30-Day Abs And Squats Challenge

Are you ready for a tight mid-section and killer thighs? Take our 30-day abs and squat challenge to boost your core, leg and butt muscles in just one month!

Exercises Involved:

Sit-ups exercise your abdominal muscles and reinforce your core.

Crunches also also target your abdominal muscles, but with less strain on your lower back.

Squats boost your core while also engaging your lower body, toning your legs and improving your flexibility.

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30-Day Summer Abs Challenge

Your core is relatively easy to train train, but visible results (a.k.a., sexy, chiseled abs) can remain elusive. While diet is certainly the most important factor in sculpting a shredded mid-section, it’s absolutely essential that you train your core regularly to maintain that sexy, toned tummy (essential during the summer months!).

Are you up for it? Take our 30-day summer abs challenge detailed below and get ready to hit the beach with confidence!

Exercises Involved:

Crunches are primarily a core strengthening exercise which work the pectorals major, rectus abdominals, external obliques, internal obliques and transverse abdominals.

Leg Raises are a great way to workout your abdominal muscles. They’re a strength training exercise used for strengthening the rectus abdominis and hip flexors.

Planks help build strength in your core, upper and lower body, ideal for building endurance in the abs, back and core.

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8 Moves To Tone Your Thunder Thighs

There is no way to spot reduce. I know what you are thinking. Yes, that is true. However, there are specific exercises out there to tone your entire thighs-including the inside!

Do the following exercises in a circuit. Complete all 8 exercises with a maximum of 30 seconds of rest in between – do 3 circuits 3 times a week for maximum results. Good luck.

1. Sumo Squats

• Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly turned out, holding a medicine ball in front of your chest.
• Squat down as low as you can, keeping your heels on the ground and your back straight.
• Press back up to standing. That’s one rep.
• Do 15 reps.

2. Fire Hydrants

• Place your body on an all-fours position. Elbows should be slightly bent.
• Back should be parallel to the ground, not arched or swayed downward.
• Keeping the kneeling position raise left leg out to the side, parallel to the ground. Maintain for a second and slowly return to the initial position.
• Repeat movement with same leg until set is finished. Repeat the exercise using the right leg.
• Do 10 reps for each leg.

3. Inner Thigh Lift

• Lie on your left side, flat against the floor.Rest your head on your left upper arm.
• Bend your right (top) leg at the knee and cross over in front of left leg. Rest your right arm on your right hip.
• Keep your left leg straight. Using inner thigh muscle (adductor), lift left leg 6 inches off floor. Keep left toe in flexed position (not a pointed position). Exhale (breathe out) as you lift your leg.
• Using resistance with the inner thigh muscle (not gravity), slowly lower your leg. Inhale (breathe in) as you lower your leg.
• Repeat entire sequence on your right side, step 1-9 (working right adductor muscle).
• Do 15 reps.

4. Skater Lunge

• Perform a reverse lunge with your back leg slightly at an angle.
• Leap to the side and bring the opposite leg behind you, only tapping your toe to the ground.
• Immediately jump back the other direction and continue alternating until you feel the burn.
• Form check: Keep your knees bent and stay as low as possible to really work your quads.
• Do 20 reps.

5. Plie Squats

• Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with toes turned out, holding lighter dumbbells vertically in front of thighs.
• Keeping abs tight and torso tall, bend knees 90 degrees; keep knees aligned between second and third toes and weight in heels.
• Press back to start; squeeze your glutes.
• Do 15 reps.

6. Step-ups

• Stand with dumbbells grasped to sides facing side of bench.
• Place foot of first leg on bench. Stand on bench by extending hip and knee of first leg and place foot of second leg on bench.
• Step down with second leg by flexing hip and knee of first leg.
• Return to original standing position by placing foot of first leg to floor.
• Repeat first step with opposite leg alternating first steps between legs.
• Do 30 reps on each side.

7. Side Lunges

• Stand with your feet and knees together.
• Take a large step with your right foot to the right side and lunge toward the floor.
• Make sure your right knee does not extend past your toes and keep your left leg relatively straight.
• Push off through your right foot to return to the start to complete one.
• Repeat with other leg.
• Do 25 reps on each side.

8. Curtsy Squats

• Start in a standing position with legs hip distance apart.
• Bring your right leg behind you into a curtsy position, getting as low down to the ground as you can.
• Then stand back up.
• Do the same thing again with the left leg.
• Do 30 reps for each side.

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100 Calorie Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

The easiest, best strawberry oatmeal bars with butter crumb topping. One bowl, simple ingredients, and 100% whole grain—perfect for a snack or dessert!

Ingredients:

For The Strawberry Bars:

- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if needed)

- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or substitute all purpose flour or 1:1 baking flour to make gluten free)

- 1/3 cup light brown sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or substitute melted coconut oil to make vegan/dairy-free)

- 1 teaspoon cornstarch

- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 small lemon)

- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided

- 2 cups, small-diced strawberries (10 ounces)

For The Vanilla Glaze (Optional but delicious, especially if you prefer a sweeter bar):

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

- 1 tablespoon milk (any kind you like)

Directions:

1) Place a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 375 degrees F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like "handles."

2) In a medium bowl, combine the oats, 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.

3) Scatter half of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the lemon juice, and 1/2 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through.

4) Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely (you can speed this process along in the refrigerator).

5) While the bars cool, prepare the glaze: in a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Feel free to add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Using the parchment paper handles, lift the bars from the pan. Drizzle with glaze, slice, and serve.

Notes: Recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch baking pan. The bars will be a bit thicker, but still delicious. To make gluten free, substitute the white whole wheat flour with a 1:1 baking mix. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

NutritionFacts 

Serving Size: 1 (of 16) without glaze

Amount Per Serving: 

Calories: 100, Total Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 19mg, Carbohydrates: 13g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Protein: 2g.

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Clean Eating: Do’s and Don’ts for Getting Started

“Clean Eating” is one of the latest trends in fitness nutrition, and for good reason… It works! The Clean Eating theory is simple: Eat poorly and you become sick and overweight. Eat well and you become a glowing example of health and vibrancy.

Eating clean is a lifestyle, so start by making the changes you know you can stick with right now.  If you’re the type to jump right in to a new plan, go for it! If you have to make one small change at a time, that’s fine too.  Do what works for you!

What to Do:

Eat six small meals each day.  Increasing the frequency of your meals causes your metabolism to be stimulated while preventing you from getting too hungry.

Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of rising.  Eating breakfast helps keep the body nourished and satisfied while providing abundant energy.

Adhere to proper portion sizes.  Use your hands as a guide for portion sizes to ensure that you are getting the proper amount of food for your body.  For example, a proper portion of protein is measured by what can fit in the palm of your hand.  A serving of fruits or vegetables should be measured by what can fit into two cupped hands, while whole grains and starchy carbs should fit in one cupped hand.

Eat sufficient healthy fats every day.  In order to lose weight and keep the body looking fit, you must eat some fat!  Many physicians recommend omega-3 fats, which the brain depends on to fight depression.  Healthy fats can be found in fish, nuts, seeds, and some oils such as sunflowers, avocados, olives, and peanuts.

Drink two or three liters of water each day.  Water is the very basis of life!  Both losing and maintaining weight depend on adequate hydration.

Depend on fresh fruits and vegetables for fiber, vitamins, nutrients and enzymes.  These complex carbohydrates take their time being processed in the belly.  The longer things take to break down, the slower the insulin response, and the fuller, thinner and happier you are!

What to Avoid:

- All over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar.

- Chemically charged foods.

- Foods containing preservatives.

- Artificial sugars.

- Artificial foods (such as processed cheese slices)

- Saturated and trans fats.

- Sugar-loaded beverages, including colas and juices.

- Excessive amount of alcohol.

- All calorie-dense foods containing little or no nutritional value (anti-foods).

- Super-sizing your meals!

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How to Know Which Body Type You Are

1. Android Type:

The Android body shape usually has more broad shoulders and strong muscular limbs. The core is fairly straight, without much of a waist. This type usually has narrow hips. Android types have an anabolic metabolism, which means they will gain weight in the upper part of their body so that they may become apple-shaped. Most of their weight gain occurs on the front of the abdomen. They build muscle mass easily and make good athletes. They tend to produce more male hormones than do the other body types. Android types tend to crave foods that are high in cholesterol and salt. The body turns cholesterol into steroid hormones, which will have a body building effect. This may lead to some cellulite in the abdominal area, trunk and upper buttocks, but not below the hips.

2. Gynaeoid body:

The Gynaeoid body type is the curvy shape with small to medium shoulders tapering to a small waist and then flaring below to wide curvaceous hips. Weight gain occurs only on the thighs and lower buttocks and gives a curvy shape. Many gynaeoid types will have a big problem with cellulite accumulating around the upper thighs and buttocks. If they try to lose weight with just any old low-fat low-calorie diet, it can be quite frustrating because weight will tend to come off easily from areas where there is not a problem, while the thighs and buttocks retain their fatty deposits and cellulite. They often have a hormonal imbalance called estrogen dominance which means that there is too much estrogen compared to progesterone. They often crave foods combining high amounts of fat and sugar, which will increase their sensitivity to estrogen, leading to more cellulite in the buttocks and thighs. They do well with plant hormones (phyto-estrogens), which have a balancing effect and help them to reduce their estrogen dependent weight gain.

3. Thyroid Type:

The Thyroid body type is characterized by a fine narrow bone structure and long limbs. This body type often has a race-horse or grey hound appearance. Many dancers and models belong to this body type. Thyroid types often crave stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and artificial sweeteners, and may miss meals. They often have problems with unstable blood sugar levels, which can cause fatigue and cravings for sugar and stimulants. Generally speaking, thyroid types do not gain weight easily and have a very high metabolic rate. Of all the body types they are least likely to develop cellulite and if it does occur, it is on the buttocks and back of the thighs.

4. Lymphatic Type:

Lymphatic body types gain weight all over the body, and have a cuddly baby doll appearance. Weight gain occurs very easily because lymphatic types have a very low metabolic rate. They also have a dysfunctional lymphatic system resulting in generalised fluid retention, which makes them look fatter than they are. They are prone to deposits of fat swollen with lymphatic fluid, which can cause severe cellulite. This type of cellulite gives them thick puffy limbs so that it is hard to see their bone structure. They often avoid exercise and crave dairy products, both of which will exacerbate their cellulite.

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5 Things That Will Stop Sugar Cravings

The number one reason that people crave sweets is that their insulin is high, and when it starts to fall we want the sugar to spike it  back up again. It’s a vicious cycle, that leads to feeling tired, and fatigued. Here are some really good tips that will get you back on track to being healthy and feeling energetic again.

1. Increase your protein intake:

Often times our body feels like it wants sugar when it’s really craving protein. Try starting with an egg, or something that is high in protein.

2. Remove the temptations:

If you don’t have them around the house it’s harder to indulge. If it’s at work that you’re having a hard time. Do what you can to remove the temptation BEFORE the craving hits. If you keep a jar of jelly beans on your desk. Get rid of them, but bring something healthy to eat when you are ready for a snack.

3. Eat frequently:

Cravings are the worst when we’ve either skipped a meal, or we’ve had a drop in our blood sugar. By eating every few hours we avoid that drop in blood sugar. Eating 3 good meals a day with a snack in between will keep you feeling good without getting so hungry that you grab whatever you can find to get your blood sugar up.

4. Avoid artificial sweeteners:

Artificial sweeteners, like Saccharin or Aspartame, make us have more cravings for sweets, and may present a higher risk of cancer.

5. Either Cut sweets cold turkey then indulge in small amounts:

Because our insulin is so used to being high, the first 3 days are the hardest. If you can eliminate sweets completely until your body has had a chance to let your insulin come down, you won’t crave them like you did. Then you’ll be able to be satisfied with small amounts.

The times that I limit my sugar I feel so much better. Hopefully these tips can help you feel better and be healthier.

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