Respect your body

So what’s the recipe for body respect? Below are a few of the tips from Tribole and Resch’s book on how to respect your body:

1. Get comfortable. As they write, “you should not have to settle for leftovers or dowdy duds.” And that includes buying new underwear: “When is the last time you bought new underwear? Don’t laugh. All too often we have clients who feel that they don’t deserve new underwear (let alone new clothes) until they reach a certain weight or clothing size. Think about what that means at a basic level.”

You might laugh or you might not think about it at all but underwear that’s uncomfortable and that pinches is the last thing that brings your body ease – and only boosts your body phobia. Dress for the body you have right now.

2. Change your body-assessment tools. “Remember, the scale is the tool of a chronic dieter.” I love that. So Tribole and Resch suggest you stop weighing yourself and avoid using other “pseudo-scale” tools like trying on a pair of tight jeans – daily or weekly – to see if you’ve lost weight.

3. Stop body-checking. How often have you asked yourself if you’re the smallest or biggest one in the room or just compared yourself to someone else in general? You might feel like it’s automatic. But here’s the thing: According to the authors, comparing yourself to others can lead to more dieting and body dissatisfaction. And ”You do not know how someone acquired their current body shape.”

The authors describe an example where one of their clients was admiring another woman’s body, thinking that she should be able to achieve the same results. Turns out the woman she was admiring was another client, who was trying to recover from bulimia.

There’s no secret that someone else knows that you don’t. There’s no need to work harder at losing weight. Some people happen to be naturally slimmer, while others may engage in unhealthy behaviors to get to a certain weight. The bottom line is that genetics play a prominent role in our weight and shape. Try to put the focus back on yourself, eating intuitively, taking good care of yourself and moving your body by doing things you love.

4. Do nice things for your body. A big part of body respect is pampering and feeling good. The authors suggest scheduling regular massages; trying a sauna; buying luxurious body creams; and taking bubble baths with oils, salts, candlelight and music. These are also great ways to reconnect with your body, which is important for your body image, too.

Cheers to Wine

 

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of "good" cholesterol and protecting against artery damage.
While the news about red wine might sound great if you enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, doctors are wary of encouraging anyone to start drinking alcohol. That's because too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.
Still, many doctors agree that something in red wine appears to help your heart. It's possible that antioxidants, such as flavonoids or a substance called resveratrol, have heart-healthy benefits.

How is red wine heart healthy?

Red wine seems to have even more heart-healthy benefits than other types of alcohol, but it's possible that red wine isn't any better than beer, white wine or liquor for heart health. There's still no clear evidence that red wine is better than other forms of alcohol when it comes to possible heart-healthy benefits.
Antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. A polyphenol called resveratrol is one substance in red wine that's gotten attention.

Resveratrol in red wine

Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces "bad" cholesterol and prevents blood clots.
Most research on resveratrol has been done on animals, not people. Research in mice given resveratrol suggests that the antioxidant might also help protect them from obesity and diabetes, both of which are strong risk factors for heart disease. However, those findings were reported only in mice, not in people. In addition, to get the same dose of resveratrol used in the mice studies, a person would have to drink over 60 liters of red wine every day.
Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a reduced risk of inflammation and blood clotting, both of which can lead to heart disease. More research is needed before it's known whether resveratrol was the cause for the reduced risk.


The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than is white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol. Simply eating grapes, or drinking grape juice, has been suggested as one way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol. Red and purple grape juices may have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine.
Other foods that contain some resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. It's not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. The amount of resveratrol in food and red wine can vary widely.
Resveratrol supplements are also available. While researchers haven't found any harm in taking resveratrol supplements, most of the resveratrol in the supplements can't be absorbed by your body.

How does alcohol help the heart?

Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. It's thought that alcohol:

• Raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol
• Reduces the formation of blood clots
• Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol

Drink in moderation — or not at all

Red wine's potential heart-healthy benefits look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease. However, more research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than are other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.
Neither the American Heart Association nor the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and can cause or worsen other health problems.
Drinking too much increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, certain types of cancer, accidents and other problems. In addition, drinking too much alcohol regularly can cause cardiomyopathy — weakened heart muscle — causing symptoms of heart failure in some people. If you have heart failure or a weak heart, you should avoid alcohol completely. If you take aspirin daily, you should avoid or limit alcohol, depending on your doctor's advice. You also shouldn't drink alcohol if you're pregnant. If you have questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your doctor about specific recommendations for you.
If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do.
A drink is defined as 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer, 5 ounces (148 mL) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Who's drinking Wine tonight? 

15 Amazing facts about the Human Body

 

1. The stomach’s digestive acids are strong enough to dissolve zinc. Fortunately for us, the cells in the stomach lining renew so quickly that the acids don’t have time to dissolve it.

2. The lungs contain over 300,000 million capillaries (tiny blood vessels). If they were laid end to end, they would stretch 2400km (1500 miles).

3. A mans testicles manufacture 10 million new sperm cells each day – enough that he could repopulate the entire planet in only 6 months!

4. Human bone is as strong as granite in supporting weight. A block of bone the size of a matchbox can support 9 tonnes – that is four times as much as concrete can support.

5. Each finger and toenail takes six months to grow from base to tip.

6. The largest organ in the body is the skin. In an adult man it covers about 1.9m2 (20sq ft). The skin constantly flakes away – in a lifetime each person sheds around 18kg (40 lb) of skin.

7. When you sleep, you grow by about 8mm (0.3in). The next day you shrink back to your former height. The reason is that your cartilage discs are squeezed like sponges by the force of gravity when you stand or sit.

8. The average person in the West eats 50 tonnes of food and drinks 50,000 liters (11,000 gallons) of liquid during his life.

9. Each kidney contains 1 million individual filters. They filter an average of around 1.3 liters (2.2 pints) of blood per minute, and expel up to 1.4 liters (2.5 pints) a day of urine.

10. The focusing muscles of the eyes move around 100,000 times a day. To give your leg muscles the same workout, you would need to walk 80km (50 miles) every day.

11. In 30 minutes, the average body gives off enough heat (combined) to bring a half gallon of water to boil.

12. A single human blood cell takes only 60 seconds to make a complete circuit of the body.

13. A foreskin, the size of a postage stamp, from circumcised babies take only 21 days to grow skin that can cover three (3) basketball courts. Amazing isn’t it. Thanks to science. The laboratory-grown skin is used in treating burn patients.

14. The eyes receive approximately 90 percent of all our information, making us basically visual creatures.

15. The female ovaries contain nearly half-a-million egg cells, yet only 400 or so will ever get the opportunity to create a new life.

Food to eat to burn away Fats

Thermogenic foods 

Thermogenic foods are the ones your body uses maximum energy (in calories) to properly digest. Some of the most effective thermongenic, or fat burning, foods are lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, egg whites, fish and lean beef (on occasion). Cayenne pepper, mustard, apple cider vinegar, cabbage, broccoli, celery, chili powder and cinnamon also have thermogenic properties that help rev up your metabolic engine and narrow your waistline. 

Low glycemic index foods 

The glycemic index is a tool that measures the speed of entry of a carbohydrate into the bloodstream. In a nutshell, the higher the glycemic index rating, the more insulin is secreted in response, which can result  in excess fat storage around the mid section. The categories of the glycemic index are: high (over 70), medium (55-70) and low (up to 55). Some high glycemic index foods to avoid include white bread, white rolls, baguettes, bagels, dried dates, instant and baked mashed potatoes, instant rice, soda crackers and a variety of cereals (Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Cheerios, puffed wheat, shredded wheat). Examples of low to medium glycemic index foods to incorporate in your diet are most vegetables, fruits,whole grains, dairy products, beans and lean meats.


Hydrating foods 

Chronic mild to moderate dehydration can be the root cause of several health conditions such as faulty digestion, fatigue, achy joints, dry skin and inability to lose weight. The human body is comprised of about 70 per cent water. Simply put, next to air, water is the most vital substance our system  needs to function properly. A fast and effective way to put pressure on your metabolism, lose weight and flatten your tummy is to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of fresh, clean water per day. If you are not a water lover and drinking feels more like a chore, try to incorporate water dense foods into your diet. Foods such as watermelon (made up of 92 per cent water), melons, celery, bok choy and soup broths are very hydrating and nourishing. In addition trying adding sliced lemons, limes or cucumbers to your water to enhance taste and for their natural astringent effect.

High fibre foods 

One of my nutritional mottos is "you are only as healthy as your pipes". In other words, you are only as healthy as what you are absorbing, digesting and eliminating. High fibre foods such as whole grain bread, apples, oat bran, ground flaxseed and vegetables are loaded with soluble and insoluble fibre that are beneficial for weight control and improving digestion. On average, women should aim to eat 25 grams of fibre per day while men should aim to eat approximately 30 grams of fibre per day. Fibre will both fill you up and flatten your mid-section. Alternative grains to experiment with include brown rice, kamut, spelt, quinoa and millet. 

Of course, in addition to the food categories outlined above, regular abdominal crunches and/or Pilates will help you to strengthen your abdominal inner core making you feel taller and leaner around the mid section! 

Happy working out!