The dip in temperature accompanied by cold winds, not only forces us to put on more clothes but also makes us eat more. You might have noticed yourself that with the change in season, you binge eat and succumb to unhealthy cravings. Even though you may not feel hungry physically, your mind continuously asks for food. We often find ourselves munching on snacks mindlessly and in the end worry about unwanted weight gain.

As per researches, your genetics might be responsible for this but there are some other reasons as well. Here are 3 reasons why people overeat in winters.

With the drop in temperature, our body has to fight harder to keep itself warm. And so it requires more calories to produce energy. When this happens, our mind sends a signal to the brain to put on more clothes and eat more calorie-loaded food. At this point, we even forget that we are overeating.

People generally tend to drink less water in winters, which leads to dehydration. This problem is quite common during this season. The drying heat of room heaters and layers of clothes also makes our body dehydrated. Our body actually needs water, but we confuse our thirst with hunger and eat more food.

Winter blues is really a thing! The cold weather is a perfect recipe for sadness. Studies suggest that a significant number of people suffer from this Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and this makes them eat more. People turn to food for some comfort during winters.

If you are worried about gaining weight because of all the extra eating, then here are some tips for you:

-Eat healthy soups and low-calorie dishes. Try to include winter vegetables and fruits in your diet.

-Even if you are snacking between your meals, try to include healthy and low-calorie foods in your diet.

-Portion control is a very important thing. Do not fill your plate with multiple food items at a time.

-If you think you are suffering from winter blues then take necessary steps or seek professional help.

-Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes every day.

Excerpt from:
3 valid reasons why we tend to overeat in winters - Times of India

She's the Married At First Sight star loved by fans for her daring approach to romance, love and fashion.

And now Martha Kalifatidis has shared a daring bikini snap to Instagram revealing more than she may have intended.

The 30-year-old recently posted a photo of herself posing in a lime green two-piece and as fans have been quick to point out - she's showing a small hint of nipple.

Martha Kalifatidis has given fans a cheeky glimpse of nipple in a new bikini photo. Picture: Instagram / marthaa_k

Undaunted by the apparent wardrobe malfunction, Martha jokingly captioned the snap: "@mbrunelli (Michael Brunelli) won't be taking pics of me in 2020."

Within moments of sharing the racy bikini snap, fans flooded the post, and at the time of writing, the smouldering pic had garnered more than 24,000 likes.

"Nip slip babe," one person pointed out.

"You can see the top of your nipple just FYI," another said.

"Bit nippy where you are," another teased.

One remarked: "I spy with my nipple eye."

Martha owned her nip slip with her trademark sass. Picture: marthaa_k

Others appeared to be less than delighted with the photo, with one person stating the reality star had "half a nipple showing" before adding, "so not classy".

"Oh dear, that's awkward," another wrote.

While some thought the commotion over a cheeky flash was all too much.

"People here really be losing their minds over a half nip, get over it guys," another said.

Martha's boyfriend Michael also jumped on the thread and left a cheeky comment that read: "Anyone looking for a personal photographer in 2020?"

As to be expected, this set off a trail of remarks with people getting in on the joke saying they would sign him up "only if he could make them look as hot as Martha".

Martha and Michael celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary by sharing this racy photo to Instagram in September. Picture: marthaa_k

Martha is also known for her refreshingly honest approach to life.

She recently spoke to news.com.au about how she gained six kilograms while holidaying overseas, saying she was happy with her body.

While at 60kg she's not overweight, Martha said accepting herself and her body as it is hadn't been without some effort.

"A few years ago this would have actually killed me," she said, adding: "I would have been miserable about gaining this much weight."

RELATED: MAFS' Martha poses in rare make-up free video

RELATED: MAFS star Martha reveals reality of naked Instagram photo

"I wouldn't have been able to cope. I was a person who would literally count every single calorie before it passed my lips - even down to a single square of chocolate."

Martha recently shared this snap to Instagram of herself wearing her trademark leopard-print bikini, telling news.com.au she had gained 6kg when it was taken. Picture: Instagram/Marthaa_k_

At this stage, she revealed she wasn't overly worried "about a few extra kilograms" and said she planned to tone up and return to a healthier lifestyle - but not by doing anything "drastic".

"I have started to clean up my diet, but I will still have a drink with friends or go out to dinner,' she said.

"If I overindulge one night, then I will be really 'clean' for three days.

"This means I will make sure I have plenty of fluid, lots of broth and drink lots of freshly juiced vegies to flush it out."

Martha said she no longer believed in being perfect. Her goal these days is to achieve balance. Picture: marthaa_k

As well as tweaking her diet, exercise will also form part of the plan. However, hardcore HIIT workouts will be swapped for running, pilates or targeted training sessions with Michael.

"Michael has been helping me a lot because he is so fit. He is like a machine," Martha said.

"He never misses a day and he is a really good influence on me. He encourages me to get up and go to the gym with him."

Martha said her goal wasn't to lose weight. She hopes by revamping her diet and approach to exercise she will "trim down" and feel more energised.

"I don't care what the scales say. It's more about how I feel. I want to feel healthy and fit," she said.

Martha and Michael celebrated a year together in September after they met and "married" on season six of Married At First Sight.

Since finding fame on the reality show, Martha, who is also a make-up artist, has become a social media influencer with an Instagram account that boasts more than 296,000 followers.

See original here:
'People here really be losing their minds over a half nip' - Observer

Share on PinterestConnecting with others can be one way to cope with the holiday blues. Getty Images

The holiday season is a joyful time for many people but it can also be a harbinger of stress.

For those who are coping with loneliness or grief over the loss of a loved one, holiday traditions and activities may heighten feelings of isolation and sadness.

Buying gifts, making food, traveling, and managing other holiday responsibilities can also strain peoples emotional and financial reserves.

Disruptions to your diet, exercise habits, and sleep schedule can affect your physical and mental health, too. Even seasonal reductions in sunlight can take a toll.

If you find yourself struggling with feelings of stress, anxiety, or sadness, youre not alone. Here are five strategies that may help you ward off the holiday blues this year.

If you struggle with feelings of isolation, loneliness, or sadness around the holidays, reaching out to family members and friends may help.

For those persons who experience loneliness or depression during the holiday season, its especially important to reach out to family and friends, Mona Shattell, PhD, RN, FAAN, a mental health specialist and professor of nursing at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, told Healthline.

These individuals should strive to connect in real life with one person per day, she continued. Call a friend on the phone, make a plan to meet someone for a walk or for coffee anything that connects the person to another person.

If you dont have a lot of people to call or visit, volunteering for a local organization may give you the chance to meet new people and strengthen your connections with your community.

Doing something meaningful for others can help mediate loneliness, depression, and stress during the holidays, Shattell said.

Taking part in a service project or volunteering for your favorite organization can help one feel less alone, less stressed, and more alive, she added.

For people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, certain holiday traditions or memories may serve as a reminder of their absence.

Rather than try to suppress feelings of sadness, it may help to acknowledge them and take time to commemorate the person youve lost.

For people who are experiencing grief over the death of loved ones, especially those who have died since the last holiday season, it is helpful to acknowledge the loss and celebrate the life as it was lived, the memories that remain, Shattell said.

You might find it comforting to establish a new holiday tradition in their honor. On the other hand, you might decide to skip other traditions or activities that are too painful to participate in without them.

Give yourself freedom to choose how youll mark the holiday and your loved ones memory, recommends the Hospice Foundation of America.

Setting realistic expectations is essential for limiting stress.

If youre feeling overwhelmed, its okay to scale back on your holiday decorations, baking goals, or social calendar. Rather than taking on everything, the American Psychological Association (APA) recommends prioritizing the tasks and activities that are most important to you.

Sticking to a holiday budget may also help limit stress by reducing financial strain. Dont spend more money on gifts or activities than you can afford.

If you find yourself struggling to meet the expectations of other people, its important to recognize and communicate your needs and limits, Brett Marroqun, PhD, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Loyola Marymount University, told Healthline.

I tend to talk to patients about interpersonal effectiveness skills, ways to communicate with partners, with adult parents, and with families that have to do with clearly asserting your needs, being really clear about what your needs and your emotions are, and having boundaries, Marroqun said.

What can I fulfill? What do I need to do to take care of myself? Communicating all those things, he continued.

Although it might not be your number one priority during the holiday season, practicing healthy habits is important for maintaining good mental health.

Basic stuff like keeping a healthy diet, keeping up your exercise, keeping up the activities you typically do, including the positive activities that you just enjoy doing, and not letting the stressful stuff sort of overwhelm all that and supersede all of that it creates the foundation for healthy coping, Marroqun said.

Try to get enough sleep, get some exercise, and moderate your intake of holiday treats.

Its also best to avoid consuming alcohol when youre feeling stressed or blue, advises Dr. Ken Duckworth, MD, medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Whatever holiday stressors you expect to encounter, planning ahead may help you cope.

For some people, that might mean blocking time off in their calendars to shop when they expect grocery stores or malls to be less busy.

For others, it might mean planning a special activity or gathering with friends on a day when they anticipate feeling lonely or sad.

If you know that Christmas Day or New Years Eve is a particularly stressful time for you, maybe because of a loss that happened around that period or because youve always spent time with your grandpa and hes gone now, Marroqun said, is there something you can do on that day, is there something you can plan with other family members for that day?

A lot of the research is really clear, he continued, that when youre active in planning coping in advance for challenges you know are coming, the better off youre going to be.

Read more:
5 Ways to Beat Holiday Blues - Healthline

So both of their families have reorganized their lives and spent thousands of dollars to enroll in intensive after-school brain training programs that offer the promise of permanent changes to the human mind.

The programs are part of a fast-growing industry thats based on the premise that targeted games and exercises can rewire the brain to boost memory, sharpen thinking or decrease the challenges associated with anxiety, autism, ADHD and other disorders. Brick-and-mortar training centers like Brain Balance Achievement Centers, which Izak attends, and LearningRx, Kyles program, are just one piece of a $2 billion global brain technology market that is increasingly going around the medical industry and marketing directly to consumers.

But the premise behind the programs has faced significant criticism from doctors and scientists who warn that some are making dubious claims. These personalized programs can cost $12,000 or more for six months of training, three days a week. Families have gone into debt or turned to crowdfunding sites to pay for them.

Theyre selling hope, said Eric Rossen, the director of professional development and standards for the National Association of School Psychologists. These organizations are not necessarily predatory, but they are definitely there and almost chasing the parents who are desperate, who are overwhelmed and who feel that they have no recourse.

As the number of children diagnosed with ADHD and autism surges in the U.S., according to federal data, and as parents become exasperated with treatments that dont work or involve medications that carry the risk of side effects, neurotechnology industry analysts predict the demand for programs like these will only grow.

NBC News spoke with more than a dozen scientists and experts who said that while theres promise in some forms of brain training, the field is so new that many companies are making claims that go far beyond what they can prove.

That hasnt stopped families from enrolling. NBCNews spoke to 22 parents of children who enrolled in Brain Balance or LearningRx, two of the largest one-on-one training programs, and many described positive results.

LearningRx makes you use your brain in a different way than you do in school, said Kyles mother, Alana Gregory, who says her son is focusing better and is less likely to hit other children than he was before he started the program in August. Its giving him skills to help when he is frustrated. And when he's not as frustrated, we don't have behavior issues.

But other parents say theyve seen only minor improvements if any despite months of hard work and high bills.

The whole thing is a hoax, said Atheer Sabti, who took out a $12,500 loan in 2017 to pay for a six-month Brain Balance program in Plano, Texas, to help his then 12-year-old son, who was getting into trouble and struggling to focus in school.

They took my money, Sabti said, and my son was the same.

Much of the growth in brain training is in apps and games that people use at home or in school, said Alvaro Fernandez, CEO of SharpBrains, a research firm that tracks the neurotechnology industry. The global market for direct-to-consumer technology grew from $475 million in 2012 to $1.9 billion last year, Fernandez said.

Those numbers dont include franchises like Brain Balance or LearningRX, which Fernandez says are more difficult to track financially. But these centers are now in most major U.S. cities. Brain Balance has 108 locations and said it brought in $51.3 million last year. LearningRx has 70 centers in the U.S. as well as 85 centers called BrainRx around the globe. The company declined to provide revenue numbers but says it hopes to add eight U.S. centers and 20 international centers next year.

Other companies include Neurocore Brain Performance Centers, which made headlines in 2017 when U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos disclosed that she and her husband are major shareholders.

Groups that advocate for people with autism and ADHD, including Autism Speaks and Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or CHADD, warn parents to be wary of companies like these that claim to address a long list of disorders without much scientific proof.

We want science to drive treatment and intervention, not just anecdotes, said Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist in Cleveland and the co-chair of CHADDs professional advisory board.

Brain training companies are careful to comply with federal advertising laws, avoiding phrases like treat or cure. But some companies have run into trouble. LearningRx paid $200,000 in 2016 to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission about deceptive claims.

LearningRx maintained that the FTC had unfairly applied medical standards to an educational company, but decided that fighting in court would have been too expensive.

Neurocore, a program that blends diet, exercise, clinical talk therapy and an intervention called neurofeedback that involves attaching electrodes to peoples heads, last year agreed to alter its marketing when an advertising review board objected to ads promoting cures for a host of disorders. But just last month, Neurocore was the subject of a complaintfiled with the FTC by the ad watchdog Truth in Advertising.

Theyve continued to market in a really inappropriate way, said Bonnie Patten, Truth in Advertisings executive director. Theyre marketing unapproved medical devices as being able to treat ailments such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, migraines and memory loss when there's no reliable scientific evidence.

Neurocore CEO Mark Murrison points to research showing that neurofeedback works, though scientists say it has not been fully proven. He says Pattens organization has never reached out to him and he doesnt believe she understands his program.

His company has encountered skeptics, but thats to be expected when you offer an alternative to the status quo, he said.

The FTC declined to comment.

Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.

Brain Balance centers are colorful, cheerfully decorated places, often located in shopping centers in affluent neighborhoods. They each have a cognitive room where students play video games that target memory or brain function and a sensory motor room filled with mats, balance beams and monkey bars.

On a recent afternoon at the Brain Balance in Oxford, about 40 miles north of Detroit, classical music played softly as coaches guided students through exercises designed to stimulate the left or the right side of their brains.

The Brain Balance program is demanding, calling on families to reduce childrens screen time and to cut most sugar, gluten and dairy from their diets. But what has raised eyebrows among mainstream scientists are some unproven theories that drive the one-on-one training.

One of those theories is the popular notion that the right and left side of the brain have different influences on personality. Brain Balance claims that a right brain weakness can cause impulsivity and anxiety, while a left brain weakness can lead to poor math or reading skills. Thats why kids remove just one sock: Brain Balance believes that as a bare foot makes contact with the floor, the opposite side of the brain will get more stimulation. Metronomes and shakers are placed on the same side as the bare foot.

Another Brain Balance theory has to do with primitive infant reflexes, which are the instincts babies are born with to help them survive. The rooting reflex, for example, supports nursing by leading babies to turn toward objects that touch their cheeks. The moro reflex, which likely evolved to help infants cling to their mothers, causes babies to extend their arms and legs when startled.

Doctors say that most people outgrow these reflexes by the time they start preschool. Robert Melillo, a chiropractor and author who founded Brain Balance in 2006, asserted that children who retain reflexes face academic and behavioral struggles. Brain Balance tests children for eight primitive reflexes and has exercises that target each one. The one that targets the moro reflex has children stretch their arms and legs, then curl into a ball.

Other exercises, such as standing on one foot, target balance and coordination to promote connectivity in the brain, said Rebecca Jackson, Brain Balances vice president of programs and outreach. I always like to tell the kids that its kind of like a workout for your brain, she said. We all have strong muscles and weak muscles, and its the same thing with the brain.

George Anderson, a senior research scientist in the Child Study Center at Yale University, is doubtful of this approach. He is among several university-affiliated experts and medical professionals who reviewed the research on the companys website and saw little proof to support the programs theories.

There is evidence that people with neurological issues like ADHD and autism are, in fact, more likely to retain primitive reflexes than their peers, Anderson said. But that doesnt mean that the Brain Balance exercises can eliminate retained reflexes, or that eliminating those reflexes would permanently reduce challenging behaviors.

There's just a lack of foundation for what theyre doing, he said. There are things that they really need to show, and Im surprised theyre in business and have 100 centers if they havent shown that. Actually, I'm not surprised theyre in business if they can get $12,000 for doing this. Its a way to make money. Im surprised they dont view this as unethical.

Daniel Simons, a University of Illinois psychology professor who has scrutinized 130 papers cited by brain training programs, said there is zero evidence to support the Brain Balance theory about problems being caused by a weakness on one side of the brain. This is pseudoscience at best, he said.

Brain Balance CEO Dominick Fedele says science supports the programs components, including the benefits of exercise for the brain. But he acknowledged that the company had not, until recently, attempted a comprehensive study comparing lasting outcomes for children who came through the program to a control group that did not. The company is now helping to fund such a study by a Harvard researcher.

We know there are skeptics out there and we suspect there will continue to be, but we want to be able to show that this is a program that truly makes a difference, Fedele said.

The company rejected the notion that selling an intervention that hasnt been fully proven is unethical. Many families report positive results and the activities arent harmful, said Jackson, the Brain Balance vice president.

Asked about downsides, Jackson replied, the downside is there is cost or time and money involved.

Melillo, who sold most of his stake in the company to a private equity firm several years ago, told NBC News that he honed the program over 10 years of working with children before he started charging for it.

The idea that we always have to wait to make sure we have absolute proof makes no sense, he said. The only way you know it works is by using it.

Parents who say the program doesnt work resent the thousands of dollars they spent to test it out.

Srikanth Mamidi was so angry about not seeing lasting benefits for his autistic son after six months in a Brain Balance program in Cary, North Carolina, that he tracked Melillo down at a ribbon cutting for another center and confronted him.

It was a time waster, an energy waster and a money waster, Mamidi said.

The program had seemed wacky to him, but he and his wife were determined to avoid giving medication to their son, who was 11 at the time and was struggling to make friends and pay attention in class, he said. They were hopeful when they paid $10,000 for the program and committed to driving 40 minutes each way for the training sessions.

But Mamidi said the small changes they saw in the beginning, such as a slight improvement in their sons ability to communicate, faded quickly.

When Mamidi confronted Melillo in 2016, the company founder just walked away, Mamidi said. They are interested in making money rather than improving peoples lives, he said.

Melillo said he did not recall the confrontation but notes that Mamidi is just one disgruntled parent among thousands who swear by the results.

Most Brain Balance reviews posted on Google and Yelp are glowing. Many franchise owners, including the couple who own the Oxford center, are former clients who tell moving stories about the relief they felt when they walked through the door after an overwhelming quest to help their children.

Izaks mom, Patty Lopez, says her son is a different child than he was when he started Brain Balance last spring. Back then, he was prone to daily tantrums that would last for an hour or more. When he was briefly in kindergarten last year, he trashed the classroom so many times that a teacher described him as the worst student that she had ever had in 18 years, Lopez said.

The family has made sacrifices to adopt the programs strict dietary and screen-time guidelines and make the hourlong drive to trainings. But its all been worth it, she said.

After seven months of Brain Balance, Lopez said Izak is doing well in school and now rarely has meltdowns, and she and her husband have been able to avoid giving him the medication that doctors wanted to prescribe. Its a huge change, she said. Its more relaxed. We can play. We can have conversations with him now.

Why do some families see benefits from brain training programs while others dont?

Experts say there could be lots of reasons all interventions, including medicine, affect children differently. Also, parents spending large sums of money can fuel the placebo effect, the belief that a treatment is working even if its not.

Children in the Brain Balance program are doing regular exercise and eating better than they may have been before, which can lead to better sleep. Many spend less time watching TV or staring at a phone. Theyre getting lots of personal attention from Brain Balances coaches. And theyre developing and maturing.

At the end of the year, they're better and many times they would have gotten better on their own, said Rossen, of the National Association of School Psychologists.

Many variables affect childrens lives new teachers, new schools, new milestones. It can be difficult to know what accounts for behavioral changes.

Ben Forbush, 19, a freshman at Michigan State University, said Brain Balance helped him with depression and anxiety when he enrolled as a high school senior.

He started eating breakfast and getting more exercise. He significantly curtailed the time he spent on his phone, and slept much better.

It might have been that the program enabled me to take care of myself a lot more than I had before, he said. Ill never know which aspect it was. Theres a chance it could have been any of them. If it works, it works. It definitely helped me a lot.

Crystal Hoshaw, a California mother, believes Brain Balance helped her son Noah, 7, with reducing repetitive behaviors related to autism and anxiety, such as sucking on his hands, that had been exacerbated by his parents separation and a move to a new home.

She credits Brain Balance with Noahs improvements because his tics were related to the nervous system, which the program targets. Noah also may have benefited from the extra time he and his mother spent together during the 45-minute drive to Brain Balance in San Francisco. The two stopped for burgers in what became little special dates, she said. To Hoshaw, the exact source of Noahs progress matters less than the results.

It doesn't have to be a hard line a good or a bad or a magic bullet or snake oil. It doesnt have to be so polarized, she said. It can just be one part of a holistic, well-rounded approach to helping a kid.

The LearningRX training center in Colorado Springs buzzed with activity on a recent afternoon as seven students and their trainers worked together at small tables. The noise level is intentionally loud to train clients to tune out distractions.

One child bounced on a mini-trampoline as she tried to recall all 45 U.S. presidents. Another child tossed a ball with his trainer as they took turns reciting the alphabet in time with a metronome, an exercise designed to help him multitask.

Many of LearningRxs brain games are similar to exercises that psychologists use to conduct IQ tests, including recalling numbers or shapes. Theyre given easy tasks to start and are rewarded with high fives from their coaches and points they can save up to buy prizes. When they can recite all of the presidents, their picture is posted on the wall.

LearningRX, which was founded in 2003 by an optometrist, initially as a vision therapy program, says it has always done research to show that the program can, for example, help the 29 percent of clients who have ADHD. The company has made a greater effort to publish that research since the FTC charges.

In the past three years, the company has published 11 peer-reviewed studies, said Amy Moore, an educational psychologist and research director of the LearningRxs research arm, the Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research. Among them is a small clinical trial published in a neuropsychiatry journal that found statistically significant improvements in a group of seven clients who had ADHD compared to a control group of six people with ADHD who did not attend LearningRx.

Prove is not in our language, but we have a convergence of evidence that shows that the program changes test results, Moore said. It changes connectivity in the brain and it changes real life.

But questions persist.

I would want a lot more evidence, said Thomas Redick, a psychology professor at Purdue University who has reviewed hundreds of brain training studies. He was among several experts who spoke with NBC News who noted that the peer-reviewed controlled trials and other studies touted on LearningRxs website were fairly small or lacked methodological rigor, such as measures to control for the placebo effect.

Redick added that he doesnt doubt that LearningRx clients do better on IQ tests after months of training, but he questioned whether the benefits translate to other settings. He is skeptical of LearningRxs claims that its clients have improved at school.

You can learn mnemonic strategies that are effective but that only works for those materials, he said. Its not changing whether or not you have ADHD.

Still, Alana Gregory, Kyles mom, said LearningRx has built confidence in her son, which has improved his behavior.

There is no magic pill, she said, but you have to find out what works for your individual child and go with it.

Go here to see the original:
Parents pay thousands for 'brain training' to help kids with ADHD and autism. But does it work? - NBCNews.com

Rachel Lindsay is gearing up for her first Christmas as a married woman & the former Bachelorette star shared with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, how she stays in shape during the holiday season!

Rachel Lindsay, 34, and new husband, Bryan Abasolo, are spending their very first Christmas together since getting married in Cancun, Mexico back in August. The newlyweds already have their plans set, as she told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, Our first Christmas as a married couple will be spent in Dallas because for the past few years weve spent Christmas with Bryans family in Miami. We dont have any Christmas traditions, yet, but Ive had so much fun decorating our home with all of the holiday decorations. Now that the holidays are right around the corner, Rachel shared with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY, what workouts and diets she does to stay in shape during the holiday season especially, but all-year-round as well. We all know maintaining a healthy diet during the holidays is tough with all of the delicious food, so I focus on portion control and a moderately low carb diet, which means no desserts for me, Rachel admitted. To stay fit, I love that Bryan is my accountability partner because he keeps me on track, but when I cant make it to the gym, I really enjoy taking my dog on walks.

As for her diet, I always have a big breakfast. My favorites are eggs, bacon, fruit, and of course coffee. For lunch, I typically have a light salad with a protein and then for dinner, its a free-for-all, but I try to stay away from carbs, she shared. Not only does Rachel make sure to maintain a healthy diet, but she also works out consistently and has one workout that she swears by. I absolutely love yoga because it serves a dual purpose. Its a great physical workout to help tighten my core and build strength and its also a great mental exercise because I can leave any negative energy behind on the mat and re-energize my positivity for the day. No other workout gives me that feeling, she revealed.

Aside from Rachels amazingly toned figure, the former Bachelorette star has flawless skin. To maintain her glowing complexion throughout the holiday season, Rachel shared, I think consistency is key, especially during the holiday season because I am traveling so much as a guest host. Every morning, I start by washing my face with a creamy face wash to retain my skins moisture and then I follow up with a serum that has a ton of vitamin A, C & E. But the key to my glowy skin is the HydraFacial at Ideal Image MedSpa. The HydraFacial gives my skin instant radiance and its definitely become a staple in my skincare routine. Actually, Bryan got to come with me when I got the facial and, once he saw how amazing the HydraFacial was, he immediately got one. It was his first facial EVER!

When it comes to keeping her skin hydrated in the cold and dry winter months, Rachel revealed, I preach hydration! My intense travel schedule, especially during the colder months, really dries out my skin, so, to relieve the dryness, I stay away from exfoliators and really focus on drinking a lot of water and moisturizing throughout the day. I also love using hydrating face masks and getting HydraFacials at Ideal Image MedSpa.

See original here:
Rachel Lindsay Reveals Yoga & Portion Control Help Her Stay In Shape During The Holidays - Hollywood Life

Visceral fat is of particular concern as its a key player in a variety of health problems. High levels of visceral fat can increase the risk of serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

A poor diet can lead to visceral fat build-up, so making changes to what you eat and drink is advised.

While many people think foods high in fat should be avoided, not all fats are unhealthy.

When it comes to cooking oil, coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats you can eat, and studies have shown the positive impact it can have on visceral fat.

Studies have shown the medium-chain fats in coconut oil may boot metabolism and decrease the amount of fat yo store in response to high calorie intake.

READ MORE:Type 2 diabetes: Foods that could increase your risk of developing the condition

Controlled studies have also suggested it may lead to abdominal fat loss.

In one study, obese men who consumed coconut oil daily for 12 weeks lost an average of 1.1 inches from their waists without changing their diets or exercise routines.

In most of the studies, taking about two tablespoons (30ml) of coconut oil per day was shown to be effective.

But coconut oil is high in calories, so rather than adding extra fat into your diet you should look to replace some of the fats youre already eating with coconut oil.

DON'T MISS

As an overall diet to follow, reducing carb intake has been found to be beneficial for losing fat, including abdominal fat.

Diets with under 50g of carbs per day cause belly fat loss in overweight people, those at risk of type 2 diabetes and women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

A strict low-carb diet isnt essential, as some research suggests simply replacing refined carbs with unprocessed starchy carb may improve metabolic health and reduce belly fat.

A Framingham Heart Study found people with the highest consumption of whole grains were 17 percent less likely to have excess abdominal fat than those who consumed diets high in refined grains.

Alongside eating a healthy diet, coconut oil and fewer carbs, exercise has been effective at getting rid of visceral fat.

Aerobic exercise has been found to be an effective way to improve a persons health and burn calories.

Studies have also shown its one of the most effective forms of exercise for reducing belly fat.

See the rest here:
How to lose visceral fat: Best cooking oil for reducing the harmful belly fat - Express

Victor seven tango three one sevenno waitthree one nineno one seven, one seven! Its one seven for sure. Spurted the tired athlete to the official.

Wrong! Thirty burpees. demanded the Spartan judge who was checking each racers memorized codes.

In the obstacle course world racers spend countless hours monthly training their bodies to handle climbing ropes, crawling under barb wired, swimming in frigid lakes but what they might not know is that their physical training is making their brain healthier too. Plus, theres an amazing and simple neuroscience hack that can help every athlete age smarter and the memorization codes during each Spartan Race hold the key.

When I was researching my upcoming book Fear is Fuel I spent a day with Professor John Ratey at Harvard University. Dr. Ratey, who is not just a professor at Harvard but also a practicing M.D. wrote a breakthrough book called Spark. (put it on your 202 reading list!) In which he shows the dramatic impact of exercise on brain function and health. He argues that schools need to put more exercise back into the curriculum (not just for our obesity epidemic but for brain health.) His findings intrigued me enough to ask how exercise impacts fear and courage. He said it quite succinctly:

In order to cope with anxiousness, for instance, you need to let certain well-worn paths grow over while you blaze alternate trails [in your brain]. By understanding such interactions between your body and your brain, you can manage the process, handle problems, and get your mind humming along smoothly. If you had half an hour of exercise this morning, youre in the right frame of mind to sit still and focus on this paragraph, and your brain is far more equipped to remember it. Ratey, John J. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (p. 6). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition.

More recently researchers have shown that aerobic exercise can not only help increase what we call neuroplasticity the growing of new brain cells but also increase critical parts of the brain that deal effectively with fear.

The limbic system handles our fear response and two core components of the limbic brain are the hippocampus and amygdala. Exercise increases the volume of those areas making us better able to turn the fear reaction on and off. What you can learn in my book is that choosing courage can be done by anyone; using an area of the brain called the sgACC. This requires shutting off the reaction of the amygdala and engaging the prefrontal cortex. Exercise makes this easier. Thats right exercise can help build confidence and courage.

Neuroscientists have proven a clear link between aerobic exercise and benefits to other parts of the brain, especially growth of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), or what I refer to as the adult supervision for the brain. The augmentation of the PFC creates optimal executive cognitive functions, especially strategy, planning, courageous decision-making and rapid changing of focusall skills that, like your memory, decline with aging and decline exponentially with Alzheimers. Researchers think added connections between existing neurons, besides the birth of new neurons, creates the beneficial effects from exercise on the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions beyond the hippocampus.

If you are over 40 you also need to know that exercise combined with a cognitive challenge can stave off all kinds of issues associated with mental decline.

Several studies starting from 2011 show that aerobic exercise combined with a challenging mental task (a video game, memorizing numbers or quotes, planning strategy) can reduce cognitive decline and in fact can increase mental processing capabilities. Combine exercise with challenging mental tasks (like memorizing numbers during an obstacle course race) and focus on a healthy diet and you can actually get smarter as you get older.

A surprising finding over the last five years is that many people have Alzheimerswithout displaying any symptoms because their lifestyle has helped them create cognitive workarounds. One of the reasons this happens is intense exercise increases something called brain derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF). BDNF has a critical role in memory function and is one of the first things to go as we age. [1]

From Scientific American Atrtcile Why your brain needs exercise. this graphic shows how the BDNF process works:

The bottom line is: exercise more as you age, eat a healthy diet low in carbohydrates and heavy on plants and try to challenge yourself mentally while you exercise. Theres no reason we shouldnt be living to 100 and playing tennis, running obstacle course races, skiing or doing other activities we love well into our 80s and 90s. The key is to plan for that when youre in your 30s and 40s and you grandkids wont have to sit around watching you drool but can chase you down a mountain instead, of course using fear as fuel!

[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2019.00146/full

Read the rest here:
Will Obstacle Course Racers Age Better than You? - Thrive Global

Holly Willoughby has had a long career in television, spanning almost 20 years. She is a regular bubble of laughter and positivity on This Morning alongside her TV co-host Philip Schofield. Holly regularly posts images of herself on Instagram looking toned and in shape, and fans have noticed, with several people bombarding the star on a daily basis by asking questions about how she says in shape.

Holly has notable television credentials to her name which include Dancing on Ice, Celebrity Juice, Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! and The Voice UK.

Over the years, fans of the daytime television star have noticed changes in her frame.

However, despite seeming to look trimmer, the mum-of-three doesnt want to give away too much about her diet.

Speaking to Prima Magazine, Holly said: I try not to focus too much on my appearance. As long as Im being healthy, thats good enough for me.

READ MORE:Man loses175lbsusing 'life-changingdiet plan

Earlier this year, the television host revealed why she didn't want to talk about her diet.

She told the Sunday Times: It's a personal thing for me, and I think people get obsessive with it.

"Everybody knows what leads to a healthy lifestyle, but it's not up to me to give you a blow-by-blow account of what I've eaten that day. It's not helpful, and it's not what's important.

While she has remained tight-lipped about just how she stays fit and healthy, her Celebrity Juice co-star Keith Lemon wasn't quite so secretive.

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Keith revealed her trim figure was down to boxing.

He told the Sun Online: "I've heard a rumour that it's some sort of boxing.

"I asked if she was going to be bringing a fitness DVD out, because everyone's going to be saying, 'I want a body like Holly Willoughby!"

And Keith says the TV presenter is "sick" of answering questions about it.

He said: "Ages ago she came back from holiday and I said she'd lost weight, I could see it in her face.

"Then everyone picked up on it, and we were at a party a while later and I said, 'I bet you're sick to death of everyone asking you how you've lost it...but how have you lost it?'

"Holly's always been a total babe.

Despite keeping tight-lipped about her slim figure, a TV source spoke out about Hollys diet.

The source told The Mirror: Holly is determined to keep her new-look body so she eats chicken, carrots, and hummus.

The source, however, did claim that Holly has a sweet tooth and occasionally can be spotted tucking into one particular sweet treat to calm her cravings.

Youll never see her without a pack of mango either, to satisfy her sweet tooth, they said.

The source added that Holly has rediscovered herself after adopting a new healthy lifestyle: "She says she's discovered a 'new me' and won't be giving up anytime soon."

As well as following a healthy diet, Lynne Robinson, director of London-based Body Control Pilates, has said she has worked with the star on her exercise routine.

I worked with Holly for several months, teaching her privately at her home once a week, she told The Sun.

Holly had postnatal matt work classes which concentrated on strengthening and toning her core.

Recently, Holly shared a series of images with her six million Instagram followers that showed off her trim physique.

In the images, Holly posed in a sleek red dress with a square neckline, black block belt and a pair of black suede heels.

She later also shared an image of herself in the same outfit alongside Father Christmas.

Excerpt from:
Holly Willoughby: This Morning presenter incredible weight loss - what has Holly said? - Express

Fitness is not ripped muscles or abs. Fitness is a way of life a healthy life that makes you feel good everyday. For 42-year-old Narendra Firodia, losing weight was just the first step to realising this goal.

My goal was to get healthy and fit! And, I knew that to make it happen, the first step that Id have to take was - lose my bodys excess weight. This first step commenced two years ago when Firodia weighed a whopping 102 kgs.

Two years ago, as I was approaching my 40th birthday, I met Luke Coutinho, author, holistic lifestyle coach and co-founder of RESET - Holistic Living Concepts during the learning session of Entrepreneurs Organization Pune, he says. Coutinho is a well-known lifestyle coach, who forefronts healthy eating habits and wellness practices over fad diets. I had been following Luke on Facebook for a while before I saw him address the crowd in Pune that day. I had always thought that one day, when I meet him, Ill ask him to guide me on a path of holistic living, he informs.

When I finally met Luke, post the event, we went through my medical records, and consequently, I enrolled myself in Lukes one year program that was centered around eating right, exercising, sleeping and creating a balance between my professional and personal life to get started on my weight loss and fitness journey. Below, he highlights the key elements of this one year program and weight loss plan that eventually helped him lose 18 kgs and trim from 102 kgs to 84 kgs.

My weight loss plan, comprising a workout routine and a daily diet plan, was customised according to my body type. I was also assigned my own personal nutritionist, who charted a new diet plan for me devoid of wheat, milk, sugar, tea and coffee. While these food items were restricted from my diet, the new meals I started consuming werent that different from what I was used to eating.

The new diet focused more on tips for preparation of food, portion control and substituting rich and heavy foods with healthy alternatives such as Poha and Idlis, Jowar/Bajra rotis and Dal, various types of Khichdis and Soups and Salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Various types of detox routines also became a part of my overall weight loss plan. According to Luke and Dr Deepti Bagree, Head of Department - Healthcare Division, RESET - Holistic Living Concepts, these detox plans included foods that were easy to digest like fermented foods such as idlis, dosas, probiotic beverages like kombucha, dark coloured fruits and vegetables and makhanas, sprouts as snacks.

Apart from switching to healthier alternatives, following a monthly intermittent fasting routine also greatly helped me get in shape.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It doesnt specify which foods you can or cannot eat. It only focuses on when you should eat them.

There are many IF plans and patterns that you can follow, but the most effective one, according to studies is the 16:8 IF diet. The 16:8 IF diet entails one to observe a 16-hour fasting period, followed by an 8-hour eating window.

You can commence a 16-hour fast at 10:00 pm in the night, after you eat your last meal of the day and go to sleep thats 7-8 hours gone right there. You can break the 16-hour fast at 2:00 pm with your lunch and eat small meals till 10:00 pm this makes up the 8-hour eating window. Alternatively, you can also begin your fast at 8 pm and break it at 12 pm, the next day.

ALSO READ: Is intermittent fasting really worth It?

As a part of his weight loss exercise regime, Firodia used to brisk walk 12000 steps every day and also devote time to practise Yoga and functional training. Id workout 6 days/week and 1 day was reserved for rest and recovery. But I felt quite energetic on this rest day as well, as I followed what's commonly known as active rest, which essentially translates to keeping the body active by focusing on your daily routine and mundane tasks.

"Luke's team did not just concentrate on tweaking my food habits but also made sure that I slept well and that my mental/emotional health were in tandem with my physical health. Moreover, through this transformation I have become like a brand ambassador of sorts for fitness and healthy food in my hometown of Ahmednagar in Pune. I have also motivated many of my family members and friends to eat healthy and exercise daily to stay fit."

Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.

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How to lose weight like this 42-year-old who lost 18 kgs by tweaking his eating habits instead of crash dieting - GQ India - What a man's got to do

Christian Dye

A graduate student in the University of Hawaii at Mnoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) is conducting research that may have a significant impact on underserved and vulnerable populations. Christian Dye is probing the causes of diabetes and other chronic diseases prevalent in Native Hawaiian and other communities.

Dye, currently a faculty member at JABSOM, will earn his PhD from UH Mnoa in spring 2020.

My current research seeks to understand inflammation-associated disorders, like diabetes, from an epigenetics viewpointthe influence of environmental factors (diet, exercise, smoking, etc.) on how our cells function by influencing how genes are turned on, off, or even changed, he explained.

JABSOM has allowed me to be at the center of research that is not only meaningful, but was instrumental in allowing me to do so in the communities that I feel most passionate about, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, Dye said.

Dye focuses on epigenetics to determine the potential mechanisms underlying disease pathogenesis. We may be able to understand whether certain areas of the genome are epigenetically regulated and if such regulation may be involved in how immune cells function and whether this leads to immune dysfunction or inflammation.

Exciting results of Dyes research include the benefits of an intervention in Native Hawaiians with diabetes, which led to drastic changes in epigenetic profiles. The epigenetic alterations were linked to changes in gene expression and immune cell function (reduced inflammation) that were associated with better glycemic control. These findings have potentially bridged cell function and beneficial health outcomes with epigenetic modifications that may regulate genes enriched in biological functions important to immune cells, he said.

Dye plans to develop a network of community-based participatory research centers for investigation of cellular, molecular or biological mechanisms that may underlie the benefits of culturally-based practices and interventions. By bridging indigenous knowledge and practice within a western context of science, technology and medicine, we may be able to understand the science as to why these practices are beneficial to at-risk communities while also elucidating how certain cells, like immune cells, may function, and the potential that their regulation may be involved in beneficial health outcomes which can eventually be used in targeted strategies for understanding disease risk and possible therapeutics.

Dyes interest in the cellular and molecular biology of health disparities motivated him to work at the UH medical school. JABSOM has allowed me to be at the center of research that is not only meaningful, but was instrumental in allowing me to do so in the communities that I feel most passionate about, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, he said. JABSOM also allowed me to enter some of the communities where these health disparities are prevalent and use research to help understand them.

Read more on the JABSOM website.

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Native Hawaiian health focus of graduating JABSOM PhD - UH System Current News