LIFE TIPS

Life Tips
Don’t settle. You can have more, do more, be more.
Don’t compromise. You can have more, do more, be more.
Don’t shush your inner voice. It is your compass, your map, your guide and will never leave you astray.
Don’t give up on your dreams. Great inspiring lives are made up of the stuff that dreams are made of…
Don’t lend ears to people who tell you that you can’t. It’s your journey and the only one who decides is you.
Don’t allow people to belittle you, You ARE ENOUGH, HAVE always BEEN ENOUGH and WILL always BE ENOUGH!
Don’t stay around people who whine and complain. They will drain away your life-force. Their life is their responsibility, they can be helped only if THEY are willing to accept help and DO WHAT IT TAKES.
Don’t stay around people who talk about people. Find Mentors in those who discuss ideas and plans and ways and means of making the world a better place.
BELIEVE in yourself, in your dreams, in you capabilities. BELIEVE.

HOW TO BURN STILL MORE 100 CALORIES A DAY – PART 4

We’ve been talking about so many tips to burn 100 calories a day. Try and incorporate some of these options into your day, and you can easily mix them up!

If you can manage to burn an extra 100 calories a day without eating into any of you spare time, then it’s surely a huge win-win situation and even though 100 calories might not sound significant, the daily bits and pieces all add up to massive exponential gain! It adds up to burning an extra 700 calories per week. In about 4 to 6 weeks of incorporating some of these simple techniques, you will burn 3,500 calories that equals to half a kilogram of fat loss. Not bad at all!

#1) Do things by hand:
Adding elbow grease to household chores can be therapeutic and effective as a calorie burning activity. Usually these chores aren’t seen as exciting but we have a choice to change our perspective and use them as moments to be present and mindful as well as add some peppy music to them… Mow the lawn, dust, clean and vacuum your house, wash your car, wash the dishes, clean up the kitchen, tackle your laundry and hang out the washing. It is really nice when all of these things are done for us, but do consider doing them yourself as they take considerable energy to complete. For example cleaning and washing your car with the music system on high will burn about 210 calories per hour or more depending on your moves!

#2) Add some tea or coffee to your day but don’t overdo it:
Studies have shown drinking good quality tea or coffee can increase metabolic activity by as much as 10 percent. Remember not to add sugar calories to this. This seems to work particularly well just before meals. Besides the zing, more calories are burnt. Want to amp it up still more like me? Go for a delicious fat-blasting, circulation-boosting, water retention draining Thermo Tea!

#3) Work on building muscle:
Research shows that having more lean muscle will burn more calories. That’s why we never recommend looking at the number on the scale but getting friendly with your body composition. How much? For every kilogram of lean muscle you will burn approximately an extra 30 calories per day at rest.

#4) Skip the unhealthy snacks:
Most work places have snack size candy or chocolate pick-me-ups in a place that is easily accessible. Most are about 100 calories but full of fats and sugars and stuff our bodies don’t really want. Avoid them, you don’t need them! When hungry, snack on healthier options that you can carry from home or keep a supply of good healthy protein bars or roasted soy nuts within easy reach. 

 #5) Don’t peel if you can afford to:
Go organic where possible. Don’t peel you fruit and veggies, the skin is full of fiber and other good stuff!

#6) Drink cool water:
Your body has a temperature averaging 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). When you drink a glass of cool to cold water your body has to work to bring it up to the same temperature as your insides. It burns approximately 30 calories for warming up every litre of water. Drinking 2 litres of water (normally a minimum for adults), you will burn an extra 60 calories per day.

#7) Chew gum:
While you are chewing sugarless gum you won’t be grazing on food out of boredom…. It all adds up.

#8) Be active at social events:
When at a party or social gathering choose to stand or walk the room, smile and talk to as many people as you can. You will be engaging your abdominal muscles and glutes, burning extra calories and making some new connections!

More than anything, get mindful about eating, about your hunger, about satiety, about wellness. Once you make the decision, it all falls into place!

How to burn still more 100 calories daily – Part 3

#1) Eat fibre rich food - more satiety and cleaner intestines:
Low-carb, high-fiber foods take longer to digest than other foods, the result is that you feel fuller for longer and less likely to snack mindlessly on junk. Foods such as spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and cauliflower are all great options. The fiber also cleans up your intestines and provides roughage for better stool formation. Facts of healthy life.

#2) Pump up the volume - more fun dancing:
Get some more music on your life. Listen to songs with a fast, peppy, foot-tapping beat. You will find subconsciously that whatever you are doing will be in tempo with the beat! The surprising result for calorie burn is that you will do things at a faster pace resulting in a greater calorie burn! Now, isn’t that beat-worthy?

#3) Pack a snack - more balanced blood sugar levels:
Make sure you always pack a healthy snack such as nuts with a piece of fruit, a low-calorie protein-bar or a lean sugar-free yogurt. When you have a healthy option at hand at all times, you won’t get tempted by the vending machine. Bonus, you save cash that ends up to big savings in the long run.  

#4) Practice ballet - more grace:
Rise up onto your toes and then lower yourself down again. This little move can be done practically anywhere and is a great little calorie burner, besides giving you sexy calf-muscles!

#5) Fidget - more burn:
Overweight people don’t fidget or move as much as lean people. A body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in movement… You can burn up to 300 calories per day just by not sitting still, twirling your hair or tapping your feet. Keep a stress ball with you and use it during the day. Not only will you burn more calories, you will also increase your grip strength and reduce your stress levels. Win-win!

#6) Basket-shopping groceries - more awareness:
When grocery shopping, grab a basket instead of a trolley or cart and burn up to 100 extra calories during a 30-minute shopping trip. Added bonus: you may be less inclined to grab extra items you don’t really need and your wallet will thank you. Spend less on the extra fluff-stuff and treat yourself to something you love!

#7) Good Fats - more lucidity:
Replace animals fats like lard and butter as well as oils such as sunflower oil with those containing medium-chain fatty acids, such as olive, coconut and macadamia oil to lose more body fat.

#8) Get into the Swing of things - more energy:
When you walk, move your arms. The more parts of your body you move at the same time the more calories you burn. Easy!

#9) Sit up straight - more poise:
Sitting up straight means that you have a better posture and it also strengthens your abs by engaging your abdominal muscles, resulting in more calories being burnt AND a flatter tummy!

#10) Snack at home before you drink - more control:
Drinking alcohol paves the way for overeating extra salty and fat-laden snacks. Have a high lean protein snack before you go out for drinks. The protein keeps you fuller for longer, resulting in less impulse eating during the evening.

Having fun? All these added in little sneaky ways can do a lot to help you win the fitness game.

How to burn an extra 100 calories daily - Part 2

#1) Stress less – Relax more:
Stress is the side-effect of today’s rushed lifestyles and is also a big problem when you are trying to lose weight. Stress causes the body to release a hormone called cortisol, which causes your body to store calories as fat.

#2) Take more 10” time-off – more breaks:
For each hour you spend sitting at your desk at work, get up and move around for 10 minutes. Better still, 50” seated and 10” standing to make up your work hours. Take a short walk to get a drink of water, go and use the bathroom on another floor or do some gentle stretching. You will find that it actually helps keep you alert and also leads to better productivity, which can lead to a faster promotion!

#3) Switch sides – shuffle more:
When you are carrying a heavy bag or any kind of weight, switch sides every 5 minutes. This will engage more muscles and burn more calories as a result, while ensuring that you don’t get sore muscles on one side of the body due to habitual carrying postures..

#4) Laugh more and more:
Laughter was, is and will continue to be the best medicine. It reduces stress, releases endorphins and even helps burn calories! Laughing for 10-15 minutes a day can burn up to an extra 50 calories. Watch a funny movie, subscribe to a comic channel, ring a friend that always cracks you up.

#5) Take the long way – walk more:
Park in the farthest spot, go to the restroom furthest away from your desk or even on another floor, get out of the lift one level early and walk the last flight of stairs, get off your bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way, zoom through the entire supermarket before checking out at the cash counter.

#6) Face-Time for real – connect more:
Stop ringing, emailing or texting colleagues. When possible, get up walk to them and have some human interaction. Not only will you burn some more calories, you will also form better bonds.

#7) Drink a few cups of strong green tea every day – more antioxidants:
In addition to caffeine, which increases your metabolic rate, green tea contains catechin polyphenols, plant chemicals that may also boost metabolism.

#8) Spice things up – more flavour:
Studies have shown that spicy food can create thermogenesis in the body, temporarily increasing metabolism, which results in more calories being burnt. Add some chilli flakes to your food or sauce to a dish or get some wasabi or curry.

#9) Play with the kids – more fun:
If you’re a parent, teaching your kids to increase their daily activity may save them from weight gain in the future. And it will help you, too! Play games outdoors with kids, walk them to school or to the bus stop. You can use the time spent walking to talk to them about their day, essential for bonding in today’s rush.

#10) Go (window) shopping – more satisfaction:
This one is a favourite of many! You can burn up to 400 calories in a 2 hour shopping session. Remember to leave cash and credit cards at home…

Tune in more into life, Have FUN!