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Vegan Protein Powder: The Ins and Outs

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food, Health | Tagged fitness, food, tips, vegan | Leave a comment

Vegan protein powder, you may have come across these words on your journey as a vegan. One of the biggest challenges of being a vegan as they say is finding a proper source of protein, vegan protein powder comes to light when this issue arises. I am here to share with you all of the things I know about vegan protein powder so that you can decide if that is something you want to do.

Protein powders provide amino acids. Vegan protein powder comes with amino acids. Amino acids help repair muscles and are also a standard building block for building muscles. Let’s not forget that amino acids are also essential in optimizing your immunity system as a whole. As a vegan you should be getting a lot of amino acids from quite a few vegetables such as watercress, pumpkin, leafy greens and a lot more however if for some reason or another you think you lack crucial amino acids, vegan protein powder is what you need.

As the name states, protein powders provide quite a bit of proteins. Proteins, as a lot of people know helps digestion and empowers weight loss. There are a lot of sources of protein for vegans, such as tofu, vegetables, lentils, quinoa, and much more. However if you think you lack protein for a reason or if you are an athlete or a body builder and need much more, a definite option is vegan protein powder.

Healthier cholesterol levels? Yes please! There have been studies that the intake of soya vegan protein powder has lead to an increase of healthier cholesterol levels and a lower risk to heart disease. Considering as cholesterol is perhaps one of the leading reasons for a ton of sicknesses, having a much healthier cholesterol level should be on top of a lot of people’s list and if taking vegan protein powder helps, this should also be on their list!

Protein powders give an increase in fiber intake and essential fatty acids. This is especially true for hemp vegan protein powder products. As a lot of vegans tend to include hemp into their diet, as one of the primary sources of protein, the powder form of this plant is a great way to get a lot of vitamins you might be short of in your diet. Considering that hemp is much easier to digest than most plants, this should be one of the top vegan protein powder products on your list. Of course I also understand that there are a lot of people who are apprehensive about hemp as they relate it to marijuana, but rest assured this is the part of the plant that does not have any intoxicating compounds.

Vegan protein powder is considered hypoallergenic. There are quite a few people who are allergic to whey or soya, so the other options for vegan protein powder such as rice or peas, is a more allergy friendly option for a number of people. Additionally there are people who can eventually get allergies due to daily exposure of certain kinds of protein, this is especially true for protein powders that are not vegan protein powder.

A lot of protein powders are out in the market, but, even if you are not on a journey to being a vegan, it is important that you should look at its nutritional facts and ingredients so you would know which one would suit your body and fitness regimen.

Have allergies to soya? No problem there are a ton of choices for vegan protein powders and some of them work out to your preference. There are pea protein powders, brown rice protein powders, hemp protein powder and much more. These are just some of the vegan protein powder out there and you can choose them depending on what is best for your current health needs or even taste for that matter. Just remember, not all vegan protein powder products give off the same amount of amino acids, vitamins and other stuff so best to study up which one would best meet your needs.

You want a gluten free protein powder, you say? Then look no further than vegan protein powder products! A number of vegan protein powder brands and types remain gluten free such as the chia seed protein powder and pea protein powder. This is a very big must for those with gluten allergies but still wants to get a good workout with better muscle building results.

For some reason you aren’t a fan of the vegetable taste but don’t want to use animal based protein powder, vegan protein powder also has the solution to that. Try checking out the golden chlorella flavor of vegan protein powder products, this might just be what you are looking for. It still comes with a ton of vitamins, amino acids and remains to be gluten free to top it all off. This is an ideal vegan protein powder who does not want a vegetable taste coming from the protein powder, which is a rather strange request in my opinion but I do not judge.

Vegan protein powder is easily digestible by the body. Aside from the ton of vitamins and the amino acids that you already receive from various vegan protein powder products, it is a pretty great bonus that most vegan protein powder is usually very easily digested by the body, meaning that it won’t leave a lot of residue and it gets absorbed by the body quite easily. That is a great add on for anything that you ingest in my honest opinion and it only drives me further to being a stronger advocate for vegan protein powder products.

Protein powders come in plant or whey versions. For vegans the only option is the plant one for rather apparent reasons. The vegan protein powder is somewhat new option in the market and is turning head’s and not only vegan head’s at that. The health benefits are about the same and with the vitamins produces by vegetables, I would not use any other product other than vegan protein powder.

Great supplement for pretty much anyone’s diet. The vegan protein powder is a great supplement for not only vegans all over the world, but for even non-vegetarians. The health benefits of using it to support whatever diet one is doing is a wonderful way to make sure that you get all the vitamins that you are looking for. In fact, if you are planning to become a vegan please read my other article: Becoming a Vegan.

My final opinion of vegan protein powder, you may ask? If you read through the entire article, I’m pretty sure you can tell that I think it is the bee’s knees. This supplement is a great way to keep the immunity system strong, provide the proper material for muscle growth and expansion and it gives a ton of vitamins and essential amino acids, what more could one ask for? Vegan protein powder also comes in various flavors allowing you to choose what best fits your needs, this can only get better for the consumers. Not only that you can also figure out which vitamins are also best for your current needs. The vegan protein powder world is your figurative oyster, in fact let’s go with soy based tofu treat. Enjoy the vegan protein powder my friends!

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Clean Eating: The How-To Guide On Making It Easier And More Delicious For You

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged food, health, lifestyle, vegan | Leave a comment

Welcome my dear friends to your how-to guide of clean eating. I’m sure you heard of clean eating from your friends, family or co-workers, who knows, but the fact of the matter is that you are interested in trying to incorporate it into your diet plans. I’m happy to share with you some great tips to starting your clean eating habit today.

Clean eating isn’t a diet exactly, however a lot of people incorporate it seamlessly into their diet plans, making it much easier to follow than most other restrictions, as a vegan myself, I use a lot of these tips in my very own diet plans and I’ll tell you clean eating is a great way to feel good everyday. Clean eating is the idea of minimizing exposure to processed foods and trying to incorporate more whole types of food, while avoiding dangerous substances such as saturated fat. Keep on reading, so that you can start on your healthy diet as soon as tomorrow.

Whole grain is now your best friend. Always, always choose the whole grain option and avoid processed grains. In order to continue your clean eating journey, it is ideal for you to go for say brown rice or quinoa, if bread is what your diet plans are asking for, go for whole wheat bread.

Take time to research on whole-food options. There are a lot of recipes out there you can experiment on to satisfy your taste buds.

Avoid processed foods. While this is a pretty simple tip, it’s difficult for a lot of people to incorporate into their diet plans. However if you want to continue clean eating, this is pretty high up on the to-do list. In order to avoid processed foods, just check the packaging, if the package has a lot of ingredients listed in it put it back on the shelf. Additionally if there are ingredients that you are not sure how to pronounce or seems a little questionable, put it back. Clean eating wants to eliminate all excess sugars, processed chemicals and other items on your diet plans, and eating a box of lab made chemicals is just not an ideal set up for you.

Limit meat intake. Protein is a great idea and just because you began clean eating doesn’t mean you need to remove all meats from your diet plans completely. Just make sure to limit the intake, in fact if you can choose a healthier option such as salmon or chicken/turkey breast, go for it. I also invite you to another form of healthy eating by becoming a vegan, if you are interested please click on my other article: Becoming A Vegan, it will change your life.

Vegetables are delicious and you will always want them in your path to clean eating. There are so many great vegetable recipes that work for pretty much any diet plans. Since they usually come straight from the farm and into your kitchen, after a thorough washing, prep them and eat them. A must have for any diet plans, including a vegan, vegetarian or what ever kind else of diet you have, vegetables are a refreshing and delicious way to achieving a healthy diet.

Fruits, the candy of nature. Once again another bonus for clean eating, you can pretty much enjoy all the fruit you want. Of course everything in moderation, as usual for any diet plans. Much like vegetables, fruits are usually picked from a farm and then shipped off for our consumption. These delectable treats are one of the greatest gifts for clean eating anywhere, so enjoy the fruits to your heart’s content. Just be careful of the sugar intake as per usual and you will keep going down the road of clean eating.

Desserts are irresistible, but to start your clean eating journey, you must take control and avoid unhealthy sugar intake. Opt for fruits instead! Fruits are nature’s candy, indeed.

Salt intake, be weary my friend. In order to get closer to your targeted clean eating diet, try to limit the intake if at all. Even though clean eating will alter your diet plans, it does not eliminate things like salt completely, however limited intake of the spice is ideal if not completely removing it. Too much salt in the system leads to a lot of health problems anyways, so it is not only best for your clean eating plan, but it is also a good idea for you altogether.

Avoid unwanted sugars. There are so many tempting desserts out there, that we can all agree on. However in order to keep clean eating, it is ideal to limit the added sugar in your diet plans. As mentioned above, fruits are a great way to get that sweet tooth hankering out of your mind. Yogurt is another wonderful option that completely agrees with clean eating and your figure. You don’t have to remove sweets from your diet plans with clean eating but choosing a healthier and still great tasting alternative is a good idea period.

Alcohol intake is on the watch list. Again the great thing about clean eating is that it does not limit the intake or the removal of an entire food group, making it much easier to incorporate into everyday diet plans. However alcoholic drinks have a clean eating alternative and as always if you keep it under control, you can enjoy quite a few drinks in your long life ahead of you. Red wine is always ideal but perhaps just a glass or two a day, even one serving of beer a day is also acceptable in clean eating. Moderation, as always is the key to a happy and long life.

Don’t drink the calories or sugar away. A lot of sugar and calories can find their way into your body via liquid form such as sodas, juices and much more. To keep at clean eating, be weary and vigilant about such drinks. A lot of diet plans often fail because it is easy to consume too many glasses of juice or sodas and as refreshing as they are, there are better options out there. Try for green tea or a cool glass of water, these are some alternatives to a diet soda that has quite a bit of chemicals in it.

Exercise. While this is not exactly clean eating, it never hurts to get your body moving and get a good sweat on. Our bodies are meant to move and to exercise, being idle all the time is bad for your health and even with a healthy diet, it is better to burn off calories with a good jog or some squats and so on. Clean eating is a great option but pair it off with working out and you have a sure fire way to beat obesity, a ton of health problems, while keeping yourself feeling and looking awesome.

These are just some of the clean eating tips out there, there are a lot of ways to achieve a healthy diet and to improve your diet plans. I also still encourage you to think about becoming a vegan, as this is a wonderful way to achieve clean eating as well. Just remember that clean eating makes your body so much more healthy as you continue to improve your diet plans, if you are able to keep clean eating, I am sure you will have a more fulfilled outlook in life.

For more information on other healthy tips and tricks, please check out my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest accounts. Stay healthy!

Drinking Water Benefits, The Pros And Cons Of Water

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food, Health | Tagged diet, health, tips, weight loss | Leave a comment

Water, the only drink in the world that has a recommended drinking amount per day, ever notice that? There’s a reason to that and I am here to share with you the pros and cons of drinking water. Say what you will about the stuff, but a tall, cool, glass of fresh cold water on an especially hot day? Wow, you have me swooning already.

Let me just say before we start, that there are way more pros in my opinion for drinking water than there are cons, I just want to be rather upfront about my bias here. In fact, there are a so many positives to it, I was debating whether to include cons or not if even at all. Anyhow let’s start off with the pros of drinking water as I’m sure most of you are ready to hear how awesome it is.

There are no sugars in a glass of water. The bonus of drinking water? It has no influence of affecting your sugar intake such as juices, sodas and even diet sodas. The pure drink is made to detox the body from a ton of other unwanted items such as sugar, excess alcohol and so on. Whenever you’ve had too much to drink, most people recommend you start drinking water and there’s a reason for that. The body gets dehydrated from lack of water and the excess of alcohol intake. So if you want to rid and detox your body of excess alcohol, and start drinking water, that’s the best hangover remedy I can give you.

Zero calories. Yes, just like your diet soda boasts about, however with water there are no buts, ifs and coconuts, sorry just had to go all the way with that analogy. Anyhow, water is pretty pure, that’s why doctors recommend 8 glasses a day just to keep the body properly hydrated. Nowadays however it is said that you should drink 10-12 glasses a day, it changes after some debate but generally drinking water is good for you. Not only does drinking water quench your thirst, it is again a great way to clean up the body.

Make sure to have a higher pure water intake than colored drinks. Your liver will thank you in the long run.

It is your diet buddy. Drinking water will not only remove the unwanted calories and sugar from the usual sweet drink on the side, it also suppresses your appetite. If you make it a habit of drinking water a few minutes before every meal, you’ll notice you consume less. That’s because water of course fills you up and again at no extra calories. How is this not one of the best things you have ever heard? Drinking water just broke the diet wall, don’t you think?

Water helps you lose weight. Drinking water will help you break down the carbs that you digest and it detox the toxins you have consumed, after which it will flush it away via sweat or other bodily functions. These are some pretty great pros for drinking water wouldn’t you say?

Keeps you hydrated. I don’t think I need to explain this pro for drinking water, but by being hydrated, it will reflect greatly on your skin. Wrinkles are less noticeable and dry, giving it a better glow. This is an add-on to the detox it does for your entire body as well.

It is a solution to headaches. There have been studies that suggested that headaches come from dehydration and what is the solution to dehydration? Yes, you got it right, drinking water. By keeping yourself hydrated through drinking water, you can help alleviate your throbbing headache. Anytime you drink medicine with a glass of water, maybe just maybe, the water is helping more than the medicine but of course, it’s difficult to prove that.

Water helps your liver. The liver is what does the most detox for your entire body, however in order to do so, it needs a steady flow of water to do its job. Again drinking water will help your liver keep detoxifying anything it needs to, so keep a glass of water near by whenever you think your liver will need to some work.

Got the flu? Drinking water is for you. Got the sniffles? Keep drinking that water. Fluids help detox the body of the sickness and nothing works better than water. In fact maybe go a little bit further and try a hot glass of water, with a squeeze of lemon.

Water helps fight against cancer. There have been studies that states staying hydrated gives a better chance of fending off a couple types of cancer. I don’t know about you, but if it wards off the big C, I plan to keep drinking water until kingdom comes.

Detox drinks are good, but make sure to always keep yourself hydrated throughout the day with fresh water.

Now let’s move on to the cons, and as mentioned prior that drinking water has very little to no cons. However much like anything else, there are of course some risks to over doing it, even drinking water comes with a small amount of risk.

Water intoxication. Although quite rare and can in fact lead to death, this is very difficult to do. By over hydrating yourself by drinking water in excessive amounts, say in a contest or in long bouts of exercise with a very high amount of water being consumed. While both are very difficult and reaching a state of over hydration is quite rare to say the least, it is still possible. I wouldn’t worry about it too much however, as a healthy liver should be able to process 0.8 – 1 liter of water per hour, so you would be pretty hard pressed to exceed said limit.

Going to the bathroom too often. Alright. You heard me. Yes going to the bathroom too often. I understand it is not really a con if you think about it, I mean it just means you’re flushing out excess fluids and with it a lot of toxins when you detox but back against the wall, finding cons to drinking water is quite difficult to tell you the truth. Drinking water is really one of the healthiest things you can do and I realize that I’m not very balanced with pros and cons here, and to be quite frank, I just love drinking water.

Now that you’ve heard the pros and cons, quite heavily on the pros of drinking water, I hope you do decide to further your consumption of water as you continue to workout or go on a diet. Drinking water can detox your body better than pretty much anything else and not only is it good for you to get a constant supply of water in your body, it is a must in fact. I am a very strong advocate of drinking water and I believe that 8 – 12 glasses a day, whichever is the recommended amount of the experts is something that can easily be done by anyone. All you need to do is make a habit of drinking water and if you want to lose weight along the way, I suggest that tip of drinking water before every meal in order to suppress your hunger.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Ways To Lose Belly Fat Before Summer, Burn That Mid Section Faster And Better Than Before

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness | Tagged fitness, tips, weight loss, workout | Leave a comment

Summer is quickly coming around the corner, and I know most people are clamoring for ways to lose belly fat. Don’t worry, I realize that you want a beach body, I want a beach body, everyone wants a beach body. And happily I have quite a few ways to lose belly fat.

With this article, I will share some tips and ways to lose belly fat as quickly as possible, getting that beach body you want to show off at well… the beach pretty much.

Avoid sugars. And those other chemically sweetened drinks that is one of the key ways to lose belly fat fast. Pretty much any sugar that can be processed by the liver and when it gets overwhelmed, it turns the sugar, particularly the fructose into fat. And that my dear friends, is when it turns into belly fat. If you want ways to lose belly fat and need it fast, cut off the bulk of sugar in your diet. This will help you quickly score that beach body.

Go protein on your diet. Another one for great ways to lose belly fat is to eat more proteins. The calories in protein burn much easier than in carbs and eating proteins keeps us full for longer amounts of times, keeping our snacking at bay. There are a lot of studies saying that eating larger amounts of proteins is a way to keep the belly fat away and keep it away for a longer amount of time.

Carbs need to take a vacation. Alright, this goes hand-in-hand with protein intake pretty much and these two ways to lose belly fat are a great way to achieve that beach body you are longing for. Carbs are great at filling you up however you tend to overeat and complex carbohydrates are very difficult for the body to process thus it often becomes fat. I’m sure you’ve met a lot of people who have lost a ton of weight when they went with a real low carb diet, and I’ll tell you quite frankly, it really works. You just have to watch what you eat and make sure you are avoiding the especially complex carbohydrates when you eat out. For more tips on a low carb diet, read my other article: A Low Carb Diet and You.

Increase your fiber intake. A lot of fruits are rich in fibers and are good thirst quenchers too!

Eat a lot of fibers. Yes, fibers my friend, this is a wonderful way to reach the beach body you long for. In ways to lose belly fat, this is your greatest ally. Fibers keep you full for longer amounts of time and with just a slight increase in intake of fibers has proven to reduce calories by quite a bit.

Get a proper diet. Well considering all that’s been said above, you’d think this is a good idea. Remember balance is key to ways to lose belly fat. Keep fibers and protein in your diet and cut the carbohydrates down. This will ensure that you won’t lose yourself in the ways to lose belly fat. A properly balanced diet will give you a great beach body before you know it.

Get into exercising. There are no two ways around it, if you want a beach body in short span of time, this is a must on top of all the other ways to lose belly fat. This must range from cardio to ab workout to even more. There are a ton of exercises that should be able to burn a maximum amount of calories in a short span of time. A great way is to start running and my article on the Beginner’s guide to running, is a must for any people who have yet to start running.

Calorie count. This is a bit difficult for people who aren’t used to it but it has proven to be a very effective way to achieve a beach body. In ways to lose belly fat, this is a tried and tested method that a lot of people have done time and time again. This method allows you to eat as much as you want, given you only have a given amount of calories within the day to consume. You can usually get a rough estimate of how many calories you need at your age via online and then you can limit the amount of intake per day that you do, giving you a sure fire way to achieve the beach body target. Among a lot of ways to lose belly fat, this is one of my most preferred to get my ideal beach body ready.

Get the proper amount of sleep. Sleep is a must in the fight against the belly. The ideal amount of time is 8 hours, any less and you can expect a huge hurdle against your path in ways to lose belly fat. Be sure however to not oversleep, as this will also have the same effect in lack of sleep, this’ll help you further the journey to a god/goddess like beach body.

Cut down on soda and sugary drinks. Opt for detox drinks and green tea instead.

Green tea is the drink of choice for you. The number of antioxidants in green tea is just magical. This delicious idea for ways to lose belly fat, is as simple as cup of tea after every meal. Just simple, hot cup of tea, will further you on the journey of ways to lose belly fat, so keep drinking it and smile, it’s a cup of tea, one of the many pleasure in life.

Don’t stress so much. Stress will put unneeded strain on your body. While you are trying to get the beach body, you need to remember that even though losing a belly is important, you need to be patient and allow your body to deliver what you need, considering you’ve made the proper adjustments of course. In the way to lose belly fat, people tend to over emphasis and panic when they are against the clock but be realistic and keep at it. When you are stressing too much, you tend to do things you may regret such as stress eating or skip out on working out and let’s face it, that will make you lose in the ways to lose belly fat.

Do not skip meals. You’d think this would help you in the ways to lose belly fat but you would be definitely wrong. Just because you skip things such as breakfast, don’t look innocent a lot of people do this, this is a really, really bad idea and will deter you in achieving your beach body. Nutritionists believe that by eating breakfast in the morning, it just pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the day. In ways to lose belly fat, this is a must do, in fact go for healthy snacks throughout the day just so your body has something to burn regularly. Smaller meals instead of 3 big meals could work in your favor.

While there are a lot of possible ways to lose belly fat, these are just some of my favorites. Also remember that just because it worked for your friend or family, it might not work for you. Achieving the perfect beach body takes time and a lot of effort, find out what works for you and stick with it. I believe you can do it, now start believing in yourself too!

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

Top 10 Weight Loss Motivation Quotes, Mantras For You And Your Workout

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness | Tagged fitness, lifestyle, weight loss | Leave a comment

As you push yourself to the limit on your workout, running that last mile in a long run, using all of your strength just to burn fat off of your belly, as you slowly lose yourself to fatigue, you strengthen your resolve with weight loss motivation and through familiar words that have been your mantra since day 1. Isn’t it just poetic? Everyone has their limits and it is true that most of the time we respect them, we quietly back off but in those rare moments that we push the envelope, we find a new version of ourselves going through the wall and doing some pretty amazing things. What do we need as a push for weight loss motivation? It could just be a few simple words that will spur us through the toughest of times. In this article, I would love to share with you some of the most motivational quotes that have pushed me to where I am today.

“Nothing can stop the man (woman) with the right mental attitude from achieving his (her) goal; nothing on earth can help the man (woman) with the wrong mental attitude.” ~ Thomas Jefferson. Powerful, simply powerful. This quote is a great weight loss motivation for me as I can use this to counter any self doubts I may have creeping into my head as I run further than I did yesterday. During my workout, it is a must to have a positive attitude if I am ever to truly believe my weight loss motivation, and I realize staying positive is very difficult but this quote right here is what helps me power through.

Progress is impossible without change quote

Here’s a great motivational quote especially for those we are just starting out their journey to fitness.

“Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ~ George Bernard Shaw. Another attitude changer, this is a great quote for just as you are embarking on your workout. This weight loss motivation is wonderful especially at any start of workout that you want to burn fat on, after all if you want to change yourself you have to change your attitude to a positive one.

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” ~Robert Louis Stevenson. Always remember that each day you are pushing yourself further, is another step in the right direction, you are slowly getting stronger, faster and more powerful. This is a wonderful thought to keep as you strengthen your weight loss motivation during a workout. Everyday you workout is another day invested in a healthier version of you in the near future. Isn’t that just a wonderful weight loss motivation for anyone?

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” ~Vincent Van Gogh. I am almost speechless at how this marries so well as a weight loss motivation mantra. Again if you are looking to burn fat and quite a bit of fat, your target goal of a wonderful and ideal self, can only be done by small things slowly done and take it a step at a time. There is no need to rush, just enjoy the trip there and await the many rewards at the end of the journey.

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” ~Henry Ford. This weight loss motivation is a powerful one indeed. You need to think you can do it, otherwise you will never, ever be able to achieve it indeed. To burn fat, you need to really believe that each step you take is another in the right direction and that you are getting better than you ever were before.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” ~Michael Jordan. This is the perfect weight loss motivation when you’ve hit that wall. During anyone’s workout, they eventually hit a wall that makes them stop from going another few minutes on the treadmill or another mile on the road or a lot of other stuff. Push through it, go over it or whatever, power through and show yourself a new you. With an inspirational quote from one of the most iconic basketball players in the world, it’s hard not to get motivated to continue your workout.

And for the many times you would feel like slacking or even quitting, remember this, and push yourself towards your goal even more.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~ Winston Churchill. It is alright to fail or fall, but as the quote goes, it is important to keep at it. A lot of people lose motivation and stop working out or trying to burn fat, this is a great problem for a lot of people. However remember this quote as a weight loss motivation passage so you can pick yourself up. There are times where you can’t depend on anyone else but yourself, I believe this message from Sir Winston Churchill is something that can always help anyone at any point in their lives.

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” ~Maya Angelou. Always remember that if you are looking to start and better yourself, if you are looking for a powerful weight loss motivation excerpt to live by, make it this one. There are a lot of things in the world that cannot change but the one thing that can always be change is the way we approach it. The same can be said about anyone who has started a workout program to improve him or herself. You don’t like that belly? Burn fat and change it. Want to get stronger? Workout and change it. It’s a really awesome weight loss motivation any which way you cut it. Speaking of change, if you are looking to lose a little extra belly fat, please read my article: How to lose weight fast.

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” ~Jim Rohn. Lovely, just lovely indeed. This really instills powerful weight loss motivation in anyone who would want to start a workout program. This shows that you have the power to improve yourself regardless of any circumstances. To be able to workout or burn fat however you want and that single capability of being able to improve yourself all falls onto one person, you. Jim Rohn must be speaking to us as we seek to improve ourselves each and everyday we choose the right meal, exercise to the fullest of our extent and just be the best us we can be. If that isn’t one of the greatest weight loss motivation quotes ever, I’m not sure what is.

“Everyday is a choice for you and me, we only have to make the right choice to make the world so much better. I want to enjoy the world with the best ‘me’, I can be!” ~ Lillian Lewis. Pardon the hubris, but I want to be as much as an inspiration to everyone as the other quotes. This is not only a weight loss motivation excerpt, I would say that this affects everything in our daily lives. From meals, to workout routines, to simple everyday choices. Everyday we get to wake up and decide if we are going to be the best or worst version of ourselves and I’d like to believe that we should always strive to be the best.

These are just some of the motivational quotes I find really inspiring for not only weight loss motivation but for much more. Keep yourself inspired and keep going towards your goal.

For more tips and tricks to get healthy, please visit my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages. Stay healthy!

A Low Carb Diet And You, Your Guide For Tricks And Tips

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged diet, fitness, food, tips | Leave a comment

The low carb diet, how often have you heard it mentioned in the gym? At your office? Perhaps with a group of your friends? Or even at the dinner table with your family? I’m sure at one point or another, the low carb diet has reached your ears and attention. Well ladies and gents look no further, with these few tips and tricks, you’ll not only be able to rule your low carb diet, you’ll be able to stick with it too. Here I will share with you various low carb foods and a number of tricks and tips to help you along the way.

What is carb anyways? It’s the shortened word for carbohydrate, it is defined by Merriam-Webster as: any one of various substances found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes) that provide your body with heat and energy and are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. So to simplify it is gas for your body. This “gas” however can quickly turn into fats if not used, so unless you are active and workout a lot, a low carb diet might be just for you.

Avoid grains. Yes, this is a usual must but since we are trying to keep you on your low carb diet, let’s not forget this basic rule. There isn’t much to say about these two, they are the polar opposite of the low carb foods. There are some grains such as whole grains, which are ideal for the low carb diet but keep in mind that moderation is a must and quite frankly the key to most things in life.

Avoid sugar. I cannot reiterate enough, sugar is the enemy and can really wreak havoc on a low carb diet. Avoid it as much as possible, be mindful of low carb foods with a lot of sugar in it as well, these are easy to binge eat on. It would be ideal to research whatever sweets you consume before putting it in your mouth. That cupcake may be staring at your soul, but it’s screaming against your low carb diet as well, so be weary, vigilant and steadfast against these sneaky snacks.

Stay lean and green. Carbs do keep you fuller after every meal for longer times, so a lot of the worries come from the hunger after a low carb meal, but don’t be afraid, look towards the green light! The true heroes of the low carb diet; vegetables! Vegetables are your best friend, not only will they keep you full longer, they are healthy, delicious and very refreshing to say the least. The ideal is to eat vegetables that grow above the ground, these are the low carb foods that work best for a low carb diet. So no potatoes, at least most of them, should be avoided for now. For some really great recipes that work great with vegetables, click on the link here.

Keep it fresh. Avoid processed meals, these contain quite a bit of preservatives and could be hiding carbs beneath the colorful packaging. Make your meals from scratch or make sure you know what you are ordering whenever you go eat out, that way you can’t be caught unaware of a sudden carb invasion. No fast food as there is a very strong chance that they place a lot of preservatives in the food, making this one of the greatest pitfalls for a low carb diet.

Basket of fresh organic fruits and veggies

Plan ahead and when making trips to the grocery and list down your picks for a low carb food list.

Fruits are also friends of the low carb diet. As long as you avoid high carb fruits such as bananas, which are delicious but loaded with carbs and is not a great compliment to low carb foods. Keep consumption of fruit to once a day and you’ll also avoid unwanted sugars in your diet, keeping your low carb diet sated and happy.

Seeds, nuts and cheeses, oh yum, some of the greatest low carb foods on the list. These are a great alternative to those pesky snack hunger pangs, however beware that it is easy to eat more than necessary for these items. Chances are you are trying to lose weight, which is usually the case for most people to take on a low carb diet, so make sure you control intake of these low carb foods when you snack on them. A handful of nuts should be more than enough to make sure you don’t go hungry before supper.

None vegans or vegetarians, are invited to eat fish and meats. Eggs are another great alternative but make sure to not overdo it for all of the mentioned items. Feel free to eat the fat of the beef or the skin of the chicken as surprising as this may sound these food are counted as low carb foods and on top of that the low carb diet increases your ability to process these items since it isn’t busy trying to burn starch and other items from carbs. However if you are planning to try going vegan, I’d love to share some tips and tricks to it here.

Keep your pantry free of temptation. Sorry, chips, beer, and other TV snacks, they need to go. There is a very good chance that they are not low carb foods. It’s dangerously easy to break your low carb diet with those lying around and there are healthier alternatives such as a piece of fruit, maybe some yogurt or if you enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage, wine is the better alternative. Of course these need to be moderated if you want to lose weight however at least there are low carb diet options instead of those temptations. Low carb foods as snacks, who would have thought right?

Don’t be overly strict with yourself. Unless there is a viable reason to be super strict such as major health reasons, allow yourself some leniency once in awhile. Your regular low carb foods are just waiting for you right there, they won’t go anywhere Maybe schedule a cheat day here and again, but it must be limited. Again just like all things, moderation is key and this is especially true for a low carb diet. Don’t go overboard and don’t lose your way back especially. When we overly crave for something and it gets the better of us, we tend to binge eat and then it’s over, we find ourselves back at the mercy of carbohydrates and we lose our allies the low carb foods. Scary, I gave myself goose bumps. So allow a day of rest once in awhile or a meal with some carbs, don’t worry, as long as you don’t do it often you’ll be fine and you’ll be back on your low carb diet before you know it.

These are some of the basics for keeping your low carb diet, make sure to keep studying and seeing what else there is to do but just keep these tips and tricks and you’ll be saying goodbye to a big belly and a big hello to a low carb diet and the low carb foods that it comes with.

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Beginner’s Guide: How To Start Running

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness | Tagged fitness, workout | Leave a comment

Welcome my dear friends, you have decided that you want to start running, that is awesome. It takes quite little for someone to just want to start running, however it takes quite a bit of getting used to in order to maintain running in your entire workout routine. I am a humble guide who would be happy to share with you some personal tips and tricks that got me to start running.

The ideal setup is that you’ve been doing some sort of exercise for at least 2 weeks, it would be the best if you’ve had some cardio placed in your workout routine before you start running. However if not, do not fret, you can start running anyways, well almost, you’ll understand as we go along.

Check with your physician. This is especially true for those who are not very active. It is always best to be safe especially when it comes to your health, if you plan to start running, which is a great workout for the entire body and is guaranteed to burn a ton of calories, you still want to make sure that you are able to do so. Take the time to schedule an appointment and check if you are alright to start running.

Take it slow my young padawan. For none Star Wars fans that means a Jedi trainee of sorts, sorry just a big fan of the series. Anyhow I digress, don’t rush running, after all if everyone could just start running, everyone would. This is a process and you need to warm your body up to it. Understand that and allow your body to stretch itself with light exercises for the first few weeks or so. Start your workout with walks first, then say every 1/5th of the time you are out, run. I’d measure it in minutes first, walk for 4 minutes and run the 5th, then take a walking break. Eventually you will be able to strengthen your stamina and be able to run longer during your workout. Of course, you should stretch your body properly before your workout, just in case you forget, make sure to do this before you start running.

Pick a great pair of shoes. Make sure they’re comfy, your feet will thank you later.

Get the proper shoes. While to start running requires very little equipment, let’s just say that a new pair of shoes will save you from a painful trip to the doctor. Don’t skip out and get a great pair of running shoes at your local shops. There are a lot of reasonable priced pairs of shoes that are specific to running, a lot of runners just want a lot of people to start running, which is great for you and your workout. You can even get some great stretch routines from the people around the shop.

Find your comfort zone. It is important to not go too far, after all a lot of people who start running might forget, that wherever they run to, they need to go back home via running as well. Keep it simple since you just started your workout, go around your neighborhood and keep it a simple small zone for now. In fact if you want to run around your block only for when you start running, I wouldn’t blame you. It’s a good, simple idea, although the view can get a little monotonous, however keeping your house in fairly reachable distance is a good idea for beginners.

Schedule your workout. While the idea of a workout is always awe inspiring, finding your way to start up is something that makes it difficult. A great way to start running is to schedule your workout at the best time for you, make it a comfortable time that does not clash with work or other duties, if you plan it out properly you will be able to avoid self excuses. You have to start somewhere and repetition is the mother of skill as they say and if you ever want to start running, this is your mantra.

Plan out your calories. When you start running you will feel the calories burn away. You will get hungry and even hungrier. Make sure to manage this as it will affect your overall health. When you get hungry at inopportune times in the day, you will tend to eat whatever is lying around. However if you plan your calories and have a proper diet, you can avoid this pitfall. Think of it as a way to stretch out your stomach to make sure you are getting proper nutrition and enough fuel when you start running. For you workaholics, I have an article titled: Diet Plans for the Workaholic, which should work just for you.

Make sure to warm up an do some stretching before you start running to eliminate aches and pains post-workout.

Push it but know when to pull back. It is great that you are pushing yourself to start running. I know for most people just getting around the block at a running pace is very difficult. When you start running, you will want to push yourself through a wall and get further and further than you ever have. This is a good mentality, but you have to also know when the aches and pains in your body tells you something, such as: you did not stretch enough, you are not ready for this or you need to take a break. Make sure that you figure it out during your workout, know when you should push the limit or when you need to reel yourself back in a bit and take a rest. Don’t worry, the road will still be there tomorrow, you can always run again tomorrow. You can’t run tomorrow if you injure yourself, so be weary and adventurous at the same time. Only you can really say how far your body can go when you start running.

Build up on a weekly basis. Rome was not built in a day my friends, and since you’re only about to start running, don’t expect to circle the entire state in one day. Be realistic and allow yourself to build up from the starting point, you can’t just jump to a full on marathon in your workout, this will leave you open to injury and will more than likely kill your enthusiasm to workout. As mentioned, when you start running build from the ground up. If you are able to run 5 miles today, maybe make it 6 miles next week. Again there is time for you to make it to however far you go, but it will take your perseverance and training to reach your goal. There are no shortcuts to this, trust me, but if you follow the tips and keep at it, you’ll enjoy the journey there.

Have fun with it. This is the end all be all of all routines, if you aren’t enjoying it, time to change it up a little. The same could be said for when you start running. Set some realistic goals that are just a little out of reach so you will push yourself, but don’t aim to be an Olympic runner from the get-go, it’ll take time. Have as much fun with your workout as possible, it’s difficult to get your runner’s shoes on if you aren’t motivated. To start running, you will need to enjoy running. Bring a friend and keep the pace brisk, maybe conversational even, this’ll make you enjoy the run even more. If you prefer the time alone to think about all the good things in life, go for it. Cater to you, when you start running you are doing this for you and nobody else, so smile.

These are some of the best tips that have worked for me and I hope they work for you, keep at it my friends, when you start running you will feel the road under your feet and the wind in your hair, enjoy the best of the world and let the world enjoy you at your best.

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How To Lose Weight Fast, The Tips And Tricks You Need To Know

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness, Food | Tagged diet, fitness, tips, weight loss | Leave a comment

Let’s face reality here, nobody wants a flabby stomach and everyone always wants to lose weight fast, there are no buts, ifs about it, weight loss is the goal and everyone wants to get there faster than yesterday. Well with this how to lose weight fast article, I will show you some simple stuff that can help you with weight loss and the best part is that you can start doing them as soon as tomorrow. These tips and tricks are designed to make you lose weight fast, fast, fast which is pretty much the time line. Most people want a smaller, flatter stomach anyways, so let’s get your weight loss started.

Natural over processed, any day of the week, this is key if you want to lose weight fast. Processed foods are a major challenge for any weight loss plan that anyone has ready. I know that the fast food restaurant down the road of your office serves a quick meal for a fairly reasonable price and you’ve convinced yourself that it tastes alright despite it not tasting like any other meat you’ve had before. That my friend is where a lot of fat, grease and other unneeded compounds sneak into your body, this is not something you want in your weight loss plan. Take your time and make yourself a healthy meal to bring to the office for lunch. Need a snack, a nice, crunchy apple is all you need. Natural food is the way to go, this will be your ride to lose weight fast.

Eating out not only increases your expenses but it also gives you lesser control on your diet plan and calorie intake.

Cut down on dining out. If you find yourself dining out 9 out of 10 times in a week, well that could be the problem right there, this is not the ideal set up to lose weight fast. When you go out to restaurants, unless you break everything down on their menu, which is highly unlikely unless you want to annoy the chef and/or waiter, you can get a lot of unwanted fats in your meal, this will be a major obstacle in your weight loss plan. The salads could come with an overly rich dressing or fried assorted toppings that defeat the purpose of a healthy salad, again this will be a challenge for your weight loss target. I’m not saying to completely remove eating out, sure this is a great way to lose weight fast but that’s not very fun, however I’m just saying to cut it down a little. Maybe once or twice a week? This isn’t much to ask for considering you are targeting to lose weight fast. Most restaurants even have a healthy option, albeit a few extra calories snuck into whatever you order there, eating out once in awhile is alright, just because you are trying to lose weight fast, doesn’t mean you have to put your life on hold.

Avoid the snack aisle. Hold on, maybe not the whole aisle, let’s not go crazy here, it’s weight loss not mind loss. Instead of a bag of chips, why not a handful of healthy fresh nuts? Instead of that ice cream in your fridge, a delicious serving of yoghurt and fruits? Instead of that oozingly rich apple pie, why not just the apple? There are many options to avoid your snacking calories and still help you lose weight fast, they are out there my friend, you just have to be open to trying them out and be happy with your weight loss.

Eat a healthy breakfast. Yes, the cliché is a cliché for a reason, eating a nice and balanced breakfast is a great way to lose weight fast. Another bonus of eating breakfast is that it should keep you from getting hungry for the rest of the day, at least not too often and thus leading towards weight loss. Don’t skip out on breakfast, what they say is the most important meal of the day, you will truly regret it and it will further your goal to lose weight fast.

Exercise. I know, you are probably saying you are too busy or you don’t have a good gym near you or other things like that however if you want to lose weight fast, this is one of the musts of weight loss. Don’t worry, I’m not telling you to run a marathon today but again to face reality if you want to lose weight fast, this is a great way of doing it, I mean it would be great eventually to run a marathon for weight loss but let’s take baby steps. Try to exercise in small bouts here and there, even if you only have 15 minutes in the morning, another 15 minutes in the afternoon and finally in the evening, this is a great way to lose weight fast. Don’t stay idle the whole day, that can be bad for you in more ways than one and it is a derivative to weight loss to say the least.

Instead of taking in sodas, opt for a healthy drink or better yet, just hydrate with plain water.

Avoid calories in a glass. Juices, sodas, and so much more could be your bigger challenge for weight loss more than you know. I know it’s delicious and it says diet on the can itself but it still have a lot of sugars that you don’t need, that will be something that will not help you lose weight fast and you don’t want that. The alternative: water. You’ve got to love the stuff if you are trying to lose weight fast. On occasion a fresh fruit juice is alright as long as it’s made naturally without any needless sweeteners, again weight loss my friend that is the plan and your mantra. This is a simple way for you to keep going on the road of how to lose weight fast.

Calorie count. Now this is a bit more advanced than the others if you want to lose weight fast and while it is tricky, this is a sure fire way to lead towards weight loss. However if you are able to figure out your daily average consumption and lessen it on a daily basis, you will see results at the end of the week and your weight loss is pretty much an assured thing. Some say that reducing 500 calories from your daily count will give you a whole pound or two shed off within a week, can you imagine? A week’s worth of weight loss, if that isn’t an answer to lose weight fast, I don’t know what is. The best part is that it is not that tough at all, it’s totally doable and a great way for you to gain your goal to lose weight fast.

These are just some tips as to how to lose weight fast, do them daily and see some great results in a short span of time. Remember this is all on you, you can do it!

For more tips to lose weight fast or to change your diet in order to move towards weight loss, please check out our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest here.

Diet Plans For The Workaholic, Keeping Up With Your Busy Schedule

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged diet, food, health, lifestyle, tips | Leave a comment

It’s 10 pm in the evening and you have that report that still needs final touches, your stomach growls in contention as you take a bite of that obviously processed canned by product, you think it’s meat, sort of, perhaps a fruit? Your face recoils in disgust as you begrudgingly swallow whatever that was, inwardly you sigh as you try to convince yourself that it was edible, as your body dearly contests against the make shift diet plans you’ve come up with at short notice, if you can even call it diet plans that is.

Does this sound all too familiar to you? Well then my dear friend, you might just be a workaholic. Nothing wrong with that but it must wreak havoc on any diet plans you have set into place. However worry not, this article is perfect for you. Let me help you come up with some ideas for your diet plans with some diet tips that will help you keep healthy as you run about and finish your work.

Bring healthy food to the office. Don’t worry, yes, I know you barely have any time at home and you are always in a rush to go out the door, even if you ever get home that is, but this is one of the greatest diet tips you can ever get in order to fix your diet plans. If you plan to stay as healthy as you can while grinding the office clock, you need to prepare for the worst and bring your best. Maybe pack a salad or some fruit, the ideal is to bring some nuts so you don’t end up snacking on potato chips as you crunch some numbers. Be prepared to meet hunger pangs with fully equipped diet plans so that you don’t miss out on keeping yourself healthy as you work harder than yesterday!

Once your diet plans are scheduled, make sure to squeeze in some time to prepare even the simplest healthy meal to bring to work.

Schedule the meal. Much like everything else in your life, you have pretty much all things important scheduled in a timely manner. You take the meticulous time to plan out your work date; this is something you should do with your diet plans as well. The same should be done with your meals. Eating proper meals is very important to your health and trust me when I say, a healthy you is able to work a lot more than a sick you, so keep that in mind before you skip logging in a lunch break or in most cases a dinner break. This is a great way to stick to any diet plans you may have come up with. In fact go the extra mile and even plan out snack times within your diet plans so that you cover all your bases.

Be weary of ordering in. This is of the simplest diet tips you will hear but the effectiveness on your diet plans is just staggering. While the meeting goes on for hours at a time, eventually someone says: “Let’s order in.” And when the food arrives you tend to eat whatever is there, that’s where you gain unnecessary calories and that is where all diet plans go to pretty much die. Some restaurants have a guilt free menu, you can choose food orders from there but still be on your toes, as even though it says grilled chicken, the sides could be a heavily dressed salad that just won’t work for your diet plans. Try to watch what you eat during meetings, and remember that whatever it is, regardless if it’s a treat or convenient for you, given your limited eating time, choose well what you place in your mouth.

Calories in a glass, beware, beware! I know you’re thinking that it is alright considering it says diet in big bold letters or maybe even sugar free, but trust me when I say, don’t do it, it’ll throw all your diet plans in disarray. Sodas that claim to be calorie free or without sugar, still isn’t good for you, look around you will find this is one of the top diet tips out there. Stick with the simple stuff, a cup of green tea, coffee without sugar or even better, a tall cool glass of water, these works wonders for your diet plans. In fact green tea is one of the most helpful drinks out there as well.

Do not skip breakfast, this is one of the best diet tips ever. I say breakfast, but I actually mean don’t skip any meals at all, skipping meals will not help any diet plans you have. You think that will help you lose weight, but skipping meals only leaves you hungry at inopportune times of the day or night, which in turn ends up with you randomly eating whatever you see lying around. Don’t do it. Follow this tip, as it’s one of the most popular diet tips you will find anywhere you will go. It’s not a good idea and it will only bring you a more robust and rotund stomach.

Breakfast is the power meal to start your day, but NEVER skip ANY meal at all.

Plan everything so you can be prepared for the week. You don’t have time to cook or do the groceries, I completely understand, but thankfully with the onset of new technologies everything can be done online, this especially helps with any diet plans for the week you have. Have your groceries delivered, have your meals specially prepared by a dietician or nutritionist, these are just some of the things you can do to make sure your diet plans for the week succeeds. This will help you stay healthy while not taking away any time from your work and best of all, it may help you count your calories, some food preparation companies count the calories for you and deliver a well balanced meal which will assuredly meet most diet plans. By planning the entire week, much like how you plan the rest of your business oriented week life, this will help you stay on your diet plans. As the proverb goes: He who fails to plan, plans to fail as they say.

Plan the calories. Now this is one of the most advance diet tips in the market today. Again I understand this is too time consuming for you as you are busy with work, no problem. As I mentioned in the previous tip above, there are services that will handle calories counting for you. They have a set menu usually with a breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks in between that will help you lose weight. This will no doubt meet any qualifications that you have for diet plans and best of all, it won’t take too much time out of your work schedule.

These are a few ways to keep your diet plans and considering you only have a few minutes to spare, best to think ahead and make sure that not only your business gets handled, your health with handled as well. Stay healthy, stay strong and stay ahead of your work, take these diet tips to heart and begin your diet plans tomorrow.

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