Sheila Smith

Sugar addiction? Here’s how to identify it and cleanse your body

June 22, 2015 by Sheila Smith

We constantly live in dread of the high calorie foods, and forget that one of the biggest culprits of overweight is actually sugar! Sweets are the culprits in the shadows that make us sick, weak and tired.
Sugar in raw, or in forms tasty candy, is the main cause of weight gain and most modern diseases: cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression, and the development of acne, infertility, impotence. In today’s post we reveal how to identify the dependence of sugar, how to deal with it and what are the healthy alternatives.

Addiction?
It is scientifically proven that sugar is addictive and it is up to eight times stronger than cocaine. If you are addicted to sugar and flour there is a disturbance in the functioning of hormones and usually occurs as a result of uncontrolled overeating.
Signs of an addiction:
– Fat on the belly
– Constant cravings for sugar, sweets and carbohydrates,
– It’s hard for you to lose weight,
– High blood pressure or blood sugar,
– You eat even when you are not hungry (usually sweets),
– You hide your desire,you justify it, and even hide food,
– You are frequently nervous, sometimes you suffer from insomnia and have some increased symptoms if you do not eat junk food and sweets.

This addiction is real and it can actually endanger your health. The problem is in the disturbance of the metabolism. If you consumed large amounts of flour products, a lot of sugar, candy, soda for a long time and did not include vegetables and have a minimal physical activity then this is a serious phase that requires emergency detoxification.

Solution?

Eat fresh food: fresh vegetables, pure protein (meat with little fat), nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and occasionally fruit. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, gluten and dairy products at least 10 days.
Start a 10-day healthy diet and strictly observe the plan. We suggest you to take a calendar where you cross out the days, to help get you motivated. Take homemade meals to work, do not buy processed foods, candy, soda, trans fats … Make meals full of vegetables, eat fresh vegetables, seeds; If you want to eat meat choose meat without fat (chicken, turkey) and boil it, eat fish. Discard all carbohydrates.

Do not consume sugars through liquids (carbonated sweet drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices). A can of soda contains about 15 tsp of sugar.
Let your diet be based on protein – in every meal, especially for breakfast. They are the key to balancing blood sugar and decrease addiction. Start the day, for example, with eggs and a protein shake or a cup of homemade whey. Eat: nuts, eggs, seeds, fish.
Eat vegetables such as broccoli, kale, collard, asparagus, mushrooms, onions, squash, tomatoes, eggplant, artichokes, peppers in unlimited quantities. Avoid potatoes, pumpkin, beets, beans and cereals.
As for fat, choose healthy oils: olive, coconut, avocado as a source of healthy fats, omega 3 fatty acids from seeds and fish.
Keep the stress under control and try to prevent infections that affect the blood sugar disorder. Remember to get enough sleep – at least eight hours a day.

Three day detox diet plan

If you are aware that 10 days is too much for you, try first with a 3-day detox diet to cleanse the body from sugar.

Day one:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs from three eggs
Snack: Nuts
Lunch: Poached chicken breast with greens and a half avocado
Snack: Chopped peppers
Dinner: Salmon with steamed broccoli and mushrooms

Day two:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs from three eggs with steamed spinach
Snack: Nuts
Lunch: Tuna salad
Snack: Chopped peppers
Dinner: A piece of pork without fat, braised Brussels sprouts and mushrooms with lettuce and avocado

Day three:

Breakfast: Omelet from three eggs with shrimps, braised spinach and tarragon
Snack: Nuts
Lunch: Grilled turkey with fresh tomatoes, green salad and sauteed mushrooms and kale chips
Snack: Chopped peppers
Dinner: Fried fish and greens, boiled

You can drink one black coffee a day (unsweetened), unsweetened green or herbal tea in unlimited quantities and about 2 liters of water a day

Yoga cat pose

June 22, 2015 by Sheila Smith

It does not look like these stretching cats, but they did inspire us to write about this beneficial yoga pose 😀

Cat pose is one of the most pleasant yoga poses! As with other positions it has many variations. The famous Yoga Journal gives only a variant of the cat pose with the “exhalation pose” (back up) and a return to table pose. However, this exercise can be carried out as a dynamic version (“breathe in” – back down, “breathe out” – back up).

Step by step

1. Begin with table pose on all fours. Place the hands and legs vertically. The head is parallel to the floor, and the look is directed towards the floor.

2. Breathe in and let the stomach fall down, lifting the back to the ceiling, raising the tailbone and the head up. Stay in this position for a few moments (if you want the “static” variant – stay in this position, breathing).

3. Then, with the exhalation drop the chin to the chest and arch the back as much as you can. Relax the buttocks staying for a few moments in the final position with empty lungs.

4. Do five or six rounds before you come out of this yoga posture.

Benefits:
* Stretches the back, neck and torso;
* Massages the spine and abdominal organs;
* Soothes and gives a sense of well-being.

Yoga during pregnancy – yes or no?

June 19, 2015 by Sheila Smith

Definitely yes!
Pregnancy is an ideal time to start doing yoga, because these exercises balance the hormones, improve circulation, relieve pain, strengthen the pelvis … But most important of all is that these exercises help a woman to connect more deeply with her baby.
Experience shows that women who practiced yoga during pregnancy, felt its benefits long after the birth. Yoga improves physical fitness and eliminates the discomfort in the body and back pain.

Working with pregnant women, mothers and babies is especially satisfactory. It’s wonderful to work with these groups, because they are very specific and inspiring. Mothers who come to classes as pregnant women, usually show interest to return after childbirth and keep doing yoga.

Yoga during pregnancy is important, because women work on strength and muscle flexibility, coordination and balance. The classes for the future moms offer special exercises. Mothers in classes establish a special relationship with their children, but also with the group and together with the help of yoga find their peace, satisfaction and fulfillment.
– The most common motive for people to go to yoga is everyday life, because more than 80% of modern diseases are based on stress which block the circulation of energy in the body.

Yet, there are some things to pay attention to when it comes to yoga during pregnancy:
* If you go to a regular yoga practice, be sure to tell your instructor that you are pregnant in order to do certain exercises that are good for you during pregnancy.

* After the first trimester do not do any poses that involve lying on your back, because it can reduce the blood supply to the fetus.

* From the second trimester do the standing exercises by holding onto a wall or chair.
* Avoid doing exercises in overheated rooms.
* Listen to your body. If you do any exercise with extreme difficulty or pressure, don’t do them. Focus on the ones that you can enjoy.

Yoga poses that are good during pregnancy:
* Butterfly stretching,
* Bending at the waist in a sitting position,
* Cat / cow,
* Cobra,
* Side angle,
* A standing forward bend (with a chair for reliance)
* Triangle pose

Quit these habits and you will get instant flat stomach

June 19, 2015 by Sheila Smith

Bloating is a common problem of modern women for which we are not satisfied with our appearance, and are subjected to rigorous diets.
In fact, you should only change a few daily habits and you will get instant flat stomach! Sounds too good to be true?
Try to get rid of these habits and you will quickly see the results, because every inch less is important, right?

1. Become a slow eater – One of the most common causes of bloating of the stomach is slowed digestion. This happens when you eat too quickly and do not leave enough time to prepare the food for digestion. It is essential that the food is as much chewed in the mouth if you want the digestive process to be faster and easier. Also, when we eat too fast, especially standing, it creates a feeling of bloating because we also swallow air. Also, fast eating makes you lose track of the amount of food. Therefore, you need sit and eat slowly and chew as much as possible. Your body will thank you!

2. Stop consuming carbonated beverages – every drink that has bubbles is not good for your line, because you consume air in the stomach for which you get a feeling of bloating and slow digestion. Not to mention that these drinks are usually full of unhealthy sugars and sweeteners.

3. Avoid canned food and snacks – Excessive amounts of sodium in the body is not a good thing for your stomach and line. And canned food contains plenty of sodium! In fact, everything that is packed in a plastic bag, box or can usually contains a large amount of sodium and it should be avoided. Turn to fresh foods like fruits and vegetables and healthy snacks.

4. The last meal of the day must not be immediately before going to bed – If you eat late, be sure that you’ll wake up with a bloated stomach. During bed rest, especially during sleeping, the functions of the body to slow down, including the digestive tract, so the food is slowly digested. In addition to bloated stomach you will get restless and will have a poor quality sleep and nowhere to burn the calories so they will stick to your abdomen or thighs. If you are very hungry, eat some food that does not have a large amount of fiber, so it won’t take long to digest it.

The healthiest ever – sprouted wheat grains bread – recipe

June 18, 2015 by Sheila Smith

The flourless bread that we present today is as nutritious as other bakery products but also it is rich with protein, vitamins, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates and minerals. Just the content of nutritious fiber is twenty times higher than in the regular bread which we buy in the bakeries.

It stimulates the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin, facilitates the removal of carcinogenic and toxic substances from the body, and excess cholesterol and is recommended in the prevention of diabetes, arteriosclerosis, cellulitis… It’s made from germinated wheat grain, with a minimum of yeast and salt, without additives, preservatives and similar substances, so it is definitely the healthiest option that you can consume when you are on a diet.
All other types of bread are different, especially in that they contain flour low biological values, with properties that the human body practically can not adopt.
Check out the recipe and find out how to make this awesome recipe.

Ingredients:

300g wheat,
100g barley flakes,
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of flaxseeds
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 yeast + 50ml of water.

Preparation:

Step 1: Cover the wheat grains with water and let sit for three days until it begins to germinate. Change the water periodically.
Step 2: After three days drain the wheat and grind it using a meat grinder or put them in a blender. You’ll get a mass similar to a dough.
Step 3: Add flakes in the dough (barley, oat, etc.). First soak the flakes in warm water, and when drain well when they soften..
Step 4: Add more seeds of your choice (sunflower seeds, flax, sesame) but first fry them shortly in a dry pan.
Step 5: Stir half a teaspoon of fresh yeast with sugar in 50 ml of water. When yeast is ready, add it to the mass for the bread and knead by hand. There is no need to add additional water because the wheat itself is sufficiently moist.
Step 6: Add a tablespoon of salt and put it on a baking pan to rest for about 30 minutes. It is best to use silicone molds, because then there is no need to add any fat. Cover the dough with a damp cloth.

Step 7: Preheat the oven on 220 degrees Celsius. Insert a few ice cubes into the oven in order to create vapor, which will allow the yeast to raise the bread a little more before it dries. Bake the bread for 45-50 min.
Once the bread cools down cover it with a plastic foil and refrigerate. You can distribute it into the daily portions and freeze, and use as needed.

10 minutes stomach exercises to lose weight & burn belly fat

June 18, 2015 by Sheila Smith

Abdominal muscles are one of the most demanding muscle groups and you have to dedicate yourself to obtain the desired results – reduced body fat, increased muscle mass and a six pack.
It is therefore necessary to regularly do the exercises for the abdomen and it is important to do them correctly in order to properly work on the targeted muscles.
Watch this 10-minute pilates workout to burn fat and tighten the abdomen and begin your battle for the perfect line today.

Lose weight like a celebrity – 5 factor diet

June 17, 2015 by Sheila Smith

Rihanna is definitely one of the most good-looking celebrity. We are sure that genetics played a crucial role in her perfect line, but also we are sure that she has to watch what she eats …
Celebrity personal trainer Harley Pasternak revealed the diet that makes Rihanna good-looking. This is not a typical diet that includes starvation, but represents a healthy habit that lead to the desired goal!
The 5 factor diet is a well-balanced eating plan that includes all types of foods and slowly changes the bad eating habits that make us gain weight. The good side of this diet is that there are five regular meals that maintain stable blood sugar levels, which reduces the chance that you will at some point give up and throw yourself in the unhealthy, high-calorie snacks.

It all comes down to five meals a day, exercise five days a week and five days when you can eat whatever you want during the five weeks of the compliance regime.

CONS?
Some experts, however, are not fans of this diet plan because it seems to neglect the cause of weight gain. This program does nothing to counter the emotional hunger. In addition, they say that this diet is complicating simple things. “It has been proven that it is best to eat three main meals a day, and a bite or two between them.”
Eating five meals a day requires a lot of time and commitment. You need to plan every meal ahead, so that’s why some experts oppose this diet plan because it complicates thing.

PROS?

However, her creator and many celebrities, including Rihanna, say that the great thing about this 5 factor diet plan is that you don’t constantly feel hungry as is the case with many other diets plans, plus – the one day in the week when you can eat whatever you want is very important. It will mentally move your thoughts away from the program, and it does not put you in the position of “all or nothing”. The advantage is that the exercises are not complicated and can be done at home.

The principle of the diet plan

The diet plan consists of 5 smaller meals during the day, which allow the metabolism to constantly stay busy burning calories.During the 5-week plan eat 5 meals a day, using 5 ingredients per serving. And as a bonus, meals are prepared only for 5 minutes, which means you will not lose the whole day preparing meals.
Smaller, more frequent meals may also help your body keep insulin levels low. The plan, in addition to speeding up your metabolism, also helps to improve mood, reduce stress, helps you sleep better, and so on.
Regular meals maintain stable energy levels and prevent hunger and cravings that can lead to overeating or eating high-calorie foods.
In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, you have to include mid-morning and afternoon healthy snacks to stabilize blood sugar levels. It is advised not to skip meals as this can slow down your metabolism and burn calories, which leads to slower weight loss.
Each meal of the 5 factor diet plan should consist of 5 ingredients that will provide essential nutrients. These components consist of complex carbohydrates, healthy fiber, protein, fat and healthy juices without sugar.
Complex carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body and brain, and is necessary for normal functioning.Dietary fiber helps to regulate digestion and reduce appetite.
Proteins are essential for growth, development and repair of muscles in the body. Muscles consume a lot of calories even while resting, and the body is able to burn more calories which helps weight loss.
Healthy fats also help maintain satiety and overeating, and are necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and hormonal balance.

Ingredients that you may use for your diet plan:

1. Meat – chicken, turkey, fish
2. Carbohydrates with a low glycemic index-nuts, legumes, brown rice, potatoes, lentils, bran, most vegetables (except corn, peas and red vegetables) and fruit – plums, peaches, apples, oranges, pears, grapes, grapefruit because they contain fructose.
3. Fibers for a feeling of satiety (fruits, vegetables, soy)
4. Healthy fats – olive oil, linseed oil
5. Two liters of water or tea without sugar.

Exercises

The 5 factor diet includes exercise, which consists of 5 sessions per week for 25 minutes per session. Each workout is divided into 5 exercises that target specific part of the body, such as the back, chest, shoulders, legs and abs. Training begins with a 5-minute warm-up, followed by exercises for the upper body, legs, torso, and exercises for the abdominal muscles. 5 minute cardio exercise or a brisk walk ends the training.

Conclusion

The 5 factor diet is based on a 5-week plan for weight loss. There is one casual day each week, during which you can eat what you want but without excess amounts. This prevents the desire to break the diet earlier than 5 weeks.
Although this diet can help you lose weight, because of the healthy diet and the good exercise program, individual results may vary, and there is a lack of scientific evidence to support its effectiveness.

How to grow your eyelashes in a natural way

June 17, 2015 by Sheila Smith

The first thing we notice about someone are the eyes. Whether you have makeup or not, long thick eyelashes are something that will surely leave an impression.

Some lucky people have naturally thick and long lashes, but by far the greater number of us need to use mascara if they want their eyelashes to be seen.Fortunately, there are natural ways to increase the volume and length of eyelashes.

1. Brush your eyelashes – Yes, you need to brush your eyelashes from time to time. Of course, use a specialized brush that won’t damage the lashes. This will facilitate their growth.

2. Vaseline – Vaseline is a great treatment for dry lips and dry skin but it is also great for the growth of your lashes. . Take an old washed mascara brush and apply Vaseline on the eyelashes from the root to the tips. It is best that you do this at bedtime and leave it overnight. This will hydrate the lashes and accelerate their growth.

3. Vitamins that are beneficial for hair growth are also good for your eyelashes. Biotin and B complex vitamins apart from being useful for your hair and nails, they are also very good for the lashes and their growth.

4. Castor oil – this is certainly the product that is most recommended for hair growth, and therefore for the lashes. Apply it with a clean mascara brush at bedtime and leave it overnight. Soon you will see results!

5. Green tea – In addition to being as good antioxidant and it is recommended that you consume it daily, it is also great for the health of the eyelashes. Soak a piece of cotton into a cup of green tea, place it onto your eyelids and leave it for a few minutes.

Efficient and cheap – homemade coffee body scrub

June 16, 2015 by Sheila Smith

The skin needs constant care to keep it soft and velvety, and one of the basic steps is certainly the body scrub. The best and safest and cheapest way to remove the layer of dead skin cells is to create an all-natural exfoliating scrub. I tried it and decided to share with you this simple, but more than an effective recipe for coffee scrub. You will need only three ingredients that you probably have in the kitchen and 10 minutes to do the whole. Try it, your skin will thank you!

Ingredients:

3 teaspoons of coffee (black)
3 teaspoons of sugar (white or brown crystals)
A few spoons of oil (olive oil, coconut oil, whatever you have)

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients to get a butter-like mass. It should not be too liquid or too thick.

Use:

Use it like any other body scrub, and of course, using shower gel, remove the excess oil from the body.
The skin will become incredibly soft, smooth and velvety. And most importantly, this is a completely natural product.

Dye your hair naturally – without harmful chemicals

June 16, 2015 by Sheila Smith

Hair dying has become a must-have for a large number of women. Yet many of us are not always sure what color should they dye their hair, what suits them, so they often experiment.
This is not so bad for our looks, but it is very damaging for the hair!
Constant changes in hair color means more aggressive treatments that damage and dry out your hair.
So we suggest dying your hair using natural methods. Here’s how dye to make your hair blonde, brown or red using the fruits of nature.

Green walnut bark and coffee – for nut-brown hair color

Chop and grind the bark from 1 kg of walnuts and pour 1 liter of water. Put the stove on high temperature to cook. When the water boils leave for another 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and leave overnight. The next day, filter the liquid and mix with the hair balm you normally use in 1:1 ratio. Apply the mixture on your hair and leave on for around 30 minutes, then rinse. If you want a lighter shade the keep the walnut shells submerged in the water for a few hours. This method of dying is ideal when you want to move from lighter shades to darker.
COFFEE is another food that can help darken your hair. Brew a strong black coffee, leave it for few hours – the longer the better and rinse the hair.

Onion shell, oak bark and sage – light brown hair color

Put two hands of onion scales and the same amount of oak bark in a deeper pot and mix, and pour 1 liter of boiling water. Cook on mild fire. When it boils turn off the oven and leave for 45-60 minutes to cool completely. Soak your hair in the resulting liquid and leave on for a minimum of one hour. Then rinse and dry the hair as usual. If you want a more consistent and more intense hair color, it is necessary to do the final rinse with alcohol vinegar. Do not worry about the smell it will go away pretty fast.
Sage is another effective natural product for hair coloring in lighter shades of brown. The hair slightly darkens and gives brunettes a richer, deeper color. Cook a stronger sage tea and leave on your hair for a minimum of one hour and preferably longer. Do this hair treatment once a week and in a month you will get the desired color. Similarly, you can use chamomile tea and black tea.

Chamomile and Lemon – golden blonde hair color
Chamomile is one of the best ways for getting lighter blonde hair. You’ll get a few shades lighter hair in a healthy and natural way. Besides chamomile and lemon can help you lighten your hair or make highlights. If you want highlights, simply separate them with aluminum foil, brush the lemon cut in half, place it on the foil and leave for a few hours. If you want to brighten the whole hair, spray lemon juice after the usual washing and dry your hair in the sun.

Beetroot and carrot – red hair
Chop a medium-sized beetroot and 2-3 carrots into small pieces and put them in water to the boil until completely tender. After cooking, allow to cool completely, and blend a couple of pieces in the cooking water. You will get a dark red liquid. Apply to the entire hair and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse the hair with water, and at the end rinse with vinegar. The effects of this treatment will be the most effective on lighter hair, while for the darker shades you will need to repeat the treatment for several times. But do not worry – it is completely healthy and natural so the hair will not be damaged!

The miraculous healing powers of aluminum foil

June 15, 2015 by Sheila Smith

Green walnut bark and coffee – for nut-brown hair color

Onion shell, oak bark and sage – light brown hair color

Find out how to speed up your metabolism and reach the desired shape!

June 9, 2015 by Sheila Smith

Metabolism is the sum of all biochemical processes in the body, or simply put – it is the speed at which the body burns calories entered through food.
With age the metabolism slows down, especially after the age of 30. Many people complain that they are have slow metabolism, and therefore have problems with excess weight.

Check out how to speed up your metabolism and lose weight!

1. Get enough sleep – the optimal amount of sleep is 8 hours, so make sure you sleep 8 hours between 22:00 to 6:00 am, an hour sooner or later, depending on your working hours and duties. Reducing the number of hours of good quality sleep affects the hormones that regulate metabolism and appetite.

2. Drink plenty of liquids – You need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, so start drinking water as soon as you wake up! It is recommended to drink hot water with lemon before each meal and at bedtime. A well hydrated body allows faster calorie burning.

3. Physical activity – You need to have any kind of physical activity during the day, preferably in the morning, an easy walk, yoga, running,
whatever your tastes are, it is essential to form muscles because they consume more calories.

4. Eat regularly – Eat your meals approximately at the same time every day. You should eat breakfast 1-2 hours after you wake up, lunch at about 14:00 and lunch at 19:00. Of course the exact times depend on your needs and obligations. Eat snacks between meals!

5. Amount of food – Distribute your daily food intake into 5 meals – three main and two snacks so the body won’t enter the saving phase.

6. Avoid industrial processed foods – Replace them with natural food, fruits, vegetables and grains.

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