Having beautiful and skinny legs is a dream that haunts many of us. Achieving this is not easy, and if you believe that the fighter in you has died long ago, then we are sorry to tell you that this is not going to work. Just like any set of exercises, these ones too need careful planning, determination and strong will (after all, where there’s a will there’s a way). Now let’s work out a perfect workout plan together to get tones legs easily! Here are the simple steps on how to get skinny legs!

Weight Training for Perfect Legs

If you are afraid that because of weight training your body is going to become all bulky and too massive for a woman, remember that carefully planned weight training is one way to go towards beautifully skinny legs. Your body will NOT become disproportionate for one simple reason: as a woman, you are genetically protected from building too much muscle. Also, keep in mind that an ideal weight training is the one combined with leading a healthy way of life, which involves consuming all the right products. So what to do and how much to do? Hang on; we have got all the answers you are looking for.

Ideally, we would recommend you doing 8-12 repetitions per set, each exercise involving 3 sets. Do not let the rests between the sets last longer than a minute. Try doing weight training 2 times a week, allowing 3 days between the workouts.

Exercising with Special Machines and Sport Equipment

One thing you should always remember is that before starting any workout, you need to do pre-workout warm-up exercises for about 5 minutes. Warm-up exercises for legs include skipping, cycling, running on a treadmill and so on. The main exercises designed for training your legs include:

Squats with a Bar

Lifting the bar, stand still and spread your legs a little wider than shoulder width. Keeping your head straight, bend your knees and try to get your thighs parallel with the floor and make sure your butt stays still and does not go back when you squat. To return to the starting position, make pressure on your heels.

Lunges with Dumbbells

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, spread your arms, keeping your back straight. Step forward with your right leg, bend your knee so that it forms a 90 degree angle. Let your left leg get close to the floor, but not touch it. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Using Leg Extensions Machine

Leg extension exercises help to gain muscles on thighs and give them distinct, convex shape along their length. These exercises are performed on special machines where the person who is exercising gets her legs under special rollers and does the exercise by bending and straightening the knees. The leg extension machine helps to tone both the inner and outer parts of your thighs. To achieve the best results for outer thighs, sit properly on the machine, extend your legs in front of you and try to lift the pad, keeping your toes pointed all the time. After holding the pad in top position for several seconds, lower it down. For inner thighs, repeat the same exercise, this time leaning your back forward and keeping your butt at the base of the seat of the machine.

Using Leg Curl Machine

Leg curl is designed for “treating” your hamstrings and glutes. Hamstrings are the muscles at the back of the upper leg, and glutes are the muscles of your buttock. Unlike the extension machine, you use the leg curl machine by lying down on your stomach on specially designed bench and putting your feet under the pad at the end of the machine. Slightly arching your back, try to lift the pad as high as you can. Again after holding it up for several seconds, lower it down.

Using Calf Rise Machine

Another machine that is very effective in leg toning process is the calf rice machine. The machine consists of shoulder pads that you adjust according to your height. It also has a special foot plate for your toes. Standing on the foot plate (make sure that only your toes are touching the plate), get hold of the special handles and try to stand on your toes. After 2-3 seconds lower your toes. During the exercise it is prohibited to bend your knees, so make sure you keep them straight and unbend all the time. One thing you should always keep in mind while using the calf machine is that the slower you lower your toes, the more effective the exercise will be.

What About…the Fat?

You will not get the toned thighs and legs you have always dreamt about only by using the above-mentioned exercises. For the results of your endeavors to be visible, you need to get rid of the fat that is already stored in your body, the fat that needs to be burned. There’s no better fat removing technique than cardio exercises. Cardio exercises, which are sometimes called aerobic exercises, are “physical exercises of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process”.

High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT comes to the aid of those, who are looking for a quick way to remove the excess fat from their body. The whole essence of HIIT is doing fast cardio exercises and taking very short breaks. There are all sorts of cardio exercises to choose from, and you are free to choose any of them (depending on which one you feel the most comfortable doing): swimming, sprinting, cycling are all welcome. So how and where do we start? As always, we start with a short (2-3 minutes) warm-up. Devote 20 seconds to sprinting (make sure to run the fastest you can). Have a 10 seconds rest. Another 20 seconds sprint. Repeat the same pattern to get 8 20 second sprints. The whole process will take 4 minutes, but after you are done, you are going to feel like you have been training all day long, which only proves the effectiveness of the exercise.

Remember that HIIT should be performed on days when you do not lift any weights. Devote 3 days a week to HIIT and make sure those days do not coincide with your weight training days.

The exercises described above are by no means easy, you need to possess great stamina to get to positive results in due time. But, as they say, nothing worth having comes easy. So prepare yourself mentally and go get those perfect legs! We know you can do it, you are strong enough! Have faith in yourself, because with right attitude and planning, there are no “impossibles” in exercising.

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Ever thought of cheating on your diet with sweets? We know you have! Did you know you could cheat without your body knowing about it? Well, you can! Even the healthiest diet can include sweets, but make sure they are the right ones. What the right desserts are and how they should be consumed is what we are going to talk about. Hang around to learn how to eat dessert without gaining weight!

Sugar-Free Sweets: Is It What We Should Always Go For?

When you buy candy or cookies with large labels that say “sugar-free”, make sure you read the ingredients carefully as sometimes you may find fructose instead of sugar there. Not long ago this sweetener was considered to be a harmless alternative to sucrose, but today many specialists argue whether this is true. Its regular use may not only “help” you get some extra pounds, but may also cause liver problems and threaten the proper functioning of your cardiovascular system.

The safest sweetener is probably stevia. Stevia is a sugar substitute made from the leaves of a sweet grass known as Stevia rebaudiana. It is used to make green powder or white extract known as stevisoid. Unlike many other sweeteners, stevia does not affect the amount of glucose in blood and, if used in moderation, has no real side effects.

Honey: How Should it be Used?

Honey should never be baked or used in those desserts, which are baked by using heat. When heated to 42¬¨¬®‚Äö√†√ªC, honey loses all of its healing properties, and at a temperature above 60¬¨¬®‚Äö√†√ªC, even the most useful honey may become a harmful product. As a sweetener, it is more suitable for smoothies, yogurts and desserts prepared without heat. Natural yoghurt made of goat’s milk with a spoonful of buckwheat honey and a pinch of cinnamon is one of the quickest and easiest forms of dessert out there.

Vegetables Before Sweets?

How should you start your dessert? With a vegetable salad! Fresh greens and vegetables are rich in vegetable fiber and beneficial enzymes that help to digest the sweets that will follow them. Whether it is a small piece of chocolate with nuts or a slice of your favorite cake, make sure to eat a portion of vegetables first.

Our Dessert: Do We Need It Complicated?

Flour, nuts, sugar, eggs, fruit, vegetable fat and butter cream. Those are the main ingredients we are likely to find in desserts. Imagine a cake with nuts and fruits and all sorts of shapes made of, let’s say, caramel or chocolate. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? Well, it may not seem as yummy and appealing to your digestive system. This is why we advise you to go for cakes and biscuits the ingredients of which are easier to consume. Combine nuts and seeds with a banana or dried fruits, and avoid combining nuts with cereals, for instance.

Chocolate or Fruits: Which One Is Better?

We don’t have to be mind readers to know that right now your brain is screaming “Fruits!!!”. Many people mistakenly assume that fruit is the most useful type of dessert out there. However, it is advised to eat fresh berries and fruits on an empty stomach, without mixing them with other products. Try eating fruit half an hour before you eat your dinner, and not after it. For dessert a piece of 70% cocoa chocolate is much more suitable: it goes well with any food and contains very little sugar. And this is one of the few desserts without flour and milk and it can be found in almost any supermarket!

It’s not a good idea to deprive you of all your favorite sweets when dieting, as this way you’ll start hating this process and quickly give it up. You can actually eat dessert and never gain weight, so why not stick to these simple rules and enjoy the life?

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The problem of too big calves on legs is capable of upsetting any girl and this problem actually has a number of other difficulties and additional problems that arise along with it. For instance, those problems may be connected with inconvenience when wearing boots, or the discomfort you might feel when wearing a short dress or a skirt. But you shouldn’t worry at all, since here we are going to introduce the top effective ways of slimming down the calves easily and quickly. So starting out the list of the main things that you should do we can speak about the following options!

Why Are My Calves Big?

So first of all you need to find out the reason of the appearance of big calf muscles, among which we can mention:

• Swelling of the extremities, which is accompanied with the varicose widening of the vessels. This might happen because of too loose tissue accompanied with unpleasant feelings and pain. In addition they might also cause some illnesses.

• Hyper-sthenic structure described as an inborn quality. The symptoms are the predominance of the muscular mass, big bones, and the stocky figure.

• The existence of fats around the area of the legs, which may become strongly pronounced after losing weight around the areas of the waist and the hips.

• Strongly overinflated muscles. Most often this kind of a phenomenon can be found in case of the sportswomen, professional ballerinas, those who are fond of running and of course as a result of excessively frequent fitness exercises.

How to Slim Down Calf Muscles?

Thus after finding out the main reasons that may cause this problem we can also start looking for some ways to get rid of big calf muscles. If the problem has been the excess accumulation of fats then you may try out one of the following options:

• Use regular wrappings with food film also opting for different ingredients and products. With the help of these procedures you will have significant improvements especially in terms of softening and smoothing the skin, which will be the result of the heating procedures. So this in its turn will bring to burning the additional and unnecessary fats of your body.

• Following the low-calorie diets is also a nice way to overcome problems of this type. You just need to find the exact options for you.

• In addition, you should also accomplish a set of simple exercises every day, aimed at working out the problematic areas. At the same time you will significantly improve your blood flow under the skin and it’s really important that the exercises can be carried out regularly without long pauses.

• You may also get rid of extra fats with the help of special massagers, which most often have tough applicators, be those made of plastic or wood. In any case you need to act carefully in order not to get injuries.

One more reason because of which those calves might appear is the excessive frequency of physical exercises and the excessive load, which often brings to the creation of excessive muscle mass. It’s important to remember that this might happen because of having too many proteins in daily ration too, since the excessive use of proteins also results in the growth of the muscles.

In order to prevent the possible future growth of the calves, you should be attentive about your ration especially focusing on limiting the overall amount of proteins consumed every day. If you feel proteins form a bigger percentage of your ration than it is expected, you’d better limit the consumption of such products as legumes, cheese, cottage cheese, milk and meat and the dishes made with them.

If you still can’t avoid or get rid of those unwanted big calf muscles you may at least try to decrease their mass to minimum, trying to decrease the physical load and the heavy exercises. For instance, you may use the elevator instead of climbing the stairs, not go for walks or running for incredibly long distances, and activities like cycling. If you go to the gym regularly, you may pick such exercises, which will not have any influence on the calves.

In addition, you may also try out the following set of activities, which might help you to get rid of big calves:

1. Plié Squat: This is one of the most popular exercises among the professional ballerinas. For this exercise you should stand straight, putting the feet parallel to the shoulders and do squats. It’s important to put the pressure on the thighs at the same time bending the knees as much as possible. After doing the first 20 squats you should make a leaning on the whole of the feet and after that the following 20 squats might be done standing on the tips of the toes. Still, you need to be very careful when doing this exercise, as there is a big risk of getting injuries.

2. Folding Knife: The following exercise we would like to talk about is folding knife, which requires to be sitting on the buttocks and thoroughly straightening the legs. Just like in case of stretches, you should lean forward and stretch your arms at the same time you should also try to touch your feet with your hands. You should then stay in that position for at least 1.5 minutes and repeat the exercise for 15 times.

3. Jumping: This is a simple yet effective exercise you may try out too. 15 minutes are enough and you will have really impressive results. All you need to do is jumping with the help of which the blood flow gets more intense and the fats and extra calories all vanish due to the great energy consumption.

4. Rolls: This exercise is aimed at stretching the shins. You should stand on your tiptoes and walk 30 times feeling the calves. Further you need to do abrupt rolls from the tips to the heels and walk again. For each time you will have one such roll and overall the rolls should be repeated at least 4 times.

5. One more exercise suggests that you strand straight putting the feet slightly wider than the pelvis. At first you need to shift the weight to the left leg lifting the right leg and bending it in the knee. Then you should breathe in and do the same with the right leg. You should repeat this exercise for 15 times for each leg and gradually increase the load.

6. Lunges: These are simplified variants of exercises, for which you should put your legs on the width of your shoulders and do a lunge at the same time following that the heel of the second leg doesn’t get cut from the floor. After a couple of seconds you may go back to your starting position.

7. For the next exercise you should stand straight, putting the legs on the width of the pelvis and putting the feet parallelly to each other. When breathing in you need to go up and while breathing out you should come back to your starting position. For the beginning you may begin with 20 repetitions, but by the time it should be increased to 30.

8. Lifting on Heels: This exercise might be accomplished in a variety of ways, due to which you may pick the one you liked most. You just need to stand straight shifting the weight to the right leg bending the left one in the knee. Then you need to stand on your heels at least for 15 times and repeat the exercise for the second leg too. You may also choose a more difficult alternative standing on the stairs instead of standing on the floor.

9. In addition, you may also stand on your knees and in order not to get bruises you may use a small rag. Your arms should be free and positioned forward, keeping the back straight. Then you just need to start sitting on one side and then on another, trying to press against the floor with your hip as tightly as possible. This should be repeated at least 20 times.

10. Batman! The last but not least effective exercise, which we would like to present to your attention is called Batman and the essence is grabbing a hair, holding the back and trying to stand close to it. Your feet should be positioned parallelly to each other. The right hand should be stretched forward stretching the heel and making an abrupt swing forwards. For each leg you should repeat this for 20 times.

Finally, in order to slim down the calves and to make them your secret ingredient for being more attractive and charming you should combine these exercises with healthy organized nutrition preferably following a healthy diet. Despite the fact that there hasn’t been developed any special ration for this, using the complex set of activities is better in any case.

Thus your nutrition should be balanced and limited in terms of salty and/or fatty dishes. If swelling disturbs you, you may use a small pillow to put it under your legs and keep it there for 15 minutes. Throughout the whole day you should also try to periodically lift your legs to avoid the swelling and other problems like that.

In addition, you may also do some small massage to relax your feet after exercises and have the desired results. The muscle pain will not be so noticeable due to that.

Thus here was another description of one more possible problem you might face. If you manage to follow the instructions and be careful when exercising, you will avoid such problems or get rid of quicker.

Photo courtesy of The Blonde Salad

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Having a toned firm belly is one of the steps to getting fit, so no wonder everyone doesn’t spare efforts and time to get rid of sagging belly skin and to show off the perfect abs in crop tops. However, we all know that when it comes to belly, workout gets even harder, since this is the part of the body, which requires more attention and efforts for the perfect outcomes. Still, nothing is impossible and you can definitely reach perfection following our easy tips on how to get rid of sagging belly skin for good!

The Causes of Sagging Belly Skin

Let’s start with understanding why our belly skin may sag. Sagging may occur for different reasons, the most common ones of which are the following:

• Pregnancy and childbirth: During pregnancy, our abdominal muscles and the skin fall under strong pressure from the uterus, which is rapidly increasing in size. For this reason, the skin and muscles on our stomach stretch, losing their former elasticity. The situation may be aggravated after having a cesarean section.

• Losing too much weight: After a rapid weight loss, our skin does not have time to adapt and go back to its permanent state, which sometimes results in wrinkles and laxity.

• Among other reasons for sagging belly skin we should mention the lack of physical activity, which leads to muscle atrophy and slows down the metabolism.

• Not keeping a healthy diet can also be a reason. The destructive effect that soda, convenience food, chips and fast food have on our figure and skin is no secret for anyone. Stress also is a widely spread cause for sagging belly skin. When stressed, sometimes we choose to act like gluttons instead of trying to figure out ways to solve our problems.

How to Deal with Sagging Belly Skin?

Many women mistakenly believe that trying to affect the problematic area of the skin locally will lead to positive results. Many of these women, for instance, start torturing themselves by doing too many sit-ups, impatiently waiting for positive results in a very short period of time. We would hate to disappoint you, but no matter how appealing the headlines and the titles of all kinds of workout videos, such as “Get a Flat Stomach In Seven Days” or “Elastic Belly Skin for Just Five Minutes a Day” may sound, these things are practically impossible. Why? Well, first of all, we need to realize that sagging belly skin does not appear in a day or two and respectively, it needs to be dealt with for more than just a week. Also, it is important to keep in mind that the positive results can be achieved only if we take comprehensive measures. Wondering what we mean by comprehensive measures? Go on reading and you will see!

A Balanced Diet To Remove Sagging Belly Skin

The key to success in this difficult task is reviewing the food we consume and going for a healthier diet. You should by no means go on those exhausting diets, the ones that offer to lose 10-15 pounds in one month. Be sure that as soon as such a diet comes to an end, the weight that you have lost will come back with a vengeance, bringing along a couple more extra pounds. It is vital for all of us to learn how to eat healthy and keep a balanced diet, which will include vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, nuts, dairy products, cereals and porridges, as for our body to function properly, it needs to get its daily intake of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats. It is preferred that our food be cooked by baking, steaming or stewing. Try to avoid fried, greasy, overly salty and peppery food. Eat food rich in proteins, as such products can recover your muscles and improve metabolism. Nutritionists recommend eating small portions of food 5-6 times a day.

Water Balance

We should by no means forget about drinking water. It’s necessary to consume about 1,5-2 liters of pure natural water daily. It helps us normalize the water balance, helps the body get rid of toxins and significantly improves skin elasticity.

Besides, water has a positive effect on digestive processes; it speeds up metabolism and ensures that body operates in a stable way.

Fat-Burning Workouts for Sagging Belly Skin

Among fat-burning workouts we can mention swimming, cycling, running, skiing and skipping rope. To practice such exercises no special equipment is necessary most of the time. All you need is desire. Even if it’s not possible for you to ride a bike, ski or skip rope, 30-60 minutes of dancing a day, climbing stairs, or arranging a morning jog can make up for that. Thanks to cardio trainings you will not only get rid of the saggy belly, but also improve your cardiovascular system and overall health in general.

We feel that about the positive effects of swimming we should speak separately. This exercising method not only brings forth good results in a very short time, but allows you to relax, relieve stress and have fun. Besides swimming, while in the pool, you can perform a variety of exercises used in water aerobics, which increase the fat burning effect.

Strength Training

A very good way of toning the muscles and tightening the belly skin is weight training at the gym. At first, it is advised to work with a personal trainer, who will choose an individual program and appropriate weights for you. If you do not have the opportunity to attend a sports club, there is no need to despair. There are lots of effective exercises, allowing one to get rid of wrinkled and sagging belly skin that can be performed at home.

Hula Hoop to Your Aid!

Fitness trainers do not seem to agree on the idea of whether the use of hula-hoops helps to fight sagging and wrinkled belly skin or not. However, one thing is true and undebatable: even if a hula hoop does not help to strengthen the muscles, it is a very powerful way of massaging the problematic area.

Massage

Massage, preferably done by a professional, is one of the most effective ways in your fight for smooth and elastic belly skin. This procedure, obviously, cannot be considered a tender one and sometimes the patients may experience pain, but believe us when we tell you that it will totally be worth it in the long run! The most effective material used during these procedures is a mixture made of honey and any kind of essential oil. Anti-cellulite gel or creams are widely used as well.

There is a whole set of massage techniques specially designed for the belly area, such as stroking, circular movements and clapping. When we are using honey, belly skin is constantly retracted when slapping, which improves blood circulation in the given area, serves as a means of cell renewal and helps to remove excess liquid. For the first positive results to become visible, you need at least 10 sessions of massage, which will need to be repeated after a certain period of time.

Using vacuum jars, tumblers or just your hands, you can use these massage techniques at home. Of course, it will take time to achieve the first results, but be sure that the results will come! Massage needs to be done clockwise with smooth accurate movements using olive, peach, or any other type of oil or any anti-cellulite cream or gel. White clay also is an excellent medium for massaging as it rejuvenates the skin making it more elastic and improves blood flow.

Wraps for Sagging Belly Skin

Another way to return elasticity, firmness and smoothness to your belly skin is using wraps. Here honey, anti-cellulite gels and lotions, masks with algae or white clay are widely used. First it is necessary to thoroughly clean the skin with a scrub. This will allow the pores to open up to take all the useful minerals from honey and masks. After cleansing, you should apply the material you prefer on the problematic area and wrap with cling film. Then you can lie down or do household chores for 30-40 minutes. Upon completion of the procedure, it is necessary to remove the film, take a shower and apply a moisturizing cream.

Visiting Saunas and Baths

In saunas or baths all the harmful substances and toxins are cleaned from the body with the help of water. If you are going to visit a bath, make sure to grab a good birch broom and herbal teas. It is recommended to choose such saunas and steam rooms that have a pool with cool water. Temperature contrast that happens during the transition from steam to cold water has a very beneficial effect on the skin as it tones and refreshes it.

Mesotherapy

In our struggle against sagging and flabby belly after giving birth or rapidly losing weight mesotherapy can be a way out. Thanks to special meso-cocktails your belly will get rid of stretch marks and your skin will get back its former elasticity. Modern technologies and specially designed equipment allow us making painless injections, making sure that the patient feels no discomfort. Depending on the individual, non-invasive methods can also be used.

Plastic Surgery

Probably the most extreme way of getting rid of sagging belly skin is the surgical intervention. To many people this method may seem rather simple and easy – a few hours on operating table and all your flaws are gone forever. However, everything is not as easy as it may seem. First of all, plastic surgery requires anesthesia and anesthesia involves taking risks. Secondly, you will have to take too many tests and go through all sorts of preparatory procedures.

But all this is nothing compared to the period of rehabilitation, the period when patients recover after surgery. There is this constant nagging pain and you have to wear special bandages and corsets for at least two months. It’s difficult to sleep, walk, move and sit. The financial side of this method is no less important, because, as you know, plastic surgery is by no means a cheap procedure. Therefore, before making such an important decision you should think very well. We mean, what if you have a chance to fix it without the help of a scalpel? After all, with proper nutrition, practicing sports and other methods described above, you will not only get rid of the sagging belly you hate so much, but also will significantly improve your overall health and acquire some useful habits.

One thing you should always keep in your mind is that everything is in your hands and with the right exercises and procedures you have a chance to “save” the skin on your belly from sagging. During pregnancy, smear your belly with olive oil or any other type of essential oil. They help skin remain elastic and prevent the formation of stretch marks. Also, make sure you pay enough attention to your diet, because even a small piece of chocolate or regular white bread is not going to benefit you and your child. What they will do is being converted into body fat. Do not be afraid to do light exercises; yoga is strongly advised for pregnant women.

If you are trying to lose weight, try doing it gradually. No need to go to extreme lengths or go on rigid diets. As a form of precaution, during the weight-loss process, you can start making scrubs, masks and body wraps. If the weight does go away gradually, then you do not have to look for effective ways to deal with saggy skin that just does not manage to catch up with the pace at which you drop excess weight. Remember that rapid weight loss is extremely harmful and dangerous for the body. After all, everything is better in moderation, isn’t it?

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We all dream of toned and firm inner thighs, don’t we? We all want to feel confident in shorts, skirts and bikinis. Inner thighs are one of the most problematic areas of the female body and that is why they are treated with special care by instructors and trainers at gyms. So why exactly inner thighs and not thighs in general? Because most of the time the outer part of your thighs is likely to be more toned than the inner one. The reason behind this is pretty simple: as we walk and carry on our everyday tasks, the outer part of our thighs gets more exercise than the inner one. This is why instructors at gyms have developed a special set of exercises directed toward toning inner-thighs. And we don’t even want to hear excuses such as “I don’t have time”, “It’s not possible for me to attend a gym” and so on. The inner-thigh exercises we are going to present are so simple that you can practice them all by yourself at home and get almost the same effect that you would get if you had a prestigious gym membership.

Butterfly Stretch

Anybody, who is more or less familiar with yoga, has sure heard of an asana or position called “butterfly”. In order to do a butterfly stretch, sit on the floor, open up your legs and press your feet together. Clasping your feet with your hands, try moving your knees up and down. The exercise will remind you of the flapping of wings of a butterfly, hence the name. You are free to choose the tempo of the exercise, but make sure not to change your position and try exerting a little pressure on your thighs with your hands and elbows.

The Frog Pose

This exercise as well is widely practiced in yoga and is known to yoga lovers as Bhekasana, which is its Sanskrit name. The exercise in itself is a difficult one but works perfectly for “lengthening” the inner thighs. Lying on the floor on your stomach, pull the soles of your feet together and let your relaxed knees be pulled towards the floor. Place your hands on the inner part of your thighs, breathing in when you make maximum effort.

Leg Lifts

Lying on your right side, bend your left leg and place it in front of your knee. Your right hand needs to be bent and put under your head, while the left one serves as a support and lies close to your chest in a relaxed manner. The whole gist of the exercise is tensing the muscles of your right leg and lifting it up in a steady rhythm. Also, we would suggest you not lower your leg to the very surface of the floor, but keep it a few centimeters high of the floor. Practice this exercise 15-18 times on each side.

Leg Scissors

We all have heard of this exercise, haven’t we? Some of us have even tried it. The effectiveness of this exercise not only for inner thighs but also for a flat stomach has been known for a while now. Lying on your back, try tensing the muscles of your stomach and press your back to the mat. Put your legs up at a 45 degree angle with the floor and start crossing them, trying to open them up as much as you can.

Stretching

People who do sports usually end their training sessions with stretching, which allows them to relax their muscles and enhances the effectiveness of the exercises that have already been done. One of the stretching exercises you can choose from is the V-shaped stretching, which helps to recover the muscles after exercising. Sitting on the floor try to open up your legs as much as possible. Straighten your back, tense the muscles on your stomach and tilt your body forward as much as possible. Try to stay in this position about 10-15 seconds and then return to the starting position.

Lunges

This simple, but rather effective technique is widely used today as a means of toning inner thighs. Rhythmic lunges forward, backwards and sideways exert pressure on inner thigh muscles, which makes them more toned. Depending on your personal preferences, the exercise can be performed in a slow tempo, concentrating on breathing and taking into account every single movement, like yogis do. Or if you are one of those fitness enthusiasts, you can go for a much faster pace and even find a good rhythmic music to accompany you.

Thigh Kicks

Thigh kicks also serve as a brilliant and, at the same time, simple way of toning our inner thighs. At the initial stage, the kicks forward, backward and sideways are performed by leaning on a chair, wall or a gym equipment for support, but once your muscles have grown strong, you can perform the exercise with no support. Moreover, when your leg reaches the maximum height, it is necessary to keep it still for a second and then slowly lower it.

In the end, we would like to add that just like any other set of exercises, these inner-thigh exercises as well require careful planning and persistent will. However, these exercises should not be performed more than 3 times a week, because in that case it will be difficult to balance the muscle tone in such a short period of time. Also, while doing such exercises you should be in control of your breathing, exhaling during the maximum pressure and inhaling when you’re relaxing.

Photo courtesy of The Blonde Salad

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The Kremlin diet plan is one of the most popular options of weight loss existing encompassing several advantages at once. This diet will give quick and great results and what’s even more important your excess weight will not be back for quite a while after quitting it. In addition, this diet includes quite many variants of dishes enabling you to choose any of the options you may like. Thus, pointing out the main details about the Kremlin diet we can speak about the following details!

The Kremlin Diet Duration: From 2 Weeks to 2 Months

Peculiarities: it can be described as a classic protein diet with low consistency of carbohydrates. For the percentage of the latter, in each of the dishes it is estimated by points and the daily ration is formed according to those estimations.

Price: since this diet doesn’t require any special products it is quite compatible and affordable with the daily budget of yours.

Results: from 5 kg after 7 days, and from 8 kg after 2 months.

Recommended frequency: not more often than once a year.

Additional effect: it’s adapted for fitness exercises. The intake of proteins allows to support the muscle mass and get rid of excessive accumulations of fats.

Contraindications: the Kremlin diet is not recommended for those, who suffer from problems with digestive system, as well as during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Before going for this diet you should of course consult your doctor.

How the Kremlin Diet Works

Just like many super popular diet plans there exists a number of myths about the Kremlin diet. Some people believe that it has been created and developed secretly for the astronauts. Of course, this is not actually true but this diet has gained a great popularity and some people even believe that it has been practiced among the officials of the highest posts!

In fact, this diet was created by Yevgeny Chernykh, who prepared publications for one of the most popular and highly rated Russian magazines. So when millions of people started discussing it and sharing their success stories with others, this diet really appeared in the focus of everyone. The choice of the name doesn’t seem to have any special explanation either and we can only assume that it has just been picked to gather attention additionally.

From the very first sight, the Kremlin diet seems to catch everyone’s attention with its simplicity. You don’t even need to change the daily ration of yours critically to start following this diet. The key is to follow the consistency of carbohydrates of the products you eat all the time.

So the main principle of this diet is the practically absolute cut down on carbohydrates instead opting for as much food containing proteins as possible. The radical change of the percentage of carbohydrates thus changes the processes going in your body mostly influencing metabolism. Generally in normal conditions the carbohydrates taken from the products we have act as resources for enhancing our physical and mental activities. At the same time these elements are quite popular with their functions to radically increase the level of sugar in blood, which may cause hunger and may force the organism to start accumulating fats as resources.

Still, when your body appears to be in a situation where it has some deficiency of carbohydrates and is currently taking all the nutrition by means of proteins, thus it stops creating resources of fat and in addition starts to spend those that have already been created. That’s why the Kremlin diet’s results may be noted from the first week!

Counting the CU (Conventional Units)

In order to secure the convenience in counting the ration of the Kremlin diet, it follows the principle of points, i.e. CU for each dish. So these points are for the corresponding amount of carbohydrates in each dish taken with 100 g. For the first stage of the diet in order to unleash the long-awaited process of changing the nature of the metabolism and to start losing weight you are allowed to eat up to 20 CU, which reaches 40 CU in two weeks. This diet differs from the rest by the fact that it doesn’t regulate the number of meals per day, but most of those who go for it generally stop on three times a day. Proteins secure the feeling of satiety for a long time and if you don’t eat too frequently it’s easier to count the points. If you start following a certain time schedule for meals after a couple of days you won’t even have to look what’s the time since you will feel that it’s your meal time without even having any watches and clocks and even if you can’t stick to a certain fixed schedule you may eat your meals whenever you like simply keeping the total amount of CU fixed per day.

The Main Stages of the Kremlin Diet

1. Starting stage: from 7 to 14 days, during which you are allowed to have up to 20 CU per day.

2. Main stage: up to 6 weeks, during which you may have up to 40 CU per day.

3. Final stage: starting with 7 days, during which you may have up to 60 CU per day. In addition, if this ration helps you feel good and if you feel comfortable with it, you may keep this ration as long as you like.

Kremlin Diet: How to Count the Calories?

The easiest way to do this is to take into account the products you have during the day with their fixed values, for instance, taking protein food like meat, offal, sausages, and fish as products with a zero index, which supposes that they can be eaten with any proportions you may like. As for other products like vegetables you may count from 2 CU for the 100 g of cucumber to 16 CU for potatoes, or from 3 CU for lemons to 68 CU. The dairy products are counted from 0.5 CU for cheese to 29 CU for curd with dried fruit. You can easily find the consistency of all the elements on the packaging of the products you’re buying, which enables you to count easier.

The Food That’s Not Allowed in the Kremlin Diet

So the list of the products that are included in the list of don’ts looks like the following!

• Sugar and sweets
• Pastries
• Fruit juices and carbonated drinks
• Sweet products including bananas, figs, grapes
• Beer and any sweet type of alcohol
• Wheat, corn, oats, barley, and other cereals containing carbohydrates
• Legumes including peanut
• Starchy vegetables: potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beets
• Pasta
• Milk and yogurt desserts

Despite the fact that the Kremlin diet is quite democratic, you can’t treat it as just a way to lose weight eating sausages. So if you really want to preserve your health following this diet, you need to be serious about this matter. So in addition to the list mentioned above, we may also add the following products:

• Industrially processed meat products
• Semi-fabricated food
• Processed cheese
• Products with stabilizing chemicals in the composition (dyes, emulsifiers, etc.)
• Margarine
• Whole milk

The Approximate Menu of the Kremlin Diet

Monday

Breakfast: cottage cheese, 2 boiled eggs, tea or coffee without sugar.

Lunch: vegetable salad (cucumber, tomato, cabbage) with vegetable oil, meat soup with sour cream, steak on the grill, drinks without sugar.

Dinner: boiled cauliflower, fried chicken breast without breading, drinks without sugar.

Tuesday

Breakfast: eggs with ham, sugar-free drinks.

Lunch: salad with mushrooms and vegetables, steak, vegetable soup.

Dinner: salad with tomatoes, boiled or fried fish, drinks without sugar.

Wednesday

Breakfast: hard cheese, 2 boiled sausages, drinks without sugar.

Lunch: baked fish, salad of pickled cabbage.

Dinner: boiled beef with broccoli, sugar-free drinks.

Thursday

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese, sugar-free drinks.

Lunch: ear, fried chicken, mashed turnips.

Dinner: lettuce with vegetable oil, lemon juice and pumpkin seeds, kebab, drinks without sugar.

Friday

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with mushrooms and tomatoes, sugar-free drinks.

Lunch: Greek salad, steak, celery soup.

Dinner: grilled chicken, vegetable salad, a glass of kefir.

Saturday

Breakfast: cottage cheese with berries, sugar-free drinks.

Lunch: meat-bag, egg salad, cucumber and boiled chicken with vegetable oil.

Dinner: steak with assorted vegetables (squash, cauliflower, peppers, asparagus, and other non-starchy vegetables), drinks without sugar.

Sunday

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with ham and mushrooms, sugar-free drinks.

Lunch: vegetable soup, pork chop, lettuce.

Dinner: boiled sausage, braised cauliflower with green peas, apple.

The Cons of the Kremlin Diet Plan

Like any other diet and ration this one also has its limitations. Those minuses are identical with those that generally occur for any other diet plan, which is rich in proteins. Especially if those proteins are of animal origin, they are assimilated by the organism more slowly and as a result some decomposition products are created, which get stale because of the low consistency of cellulite consumed. This might border on some problems with the outputting system especially in terms of overload, but you can easily avoid this problem drinking plenty of water in order to take care of your intestine and of course eat non-starchy vegetables with meat you’re eating, especially poultry and fish.

Picking meat you should be attentive to have lean products from somewhere with a good reputation, with the help of which you will be able to minimize the intake of hidden harmful fats the use of which will be crucial for the formation of cholesterol in your blood. The toxins including purines provoke the creation of kidney stones, which are an additional risk in case of lavish consumption of meat. You should try to follow the balance of macronutrients in your daily ration and not go too far with beef stakes eating them like three times a day.

In addition, the decrease of the number of fruits and vegetables consumed may also cause vitamin deficiency, that’s why it’s essential to have a citrus fruit from time to time or just pick an apple or some berries, which are allowed by the number of points. Fresh eggs are also an important source of useful elements and suitable in terms of the points too, since 2 boiled eggs contain just 1 CU.

Also, we can’t but note that the Kremlin diet plan will become a real test for the sweet tooth! If you can’t imagine your day without sweets and cookies and chocolate then you might have hard times going for the Kremlin diet. So you need to be sure that you really can stand this diet before opting for it or just pick something else.

Contraindications to the Kremlin Diet

It’s not unnecessary to speak about the range of contraindications that exist about the Kremlin diet. As we’ve spoke a bit about this above, this diet is not recommended to people, who suffer from any chronical diseases like heart, intestine or kidney problems. In addition, this diet is not an option for the period of pregnancy and breast-feeding. People who have reached an elderly age should not take the risk of picking this diet either. This is also true about just any other diet since in their case it might bring to some health problems. As the nutritionists state, each person requires an individual approach when forming a diet or a daily ration, which should take into account the state of the person’s health and the peculiarities of his or her organism.

Many people make their bodies suffer and get tortured trying out a number of diets and methods to lose weight without even thinking about the possible outcomes. So you should never rush with any decision, which is connected with your health and your correct nutrition. That’s why we really recommend and insist that you consult a specialist before opting for a certain type of diet, including the Kremlin diet plan. Only after passing special tests and finding out that your body is ready for a diet may you pass to following it. Despite the fact that the Kremlin diet has managed to receive a great deal of positive feedback, it also requires special consideration and attention, which should be taken into account before opting for it!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Don’t Miss: Gluten-Free Diet Plan: Tips and Benefits

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We continue introducing the most effective and amazing diet plans and the following option in the row is the gluten-free diet, which has a number of peculiarities and characteristic features making it different from all the rest of options we have spoken about before. So the main peculiarity of this diet is that it’s recommended in case of celiac disease and wheat allergies. This diet plan has really become quite popular and widespread especially among the celebs, who intentionally cut down on gluten to clear up their organism, get healthier, fitter, and to lose weight, of course. Even some of the doctors note that we should absolutely exclude gluten from out daily ration in order to get rid of the constant syndrome of fatigue.
So first of all you should know that gluten is an element, which is formed with the combination of two types of simple proteins that are responsible for gifting the flour dough with elasticity and stickiness at the same time securing the attractive softness and elasticity of the ready baked products. Unfortunately, the one and the same component of the molecular structure of wheat, rye, and barley can present a deadly danger for those, who are predisposed for autoimmune disorder called celiac disease.

Therapeutic Gluten-Free Diet

So most frequently gluten is said to be the protein of wheat, rye, and barley, but in fact this is the result of the interaction of two simple proteins – prolamin and glutelin. This is why gluten is one of the central elements for the elasticity and softness of dough.

This way or another, gluten is contained in the majority of cereals, but the crucial factor is the consistency and the quality of prolamines in it. The prolamines of wheat called gliadins, rye called secalins, and barley called hordeins sometimes evoke unexpected and unpleasant immune reaction demonstrated with rash. This refers to people of any age and may even cause some delays of growth in case of children.

So refusing to eat products containing gluten is the very first measure that needs to be taken in this case, even if you have simple doubts about having such allergies or celiac disease. These two types of disorders are not synonymous to each other, since the mechanisms according to which they appear are quite different. In case of allergies the bodies that encounter the allergen substance take it as a pathogen of diseases and produce an allergic backlash against it. This might be demonstrated with symptoms like those you have in case of flu or intoxication, which is less frequent. So these are rhinitis, swelling, cough, itching, etc. The good news is that such problems may be cured or avoided excluding the contact with the allergens as well as by means of taking antihistamines. In many cases the body adapts itself to stop treating those substances as viruses and the allergic reactions stop as such.

As for celiac disease, this is quite a different and hard immune problem the bases of which are the genetic problems. Like in case of any other immune disease, in case of this one the organism starts attacking its own tissue during which the antiglobulin substances, provoked by gluten attack the villi of the small intestine. The results of this reaction might really be tragic. When the wholeness of the intestine gets distorted, its functions of transportation and assimilation of vital substances fail getting the people, who suffer from it fall into the risky categories of osteoporosis, lymphoma, and various dystrophies. The organism becomes fragile and vulnerable for infections too. Thus, the gluten-free diet is one of the basic components of the set measures that are generally taken in this case, and at times it becomes one of the main conditions of the continuation of life as such.

Gluten-Free Diet for Losing Weight

However, such problems are not the only cases for which the gluten-free diet plan may be used. It is quite applicable in case you want to lose weight too and that’s what many nutritionists also recommend this diet plan. The essence of opting for this diet lies in the simple fact that gluten is contained in the biggest part of products containing carbohydrates and cutting down on them you automatically take the ration of healthy nutrition. In addition, the overwhelming amount of the additives used for semi-fabricated products and industrially processed products use gluten as an auxiliary substance, which becomes the base for the hidden calories. So you should pick as little of refined food as possible in order to have healthy nutrition and no excess weight.

Thus, the main products that are included in the ration of the gluten-free diet are those, which have been subjected to minimal processing. Those are fresh meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits, legumes, eggs, and milk without additives. If you pick this diet then you will have limited access to bread, baked products, confectionery, and desserts, due to which the organism gets re-adapted and starts consuming the excessive accumulations of fats and of course later stopping to store them again.

The gluten-free diet plan may become a step forward to the development of gourmet inclinations. You may substitute wheat, rye, and barley with exotic cereals and pseudo cereals such as amaranth, quinoa, broomcorn, sorghum, sago, Tef, which have a range of useful micro-elements and interesting tastes.

Many specialists believe that using gluten is the gateway to the creation of toxic overload since the proteins increase the permeability of the walls of the small intestine, and this affects the duration and the quality of the digestion of food. In order to bring the intestine back to its normal state and to reduce the permeability you need to go for this diet for at least two months.

The regulation of the digestive processes will be reflected on your well-being and of course your metabolism, which will allow you to notice the results quite soon. That’s why it’s recommended to go for this diet for not less than 8 weeks, after which you should be guided by the results and the assessment of your doctor. According to the feedback, this diet allows you to lose up to 3 kg in a week. This ration is combined with daily physical activities, due to its diversity and the possibility of forming an energetically complete menu.

The Main Don’ts of Gluten-Free Diet

So the products, which are included in the list of don’ts for gluten-free diet, go as follows!

Cereals

• Wheat in all forms, including any kind of flour and cereals, such as semolina, Poltavka, Artek, couscous, bulgur, spelled and wheat starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein, and other such additives and thickeners.

• Rye in all forms, including any kind of rye flour with caution – kvass wort.

• Barley in all forms, including barley flour and all kinds of grains, such as barley, pearl barley, barley malt, maltose and products (molasses, vinegar, extracts, flavorings).

• Oats in all forms, including oatmeal and cereals – oat itself does not contain potentially harmful proteins, but because of the existing technologies of oat processing the ready products with oats almost always have traces of gluten.

• Pasta and other such products, pastries, baked goods, bread and cereal mixes containing flour and cereals with gluten. Whole grain food and food from fermented grain gluten (“Ezekiel bread”) are useful in general, but they are banned in case of a gluten-free diet.

Dairy Products

• Yogurt with additives (thickeners, flavors, cookies and crispy balls, etc.).

• Drinking dairy products with cereals.

• Milk-vegetable underflow.

• Cottage cheese products with vegetable fat and additives (curd, curds, etc.).

• Ice Cream (you may see the composition).

• Cheese (you may see the composition).

Meat, Semi-Fabricated Products and Sweets

• Meat and canned fish (you may see the composition).

• Sausage and meat products, sausages.

• Any meat and fish products in breading.

• Canned vegetables with additives (you may see the composition).

• Crab sticks.

• The instant beverage mixes.

• Candy, halva, lucuma and similar desserts.

Sauces and Spices

• Virtually all the common thick sauces of industrial production: ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise. For detailed information you may also see the composition.

• Component mixtures for spicing with starch, flavor enhancers, herbal supplements.

• Bouillon cubes.

Under Suspicion

Here is the list of products that should be abandoned if the origin is not specified or is ambiguous:

• Soy sauce (in the original composition only soybeans are allowed, but sometimes wheat is added).

• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (sports nutrition) – gluten-free diet only allows soy types.

• Dextrin (sweetener) is typically made from corn, but may contain wheat.

• Caramel is made from corn syrup, which can contain maltose (containing in barley).

This list is not the thorough description of all the products that are not allowed for the gluten-free diet. So in order to choose the products correctly you should read the composition of those products attentively, bearing in mind that the primary sources of gluten are wheat, rye, and barley. In order to have the full list of prohibited products, especially if you are on gluten-free diet because of health problems you should consult your doctor and only rely on his advice.

The Diet Suggested by Doctor Frank Lipman

Doctor Lipman is one of the best specialists in developing gluten-free diet. He is one of the supporters of the idea that you should follow the gluten-free diet not only for medical measures, but also in case you want to lose weight. He is sure that the gluten abuse, which may be found not only in obvious products but in a range of semi-fabricated products and sauces, has brought to an explosion of celiac disease. Since the ration of the parents contains too much gluten, the immune systems of the children who are born simply can’t bear it. In addition, the doctor is sure that the chronical fatigue, discomfort, migraine are all connected with the gluten abuse. He has even come to the conclusion that the 99% of the world suffers from gluten intolerance and only some small percent of all have that with especially serious complications requiring immediate measures. The nature of gluten is like that of a worm, which penetrates into the immune system and slowly starts affecting the autoimmune and hormonal systems causing disorders connected with the gastrointestinal track, and also resulting in the worsening of the condition of the skin without any apparent reasons because of which the tries to lose weight or even to gain weight do not give any results. So in order to get rid of gluten the doctor suggests excluding not only food, which contains gluten but also the dairy products. The lactose intolerance often accompanies gluten intolerance, besides, according to him, milk and the products made from it hinder the work of the intestine and provoke skin problems. So you should take up good habits in order to have healthy generation coming after you.

The Necessary Products of the Gluten-Free Diet Suggested by Doctor Lipman

• Marine fish, avocado, and other sources of healthy fat that is the unsaturated fatty acids, essential for healthy skin and functioning of the internal organs.

• Fresh berries (especially blueberries!) preferably rich in vitamins and antioxidants, which are necessary for detoxification and proper maintenance of immunity.

• Fermented food (pickled vegetables, kimchi, presoaked gluten-free cereals), being the source of the natural prebiotics and bioavailable trace elements, which help to maintain proper digestion and strengthen the protective functions of the organism.

Finally, speaking about the popularity of the gluten-free diet, we may also add that this has been the choice of very many celebs, who claim to understand and realize the importance of getting rid of gluten in order to secure their healthy and fit looks and life. So in the list of names we can note Zooey Deschanel, Dana Delany, Geri Halliwell, and Miley Cyrus, who follow this diet according to medical indications. In addition, we can also note the names of Cate Blanchett, and Lady Gaga, who opt for this diet for the sake of beauty, as well as Miranda Kerr, and Jessica Alba. As for Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham, they have taken up this diet for the sake of their children since the daughter of Gwyneth struggles against celiac disease, while the Victoria’s son has epilepsy, in case of which gluten is a contraindication.

Thus, the gluten-free diet plan is yet another interesting and useful diet that we would like to present to your attention! What you need to do is just consult the doctor to find out whether your body is ready for it or not and if yes go on to have a healthy and fit body for a long-long time!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Don’t Miss: English Diet Tips: Losing 20 Pounds Easily

Diabetes Diet And Food Tips

How To Lose Weight Without Dieting

English diet plan is one of the most popular and effective diets that enable you to lose weight quickly and easily. The duration of this diet is 21 days and the most significant advantage of it is the variety of the dishes that you may include in your daily ration thus getting all that’s necessary for your organism. With the help of the famous English diet plan you will be able to lose up to 20 pounds after some three weeks!

The essence of this diet is the regulated continuum of protein and vegetable days. This means that you will have to eat certain food for certain days. Thus for the first couple of days you need to prepare your organism to the changing ration of the following days. As for the rest of the days, they should be arranged with pairs each being either for protein or vegetable ration. The menu is arranged so that you will have for about 1000 calories per day having meals three times a day including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But what you need to remember is that the last meal should be taken not later than 7 pm.

One more thing that you should remember about the English diet plan is that it’s quite strict and you shouldn’t go for it more often than once a year.

The Approximate Menu of the English Diet Plan

For the first two days, as we noted, you should focus on the preparation. During these days you really need to cut down on many things but you may still have non-fatty kefir or milk or eat a tomato or a cucumber with two slices of black bread.

Protein Days of the English Diet

As for the couple of the protein days, the menu looks like this:

Breakfast: a glass of milk or kefir with half a spoon of honey and a slice of wholemeal bread.

Lunch: a cup of beef broth, a piece of cooked meat not more than 100g, a slice of wholemeal bread, two tbsp. of green beans and some buckwheat.

Dinner: two boiled eggs, 50g of cheese or non-fatty ham and a glass of kefir.

Vegetable Days of the English Diet

Breakfast: two oranges or two apples.

Lunch: some vegetable soup, stew or vegetable salad with vegetable oil and a slice of wholemeal bread.

Dinner: vegetable salad, a slice of wholemeal bread, a cup of green tea, and half a tbsp. of honey.

So this is just an example of what your meals can actually look like. If you want to lose weight using the English diet plan, you may pick the food you like most of all. For instance, you may change the beef of the protein days with chicken breast or turkey, while buckwheat can be changed with rice or oatmeal.

As for the vegetable days you may include beets, carrots, eggplant, cabbage, Bulgarian pepper, onion, pumpkin, garlic, green peas, celery and asparagus to your menu. You can even experiment with these products preparing the most incredible dishes using them.

The best way to prepare vegetables is doing that using the steamer, or stewing them, of course also eating them fresh too. Adding some greens is also important especially including dill, Basil, parsley, cilantro, onion and garlic. As for fruits you should choose between kiwi, apples, oranges, lemons, and pineapples.

One more important detail about the English diet is that you should drink at least 1.5 liters of liquid during the day giving your preference to non-carbonated mineral water and green tea.

The last two days should be the gradual preparation of the body for quitting the diet. In addition, in order not to gain the lost weight back again you need to include the food of the diet in your daily ration.

Thus, the English diet plan is yet another useful diet we would like to speak about, which will surprise you with the results after some three weeks. Along with the loss of the extra weight you will also get rid of the harmful and unnecessary elements regulating your blood flow and the level of sugar in your blood, as well as decreasing the level of cholesterol. So give it a try and be persistent and you will really enjoy the results!

Photos courtesy of Vogue, Peace Love Shea

Don’t Miss: Apple Diet Plan: How To Lose 10 Pounds In A Week

Japanese Diet Tips And Benefits

There is a super wide range of diet plans, which provide you with the most diverse results and speed of losing weight. But the simplest way from all that myriad of alternatives is following the fasting days. The latter can be practiced once or twice during a week more preferably doing that during three months. This way you will lose weight at the same time regulating the metabolism of your organism. One great alternative for fasting days is creating an interesting apple diet plan, according to which you should eat only apples and drink as much liquid as you want and as you can.

Thus apple diet gives everyone a chance to lose weight quickly and effectively. This happens due to the fact that apples are both delicious and healthy and they give you an opportunity to lose weight easily and without torturing your body.

Thus apple diet belongs to the category of monodiets. And the choice of apples is not in vain, since they are a great source of vitamins and micro-elements, which secure the necessary resources of the useful elements for your body. The greatest part of those elements is concentrated in the peel of the apples. They contain vitamins A, C, P, and B, as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, copper, pectin, fructose, folic acid, which all help to regulate digestion and speed up metabolism.

Still, what you should remember is that before taking up this diet you should consult the doctor to find out whether there are or there aren’t any contraindications for that.

Green tea without sugar and mineral water, preferably non-carbonated, as well as kefir can also be included in the list of the ingredients you can take while keeping the apple diet. You will need some two kg-s of apples distributed evenly for the whole day. You may eat them fresh or cook them with honey or lemon juice. Thus, following the apple diet regularly you will be able to lose weight and regulate your blood pressure as well as solve the problem of edema.

Another alternative of the apple diet is stricter lasting for seven days. During those seven days you may eat only apples with cheese or cooked apples. The first and the last days should have 1 kg of apples to be eaten and the rest of the days approximately 1.5-2 kg. By the way, you should also know that cooked apples are no less healthy than the fresh ones. They contain a great amount of pectin, which helps you to get rid of clogs and the salts of heavy metals in your body. Besides eating apples you should also drink green tea with considerable amount joined with non-carbonated mineral water.

In order to resist the apple diet you need to have a strong power of will. Those who are not sure about following all the rules exactly may combine apples with some yogurt, carrots, oatmeal and green vegetables or just limit with fasting days. Still following this diet you will notice the improvements really soon.

Photos courtesy of FashionGoneRogue

Don’t Miss: Myths About 7 HEALTHY Products Debunked

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Stretching at home includes exercises of muscles, which allow keeping the correct posture and get rid of the possible pains of muscles, thus also increasing the mobility and the flexibility of the body. One more cool thing about stretching exercises is that after doing them the muscles get relaxed and the body becomes more elastic, improving the blood circulation. So here we are with some easy stretching exercises you can try at home and have the fit and sporty body that you most probably would like to have.

How to Prepare the Muscles for Stretching?

First of all you need to bear in mind a range of rules, which are essential for the primary preparation, going as follows:

• The very first thing that you need to do before stretching is warm-up. Exercises like rope workout, running, jumping will all do.

• In addition, it’s absolutely not true that the muscles have to be stretched until the intensity of feeling pain. In fact, what you actually need is the regular repetition of the exercises and not the unbearable pain, which will not let you go on with the other exercises the same way.

• One more thing that you should remember is that the exercises should be done without intervals and strictly following the order.

Stretching Exercises at Home

1. Open your legs at the width of your shoulders and put your hands on your hips. Then do some side bending to the right and to the left 12 times.

2. Open the legs at the shoulder width and put the hands on hips. Make rotations with your body 8 times for each side.

3. Opening the legs at the shoulder width, put the hands behind the head. Make circular movements with the pelvis. Repeat the exercise 8 times for each side.

4. Put your legs together and the hands on the knees. Make rotations to each side with your knees 8 times.

5. Lift your leg and bend it in the ankle, putting the hands on the hips making rotations with the left leg 8 times repeating the same for the other leg too.

6. Putting the legs together and make 12 springy bendings.

7. Put the legs twice as wide as the shoulders and make 12 springy bendings forward.

8. Put the legs 1.5 times as wide as the shoulders. Catch the feet by hands and squat as low as possible like that. The back should be straight and the pelvis should be put backward. This exercise should be done during a minute.

9. Stand on your knees making a lock with hands. Do 6 squats to each side, touching the floor with you buttocks.

10. Sit on the floor keeping the legs together and do 12 springy exercises forward.

11. Lie on your belly and bend your hands in the elbows. Then just stretch your arms bending the spine, lifting the head up. In that position you should stay at least for 40 seconds.

12. Lie on your belly and catch the chair with your both hands. Bend the spine, and lift the head up keeping that position for 40 seconds.

13. Lie on your belly and bend your legs in your knees. Stretch out your arms and bend your spine keeping the position for 40 seconds.

14. Stand on your knees, and catch the ankles. Bend your spine back and keep the position for 40 seconds.

15. Make a bridge and keep it for 40 minutes.

Leg Stretching Exercises at Home

1. Do a lunge to the right, passing the whole weight of your body to the right leg, keeping the left leg stretched. At the same time turn your body for 90 degrees passing the weight to the left leg stretching the right leg. This exercise should be repeated for 10 times for each leg.

2. Stand on your knees opening them as much as possible, with the feet looking in opposite directions. Do 12 squats in this position. The buttocks should touch the floor.

3. Sit on the floor and join your legs. Make 12 springy bends forward.

4. Sit on the floor, stretch your right leg and bend the left one in the knee. Lift the foot of the left leg and press it onto the right hip. In such a position you should make 8 bends forward repeating this for each leg.

5. Continuing to sit on the floor stretch out the right leg bending the left one and putting it back. Make a bend forward. You should then make 12 springy bends for each leg.

6. Sitting on the floor join the legs together. Try to separate the leg with the help of your elbows. This exercise should be repeated for 15 times.

7. Sit on the floor, and try to make your left and right legs touch the neck interchangeably.

8. Sitting on the floor join your feet, catch them with your hands and stretch forward without bending your neck or pressing the shoulders.

9. Stand up and join your legs. Keeping them straight stretch to the floor with your hands. Fix the position for a minute.

10. Put your legs maximum wide and lean on to the floor with your hands, slowly going down. Increase the time of this exercise every day. Start it from 30 seconds.

Here were the basic and the most essential stretching exercises that we would like to present to your attention, showing the primary and the easiest stretching exercises that you can try out in order to keep fit and healthy. The great advantage of these exercises without counting the ease of the accomplishment is the fact that they don’t even require special control or supervision by trainers or visits to the gym. You can figure all that out quite easily without all those expenses too. So be careful to choose the right proportions for everything you do and just enjoy the awesome results. If you are taking up these exercises for a specific purpose then just be persistent because it’s possible that you don’t notice the results right away but you will in the long run anyway.

Photos courtesy of Peace Love Shea, The Blonde Salad

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