Water, Water, Everywhere!!!

Want an easy way to be good to your body? Stay hydrated by guzzling down more water throughout the day. Water has zero calories, so it doesn't add to your waistline. Plus, it aids in just about every bodily function, including fat burning and energy production. So, grab a glass, a stainless-steel or ceramic-lined drinking bottle with filtered water, and drink up!

Don't Watch the Clock

Next time you're working out, cover up the clock. Instead of focusing on how you have another 10 minutes to go and you feel like killing yourself, focus on the workout, how your body feels, and how great it is that you're getting fit. Use the time and energy to empower yourself. The worst thing that could happen is you end up running a little over!

Strengthen Your Core

Old-school obliques exercises involved putting a broomstick behind your shoulders and twisting umpteen times to the right and left or holding hand weights and bending side to side.  Today, there are other exercises that recruit and isolate obliques muscle fibers better, such as side and bicycle crunches. Remember too that in many exercises, the abdominal get an extra hit because they're working to stabilize the torso while doing the moves that target other muscles. Most common among these are exercises where your body is held in a plank position, such as push-ups. Try some!

Know the Warning Signs

What can happen if you get too dehydrated or exert yourself in the heat too long? Here are some possibilities, from the least to the most severe:
Heat cramps ― muscle pain or spasms
Heat exhaustion ― a state of elevated body temperature that's a precursor to heatstroke
Heatstroke ― a life-threatening condition in which your body temperature rises above 106˚ F
If  you experience muscle cramping, dizziness, fast and shallow breathing, cold and clammy skin, or nausea or vomiting, get out of the heat immediately and get some water. Heat-related illnesses are no joke, so don't take any chances!

Swap in Beans for Meat this week

Beans may get a bad rap because of that old childhood rhyme, but they are so good for your HEALTH and your wallet. In fact, bean-based meals can give you all the complete proteins you need at a fraction of the cost of beef, chicken, or fish. Beans and other legumes are power foods; they're rich sources of soluble fiber and nutritious complex carbs. Start with one meatless meal a week, working toward one a day. You'll reduce your exposure to toxins that build up in animal products and save cash!

Add Lemons and Limes

Acidic foods like limes or lemons can substitute for salt. These HEALTHY alternatives also deliver vitamin C with every squeeze.

Buffet Blues

Now it's not as much "fun" as the sugary treats at the party buffet but if you have one choice to overload your plate with, go with the nonstarchy vegetables. Eat them till you're blue in the face. In fact, I'd love if you'd eat plates and plates full of them. But, to keep yourself full, start every meal with veggies and you'll give your gut-based satiety hormones more time to kick in.

Eat Fruit First

Eating a raw apple before a meal helps you feel full and will cut down your calorie consumption by about 15 percent.

Don't Skip Sleep

Are you one of those people who likes to brag that you get by on very little sleep? Or do you love to sleep the day away? I've told you before that too little sleep can mess up your weight-loss efforts, but did you also know that when you sleep too much, your metabolism can also be negatively affected too? If you sleep 10 hours a night, you might face some of the same hormonal risks as those who sleep too little. Researchers believe that having too much or too little sleep interferes with your ability to control your appetite, because it simultaneously increases hunger hormone ghrelin while it decreases satisfaction hormone leptin. Want to be sure you are getting all the benefits of a good night sleep? Get your rest! Shoot for a consistent eight hours of sleep and stick with the same bed time and wake-up time each day ―even on the weekends!

The Big Balance

You know the mantra: Calories in, calories out. But there's something more than weight loss going on in this equation: It's balance. It applies to everything from hormones and nutrition to relationships and careers. Make sure that you strive to keep a healthy balance in your life. Work hard to be who you want to be, take care of yourself, do the things that matter, and everything's likely to fall in place. Calories in, calories out. Breathe positive energy in, breathe negative energy out. Take love in, give love out. Ebb and flow.

Confusing Meat Labels

Food labels can be extremely confusing, especially because there are so many these days. Many people believe the terms "all natural" and "organic" are synonymous; however, that is far from the truth. Depending on the region you live in, there are many certification bodies for organic foods. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. If a product has a USDA Organic label, that means the item is produced and processed according to the USDA standards. These standards include that it is produced without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics. Labels like “all-natural” meat and “free range” don’t have true credibility because inspections aren’t required to prove if they are free of artificial ingredients, such as preservatives, or whether the animal has been fed hormones or antibiotics. So, when you are buying chicken, or any meat, you should be wary of labels and make sure you are buying certified organic. Safety aside, all-natural and free-range meats are not nearly as nutritious as true organic meats. Many conventional supermarkets will carry natural meats but not true organic meats. Make sure you read labels, and don’t be afraid to ask the butcher if you are unsure about what you are buying. So choose wisely!

Do Cardio You Love

Jumping rope and doing jumping jacks are excellent forms of cardio that you can do anywhere. It takes time to build up endurance for jumping, though, so try doing intervals at first — jump one minute, rest the next, and so on. You'll find that by jumping, you'll burn calories and tone your quads, hamstrings, and calves. Try different types of jumps to target different leg muscles. When jumping rope, try kicking your butt (I'm serious!) or bringing your knees up as high as you can in between jumps. The possibilities are endless with this simple activity.

One Way Not to Celebrate Weight Loss

That pink concoction in the martini glass sure looks tempting, but it isn't worth the unneeded calories it packs into your day. If you absolutely can't resist a drink - and I do recommend resisting it if you're serious about losing weight - clear alcohols like vodka, gin, and rum (mixed with seltzer and spritzed with lemon or lime) or, even better, a glass of heart-HEALTHY organic red wine are your best bet. They're lower in calories and they won't cause a major sugar crash - the kind that leaves you searching for something to eat.

Pack In Potassium

Potassium is crucial for normal functioning of the nervous system, muscles, kidneys, and adrenal glands. Add more potassium to your daily diet by eating more fruits (such as bananas, apricots, and avocados) and vegetables (spinach and potatoes).

How to Spot Processed Foods

Need help figuring out which foods are processed? If you shop at an all-organic market or food co-op, you're already talking a step in the right direction; however, you still need to look out for processed foods. Check the labels on all the foods you buy. If you see any ingredients that look questionable, don't buy the food! If you see an unpronounceable list of ingredients that look like gibberish, put the item back on the self! Go with foods that are truly natural and contain minimal ingredients. More specifically, don't buy anything containing; Anything not 100 percent whole wheat; trans fat or hydrogenated oils; corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup; a chemical; MSG; butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA); sodium nitrate or nitrite; or sodium benzoate; potassium benzoate.

Mix in Interval Cardio

Want more bang for your exercise buck? Interval cardio training is an awesome addition to any strength-training routine because it burns a ton of calories, works the cardiovascular system, and builds muscle. It's all about doing short bursts of cardio with and intense amount of effort. You should do intervals in between your weight-training exercises if you want to really maximize your workout. Mixing interval cardio moves, such as Mountain Climbers or Squat Thrusts, with weight training keeps your heart rate at a higher level throughout a workout. Why is maintaining an elevated heart rate important? Because it means you'll burn more calories. If you're just starting out, add a 15-second interval cardio move after every three weight exercises. As your FITNESS level increases, you can make your interval cardio sessions longer or add more of them to your workout.

Remember, "Interval" is the key word here. These exercises are meant to be done in 30-second to 5-minute bursts, not half-hour sessions. The exercises are demanding, so warm up before doing them.

Bottled Water Isn't the Answer

The fewer plastics in your life the better. However, you can't lug around water filters all day. Instead, when you're away from home, carry along a stainless-steel or ceramic-lined drinking bottle filled with filtered water. Avoid hard-plastic drinking bottles; many of these are made of polycarbonate, a type of plastic that contains an endocrine disruptor called bisphenol-A (or BPA). Also, don't be duped into buying "organic" water either - when it comes to water, that term doesn't mean anything!

Get Over Jet Lag

The best way to handle jet lag is to try to sleep only at night and to get up early in the morning, although it may be difficult the first few days. This way your body can start adjusting to the new time zone as soon as possible.

Water's Better

Few things taste better after the office softball game than a sports drink - but watch out for the sugar and calories. Most people don't exercise strenuously enough to need the nutrients in sports drinks, so you may want to stick with water.

Easy Ways to Burn

Even moderate physical activities like cleaning the house, raking leaves, or strolling can burn an extra 300 calories per day. Over 12 days, that can add up to an extra pound of weight loss.

Release Your Energy

Stress puts your body in a state of high arousal. When that energy has nowhere to go, you can get stuck in hyper mode. Burn your excess energy with aerobic exercise like biking, swimming, and dancing.

Get to Sleep

If you suffer from insomnia, making very slight physical movements - like swirling a finger or curling your toes - can refocus your attention upon the slow, relaxing motion instead of your inability to fall asleep.

HEALTHY Stress Relief

Resist the urge to calm your nerves with a drink, a cigarette, or pills. Relying on drugs and alcohol to deal with stress won't help in the long run. Choose a HEALTHY stress reliever - a trip to the gym or reading a book - instead.

Maintain Friendships

Numerous studies have shown that friendship - even if it's just with one confidant - reduces stress. Make it a point to connect regularly with friends, and join groups or take classes in subjects you're interested in, which will lead to new friends.

Make a HEALTHY Choice

You may find yourself staring down the office vending machine despite your best intentions. It's still possible to make good choices. Remember to choose items that contain a bit of protein. Pretzels or peanut butter crackers are a better option than M&M or a Kit Kat bar.

Good Mood Food

Foods high in the amino acid tryptophan contribute to feelings of optimism and calm. Eat bananas, avocados, dried apricots, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds for extra tryptophan.

Walk It Out

Walking is a great form of aerobic exercise, and getting in 30 minutes is an easily achievable target.

Some ideas: Walk all or part of the way to work. Or take a 15 minutes burst at lunchtime and another in the evening. As your FITNESS improves, you can alternate with a slow jog on some days.

Hang Around

Or actually, hang upside down. It's believed that inverting your body, such as during a yoga pose, helps relieve pressure on the heart and cleanse the lymphatic system. You shouldn't do these inversions, though, if you have heart disease, hypertension, glaucoma or other eye diseases, or are pregnant.

Check Your Mattress

What you sleep on makes a big difference in the quality of sleep you get every night. A mattress without enough support for your spine can lead to muscle fatigue and a poor night's sleep. A good mattress maintains the same natural spinal alignment you have when standing.

Dance the Night Away

Let go of stress by trying a dance style like salsa, meringue, and mambo, or take a dance FITNESS class like Zumba. Dancing will keep you whirling and twirling so much you forget you're actually getting into shape.