​Do you want to lose 6 pounds quickly?  While many diets are geared at people who want to lose 20 pounds or more, the plan I’m presenting here will help you lose 6 pounds quickly – perhaps in just one week.

The first thing you want to do is clear out your pantry of all the foods that make you fat.  Clean out your refrigerator and throw things away.  Donate the packaged food in your pantry to a local food bank.
Then, go to the grocery store and buy the following sixteen things only:

1. Whole wheat bread
2. Tuna
3. Any and all fruits
4. Any and all vegetables
5. 8 oz. steak
6. Two chicken breasts
7. Salad vegetables 
8. Balsamic vinegar
9. Special K Cereal
10. Skim milk
11. Brown rice
12. Instant oatmeal (not the sweetened packaged kind though)
13. Sliced turkey breast
14. 3 servings of fish
15. Low fat yogurt
16. Eggs

Using these foods as the basis for your diet, write out a diet plan for the next seven days.  After that, you will be fully committed to sticking to it.  Part of the motivation for clearing out your kitchen ahead of time is that there will not be any food that you can “cheat” with.

Next, you want to get a pedometer and make sure that you walk at least 10,000 steps each day.  That may seem like a lot, but here are some ways that you can get extra steps in.

1. Park far away from the front door of your work or a store.  Not only will you get extra steps in, but you will have a much easier time parking.
2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  If you work above the fourth floor, get off of the elevator at least two floors early and walk the rest of the way.
3. When you have to contact a colleague at work, don’t phone or email them, walk over to their office or desk.
4. If you take the bus or other form of mass transportation, get off a stop or two early and walk.
5. Walk the dog.  If you don’t have a dog, volunteer to walk the neighbor’s dog.
6. Take a walk before dinner.  Not only will you increase the number of steps you take that day, but a walk before dinner will reduce your appetite.

Finally, try to drink at least eight, 8 ounce glasses of water each day when you are trying to lose weight.  You can do this by drinking one liter of water at work and another liter at home.  If you don’t like water plain, it is okay to substitute unsweetened iced tea or sugar free lemonade or punch.

It is possible to lose 6 pounds in a week.  Try radically altering your diet, walking more, and drinking a substantial amount of water.  It’s not a lifetime that you will be restricted to this plan, it’s just a week.  And, you’ll be able to lose 6 pounds in that time.

​If you like staying fit, you have to consider going to the gym or health clubs in order to stay healthy and maintain a well-toned body. However, you have to realize the fact that not all health clubs and fitness centers offer great quality services that will provide you with positive results. When joining a fitness center or a health club, you have to make sure that the fitness club you join isn't only after your money. It should provide great quality service that will enable you to see positive results in the quickest time possible.

One kind of fitness center and health club is called the 24 Hour Fitness. They have different fitness programs for different people that will enable their clients to get results as quick as possible. 24 Hour Fitness is one of the leading fitness centers in the world. They only hire professional fitness experts in order to assist you with your workout needs and they also hire qualified nutritionists that will advice you on what kind of food you should eat and what to avoid.

They have programs that have been proven to be effective and they also offer their membership at a very affordable cost. They have different fitness programs for different people and they even have membership for the whole family. Their fitness plans are proven to be very effective and they have professional fitness trainers that can assist you, your family and friends to have a better body and a better health.

If you have experienced fitness centers where there are incomplete equipments and existing equipments are obsolete, rusty or difficult to use because of maintenance problems, you have to consider becoming a member of 24 Hour Fitness. They offer state-of-the-art exercise equipments and complete amenities that are well-maintained. This means that you will avoid the frustration of working out in an unreliable exercise equipment or waiting for your turn in a machine.

24 Hour Fitness can be found almost on every continent and you won't have any difficulty locating one. They also offer different kinds of workout that will suit your needs and one that you can easily adjust to. 24 Hour Fitness is also a participant of the Passport Program where you can workout in other fitness centers. All you need to do is show your 24 Hour Fitness Passport Program ID, pay the fee and you can workout like you are a member of that particular club that is also a member of the Passport Program.

The Passport Program can be very useful if you are traveling and you can't find 24 Hour Fitness in that area. This means that you can workout anywhere in the world. With over 3000 fitness clubs all over the world that are participants of the Passport Program, you can be sure that you can still workout even if there isn't a 24 Hour Fitness Club near the area you are traveling to.

Working out in 24 Hour Fitness is fun, easy and can provide you with positive results in your body and also in your health.

​Here are 10 tips for women to stay fit and healthy:

1. Staying fit and healthy starts with a balanced diet. Know and monitor the right weight for your age. Consult your doctor to learn what food you should avoid and follow your eating discipline routines. If you are trying to lose some weight, foods with high calories should be omitted from your meals. Food with high fiber and low fat should be included a priority in your grocery list instead of red meat, sugars and fats.

2. Drink plenty of water. Drinking at least eight glasses of water everyday. This cleanses the body from impurities. It is also advised for lactating women to increase water intake to keep the body hydrated.

3. Take Vitamins and Supplements. Do not forget your Calcium supplement.  Sufficient Calcium intake is beneficial for women of all ages. This has been proven to prevent having cramps and Pre-Menstrual Period (PMS) Symptoms. It also prevents Osteoporosis especially for menopausal women. Vitamin E boosts strong immune system. Women who undergo menopausal period should take Vitamin E-400 as it stops night sweats and hot flashes. Also, Vitamin E is said to be best in avoiding wrinkles when aging.

4. Quit smoking. If you are smoking, stop. It is also a big “NO” for pregnant women, as this will affect the health of the baby. Pregnant women who smoke may pass the harmful content of cigarettes to babies through the bloodstream. Recent studies have shown that women smokers are more prone to diseases than men smokers. Women who smoke have a high risk of getting breast cancer. Also limit your alcohol intake.

5. Incorporate exercises in your daily routine. Take a walk after work, use stairs instead of elevator or play with your kids when you are at home. Home exercises are also effective especially when you do not have time to go to the gym and would like to lose some weight. Yoga and Pilates are only a few of the many effective exercises you can do at home. Exercises help in limiting the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

6. Avoid stress. Many women are prone to too much stress. Stress has been known as cause to many sicknesses. As much as possible take time to relax. Read a good book, hang out with friends and engage into sports. Pamper yourself by going to parlors or you can do some shopping. And do not forget to get enough sleep to revive your energy.

7. Use sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Wear hats when under the sun to protect your skin. Too much sun is bad for your skin. The skin is prone to cancer when exposed to too much sunlight. It also speeds up the aging of skin cells, which causes wrinkles to women.

8. Make sure to visit your dentist to keep that beautiful smile. Always have it cleaned to prevent cavities and bad breath.

9. Visit your Gynecologist. Women who are eighteen and above should have their Physical Examination annually especially for the Pap Smear test. Women who are forty and up should have their mammograms and the Breast self-exam is encouraged once puberty has been reached and should be a habit as they mature

10. Safe sex is strongly recommended. Use condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

​Before fitness training, one must give importance to doing warm-up or stretching exercises to prevent accidents or to enhance the output during the training.  There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises.  Here are some of them.

1.  To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after workout.  Almost everyone knows that stretching before workout prevents injuries during the exercises, but only few people know that stretching after workout, when muscles are still warm, can increase flexibility.

2.  Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility.  While holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body's flexibility.

3.  Do not go into a stretching position then immediately return to the relaxed position, and do it repeatedly.  This is more appropriately termed as bouncing while in a position.  When stretching, hold that position for several seconds, and then slowly relax.  You may do this exercise repeatedly this way.  Bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles.

4.  Work slowly in increments instead of immediately proceeding to doing the hardest exercise or position.

5.  Make sure that you have stretched or warmed up all muscle groups.  For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out of stretching.  Stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one's hand against the front of the head and pushing it.  Then, do the same to the sides and the back of the head.

6.  Stretch regularly to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength.

7.  Workout considering only your capabilities and not of others.  Do not force yourself to do exercises that you are not yet capable of just because there are people who can do it.  Increase your limits slowly.  Listen to your body.  There are days when your body may be too tired that you may have to consider reducing your range of motion.

8.  Learn to rest.  Rest in between sets and stations to make sure that the body has enough time to recover its energy.  Also, it is advisable that you don't work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days.  The muscles grow during the period when you rest and not when you are working out.

9.  Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart.  Aerobic exercises are those physical activities that much oxygen for fuel.  This includes cardiovascular exercises such as skipping rope, running or swimming.

10.  Music may help you when you want to train for longer periods or to increase your intensity.  You can use mp3 players, CD players or lightweight am radio receivers for this.  Just make sure that you brought your headset with you so you wouldn't disturb people who don't prefer music while exercising.

Apart from preventing injuries and increasing one's limit, it is also said that stretching is good for a tired body and also for a stressed mind and spirit.

​Would you like to be a fitness woman? Or are you a fitness woman but would like to be effective? Here are 7 great tips on how to become an effective fitness woman:

1. Get a program that will best suit you. Every fitness woman is different. You may have surgical history where a program may not be suited for you. Always consult a qualified trainer to make sure that the fitness program will not hurt you. If the fitness program is not for you, it will only be a cause of frustration and injuries.

2. Set realistic targets. Wouldn't you be frustrated if you set your mind into reshaping your body in month? Make sure that the body you prefer in a period of time is achievable and realistic. The program should also be practical and will not give you false hopes. It is important to be aware of the blocks you encounter in your daily living. This will help you know what program is satisfactory. And once a program has been reached, then you can set goals and timelines that are realistic.

3. Exercises should work on the parts of your body where muscles are. The reason mainly is, when you develop muscles, you burn more calories and then you lessen the fats in your body. Multi-joint exercises and weight lifting are recommended. Learn what exercises work on certain parts of your body. Multi-joint exercises are also said to be effective but time saving.

4. Be systematic on working on your muscles. Your muscles should be working harder over time. Repeating the same sets of exercises and same weight without getting your muscles to work harder will not give satisfactory results. You can record your daily results and make the progression based on your previous data. A daily log will also motivate you since you are able to track how far you have gone. It builds confidence since there is a written proof something that was successfully accomplished.

5. Perform a set of exercises in 10 repetitions. Every number that was accomplished is called a repetition. Try to make every repetition with less momentum as much as possible. The lesser the momentum, the harder your muscles work. And the harder they work, the bigger they become. To check if there is much momentum when lifting, see if the arm is floating. If the arm does float, then there is much momentum.

6. Be flexible and perform a variety of exercises.  Every exercise program should have a variety. You can change your exercises, goals and sets every month to keep you motivated and on the go. Doing this will help you prevent being bored and losing energy physically and mentally.

7. Be Motivated! The best way to keep the energy levels of trainees is to allow a healthy competition and allow them to have a sense of control. Having control is having the sense ownership where everybody gets a part in implementing a program. To do this you also need to be consistent in demonstrating your skills. 

Not all programs work for all types of people. There is no workout that is best for everyone. But you learn from experienced people. Learn to acknowledge blocks and demonstrate self-discipline, keep yourself motivated and work harder everyday and add variety. Doing these things, you will discover that a lot of programs will work for you.



  
 
 

​Ginger Healing Detox Tea with Turmeric

There has been a lot in the news lately about the amazing healing properties of turmeric, a free-radical-fighting antioxidant-rich curry spice that has been hailed as a defense against both cancer and Alzheimer’s. When we found this tasty recipe for a warming, detoxifying ginger-turmeric tea, we were thrilled: after the holiday season, we figured we could use some detoxing and healing!

Then we tasted it, and were totally hooked: it’s delicious! Ginger and turmeric combine with citrus and maple syrup to make the perfect blend of healing nutrients. We streamlined the recipe to make it ultra-easy, too:

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon powdered turmeric
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Bring water to a boil, then add powdered herbs. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Strain tea into a mug, add maple syrup and lemon, stirring to combine. Drink warm.
Makes 1 serving.

Spa Cuisine: Peachy Iced Green Tea – Recipe

Drinking green tea may help you lose weight. According to clinical studies conducted by Dr. Abdul Dulloo, of the University of Geneva in Switzerland, green tea raises metabolic rates and speeds up fat oxidation. Green tea is also a great immune-enhancing health-booster and anti-cancer agent, with flavonoids and polyphenols thought to inhibit tumor formation.

So here is our easy-to-make recipe for green tea, but this one tastes so good you’ll never guess how good it is for you! A great, healthy thirst-quencher for hot summer days.
Simple Solution:

INGREDIENTS

6 green tea teabags
6 cups cold water
2 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1. Place teabags in a large teapot or pitcher.
2. Put sliced peaches in a saucepan, add cold water, and bring to a brisk boil, then pour water and peaches over teabags.
3. Steep for 6 minutes, then add sweetener (maple syrup, honey or Succanat are recommended). Allow tea to cool, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
4. Include a few peach slices in each glass and serve with a spoon, garnished with a sprig of mint, if you like.

Even Easier Alternative Method: Make a pitcher of green tea and add the contents of a can of organic sliced peaches. Chill thoroughly.
Makes 6 servings.

​With the success of various weight loss entertainment programs, a lot of people are starting to believe that they need to attend a weight loss boot camp. This is simply not true. Unless there is a medical reason why you cannot lose weight, a calorie controlled diet and an exercise program will make you lose weight.   
Don’t think about being on a diet. Instead say to yourself that you are following a healthy eating program. Your mindset is probably the most important factor when determining your chances of losing weight. If you believe you will do it, the weight will come off. If you have doubts, you might as well give up now.

Start by educating yourself as to what foods you should be eating more of and the foods that should be consumed on special occasions only. We all know that eating crisps, chips, cakes and biscuits are not going to help us lose weight. But did you know that you actually should be eating more fat in your diet. What?  You want to lose weight and I tell you to eat more fat. Well it is true, you should be increasing the amount of Omega 3 and 6 in your diet. Good sources are oily fish, nuts and pumpkin seeds. You need these fats to provide vital vitamins and minerals in your system but also to stop you becoming depressed. 

Weight loss boot camps are not the answer to your long term weight loss. Education and exercise are the way forward. Knowing what you can eat and when will help resolve your weight problems. A good habit to get into is not to eat any starchy carbohydrates after 5pm.  

I am not suggesting you never eat foods from the carbohydrate group – any diet that prohibits a complete food group is not a healthy eating plan and should be avoided. But it is a good idea not to eat bread, pasta or potatoes in the evening until you reach your weight loss goal and then only occasionally. Excess calories produced by carbohydrates are stored as fat and as you generally sleep at night; you don’t get the chance to burn off the excess. You will not go hungry as you can fill up on lean meat, vegetables and fruit. You should notice less bloating and increased levels of energy by following this one simple tip.

Drink more water. Most people do not drink sufficient water and often interpret thirst for hunger. If you have recently eaten and still feel “hungry”, try drinking some water. You should aim to drink at least 2 litres of water a day. It will help your energy levels as well as your diet. 

Losing weight isn’t rocket science. Follow the above tips, buy a decent diet book and learn to cook your own food from fresh every day. Soon your weight issues will be a thing of the past and you will not be considering weight loss boot camps.

​Just hearing the terms “work out” or “exercise” causes many people to cringe. Yet it is a proven fact that exercise is an important concept for a healthy body and diet routine. Dieting alone will help anyone lose weight, but they must include exercise and working out; as part of the regime to maintain the weight loss and healthy body.

Learning to incorporate an exercise program, as easy as walking daily, will increase your weight loss with a healthy diet. Since many people are stationery for most of their day, adding the exercise to their lives will increase the benefits of the diet. Increasing the amount of activity increases the effects of the healthy eating habits.

Eating a healthy diet with a plan rich in protein, good carbohydrates, grains, Omega-3, and low fat foods is necessary for a serious dieter. Adding fresh vegetables and fruits to the diet provides the essential nutrients to the body. Removing the condiments and fried foods from the diet also is a great way to improve the eating habits.