Precious Health Tips For Women In Their 20s

Maintaining their youthful energy right into their 30s and 40s requires effort when women are in their 20s. No matter how big a tornado your life is, staying healthy should be your top priority. With these valuable health tips, you can keep fat from creeping on to you, stay healthy and look younger. Long term well being of women depends on how much they take care of themselves when they are vibrant in their 20s.

Get Into An Exercise Regimen

Young women should develop a habit of exercise not only to develop a strong body but also to lower risk for disease and reduce stress. Engage in lively activities that you would enjoy doing- dance class, a kayaking trip, gym, yoga, jogging, swimming, or tai-chi. 

Start with the activity three or four times a week and ease into it. Staying active in your 20s will very much reflect when you grow older.

Concentrate On What You Eat

For majority of the young women, weight has always been a big issue. Eating the right combination of foods by concentrating on whole foods including veggies, fruits and whole grains at this age is essential. Skip fried and fatty foods and always reach out for healthy nutritious food. Make sure you supply your body with essential nutrients such as potassium, proteins, omega-3 fats, calcium and Vitamin D. Not only will a healthy diet prevent those few pounds from gaining on to you but will also reduce chances of diseases.

Regularly Take Screening Tests

Screening tests are essential to keep an eye out for any diseases. Regular breast exams from health professionals every year along with monthly breast self-exams are important especially if you have a family history. During your annual gyno exam, get a pap test to avoid compromising on your fertility and health.

Protect Your Skin

Young women love tan and would go to any extent to have it. Tanning does more to you than cause skin cancer; it ages you prematurely and steals your skin of moisture and nutrients. Never leave the house without sunscreen. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated. See a dermatologist once a year for a full-body screening for any skin cancers.

Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Insufficient sleep can leave you feeling tired and lethargic the whole day. Moreover, it can make you gain weight, lower your immune defenses and experience stress and depression. With an 8-hour sleep, you can concentrate on your tasks throughout the day and feel fresh throughout the day.

Pop In A Multi-Vitamin Everyday

Improper meals can skip your body from receiving important nutrients. By taking a multi-vitamin daily, you can get a boost of essential vitamins and minerals. Even if you do not plan on having a baby anytime soon, iron and folic acid help prevent birth defects when you do conceive. Calcium and vitamin D in a good multivitamin will help keep your bones strong and healthy. 




Mark likes to write about health tips for HDC Hair clinic. Women a lot of times worry about their hair treatment and what they should do them to keep them healthy avoiding hair loss

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Dos and Don'ts in Running

There are some things you should do to continue running injury free. There are also some things to avoid. Knowing the best way to maintain an excellent workout will keep you active and enjoying your daily run.

Do Start Out Slowly

If you are a beginner runner, it is best to use a combination of walking and running. This way you can build up your endurance without hitting an early fatigue point. Start out walking at a fast pace to warm up your muscles. Next, start running for as long as you can. When you start to feel fatigued, go back to walking. Repeat this at whatever interval works best for you. In time you will need less walking time to fill in the gaps.

Don't Use a Long Stride

Leaping forward is an ineffective way to use your energy. It also puts you at risk of getting an injury. Keep a good posture by standing tall. Lean forward and step just enough to keep you from falling. This distance is your ideal stride, so keep it in mind while on your run.

Do Wear Minimalist Running Shoes

Barefoot running shoes are possibly one of the best shoes for runners. This is because they maintain your natural foot strike. This is the way the foot lands when you run. With a flat sneaker, runners land heel first. This causes a sudden and harsh impact that reverberates throughout the lower body. Barefoot shoes allow you to land on the ball of the foot first. This is a much softer landing, which leads to a more comfortable and injury-free stride.

Don't Run as Hard as You Can

Most people believe the harder we train, the better. But this is not necessarily true, especially if you are trying to lose weight. For fat loss, it is more effective to run at a slower pace for a longer period of time. If you do want to increase your speed, do it by using a heart rate monitor. Set it to maintain a certain pace, and then maintain that pace as long as you can. Your body will adapt, and you can readjust to get a faster time. Running is an excellent way to work out and stay healthy. These dos and don'ts will help keep you on track. Enjoy your run and stay fit!

J Lee Phelan is a martial arts instructor and freelance writer living in New York.

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Improve The Outcome of Your Workouts With These Five Foods

Working out is one of the most daunting tasks ever known when it comes to losing weight. Food greatly impacts your performance in some ways and needless to say, we all want to get the most out of all the hard work that we have done.

The body’s staple nutrition, especially when working out, includes carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals. There are five foods that will help in enhancing one’s performance to be able to make their workout effective. 

Whether you are a professional athlete or just running as a hobby, here are five food suggestions which will give you more power during workouts.

Easy to Digest Fruits
Great in providing carbohydrates which can boost one’s energy level, fruit is the perfect food to eat. It is high in healthy sugar. Fruits such as apples and bananas are known to be rich in vitamin C, fibre and antioxidants. This made it a good food that can help in boosting energy into your body naturally before working out. It is important that you choose easily digestible fruits because fruits which are hard to digest can cause stomach cramps. Stomach cramps can hinder you with your usual exercise routine.

Eating Bran Cereals
When it comes to physical performance enhancement, bran cereals are one of the best choices. High in fibre  bran cereals also contain betaine chemical which is responsible in enhancing the body’s physical performance and helps in boosting the metabolic rate of the body. Bran helps perfectly in preventing dehydration and works wells with cell function during exercise. Most doctors recommend their patients to eat bran for breakfast before doing some exercises in the morning. You can add some fruits in your bran cereal for you to be able to get half of the required nutrition your body needs during work outs.

Protein-Rich Food
The body will crave for the nutrients that it has lost after having an hour of exercise. This is the perfect time to reload your body and re-build your exhausted muscles. Chickens, eggs and fishes are rich in protein. Eating protein-rich food can help in providing your muscles with amino acids. They are known as the building blocks of protein that aids in growing muscles stronger and bigger. Eating such food can enhance the effects that you have done during work outs.

Smoothies and Shakes
Liquid meals like smoothies and shakes are full of nutrients. They allow your body to have all the important nutrition that your body needs in just a gulp. After exercising, it is recommended that you have some smoothies or shakes to be able to recover faster. Some people think that having a big meal after exercising is good.  But it is more convenient to have essential muscle-repairing nutrients in their liquid form to easily get all the helpful nutrients that your body requires after exercising.

Have Your Usual Oatmeal
When preparing your muscles for a tiring exercise routine, oatmeal can become your best friend. It provides the essential glucose which helps fuelling your muscles. If you are really into losing some weight, oatmeal is the perfect choice. It encourages our body to quickly burn fat to be used as fuel to your muscles. Eat oatmeal three hours before you start exercising to make sure that the effects of your work out will be enhanced.

Gerrid is the author of this post.He has written this article for ShopByDiet.net who is committed to helping you reach your weight loss goals and are offering 2013 coupon codes from Nutrisystem.

A Beginner's Guide To Jogging And Running

Whether you’re jogging just to aid general fitness, or perhaps to lose weight, or you may want to compete in a particular event that you've seen, for this you need the right equipment. If you take yourself to a specialist running shop, they will probably help you in this. One of the most important pieces of equipment is your running shoes. You’ll find that the running shoe itself has got an awful lot of cushioning to it, especially around the heel and the heel cup. 

This will help absorb the impact of your weight when you’re hitting the ground. After years of running, your feet do all sorts of strange things, so running shoes and running advice from a running specialist shop may be important. You can also have your gait analysed for a small fee from some of these shops. You may also want to go to a podiatrist, a foot specialist that is, if you have certain problems when you’re running, and your Achilles, your ankle may swell up, you may have problems with the underside of your foot. If you do have a pain, then you will need to see a specialist.

Purchase A Running Watch
Another piece of important equipment is a running watch. You can buy these cheaply from jewellers  or running shops, and all you really need, as well as the time on it, is a good stopwatch. This will let you know how long you’re out for. It may also beep at intervals to let you know how long you’re running for. It may beep every ten minutes or so.

Train, Don't Strain
If you’re a beginner, you may want to follow the saying, ‘Train, don’t strain.’ You may have to start off with brisk walking before you start jogging, or it may be a combination of walking and jogging. Jog, and then walk. In general terms, a warm-up would dilate the blood vessels, make the muscles warm, and deliver blood to the muscles that are just about to be worked. Again, in general terms, it’s probably important to exercise about three times  a week. So start your jogging three times a week and perhaps build up. This will build up depending on what you want to achieve, depending on your particular fitness, your size and build and what the body is going to be able to cope with.

Join A Running Shop
Your training program will be tailored to you and what you want to achieve. It may change depending on what your goals are and how you’re getting on. You may want to join a jogging club or a running club. This is probably a good idea because you will meet people like yourself and you will gain a training partner. And there also is a social aspect in some of these clubs. If you do join a club, remember they may partake in things like speed work. 

This is probably not a great idea to start with because you have no base and this may cause your muscles to ache more than they should, again, depending on the particular training program that you’re working on. Start off and set your goals fairly low because if you do want to compete and you do want to finish a particular event, remember you’re just starting out and it’s going to be a learning process all the time. On the whole, runners and joggers are friendly people and they will be able to help you and give you advice. Good luck, and happy jogging.


Lee is a fitness fanatic and has recently launched podplus-shop.co.uk a specialist running shop based in the United Kingdom. 

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Five Essential Building Blocks of a Successful Workout

Being healthy is important to creating a new life for yourself. A workout regime is the jigsaw puzzle piece that makes everything comes together. However, people trying to be healthy are up against temptations and distractions such as sugary food and the sofa. The Centre of Disease Control and Prevention found that adult obesity is on the rise where around 35% of the U.S. adult population is obese. 

It’s clear from this research that working out is going to be the way out of the obesity epidemic and a way to create a healthy and fun lifestyle. To make it easy for you, we have the five essential building blocks that you need for a workout that you can integrate in your life:

• Design a balanced diet: While having your five a day of fruits and vegetables is a concept that has been drummed into society from a young age, many people who are trying to change their fitness lifestyles still don’t have their five a day. You need to have a healthy balance of fruit and vegetables that you eat each day along with carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables, whether they are fresh or frozen, are packed with a hit of nutrients that help your muscles and bones to become stronger. A successful exercise regime is dependent on the strength of your bones. By having a balanced diet, your ability to sustain workouts will increase.

• Music, music and more music: Many fitness fans have reported having more successful workouts when they are listening to music. It probably includes you as well whether you love R&B or dance music. It’s best for you to include a mixture of songs on your MP3 player that you have pre-organized so that you don’t interrupt your exercise regime in the gym or outside. If you are a heavy-duty fitness fan, you should have several songs to last the length of your workout.

• Organic supplements: Nourishing your body goes hand in hand with creating a workout that goes the distance. You can achieve this kind of nutrition by using supplements to give yourself a kick-start for your fitness regime. Organic supplements such as grass fed whey protein are top choices for people who want a holistic approach to create the ideal workout.

• Be organized: Approaching a fitness workout regime requires you to be completely organized. If you need to use a diary, notebook or a fitness app, do what you need to do to be organized for working out. The benefits of organizing your fitness life include that you are making it easier for yourself to be consistent.

• Add variety to your exercise regime: The fitness industry has blossomed with different types of exercise such as Pilates, Zumba and Boxercise. When you have variety, this means that you are testing your body to do more during a workout. Encourage yourself to be better with a diverse set of exercises.

With these building blocks, you can build a healthy lifestyle with a rock-solid foundation for your future. 



Guest contribution by Richard Orban, writing on behalf of Well Wisdom. Well Wisdom is amongst the best suppliers of grass fed whey protein shakes.

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How to Keep Yourself Motivated During Workouts

Getting in shape and losing weight are two of the most popular New Years’ Resolutions. The bad thing is that they are the two most easily broken Resolutions, as well. In order to stay motivated while working out, you first have to motivate yourself into setting foot in the gym. This is done by setting your goals and finding a gym that is convenient. You are more likely to enter a gym that is near your house or one that you pass on your way to or from work each day. Once you have taken that step, the next is to stay motivated while you are working out. Here are a few suggestions on how to keep moving in order to accomplish your goals. 

Make an upbeat playlist to listen while you work out

There are dozens of different types of music that people listen to on a daily basis, but only some of them provide proper workout encouragement. Choose music with a nice, up tempo beat to it that fits into your genre of choice. Dance music, punk rock, metal, guitar rock, disco, funk and even upbeat country are all good to work out to, as they will make you want to get up and move around. Basically, anything that makes you want to dance around will work well.

Wear workout clothes that make you feel good about yourself

Although you are going to the gym and are going to sweat in your clothes, that is no reason to wear something old, torn and beat up. Workout clothes that you feel good in – and that fit well (no tugging, pulling, or constriction) – will motivate you. The same goes for shoes. You need gym shoes that are designed for the workouts that you have planned, and they need to be comfortable. Just as feeling good in your clothing helps you with your self-confidence; it also helps you in your workouts.

Work out with a buddy

This works especially well if you are a competitive person, although having a friend nearby can also keep you moving when you feel like you can’t take another step. You can help your workout buddy with the same things. The two of you should set a “workout goal,” like completing so many miles on a treadmill or doing a certain amount of lunges, and then see which one of you meets it consistently.

Keep your personal goals in mind the whole time

Whether you want to lose five pounds or fifteen, or simply want to be able to walk a mile without getting winded and out of breath, your goals will keep you moving.

Do exercises that you enjoy

However, make it more interesting by stepping outside of your comfort zone occasionally. If you hate to use the treadmill, but force yourself to use it, you will lose your exercise momentum. Stick with the machines and classes that you enjoy and you are most likely going to be able to meet your personal goals.

However, try to do something different on occasion; you may find that you like that new piece of equipment and will want to add it to your routine. This keeps you from getting bored with your workout.

This article was written by Terry Wood, a contributor to the US Insurance website.

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Simple Office Based Workout Routines To Keep You Fit

Obesity and other modern health problems are not only caused by our personal diets but could also be attributed to a sedentary lifestyle. Office jobs or jobs that require long periods of inactivity make us soft and prone to weight problems. We often end up spending countless hours buried in our office seats racking extra pounds of fat every day.

Yes, a sedentary lifestyle can kill you. When you sit down in an office for long periods of time without walking, your muscles become stiff simply because they have nothing to do. Blood circulation also gets affected so that there is inadequate supply of blood and oxygen to other parts of the body. Coupled with the consumption of junk food and a high fat diet, lack of exercise often leads to health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's and osteoporosis. 

So, how do you exercise inside the office? Here are some tips:

Look Forward to Standing

You should look forward to opportunities that will make you stand. This is because standing may cause you to burn more calories than sitting. You can stand while talking to the phone. You can also use standing desk, a high table or a counter which will cause you to stand sometimes. You may also opt to eat your lunch while standing up. Instead of talking on the phone or instant messaging, walk to other offices or desks.

Take Breaks

In between your work, why don’t you take a brisk walk and get coffee or a snack? You can also some stretching in between working hours. When you stretch, be sure to position your face straight ahead and lower your chin to your chest. Or, you may do this stretch while standing: grab one of your ankles or your leg and bring it up towards your buttock. Hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and then repeat when needed.

Sit On a Fitness Ball

This probably sounds crazy but you can actually trade your office chair for a fitness ball. Choose a fitness ball which is firmly inflated or stable to turn into a chair. Make sure that you can safely balance on the ball. With this, you may be able to improve you balance and work out your core muscles while you are sitting on your desk. You can also use this fitness for other exercises you may do during the rest of the day.

Place Gym Equipment on Your Office

If you think that fitness equipment only belongs to the gym, you may be wrong. You can bring resistance bands that offer resistance when pulled. Or you may bring in small weights which you can use all throughout the day. You can actually do arm curls in between meetings or work.

Walk For Lunch

You can actually walk with other people during lunch time. This offers you and your officemates some regular exercise. It is also fun to bond with your co-workers in between working hours. It’s not only during lunch when you may walk. You can also walk during meetings or during brainstorming sessions. You can also hold your meetings while walking outdoors.

This is a guest post by Suzzane Edwards for Fitness Baron, a health and fitness website that reviews gym equipment including the Sole F80 treadmill sale.

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6 Nutrition And Fitness Tips To Maximise Your Training Session

In terms of an excellent all-round training session that balances strength and endurance work with fitness and flexibility training, rugby players have got it just about right. In this article we are going to look at 6 top fitness and nutritional tips which can help you to get as much out of your training regime as a top rugby pro.  

Fitness tips

Never let your fitness work become comfortable

Obviously the more fitness work you do the fitter you will become. At the start of your training regime a 5 km run might be sufficient to really get the heart pumping. After just a few weeks you will find that a 5 km run is easily manageable without having to push yourself. Rather than congratulating yourself on the improvement and basking in the joy of a simple 5 km run, find new ways to push yourself. Distance runs, sprints and bleep tests are an excellent method of pushing your fitness regime to new levels. Mixing it up keeps the body guessing and can also help to burn fat without sacrificing muscle.

Focus on quality rather than quantity

Even professional sports people do not train every day. If you do then you’ll soon see that the benefits of such an intense training regime are quickly outweighed by the disadvantages, such as aches, strains and muscle niggles. Rather than training every day, train less frequently but concentrate on really pushing yourself, and then give yourself a day or two to recover. And remember, make sure your fitness training is comprised of a comprehensive range of movements to reduce the risk of injury and maximise performance.

Aerobic fitness

To improve your endurance it is important to work on establishing a high level of aerobic fitness. This will improve your performance towards the end of a lengthy training session. Excellent methods of improving your aerobic fitness include running, swimming or rowing for at least 20 minutes at between 60 to 90 per cent of your maximum heart rate.

Nutritional tips

It’s not all about pasta and rice

Many individuals believe pasta and rice to be the perfect accompaniment to their training regime, but this is simply not the case. If you eat solely pasta and rice then with even the most intense training regime then you will soon find yourself looking anything but athletic. If you’re looking to gain weight fruit is the way to go. The carbohydrates that come from the natural sugars in fruit are a much better alternative to overdosing on stodge. 

The right amount of fat

If you’re training regularly then it is important to have a healthy amount of fat in your diet. People assume that fat is automatically a bad thing. But carrying too little body fat increases the risk of muscle injuries and leads to soreness after an intensive workout. Fat works as a natural shock absorber which provides the body with much needed cushioning. Excellent sources of fat include fish, meats, nuts and dairy produce.

Eat well before a heavy training session

If you have planned a particularly heavy training session then you need to eat a balanced meal which provides you with good levels of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in preparation. A good breakfast before training should comprise of eggs, cereal and fruit. Avoid heavy meals before training as they will sit in the stomach and take hours to digest. Also avoid overly salty food and alcohol up to 24hrs before a training session as they will reduce your level of hydration. About 30 minutes before training a chocolate bar or glucose drink will provide you with the quick burst of energy you need.    

If you want to train like rugby pro then you’ll need specialist rugby equipment to provide you with the support you need. Shop Rugby supplies its customers with match day and training equipment from leading manufacturers at unbelievable prices. Take a look at our range online.  

  

 

 

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Fun Ways to get Fit and Stay Fit

When most people think about getting fit, they imagine spending hours at the gym or running in the rain. Some people do enjoy working like this, however many others don’t. This page will help you to get fit and have fun at the same time. Working out doesn't have to be boring!

Train with a friend
The best thing to do initially is to get a fitness partner. If you have a friend who has similar goals to you, then they might be able to keep you motivated. It is fun to join a fitness class with them, for example some kind of dancing, running or triathlon club then you are able to laugh and exercise at the same time. Being able to associate happiness with exercise means that it is much easier to remain motivated, and this would be good for you in the long term.

Find the inner child
Although traditional exercise is effective in becoming fitter, there are things that you could do which are a little more unusual. If you think back to your childhood, you were probably much more active than you are now. Things that you did back then could be used to improve your current fitness. An example of this would be purchasing a skipping rope and using it whilst listening to music. Although this is a child-like activity, most adults find that it can be fun. Another option is to play with a hula-hoop. If you have friends who are trying to get fit with you, then childhood ball games can work well. It would encourage everybody to work together, and would also be enjoyable.

Games Consoles 
The modern world has brought us a great number of games consoles, and one of the best things about this is the fact that they are becoming more and more interactive. You can buy many games, some of which are specifically related to fitness, which will help to get you more active. Many of these have multi player settings, which means that you can be competitive, therefore increasing the likelihood that you will reattempt levels in order to beat somebody else’s high score. 

Whichever of these options you choose, it is clear to see that exercise does not have to be boring. By thinking of more unusual ways to get your heart pumping, you are making exercise more enjoyable.If running or triathlon isn't for you then this isn't a problem; merely follow some of the above tips to get fit and stay fit! 


Thanks for reading this practical fitness tips article from Gemma, a sport and fitness blogger. 

How To Train Your Leg Muscles with An Elliptical Machine - Cardiovascular Exercise

When it comes to putting together a holistic workout regimen, everybody knows that the leg muscle groups are an important part of looking and feeling your best. Even so, with the many professional and personal commitments that everyone contends with people are looking more and more for exercise methods that produce results but are also convenient.

What Is an Elliptical Machine?

Referred to in some circles as a cross-trainer or a trainer, an elliptical is a machine that offers a cardio workout similar to jogging and stair climbing but without the same stress on the joints. By adjusting the stride lengths and experimenting with resistance levels, individuals can further work their upper and lower body muscles. For these reasons and more, treadmill users in particular have increasingly taken to using elliptical machines.

Did You Know?

According to some studies, anywhere from a third to more than a half of runners will get hurt. If that is not troubling enough, the statistics also show that many of these initial injuries reoccur later on. The low impact of an elliptical machine workout promotes safety. Interestingly enough, this is where using an elliptical machine can prove more useful in more ways than one.

What Muscles Does an Elliptical Machine Work?

Perhaps the biggest advantage that an elliptical has over other machines is its ability to target muscles in both the lower and upper body. Case in point, the leg muscles that are accessed during an elliptical workout are the calves, quads, lower shins, buttocks, and hamstrings. At the same time, a nice bonus is that areas like the triceps and biceps, chest, and upper body core muscles also see action on a trainer. Put simply, this is perfect for busy individuals who want to target multiple muscle groups in one go.

What Are the Benefits of an elliptical?

•        Additional workout options for those who like to be physically active but also want the convenience of being at home.

•        Low damage to joints overall.

•        Exercisers can stay in shape without compromising the layout and spacing of their homes.

•        Low-impact cardiovascular workout

•        Safety

Who Gains the Most from Using This Machine?

•        Anyone who wants to work their leg muscles while reducing risk of injury.

•        Anyone who wants to hit multiple areas.

•        Anyone who wants a more comfortable way to exercise.

As most can well imagine, there are plenty of compelling reasons to consider using an elliptical machine. Perfect for those who want a safer and more convenient way to exercise their leg muscles, the elliptical is an option that deserves a second look. 

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How To Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself

It’s estimated that at any one time fifty percent of all American women are on a diet. It just seems to be in a females instinct to want to be slimmer. Unfortunately however, dieting isn’t always easy and at times, it can be downright hell.
The good news is that provided you know what you’re doing, it is possible to lose weight without torturing yourself. And when I say torture, I am referring to forced starvation. Here are six simple tips for dropping the pounds without living life on an empty stomach.

Break Up Your Calories
If you want to lose weight, you need to watch your calorie consumption. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this fact. The good news however is that there is no limit on the number of meals that you can eat each day.
Provided each meal is low in calories, there’s no reason why you cannot eat five meals a day. It’s all about watching the ingredients, and more importantly, the portion sizes. Trying to survive on two meals per day is not only uncomfortable, it’s pointless.

Stay Hydrated

If you want to keep those hunger pangs to a minimum, keeping yourself hydrated is essential. The symptoms of mild dehydration are surprisingly similar to the symptoms of hunger and it’s not uncommon for people to confuse the two.
Drinking a lot of water with your meals can also help you to stay full for longer. Carbonated water, in particular, is highly effective.

Study Nutritional Information
When clever marketing people are trying to come up with ways to sell more food to women, the words “low fat” almost always spring to mind. Unfortunately, the words “low fat” have pretty much lost all meaning these days.
Rather than relying on overly vague marketing speak, rely on nutritional information. Ignore the words “low fat” and count those carbs, calories and grams of fat yourself. And while you’re at it, ignore the words “health food” too.

Never Skip Breakfast

Skipping breakfast might mean that you’re skipping calories but it doesn't mean that you’re going to lose weight. When you go to sleep at night, your metabolism slows to a crawl and it doesn't speed up again until you eat something.
This means that when you skip breakfast, you don’t burn calories properly until lunch. You are literally starving yourself for nothing. A bowl of cereal or a slice of toast in the morning can actually help you to lose weight.

Exercise Daily

If you want to lose weight without starving yourself, exercise is essential. Weight loss only occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. If you want to be able to enjoy more food, you need to be willing to burn more calories.
Though the gym is obviously ideal, it’s by no means the only option. If you’re not a gym person, consider taking long walks every evening instead. What matters is that you get ample cardiovascular exercise and that you get it on a daily basis.

Watch What You Drink

Finally, calories are calories regardless of where they come from. This means that what you drink at night is just as important as what you eat during the day. If you’re serious about your diet, abstaining completely can make a lot of sense.
If you don’t like the sound of going tea total, drink in moderation and keep a close eye on exactly what it is that you are drinking. Rather than ordering colourful cocktails full of sugar, stick to spirits with sugar free fruit juice.



Mary Archer is a nutritionist and a frequent blogger. She runs an abortion clinic and blogs about health related topics in her free time.

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How To Achieve Your Fitness Goals With 5 Must-Have Fitness Gadgets

Looking for ways to train harder, eat better and reach your goals faster? Let technology help! From recording your progress to recommending healthy places to dine out, boost your fitness plan with these 5 great gadgets.

Rate It

The key to a good cardio workout lies in making sure you are in the right range for your goal. Without a good heart rate monitor, getting and staying in the right zone is close to impossible. There are a range of monitors on the market which all cater for different styles and tastes. The wrist-watch style monitor is fast becoming the must-have workout accessory. Compact and versatile, this handy gadget will not only keep you working out in the optimum range, but will also log your activity, including peak heart rate and averages so you can keep a close eye on your progress.

Stay on Track

Nothing is more motivating than seeing your goals becoming a reality, and a good workout tracker will have a range of great features that will keep you on track for success. The UP Band is the height of style and innovation. A deceptively simple looking band that is worn on the wrist, and keeps track of everything from calories burned and workout intensity to GPS routes and the amount of steps taken per day. It even has a sleep counter, and a gentle vibrating alarm to wake you after the optimum amount of sleep for your activity level.

Tasty Tips

You only get out what you put in, so for those who are serious about optimising their time in the gym, a good healthy eating application is a must. There are countless apps to choose from, but most share a few key features. From detailed nutritional information to low-calorie dinner recipes, a good food app will take the hard work out of eating healthy. Try “Good Food Near You” for healthy places to eat out, “Nutrition Tips” for information on exactly what is good for you and what isn't  and “Lose It” to consolidate your food and workout journal in one convenient place.

Scale it Back

Forget trying to write down body fat percentage calculations and changes in your weight, let your scales do it for you! WiFi scales will not only measure your weight, BMI and body fat percentage, but it will then either email you a copy of your results, or link with your smart phone so that you can track your progress from your pocket.

Crank It Up

Optimise your workout by creating playlists from your favourite songs, then switch it up depending on what you want to achieve. Whether you’re smashing weights or the rowing machine, you’ll be surprised just how much harder you can push yourself when motivated by the right music. MP3 players are prolific, and come in all different shapes, sizes, colours and capacities, so it isn’t hard to find the perfect one for your needs. Nifty arm band holders will keep them out of your way while you work out, and specialised sport headphones are not only waterproof, but specifically designed to withstand a whole range of activities. Don’t just get fit, stay fit and keep pushing yourself to be the best that you can be. With these great gadgets on your side, achieving your fitness goals has never been easier!



Sasha is a dietician. Her work has brought her to several continents around the world where she discovers diet secret from the wisdom of the local villagers. She is currently writing her ebook on low calorie dinner recipes. She is an adventurous gourmet traveller and loves to sample bizarre local cuisine.

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