12 Simple Flat Tummy Workouts You Can Do At Home

Source Taken From Here



Of course, there are many fitness centres to flatten your tummy. But many people don’t have time to go for fitness centres and some people can’t afford that much of money.You can maintain a good diet to make your tummy flat, but some of you cannot follow the diet rules due to the lack of will power.

It is not always possible to control ourselves from not eating the delicious food. But no need to worry, here are some simple workouts that you can try at your home. So, it costs nothing to get a flat tummy!
First you have to know the size of your tummy to reduce it. Get a measuring tape and wrap it around your waist at your belly button and check your girth. Take the measurement while you are standing up. Make sure that the tape measure is level.

For women, the healthy waist size is 35 inches and for men, it is 40 inches.

Flat Stomach Workouts

1. Burpees/Squat Thrust

Burpees can burn calories and make you stronger. There is no need of any equipment for this workout. Try it!
Process
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and squat to the floor, placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
Now jump the feet out and come to a pushup position, on the hands and toes with the body in a straight line.
Now jump the feet back to the start position.
Continue jumping feet out and in for 30 to 60 seconds for 3 sets of 10 reps.
2. Crunches

Crunches is a great exercise to reduce stomach and for building strong abdominal muscles. Anyone who wants to get flat tummy can perform this exercise.

Process
Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
Place your hands either sides of your head, don’t lock your fingers or don’t pull your head up.
Push a little of your back into the floor to engage the abdominals.
Tilt your chin slightly. Leave a few inches space between your chin and chest.
Now roll your shoulders off the floor.
The gap between your shoulder and floor should be 4 inches and your lower back should remain always on the floor.
Just be like that for a moment at the top and then move back down slowly.
Do this 3 sets of 15 reps.
3. Hindu/Judo Push-up/Dive Bombers
This exercise also helps you flatten the tummy. If you are a beginner, you can perform the exercise by putting the knees on the floor and only the movement of the upper body is required. Try it!

Process
Put your hands flat on the floor. Maintain a distance shoulder’s width apart.
Keep your back straight and extend your legs behind you forming the push-up position.
Keep your feet wider than your shoulder’s width. Your body should be supported only by your toes and hands.
Start position: Take your hands in the backward direction towards your feet. Maintain your arms straight. Now arch your chest and body in the forward direction so that your hips move down towards the floor.
Final position: Now, when you reach the start position again, straight your arms and arch your back. Doing this pushes your torso in the upwards direction such that your chest is outwards and your sight should be in a direction above you.
Do this exercise 3 sets of 12 reps.
4. Mountain Climbers/Alternating Knee-ins
Mountain climbers show effect on your abs. Try this exercise to flatten your tummy fast. You can do this at home without any equipment.

Process
Place your hands flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.
Extend your torso and legs fully behind you with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.
Your body should be in a straight line. Your weight should be supported on your hands and toes only.
Start with either leg. Flex your knee and hip at the same time to bring your knee up and then under your hip. You should keep the other leg extended completely.
Now reverse the position of your legs by extending the leg back which is extended. And simultaneously flexing the straight leg until it is in the start position.
Do this for 3 sets of 15 reps.
5. Jump Squat

You can do this exercise without equipment. Just follow the below steps and reduce your tummy size easily.

Process
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
First do a regular squat, later engage your core and jump up.
When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep.
Do this exercise 3 sets of 15 reps
6. Lying Leg Lift

Lying leg lift offers many benefits along with flat tummy. Try it doing at home, this exercise also don’t need any equipment.

Process
Use a bench if available. Let your legs hang off the edge that will increase your range of motion.
Place your hands under your glutes with your palms facing down.
Keep your legs straight and hold a dumbbell between your feet if your need added resistance.
Slowly raise your legs perpendicular to the floor. Hold the contraction at the top for one second.
Do this exercise for 3 sets of 15 reps.
7. Windshield Wipers

It is a core exercise and fun also. But it is not for beginners. Know here how to work on this exercise to flat your tummy. First it is needed to do cycling for several months to get your obliques strong.

Process
Swing left and right like a windshield wiper.
In the start position only go for 45 degrees to each side. When you are strong and flexible you can go to 180 degrees range of motion.
Now swing back and forth slowly.
Do this exercise for 3 sets and 15 reps.
8. Superman / Extended Arms & Legs Lift
Superman can help you to reduce your tummy. It also strengthens your lower back. No equipment is required for this exercise also.

Process
Lie down your face on your stomach with arms and legs extended. Keep your neck in neutral position.
Keeping your arms and legs straight and torso stationary, lift your arms and legs up towards the ceiling to form an elongated “U” shape with your body.
Hold for 3 to 5 seconds and lower back down to one completely.
Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
9. Leg Pull-In Knee-up
This exercise shows the effect on your tummy as well as on lower back. There is no need of equipment for this exercise. Try it!

Process
Lie down flat with your hands under buttocks.
Keep your knees together and pull them in towards you and move your torso towards them. Also lift your neck, head, and shoulders up.
Hold and then return to starting position.
Do this exercise for 3 sets of 15 reps.
10. Side Plank

This exercise will reduce the size of your tummy and also it shows the effect on your lower back. Try it!Process
Hold your whole body in a straight line with your elbow beneath your shoulders.
Without letting your hips drop, hold in that position as long as you can.
Repeat the same on the other side.
Do this exercise for 3 sets of 30 reps.
11. Inchworm/Walk Out
Inchworm has many benefits for your fitness along with tummy reduction. Try it at your home.

Process
Stand straight with your legs extended.
Bend over from your hips and touch the floor with your palms flat on the floor.
Keep your legs straight as you walk your hands as far forward. Don’t allow your hips sag.
Take small steps and walk your feet to hands.
Do this exercise 3 sets of 15 reps.
12. Plank
In 5 minutes of this daily exercise helps you to lose your tummy weight naturally. Try it at your home.

Process
Get into a press-up position.
Bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms.
Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
Suck your belly button into your spine to engage your core.
Hold in this position for a few seconds.
Do this exercise 3 sets of 30 reps.
These are the best exercises that can help you to get flat tummy and you can have more benefits by doing these exercises regularly. No equipment is required for all the exercises mentioned above. Try them at your home and get your tummy flat.

The Amazing Health Benefits of Dates

Source Taken From Here

Dates are a great addition to any diet: read on to learn the amazing health benefits of dates.

Dates are usually eaten dried, so they look similar to a prune or a raisin. However, the interesting fact about dates is that the health benefits are the same if they are eaten fresh or dried. This is great news for those who prefer fresh dates, and those who like dried dates can breathe a sigh of relief that the date does not lose benefits while drying.

Eating dates as part of your diet provides fiber, magnesium, copper, Vitamin B6, p[otassium and manganese. All of these vitamins and minerals are important to a person’s diet. Dates also have multiple benefits to your overall health.

Eat Dates to Help with the Following Conditions

The first issue worth mentioning is constipation. Eating dates regularly, due to their fiber content, allows a person to deal with constipation issues. Dates also help with digestive health and heart health.

Dates act as an anti-inflammatory, so people with conditions like arthritis, cardiovascular disease and even Alzheimer’s Disease find a significant improvement after adding dates to their diet as a regular item.

For those with high blood pressure or a risk of stroke, it is a wise idea to simply add dates to your diet as a snack. This helps lower the risk of both of these conditions.

Dates Help Brain Health and to Prepare for a Baby’s Birth

For people in general, brain health is boosted with a regular ingestion of dates. This is good news for those in their advanced years who are hoping to remember things better and think more clearly on a regular basis.

For any woman who is pregnant, eating dates can provide help to the body when it is preparing for labor. Eating dates in the last four weeks leading up to your due date helps your body get the right nutrients to prepare for labor and prevent the need for outside assistance in the birth process, like induction.

Other circumstances that can be helped by eating dates include efforts for weight loss, issues with impotence and suffering from anemia. This means dates are a great overall food source for those vitamins and minerals and a great preventative measure for those who may be susceptible to many health issues. In particular, dates seem like a good meal additive for those over the age of 40, who may be more at risk for some of the various conditions listed above.

Eating dates can be a measure you take after you have begun suffering from numerous conditions, like arthritis, high blood pressure or Alzheimer’s Disease. However, it can also be a good idea to start eating dates when you have yet to be diagnosed with any of these conditions, since it can greatly lower your chances of getting them in the first place, as it lowers your risk for colon cancer by eating dates regularly. So add dates to your diet now and maintain good health for the long-term.

Source: http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-dates/

3 Healthy Alternatives To Soda

Source Taken From Here

Disclosure – I’m excited to be a part of the Mom It Forward Blogger Network and to work with one of my favorite organic beverage companies, Steaz, who have kindly decided to sponsor this blog post. Check them out on their social media channels here, here and here.

3 Healthy Alternatives to Soda

If there is just one thing you can do to make a huge impact to your health, it’s making the choice to give up soda.  By doing that one simple thing you will cut your risk for type 2 diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and cancer just to name a few!

Kids are even getting fatty liver disease these days. Kids! Does anyone else think that is completely insane? And guess what the biggest culprit is?  Soda! (source)  Just 1 soda a day puts kids at a 60% chance of being obese. (source) Yikes! 

But I know so many people who just can’t seem to kick their daily soda habit. Even some of my best friends, who know better and who strive to eat healthy are still having trouble kicking that one bad habit to the curb. 

And although I don’t have a soda addiction, I can relate.  It can be really hard to give up your favorite foods, especially something as addictive as soda. The struggle is real!

This Is What Happens When You Eat Garlic In The Morning On An Empty Stomach. I NEVER Would Have Guessed!

Source Taken From Here

Nature is the way to go these days. If you want to make a change and get healthier, supplements are an option, but do you really know what's in those? Probably not. They are often full of fillers and artificial stuff that may have ingredients you may not want in your body or, worse, you may be allergic! Finding a natural way to improve your health is the most sustainable and least risky option. Garlic is kind of a one-stop shop for health and happiness.

Garlic is full of amazing health benefits and many of us know some of them. These, however, I've never heard of. They are pretty unbelievable, but when you think of the benefits, garlic is definitely worth a try.

5 WAYS TO STOP OVEREATING, AND A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO MAKING A FILLING MEAL

Source Taken From Here

How To Stop Overeating

When we are infants, we are born knowing to eat when we are hungry, and stop to when they are comfortable. But as we grow, we are exposed to a world of fad diets, food marketing & advertising ploys, food used as a reward & artificial foods that cause us to have incredible cravings. Because of these pitfalls, some individuals will be unable to follow a balanced way of eating, and begin to overeat.

Eating whole foods when you are hungry, then stopping when you are comfortably full is one of the keys to healthy living. But people who have been caught in the overeating web, now need to learn how to stop eating when they're comfortable, and if you've lost touch with this over the years, try these fool proof tips to get yourself back on the right track!

Tips to make yourself more likely to stop eating when you are comfortable.

• Eat Slower & Chew Food Well: The University of Florida at Gainesville has shown it takes 12 or more minutes for food satisfaction signals to reach the brain of a thin person, but 20 or more minutes for an obese person. Eating slowly ensures that these important messages have time to reach the brain, and will help you stop eating sooner.
• Choose Whole Foods: Stay away from foods that give you tons of calories, but very little volume. The higher the fiber, protein, and/or water content of a food or meal, the more likely it is to be satisfying without going overboard on calories. Also avoid processed foods and artificial sweeteners, these items cause cravings and make it hard to stop eating them even when you notice you're full.
• Pay Attention: Don't eat when you are driving or at the computer, because when we are distracted or hurried the food (and calories) we consume may not to register in the brain. Give meals your full attention, and notice when you've had enough. Also using smaller plates and paying attention to the presentation of meals can help you stop eating when you are comfortable. "The brain looks at the plate and decides if the portion is adequate," says Gold. "It takes some time, but the smaller the plate, the smaller the portion."
• Make Your First Bites Count: Maximum food enjoyment comes from the initial bites. After a few bites, taste buds start to lose their sensitivity to the chemicals in food that make it taste good. If you satisfy your taste buds by really savoring those first few bites, you can help stop yourself from eating more, when you're physically comfortable.
• Have Healthy Snacks Ready: Having healthy foods ready to snack on throughout your day when hunger  strikes, can keep you from overeating during your meals.

• Creating a Satisfying Meal

  Research during the past decade shows there are 3 factors that help make a meal more satisfying for us.
• 1. The weight of the food
  2. The amount of protein
  3. The amount of fiber.
  A study done by the University of Sydney tested 38 foods, and of the foods tested, certain ones scored higher in satiety. The top-scoring foods included whole-meal bread, grainy bread, cheese, eggs, brown pasta, popcorn, all-bran cereal, grapes, porridge, baked beans, apples, beefsteak, ling fish (a type of cod), and oranges. FYI, all of these foods are high in fiber, water, or protein.
  Foods that tend to have low satiety scores, which makes them much easier to overeat would be foods with large amounts of fat, sugar, and/or refined carbohydrates, like potato chips, candy bars, and white bread.

   At A Glance Guide Of Tips To Stop Over Eating

  
  
  

THEY SAID COCONUT OIL WAS GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN. HERE’S WHAT THEY DIDN’T TELL YOU

Source Taken From Here


It  sounds counterintuitive to be putting oils on your face, when for years we’ve been searching the shelves for oil-free products out of fear that oil would turn us into a greasy, blemished mess! But switching to a natural oil based skincare range is one of the best things you can do for your skin! The oil nourishes and soothes the skin allowing the active ingredients in your skincare to sink deeper into the skin, enhancing their beneficial effects! Who would’ve thought!

There are many wonderful oils available, but these are some of our favorites due to their proven skin-loving benefits:

Rosehip Oil

This oil penetrates deep into the skin where it helps to regenerate your cells and increase collagen production. It’s rich in vitamin C, omega-3’s and omega-6 fatty acids known to help heal scar tissue and reduce inflammation. It is also high in retinoic acid (the key ingredient in retinol products!) which helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Hello anti-aging benefits!

But it doesn’t just protect against signs of premature aging, it also contains linoleic acid that, in combination with its other powerful ingredients, can help repair acne-prone skin with mild scarring and blemishes, and prevent more breakouts. Bring on clear, radiant skin!

Best for: Uneven skin, scars, fine lines, anti-aging and acne-prone skin.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is perfect for super sensitive skin. It’s anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory, plus it’s small molecular structure allows for easy absorption, giving your skin a soft, smooth texture. The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil also help to retain the moisture content of the skin, making it a great choice for skin conditions such as eczema. Use it all year round as it helps to soothe your skin in the cold, windy months, as well as replenish moisture after a little too much sun exposure! The lauric acid content protects the skin’s surface making it an ideal ointment to relieve dry, rough skin.

Best for: Normal, sensitive and/or dry skin, and eczema.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a good all-round moisturizer as it’s rich in fatty acids, vitamin A and E. Olive oil is similar to the oils naturally produced by our skin so it’s also absorbed well, helping to boost your skin’s elasticity. The antioxidants in olive oil may even help protect against skin cancer! However, those with acne prone skin should avoid using it on their face as it’s a heavier oil and can contribute to blemishes. It makes a luscious addition to a bath, or when applied prior to showering. The warm water allows your skin to absorb more moisture from the oil, and then you towel dry off the excess! Brilliant!

Best for: Dry, dehydrated skin.

Sesame Oil

Despite it’s popularity as a beautiful cooking oil, sesame oil has not yet had the fame it deserves in the skincare world. This golden toned oil is a skin’s everyday secret weapon! Sesame oil can act in a similar way to sunscreen by shielding your skin from sun damage, resisting 30% of UV rays! If you’ve cut yourself, applying sesame oil on cuts and wounds helps them to heal faster due to it’s antibacterial properties. It can also help with skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, moisturizing and nourishing your skin, whilst providing anti-inflammatory benefits. Sesamol, vitamin E and other potent antioxidants help fight free radical damage, and due to it’s high viscosity, the oil easily seeps into the skin, repairing damaged skin cells and nourishing from within.

Best For: Sun lovers and wound-prone skin.

Not sure what oil to try first? We’re loving Annemarie Gianni’s range of organic herbal skin oils!Find out more here.

Have You Used Oil As Part Of Your Skincare Regime?

This article was republished with permission from foodmatters.tv.

WHY THE CHOLESTEROL IN EGGS IS HARMLESS AND 4 OTHER REASONS TO EAT THEM DAILY

Source Taken From Here



Nutrition professionals have an excellent track record of demonizing healthy foods.

Red meat, cheese, coconut oil… to name a few.

But the #1 worst example is their decades of propaganda against eggs, which are among the healthiest foods on the planet.

Eggs do NOT Cause Heart Disease

Historically, eggs have been considered unhealthy because they contain cholesterol.

A large egg contains 212mg of cholesterol, which is a lot compared to most other foods.

However, it has been proven, time and time again, that eggs and dietary cholesterol do NOT adversely affect cholesterol levels in the blood.

In fact, eggs raise HDL (the good) cholesterol. They also change LDL cholesterol from small, dense LDL (which is bad) to large LDL, which is benign (1, 2, 3).

A new meta-analysis published in 2013 looked at 17 prospective studies on egg consumption and health. They discovered that eggs had no association with either heart disease or stroke in otherwise healthy people (4).

This isn’t new data. Multiple older studies have led to the same conclusion (5).

Bottom Line:

Despite the fear mongering of the past few decades, eating eggs and cholesterol has no association whatsoever with heart disease.

Eggs Are Rich in Unique Antioxidants

Eggs are particularly rich in the two antioxidants Luteina nd Zeaxanthine.

These antioxidants gather in the retina of the eye and protect against the eye diseases Macular Degeneration and Cataracts (6, 7, 8).

In one study, supplementing with an average of 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of Lutein by 28-50% and Zeaxanthine by 114-142% (9).

Bottom Line:

Eggs contain large amounts of the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthine, which dramatically lower your risk of age-related eye disorders.

Eggs Are Among The Most Nutritious Foods on The Planet

Just think about it… one egg contains all the nutrients and building blocks required to grow anentire baby chicken.

Eggs are loaded with high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, good fats and various trace nutrients.

A large egg contains (10):

• Only 77 calories, with 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein with all 9 essential amino acids.
• Rich in iron, phosphorous, selenium and vitamins A, B12, B2 and B5 (among others).
• One egg contains 113 mg of Choline – a very important nutrient for the brain, among other things. A study revealed that 90% of Americans may not get enough choline in their diet (11).

If you decide to include eggs in your diet (you should) then make sure to eat Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs. They are much more nutritious than eggs from factory-raised chickens.

Eat the yolks, they contain pretty much all the nutrients!

Bottom Line:

Eggs contain all 9 essential amino acids, are highly concentrated with vitamins and minerals and are among the best sources of choline you can get. Omega-3 enriched or pastured eggs are best.

Eggs Are Satiating and Help You Lose Weight

Eggs score high on a scale called the Satiety Index, which means that eggs are particularly capable of making you feel full and eat less overall calories (12).

Eggs only contain trace amounts of carbohydrate, which means that they will not raise blood glucose levels.

In a study of 30 overweight or obese women that ate either a bagel or eggs for breakfast, the egg group ended up eating less during lunch, the rest of the day and for the next 36 hours (13).

In another study, overweight men and women were calorie-restricted and given either a breakfast of 2 eggs (340 kcal) or an isocaloric breakfast of bagels. After 8 weeks, the egg eating group had a (14):

• 61% greater reduction in BMI.
• 65% more weight loss.
• 34% greater reduction in waist circumference.
• 16% greater reduction in body fat.
…even though both breakfasts contained the same number of calories.

Bottom Line:

Eggs are a nutritious, protein rich food with a strong impact on satiety. Studies show that eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight.

An Egg-ceptional Superfood

If you need any more reasons to eat eggs… they are cheap, go with almost any food and taste awesome.
If there was any food I’d be willing to classify as a superfood, it would be eggs.
This article was republished with permission from authoritynutrition.com.