Yoga Exercises To Lose Weight

1. Surya Namaskar 

  Surya Namaskar literally means sun salutation. It is the basic, most widely and most effective practiced asana. The thing that makes it effective is that it involves different poses encompassed in one. It helps in strengthening your body and keeps the one active and healthy always. Surya namaskar helps in exercising almost all areas of the body.

2. Naukasana 

 If you want to reduce tummy fat, then this asana is best to see the results in few days. This asana is balancing of the body that targets the abdominals and with a daily routine practice you will be able to tone your tummy.  

 3. Matsyasana or Fish Pose

Matsyasana is stretching of the lower body like lower abdominal muscles, thighs and hips. Stretching in this asana helps in burning the fat that gets deposited around the stomach and thighs. 

 4. Trikonasana or Triangular Pose 

 Trikonasana targets thReducee sides of your tummy, arms and thighs. Open your legs wide and stretch your arms out. Now with your arms wide open slowly go down with your flat back and try to touch the toe of your foot. It is an effective yoga asana to reduce the side fat of your body.

5. Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose 

  This asana works on the upper body like upper abdominal muscles. It is also a type of stretching asana that involves the stretching of upper body. Stretching in this asana helps to reduce the tummy fat and tone your body shape.

 Source: healthtips565.com

Top Tips for Beautiful Teeth and Gums

Floss First or Brush First?

Flossing first makes brushing your teeth more effective by removing food that gets trapped between teeth. If handling floss flusters you, look for floss holders at the drugstore. When it's time to brush, angle bristles 45-degree at the gum line, then brush gently, moving the brush back and forth. Then, rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash to help get rid of any leftover plaque.

 

Go Easy With Toothpicks

If you don't have floss, a toothpick will work to remove food stuck between teeth, but be gentle. It's easy to press too hard and damage your gums, or even worse, break off a toothpick below the gum line. Floss helps remove food from between teeth better than a toothpick and fights plaque buildup by getting rid of bacteria that form there. Regularly using a toothpick to remove food trapped in a single area may indicate a bigger problem that requires a dentist's attention.

Replace Your Toothbrush

Toothbrush bristles fray, flatten, and wear over time. To help keep your smile bright, replace your manual toothbrush every three or four months; for electric toothbrush heads, follow the manufacturer's advice. Feeling sick? Avoid harboring germs by replacing your toothbrush at the beginning and end of your illness.

Say Cheese for White Teeth!

The casein and whey protein in cheese can help keep your tooth enamel in top form by reducing demineralization. A bonus: Cheese also has vital, tooth-building calcium. Don't forget to include vitamin D in your diet, which helps your body absorb calcium. A few vitamin D-rich foods include milk, egg yolks, and fish.

Stop Stains With Baking Soda

If your love of coffee, red wine, or other tooth-staining food and drink is leaving your pearly whites dim, try brushing baking soda on your teeth twice a month, just like you would toothpaste, then rinse away to help brighten your smile. If plain baking soda irritates your teeth or gums, you may want to try a toothpaste that contains baking soda or avoid it completely.

Foods Can Stain or Brighten Teeth

There's been speculation that strawberries may have natural teeth-whitening properties, but so far, it hasn't been proven. It's best to brush thoroughly after eating teeth-staining food like blueberries, coffee, and cigarettes. To help minimize discoloration, brush, then munch on apples, pears, carrots, or celery, all of which trigger tooth-bathing saliva, which helps keep your teeth bright.

Regulate Your Acid Reflux

If you have acid reflux, you'll want to get it under control to help preserve tooth enamel and oral health. Common foods and drinks that trigger reflux include chocolate; alcohol; caffeinated drinks like soda, coffee, and tea; garlic and onions; dairy; tomatoes; citrus fruits; mint; and spicy, fatty, or fried foods.

Take Care of Your Tongue

Tackle bad breath every time you brush -- take time to brush or scrape your tongue, too. Your tongue plays host to the bacteria that help cause bad breath, so giving it a scrub, or using a tongue scraper daily, can help reduce odor-causing compounds.

Medication Can Cause Dry Mouth

Your mouth needs saliva to stay healthy, but hundreds of medications, like antidepressants, high blood pressure drugs, and antihistamines, can dry up saliva. Medication is the most common cause of dry mouth. To help keep your mouth moist, increase your fluid intake, ask your dentist about an artificial saliva product, or chew sugarless gum after a meal.

Source:WebMD

18 Extremely Effective Tips For Healthy Hair

Tip 1: Protect Your Hair

Always protect your hair from sun, wind and rain. Exposure to excessive sun, heat, dirt, pollution, etc. adds to our already existent hair woes. These can lead to dirt build up, drying out of hair and scalp, increased susceptibility to infections on the scalp. Cover your hair with an umbrella or a hat. Even your dupatta will do.

Tip 2: Deal Carefully With Wet Hair

Wet hair is very fragile and breaks easily. When wet, the shaft and roots of your hair are more prone to sustaining damage. Don’t be too harsh when shampooing. Breakage begins there. And also avoid brushing immediately after a shower. If you have to then use a shower cap instead.

Tip 3: Regular Conditioning

Use a moisturizing conditioner after every wash. Never walk out of a shower without it. Missing this step could be the reason why your hair is frizzy.

Tip 4: Condition The Right Way

Conditioning needs to be done right. Conditioners are formulated to seal in the moisture content in the hair shaft. They are not meant for the scalp. Start conditioning about 2 inches away from your scalp. Too much conditioner on the scalp will only make your scalp excessively oily.

Tip 5: Use Same Line Shampoo & Conditioner

Choose a shampoo and a conditioner from the same line as it has a similar formulation. These are made for a specific hair type and a specific purpose. It shows better results when you use a single line instead of two individual products.

Tip 6:  Don’t Over Apply Heat On Hair

Avoid using heat on your hair. Heat further strips the moisture content from your hair making it dry and frizzy. When overused, it can also burn your hair. Use iron/curl, straighteners only if necessary and remember to use a hair protectant before!

Tip 7: Avoid Tight Hair Ties

Avoid using super tight hair ties; instead, opt for scrunchies with cloth around them. Tight hair ties tend to pull your hair back real tight which increases friction. This can cause breakage.

Tip 8: Don’t Braid Tightly During Bedtime

When you go to bed at night, loosely braid your hair to avoid a frizzy mess, a side braid is a better option. Leaving your hair open tends to create knots, which means you need to subject it to pulling and brushing in the morning. Over brushing results in the frizziness.

Tip 9: Choose Satin Pillow Covers

Sleeping on satin pillow covers is known to reduce hair breakage due to friction. Cotton and other materials are quite rough in texture. Due to which they also cause more friction against your hair.

Tip 10: Dry Hair Cautiously

When drying hair, pat dry. Do not ever rub. You might dry your hair faster but the amount of hair that breaks and falls away also doubles up.

Tip 11: Oil The Scalp Frequently

Oil your hair as frequently as you can and use a gentle shampoo to get rid of the oil. Oiling the scalp is good for your hair. But do not over do it. Dripping oil from your hair will only need you to use more shampoo which strips out more of your natural oils no matter how mild it is.

Tip 12: Suitable Hair Masks

Use hair masks that are suited for your hair. Hair needs vary as per your hair type and troubles. It is necessary that you use the right masks, or it can further aggravate your problem.

Tip 13:  Avoid Teasing Your Hair

Avoid teasing your hair; even if it creates a lot of volume, it ruins the hair texture.

Tip 14:  Cold Water Is Good For Hair

Use cold water to wash your hair. Yes, our parents scream at us for it will probably make us sick but hot water affects hair the same way as heat styling methods do. Cold doesn’t exactly mean freezing cold, but you can use water at room temperature instead.

 

Tip 15:  Use Clarifying Shampoo Once In A Month

A clarifying shampoo once every month is a good idea. This eliminates the trouble of product build up due to which the shampoo and conditioners tend to lose effectiveness.

Tip 16: Brush Effectively

Brushing, this is a sure shot way to increase the luster of your hair. It spreads the natural oils through the length of your hair. But don’t over do this. And do not use plastic brushes as they cause increased breakage.

Tip 17:  Healthy Eating

Health on the inside reflects on your hair too. The healthier you are, the better your hair looks. If you want to have really good and healthy hair, eating right is a must. Certain nutrients like vitamins, iron and proteins are essential for your hair growth and health. If you are unable to obtain enough from your diet, then you need to consider supplements. A good diet for hair will also boost your confidence to stay healthy and smart.

Tip 18: Don’t Use Too Many Products

Avoid using too many products on your hair. Of course, there are certain products that you absolutely must use, like shampoo, conditioner, and serum, but try and avoid bottled hair products as much as possible.


Source:stylecraze

The 4 Steps to Lose Weight By Eating:

Follow the 4 Steps below and try to tune out the noise of the fad diets. This tried and true weight loss plan has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off.

Step #1: Remove all processed foods and artificial sweeteners from your diet.

 Love cheese? How about chocolate? At Lose Weight By Eating we don’t encourage you to give up what you love, in fact the only thing we encourage you to give up is the artificial foods and embrace clean eating.

What is Clean Eating?

Clean eating is the best described as removing all processed, artificial foods from your diet and focusing on healthy, whole, unprocessed foods. Your body is from nature, bring it back to nature and reap the rewards of eating clean, like living a longer, healthier life, have great glowing skin and hair, fast weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.

How to Eat Clean

The best way to understand and implement Step 1 is to skip the boxed, pre-made foods, and shop the perimeter of the grocery store. By shopping just the perimeter of the grocery store you’ll pick up organic fruits and veggies, lean protein from the butcher and freshly baked bread from the store bakery. You’re only buying fresh food. Of course this is more metaphor than rule. Organic pasta, rice and beans are usually found in isles as well are organic whole wheat flour and spices. Be sure to choose these ingredients in the purest forms, pick up the organic brown rice, not the box of rice mixture with the spices. The only ingredient on the label should be “brown rice.”
You can have your chocolate, but instead of the “sugar free” chocolate candies that are full of artificial sweeteners, have a square of all natural dark chocolate. 
As for cheese, choose sharp cheese, you can use less and get the same cheesy goodness, thus saving calories.

Eat More Fat Burning Foods

Fat burning foods are a staple in the Lose Weight By Eating weight loss plan. We make small swaps to recipes to turn them into metabolism boosting foods. For instance, swapping out buttermilk for almond milk in a pancake recipe can cut calories and add natural fat burners to your diet.
Little changes in recipes and your diet can make a big difference in your weight loss success. Check out some of my favorite metabolism boosting recipes.

Top Foods that Burn Fat:

• Hot Peppers
• Green Tea and Coffee
• Whole Grains, Quinoa and Oats
• Grapefruit and other Citrus Fruits
• Lean Poultry and Fish
• Beans and Lentils
• Berries
• Apples
• Almonds, Almond milk and Almond butter
• Eggs
• Greek Yogurt
• Spinach and Broccoli

Fat burning ingredients can be added to many recipes. Just keep in mind that organic food will have more nutrition and therefor more metabolism boosting nutrition.

Step #2: Plan your meals and log what you eat and drink.

I realize this sounds like homework, would it help if we called it studying instead?
By planning your meals and logging what you eat and drink, you will start memorizing how many calories are in your favorite meals and ingredients. Best of all you will learn your own eating habits and cravings, so over time you can better plan your meals to suit your cravings. After a couple weeks if you see you consistently have a 3:00 pm craving for carbs, you can head off that craving in advance with a skinny sandwich at lunch. Or, a sweet craving at 10:00 am can be managed with a sweet oatmeal breakfast.
So as tedious as this one step might seem,  it is an important step for both weight loss and maintenance later on and it holds everything together. Having a meal plan helps you manage plateaus while keeping you motivated. In the long run you’ve studied for your new healthy lifestyle and for your new figure. It makes it easier to maintain your weight loss diet when you have done the studying. So don’t skip this step, you’re studying for the most important test of your life… your health.

Meal Plan

By making a meal plan to lose weight, you are setting yourself up for weight loss success. Have you ever become extra motivated to exercise after a purchase of a new yoga mat, or running shoes? Making a meal plan is motivational in the same way.
If you sit down and take the time to plan out your meals you are more likely to stick to it, because you took the time to do it. You’ll find it’s easier to stay on plan knowing you have a yummy meal coming up later today, and you’ll be less likely to splurge knowing you have a plan to follow.

How Many Calories Should I Plan to Eat?

Since we are talking about setting a meal plan, we need to talk about how many calories you should plan to eat. If your goal is to lose weight, all you need to know is your goal weight. The equation is easy; add a zero to the end of your goal weight to find your daily calorie goal. Just be sure not to go under 1200 calories per day as this will send your metabolism into preservation mode, which may cause your body to hold onto weight instead of releasing it.
Say your goal weight is 135 pounds, your daily calorie intake should be 1350 calories.
Don’t fret if this seems difficult, below is an example of a super filling 1200 Calorie Diet Plan, just add on snacks to increase your calories.

Step #3: Move your body more.

Weight loss is 70% what you eat and 30% exercise. Many people often think exercise is more important in weight loss and they disregard the healthy diet part. That is why Step #3 is to move more. You don’t have to train for a marathon to lose weight, however exercise will speed up the process and, perhaps more importantly, tone your body.
Many people ask me what to do about extra skin, or loose skin, after weight loss and the answer is always “that’s what exercise is for.” If all you can do is a 20 minute yoga video after the kids go down for their nap, or a walk with the dog after work, find a way to make the most of it. And whenever possible increase the time you exercise, if even by 5 minutes.

How to Lose Weight Without Exercise

So what happens when you can’t exercise? There are many people with health and physical difficulties who can’t exercise in the traditional way. For those people, I assure you that you can still lose weight. Like I said above, weight loss is 70% what you eat and 30% exercise, so if you can’t exercise you have to be spot on with your diet plan to lose weight.
You also have to do your best to move your body more. That can mean taking the stairs instead of the elevator or even working extra hard at physical therapy. Do as much as you can, follow the other 3 steps and you will see the weight melt off.

Step #4: Drink a gallon of water a day.

Water is key to losing weight. Besides tasting great, studies have proven that drinking water naturally boosts your metabolism along with many additional water health benefits. It fills you up, flushes your system and naturally increases metabolism.

How Much Water Should I Drink to Lose Weight

On the Lose Weight by Eating Diet Plan, we recommend you try to drink a gallon of water (3 ¾ liters) a day for weight loss. A gallon of water may seem like a lot, but it’s a good weight loss goal to strive for each day. By having 40 ounces of water in the morning, noon and night you will stay full and hydrated. The large amount of water helps increase your metabolism and flush your system, it’s a great aid to weight loss and an easy step that almost anyone can achieve
If you can’t get to a gallon, that’s OK. Start slow with 60 ounces per day and increase by an extra 10 ounces each day until you are at a full gallon.


Sources: https://www.loseweightbyeating.com/

Best Triceps Exercises (without weights)

1. Diamond Push-Up 

Diamond push-ups are far from easy, but done correctly they’re one of the best tricep exercises you can do.

 

How to do:

• Start in a push-up position with your thumbs and index fingers of each hand touching to make a diamond shape
• While keeping your elbows as close to your side as possible, lower yourself down until your chest touches the back of your hands.
• Keep everything tight (abs, glutes, thigh muscles) throughout the movement.
• Push back up to the starting position and repeat.

Regressions (if it’s too difficult):

• Diamond Push-Up Against Wall
• Hands-Elevated Diamond Push-Up
• Regular Push-Up From Floor

Progressions (if it’s too easy):

• Feet-Elevated Diamond Push-Up
• Weighted Diamond Push-Up (using a backpack or resistance band)

 

2. Dip

Dips are another great exercise that work the triceps and chest to varying degrees depending on the variation you choose.

How it should be done:

• Balance between two benches or chairs, with your feet on one chair and your hands on the other.
• Keep you chest up and your back straight throughout the exercise.
• Lower yourself until your elbows are bent to about 90 degrees.
• Then press back up to straighten out your arms.

Regressions:

• Bent-Knee Bench Dips (from the floor)
• Straight-Leg Bench Dips (from the floor)

Progressions:

• Weighted Bench Dip (resting a heavy backpack or suitcase on your thighs)
• Parallel Bar Dip
• Weighted Parallel Bar Dip (using a backpack or something you can lock in between your legs)

3. Tricep Extension

 

Here’s how they’re done:

• Stand in front of the surface, and place your hands about 6 inches apart.
• Step back a few feet, letting your body straighten out as you do so. Keep your abs and glutes so that your body forms a straight line.
• Now lower your entire body forward, bending only at your elbows, so that your head ducks below your hands (as if you are trying to do an overhead tricep stretch).
• Keep your elbows tucked in close the whole way. The only movement should occur at the elbows.
• Extend back up using your triceps.

Regression:

• From wall (the higher you place your hands and the steeper the angle of your body, the easier it will be)

Progression:

• From floor

 Source: Travel STRONG

Ab Workouts: Top 10 Abs Exercises

Abdominal Hold

Do it:

• Sit tall on the edge of a sturdy chair (or step with four risers) and place your hands on the edge with your fingers pointing toward your knees.
• Tighten your abs and bring your toes 2 to 4 inches off the floor. Lift your butt off the chair.
• Hold this position for as long as you can — aim for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Lower yourself down and repeat.
• Continue this exercise for 1 minute.

The Side Crunch

Do it:

• Kneel on the floor and lean all the way over to your right side, placing your right palm on the floor.
• Keeping your weight balanced, slowly extend your left leg and point your toes.
• Place your left hand behind your head, pointing your elbow toward the ceiling.
• Next, slowly lift your leg to hip height as you extend your arm above your leg, with your palm facing forward.
• Look out over your hand while bringing the left side of your rib cage toward your hip.
• Lower to your starting position and repeat 6 to 8 times.
• Do two sets of 6 to 8 reps, and then switch sides.

The Hundred

Do it:

• Sit tall on the mat with your knees bent by your chest and your hands at your sides.
• Lie down with your knees bent and your palms facing down.
• Exhale and raise your head and shoulders off the mat.
• Vigorously pump your arms 6 inches up and down, reaching with your fingertips.
• Inhale for 5 pumps, then exhale for 5 pumps. Be sure to curl your chin in toward your chest.
• Do 100 pumps, or 10 full breaths.
• Try to keep your lower back pressed in toward the floor and keep your lower abs pulled in toward your spine. You should keep your abs engaged this way throughout the workout.

Opposite Arm and Leg Raise

Do it:

• Begin on all fours, aligning your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders.
• Raise your left arm to shoulder height and your left leg to hip height.
• Hold for 2 counts, reaching forward with your fingers and back with your heels.
• Repeat this exercise on the opposite side.
• Do 15 to 20 reps, alternating sides.
• For a bigger challenge, touch your opposite elbow to your knee as you pull your arm and leg in.

The Prone Plank

Do it:

• Get into a full pushup position with your palms on the floor beneath your shoulders.
• Hold here for 30 seconds, with your abs contracted and your arms and legs extended and your head aligned with your spine.
• As you build strength, hold this position longer, up to one minute.
• Go deeper: Try the one-arm stable switching plank.

Squat Thrust with Twist

Do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height.
• Begin by squatting down, bending your knees 90 degrees, and twisting your upper body to the left.
• Now come up and repeat the exercise to the right.
• Keep your weight in your heels and don't allow your knees to jut forward away from your toes.
• Keep your knees facing forward as your chest and shoulders move side to side.
• For the best results, bend your knees as close to 90 degrees as possible.

The Climb Up

Do it:

• Start by lying on the floor with a 3-foot-long scarf or towel wrapped around the ball of your right foot, knees bent, left foot on the floor.
• Hold the scarf in both hands, and extend your right leg, keeping your foot flexed.
• Slowly walk your hands up the scarf as you lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold for a count of 2.
• Now lower yourself back to the starting position, walking your hands back down the scarf.
• Do two sets of 8 to 10 reps on each sides Be sure to keep your head neutral — don't tuck your chin or tilt back.

Ballet Twist

Do it:

• Sit on the floor and extend your legs, pressing them firmly together.
• Lean back 45 degrees from the hips.
• Keep your abs engaged as you bring both your arms overhead like a ballerina.
• Slowly twist your torso to the right, placing your right arm on the mat. Keep your left arm reaching overhead for a slow count of 3.
• Repeat the movement, keeping your left arm on the floor, and keeping your butt and heels on the floor.
• Contract your abs to support your spine as you return to center, bringing both arms overhead.
• Continue alternating sides. Do 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps on each side.

The Single-Leg Stretch

 

Do it:

• Lie back in the center of your mat with your knees bent. Lift your head and shoulders and curl your chin in toward your chest.
• Inhale as you draw your left knee in toward your chest, placing your left hand on your ankle and your right hand on your knee.
• Lift your right leg about 45 degrees off the floor.
• Switch legs, extending your left leg while hugging your right leg to your chest.
• Switch hand positions each time your switch legs, placing your right hand on your right ankle and your left hand on your right knee.
• Do between 5 and 10 reps for each side.

The Cobra

Do it:

• Lie facedown on the floor with your palms near your chest.
• Lift your head, shoulders, and chest off the floor, pulling your shoulder blades down and together.
• Hold for 2 counts and then lower back down. Repeat 8 to 10 times.
• For a more difficult exercise, try lifting your thighs and hips off the floor. 

Source: Fitness Magazine