I made this Carrot, Apple, Cucumber and Pineapple

This aromatic and spicy juice is ideal to start the metabolism in the morning, and can be used in larger quantities for detoxification of the body.

Let's look at the most important components of this juice:

Apples contain beta-carotene and vitamin C, the predominant minerals are manganese and potassium, to a lesser extent there are calcium, iron and magnesium. The energy derives from the simple sugars fructose and glucose (5.7 and 2.6 g per 100 g of juice), and to a lesser extent from sucrose. The most important phytochemical in the juice is lutein, a member of the carotenoid family, a well known antioxidant that is important for eye health.

Carrots contain provitamins beta and alpha carotene (9.3 mg and 4.3 mg per 100 g of juice), vitamin K, C and E, and some of the B complex vitamins (riboflavin, thiamin, biotin). The most abundant minerals are potassium, manganese and phosphorus and we can find significantly less iron, calcium and copper.

Cucumber has a notable diuretic effect, can help control skin eczema, arthritis and gout. The most abundant mineral in cucumber juice is potassium.

Pineapple is especially rich in vitamin C, B complex vitamins (pyridoxine, folic acid, thiamine), and the most abundant minerals are manganese, potassium and magnesium. The energy comes from glucose and fructose (4.6 and 3.8 g of this simple sugars per 100 g of juice).

Ginger is known for it’s important healing, anti-inflammatory, immune and detoxification properties. The best way to obtain the benefits from this plant is by extracting its juice. Ginger juice can help treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis due to its high content of phytochemical gingerol.

Lemon juice is especially rich in vitamin C and contains some of the B complex vitamins, the most important mineral being potassium. Lemon contains numerous phytochemicals such as hesperidin, naringenin, limonene and others that act as antioxidants and strengthen the immune system.

I use this amazing heavy duty yet friendly MATSTONE Juicer.  It squeezes all the juice out and not wasting the nutrients of the vegetables and fruits.  You can buy this anywhere or via LAZADA.com.  You can just click the icons of lazada in my blog and type Mastone juicer, order online and have it delivered even cash on delivery.

ENJOY JUICING!

Visceral fat is stored around your internal organs in your stomach region. The problem with visceral fat is that too much around your organs can interfere with how your liver functions. This can lead to insulin resistance (the beginning of diabetes), high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a higher risk for developing heart disease. Having a waistline greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women is a sign of large visceral fat stores, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). An increased waistline, high blood pressure, high triglycerides (fat in the blood), low HDL ("good" cholesterol) and rising blood sugar characterizes Syndrome X, which starts with high visceral fat stores. Lifestyle changes will help promote usage of visceral fat and lower your risk factors for developing heart disease.

Step 1

Get a healthy nutrition plan. Work with a dietitian to design a nutrition plan for you that focuses on improving your health and helping you to lose weight. Your nutrition plan should be low in saturated fat (usually animal fats), high in vegetables and fruits, contain lean meats and use healthy vegetable oils such as coconut, safflower, sunflower, olive, avocado and grapeseed oils when cooking. In addition to your meal plan being low in saturated fat, eat complex carbohydrates such as beans, lentils and sprouted grains for energy and fiber.

Step 2

Exercise at least 60 minutes per day, which helps you lose and manage your weight. A weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight can help reduce visceral fat stores. The only way to reduce visceral fat stores is to burn more calories than you consume. Engage in physical activity such as circuit training, brisk walking, biking and any activity that gets your heart rate up and you moving for an hour.

Step 3

Stay motivated. Weight loss takes time. Don’t expect to lose weight overnight because you didn’t gain it quickly. According to the JAMA, just a modest amount of weight loss will improve your visceral fat stores and other medical complications you have. Use that as motivation to stick with your eating and exercise program.

Step 4

Stop practicing unhealthy lifestyle habits. Stop smoking, drinking, being inactive, and eating high-fat, processed foods. Choosing healthier lifestyle choices will improve your quality of life and will show up in inches lost as stated in the Guidelines for Overweight and Obesity.

Source: Livestrong.com

People who love life have bad days, too. It’s just that they respond to them in a productive way. Do you have a positive outlook, or do you expect the worst? Do you have the confidence to act, or do you take forever to decide? If you want to be a happier person, watch out for these thirteen bad habits people who truly love life avoid.

1. They don’t expect life to be perfect.

Your outlook determines your happiness more than your situation. Don’t get upset when you have a bad day. They provide the context you need to appreciate the good ones.

2. They don’t stay in relationships that aren’t meant to be.

Your social environment makes a big impact on your mood. Don’t stay in relationships with people who bully you. Good friends will challenge you to be better, but without condemning or criticizing you.

3. They don’t believe in time travel.

Your past cannot control you. Don’t waste time regretting things you would have done differently last week/month/year. Concentrate on what you can do to make things better today.


4. They don’t obsess with things they can’t fix.

Your present focus determines your future success. Don’t let yourself get miserable over a problem you cannot solve. Direct your attention to the issues you can address and forget the rest.


5. They don’t give up their power.

Your self-confidence affects your ability to act. Don’t view yourself as a damsel in distress or helpless victim who needs to be saved. You are responsible for your outcome.


6. They don’t pursue comfort.

Your fear of the unknown could be making you complacent. Don’t chase “quick” or “easy” fixes to problems that require complex solutions. The thing you are afraid to do is often the thing you need to do.


7. They don’t make themselves feel small.

Your thoughts should encourage you to put forth effort. Don’t insult yourself with words like fat, lazy, ugly, or unworthy. Empower yourself with affirmations that make you feel confident.


8. They don’t make comparisons.

Your transformation will take as long as it needs to take. Don’t draw comparisons. No one can promise you will lose 10 lbs in a week, meet your soul-mate in 100 days, or make $1,000 in your first month of business.


9. They don’t live in the past.

Your mind should be focused on the present moment. Don’t let past mistakes turn into a fear of failure that cripples your ability to act. Find the moral of the story, make any fixes you can, and forget about it.


10. They don’t neglect their personal health.

Your body is like a car; if you don’t take care of it now, you might end up paying for it later. Don’t claim to be “too busy” to exercise and eat healthy. Movement and nourishment should be priorities for every person.


11. They don’t worry about everything.

Your worries only exist in your imagination. Don’t create mental monsters out of little concerns. To increase perspective, ask yourself, “Will this still seem like a big deal next month?”


12. They don’t treat life like a race.

Your patience muscles need to be trained every day. Don’t forget to pause and reflect. Consciously appreciate the little things that excite you, no matter how silly!


13. They don’t let other people’s opinions dictate their decisions.

Your opinion is the only one that counts. Don’t refuse feedback that might help you, but also accept that not everyone will understand you. You are the only person with the power to choose your destiny.


Written by: Daniel Wallen
Daniel Wallen is a personal trainer and freelance writer who helps busy people makeover their habits for a healthy and happy life. Click here to contact Daniel if you are in need of shareable content or would like to apply for his online coaching program. He writes for Lifehack where this article first appeared. 

Source: http://www.naturalblaze.com/
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The fitness industry is full of more lies, myths, and total B.S. than nearly any industry on the planet. Some of these myths are slowly going away, thanks to bastions of reason like Breaking Muscle. But, in most magazines, on the daily talk shows, and even on a lot of the most popular fitness TV shows the information you are hearing is wrong.

I'm not going to go so far as to say people are lying to you. It's just often times the received wisdom, the stuff we've been taught and have picked up along the way, was wrong to begin with. And, since we never thought to question it and no one ever told us different, this misinformation has become part of the collective.

I feel it's my duty to help you sort these out. So, let’s get started:

1. Weight training will make women bulky.

True, if the woman is on steroids. Female bodybuilders almost singlehandedly ruined the act of lifting heavy weights for most women in this country by providing a false example.

The average man produces ten times the amount of testosterone as the average woman. To be truly bulky and "manly" you needa lot of testosterone. Without it, you can't be bulky. So, unless you plan to inject yourself with steroids, you have very little to worry about.

If you're concerned about your arms being too big, lose more fat. Don't be afraid of gaining more muscle.

2. Squats are bad for your knees.

I don't know when this myth will die, but not only is it false that squats are bad for your knees, full squats are actually good for your knees. Unfortunately, no matter how much writing and promoting coaches like me do, the general media - and far too many personal trainers - still spout off this nonsense as fact.

Squat deep on every repetition. By deep I mean the top of your thighs should be at least parallel with the ground - preferably lower, if you have any human dignity. Do this, stay on your heels as much as you can while you're at it, and your knees will stay healthy long into old age.

3. Running will make you fit.

To paraphrase Charles Poliquin, "Humans are meant to either sprint or walk long distances." I might get shot for saying this, but unless you happen to be built like a runner - light weight, slight bone structure - then running (by that I mean "jogging" as exercise, not sprinting) will likely cause you more harm than good. That is even truer if you're a woman with wide hips (most women) where the angle of the thigh comes in from the hip bone to the knee bone.

Running is a sport. It is not a general fitness activity. Every foot strike is a plyometric exercise and if you aren't properly prepared - via a good fitness program that includes strength training - you WILL suffer an injury. It's just a matter of time. Great runners learn how to be great runners and they do what is necessary to mitigate the downsides. In the words of Diane Lee, "You don't run to get fit, you need to be fit to run."

4. If you want to lose fat, workout more.

This one is only kind of true. Working out more certainly increases the amount of calories you burned that day. It can give you spikes in metabolism that can last up to 72 hours. And if you do it right, you'll build muscle that itself will raise your metabolism just by existing.But, all of those things miss the point.

Fat loss is all about calories in, calories out. I have plenty of male weightlifters who gain upwards of twenty pounds after they've been lifting at our club for a little while. After joining us, their workouts increased, and the intensity of those workouts increased. How did they gain weight? Because they also increased how much they ate! It's great to workout more. But if your goal is to lose fat, you must control your calories.

5. Cardio is more important for fat loss than weight lifting.

This myth is a derivative of the one above. Cardio is great for health reasons and you will burn calories while doing it. However your biggest concern when you are trying to lose weight is muscle loss. If you lose fat and lose muscle along with it, you have made your future ability to keep the weight off harder.

Less Muscle = Lower Metabolism.

Fat loss programs should be first about controlling the ratio of calories in/calories out, and second about doing everything in your power to prevent losing muscle. In my book, that means a good diet combined with a good weight training routine. If you have time for cardio, be my guest, but that comes third!

6. What you eat is as important as how much you eat when trying to lose weight.

Your overall health has a lot to do with the quality of the foods that you ingest. But, your overall level of fat does not. As I mentioned above, fat loss is about how many calories are going into and out of your body each day.

There is no getting around the basics of Thermodynamics. If you want to lose fat, you must eat fewer calories than you burn. Period. There is no other way unless the laws of physics don't apply to you for some reason, in which case, you can eat whatever you want!

If the calories you eat are also healthy, then you may increase your progress some. You'll certainly increase your health and sense of well-being. But, you can easily get fat eating too much healthy food.

Don't believe me? Just ask a sumo Wwrestler. They eat very healthy food every day, avoid junk food like the plague, and yet are the poster children of obesity. Calories in, calories out. Period.

7. If you don't feel like crap after a workout, you didn't work hard enough.

This is one for my CrossFit friends. Workouts are workouts. Competitions are competitions. They are not the same. Workouts exist to prepare you to be good in a competition.

Sadly, too many trainees, especially those in the early stages of the beginners phase (not just CrossFit, but everything), think that killing yourself is the goal. They treat every workout like a major national competition where their reputation and thousands of dollars are at stake.

"If I don't work my hardest," they say, "then how will I ever make the progress I want?"

It seems reasonable on the surface - until they injure themselves. If you injure yourself today, what do you think tomorrow’s workout will look like? Working hard is important, but working smart is way more important.

And there you have it. Seven fitness myths I encounter all the time. You no longer have any excuses.

Source: breakingmuscle.com

Nick Horton

Contributor - Olympic Weightlifting, Sports Psychology

United States, Oregon, Portland

Olympic Weightlifting

Sport Psychology

Nick Horton is not your average Olympic Weightlifting coach. He's been practicing Zen meditation for over a decade and applies the lessons he's learned to both his coaching and to his writing. He is of the belief that your body follows your mind. If you don't train your mind, then you're not ever going to be as physically strong as you could have been otherwise.

 

While his first major in college was music, Nick eventually switched to mathematics and loves math for the same reasons he loves weightlifting: because they are hard. He is now finishing a Masters degree in Math with a focus in Game Theory and the Mathematics of Human Behavior.  

 

Nick is certified through both USA Weightlifting and CrossFit as an Olympic Weightlifting Coach. He can also be found online via his blog, The IronSamurai, which can be summed up by its subtitle: Zen and the Art of Weightlifting.

When new students come to yoga class, they have a number of questions. The experience can be overwhelming for a new student and often, they have overcome significant obstacles to get to that first experience. Even in the first few months of a new yoga practice, some general questions usually come up.

As a teacher, your job, aside from teaching the class, is be available to answer these questions as clearly as possible. A new yoga student can sometimes get derailed easily and may look to you for encouragement and support. Here are some of the questions you may hear. I’ve included answers but please provide what your thoughts on any of the following:

1. How many times each week should I practice?

Beginners should develop a regular practice in order to get their body used to moving in a new way. In order for this to happen, it’s helpful to practice in the studio at least 3 times per week. Studio classes provide the structure and support that a new student needs in order to learn alignment and sequence. However, I stress with new students that consistency is just as important and that doing even 20 minutes of Sun Salutations daily, including regular studio classes is just as important. If a new student can’t make it to class regularly, they should try to do a little yoga each day. If new students are unsure how they will know what to do, find a website or online resource that they can use for guidance. I have free short videos on my You Tube channel just for this purpose and guide students there for this kind of home practice support.

2. Will I be sore after class?

Sometimes new students do experience soreness in the first few weeks of starting a yoga practice. It can be a combination of using muscles in a different way as well as challenging those muscles to do more. Sometimes, students also experience a deep release in very tight muscles, like hamstrings, hip flexors and muscles of the chest and this can lead to soreness too. Let your students know that this is normal and will subside as their bodies get more used to the practice. If it becomes worse or intolerable, suggest to them that they drop back to twice per week in the studio and 10 to 20 minutes of Sun Salutations at home on their non-studio days.

3. What should I eat before coming to class?

With classes happening all day, students new to yoga may be unsure of how to adapt their meal schedule to accommodate their new yoga routine. Suggest to students that a general rule of thumb is they should not come to yoga on a full stomach but they should have eaten something with a little protein and a little carbohydrate at least 1 hour before. Also, remind them that they should be well hydrated, especially for heated yoga classes and that they should be mindful of coming to yoga after a night of drinking, heavy eating or after just getting off a long flight (I have managed people through the effects of all of these scenarios).

4. How many beginner classes should I take before taking an all levels class?

I get this question a lot and it shows a certain mindfulness about approaching the practice, which is great.  I typically suggest 8-10 beginner classes before going into an all-levels class. However, I add the caveat that you can go to any class and use the guideline of doing what you can, keeping an open mind, resting when you need to and doing your best.

5. Should I use props and if so, which ones?

The use of blocks, straps and blankets will not only enhance your practice but can provide critical assistance to a beginner. In studios where there are different kinds of blocks, help students make the right selection. In studios with blankets, show them how these can support the hips in many of the hip opening poses. Let beginners know that props have nothing to do with experience and are helpful to use regardless of how many years you have been practicing.

6. How hot will it be in your class?

If you’re teaching heated or hot yoga, you will get this question a lot. Some styles of heated yoga have a requirement about the room heat to a specific temperature. In my experience teaching heated yoga, the room temperature may vary, but there is a range within which it should fall and that range varies depending on your training, how you use heat as a teacher and the requirements as defined by the studio. Let your students know that it will be hot, at least 75-80 degrees and that the humidity will also vary. Reinforce that they need to be well hydrated before they take class to ensure that they are practicing safely. Encourage them to be less focused on the actual “number” and more tuned in to how they feel.

7. If I want to lose weight, should I be doing more than yoga?

Many times, students will start a yoga practice as part of a wellness plan. Some of my students see me for private sessions as part of a personal commitment to taking charge of their health and they also see a personal trainer, a nutritionist and other professionals. Students will inquire about the cardiovascular effects of yoga and it’s ability to help one lose weight. Let your students know that a vigorous yoga practice is a great way to work towards weight loss but as always, it needs to be paired with healthy eating. You may also want to encourage your students to combine a regular yoga practice with an activity like running, brisk walking or treadmill/elliptical workouts. This of course is a highly customized question and answer.

8. How long do I need to practice before I start to see changes in my body?

New students are eager to see changes. This is a wonderful attitude (as long as it stays healthy) and can provide the needed encouragement to keep them coming to the mat. Let students know that generally, the more regularly they practice, the faster they may begin to see changes and that they need to be present to them; things like soreness can signify they are started to work dormant muscles (as we’ve said above) and changes in weight, strength, flexibility and overall body tone can change as well. However, remind your students to be aware of positive changes in their stress levels, improvement in sleep patterns, better focus, an overall feeling of relaxation after they leave class and a greater ability to stay connected to their body. These are all important and rewarding feelings too and will help your students recognize that the benefits and impact of yoga goes much more than skin deep.

Source: mindbodygreen.com

Today, we live in a world where modern machines do much of our work for us, which greatly eliminates the need for manual labor. We have office or sales jobs, forcing us to remain sedentary for eight or more hours a day.

According to a report published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the average person spends more than half of his or her waking hours in an inactive state (sitting at a computer, watching TV, commuting to and from work, etc).

While technology brings with it obvious benefits, such as getting more done in less time, consolidating our efforts, and connecting us to others at lightning speeds, it has many drawbacks, as well.

Sitting down for prolonged periods of time can cause problems such as chronic back pain, poor posture, and even potentially deadly diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

If you spend a lot of time sitting down for your job, take a look at the specifics of how this can negatively impact your health, according to four experts in the industry:

Brain, Neck, And Shoulder Issues

Moving our bodies means more blood and oxygen flowing throughout the brain, which helps us maintain clarity and keeps our minds sharp. However, by sitting for long periods of time, this slows the flow of oxygen and blood to our brains, inhibiting our ability to think clearly.

Also, slumping forward at work to stare at a computer screen puts tremendous strain on the neck, particularly the cervical vertebrae, which connects the spine to your head. Poor posture also damages the back and shoulder muscles, as they become overextended due to leaning over a keyboard for long periods of time.

Back Problems

One of the most apparent problems occurs for most people in their backs, as bad posture contributes greatly to back pain, inflexible spines, and disk damage. Moving around causes soft disks between vertebrae in the spine to expand and contract, allowing blood and nutrients in. By sitting too long, the disks become uneven and compact, even causing collagen to build up around tendons and ligaments.

Also, herniated lumbar disks occur more frequently in people who spend prolonged periods of time in front of a computer.

Muscle Degeneration

Sitting doesn’t require the use of your ab muscles, and if they go unused for too long, this can actually cause you to develop what’s called swayback, or the unnatural overextension of the spine’s natural arch. Plus, sitting too long decreases overall flexibility, particularly in the hips and back.

Flexible hips aid in balancing the body, but by sitting too long, the hip flexor muscles become short and tense.

The glute muscles also become soft after prolonged periods of disuse, and this hinders your ability to take long strides and keep the body stable.

Deterioration of Organs

Remaining seated for long periods of time can cause heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and colon cancer. In short, these problems are caused by the overproduction of insulin due to inactivity, and sluggish blood flow to the organs. Regular movement helps kill cancer-causing cells, boosting antioxidants that eliminate these free radicals from taking over the body.

Overproduction of insulin also causes weight gain, which contributes to diabetes and obesity.

Leg Disorders

Obviously, sitting too long will hinder circulation in the legs. This causes blood to pool around the ankles, which then results in swollen ankles, varicose veins, and even harmful blood clots. Another more subtle issue caused by prolonged sitting is that bones become weaker and less dense. Regular activity, such as running or walking, helps keep bones strong and thick. This might explain why so many elderly people today have osteoporosis, as society becomes more and more sedentary.

According to the study, people who watched the most TV over the span of 8.5 years had a 61% greater risk of dying a premature death compared to those who watched less than one hour per day.

SO, HOW CAN WE COMBAT THIS GROWING EPIDEMIC OF INACTIVITY?

First of all, if you DO have to sit for long periods of time for work or other purposes, make sure you sit up straight and avoid slouching or leaning over your keyboard. If you have to, buy an exercise ball, which forces your ab muscles to work and will naturally keep your body straight. You can also use a backless stool if you want something a little more stable than an exercise ball.

Secondly, make sure to get up regularly to stretch. How often should you do this? At least once every thirty minutes, according to experts. Get up and walk around your office for a few minutes as well, which will keep the blood flowing and allow your brain and muscles to function optimally.

Thirdly, yoga can help immensely with keeping the muscles flexible and allowing the mind to relax and decompress from the workday. You can also buy a standing work desk, which will force you to do your work in an upright position. This helps blood and oxygen flow more freely through the body, reducing the risk of blood clots and other dangerous health problems.

Source: Naturalblaze.com