Do the Plank !
The Plank is a great abs exercise which is really effective.
Its one of the 10 best abs exercise out there and it not only helps you to get the abs you desire but it also helps the strengthen your back muscles.
Its harder to do than crunches but its definitely worth the effort!
It will help you to reach your dream abs much faster than just crunches or your other daily work out.
Here’s how you do it:
1.Get into push up position
2. Get your hands together and push you r elbows to the side.
3. Keep your back flat so that you are in a straight line from your head to your heels.
4. Contract your abs and tilt your pelvis.
Hold this position 30 -60 seconds ( depending on your strength)
Repeat 3-6 times
Check out this video on you tube to if you want to see how its exactly done.
How to do the Plank - Video
In the beginning it might be a little hard, but you will see that soon you wont find it that hard anymore and you can increase the time you do the Plank.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Vitamins - what you need to know!
Missing vitamins - How to find out what you are missing and what to do about it!
Vitamin supplements are a great way to get the vitamins your body needs when you are unable to get enough of them by your food intake.
Especially if you are following weight loss regime, its a good idea to use vitamin supplements as we tend to miss out on important vitamins during that time.
If you arent sure if you miss vitamins and dont want to take a supplement without being sure that you really need it than there are ways to find out if you are missing certain vitamins.
How do i know if im missing certain ?
The easiest way is of course to make a blood test. Y ou will know right away which vitamins you are missing.
But there are other ways too, how you can recognize in daily life if you lack vitamins
Iron - Feeling tired, fatigue a lot.Very pale skin and pale lips canbe an sign for less iron too. Most woman are low in Iron due to the blood loss the experience every month. If you are a vegetarian and dont eat enough green leaf vegetables you probably have a lack of iron too.
calcium - muscles cramps are a clear sign that you are missing calcium.
vitamin c - If you get sick a lot (cold, flu, herpes,..) than you are probably lacking vitamin c.
Vitamin B ( 12+6) - If your nails and hair suddenly start to break easily, its a sign of missing vitamin b 12 and 6 ( probably also omega 6 fatty acids). Another indictaor for this is if your skin becomes dry.
Vitamin A - Many people have a lack of vitamin A and dont know about it! A indicator that you are missing vitamin A is when your vision becomes disturbed, especially if your nightvision gets a lot worse. its also indicated by anicreased danger of infections, which a indictaor that goes for many vitamins and its hard to know which vitamin you are lacking just by this.
What can i do?
You can get a supplement that contains the vitamin you suspect you are missing.
Or you can get a vitamin supplement that covers many vitamins.
I suggest you that you get a supplement that covers a big range of vitamins for the case that you miss another vitamin too.
Personally i use centrum vitamins. I was missing a few vitamins and so i decided to use this supplement to avoid any health problems that could follow from a lack of vitamins.
I got the advice to use centrum from a lot of people ( mostly doctors) as tehy told me this supplemtn is trustable and not a waste of money like so many others.
The person who is the lcosest to me and gave me the advice to use this supplement too is my mother. She had a lot of problems with having infections and getting sick a lot. now since 1 years she is taking centrum multi vitamins and she has been sick only once or twice during this time which is a great change.
Vitamin supplements are a great way to get the vitamins your body needs when you are unable to get enough of them by your food intake.
Especially if you are following weight loss regime, its a good idea to use vitamin supplements as we tend to miss out on important vitamins during that time.
If you arent sure if you miss vitamins and dont want to take a supplement without being sure that you really need it than there are ways to find out if you are missing certain vitamins.
How do i know if im missing certain ?
The easiest way is of course to make a blood test. Y ou will know right away which vitamins you are missing.
But there are other ways too, how you can recognize in daily life if you lack vitamins
Iron - Feeling tired, fatigue a lot.Very pale skin and pale lips canbe an sign for less iron too. Most woman are low in Iron due to the blood loss the experience every month. If you are a vegetarian and dont eat enough green leaf vegetables you probably have a lack of iron too.
calcium - muscles cramps are a clear sign that you are missing calcium.
vitamin c - If you get sick a lot (cold, flu, herpes,..) than you are probably lacking vitamin c.
Vitamin B ( 12+6) - If your nails and hair suddenly start to break easily, its a sign of missing vitamin b 12 and 6 ( probably also omega 6 fatty acids). Another indictaor for this is if your skin becomes dry.
Vitamin A - Many people have a lack of vitamin A and dont know about it! A indicator that you are missing vitamin A is when your vision becomes disturbed, especially if your nightvision gets a lot worse. its also indicated by anicreased danger of infections, which a indictaor that goes for many vitamins and its hard to know which vitamin you are lacking just by this.
What can i do?
You can get a supplement that contains the vitamin you suspect you are missing.
Or you can get a vitamin supplement that covers many vitamins.
I suggest you that you get a supplement that covers a big range of vitamins for the case that you miss another vitamin too.
Personally i use centrum vitamins. I was missing a few vitamins and so i decided to use this supplement to avoid any health problems that could follow from a lack of vitamins.
I got the advice to use centrum from a lot of people ( mostly doctors) as tehy told me this supplemtn is trustable and not a waste of money like so many others.
The person who is the lcosest to me and gave me the advice to use this supplement too is my mother. She had a lot of problems with having infections and getting sick a lot. now since 1 years she is taking centrum multi vitamins and she has been sick only once or twice during this time which is a great change.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
No more excuses - Cardio training you can do at home- at any time!
Its not always possible to go for a run or to visit the gym. Many people have this problem and some use it as an excuse to not work out at all.
Its not a valid excuse!
You can work out, at home and at any time!
I can assure you this from my own experience.
I’ve lost 13 kg by changing my diet and working out at home. In all that time I never went to a gym or did any kind of exercise outside the home. Why u ask?
I have a baby and I live in a place where people would look at you like an alien if you go out for a run. Not to mention how they would stare if I decided to go inline skating around the block!
So even if I managed to steal some time where I give my baby to my husband, I wouldn’t not enjoy working out outside the apartment.
Still I wanted to loose weight and so I did my best to find something I could do at home.
If you want something, there’s no reason to stop u!
You can do a lot of different exercises at home.
Such as working out with the help of fitness DVD’s. There’s a wide range of them available and many of them are really helpful.
I love the 30 days shred DVD’s from Jillian Michaels as they really push you to your limit.
Still my choice of exercise at home is much more simple.
It’s Running.
I’m sure you ask how I do that at home?
Well I simply run in place. Its so easy to do and doesn’t need anything special.
You can do it while watching TV and you can do it at any time you like. It doesn’t matter if theres snow and rain outside, in your house you can still run!
Start to change your life today and start exercising!
People who exercise regularly have a way lower risk of diabetes and other dangerous illnesses!
Doesn’t convince you?
Exercising makes you happy, it really does.
It increases the production of the hormone that is actually responsible for a good mood.
Its also increases you ability to concentrate. So if you are working and feel like you just cant go on and your concentration is totally off, just take a quick run and you will see it will be much easier afterwards!
Even just 15 min a day can make a huge change in your life.
Simply start with running 15 min and increase it week by week. Your health will get better and so will your Mood. Try it out!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Coffee Facescrub - home made
There is a great variety of face scrubs available in stores.
Many of them pretty pricey and promising anything you could think of.
The main purpose however is to remove dead skin particles and to animate the skin to renew itself.
Itdoesnt need much to make a greatface scrub at home.
As you can read in a previous post, all it takes is sugar and optional some oil.
Now theres another ongredient you can add.
Its especially helpfull when yur complexion isnt bright because of less sleep or stress
The ingredient is Coffee
The Caffein that coffee contains is great against tired looking skin.
This is how you do it yourself:
1/2 teaspoon coffee instant powder
2 Tablespoon sugar
optional: 1 teaspoon oil ( only for dry skin)
Just mix it 2gether and you are ready to go!
Wash your face and than use the scrub on your wet face.
Its especially usefull before applying face masks or lotions.
Many of them pretty pricey and promising anything you could think of.
The main purpose however is to remove dead skin particles and to animate the skin to renew itself.
Itdoesnt need much to make a greatface scrub at home.
As you can read in a previous post, all it takes is sugar and optional some oil.
Now theres another ongredient you can add.
Its especially helpfull when yur complexion isnt bright because of less sleep or stress
The ingredient is Coffee
The Caffein that coffee contains is great against tired looking skin.
This is how you do it yourself:
1/2 teaspoon coffee instant powder
2 Tablespoon sugar
optional: 1 teaspoon oil ( only for dry skin)
Just mix it 2gether and you are ready to go!
Wash your face and than use the scrub on your wet face.
Its especially usefull before applying face masks or lotions.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Using facials at home
Using Facial at home is a great thing when you cant go to a spa or get a treatment somewhere else.
I mostly do facial myself. For once its hard to find good face mask in the supermarkets here in cairo and second I don’t get to go to a spa here.
So I make face masks out of ingredients like yogurt, mango, banana, honey or other things we have at home.
But since my skin became pretty bad the last week I decided to buy a Face mask I found at the local supermarket.
From time to time they do offer good beauty products, but its not something you can rely on..
By luck I found a face mask that seemed interesting and that was fitting to my skin type - oily skin. Anyway I can be used for oily and normal skin, just not useful for dry skin I guess.
Its from Bangalore a country I never before bought anything from.. at least not that I know of.
The face mask is called purifying Neem Mask and contains Fuller’s earth, Turmeric and Neem.
I have no idea what Neem is but as long as it works I don’t really care.
Its supposed to deep cleanse and purify the skin. It 75 ml and therefore can be used many times.
I have had 3 facials from it till now and its still nearly full.
After applying the face mask, it has to stay on your skin for 10-15 minutes. In that time it will dry and feel a bit strange, but not bad. After that you can easily wash it off with cool water.
I didn’t expect too much when I bought it but it actually worked pretty well. Right after using it, my skin felt really nice and clean. In the long run it really helps to clear the skin.
The problems I had with my skin are nearly gone after using the face mask for 3 times in the last 1.5 weeks.
I have to say I didn’t have skin problems before and I guess I just got them from eating less vegetables and fruits and way too much junk food, around Eid. The reason my skin got better will also be because I start eating more healthy again, but I’m sure the facial played a factor in it too.
I paid about 26 Le which is about 4.5$ I guess that a pretty good price since it can be used many times. In Germany I used to pay 1 Euro for a Face mask I can use only 1 time. I’ve also seen more expensive face masks here in Cairo but I wont pay too much money for a 1 time facial.
The complete name of this item is Himalaya Herbals - Purifying Neem Mask
I mostly do facial myself. For once its hard to find good face mask in the supermarkets here in cairo and second I don’t get to go to a spa here.
So I make face masks out of ingredients like yogurt, mango, banana, honey or other things we have at home.
But since my skin became pretty bad the last week I decided to buy a Face mask I found at the local supermarket.
From time to time they do offer good beauty products, but its not something you can rely on..
By luck I found a face mask that seemed interesting and that was fitting to my skin type - oily skin. Anyway I can be used for oily and normal skin, just not useful for dry skin I guess.
Its from Bangalore a country I never before bought anything from.. at least not that I know of.
The face mask is called purifying Neem Mask and contains Fuller’s earth, Turmeric and Neem.
I have no idea what Neem is but as long as it works I don’t really care.
Its supposed to deep cleanse and purify the skin. It 75 ml and therefore can be used many times.
I have had 3 facials from it till now and its still nearly full.
After applying the face mask, it has to stay on your skin for 10-15 minutes. In that time it will dry and feel a bit strange, but not bad. After that you can easily wash it off with cool water.
I didn’t expect too much when I bought it but it actually worked pretty well. Right after using it, my skin felt really nice and clean. In the long run it really helps to clear the skin.
The problems I had with my skin are nearly gone after using the face mask for 3 times in the last 1.5 weeks.
I have to say I didn’t have skin problems before and I guess I just got them from eating less vegetables and fruits and way too much junk food, around Eid. The reason my skin got better will also be because I start eating more healthy again, but I’m sure the facial played a factor in it too.
I paid about 26 Le which is about 4.5$ I guess that a pretty good price since it can be used many times. In Germany I used to pay 1 Euro for a Face mask I can use only 1 time. I’ve also seen more expensive face masks here in Cairo but I wont pay too much money for a 1 time facial.
The complete name of this item is Himalaya Herbals - Purifying Neem Mask
Friday, August 17, 2012
Home made Lemonade
Enjoy!
Coffee Facial
Home made facial
Coffee facemask
For all skin types
This great facial will definitely brighten your face and it helps to decrease puffiness, especially under the eyes thanks to the caffeine that it contains.
It works for all skin types and is a facial you can easily make at home without much effort.
All you need for this facemask is:
2 Tablespoon coffee powder
1-teaspoon yogurt
You can increase the amount of yogurt if you want the mask to be more fluid or decrease it if you want the consistence to be thicker.
Mix those two ingredients and apply the mask on your face. Also, apply under your eyes while making sure none if it gets into your eyes!
Leave the facial on your skin for about 10 min and wash it off with lukewarm water.
This facemask will make you look fresh and rested, even after a long night out!
Coffee facemask
For all skin types
This great facial will definitely brighten your face and it helps to decrease puffiness, especially under the eyes thanks to the caffeine that it contains.
It works for all skin types and is a facial you can easily make at home without much effort.
All you need for this facemask is:
2 Tablespoon coffee powder
1-teaspoon yogurt
You can increase the amount of yogurt if you want the mask to be more fluid or decrease it if you want the consistence to be thicker.
Mix those two ingredients and apply the mask on your face. Also, apply under your eyes while making sure none if it gets into your eyes!
Leave the facial on your skin for about 10 min and wash it off with lukewarm water.
This facemask will make you look fresh and rested, even after a long night out!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
what really makes you tired - Iron deficit
What makes you really tired?
If you are always tired and feel like you lack energy, it simply might be that you need more iron! Especially woman are often suffering from iron deficits and mostly they don’t even know it and just think they are tired weather changes, not enough sleep,…
In most cases this lack of energy will completely disappear if the iron intake is increased. Whether its by taking supplements or increasing iron rich foods in your diet.
One of the iron richest foods available is liver which contains up to 9 mg of iron per 10 grams. This food however isn’t suitable for everyone and most people don’t like liver at all and wont eat it in any condition. Fortunately there are many more foods that are rich in iron and that are much more tasty than liver.
Here is a little List of iron rich foods:
Beef
Turkey
Oysters
Oats
Spinach
Chick peas
Lentils
Any green leaf vegetables
Red beet
The body has trouble to absorb iron if its combined with any dairy foods so it should be avoided to consume those iron rich foods with milk, yogurt, etc. The easiest way for our body to absorb iron is to combine it with vitamin C. So drinking some Vitamin C rich Juices while eating an iron rich meal is a great way to absorb iron the best way.
Pregnant woman, breastfeeding woman and woman who are on their period have a higher need of iron and therefore should increase their iron intake. If you suspect that you have iron deficit you can simply increase the amount of iron rich foods in your diet, if this doesn’t help you, its best to see your doctor. Taking a blood test to see if it is really iron that you are missing is always the best way to find out what’s really behind your fatigue.
If you are always tired and feel like you lack energy, it simply might be that you need more iron! Especially woman are often suffering from iron deficits and mostly they don’t even know it and just think they are tired weather changes, not enough sleep,…
In most cases this lack of energy will completely disappear if the iron intake is increased. Whether its by taking supplements or increasing iron rich foods in your diet.
One of the iron richest foods available is liver which contains up to 9 mg of iron per 10 grams. This food however isn’t suitable for everyone and most people don’t like liver at all and wont eat it in any condition. Fortunately there are many more foods that are rich in iron and that are much more tasty than liver.
Here is a little List of iron rich foods:
Beef
Turkey
Oysters
Oats
Spinach
Chick peas
Lentils
Any green leaf vegetables
Red beet
The body has trouble to absorb iron if its combined with any dairy foods so it should be avoided to consume those iron rich foods with milk, yogurt, etc. The easiest way for our body to absorb iron is to combine it with vitamin C. So drinking some Vitamin C rich Juices while eating an iron rich meal is a great way to absorb iron the best way.
Pregnant woman, breastfeeding woman and woman who are on their period have a higher need of iron and therefore should increase their iron intake. If you suspect that you have iron deficit you can simply increase the amount of iron rich foods in your diet, if this doesn’t help you, its best to see your doctor. Taking a blood test to see if it is really iron that you are missing is always the best way to find out what’s really behind your fatigue.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Mango - great for your health and your skin!
Mango - great for your health and your skin!
Mangos are delicious and healthy.
In anyway they are good for our health with their vitamins and fibers but mangos have more to offer than you think.
A Mango Face Mask has many benefits and is way cheaper than beauty products from the pharmacy or from your local store.
Several components of the Mango make it a great way to give your skin a well needed “Treat”.
The vitamin C that it contains works is an antioxidant, which is useful in preventing wrinkles and fine lines.
Mango contains a lot of Beta Carotene, which is also an antioxidant and has the same effect, as Vitamin C. Beta-Carotene is an ingredient of many beauty products as it is able to promote cell regeneration.
Vitamin A is another element that makes Mango’s so extremely healthy. It is responsible to re-hydrate your skin, which will give it a fresh and young look!
Home made easy Mango-Yogurt Mask
This Mask is suitable for all Skin Types and is especially beneficial for irritated Skin
Yogurt is a great component to hydrate your skin and to soothe irritated skin.
½ ripe Mango
4 Tablespoons of full fat Yogurt
Mix the 2 ingredients in a Mixer and apply to the
Cleansed skin. Leave it for 10- 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.
To have an even better effect, you can do a home made face scrub before applying the Mask.
For the Face scrub, simply take 3 Tablespoon of white sugar ad scrub your face with it.
Rinse your with warm water and than apply the Mask.
Use the waiting time to make super tasty Mango Smoothie, which will benefit your health and give you a lot of energy.
Home made Mango Smoothie
½ mangos
2 tablespoon Yogurt
1 Glass of Milk
2-3 Tablespoon Honey
1 Teaspoon lemon juice
Mix the contents together and enjoy the most tasty homemade mango smoothie of your Life.
If you don’t count calories, you can as well exchange the yogurt with some vanilla ice cream.
Mangos are delicious and healthy.
In anyway they are good for our health with their vitamins and fibers but mangos have more to offer than you think.
A Mango Face Mask has many benefits and is way cheaper than beauty products from the pharmacy or from your local store.
Several components of the Mango make it a great way to give your skin a well needed “Treat”.
Mango contains a lot of Beta Carotene, which is also an antioxidant and has the same effect, as Vitamin C. Beta-Carotene is an ingredient of many beauty products as it is able to promote cell regeneration.
Vitamin A is another element that makes Mango’s so extremely healthy. It is responsible to re-hydrate your skin, which will give it a fresh and young look!
Home made easy Mango-Yogurt Mask
This Mask is suitable for all Skin Types and is especially beneficial for irritated Skin
Yogurt is a great component to hydrate your skin and to soothe irritated skin.
½ ripe Mango
4 Tablespoons of full fat Yogurt
Mix the 2 ingredients in a Mixer and apply to the
Cleansed skin. Leave it for 10- 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.
To have an even better effect, you can do a home made face scrub before applying the Mask.
For the Face scrub, simply take 3 Tablespoon of white sugar ad scrub your face with it.
Rinse your with warm water and than apply the Mask.
Use the waiting time to make super tasty Mango Smoothie, which will benefit your health and give you a lot of energy.
Home made Mango Smoothie
½ mangos
2 tablespoon Yogurt
1 Glass of Milk
2-3 Tablespoon Honey
1 Teaspoon lemon juice
Mix the contents together and enjoy the most tasty homemade mango smoothie of your Life.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The healing Powers of Black Cumin
The healing Power of Black Cumin
The Latin name for Black cumin is Nigella saliva. It is mostly referred to as black seed and is often confused with black sesame seed or other spices.
Black seeds might be tiny but their health properties are huge!
It contains important vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium.
The Islamic prophet Mohammad said that the seeds of black cumin could cure anything but death itself. In addition, really, black seed can cure and prevent many diseases.
For one instance, it boosts the immunity system, which will already help to prevent any disease. However, it is also useful to fight diseases that already have occurred.
Black Seed is effective against bacteria’s, which are highly resistant to drugs, like E.coli, cholera bacterium and Shigella spp.
It is also effectively helps against symptoms as diarrhoea, heartburn, dyspepsia, headaches, toothache, colds and infections
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is believed to have said: “In the black seed is healing for every disease except death.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Recent studies have shown that the oil of this tiny seed is able to help the human body to fight cancer. It is even able to help fight pancreatic cancer, which is one of the most deadly cancers, which is still very difficult to treat.
However, that is not all the black seed has to offer, it is also helpful in treating diseases related to the respiratory system such as asthma and bronchitis.
Its oil is able to help calming the nervous system, improves digestion, treats haemorrhoids, prevents lower and high blood pressure, quells colic pain and helps to recover from fatigue.
If you are nursing your baby, you should also consider making black seed a part of your daily diet as it could increase the amount of milk in nursing mothers.
All of this has been know in the Middle East and Asian countries for centuries.
Black cumin has a particularly long history of use in Egypt where it is called “Haba Baraka”.
The well known Arabic physician Avicenna ( ibn Sina) said in The Canon of Medicine: “black cumin stimulates the body's energy and helps recovery from fatigue and dispiritedness”
Black cumin cannot only improve your health but also your beauty as it strengthens hair and fingernails. It is also a cure for skin conditions like acne, eczema or allergies.
Overall, this precious seed is underrated and not well known in western countries, which is something that should be changed as this seed has a lot to offer!
Here are some tasty recipes containing Black cumin
This is how Black cumin looks like
The Latin name for Black cumin is Nigella saliva. It is mostly referred to as black seed and is often confused with black sesame seed or other spices.
Black seeds might be tiny but their health properties are huge!
It contains important vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene, calcium, iron, sodium and potassium.
The Islamic prophet Mohammad said that the seeds of black cumin could cure anything but death itself. In addition, really, black seed can cure and prevent many diseases.
For one instance, it boosts the immunity system, which will already help to prevent any disease. However, it is also useful to fight diseases that already have occurred.
Black Seed is effective against bacteria’s, which are highly resistant to drugs, like E.coli, cholera bacterium and Shigella spp.
It is also effectively helps against symptoms as diarrhoea, heartburn, dyspepsia, headaches, toothache, colds and infections
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is believed to have said: “In the black seed is healing for every disease except death.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Recent studies have shown that the oil of this tiny seed is able to help the human body to fight cancer. It is even able to help fight pancreatic cancer, which is one of the most deadly cancers, which is still very difficult to treat.
However, that is not all the black seed has to offer, it is also helpful in treating diseases related to the respiratory system such as asthma and bronchitis.
Its oil is able to help calming the nervous system, improves digestion, treats haemorrhoids, prevents lower and high blood pressure, quells colic pain and helps to recover from fatigue.
If you are nursing your baby, you should also consider making black seed a part of your daily diet as it could increase the amount of milk in nursing mothers.
All of this has been know in the Middle East and Asian countries for centuries.
Black cumin has a particularly long history of use in Egypt where it is called “Haba Baraka”.
The well known Arabic physician Avicenna ( ibn Sina) said in The Canon of Medicine: “black cumin stimulates the body's energy and helps recovery from fatigue and dispiritedness”
Black cumin cannot only improve your health but also your beauty as it strengthens hair and fingernails. It is also a cure for skin conditions like acne, eczema or allergies.
Overall, this precious seed is underrated and not well known in western countries, which is something that should be changed as this seed has a lot to offer!
Here are some tasty recipes containing Black cumin
Saturday, July 14, 2012
How to beat bloating
How to beat bloating
If your jeans fit perfectly in the morning but are too tight in the evening it might be because of bloating.
Bloating does not only makes you look a few pound heavier it is also can make u feel very uncomfortable. Bloating causes a feeling of tightness in the abdominal area, just as if you have eaten too much, even if u did not eat much at all.
There are many reasons why bloating occurs, but don’t worry there are also many ways to avoid and fight bloating.
CausesBloating occurs when excess gas is produced during the digestive process, this can be caused for example by Food intolerance, lactose intolerance and coeliac disease.
Nevertheless, these are not always the reasons behind bloating, more likely bloating will be caused by over eating, frequent consumption of too much processed or fatty foods, too high consumption of alcohol and fizzy drinks, a too salt rich diet or too little protein in your diet.
These causes can be removed by little changes in your diet. Cutting back on salt, alcohol, fizzy drink and processed foods will not only help you to beat bloating but also improve your overall health.
RemediesWhen the bloating already occurred there are a few herbs that can help you, those herbs are peppermint, ginger, fennel, chamomile and cinnamon.
All of those herbs can be found as teas in your local supermarket.
Many things can help you from avoid bloating before it takes place.
Two very important factors in avoiding bloating are, being physically active and drinking plenty of water; at least 1.5 litre a day.
It can also help to eat slowly and eat several small meals a day instead of one or two big meals.
If you suspect that a certain food is the cause of the bloating, it can help to write a food diary and see which foods you ate when bloating occurs.
Remove these foods from your diet, also one at a time for 1 week and see if the problems still exist. This way you have the best chance to find out which foods cause the bloating. Food that you should definitely avoid if you have problems with bloating is gassy foods like lentils, cabbage, beans or turnip.
If bloating still occurs regularly even after you have followed all the advices above, you might need to consult a doctor, as the bloating can be a sign for a disease (for example, the irritated bowl syndrome)
A nice cup of Mint ( peppermint) Tea after every meal helps to prevent bloating
If your jeans fit perfectly in the morning but are too tight in the evening it might be because of bloating.
Bloating does not only makes you look a few pound heavier it is also can make u feel very uncomfortable. Bloating causes a feeling of tightness in the abdominal area, just as if you have eaten too much, even if u did not eat much at all.
There are many reasons why bloating occurs, but don’t worry there are also many ways to avoid and fight bloating.
CausesBloating occurs when excess gas is produced during the digestive process, this can be caused for example by Food intolerance, lactose intolerance and coeliac disease.
Nevertheless, these are not always the reasons behind bloating, more likely bloating will be caused by over eating, frequent consumption of too much processed or fatty foods, too high consumption of alcohol and fizzy drinks, a too salt rich diet or too little protein in your diet.
These causes can be removed by little changes in your diet. Cutting back on salt, alcohol, fizzy drink and processed foods will not only help you to beat bloating but also improve your overall health.
RemediesWhen the bloating already occurred there are a few herbs that can help you, those herbs are peppermint, ginger, fennel, chamomile and cinnamon.
All of those herbs can be found as teas in your local supermarket.
Many things can help you from avoid bloating before it takes place.
Two very important factors in avoiding bloating are, being physically active and drinking plenty of water; at least 1.5 litre a day.
It can also help to eat slowly and eat several small meals a day instead of one or two big meals.
If you suspect that a certain food is the cause of the bloating, it can help to write a food diary and see which foods you ate when bloating occurs.
Remove these foods from your diet, also one at a time for 1 week and see if the problems still exist. This way you have the best chance to find out which foods cause the bloating. Food that you should definitely avoid if you have problems with bloating is gassy foods like lentils, cabbage, beans or turnip.
If bloating still occurs regularly even after you have followed all the advices above, you might need to consult a doctor, as the bloating can be a sign for a disease (for example, the irritated bowl syndrome)
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thyme antiseptic-antibacterial-antioxidant
The Power of thyme
Not many people are aware of the health potential this tasty herb has.
In western countries, thyme is mostly used in dishes like soups, stews, casseroles and sautéed vegetables. Still a lot of you will not know its taste, not to mention do not have it at home.
However, you should change that and I will explain you why.
Which thyme should you choose?
There are many different kinds of thyme, about 37, though you can probably find only three kinds of it in your local store. The thyme I am talking about is the common thyme, also called French thyme.
What does it do?
Common thyme is rich in iron, magnesia and vitamin k and it contains an essential oil that is rich in thymol, which is a powerful antiseptic, antibacterial and a strong antioxidant. This means it is useful to fight different types of bacteria’s and fungi, which is why it is often found in cough syrup and antiseptic ointments.
It is not recommended during pregnancy as thyme can act as a uterine stimulant.
How can I use it at home?
Thyme can be prepared in many different ways.
I f you want to add it to any dish, add it at the end of the cooking process so the flavour will not be destroyed by the heat.
Thyme fits very well to pasta sauces, Omelettes, Fish and soups.
You can use fresh thyme or dried and crushed thyme for these foods.
In Arabic, country’s people eat thyme with bread. They simply mix grounded thyme with sesame, a little salt and olive oil and than dip bread in it. This is a very healthy and tasty way to eat thyme. If this is too strong for your taste you can add some cream cheese and use it as a spread on your sandwich, you will be surprised how tasty this can be.
If you have a cough, you can simply make a thyme tea. Just add 1 teaspoon of crushed thyme into ½ cup of boiling water and let it sit for 10 min, than strain and drink.
You should drink it 2- 4 times a day to treat your cough.
If you can´t drink it like that and want to use sugar, don´t!
Use honey instead, as honey will also help against the cough.
Where can I get Thyme?
Your local supermarket should sell dried common/French thyme.
If you cant find it there you can always order it online (for example from amazone.com ). Online you can find all different kinds of thyme and also the seeds to grow thyme at home.
Recipe: Thyme bread spread
You need:
3 Tablespoons dry and crushed thyme (common thyme)
3 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
1-Tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1-Teaspoon sesame seed
How to make it:
Mix the Thyme with the Salt and Sesame.
Add the Olive oil and Cream Cheese and mix it with a spoon.
Spread it on your bread without anything else.
Enjoy!
This is a thyme mix of grounded thyme and sesame
Not many people are aware of the health potential this tasty herb has.
In western countries, thyme is mostly used in dishes like soups, stews, casseroles and sautéed vegetables. Still a lot of you will not know its taste, not to mention do not have it at home.
However, you should change that and I will explain you why.
Which thyme should you choose?
There are many different kinds of thyme, about 37, though you can probably find only three kinds of it in your local store. The thyme I am talking about is the common thyme, also called French thyme.
What does it do?
Common thyme is rich in iron, magnesia and vitamin k and it contains an essential oil that is rich in thymol, which is a powerful antiseptic, antibacterial and a strong antioxidant. This means it is useful to fight different types of bacteria’s and fungi, which is why it is often found in cough syrup and antiseptic ointments.
It is not recommended during pregnancy as thyme can act as a uterine stimulant.
How can I use it at home?
Thyme can be prepared in many different ways.
I f you want to add it to any dish, add it at the end of the cooking process so the flavour will not be destroyed by the heat.
Thyme fits very well to pasta sauces, Omelettes, Fish and soups.
You can use fresh thyme or dried and crushed thyme for these foods.
In Arabic, country’s people eat thyme with bread. They simply mix grounded thyme with sesame, a little salt and olive oil and than dip bread in it. This is a very healthy and tasty way to eat thyme. If this is too strong for your taste you can add some cream cheese and use it as a spread on your sandwich, you will be surprised how tasty this can be.
If you have a cough, you can simply make a thyme tea. Just add 1 teaspoon of crushed thyme into ½ cup of boiling water and let it sit for 10 min, than strain and drink.
You should drink it 2- 4 times a day to treat your cough.
If you can´t drink it like that and want to use sugar, don´t!
Use honey instead, as honey will also help against the cough.
Where can I get Thyme?
Your local supermarket should sell dried common/French thyme.
If you cant find it there you can always order it online (for example from amazone.com ). Online you can find all different kinds of thyme and also the seeds to grow thyme at home.
Recipe: Thyme bread spread
You need:
3 Tablespoons dry and crushed thyme (common thyme)
3 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
1-Tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt
Optional: 1-Teaspoon sesame seed
How to make it:
Mix the Thyme with the Salt and Sesame.
Add the Olive oil and Cream Cheese and mix it with a spoon.
Spread it on your bread without anything else.
Enjoy!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
How many calories do i need?
To loose weight or to keep your weight you have to know how many calories you can eat per day without gaining weight.
Here you can find a calculator: Calorie calculator
For example: a woman that is 20 years old and weights 62 kg needs
while being lightly active about 1872 calories
if she’s moderately active she will need 2160 calories
This are the calories that your body burns each day.
If you want to loose weight you will have to eat less calories than you burn.
To loose weight healthy, never eat less than 1500 calories a day!
Another way to loose weight is to increase the amount of calories that you burn by doing more excercise.
So if i need for example 2000 calories than what can i eat all day?
a glass of 3.5 % fat milk (250ml )has 162.5 calories
while a glass of 1.5% fat milk has 120 Calories
1 slice of toast has about 80 calories
1 slice of edam cheese has 105 calories
1 teaspoon butter has 77 calories
200 gr of uncooked spaghetti have 700!! calories
Vegetables have in general less calories and contain lots of fibre.
They contain less carbohydrates and a lot of vitamins. This combination helps to keep you fit and healthy looking.
Water has 0 calories
Orange juice without added sugar has 120 calories per glass ( 250ml)
Think about that "if you drink 10 glasses of Orange juice in 1 day, you have already used more than half of the calories, you are allowed to consume"
You should drink 1.5 - 3 litre of fluids a day. Water is always the best choice. But you can also drink 1-2 glasses of juices a day as they contain needed vitamins.
Another option are tea´s ( without sugar) or black coffee.
If you eat less pasta, rice and bread and substitute them with vegetables and eggs you can easily reach your calorie goal and get healthy.
Home made Face scrub
There are a lot of options out there that promise to give u a better skin.
It´s actually really easy to improve the look of your skin and it´s not even expensive.
Simply use this face scrub 1-2 times a week and your skin will look great.
2 Tablespoon white Sugar
For dry skin u can add some olive oil
Simply rub your face with this scrub before you use suncream or other lotion.
Leave out sensitive parts under your eyes and around your lips
To optimize the look of your skin, you have to eat right and leave out too much sugar and fat from your diet.
Drinking at least 1.5-3 Litre of water is also important to keep your skin looking healthy.
Just remember, Your face is the first thing people notice about you and a healthy, glowing skin makes a great impression :)
It´s actually really easy to improve the look of your skin and it´s not even expensive.
Simply use this face scrub 1-2 times a week and your skin will look great.
2 Tablespoon white Sugar
For dry skin u can add some olive oil
Simply rub your face with this scrub before you use suncream or other lotion.
Leave out sensitive parts under your eyes and around your lips
To optimize the look of your skin, you have to eat right and leave out too much sugar and fat from your diet.
Drinking at least 1.5-3 Litre of water is also important to keep your skin looking healthy.
Just remember, Your face is the first thing people notice about you and a healthy, glowing skin makes a great impression :)
For all the muslims - Loose weight in Ramadan
How to lose weight in Ramadan
I know what your first thought was while reading the headline, it probably was something like “ Ramadan is meant for spiritual worship, not a tool to lose weight!”.
And you are right, but why not use this holy month to improve your Imaan and also your health?
I will try to help you with this task and make it a little easier for you to lose weight this Ramadan and not gain weight or keep your weight, like you probably did the last few years.
First you need to analyze the reason why you haven’t lost weight the past Ramadan´s.
There are several possible reasons for weight gain in Ramadan, so let’s take them one by one.
1. Delightful Deserts
Traditional Ramadan is the time where mothers, grandmothers and Aunts will spend most of their time in the kitchen to create tasty foods and deserts that we don’t eat very often around the year. It isn’t the purpose of Ramadan to eat special dishes and to indulge in Food but that doesn’t mean you have to completely stay away from these tasty little temptations.
Give yourself a break once a week and eat the desert you like the best (I’d advise you to do that on a Friday as it’s the holiday for Muslim’s so let’s make it special) and stay away from Deserts the other days of the week.
2. Eating only once a day
Another reason for weight gain is if you only eat 1 big Meal while fasting.
Hard to believe, right? Well it is true and I’ll tell you how that works.
If you fast all day your body goes into starvation mood. So if after fasting you eat a huge Iftar and than nothing else for the rest of the night, your body will believe there is a serious crisis going on.
Your Body will store all the Food it gets and turn it into Fat, thinking you might not get Food again very soon.
So the Solution to this is pretty simple. Eat frequently during the Night.
I will give you an example of how you could keep your Diet Plan during the night.
-After the Adhaan (Prayer Call) eat 1- 3 Dates (It’s Sunnah to eat 3 Dates) and drink at least 1 Glass of Water. You can drink some Juice too if you want but still don’t leave out the water, it’s very important for hydration!
- After praying Maghrib you can eat your actual Iftar which ideally should include weather salad or a vegetable dish and soup. Try not to eat fatty dishes or anything including white Fluor.
- You should remember to drink plenty of water during the night and also during praying Taraweeh (Night Prayers in Ramadan).
- After Taraweeh u can eat a little Snack like fresh fruit salad ( use honey with it instead of sugar), Some Nuts or tasty Milkshakes. The Milkshake should be home made with fresh fruits, low fat Milk and less sugar/honey.
-For Suhoor I would suggest u anything that has a lot of Protein, as it will not let you get hungry as fast as a carbohydrate rich dish.
Ideal for Suhoor are Eggs, Fouhl or Yogurt.
The eggs can be turned into Omelette with a lot of healthy vegetables. This is a great dish to serve the whole family without making a huge effort (so you will have more time for worship).
Traditionally a lot of people eat Fouhl (cooked Beans) with Arabic bread for Suhoor. If you want to eat this, try to eat more Fouhl and less bread. Also try to get whole grain bread to eat it with the Fouhl .
3. Unhealthy Drinks
This might not be a problem specific for Ramadan but I will still address it as it’s a big step back for a healthy Life!
Soda drinks are the enemy of any healthy Diet. They contain a lot of sugar and a lot of other ingredients that harm your health.
Did you ever put a piece of meat into a bowl of Pepsi and watch what happens after about 2 days? It will nearly completely disappear. Do you really want to still drink something like this?
Fruit juices are healthy - but only in moderation, which means about 1- 2 glasses a day. And only if you choose juices without added sugar. Most juices you can buy at the store contain a lot of sugar and water and less actual juice.
So ´do something good for your health and buy a high quality juice.
Drink plenty of water! About 1.5 - 3 litre per day ( or in Ramadan per night)
If you are used to drink a lot of Coffee and tea, try to reduce your consume before Ramadan. if you suddenly give them up in Ramadan you can experience head ache from the withdrawal of Caffeine.
If you wish to drink Tea or Coffee in Ramadan limit yourself to 2 cups with less sugar.
4. Sudden drop of Exercise
It is really hard to do your regular training in Ramadan and sometimes it’s even impossible.
My advice on exercise in Ramadan would be to do it right before Maghreb, so you can drink water after it.
Don’t overdo it, 30-45 min of exercise 2-4 times a week is more than enough in Ramadan. The Taraweeh prayer will probably do the rest for your exercise routine.
At last I want to remember you that Ramadan is meant as a reminder of the Poor and Needy.
We are supposed to feel some of their hardships ourselves to sympathize with them and to remember them even long after Ramadan is gone.
It’s not time to indulge in food and find excuses to eat more than ever just because you haven’t eaten the whole day.
So remember yourself of this and improve your health and Imaan in Ramadan and keep it up all Year
I know what your first thought was while reading the headline, it probably was something like “ Ramadan is meant for spiritual worship, not a tool to lose weight!”.
And you are right, but why not use this holy month to improve your Imaan and also your health?
I will try to help you with this task and make it a little easier for you to lose weight this Ramadan and not gain weight or keep your weight, like you probably did the last few years.
First you need to analyze the reason why you haven’t lost weight the past Ramadan´s.
There are several possible reasons for weight gain in Ramadan, so let’s take them one by one.
1. Delightful Deserts
Traditional Ramadan is the time where mothers, grandmothers and Aunts will spend most of their time in the kitchen to create tasty foods and deserts that we don’t eat very often around the year. It isn’t the purpose of Ramadan to eat special dishes and to indulge in Food but that doesn’t mean you have to completely stay away from these tasty little temptations.
Give yourself a break once a week and eat the desert you like the best (I’d advise you to do that on a Friday as it’s the holiday for Muslim’s so let’s make it special) and stay away from Deserts the other days of the week.
2. Eating only once a day
Another reason for weight gain is if you only eat 1 big Meal while fasting.
Hard to believe, right? Well it is true and I’ll tell you how that works.
If you fast all day your body goes into starvation mood. So if after fasting you eat a huge Iftar and than nothing else for the rest of the night, your body will believe there is a serious crisis going on.
Your Body will store all the Food it gets and turn it into Fat, thinking you might not get Food again very soon.
So the Solution to this is pretty simple. Eat frequently during the Night.
I will give you an example of how you could keep your Diet Plan during the night.
-After the Adhaan (Prayer Call) eat 1- 3 Dates (It’s Sunnah to eat 3 Dates) and drink at least 1 Glass of Water. You can drink some Juice too if you want but still don’t leave out the water, it’s very important for hydration!
- After praying Maghrib you can eat your actual Iftar which ideally should include weather salad or a vegetable dish and soup. Try not to eat fatty dishes or anything including white Fluor.
- You should remember to drink plenty of water during the night and also during praying Taraweeh (Night Prayers in Ramadan).
- After Taraweeh u can eat a little Snack like fresh fruit salad ( use honey with it instead of sugar), Some Nuts or tasty Milkshakes. The Milkshake should be home made with fresh fruits, low fat Milk and less sugar/honey.
-For Suhoor I would suggest u anything that has a lot of Protein, as it will not let you get hungry as fast as a carbohydrate rich dish.
Ideal for Suhoor are Eggs, Fouhl or Yogurt.
The eggs can be turned into Omelette with a lot of healthy vegetables. This is a great dish to serve the whole family without making a huge effort (so you will have more time for worship).
Traditionally a lot of people eat Fouhl (cooked Beans) with Arabic bread for Suhoor. If you want to eat this, try to eat more Fouhl and less bread. Also try to get whole grain bread to eat it with the Fouhl .
3. Unhealthy Drinks
This might not be a problem specific for Ramadan but I will still address it as it’s a big step back for a healthy Life!
Soda drinks are the enemy of any healthy Diet. They contain a lot of sugar and a lot of other ingredients that harm your health.
Did you ever put a piece of meat into a bowl of Pepsi and watch what happens after about 2 days? It will nearly completely disappear. Do you really want to still drink something like this?
Fruit juices are healthy - but only in moderation, which means about 1- 2 glasses a day. And only if you choose juices without added sugar. Most juices you can buy at the store contain a lot of sugar and water and less actual juice.
So ´do something good for your health and buy a high quality juice.
Drink plenty of water! About 1.5 - 3 litre per day ( or in Ramadan per night)
If you are used to drink a lot of Coffee and tea, try to reduce your consume before Ramadan. if you suddenly give them up in Ramadan you can experience head ache from the withdrawal of Caffeine.
If you wish to drink Tea or Coffee in Ramadan limit yourself to 2 cups with less sugar.
4. Sudden drop of Exercise
It is really hard to do your regular training in Ramadan and sometimes it’s even impossible.
My advice on exercise in Ramadan would be to do it right before Maghreb, so you can drink water after it.
Don’t overdo it, 30-45 min of exercise 2-4 times a week is more than enough in Ramadan. The Taraweeh prayer will probably do the rest for your exercise routine.
At last I want to remember you that Ramadan is meant as a reminder of the Poor and Needy.
We are supposed to feel some of their hardships ourselves to sympathize with them and to remember them even long after Ramadan is gone.
It’s not time to indulge in food and find excuses to eat more than ever just because you haven’t eaten the whole day.
So remember yourself of this and improve your health and Imaan in Ramadan and keep it up all Year
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