of men
experience back pain, but now there’s hard-core pain relief. An abs
workout may help your achy back, say researchers in Brazil. After
cyclists with lower-back pain completed a core-strengthening program, 44
percent reported less pain. “Pedaling can create micromovements in your
pelvis and spine, which can lead to lower-back pain,” says Stuart
McGill, Ph.D., a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of
Waterloo, Ontario. “Core work stiffens your spine and back, shifting
movement to your legs.”
A back-saving abs workout can help everyone from elite cyclists to
desk jockeys. McGill recommends a 3-move routine consisting of the front
to side bridge, curlup, and bird dog. Ready to try them? Watch the
video below to see how to perform the exercises with perfect form. (We
also sampled 6 back-pain treatments to see which one will Banish Back Pain Forever.)
Feelgood factor: a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle could make a big difference to to your health
22 April 2014
Everybody is searching for the next big diet: the
next starvation method to deliver short-term results. The reality is
that real health and weight loss is staring you in the face.
Your body, when utilised properly, is a weight loss machine that
will work hard to reduce body fat, increase lean tissue and become
healthier. I'm going to tell you how to rev up your metabolism and
regulate your appetite, and share the trade secrets that will help you
stay healthy for life.
Supercharge your system and make your body work for you.
1 The Meal of Champions
If you want your body to work for you, you have to fuel it. Think of your metabolism as a furnace that must be kept stoked.
Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day as it fires up the furnace and
turns your body into a fat-burning machine for the rest of the day. Skip
breakfast and you will burn less calories during the day, you will be
cranky, you will eat more and feel less motivated. Ideally choose
organic porridge oats or eggs and wholemeal bread at breakfast time and,
as a rule, aim to eat most of your carbs at breakfast and fewer as the
day progresses.
2 Slow down Ulster
people tend to eat too quickly, without adequately chewing their food.
Hence the body has to do extra work to break it down, and absorbs fewer
nutrients in the process.
You should aim to chew your food for 30
seconds. Studies show that those who take more time to masticate their
food have less of the 'hunger hormone' ghrelin circulating in their
digestive systems. The simplest way to do this is to put down your knife
and fork between each mouthful and let your teeth and jaw do what they
were designed to do. You will also reduce stomach bloating, improve
digestion and gain more energy.
3 Thirst v Hunger
The
hypothalamus is the area of the brain that regulates bodily signals,
including thirst and hunger. This means that we can often confuse thirst
for hunger when we're not adequately hydrated.
Always have a
glass of water at the first sign of hunger. Better still, aim to drink
two to three litres a day, starting with lemon and hot water in the
morning to flush out toxins.
4 The Stress/Belly Fat Connection
Stress causes the body to produce a hormone called cortisol, which can also promote fat storage, often around the stomach area.
Combine
this with the natural ageing process, which lowers your metabolism and
increases your fat content, and it's easy to see why middle-age and a
wider mid-section go hand-in-hand. Many associate 'chilling out' with
indulgence. The truth is that by relaxing the mind you will naturally
increase your ability to get that waist back. Try turning off your phone
for an hour a day, going for a 20-minute walk in the evening or
practising yoga or meditation.
5 Watch the Clock
Your
body has a natural circadian rhythm (24-hour cycle). From 8pm to 4am,
your body is in the assimilation cycle. Your body is assimilating or
absorbing nutrients from your food.
By eating late, your
body spends a huge amount of time having to work at digesting your food
when it should be sleeping. It reduces the speed at which you absorb the
nutrients from your food, leaves you feeling bloated and full and
affects your sleep. In an ideal world you should aim to eat your dinner
at around 7pm, leaving time for a herbal tea such as peppermint to help
you digest your food.
6 In the Bedroom
The
aforementioned hypothalamus, which regulates hunger and thirst, also
regulates sexual satisfaction. Sex increases your cardiovascular
fitness, improves circulation, increases blood flow and, most
importantly, releases a host of hormones, some of which play a part in
regulating your appetite, specifically carbohydrate cravings. A healthy
sex life plays its part in a healthy body.
7 Short, Sharp Bursts
We
lead busy lives, struggling to get time for any training. Yet even five
or 10 minutes of intense exercise can make a big difference to your
weight, mind and body, turning it into a fat-burning furnace.
Short,
intense and explosive bursts of exercise can fire up the metabolism,
burn calories and release endorphins into the blood stream. Think quick
sprints or jumping jacks – anything that breaks a sweat and gets you out
of breath.
No matter what exercise you do, to force your
body to get the maximum benefits from the workout you must ensure you
are getting out of breath but can still hold a conversation. This is the
zone at which your body gains the most from a workout.
8 Brown is the New White
Who
doesn't want a flatter stomach, more energy and a healthier body? It's
much easier than you may think. Simply drop the white carbs from your
diet, replace them with wholegrain brown carbs and watch your body
change.
Swap white bread for wholemeal brown bread, white
pasta for brown pasta and white rice for brown rice. The white versions
of these foods are higher on the Glycemic Index, which means they spike
your blood sugar level which causes your body to release insulin to
remove the excess sugar. The more insulin you produce, the more of your
food is stored as body fat.
9 Press Pause
If
you overtrain, your body will generally refuse to lose weight. You will
be hungrier and struggle to train as hard as normal. You should take at
least two rest days a week to let the body recover. This will ensure
that you get the best results from your training.
10 The Spice Route
Adding
spices to your food will help your body to burn fat, increase its
metabolism and keep you healthier and free from illness.
Just
increase the amounts gradually and you will grow to love spicy food.
Need some inspiration? Add chillies to a stir-fry, ginger to juices and
cinnamon to soups and stews. If you're grabbing a sandwich for lunch,
add jalapeno peppers or a slick of mustard to your wholemeal wrap or
roll.
11 Pros and Carbs
Every
meal should contain protein. This has several benefits, including
increasing lean muscle tissue, revving up your metabolism and helping
balance insulin levels.
Ideally, you should eat 1.5g/kg
bodyweight of protein a day. Eggs offer one of the easiest ways of
achieving this. They are a complete protein, containing all eight
essential amino acids and are full of vitamins and minerals.
12 Stay Strong
Many
people eat when they are emotional, eating high-sugar/high-fat comfort
foods that may make them feel better in the short-term but not in the
long run.
One of the best ways to break this cycle is to
exercise. When you're having a bad day or feeling low, you need to move.
Movement will increase your energy and lower the emotional triggers
that cause you to reach for the biscuits.
An hour-long
walk will generally sort out even the most problematic of issues. This
is especially true if you have had a bad day at work. Forget the bus and
walk home instead. You will have worked out all the stress by the time
you get there. Eat normally and avoid the pitfall of sugar-fuelled
foods.
13 Sleep Yourself Slim
Sleep is the body's way to recover, regenerate and replenish. Deep sleep will aid your weight-loss process.
By
turning off all electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed,
reading to relax the mind and using blackout blinds to keep the light
out, you will help the body to completely relax and recover.
Leptin
and ghrelin work to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin is
produced in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates appetite, while
leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are
full.
When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat.
Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you crave more food.
14 Muscle Burns Fat
Muscle burns more calories than fat, therefore those who carry more muscle have a higher basal metabolic rate.
In
fact, they burn more calories than someone with less muscle even while
sitting at their desk eating a sandwich. As you get older your body
naturally stores more fat and reduces its muscle content.
Hence resistance exercise is more important than ever.
One
of my favourite exercises is the plank. It is fantastic for your core
and is so easy to do. Start on elbows and knees, locking hands together.
Now straighten your legs and raise your body so that you're supported
by the balls of your feet, with feet hip-distance apart. Face the floor,
being careful not to arch your back or stick your bottom in the air.
Hold this position for 30 seconds to begin with, extending the time as you get stronger.
15 Women's Health
When a woman is menstruating, her body will swell, she will crave comfort foods and often not feel like training.
It is key to recognise this, not panic and be more mindful of your body at this time.
To
reduce swelling, increase your intake of citrus fruits and try boiling
water with apple cider vinegar and lemon (cooled slightly before
drinking) to help reduce the amount of fluid you gain.
Remember
that women are naturally less hungry just before ovulation (mid-cycle)
and more hungry in the luteal phase (pre-menstrual).
If
you're feeling up to it, lifting weights as part of your training
routine can help reduce the effects of PMS, improve your mood and reduce
your comfort food cravings.
Most importantly, listen to your body and learn to anticipate the natural appetite peaks and troughs that occur each month.
We have a lot to lose...
More than half of all adults in Northern Ireland are officially overweight, while obesity kills around 450 people a year here, according to the Public Health Agency
Figures
from 2011 estimated that the number of children in Northern Ireland
between the ages of two and 10 who are classified as obese, is above
20,000
Three of the main health problems caused by obesity are cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes
European
men are considered at high risk of these diseases if they have a waist
measurement of around 40 inches or more (35 inches for Asian men), while
for women, the figure is 35 inches or more, (32 inches for Asian women)
