Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
samedi 31 octobre 2015
The 13 Worst Fitness Instructors Ever
If back-to-school time has inspired you to get more serious about your workouts and you're a hit-the-gym-for-a-class kind of girl, I'm sure you've experienced your fair share of fitness instructors - some good, and some not so good. And then there's this group . . .
The Flirt
This person thinks everyone wants to date him or her; they're all touchy-feely, winking left and right, and giving away their phone number like class is happy hour. And they never get the hint that you're not interested.
The High and Mighty
We get it. You're great at what you do, and people love you for it. Please get off your pedestal and come down to sweat with the rest of us.
The Insane Hard-Ass
This teacher is so crazy-intense, you wonder if you walked into an actual boot camp by accident. Your body shakes, your sweat is pooling on the floor, and she makes you do an extra set. And don't you dare reach for your reusable bottle - water is for wusses!
The Singer
Oooh, I love this song, who sings it?! Beyoncé, you say? Let's keep it that way.
The Screamer
This teacher believes that motivation is measured by decibels in their voice - the louder they scream, the more reps you'll do. But we really don't need you to do that the entire 60-minute class, thanks.
The Oversharer
There's a fine line between connecting with your students and sharing information you'd only share with your doctor, your mom, or your BFF. Sorry, but no, I don't want to hear about your bathroom issues or any other issues for that matter.
The Show-Off
Inspiration is one thing, but when we're struggling to get through 20 squats and you're like, "Look how many I can do while holding this 20-pound medicine ball above my head," we secretly wish that ball would fall on your head.
The All-Up-in-Your-Space
Helpful adjustments are always appreciated, but it's totally creepy when you walk by and lay a lingering hand on me every two minutes. Also - that's my boob, not my shoulder.
The Dork
It's bad enough that he's embarrassing himself up there with those awful moves, but what's even worse is he wants you to follow along.
The Stinker
Stinky breath, stinky cologne, stinky I-know-you-haven't-done-laundry-in-weeks gym clothes - it all stinks.
The Doesn't-Practice-What-They-Preach
We don't expect you to do 100 push-ups without a break, but you probably shouldn't let everyone see you down a Snickers bar and Coke before class.
The Late Bloomer
We all struggle to get to class on time, but we don't expect the teacher to be later than us.
The Walking Cold
No cold or flu keeps you from class, but we wish it would. Really.
Feel Instantly Inspired to Exercise With These Celeb Instagram Pics
Some days it's easy, but other times keeping up with your healthy lifestyle can feel like a serious struggle - and we'll take whatever healthy inspiration we can get! If you're in need of a push out the door and into the gym, check out the awesome Instagram action that some of our favorite healthy celebrities recently shared. From Ellie Goulding's punching skills to Bar Refaeli doing headstands, these snaps will motivate you to exercise and stay healthy in a fresh, fun way this weekend.
We Interrupt Your Daily Grind of a Life For This Uplifting Video
Ever feel like you're constantly running around, always doing, always striving to be better, prettier, thinner, or more successful, and days are just passing you by? It's time to stop and heed the advice of these wise elderly women. They've been where you are now, so as they look back on their lives, this is what they'd tell their younger selves about how to truly find happiness and get the most out of life. Get the tissues ready!
Related: Health Advice I Wish I Could Have Given to My 20-Year-Old Self
Feel Sore Tomorrow With This 30-Minute Upper-Body Workout
For toned arms and a sculpted upper body, dumbbell moves are such an effective way to train that after consistently doing this 30-minute workout a few times a week, it's likely that you'll notice a difference in both your strength and muscle definition. This video workout is broken up into three 10-minute videos that combine dumbbell exercises and bodyweight moves - get ready to feel the burn. It's best to have two pairs of dumbbells on hand - a light set and heavy set - ranging between three and 10 pounds.
The Best Habits For Losing Belly Fat
Looking your best begins with feeling strong and confident in your body. Regular exercise and a healthy eating plan will help you feel your most gorgeous, but for those days when you feel like you want a little extra help, these flat-belly tips could be just what you need. We've compiled a few smart habits that will help you debloat, detox, and feel like your sleekest self: pin or print this infographic for reference.
Want more debloating tips? Check out our 21-Day Flat-Belly Challenge, a smart workout plan paired with fun belly-blasting tips and fat-burning recipe ideas for each day.
Related: Want a Flat Belly? This Smoothie Will Help Get You There
25 Must-Know Tips For Runners
If you've been itching to take up running, there's no time like the present! Keep these running tips in mind the next time you head out for a confident and effective workout.
vendredi 30 octobre 2015
13 Last-Minute Costume Ideas Using Your Workout Clothes
You probably have an awesome Halloween costume hiding in your closet and don't even know it. Instead of going out and dropping bank on a costume, use your workout gear as inspiration. Check out these suggestions for fun, easy, and cheap fitness-inspired costumes to wear this Halloween. Best of all, almost all of these costumes have elements to them that any fitness fanatic already owns.
- Additional reporting by Emily Bibb
You'll Be So Inspired by What This Woman Looks Like Now After Her Battle With Anorexia
Support and motivation go hand in hand when it comes to losing weight, but the same can also be said for gaining weight. For those who suffer with anorexia, like 37-year-old Rachael Farrokh, the acceptance and guidance from those around them can contribute dramatic weight transformations. The 5'7" woman used to weigh 40 pounds and was so weak she could barely speak. All that changed, however, when she created a GoFundMe account to help her raise money for treatment. Her plea to the public didn't go unheard; she was able to raise nearly $200,000 to pay for her hospital bills and now she's gained back most of the weight she had lost.
"I have a huge family - it's called the world. They embraced me with one big hug!" Rachael said to NBC.
Now the determined activist plans to help raise awareness about the impact of eating disorders, saying she will join other families in rallying for Congress to implement insurance coverage of inpatient care for people with eating disorders. "I have so many people backing me now and I have a platform to actually create this awareness so to sit on the sidelines is impossible for me."
How Hummus Helps You Lose Weight
When it comes to having a healthy fridge, staying stocked with low-calorie, high-nutrient foods makes eating right an easy choice. That's why we love keeping ours stocked with hummus. Here's why the condiment classic can help you drop pounds.
- It's a low-calorie substitute: Who needs mayonnaise (90 calories per tablespoon) when a dollop of hummus (27 calories per tablespoon for a basic hummus recipe) on your sandwich satisfies just as well? The creamy spread also works well to quiet dip cravings or as a salad dressing substitute to help you shave calories in your daily meals.
- It keeps you full: Made from chickpeas, hummus is a great source of protein and fiber, both of which will help keep you feeling full. Adding hummus to your favorite healthy meal will help give your body sustained energy for your workouts or will keep you from reaching for junk food when your stomach starts grumbling in the afternoon. In fact, a small study even found that people who ate more chickpeas in their diet ended up eating less low-fiber, high-fat foods - and ended up losing more weight because of it.
- It's easy to make: It's well known that homemade food helps you keep pounds in check, since you know exactly what's in your meals. Luckily, not only is making a batch of hummus simple to make - just throw your ingredients in a blender - but also, the versatile condiment lends itself to many different flavor profiles to keep your taste buds from becoming bored. Check out a few of our favorite healthy hummus recipes to get inspired!
Snickers, Reese's, or M&M's! Find Out What 100 Calories Really Looks Like
Although you may shudder to enter a holiday season overflowing with sweets, Halloween candy might just be a tiny blessing in disguise. The small "fun size" bars and packets offer up controlled serving sizes, giving you a tiny taste of the sweet you crave without going overboard. Since portion control and moderation are both key when enjoying Halloween candy, here's a little visual to help you see exactly what 100 calories of your favorites looks like.
21 Effortlessly Beautiful Ballerina Photos You Won't Be Mentally Prepared For
If there is one thing we remember from Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan it's that becoming a professional ballerina is a grueling, beautiful journey. Not everyone can do it, and those who do make it become an inspiration to aspiring dancers everywhere. While we tend to picture ballerinas in tutus and elegant costumes all the time, the reality is all the dancers spend their time in tights in the studio six hours a day, if not more, perfecting their pirouette and croisé. The countless hours of training and stretching their muscles to their limits proves that ballet is not only an art, but also a sport.
And the best part is that the artistry can be appreciated by anyone. If you follow the Ballerina Project on social media, then you know exactly what we're talking about. If not, after looking through the photos below, you'll hit "follow" immediately. The project, created by photographer Dane Shitagi, is a series of photos featuring ballerinas and their craft in real-life environments like train stations, sidewalks, and even on the ledge of a roof. The dancers, who come from companies like the American Ballet Theatre (where Misty Copeland became its first African-American principal dancer) and New York City Ballet, bring their own effortless style and athleticism to the photos, and pretty much every image so far has left us in awe. Just take a look at some of the effortless snaps ahead.
Related:
- If You Thought Barre Workouts Were Hard, This Clip Will Leave You Speechless
- A Look at What 1 Professional Ballerina Eats All Day
- This Professional Ballerina's Workout Might Surprise You
These 10 Secret Diet Confessions Are All Too Relatable
If you've ever been on a diet, you'll relate to these anonymous (and hilarious) diet confessions, uploaded to the Whisper secret-sharing app. Commiserate, relate, and vow never to diet again with these tips that will help you ditch the diet for good.
This Is the Diet to Go on If You Want to Lose Weight (According to Harvard Researchers)
If you want to lose weight, what's on your plate is often more important than the minutes you spend in the gym. And if you want to see the most change, a new study from Harvard says you should be cutting carbs, not fat.
Related: Low-Carb Dinner Recipes You'll Want to Add to Your Rotation
For the study, published in PLoS One, researchers from Harvard and Brigham and Women's Hospital reviewed 53 randomized trials of over 68,000 patients who had been assigned to either low-fat or low-carb diets. They found that low-carb diets were consistently better at helping patients lose weight than low-fat diets; the participants on the low-carb diets lost 2.5 pounds more than those on low-fat diets, with the average weight loss among all groups at about six pounds.
This latest study on the weight-loss benefits of a low-carb diet adds further evidence that if you want to lose weight, ditching bread - not olive oil - can help you see success. Another recent study, for example, showed that dieters who ate fewer than 40 grams of carbohydrates per day lost about eight pounds more than dieters who were put on a low-fat diet. Other studies have shown that high-carb diets may be the real heart-disease culprit, not saturated fat. All in all, this new review is a good reminder that if you want to lose weight, you should choose a diet rich in healthy fats, lean proteins, and fresh produce. Of course, not all fats are created equal - find out which healthy fats you should be incorporating into your diet here.
You Won't Believe What This Woman's Abs Can Do With 9 Quarters
Belly dancers have a uniquely mesmerizing way of moving their tummies, but this? Wow. Just wait until you see the amazing ab control on this woman. Can't. Stop. Watching. BRB, finding nine quarters . . .
Every Little Bit Counts: The Habits That Helped Charlene Drop 100 Pounds
Our next Before & After success story, Charlene, started her weight-loss journey after an "aha moment" where she realized just how many pounds had crept up on her over the years. Now, not only is she almost 100 pounds lighter, but she's also a fitness force, constantly trying new workouts and motivating her friends to do the same. Read her inspiring story below!
Charlene: Before
POPSUGAR: What made you decide to start?
Charlene Bazarian: My weight gain, like many women experience, had been gradual: a few pounds in college, a few more in law school, and then after I got married, got pregnant, and after I had my first son, I hit an OMG number of 208 pounds. I had treated myself to a day of beauty at the spa before my son's christening and was mortified when I had to return to the desk and ask the receptionist if they had a larger robe, as the one-size-fits-all robe was lying. That was my "aha moment."
PS: What's your favorite way to work out?
CB: I joke that I discovered weight training like some people find religion. Any other time I had tried to work out, I had only tried cardio-based workouts and found weight training was truly the device I needed to make changes to my body. I now mix in weight training daily to some cardio and also some flexibility workouts like yoga and gyrotonics, which have been great to deal with some lower-back issues. I've also been taking Latin and ballroom dance lessons and just love it!
Charlene: Before
PS: What's your weekly exercise schedule?
CB: I try to consider myself an active person. I start each morning with 10 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes of ab/core work, and then 25 minutes of various weight training, hitting different muscles on different days. Later in the day, I will get in some cardio with either a fast walk, bike ride, or some cardio equipment. I made myself a general rule that if I want to watch a favorite TV program, I'll put it in the DVR and then watch it on my exercise bike. Once a week I work out with a personal trainer, as you truly never push yourself as hard as you do with a trainer. In addition, I try to hit 10,000 steps a day and 20 flights of stairs on my Fitbit. I also try to plan social activities that are activity-based, whether it's dancing, a bike ride, or some Sunday mornings a friend and I will jog stadium steps at the local high school.
PS: How do you keep workouts exciting?
CB: I try to mix up my workouts to keep it fresh and interesting. I'll try a Zumba class, gyrotonics, a hot-yoga class, and have an amazing library of home workout DVDs to keep myself interested and my muscles guessing what's coming next. My favorite DVDs are by Cathe Friedrich; I find her workouts rival my sessions with my personal trainer!
Charlene: After
PS: How much weight have you lost?
CB: I lost 96 pounds and have kept it off.
PS: What was the first big difference, other than the number on the scale, that really made you feel proud and excited?
CB: After I lost the weight, a few girl friends messaged me on Facebook asking me how I did it, and I began giving them advice on what worked for me. I began commenting if they'd check in at restaurants, about what they were ordering, or they'd text me and ask me what to order. I would try to encourage them to bust any excuses why they couldn't work out. As they began losing weight, several of their friends started messaging me as well, and I created a Facebook page dedicated to giving diet/fitness tips and sharing healthy recipes and overall fitness inspiration called FBJ Fit. I know my journey has encouraged a lot of people, so I try to live up to it by continuing to make the right choices. I think having been on both sides of the spectrum gives me an appreciation for the struggles of one trying to lose weight and the work and effort put into being a fit person. I think everyone has a vision of where they want to be physically and mentally, but getting there can be a complicated road. Through social media, without any sort of judgment and by using nurturing but firm advice, I try to help others set a strategic plan for achieving their own fitness goals. I feel tremendous joy in coaching others by sharing information and encouragement that I wish I had available to me when I began my own journey. I try to use this persona to be a champion for living out loud. I've learned many lessons the hard way and from repeated failures, but I'm thrilled that I'm no longer on the sidelines of life!
Charlene: After
PS: How do you track your weight loss?
CB: I got an accurate scale and entered my weight every few days on a little spreadsheet I created. I tried to set small minigoals, as it seemed overwhelming to consider such a large number of pounds to lose. I also have a friendly competition with my lifelong best friend; to "keep it honest," we text each other our weight once a week. Now that I'm at my goal range, I give myself three pounds and buckle down when I'm out of range.
PS: What's a typical day of meals and snacks?
CB: Breakfast is almost always a Luna Bar, a cup of coffee, and some cran-water (100-percent cranberry juice diluted with water, lime juice, and a smidgen of Stevia). Other days, I'll choose two scrambled eggs and some sautéed kale for breakfast. Around 10:00 a.m., I have a Muscle Milk Organic Shake. For lunch, it varies; sometimes it's a large bowl of broccoli slaw or salad with some tuna or grilled chicken. Some days, it's a bowl of "fat flush" soup (ground turkey and lots of veggies in a tomato base - one of my favorites!), or some days it's oatmeal with some whey protein and fresh berries. Midafternoon snack can be a brown-rice cake with some peanut butter and banana or some almonds. For dinner, I like to stick to lean proteins (chicken breast, fish, bison), complex carbs (sweet potato, brown rice), green veggies (kale, salads, and broccoli), and healthy fat choices (avocado and salmon).
PS: What's the range of calories you eat per day?
CB: It is probably 1500-1600 calories. Since losing weight, I don't count them as much.
PS: What are the healthy staples that are always in your fridge?
CB: At any time in my fridge, you'll find broccoli slaw, kale, Luna Bars, Muscle Milk Organic Protein Shakes, eggs, a variety of things for salads, and berries. The cabinets usually will almost always have steel-cut oatmeal, a variety of nuts, and quinoa. Some healthy snacks I treat myself to are RiceWorks Sweet Chili Brown Rice Chips (they're like gourmet Doritos! Delicious!) with some guacamole.
PS: How do you strategize for meals out?
CB: I always (always) try to check the menus online before I go out to eat, so I can plan ahead what choices I want to make. It's easy to get caught up in the hubbub of social activity to order something that "sounds good." I also try to choose restaurants that offer overall healthy choices. Seasons 52 and Legal Seafood and sushi restaurants are often my suggestions for dining out. I also send the waitress away with the bread basket and "order like Sally" (from When Harry Met Sally) and ask for light on any oils, double veggies instead of a starchy carb side. I always take good care of the server to show my appreciation!
PS: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on a weight-loss journey?
- Remind yourself, "You're no busier than a fit person." We're all busy.
- Make your workouts like brushing your teeth, something you just do without question.
- Always plan: keep a Luna in your pocketbook for emergencies, check the menus online before heading out to a restaurant, bring a healthy treat you enjoy when attending a party.
- As a general rule, unless it's cauliflower or a White Chocolate Luna Bar, if it's white, don't eat it.
- Think of food as a choice and not as a reward or a punishment. You don't "deserve" a decadent dessert, nor are you "depriving" yourself if you don't have it.
- Don't get comfortable with some success. There's no finish line or touchdown dance. As I was losing weight, and every time I went down a size, I would only buy one pair of jeans, one pair of tan pants, and one pair of black pants. I wouldn't spend a lot, and I would tell myself, "Don't invest in this size, as you're not going to be staying here for long."
- BLTs count: bites, licks, and tastes add up. And sips do, too (so try your best not to drink your calories!).
- Recognize the saboteurs. You'll need to be able to resist the "just this once," "just a taste or bite won't hurt you," and even the "you're no fun anymore" from some of the people closest to you.
- Switch up your routines regularly, and chose something you genuinely enjoy! I love taking Latin and ballroom dance lessons, running stadium steps with my girlfriend on Sunday mornings, going for bike rides with my boys, and taking walks with my 85-year-old neighbor (she's my inspiration, and I can barely keep up with her!).
- Eat foods in their lowest common denominator: think orange, not orange juice, and shop the outside aisles of the supermarket; it's where the least processed foods are.
jeudi 29 octobre 2015
Quinoa Getting Too Expensive? The Gluten-Free Grain You Should Be Eating Instead
Your eyes and wallet are not deceiving you - quinoa prices are at an all-time high. The longtime staple of the Andean people has reached hippie-crack status of the health-food set. And while it may be hard to believe that another seed can replace this nutritional powerhouse, millet might just be up for the fight. What's to love about millet besides how good it is for the body? It's easy to prepare, affordable, and, unlike quinoa, it's free from complicated environmental and social quandaries.
First things first: despite being a favorite choice for bird feeders, millet is not just for parakeets. Still grossed out? Just a reminder: those chia seeds you eat are the same ones sprouting out of someone's terracotta pet figurine (and we've all come to terms with that). Like chia seeds, millet ranks high when it comes to nutrition. A good source of protein, iron, B vitamins, and fiber, millet is also gluten-free, making it a whole-grain alternative for anyone suffering from wheat intolerance. Numerous studies also show that millet helps regulate blood sugar - goodbye, sugary cravings! - and is high in antioxidants. All in all, it's a great whole food that supports weight loss, weight maintenance, sustained energy, and heart health.
Prepare (and use) millet in the same way as you would quinoa or brown rice (two parts water to one part grain). While millet has a mild, slightly nutty flavor on its own, the fluffy seed easily takes on the flavors of the dish you cook it with - and goes with just about anything! Use it in a salad, serve it alongside a curry, or top with your favorite healthy stir-fry.
Mountain Climbers: The Move That Does It All
If you're a fan of exercises that work your body without machines, weights, or equipment, try doing mountain climbers! This exercise works the lower body and the core and is a great form of cardio. Learn how to do the complete move below.
- Start in a traditional plank - shoulders over hands and weight on just your toes.
- With your core engaged, bring your right knee forward under your chest, with the toes just off the ground. Return to your basic plank. Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward.
- Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.
- Continue "running" in your plank for one minute.
Fit tip: for a stint of cardio during weight workouts, use this exercise as an active break in between exercises or reps.
What Happened to This Girl After Wearing Her Halloween Costume Contacts Will Freak You Out
A 17-year-old girl has become partially blind after wearing nonprescribed contact lenses she bought from the mall. Leah Carpenter and her group of friends dressed up as zombies for Halloween, and she didn't think anything of putting in the contact lenses that came with her costume until she woke up the next day with "swollen and red" eyes. According to her parents, the lens had ripped out a top layer of her cornea.
"I missed out on homecoming. My school work is really behind," Carpenter said to ABC. "My vision is not going to be 100%. I have a long road."
Wearing nonprescription contacts, especially ones from dubious sources, can be dangerous. According to the FDA, you should never buy contact lenses of any kind from street vendors, salons, Halloween stores, beach shops, or the Internet without a prescription. The FDA also stressed that contact lenses are not "one size fits all," and buying them from any of the places listed could lead to dangerous consequences, including blindness.
"They are a medical device and they require a prescription. To buy or sell them without a prescription is illegal," Special Agent Lorin Alaine said. And if you do have prescribed lenses, there are plenty of measures you can take to make sure you don't suffer from infections or any other future eye problems.
So if you're thinking about changing your eye color for Halloween or for fun, the short answer is: don't. Risking your eye for a cool photo is simply not worth it.
"I wish I never did it, to be honest," Carpenter added.
Why Is White Rice So Much Unhealthier Than Brown Rice?
It's been about six years now that I haven't been able to eat gluten. Through trial and error, after finally cutting out bread, pastas, cakes, pizza, beer, and more, the tumultuous stomach tailspins stopped. Brown rice became my savior, since I was easily able to add it to many dishes and I was able to make the switch to brown rice pasta, brown rice bread, brown rice crackers, and more (and no, contrary to belief, it doesn't taste like cardboard!).
I like to have a glass half full outlook on life, so when I learned that my croissant-obsessed days were over, I got creative in the kitchen, real creative. And not only that, but what I learned is that staying away from white rice and its cohorts is actually much better for me healthwise! Compared to white rice, brown rice is light years ahead in terms of nutritional value. Did you know that if you eat just two servings of brown rice a week, you can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, while eating white rice on a regular basis increases the chances of type 2 diabetes by 20 percent? Here's a little tip for all you sushi lovers: If a restaurant doesn't offer brown rice sushi, ask them if they can make your sushi without the rice. Tell them you're not a stickler if it falls apart and they'll usually oblige.
White rice is what's inside brown rice after the brown rice is polished down, removing the bran and the beneficial nutrients.
Nutrients removed in the milling process include 67 percent of the vitamin B3, 80 percent of B1 vitamins, 90 percent of the vitamin B6, half the maganese and phosphorus, 60 percent of the iron, and all of the fiber and essential fatty acids. That's why white rice comes "enriched" with B vitamins and iron.
Here's the nutritional breakdown of both white rice and brown rice, which clearly illustrates how brown rice is in a league of its own when it comes to being packed full of nutrients.
| 1 Cup Serving | White Rice | Brown Rice |
| Calories | 169 | 216 |
| Maganese | 0.5 (mg) | 1.76 (mg) |
| Selenium | 9.7 (mcg) | 19.11 (mcg) |
| Magnesium | 8.7 (mg) | 83.85 (mg) |
| Potassium | 17.4 (mg) | 83.85 (mg) |
Wondering how to make the perfect pot of brown rice? This handy guide will help you.
Why I Exercise in Just My Underwear
We all have our trouble spots, and for me, it's my belly. Even before two pregnancies, I've always been a little self-conscious about that extra squishiness above my belt. I'm a full-bathing-suit-in-the-Summer, never-take-off-my-shirt-while-working-out kind of gal . . . that is until a few weeks ago.
I do yoga and strength training at home to complement my runs, and one day I wanted to try out this new move, but I was in my everyday clothes. I quickly got hot in my jeans so I just took them off. I didn't want to get my shirt all sweaty, so I took that off too. There I was, half-naked, doing plank variations with my TRX, and something shifted. Now I prefer exercising in my underwear! Here's why.
- Damn, what's that indentation? After having two kiddos, my mummy tummy is in full force. I'm proud that it grew two beautiful children, but if it could be a little smaller, that'd be awesome. When working out in just my bra and undies, I can actually see my belly - seeing the skin shows me way more than a tight-fitting tank. The other day I even started to see a little definition. I was shocked! And so psyched to know that what I've been doing is actually working. That's the best motivation right there.
- You got this! Working out with a lot of skin showing means I can see all my muscles working. Whether it's bicep curls or squats, it's motivating to see how each exercise targets each muscle. Seeing them flex pushes me to throw in an extra few reps.
- Who cares where my capris are? I can't tell you how many times I've passed on a workout because I wasted too much time trying to find an outfit. This is a no-fuss solution - just strip down and you're ready to go. I don't even wear my socks and sneakers. You won't get as sweaty, and you'll have less laundry later!
Granted I could totally get the same effect wearing a sports bra and tight shorts, but, of course, that would mean planning ahead to locate and put them on. This allows for some spontaneous exercise, because sometimes you've got to fit it in whenever you can.
Misty Copeland Motivates All of Us as One of Glamour's Women of the Year
Next month, ballerina Misty Copeland will be honored by Glamour magazine as one of its Women of the Year, and for good reason. The Under Armour athlete was just named principal ballerina by the American Ballet Theatre, the first black female in the prestigious company's 75-year history to do so. But it was her journey to her new role that just may be the most impressive. From living in a motel when she was a child to being told by a doctor that she may never dance again, Misty has had her share of struggles to make it to the top of the classical dancing world (including being told that her body was too muscular for a ballerina). What helped her get to her where she is? Her words to live by. "Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you," she shared with the magazine. Serious motivation from a seriously amazing athlete.
Related: Misty Copeland Giving Jimmy Kimmel a Ballet Lesson Is as Funny as You'd Imagine
This 2-Minute Commercial Will Change the Way You Think About Weight Loss
When you're working hard to lose weight, that goal can often become an all-consuming thought. This commercial, from Lean Cuisine, is a touching reminder that there are more important factors in life to celebrate other than obsessing over your weight. In the spot, women of all shapes and sizes talk about their most important life accomplishments, from donating bone marrow to having a baby, and all can agree there are some things in life that just can't be weighed by a scale. Like us, you'll find yourself agreeing with the powerful message.
How 1 Man Lost 24 Pounds in 1 Month on a Pizza-Only Diet
A diet where you eat pizza all day and lose weight sounds like one of those hilarious Someecards. But for Florida cyclist Matt McClellan, he's proven that a pizza diet can help you lose weight. A longtime cyclist and owner of Tour de Pizza in St. Petersburg, FL, Matt wanted his diet to be about flexibility and moderation, and he wanted it to not be so restrictive. So the "pizza diet" was born!
It's based on the "flexible diet" approach designed by nutritionist and bodybuilder Layne Norton, PhD, who's all about eating a balance of macronutrients: fats, carbs, protein, and fiber. Matt said, "Under the flexible dieting concept, there is no such thing as a 'good' or 'bad' food," and that keeping track of your macronutrients can encourage a healthier relationship with food. Layne said that the pizza diet is so successful and sustainable because "instead of diets that encourage extremism," incorporating your favorite foods into a healthy overall diet prevents cravings and feeling like you're missing out.
Related: Here's That Cauliflower Pizza Crust Everyone Keeps Talking About
Here's the breakdown of the diet: He ate 2,400 calories a day and included six total slices, which was equal to one extralarge pizza. But he didn't eat sausage and pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. On no! He chose the healthiest toppings possible to maximize nutrition. We're talking less cheese and high-fat meats and more antioxidant-rich veggies, good fats, and lean protein. Every two hours, he'd eat one slice. He also included one hour of exercise a day five times a week, alternating between cycling, swimming, and running.
After four weeks, Matt had lost 24 pounds, miraculously lowered his cholesterol from 243 to 157, and his body fat percentage reduced from almost 20 percent to nine percent. That wasn't all! He felt more powerful on his rides, had better endurance, and had faster recovery. He said, "The healthier I felt, the more inclined I was to stay active and cycle more." Matt even took his pizza diet on the road and pedaled 1,300 miles over 30 days from his Florida store to Times Square in New York, speaking to people along the way about his experiences. He said, "My intent is for people to change their perception of pizza as junk food," and here are some tips he shared on how to make your slices the healthiest possible, as he told Bicycling magazine.
Related: The Quick-to-Make Chia Pizza Crust Your Diet Needs
Crust: Go for whole-wheat and make it thin. "It gives you the fiber you need with some carbs for energy, but without having to worry about overindulging," Matt said.
Sauce: Add chopped garlic and olive oil to a traditional marinara sauce. Matt said, "Garlic is a great immunity-booster and the olive oil is rich with antioxidants."
Cheese: Keep it very light and minimal, like skim-milk mozzarella. "Less is more. You don't need a lot for flavor or texture," he said.
Toppings: Include toppings that mix protein such as lean chicken, with high amounts of antioxidant-rich green vegetables like broccoli and spinach, and finish up with slices of avocado for healthy fats.
The radical pizza diet basically encourages portion control, eating a healthy balance of protein, carbs, fiber, and healthy fats, and including regular daily exercise. And it helps you lose weight?!
Related: Quinoa Crust to Satisfy Your Gluten-Free Pizza Cravings
Get All Your Favorite POPSUGAR Shows Now on Apple TV!
Apple TV has relaunched with a new POPSUGAR TV app (exclusive to Apple TV only) within the app store!
POPSUGAR TV brings you direct access to all of POPSUGAR's original franchise series and critically acclaimed videos. Follow our irresistible programming that entertains, inspires, and delights - including mouthwatering recipes, motivating workouts, exclusive celebrity interviews, hot fashion trends, beauty tips, and so much more. With new content added regularly, you're guaranteed to find something that you love.
Tune in any time to our programming:
- Class FitSugar: Host Anna Renderer sweats alongside fitness experts and Hollywood's hottest celebrity trainers to bring you routines you can do anytime, anywhere.
- Eat the Trend: Host Brandi Milloy uncovers trending food on social media and shares how to easily create it all in your own kitchen.
- Get the Dish: Brandi Milloy translates her latest pop culture obsessions to culinary inspiration, creating easy recipes and entertaining tips.
- POPSUGAR Beauty Junkie: Host Kirbie Johnson keeps you up on beauty tips and trends with help from beauty influencers and pro makeup artists.
- POPSUGAR Rush: A lightning-fast daily show that keeps you current with all things pop culture.
- We Spy Style: Host Allison McNamara and style experts break down the latest trends and most shareable style stories.
- Seriously Distracted: This comedy is about a group of young smart ambitious women at a mediocre PR firm who are great at their jobs but completely obsessed with pop culture.
- I'm a Huge Fan: Lucky contest winners get once-in-a-lifetime chances to meet and interview their favorite stars.
- One of a Kind: Follow one lucky winner as she wins the chance to meet and be styled by her favorite designer.
- Find Your Happy: Celebrate the positivity in life and find happiness in every day.
Can Exercise Affect Your Menstrual Cycle?
Exercise is the closest thing to a magical pill since it keeps you healthy in so many ways. Aside from helping you drop pounds and look sensational sporting your tightest pants, it keeps your heart healthy, improves your mood and energy levels, keeps sickness at bay, can prevent injuries or alleviate chronic pain, and can even help you have a better night's sleep.
Working out may also help when Aunt Flo comes for her monthly visit. If you suffer from bloating or gut-wrenching cramps (dysmenorrhea) - even though you may not feel up to your normal workout - walking, swimming, or doing another type of light exercise like yoga will improve circulation to relieve painful cramps and ease digestive distress (try these yoga poses that ease cramps). The release of endorphins from exercise is also helpful in getting rid of headaches, fatigue, and your cranky, I-want-to-throw-something-at-everyone mood. Getting your sweat on may also curb your insatiable cravings for junk food and prevent monthly weight gain.
Related: Sip Away PMS Symptoms With This Chocolate Cashew Smoothie
Unfortunately, exercise can also have a negative effect on your period. If you're exercising excessively or obsessively, and have a lower percentage of body weight than is normal for your height (possibly from anorexia), your body could go into rescue mode. Working out takes a ton of energy, so in order for your body to keep up it will begin to shut down unnecessary functions to use what little energy it has to keep your basic life functions going. Since menstruation's main purpose is for reproduction, it is not vital to you and your body will turn off the function to save energy. The good news is that usually when you begin cutting down on the exercise and your body gets the nutrition and calories it needs, your periods should come back. Likewise, if your body fat percentage is much higher than the normal level for your height, periods can also stop.
Exercise and body weight aren't the only things that can affect your cycle, and a missing period isn't a disease, it's a symptom. If you're suffering from irregular or missed periods, make an appointment with your gynecologist so they can help you figure out how to get your period back.
Related: You're Not Going to Like What Experts Say to Avoid When It Comes to PMS
Here's 100 Years of the Craziest Female Fitness Trends
The female body has seen its share of fitness trends, including the still-popular yoga and the questionable Prancercise. We can't help but look back and see how fitness was for women the past century, and we also can't help but ask ourselves, "Did we really do that?"
5 Easy and Effective Dumbbell Exercises
If you're committed to seeing a change in your shape, strength training needs to be a part of your life. There's no need to throw yourself into the weight room right away, if you're a little intimidated. Instead, opt for these five easy-to-follow and effective dumbbell exercises that will help sculpt your arms and build your confidence.
13 Insanely Delicious Smoothies to Satisfy Candy Cravings
Halloween treats have their time and place, but if you feel like you can't turn around without grabbing a handful (or two) of fun-size calorie bombs, then a healthier, more satisfying option is in order. Enter these smoothies. From chocolate concoctions to frothy shakes, these nine nutrient-packed smoothies will satisfy your Halloween candy cravings.
- Additional reporting by Aemilia Madden
mercredi 28 octobre 2015
How the South Beach Diet Changed My Life
Twelve years ago, after weaning my first daughter, I decided it was time to lose the lingering baby weight. Breastfeeding had not been a weight-loss miracle for me, and now that my baby was no longer dependent on me as her primary food source, I was ready and willing to diet - something I had never really done before. The South Beach Diet had just hit the market and I rode the low-carb trend, and I will never do it again.
Living without carbs for the first two weeks of the diet, called the induction period, was particularly hellish. I had a 1-year-old; though small toddlers are loving and sweet, they are not known for their supportive qualities or sense of logic. Plus, my husband was living without carbs; he ate many a milkshake with me during my pregnancy and was also looking to get back to his prepregnancy weight. While dieting together was good for moral support, we were both awfully cranky. I have since learned that cutting out entire food groups is not necessary to lose weight. But the South Beach Diet did change my eating habits in many significant ways. Here are three elements to put into practice to lose or maintain your weight, while keeping it healthy.
Become Label Able
Knowing what is actually in your food leads to much better choices. The South Beach Diet is a quick education on the glycemic index, which basically measures how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Foods containing high amounts of sugar are higher on the index, and these foods cause blood sugar levels to spike, then drop, leaving you hungry again quite quickly. Sugar, hiding under many tricky pseudonyms on labels, is added to many foods you would never guess, like crackers and tomato sauce. So I started reading labels and looking at the amount of sugar and fiber per serving. I also started measuring out servings and quickly learned that serving sizes are much smaller than I had believed. Both were illuminating! When checking out any new product, especially ones that seem healthy, I read the label.
Whole Grains Rule
The South Beach Diet hammers home this principle: fiber delays the process of turning carbs into sugars, keeping you sated longer. It was on the South Beach Diet, during phase two when carbs are reintroduced, that I came to love whole-wheat bread. This is "love" as in, I truly prefer the flavor of whole wheat. It doesn't feel like some sort of health-food penance to eat whole-wheat bread. It's high in fiber and should be low in added sugars (you still need to read the label, though, since many brands add honey and/or molasses to whole-wheat bread). This South Beach tip has become my mantra: "the coarser and heavier the bread, the better it is for you." White bread, made with refined carbs stripped of fiber and nutrients, is really one (digestive) step away from cake. CAKE! Thinking of bread this way makes skipping the baguette before dinner really easy - who eats cake before dinner?
Here's an easy-to-follow rule that combines these two takeaways: bread should have no more than 3 grams of sugar and have at least, if not more than, 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Smart Snacking: Nuts and Hummus
Almonds and walnuts, just a handful for portion control, are still my afternoon snack of choice. Full of healthy fats, nuts are filling and can keep me full between lunch and dinner. Fat also slows down the digestive system to help keep blood sugars stable, but you need to focus on the good fats, monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). These days I like to pair my ounce of nuts with an apple or an orange - healthy fats mixed with healthy carbs.
Before the South Beach Diet, hummus was a dish I only ate at Greek restaurants, and now it's a staple in my fridge. Hummus, made of fiber-rich chickpeas and fat-filled sesame-seed-based tahini, is a great snack. Eaten with veggies - celery, carrots, cucumber - hummus fills you up. I will admit, after reaching my goal weight with the South Beach Diet, I couldn't eat hummus for a couple of years. I burned out on it. But hummus is back as a mainstay in my life, and I make my own, which means I can control the flavor. My favorites are sweet potato hummus and antioxidant-rich Thai-inspired hummus featuring turmeric and ginger. I use hummus as a condiment (way better than mayo) or the main protein in a sandwich.
Final Thoughts
In many ways, the South Beach Diet with its focus on healthy fats was a more wholesome redo of the no-carb Atkins Diet. It was also a forerunner to the now-popular Paleo diet trend. The original South Beach Diet book, from 2003, includes recipes for spaghetti squash pasta and cauliflower mashed "potatoes" that you see today on Paleo food websites. The promise of quick weight loss on the cover of the book should have been a red flag to me - but I wanted to fit into the jeans I wore before getting pregnant! I now know the slower the weight comes off, the more sustainable the diet and healthy habits are, the more likely the weight will stay off. But I thank the diet for what it taught me, both good and bad.
15 Ways to Feel Slimmer by Tomorrow
Slimming down takes time and dedication, but a few quick tricks can help you feel a little bit lighter in just one day. Read on to get our tips for feeling less bloated and puffy - and having a flatter belly - by the end of today!
8 Tips For Staying Healthy During Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner, and you know what that means: sweets! Between scary (and sexy!) costumes and overall good mischief, you might want to be prepared for the onslaught of chocolate bars, candy corn, and empty calories. Whatever your favorite treat, don't let the sweets spook you. Trinh Le, a registered dietitian with MyFitnessPal, has provided some handy advice on how have a better-for-you Halloween and avoid the scary consequences.
Related: 64 Snacks to Satisfy Hunger, All Under 150 Calories
From helpful tricks to alternative treats, these tips are to die for.
- Eat before you (trick or) treat: This is a good idea whether you're spending an evening trick-or-treating with your loved ones or spending a night out on the town. Fill up on a healthy, balanced meal made with veggies, lean protein, and whole grains. The protein and fiber in your meal will make you more satisfied and less likely to sneak treats from your kid's sugary stash. If you're going to a grown-up Halloween party, being full before knocking back your first drink is also a great idea!
- Tuck your candy out of plain sight: We know the pre-Halloween candy sales are scary tempting. If you've got a mighty sweet tooth, stow these goodies in the back of your pantry, and hold off on opening them till right before the trick-or-treaters get there.
- Have healthier snacks on hand: Be different! Stock up on nontraditional snacks that are healthier and more balanced. Instead of sugary candy bars, you can munch on trail mix, cheese crackers, individual fruit cups, animal crackers, and so forth.
- Bottoms up (with your water bottle): Staying well hydrated can help you control your sweet cravings. I like to take a swish of water after finishing my first candy, which gives my mouth a different taste so I'm not hunting for the next sugar fix. This also has the added benefit of rinsing down the sugar and protecting my pearly whites.
- Shower your trick-or-treaters with toys: Trick-or-treaters are bombarded with sweets this season, so break up the monotony with toys like bouncy balls, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, glow sticks and hacky-sacks. You'll still help the kiddos celebrate Halloween with the added benefit that these toys will encourage them to be more active.
- Be picky with your sweets: Don't settle for whatever is on the table. If you're going to satisfy your sweet cravings, go for treats that'll hit the spot. Leave the ones that just don't do it (we're looking at you, candy corn!) alone. Also, remember to pick smallest (fun-size) portion because you can always go back for more if you really want to.
- Trick-or-treat? Track your treats: It's so easy to get your share of empty calories from candy bars and lollipops without even realizing it. Those mini, snack-sized bars may not seem like much, but the calories, fat, and sugar can quickly add up to a full-sized candy bar. Take a tally using pen and paper or an online calorie counter, or hold onto your candy bar wrappers.
- Let yourself celebrate! If you make healthy eating a habit, a day (or two!) of overindulgence is perfectly acceptable. Halloween happens just once a year, and you should be able to celebrate it without guilt. Give yourself a deadline for when the celebration is over, then plan to get back on track by cooking a nutritious meal or going for a run. Remember that your overall health and happiness rests on more than just a few days.
Related: The Calorie Counts of Your Favorite Halloween Candy
BaubleBar Turns Your Jawbone Up Into the Ultimate Statement Piece
If you wish your wearable tech had more style, BaubleBar has you covered. The jewelry company released a new collection of bracelets designed for the Jawbone Up Move ($50) that features lots of gold, leather, and crystal embellishments everywhere. It's the ultimate way to turn your tracker into a can't-miss statement piece. Take a look at the collection, which ranges from $45 to $65, here.
Related: Jawbone Gives Its Fitness Trackers a Major Makeover
When to Eat Your Largest Meal During the Day If You're Trying to Lose Weight
When you're on a mission to lose weight, what you choose to eat needs to line up with your goals. However, according to Break the Weight founder and health coach Ricki Friedman, how and when you eat is just as crucial. If you tend to eat light all day and chow down on a large dinner, you might be standing in the way of your success.
According to Ricki, your largest meal of the day should fall between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. After a large midday meal, you have an opportunity to go for a walk, work out, or move in some capacity that will support your digestion, but after a large late dinner, people tend to sit down to relax and go to bed on a full stomach - not a good idea if you want to wake up full of energy with healthy digestion, said Ricki.
Related: The Easiest Way to Prevent Overeating
This plan may sound easy enough, but Ricki explained, "It's often more of an emotional challenge than a physical challenge for people to make dinner light. Most of us use dinner as an activity for us to do when we get home out of loneliness or boredom, so you'll need some structure or alternative activities to fall back on!" Ricki's number-one activity she suggests to clients? Take a 20-minute walk every night after dinner. An evening walk supports healthy digestion, takes your focus off of food, and gives you an opportunity to check in with your emotional state.
If you're not sure what constitutes a light dinner, Ricki's only hard-and-fast rule is to make it less than 400 calories. Here are four options she recommends to her clients:
- Four ounces of salmon with grilled veggies and half a sweet potato
- Vegetable or lentil soup
- Half a cup of quinoa with lots and lots of veggies
- Half a veggie or beef burger with grilled vegetables
"If you want something like pizza, only have one piece or two, and then take your nighttime walk. It's not about taking all the things you love away from yourself; it's about learning how to have them, so you can go to bed feeling good, light, and satisfied," said Ricki.
Related: Before and After: The 1 Change That Helped This Trainer Lose 15 Pounds Fast
5 Healthy Reasons to Eat Dark Chocolate
There's no need to nix chocolate from your diet for good. When satisfying a sweet tooth, choosing dark chocolate can be a good decision for your health. In fact, here are five healthy reasons to eat dark chocolate.
- It helps you exercise longer: A recent study found that eating a tiny amount of dark chocolate before a workout helps fight fatigue, which means you can go that much further during your workout. The amount that worked in the study was tiny - just half a square - but if it's good quality chocolate, a small square will go a long way.
- It's stress relieving: And not just when you're PMSing. A study found that when highly stressed participants ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate (the equivalent of a Hershey's bar) a day for two weeks, the level of stress hormones in their bodies dropped significantly. While eating a candy bar a day can contribute to a whole new set of stresses if you're watching your weight, it's nice to know that dark chocolate has a measurable effect on stress levels.
- It's heart-healthy: A study found that dark chocolate increases blood flow, which helps keep your ticker in top shape. Those who ate a small amount of chocolate a day had increased blood flow due to more-dilated blood vessels as well as better heart function.
- It's good when you're sick: If you can't get the rest you need because of a nagging cough, try dark chocolate. The theobromine, an ingredient in dark chocolate, has been proven to suppress a cough, but just be careful - if you're trying to go to sleep, remember that a dark chocolate Hershey's bar has 30 milligrams of caffeine, which is the equivalent to a cup of tea.
- It lowers blood pressure: Increasing blood flow also helps your heart in another way. A study found that eating a small square of dark chocolate a day helps regulate your blood pressure by increasing blood flow as well as dilating blood vessels and releasing nitric oxide. If you're managing your blood pressure levels, a daily, small dose of dark chocolate may help.
The Surprising Things That Happen to Your Body When You Cut Sugar For 10 Days
If you need more convincing that refined sugars are wreaking havoc on your health, then look no further than this newest study, which shows that cutting added sugar for just a few days dramatically improves health.
Related: How to Kill You Sugar Addiction Before It Kills You
The study, published in Obesity, followed 43 obese children with chronic metabolic conditions such as hypertension. The researchers changed their diets for nine days, substituting their normal snacks and drinks with ones that kept the calorie counts the same but restricted sugar - so instead of sugary yogurts, pastries, and cereals, the kids were fed hot dogs, bagels, fruit, and pizza. The results were "striking," says lead author and pediatric endocrinologist Robert Lustig, MD. Even though the children were eating the same amount of calories, just eliminating added sugar from their diets improved almost all areas of their metabolic health, such as lower blood pressure, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, blood sugar, and insulin levels, and improved liver function tests. Plus, even though the experiment was designed to maintain weight - the children were given more food whenever they started to lose weight - the kids told researchers that they felt fuller on the lower-sugar diet.
Lustig calls this finding "the strongest evidence to date that the negative effects of sugar are not because of calories or obesity." "This study definitively shows that sugar is metabolically harmful not because of its calories or its effects on weight; rather sugar is metabolically harmful because it's sugar," he says. The findings are also a clear indication that monitoring added sugars in your family's diet is extremely important for improving health and may affect how your body deals with cravings and satiety cues. Added sugars can show up as many different names on ingredient lists, so it pays to read nutrition labels and go for unprocessed foods whenever possible. Take it from Lustig, who explains that when it comes to what you put on your plate, a calorie is not just a calorie, and in fact, "sugar calories are the worst."
Related: What's So Bad About Added Sugar?
Last-Minute Costume Ideas For Your Halloween Weekend Race
Halloween is this weekend and you don't have a costume for your Halloween Hustle? Don't worry. Here are some easy costume ideas you can throw together whether you're running solo or in a group.
Injury Prevention Workout For Runners
Training for a race is no easy task, and proactively preventing injuries is key to crossing the finish line with zeal. We created a prehab stretching and strength-training workout to keep you healthy and strong as you log all your miles. Performed in order, this combination of exercises can help minimize common running injuries that often occur as you increase your weekly mileage or up your speed.
mardi 27 octobre 2015
14 Expert Breakfast Hacks That Make Traveling Healthier
Eating right while traveling is as much of a struggle as going through security checkpoints. As much as we want to believe that salad or sandwich we hastily grabbed near our gate is sodium-free and fat-free, that's not often the case. No one knows this better than flight attendants, who basically live at the airport. So we thought, why not ask how they stay healthy on the job? We picked the brains of three frequent fliers and compiled a list of tried-and-true healthy hacks they swear by. Read on for some life-changing tips.
When the Going Gets Tough, Show Them One of These Marathon Posters
If you've ever run in a race, you know the cheers and posters on the sidelines are so important in keeping your spirits up so you keep on going. So if you're watching a marathon this year, get those markers and poster boards ready! Here are some ideas for inspirational, clever, and hilarious posters you can make for any race - think of how psyched runners will be when they see these around mile 20.
Vegan Halloween Candy You Can Make in Less Time Than Your Costume
Halloween comes with many traditions, from the careful selection of your costume to carving the perfect pumpkin. Then there's the ever-loved excuse of indulging in more than our fair share of Halloween candy. However, these treats are often filled with heaps of refined sugar, chemical additives, gelatin, and allergy-causing ingredients. Whether you're looking for options with natural ingredients or ones that are vegan friendly, we've got you covered with these 13 vegan alternatives to your Halloween favorites. With each one of these recipes clocking in at fewer than 10 ingredients, grab your food processor and enjoy these wholesome treats this Halloween season!
How to Make Halloween Healthier (Without Your House Getting Egged!)
Yes! You can hand out healthy treats on Halloween without disappointing the neighborhood kids. Julie Upton, MS, RD, of Appetite For Health, shares her top seven picks - including candy!
Halloween is right around the corner, and talk about fright . . . I'm having a full-on panic attack about the holiday this year.
Here's my dilemma: As a dietitian, I don't feel good about giving kids oversize, empty-calorie treats to add to their already over-sugared budget. But I also don't want to be the Grinch who stole Halloween or be known as "those people," the types who hand out - egads! - raisins, pennies, or toothbrushes.
If you're like me and you don't want to have your house egged or your trees draped with toilet paper due to "lame" treats, try these seven goblin- and ghoul-pleasing goodies.
1. Peanut M&M's
The good news about peanut M&M's is, well, the peanuts. Peanuts provide 30 essential nutrients and are a good source of protein, fiber, and B vitamins. Instead of handing out regular M&M's, opt for the snack packs of Peanut M&M's to get the goodness of the peanuts with less added sugar of traditional chocolate bars and a bit of protein.
Peanut M&M's (1 Fun Size Pack): 90 calories, 5 g fat (2 g sat fat), 7 g sugar
2. Hershey's Kisses With Almonds
Hershey's Kisses are a great option for Halloween due to their diminutive portion size and only 25 calories per kiss. Kids can have four to five kisses and get fewer calories than a regular candy bar, plus the almonds provide positive nutrients, like protein and vitamin E.
Hershey's Kisses (1 piece) With Almonds: 25 calories, 1 g fat (<1 g sat fat) 2.5 g sugar
3. Kind Nuts & Spices Bars
Instead of a "full-size" candy or energy bar, I'll hand out Kind Bars, which are made from wholesome ingredients like nuts, whole grains, and dried fruit that pack in protein, fiber, and unsaturated fats. Kind Nuts & Spices line has 50 percent less added sugar (just 5-6 grams) compared to energy bars and pack in a lot more filling protein and fiber.
Kind Nut Delight: 210 calories, 16 g fat (2 g sat fat) 5 g sugar, 6 g protein, 3 g fiber
4. Noncandy Tricks
I'm planning to mix in noncandy tricks with my treats because a study from Yale University found that children are just as excited about getting a toy as they are candy.
Ghoulishly Great Ideas:
- Spooky school supplies (pencils, erasers)
- Scary stickers
- Plastic rings and bracelets
- Temporary tattoos
- Arts and crafts supplies
- Glow sticks
- Bouncy balls
5. Jelly Beans
Yes, they're 100 percent pure sugar, but jelly beans are a great option because they satisfy a sweet tooth with just four calories per bean! An average jelly bean has just 3-4 calories, so I can give out "snack packs" without adding too many calories to kids' diets.
Jelly Belly Assorted Jelly Bean Flavors (1 snack pack): 28 calories, 7 g sugar
6. S-L-O-W Sweets
Treats that take kids a long time to eat help slow down consumption so that hopefully they'll eat fewer calories. Some of my favorite s-l-o-w treats to hand out include lollipops, taffy, Tootsie Rolls, and licorice.
Jolly Rancher (1 piece): 20 calories, 4 g sugar
Twizzlers (2-piece pack): 30 calories, 4 g sugar
Tootsie Roll Pops (1 pop): 60 calories, 10 g sugar
Tootsie Rolls Juniors (1 piece): 35 calories, <1 g fat (<.5 g sat fat), 5 g sugar
7. Peppermint Patties
Peppermint patties are a surprisingly better choice because they are low in fat so their calorie counts are kept in check. Plus, they're made with dark chocolate, which naturally has less added sugar than milk chocolate.
York Peppermint Patties (1 piece): 50 calories, 1 g fat (<1 g sat fat), 9 g sugar
President Barack Obama Just Made Everyone Smile by Calling the US Women's Soccer Team "Badass"
President Barack Obama confirms what we've known all along - that the US Women's soccer team is a bunch of fierce, inspiring ladies who kick butt on and off the field. In a news conference, the president addresses one important lesson the team has taught all children - that "playing like a girl means you're a badass." The ladies took home the FIFA Women's World Cup title in July, beating Japan 5-2. Now with the president's official stamp of approval, they are truly badass gals who can't be stopped. If you're overdue for a smile, watch the powerful statement above.
Do This Every Day to Lose Weight (20 Pounds in 6 Months!)
No matter how you feel about the weighing yourself, Dietitian Julie Upton, MS, RD, of Appetite For Health, shares details from a new study on how the scale can help with weight loss.
According to a first-of-its-kind study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, researchers from Duke University Obesity Prevention Program reported that those who weighed themselves daily lost about three times as much weight and body fat, compared to those stepped on the scale less frequently.
Related: Nutritionist-Recommended Foods to Suppress Your Appetite Naturally
The Duke obesity researchers enrolled 47 overweight men and women into a weight loss clinical trial that used electronic scales that were networked to the researchers' computer network. All subjects were instructed to weigh in daily and were given some basic advice about healthy eating and exercise behaviors (i.e., increase water consumption, walk more, eat fewer snacks, enjoy more fruits/veggies).
Using data from the subjects' escales, the researchers could objectively track the frequency of weigh-ins as well as the actual weights recorded. Previous studies have relied on subjects' self-reported information about weigh-ins, which is considered less reliable.
After six months, the researchers evaluated both body weight and composition of all subjects and found that those who weighed in daily (51 percent of all subjects) lost an average of 20 pounds, compared to about seven pounds lost among those who weighed themselves about five days per week. Subjects who weighed themselves daily were also more likely to report following through on more healthy diet and lifestyle behaviors.
The authors concluded: "Daily weighing may trigger the self-regulatory processes that promote behavior change. Those who weigh daily report greater adoption of diet and exercise behaviors associated with weight control."
Related: Weighing Yourself With Clothes On? Feel Free to Subtract This Much
This study adds to previous studies that also reported that those who weigh themselves more frequently lose more weight and are less likely to gain weight over time. As a dietitian, I've always been hesitant to recommend getting obsessed with the number on the scale, but newer studies suggest that it's important to keep tabs on your body weight so that you can alter behaviors when you notice small increases in weight gain. It's a lot easier to lose three or five pounds than it is to lose 20 or more, so frequent weigh-ins are one way to keep your weight stable for a lifetime.
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