Author: alicia

What is a juice cleanse?

According to the Huffington Post “During a juice fast or cleanse, a person limits their diet to only fresh vegetable and fruit juices and water for anywhere from a few days to several weeks. The fast focuses on freshly made, unpasteurized juice, so the usual bottles of OJ that you would pick up at the corner store wouldn’t be allowed.” Juice cleanses also tend to be expensive if you buy them from a manufacturer. If you do decide that you want to do your own juicing the juicers can be costly and can be up to $300 for a top of the line juicer says Huffington Post.

Do juice cleanses work?

The answer is not for long. Some (not all) juice cleanses lack in calories. When you are calorie deficient it can slow your metabolism down. When your body has an improper amount of protein it can also cause muscle loss. Usually people who do juice cleanses want to drop fat not muscle. Therefore you will only be doing your body more harm than good when you deprive it proper nutrients and calories. If you do drop a significant amount of weight from a juice cleanse you’ll like gain weight immediately when you return to your normal eating habits. Therefore it is not a sustainable weight loss.

According to ABC News some people feel amazing after a cleanse. They say that they feel better physically and emotionally during a cleanse. Others have reported that they suffered from moodiness, irritation, depression, fatigue, constipation, constant thoughts of food, and rebound overeating.

Juice cleanses can also be dangerous for anyone who is doing chemotherapy, diabetics, people with nutritional deficiencies or people with kidney disease says Huffington Post. The high sugar in juice cleanses can increase blood-sugar levels in diabetics, This can can lead to problems with fatigue, blurred sight, hunger and thirst.

ABC News recommends that if you do a juice cleanse you should not workout at the same time. They state that the main reasons not to workout and do a juice cleanse are because it can cause tiredness, dizziness and leave you nauseas. They say that because of the lack of protein that causes the breaking down muscle mass can also increase your risk of injury.

If you do choose to try a cleanse make sure it is one where you are not depriving yourself of calories or protein. The moment you have negative feelings, dizziness, fatigue or any other negative symptoms stop the cleanse immediately and check with your doctor.

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The Uses Of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has many uses. Not only is it good for you but it is also affordable. You can use it as lotion, hair treatment and you can even cook with it.  It is available at most local grocers, walmarts, health food stores and even some pharmacies.

According to Dr. Oz “Studies have show that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. Even more, it also can help to fight off yeast, fungus and candida.” He goes on to say that “one 2009 study found that women who consumed 30 milliliters (about 2 tablespoons) of coconut oil daily for 12 weeks not only did not gain more weight, but actually had lowered amounts of abdominal fat, a type of fat that is difficult to lose.” These are all very good reasons as to why you should add coconut oil into your diet. The following are some of my favourite uses for coconut oil:

Lotion – Coconut oil is  very moisturizing. It absorbs well and it also has anti-bacterial properties that are good for the skin.

Baking – Slight coconut taste but its not harsh. It is less fat and full of good omegas. That makes it better for your stomach.

Frying – Much healthier to fry foods with coconut oil. It works as a better medium than butter, and it has a higher smoke point than animal based fats.

Butter Replacement – It makes a great spread. Wherever you put butter you can put coconut oil. Eventually you won’t even notice the difference.

Infections – When applied directly to injury sites, it provides a barrier from additional debris/dust/jerms to aid healing.

Energy Booster – Coconut oils contain and excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are great for boosting energy. Just put some on a table spoon and enjoy.

Hair Mask/Conditioner – Coconut oils can work as a great deep conditioner for the hair, and you can use it daily, as a rinse out; or weekly as a leave-in, under heat.

Sunscreen – Coconut oil actually contains roughly 5 SPF so if you don’t require a high SPF you can definitely lather on the coconut oil.

Base for Body Scrubs – If you mix coconut oil with sea salt it makes a great exfoliating scrub.

Toothpaste – Mix coconut oil, baking soda and mint extract together. Place a dab a little of the mix on your toothbrush and brush.

Deodorant - You can use coconut oil alone as a deodorant. However, it is more effective with combination of cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda.

Follow Alicia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/trainitright

Do you have a sweet tooth? Are you constantly sabotaging your fitness goals by giving in to your cravings? I love chocolate and sweets. I use to spend hours in the gym working out only to be craving chocolate or candy after my workouts. I had little or no self control. Everyone can benefit from fighting those sweet cravings with tea instead of a high calorie sweets.

What type of tea can help with sweet cravings?

It is all about personal preference. One day I was out shopping with a friend and we went into a specialty tea store called DAVIDS TEA. This store has every type of tea imaginable. It doesn’t matter if you are craving sweet, bitter, salty they can find the tea for you. They also carry every type of tea roobios, black, green and many more types. You can choose caffeinated or decaffeinated. The options are endless. Even if your neighborhood doesn’t have a Davids Tea you can order online or visit a local tea shop for similar options.

Why is tea good for you?

Scientists have found that the antioxidants in green tea extract increase the body’s ability to burn fat as fuel, reduce waist circumference and lower your BMI. Scientists have also found that drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attacks, lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, help prevent against cardiovascular disease, and help combat certain types of cancer. What is even more important is that tea is hydrating to the body (even caffeinated tea as opposed to coffee).

If you find the tea that you choose is not sweet enough you can add natural sweeteners like stevia, agave or even a bit of honey instead of sugar. My favorite tea is called “red velvet” and it tastes just as delicious as the cake. When I am craving something sweet it hits the spot. I add in some coconut milk and it is almost as good as the real thing.

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Exercise has benefits for everyone. Age is not a factor, nor is ethnicity, height, or experience. Working out can also benefit expecting mothers. Most women benefit greatly from exercising throughout their pregnancy. According to an article by Zawadski the benefits of exercising when pregnant include:

Flying Fit

Most of us live in a very busy and fast paced environment. We are all in a constant state of movement. Traveling from place to place and always on the go. Sometimes we spend hours in a car, on planes, buses or trains and days, weeks, months away from home in hotels, motels and inns. This makes it a constant challenge to workout while you are traveling. It may be difficult but it is not impossible. Follow these tips to make travelling and working out a breeze and part of your traveling routine.

1. Research the hotels facilities. A lot of hotels have facilities for working out. Some are better than others so do your research first. Check out hotels near where you need to be and call and ask what facilities are available for fitness. Some hotels even have their own trainers if that happens to be in your budget. If its not plan your workout a head or make sure the hotel has wifi so you can log onto www.dailyhitt.com and do your daily workout.

2. Create a travel workout kit. If you don’t want to use your hotels facilities, they don’t have wifi for you to log in and do a www.dailyhiit.com workout or they don’t even have a workout facility you can plan ahead and create a travel workout kit. Items to include can be a TRX with door mount, exercise bands, skipping rope and a yoga mat. You can do an array of exercises in your hotel room with these items or a combination of these items.

3. Make use of whatever space available in your room. If you don’t have a travel kit, wifi or a facility to workout at you can use your body weight. Push aside chairs and tables and do some of your favourite body weighted exercises. These can include exercises such as squats, lunges, push ups, supermans, hip raises, glute bridges, planks, bicycles, jumping jacks and burpees.

4. Get outside. If the weather permits grab your running shoes and hit the streets for a long run, intervals, hills or even a brisk walk. Remember to check with the front desk or a local to make sure the area is safe and always tell some one where you are heading. There are plenty of apps to help you with your workout. If you happen to have an iphone try www.pearsports.com and download their free coaching app. It will help you keep your heart rate up and in a personalized training zone.

Happy travelling and training!

Follow Alicia on twitter: www.twitter.com/trainitright

According to recent studies on average most people consume all of the water they need. Nutritionist, doctors and fitness experts recommend that you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. If you are more active you need to drink more. Soda and coffee etc do not count. Also keep in mind that if you eat a lot of vegetables or water based foods you don’t need quite as much water. This applies especially towards vegetables which are composed of a lot of water themselves. If you are wondering if you are properly hydrated keep an eye on your urine. If your urine is pale it indicates that you are properly hydrated. The darker it is the less hydrated you are. If you take vitamins it may darken or brighten your urine even if you are properly hydrated so don’t be alarmed. Another way to tell if you are properly hydrated is that you have to empty your full bladder at least once every 2 to 4 hours.

Drinking water also suppresses your appetite and burns calories. Studies have shown that drinking cold water temporarily burns more calories because your body has to warm it up once it is ingested. It also may facilitate weight loss because it helps people feel full. So drink up!!!!

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Sugar - Why You Should Cut It Out Of Your Diet

What a great topic to discuss on Valentines Day. A staple of the day: SUGAR.

Did you know that today’s 12-ounce soda can contain up to ten teaspoons of sugar and that the average American eats 22.7 teaspoons of sugar a day (National Geographic, 2013). The reason the consumption is so high is because sugar is added to processed food to enhance both the flavour and texture. I suggest staying away from processed sugary foods all together, but often times this is hard to do. When you grocery shop the best way to avoid processed foods is to stick to the outside of the store and stay away from the aisles.

According to Phycology Today sugar can be addictive and have severe effects on the brain and body. “Sugar leads to dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens – an area associated with motivation, novelty, and reward.  This is the same brain region implicated in response to cocaine and heroin.” How ridiculous is it to think that eating sugar stimulates the same response as an illegal drug does.

Fructose and sugars are also bad for you because they are processed in the liver and turned into fats. These fats can build up and also enter the blood stream. This can cause health risks that include obesity, hypertension and diabetes. According to AMA Wire these are all prevalent problems affecting the greater part of the American population. “Obesity impacts one in three Americans and is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,” said AMA President .

If you are addicted to sugar there are a lot of affordable alternatives to sugar that are readily available and that I use regularly. These alternatives are available at grocery stores, health food stores, specialty food shops or even some corner stores. These alternatives include; Stevia, Xylitol, Coconut Sugar, Maple Syrup, Natural Honey and Brown Rice Syrup. Some times they can be an adjustment and when used in recipes and drinks you may not even notice the difference.

Do your body a favour and try to cut out as much processed and refined sugars that you can. Start by slowly replacing refined sugars and sweeteners and eventually your sweet tooth won’t even notice the difference.