Cheers, To Your Health!

I have an interesting story about a man and a horse.  The man is quickly riding the horse down the street, almost running people over. A person from the street angrily cries, "Where are you going in such a hurry!" "The man yells back form his horse, "I don't know, ask the horse!" 

One of my mom's friends asked me the other day, "How can I lose 20 pounds in a month". Summer's rounding the corner and weight-loss seems to be on everyone's mind. Fast weight loss I should say. It seems that most people worry about their weight too late, so they look for fast solutions to get the body they want. It's probably why most people never leave the vicious diet cycle.

But don't feel discouraged yet, there are many ways to lose 20 pounds in a month. But first I want to clarify something. I never endorse "time period" diets. The fourteen day diet is just one of the new time period diets that seem to be gathering a lot of attention. Author of those books come up with those names to sell books, not because they care about your weight loss.

Losing weight is a lifetime commitment. Think about it, what happens when you end a diet? Can you just start eating like you used to and hope you won't gain weight again? Of course not, it would be silly to even consider that. Yet most people never look at it that way. So these are not only tips to lose 20 pounds in a month, but they are lifestyle changes that you can easily apply for the rest of your life.

Tip 1: Water?

Water is the most important part of any success diet plan (especially if you want to lose 20 pounds in only a month). Using water the right way can be ten times more effective than the thousands of diet pills out there. The weird things about water is everyone has heards it's good for weight loss, but we seems to throw it off to the sidelines. Whether it's because we just forget, or think it too simple to work, I'm not really sure. But what I am sure about is if you want to learn how to lose 20 pounds in a month, you need to learn how to include water into your daily routine.

Why it Works?

Water works in many ways to get you a slim body. Firstly it keeps you full and free from hunger cravings. Most of the time we feel hungry, were actually just dehydrated. Water also helps improve kidney function, which puts less stress of your liver (that has to pick up the slack of an overworked kidney). This allows your liver to focus on its duties, including burning your fat reserves for energy.

Tip 2: Lower how much fat your body stores

"We can do this!?", my mom's friend yelled out. "We sure can!", I told her. We've all heard of blood insulin right? When we eat foods with too much sugar, we cause our insulin levels to rise, promoting fat storage. I now, sounds frustrating, but if our bodies didn't do this, we could actually die from having too much sugar in our bloodstream (hence the problem with type 1 diabetes).

So by keeping your sugar intake to a minimum, your body will convert far less calories into fat and you'll have a greater chance of losing 20 pounds in a month.

But what if you just can't live without sugar? Easy, get a container of agave nectar. Agave nectar comes from the same plant that produces tequila (don't worry there no alcohol in it), and look like maple syrup or honey. 

But unlike maple syrup and honey (and especially processed white sugar!) is that agave does not affect your blood insulin levels. Pretty cool right?

If you want to learn more tips to lose 20 pounds in a month (some taken from ancient cavemen), continue reading here: How to Lose 20 Pounds in a Month (Part 2).

We all want to look good during pregnancy (and after!) and keep our babies as healthy as possible. That's is why having the proper diet during pregnancy is important. Here are the basics for a perfect pregnancy diet plan.

1. Getting a healthy fat source in each meal is very important for both your baby's nutritional needs, and your body! Now I'm not talking about covering your plate with butter, or chow down on some chocolate cake. This means you need to look for ways to incorporate a variety of healthy fats like olive oil and omega-3's into your diet.

   Avocado's and eggs are an excellent way to include some vital fat. Another great food is nuts. They contain an abundance of omega-3's! And without the mercury problem associated with fish, you'll have no thing to worry about!

   Try fruit with almond butter as a healthy and filling snack. The benefits you get form the apple will be multiplied by the presence of healthy omega-3 fat from almond butter making a great idea for you and the baby.
   
   

2. Drink Water, then Drink More Water!
   

   Water is by far the most important nutrient for our bodies, by sadly its something we tend to give little though to. It's a fact that almost 60% of us are dehydrated on a constant basis (it only takes a couple oz short of your daily requirement to be dehydrated).
   
   

   So drinking water will ensure you and your baby function (and grow!) and its full potential. Not only that, but you'll have less headaches and feel better when you get enough water!

   
   

3. Avoid Healthy Foods (That Aren't So Healthy!)
   

   Many so called healthy foods are, well, NOT HEALTHY! Below are a few "healthy" foods to stay away from.

   
   

   Bagels with Cream Cheese

   
   

   Not only is this laded with calories (almost 700), but you'll get a high amount of saturated fats and gluten. This will help expand your waistline without providing a high quality of nutrient to your baby.

   
   

   Fruit Smoothies
   

   
   

   How on earth can THIS not be healthy? I can feel you rolling your eyes on this one, but trust me, most fruit smoothies you buy are far form as healthy as you think. Sure fruit is healthy, but not the syrup sugar or other added ingredients you'll find without a fruit smoothie. The best fruit smoothie is one you make at home using only fresh fruit (and maybe a little sugar!).

   
   

   Yogurt

   Yogurt has been hailed as a healthy food because of its probiotic cultures. However most large retailers kill these cultures in the manufacturing process. If you want healthy yogurt, make sure it says "contains probiotic cultures" on the back label.

Learn more about having a healthy baby and find out what foods not to eat when pregnant.

Acetaminophen is the most popular pain medication is the United States, but that may change considering the drugs profound impact on the liver. Not to mention the sever liver damage that is caused when mixed with alcohol. It would be easy to turn to another popular treatment, Ibuprofen, but given its risk of causing stomach ulcers, that may not be a good option as well.

That begs the question, how can I relieve my pain without the side affects of common drugs? Here are 3 natural pain remedies that are proven to easily reduce pain without harming your body.

Headaches

White Willow Bark

There's no question the number one reason for people taking pain relief drugs is headaches. But are there are natural pain remedies that help relieve headaches without the negative consequences of drugs?

Studies show the natural extract, white willow bark, is able to stop headaches by inhibiting the formation of cyclooxygenase, an enzyme responsible for causing headache pain.

White willow bark ever contains salicin, a analgesic used in the making of aspirin. But what sets this extract ahead of aspirin is since the bark also contains anti-inflammatory polyphenols, you only need 1/15 the dose to be effective. That means that you can stop your headache in its tracks, while taking an amount of salicin perfectly safe for your stomach and liver. You can expect relief from this natural pain remedy in about 20 minutes by taking 400- 800 mg a product containing white willow extract.

Best for Sore Muscles

Ginger

Painful inflammation from our everyday lives is enough to cause many people to suffer from overworked muscles. Maybe you had to shovel that dreadfully long driveway in the middle of winter, and now your muscles ache. Where do you turn for natural pain relief?

Luckily ginger can help. Studies show that an enzyme in ginger called zingibain helps break down a by product of muscle metabolism that contributes to muscle soreness. Plus a compound in ginger called gingerol helps to suppress the formation of your body's pain producing chemicals called proinflammatory cytokines. You can try making a ginger tea adding ginger to your regular diet, or the easiest option is to take a supplement containing 500 mg of ginger.

Stiff, Achy Joints?

Turmeric

This spice makes an idea natural pain remedy for those who suffer from stiff and achy joints. It works because the curcumin, the antioxidant that gives turmeric its yellow color, inhibits the body's production of proglandin E2, an inflammatory chemical that triggers joint pain. Several studies have concluded that taking turmeric can be as effective as prescription pain medications. To get the pain relief benefit form this natural pain remedy, take about 1 tsp of turmeric each day or 500 mg supplement.

You don't need to be attacked to harmful medication to relieve your pain. There are many natural pain remedies like the ones above that have been shown to relieve pain as well as medication, with none of the side effects.

Feeling Tired All The Time? Learn simple tricks to Skyrocket your Energy!

Whether your looking for some excitement or to relight a dull relationship, here are some amazing simple romantic ideas that are sure to blow your partner away!

Melt Her Heart With This Gift

Buy a nice hand mirror and give it to your partner as a gift. Put in a romantic card with the words,

"In this mirror you will see the image of
the most beautiful woman in the world."

Fulfill Your Teenage Fantasies

Everyone's familiar with the romantic (but often overplayed) scene where the teenage couple drives a convertible out to the local "hook up" spot. But I bet she or he will never see what's coming when you turn this into a reality. There something scecial in taking clique romantic ideas and doing them in real life.

Rent a convertible and tell your loved one that tonight your going on a special date, but you have to be home by "curfew." Defiantly more exiting and unique than the typical dinner and movie date!

A Hot Bath

When your spouse comes home from a hard day at work, or any other stressful situation,
pour her a bath and put some fragrant bath oil into the tub. Give her a relaxing bath.

Carry her into the bedroom. Gently towel her dry and tuck her into a freshly
made bed with a kiss on the forehead.

He or she will be sure to remember this kind gesture for a long time!

A Night Under the Stars

Remember how much the stars fascinated us when we were kids. Well they may serve us well as adults too. Complete darkness surrounded by twinkling bright stars on a still night, what could be more romantic?

Take your partner out to a field on a clear day, lay down a blanket, and lay next to each other staring at the stars. Make this ever more special by bringing some sparkling wine.

Become a Child Again!

The more childish a date is, the more romantic it seems to be. Next time you're at the beach, fly a kite. You'll get lost in the moment, and it will stir up childhood memories from his or her youth.

More Romantic Ideas:

10 Cheap Romantic Ideas

Romantic Ideas for Him

Sure your morning may be crazy, but eating breakfast is the best way to give your body a nutritional kick start. 

Why do we need breakfast? 

When we wake up, we're basically coming out of a 8 hour fast. That leaves your body with a decent nutritional deficiency. So getting a healthy breakfast is necessary to restoring vitamins, nutrients, and calories your body needs to run. When we don't, your body finds other means to get these nutrients, like taking protein from your muscles.

Eating a healthy breakfast will restore a good blood sugar level, and give you more energy and a better mood. You want to focus on decreasing your sugar intake and increasing your fiber and protein intakes. So munching on a couple candy bars doesn't count as a healthy breakfast. But choose something like whole wheat cereal with fruit, and your body will thank you. Small changes to your lifestyle is the secret to permanent weight loss.

Now there may be a hundred reasons you can't have breakfast. Maybe your too busy, not hungry or dieting. But those of us who eat breakfast are more likely to exercise, eat better throughout the day, and even get more essential nutrients in our diet. 

And those who think skipping breakfast will make them lose weight will be shocked to find out it does the complete opposite. In fact studies have shown that those who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to be thin. Skipping the most important meal of the day will keep your metabolism at a grueling low. So if you want to lose weight, you better not skip breakfast, there are much better ways. You can find some here -- Diets for Women.

They don't call it the most important meal of the day for nothing. However you break it down, eating breakfast is a good idea!

Tired of feeling tired? Instead of turning to energy drinks, here are 5 natural ways to get back your energy. So pay close attention and you'll find your hidden source of fatigue, and learn how you can feel more energetic than you ever though possible!

1. Balance Your Hormones

You may not be a believer that some herbs can heal, but this ones has been used for centuries as an energy restoring medicine. Its the Indian plant ashwagandha.
 
How does it work? The plant contains chemicals that balance hormones, including energizing adrenaline that may be out of whack if you feel chronically tired. Those who take in 200mg daily found it really helped to get back their energy.
 

2. Get In Some Zinc

Dreading feeling exhausted by your day makes you feel stressed, which in turn leaves you drained for energy. It's this stress that depletes your body of zinc. Why is that important? Zinc is used by your body to remove excess copper from your cells, that would otherwise drain you of energy and cause fatigue.So be sure to get plenty of foods with zinc, or take a daily supplement. You'll go a long way to get back your energy!

Oh and a little bonus -- Getting enough zinc leaves you 25 percent less likely to catch a cold!
 

3. Drink Plenty of Water

Many Americans suffer health problems, usually caused by a diet low in water, and most don't know about it. But a good indication of dehydration is chronic fatigue by blocking up your colon. This not only causes fatigue, but  headaches and constipation.

The solution? Drink more water. Eight to ten glasses is a good rule of thumb. Water will only help you cut down on hunger and is an excellent way to lose 20 pounds in a month.

Garlic to Boost Your Immunity

Those of us who get a high amount of garlic daily are 50 percent less likely to get a cold according to a British study. Here a powerful tip to use garlic to ward off colds. Crush up a couple cloves of garlic and put it into an once of red wine for a couple minutes. Then take down the entire drink. Wine activated the substances in garlic and makes it an even more powerful immune system booster!

Rinse with Water

Studies show that rinsing your mouth with water will expel any viruses in your month, that may develop into colds. Those who gargled water every day were 35 percent less likely to get a cold than those who didn't.

Keeping Warm

While being in cold weather won't give you a cold, feeling chilly will damping your immune system. This is because as you become cold, your blood cells, particularly your white blood cells and antibodies, become less aggressive in fighting viruses. So be sure to keep warm during the winter, especially your feet!

Get Your Vitamins!

Vitamin D will help your immunity by promoting the creation of natural antibodies. Vitamin C will support a healthy immune system function, and ward off pneumonia, a serious complication with colds.

Say Goodbye to Stress

Stress reeks havoc on our immune system. Studies show that those who practice becoming less stressful by doing activities like yoga, get fewer colds. Next time you feel stressed, try this. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, let it out slowly, repeat 5 times, and slowly open your eyes. You'll melt away you stress, and keep your immune system in top condition!

Get your Z's

Sleeping is essential for proper immune system function. Think of it as resetting your computer. You wouldn't leave your computer on for a year and expect it to run well would you? Sleeping repairs and rejuvenates your immune system, keeping your protection at full strength. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

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