Superfood Amala For Overall Women Health & Wellbeing

According to Ayurveda, a woman’s health is directly related to her menstrual cycles. Regular menstrual cycle is not just meant for conception and pregnancy.

This process aids in detoxification of our bodily toxins and is highly regarded in Ayurveda for every woman to feel grounded, feminine, and most importantly, to get connected with her inner self during this time. Unfortunately for most women and especially in the western world, menstruation is considered to be a hindrance in day-to-day activities.

Amla also know as Amalia in Sanskrit is a popular fruit widely available in India and extensively used in Ayurveda for thousands and thousands of years. The literal translation of Amla is ‘sour’ but the deeper meaning and translation of Amalaki in Sanskrit is ‘immortality’! because of it’s powerful healing attributes.

How I Use Amla?

I personally use Amalaki powder on a daily basis during the summer season to pacify my pitta dosha and also use it regularly during my monthly cycles.

During our monthly cycle, it’s very important according to Ayurveda to keep the Apana Vata (the downward flow) in balance. This sub-dosha pretty much controls the menstrual flow and is located in the lower abdomen.

Amla or Amalaki is an excellent Ayurvedic herb to balance this Apana Vata which results in healthy and regular menstrual cycle. It strengthens the uterus and improves the reproductive health.

Another added bonus of including Amla in our daily diet is – it contains all the five of the six rasas (tastes) of Ayurveda except the salty taste. This aids in optimal digestion and metabolism resulting in Ojas! (balanced life energy). Optimal digestion results in optimal ojas which in turn builds strong immunity and strength.

Balanced life energy (Ojas) supports female health by making the skin lustrous, eyes glowing, mental equilibrium ( no mood swings), glowing complexion with an overall charismatic and warm personality

Why Should Women Consume Amla?

-Promotes strength and immunity against diseases

-One of the highest sources of Vitamin C and other important minerals (enhances glow and luster)

-Regulates Urinary Tract by being a natural diuretic

-Boosts cellular re-generation

-Aids in menstrual cramps

-Alleviates feeling of sadness

-Promotes regular bowel movement

-Eases constipation

-Tridoshic – balances body and mind

-Encourages weight loss and reduces bloating (by optimal digestion and elimination)

-Deeply detoxifies the tissues in the body

There are many ways to having this Amla powder in your daily diet. You can simply mix it with warm/hot water and drink it. You can also try one of my most popular smoothie using Amla, it’s called Blissful Nari Smoothie.

I will end my post with Sage Charaka’s saying “Amalaki is the best among rejuvenative herbs”.

How to Easily Manage Your Weight

So many of us are on a diet roller-coaster and always want to lose some extra pounds. Just saying the word ‘diet’ conjures feelings of hunger, but what if you knew of a way to enjoy eating again, without feeling deprived or starving yourself, while also satisfying your cravings with healthier substitutes? These are my suggestions and guess what, you don’t have to count calories or cut back on your portions of food!

Minimize Flour Products To Manage Your Weight

I love any kind of bread, but am always conscious of how much I consume, and feel better by doing so. Think of a piece of bread that gets wet. And now imagine that bread trying to work through your intestines. Nothing gums up our system like flours do, and they are a huge contributor for weight gain. Please know that whole grains like brown and basmati rice, oat groats, corn, millet, quinoa, buckwheat and barley are not flour products and offer many nutrients as well as fiber for daily bowel regularity.

Choose these healthier options: Mary’s Gone Crackers, tortilla chips & corn tortillas made from stone ground corn (instead of corn flour), sourdough breads without added yeast and sugar, Manna breads (cakelike in texture and can be purchased online or in the frozen section of health food stores), sprouted breads, which are easier to digest, and Ezekiel wraps and breads.

Replace Sugar With Brown Rice Syrup

As a former sugar addict, I can honestly say that brown rice syrup made it easy for me to stop eating sugar. I never felt deprived!!

The beauty of a grain sweetener is that it is a complex, not simple sugar, so it’s released into the blood slowly, providing fuel for the body, instead of the rush and crash we get from sugar.

The average American consumes well over 20 teaspoons of added sugar on a daily basis, which adds up to an average of 142 pounds of sugar, per year! Begin reading labels for packaged foods, and you’ll see that practically everything has sugar included.

One regular bottle of soda contains 16 packets of sugar! There is a reason most of us are completely addicted, and while sugar is a natural plant, it’s highly processed, refined and addictive. Our body just wasn’t meant to consume massive amounts of sugar.

Since brown rice syrup is a liquid, you need to adjust your recipes a bit, and substitute ½ cup of syrup for every 1 cup of sugar. I also recommend 100% pure maple syrup, local, raw honey and dark chocolate. Practice having your dessert at night, after dinner, and you won’t have cravings all day long.

Eat Real Food

I ate nothing but junk during my childhood and early adult years, and know how convenient and addictive they are. I also know how everything in my body changed without them. Did you know that these fake foods have been created in a lab, by chemists who master the tastes that human taste buds have proven to overeat and crave? In my opinion these products should not be offered as food, but rather, food-like products.

Again, begin reading labels, and avoid anything that has ingredients you don’t recognize, as your body won’t recognize them either! Always avoid trans fats, (they are basically like plastic), table salt (switch to Celtic or Himalayan sea salt), and chemical preservatives that are used to sustain a really long shelf life. If we want to address our nation’s health and weight crisis, these artificial foods are what we should hold accountable.

Eat Seasonal Fruits and Veggies

Add seasonal fruits and lot’s of veggies into your diet each day. Especially emphasize leafy greens, which are a powerhouse of nutrients:  broccoli, green beans, napa cabbage, dandelion greens, scallions, leeks, parsley, bok choy, watercress, kale, collard, mustard and turnip greens.

Water And Oil Help As Well

Keeping our body well hydrated is crucial for our health, and helps us eliminate toxins as well. Switch to olive oil, sesame oil and coconut oil for daily consumption. They are the healthiest and most easily digested fats for our body. And yes, our body needs healthy fat!

Dairy Products

Consume whole dairy products, raw cheeses and butter, animals that have eaten the foods they were meant to eat, and avoid low-fat foods. These are easier to digest, and in their natural form. Low-fat foods have been processed and are not healthy or beneficial for weight loss.

Others

- Find physical activities that you really like doing. Don’t do difficult workouts, unless you really like them that way. Walk, do gentle yoga stretches, with deep breathing. Just move your body every day.

- Work to make you happy. Address whatever needs your attention. Do you need to mend or put boundaries on a relationship? Is your career fulfilling? Are you communicating your feelings? Sometimes cravings are just our body’s way of satisfying a deeper desire we have.

I guide my clients to do their best 80% of the time, while splurging and living the life that makes them happy, 20%. Patience with your process is so important. Gaining weight didn’t happen overnight, and losing weight will not either. Take your time, and make changes that will last. Eat things that you love and enjoy your food! Try new recipes and make substitutions with healthier oils, salt and ingredients.

When we supply nourishment to our body, we eventually become aware of the meals that make us feel good, and the ones that don’t. And when you have a splurge meal or day, don’t surrender and beat yourself up~ just begin again the next day. Nothing lost!!!

Changing our patterns with food is difficult enough, and feeling our best and being healthy, is really the ultimate goal.

4 Super Effective Tummy Toning Exercises

1. The Half Boat Exercise: Sit on a mat and extend legs out. Extend arms straight in front, in line with your chest. Lean back slightly, giving pressure on the abs and lift both feet off the ground. Reach forward with arms towards the knees and maintain this position for 20 seconds.
2. Seated Oblique Position: A pilates ring is necessary for this move. Sit down with leg spread shoulder-width apart. Hold the pilates ring with both hands and stretch arms at chest level. Twist your torso towards the side , holding in your abs. Rotate back to center. Repeat on the other side. Practice for 1 min.
3. Inchworm Exercise: You will need a dumbbell for this exercise. Keep the dumbbell behind you and lie in a straight arm plank position. The dumbbell should be between your  feet. Move like a worm, by gripping onto the dumbbell with your feet and simultaneously pulling your knees up towards the chest,contracting your abs.
4. V-Sit And Twist: Be seated on an exercise mat, bending your knees. Hold a medicine ball with both hands and lean back with the help of your abs. Raise both arms at chest level and lift both knees towards the chest. Swing the medicine ball from left to right without twisting the torso much

7 Breakfast Foods That'll Help You Slim Down

When it comes to losing weight, results start in the kitchen. And since your first meal of the day could be the most vital to reaching your goals, making an effort to have a healthy breakfast is key. To simplify your a.m., we bring your seven staples to keep on hand and set yourself up for weight-loss success.

1. Cinnamon
Think of cinnamon as your breakfast's secret weight-loss weapon. The spice adds sweetness to almost anything—without the calories, of course. Studies show that the spice helps regulate blood sugar so you stay energized all morning without reaching for another sweet treat. Use it to sweeten your coffee or sprinkle on top of your oatmeal.

RELATED: WEIRD: THINKING OF THIS BODY PART HELPS YOU BURN MORE CALORIES DURING A WORKOUT

2. Eggs 
A hard-boiled egg is the ultimate in healthy grab-and-go eats. At just 72 calories and six grams of protein per egg, choosing this over refined carbs like a plain bagel or a blueberry muffin keeps you full and energized until lunch. For an extra filling and delicious breakfast that takes just minutes to prepare, try this simple hard-boiled eggs and avocado recipe. You're welcome. 

3. Fruit
From topping your yogurt or cereal to blendeing it into smoothies, fruit can satisfy your sweet tooth in the morning without resorting to the pastry case at Starbucks. Plus, since most fruits are high in fiber, they'll help you stay full, as well.

RELATED: 18 CLEAN-EATING RECIPES THAT TASTE DECADENT ENOUGH FOR THANKSGIVING

4. Green Tea 
When it comes to weight loss, green tea is hard to beat. Studies show that the beverage increases your metabolism and lowers your stress levels. Studies have also suggest that the stress hormone cortisol is linked to belly fat, so every bit helps when it comes to keeping calm.

Easy Ways for Women to Lose Weight

Yo-yo dieting is bad for you; it can lower your good cholesterol levels, decrease the function of your immune system and slow your metabolism. The easiest way for women to lose weight and to keep the weight off is to eat healthy, exercise regularly and set realistic goals that are easy to live with. Here are some tips for losing weight easily.

Plyometrics
Plyometrics is a type of training that involves jumping, hopping and bounding. It uses the principals of interval training--short, high-intensity cardio exercise alternated with longer periods of low-intensity cardio--to help women lose weight. This type of training was developed by the Eastern Europeans in the 1970's to build greater strength for the Olympics. Their program was based on scientific evidence showing that if you stretch your muscles before contracting them, it helps enhance your muscles' power. This high-intensity cardio training helps you lose weight and strengthens your muscles.

Pyramid Weightlifting
Pyramid weightlifting involves using a light set of weights for a warm-up round, then progressively increasing the weight in each set thereafter. For example, perform 15 repetitions at 55 percent of your maximum weight for your first set. With only a brief pause, perform 10 repetitions at 60 percent of your maximum, then six to eight repetitions at 65 percent of your maximum. According to Jillian Michaels in "Making the Cut," pyramid lifting helps build muscle by breaking the muscle down in order to build it back up. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body can burn, meaning more lost weight.

Diet
Eating a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables, which are packed with nutrients and fiber, helps decrease bloating and assist with weight loss. The American Council on Exercise recommends you eat two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables daily for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. You diet should also include lowfat food choices that are low in calories. Be consistent throughout the week rather than dieting strictly on certain days and then taking other days off. You should also try to reduce your portion sizes by about 10 to 15 percent.

High-Intensity Cardio Activity
According to the American Council on Exercise, higher-intensity exercise burns more calories than lower-intensity exercise. Additionally, it helps to increase your caloric deficit and keeps your metabolism elevated even after you are finished working out. You can combine this with interval training, which alternates short bursts of activity with intense bursts of activity to help your body burn more calories.

Weight Loss after the Pregnancy

Rebecca Romijn (36) claim to have lower body weight was 27.2 kg since the birth her twin daughter, Dolly and Charlie, four months ago. This is done without the exercise. According to the stars of Ugly Betty, her weight loss secret is out. “It’s like we have to eat 5000 calories a day. If not, we can not provide enough food for them (children). Thus, the process is also fun,” the wife of Jerry O’Connell say this.

Rebecca felt even in the first three weeks she has lost 16 kg without doing anything. “I can not too many sports because my twin children. It is not possible to return to the training schedule as before,” she added. However, she realized that she can not hope to return to the form of the body first. “There is still excess weight that must be removed.”

Rebecca how this can be effective for all new mothers who give birth? We know not all women are given the ability to trim back quickly after the birth. Basically, the weight will go down after birth, but not all. During pregnancy, body weight generally increased between 11 and 16 kg. After birth, the amount of body weight down around 5-7 kg. So, there is still excess weight is behind.

Breastfeeding is to be a good way to accelerate the decrease in body weight. It is evident that provide breastfeeding issue certain hormones in the body for the first 12 months after the birth to help the uterus return to form before the pregnancy. When breastfeeding, everything we eat will be processed into breast milk and the baby will take food from you.

In addition to breastfeeding, there is no other way to reduce body weight except diet and sports. However, we must ensure that this is done both in a manner that is healthy and safe. You can begin exercise 40 days after birth. Of course, select the sports that are not too heavy. These are any tips of weight loss after pregnancy:

1. Lay down in position with your back flat and the second knee buckling. Keep the foot flat on the floor (or bed) and knee meetings.
2. Slowly, move the knee bend to the right thigh right up to touch the outside floor. Make sure the top of the body (stomach and chest) remains straight upwards.
3. Then turn back to the top of the knee and to the left so that the outside of the left thigh touches the floor.
4. Repeat this movement several times. This movement of relax will repair joints and stiff joints that will ease back pain after childbirth.

After your condition is quite strong, you can walk for 30 minutes every day. After the better, do jogging effective as running to burn calories. Treadmill you can use to find out how many calories are burned. Another way is to burn the calories by handle your baby alone and reduce the help of family or servant.

What about diet?

You have often heard that healthy eating patterns, including

1. Stop consumes food and drinks that too sweet. Reduce sugar from which you enjoy a drink, stop drink-drink cans, and avoid cake, brownies, chocolate, and so forth. Consumption more white water.

2. Reduce carbohydrates because carbohydrates can turn into sugar in the body and keep your weight on during pregnancy. If you’d like better (because you are still producing breast milk), find the recipe books that offer food combining eating pattern that is also useful to streamline.

3. Add fiber to food in the menu, such as fruits and vegetables. Do not forget to keep drinking milk, but select the product or even low fat milk and yogurt is fat free.

4. Reduce the portion you eat. How many portions are enough for us? Take meat, fish, or chicken, as many as 85 gr, 28 gr cheese, and 1 tsp butter.

So that hard work is successful, there are three things we need to remember: patience, motivation, and trust that you will come back healthy and slim.

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