burning calories does not have to feel like work. Have fun and burn calories hula hooping for 14.5 minutes. You can roller skate for 12.5 minutes to burn 100 calories or garden for 15 minutes. If you have an hour and a half, light kissing is a fun way to burn 100 calories.

How to Prevent Wrinkled Skin

Wrinkled skin is part of the natural aging process as the skin begins to lose its elasticity and starts to sag. Two main contributors of skin wrinkles are exposure to the sun and lack of water in the skin. A predisposition to wrinkly skin may be unavoidable; but there are ways to prevent wrinkled skin. Read on to learn how.

Things You'll Need

• Facial and body cleanser
• Sunscreen
• Moisturizer
• Multivitamins

Tips

1. Keep toxins out of the body. Activities like smoking, consuming too much fried foods and excessive alcohol can cause the skin to wrinkle.

2. Consume adequate water each day. Divide your body weight in half and consume at least that many ounces of water daily. For example, a person who weighs 150 lb. should consume a minimum of 75 oz. of water daily.

3. Use an effective facial and body cleanser and moisturizer. This will sufficiently cleanse the skin and provide proper nutrients for dry or aging skin. Always apply ample moisturizer at night before bed.

4. Protect the skin with a sunscreen. Use daily or as needed. Sunbathing contributes to wrinkle development.

5. Apply lotions and moisturizers by rubbing against the grain of the skin. For instance, when applying moisturizer to your face, stroke upward from the chin towards the cheekbone in a sweeping fashion. When applying lotions to the body, apply the lotions in a circular motion rather than rubbing downwards.

6. Maintain a healthy weight. Weight fluctuations lead to wrinkled skin. Exercise increases blood flow to the body's organs and eliminates wrinkles.

7. Consume sufficient amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin E. These vitamins renew cell growth, promote collagen growth and provide natural oils in helping aging skin constantly stay in a state of renewal.

How to Improve Health and Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Because we are constantly inundated with new information about food, exercise, medications and mental health, assembling one whole picture of health presents challenges. However, healthy living can be easy when we use that good old thing we call "common sense." There are a few different spheres of health: food and nutrition, exercise and rest, mental relaxation and stress management and a healthy social life. If you improve one area, you will likely start to improve in others.

Things You'll Need

• Variety of fresh foods
• Athletic shoes

Step 1:
Start eating more fresh foods. Vegetables, fruits, lean meats, legumes, whole grains and occasional treats form the basis for a healthy, enjoyable diet.

Step 2:
Eat meals that fill only 1/2 to 3/4 of a dinner plate. Smaller meals aid your digestion and may help you lose weight.

Step 3:
Stop smoking, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and using any recreational drugs.

Step 4:
Spend 1/2 hour to an hour outside every day. Fresh air, sunshine and a brisk walk can do wonders for your physical and mental health.

Step 5:
Exercise at a moderate level at least three times per week for thirty minutes to an hour. Walking, biking, running and swimming are good choices. Your heart rate should be high enough to get you breathing hard, but not so high that you can't have a conversation.

Step 6:
Get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.

Step 7:
Drink plenty of water throughout your day.

Step 8:
Find activities that you can do with other people at least once a week. Examples include going to game nights or joining a sports team, book club or arts and crafts club.

Step 9:
Make some time to meditate or focus on your breathing with closed eyes every day, even if it is only for 15 minutes. Meditation lowers overall heart rate and is a valuable tool in decreasing stress.

Step 10:
Look for the positive in the midst of life's challenges. Attitude changes everything.

How to Choose Foods to Cure Insomnia

If you're struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep at night, but don't want to rely on drugs to fight insomnia, look no further than your pantry to find a natural remedy for sleeplessness. Many healthy foods contain ingredients that can act as sedatives or boost certain hormones to induce sleep. By altering your diet, particularly the foods you eat right in the hours before bedtime, these natural cures for insomnia will have you sleeping peacefully. Consider these tips to choose foods to cure insomnia.

Tips

1. Opt for items that are calcium-rich when you're trying to choose foods to cure insomnia. By drinking an eight-ounce glass of low fat milk a few hours before you go to bed, for example, you can increase serotonin levels in your system to help you get a sound night of sleep. Other foods in this group that cure insomnia include yogurt, cheeses or frozen yogurt. If you can't eat dairy, consider curing sleeplessness with items like tofu, salmon or calcium-fortified orange juice and cereal.

2. Eat foods that reduce stress levels that can lead to sleeplessness. Choose foods to cure insomnia like nuts (particularly cashews, pine nuts and almonds), wheat and oat bran, artichokes, spinach and black beans that are high in magnesium to help combat the anxiety that keeps you awake at night.

3. Add bananas to your diet to serve as natural remedies for insomnia. Featuring a high level of vitamin B6, bananas can also help generate serotonin to keep your internal clock functioning properly to both prevent fatigue during the day and help you fall asleep at night. Other foods that fit into this insomnia cure include bell peppers, tuna, chicken, spinach and halibut.

4. Consider items with a high glycemic index when you choose foods to cure insomnia. Eating items like potatoes, crackers, white bread, brown rice, pretzels and dates within five hours of bedtime has been shown to be a treatment for insomnia by having a sedative effect. Because of their affect on blood glucose and insulin levels, however, this insomnia cure should be used with caution if you have a medical condition like diabetes or are trying to reduce carbs to lose weight.

List of Poses for One-Hour Hatha Yoga

A Hatha yoga class is slower paced than the more upbeat flow of a Vinyasa practice or the rigorous intensity of Ashtanga. However, if you practice Vinyasa, Ashtanga, even Bikram yoga, you are practicing under the umbrella that is the school of Hatha yoga, which includes hundreds of poses. Practicing a Hatha yoga sequence with standing poses and balancing poses, beginning with warm-up poses and ending with a relaxing Savasana, can make up an hourlong yoga practice. Before practicing yoga at home, take classes with a certified yoga teacher to ensure you are using correct form and alignment and to avoid pain or injury.

Warm-up
Spend 10 to 15 minutes warming up your body to avoid straining or pulling muscles. Start seated in a cross-legged position. Stretch your neck by rolling your head from side to side, then warm up your shoulders by raising your arms overhead and lowering your hands to your knees. Do the shoulder stretch three to five times before walking your hands forward and folding your torso over your legs to stretch your back and hips.

Bring your body to a table top position and hold for three to five inhales and exhales. Curl your toes under, engage your arms, straighten your legs and lift your hips for Downward-Facing dog. Stay in Downward Dog for a few breaths, making each inhale and exhale last from six to eight seconds, then walk your feet forward to meet your hands so you are in a Standing Forward Fold.

Sun Salutations
Inhale to standing, and begin the Sun Salutation sequence. Exhale into a Forward Fold, inhale and lift into a Half Fold -- spine straight, hands on your shins. Release into another Forward Fold, step into Plank position, lower your body down, arching into Cobra pose, then release back to Downward Dog. Step to a Forward Fold after holding Downward Dog for a few breaths, and begin the sequence again. Practice three to five Sun Salutations.

Warrior Sequence
Standing poses such as Warrior I and Warrior II are a good way to build strength and create some heat within your body. Step your right foot back about 3 feet from your front foot. Bend into your left leg, so your knee makes a 90-degree angle. Turn your back foot out about 45 degrees, and keep your hips square by pulling the right hip forward and the left hip back. It also helps to inch your back foot out to the side to get your hips squared. Extend your arms overhead for the full expression of the pose.

Move into Warrior II by keeping your feet where they are and opening your torso to the side of the room. Keep the deep bend in your front leg and extend your arms to shoulder level, gazing over your front fingertips. Take three to five inhales and exhales in Warrior II, then step back to the front of your mat and begin Warrior I on the other side.

Balancing Poses
Balancing poses are a good way to improve physical balance, but also improve mental balance off your mat and in your daily life. Warrior III is a strong balancing pose that requires focus. Exhale into a Forward Fold, step your right foot back into a High Lunge, lift your torso off of your front leg, shift your weight into your bent leg and lift your back leg off your mat behind you while straightening into your front leg. Extend your arms in front of you or to either side and balance here for about five breaths. Carefully bring your extended leg back to your mat into your Forward Fold position, and begin the second side.

Dancer pose is an intense balancing pose where you use your entire body, and it opens up your chest, shoulders and hips. Shift your weight to your right foot, bend your left knee, lift your left heel toward your seat and grab the inside of your foot with your left hand. Once you're balanced, take your right arm and extend it over your head. Push your left foot into your left hand, feeling a stretch in your left quadriceps, and lower your torso down while trying to maintain balance on your right leg. Hold, then slowly come out of the pose and start the other side.

Cool Down and Savasana
Cool down from your sequence with twists, hip opener poses and Seated Forward Folds. The best part of every yoga practice is Savasana, also known as Corpse pose. This is where you lie flat on your back, arms at either side of your body, shoulders relaxed down your back and your palms facing upward. Let your feet fall out to either side, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. The purpose of Savasana is to cool down and relax your entire body, helping you reach a state of calm and serenity. Try not to move at all in Savasana, and stay in it with your eyes closed for at least 10 minutes.

How to Design a Healthy Lifestyle

Everyone knows that eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly and coping with stress are beneficial to the body and mind. But how do you balance work and family, friendships and hobbies without spreading yourself too thin? The solution is to incorporate these elements into a healthy lifestyle plan. Investing in professional assistance is a huge motivator and a small price to pay for a healthier, happier you

Tips

1. Consult your doctor as you begin to map out your new lifestyle. He or she will help ensure a safe and beneficial regimen based on your age and physical condition.

2. Hire a personal weight loss and nutritional adviser to get you started. His or her guidance and expertise will help you formulate a plan that's right for you and, more important, help you stay on track when you stray. See 24 Choose a Weight Loss Plan.

3. Seek out a professional trainer that you can relate to and develop a fitness program that you'll enjoy and maintain for the long haul. Moderate exercise can improve your quality of life by firming muscles, controlling weight, strengthening the heart and lungs, improving circulation and digestion, burning calories, and building strength, endurance and flexibility.

4. Reduce your stress level by finding a mental or physical outlet that works for you. Exercise, yoga and meditation are proven to reduce stress and increase a feeling of well-being. Walking regularly has huge health benefits for people of all ages and fitness levels--and it's free.

5. Get enough sleep. Lack of rest weakens your immune system and makes you susceptible to illness and disease. Also, drink plenty of water. It eliminates toxins, increases energy, aids in weight loss, and promotes better brain function.

6. Plan your meals in advance to avoid unhealthy choices such as fast or prepackaged foods. A weekly menu will help you stick to a more balanced diet and choose healthier options at the grocery store.

7. Make time for your family, your friends and yourself. Cultivating new relationships, enjoying a hobby and sharing time with your family will allow you to stay focused on what's truly important in life.