Makeup Mistakes that Age Us & How to Fix Them

THE YOGA POSES FOR ULTIMATE RELAXATION

A little bit of stress is good for us, it keeps us alert, engaged and attentive to what we are working on or doing, it can keep us sharp. But even things that we don’t realise are stressful can in fact be having that effect on us, our daily commute, someone beign unkind, emails coming in thick and fast…they all have an impact our stress hormones. When we are consistently in this state we get sick, are unable to sleep well, digest food well, and we fatigue easily. 

So, when we are on the yoga mat winding down, stretching can help to release the collagen and cortisol stored in the muscles during periods of stress, which explains why you can sometimes have an emotional response during a workout or yoga session.

1/ GENTLE BACKBEND

To stretch off stress, start with a gentle backbend. Your adrenal glands are next to the kidneys in the middle of your back, underneath the back of the ribcage. Coming into a sphinx pose by lying on your front, elbows underneath shoulders with your forearms parallel to each other.

Press forearms and hands into the floor and curl the tailbone in towards the pubis so that you lower abdominals lift and support your spine as it lengthens up to the crown of the head. This will release the kidneys help them to recalibrate.

You can stay as long as you are comfortable, but make sure there is no pain here.

2/ CHILD'S POSE

Next come into Child's Pose with hands under the forehead and  the knees wide and big toes together so that your spine is less curved and more lengthening.

This will help to soothe your nervous system and calm down any further production of adrenaline for the time being. Again stay as long as you are comfortable.

3/ FORWARD FOLD

Finally stretch the backs of the legs, the hamstrings are prime receivers for the collagen and adrenaline mix as they would be your power houses if you were to do some intense running.

Most of us get stressed and then go and sit down, which impacts their ability to release the stress mix.

So stretch your legs out in front of you and bounce the knees so that the backs of the legs are tapping the floor. Then fold yourself forwards over your legs keeping a bend in the knees, let your hands slide in under your legs wherever they come. And r-e-l-a-x.

Source: womenshealthmag.co.uk/fitness/yoga/2897/stretch-off-stress-the-ultimate-yoga-poses-for-relaxation#ixzz3dDVwd5zS

WHAT TO EAT AFTER A BOOZY WEEKEND

Whether you're still hungover or just feeling weakened by the damaging effects of a boozy weekend, we've got some nutritionist approved advice for feeling like yourself again.

You went hard, you're feeling more than a bit peaky, your head feels like a small animal may be burrowing a new home in it - what do you eat?

LEMON WATER

As much as you may be tempted by a can of coke, try to resist the urge and opt instead for a glass of lemon water. This will kick start your metabolism and most importantly start the much needed rehydration process.

EGGS ON TOAST

If you can face food, you can't go wrong with eggs and wholegrain toast. Eggs are rich in the amino acid cysteine which is needed to break down acetaldehyde - the nasty thing that's thought to cause hangovers.

The wholegrain bread will give you slow release carbs - a stable source of glucose and energy which will do you much better than that coke.

BERRY SMOOTHIE

If you're not ready for solid food, try a fruit smoothie full of antioxidants. This will give you hit of energy from the fructose and continue to rehydrate you.

WHAT TO EAT THE NEXT EVENING

It is essential to take in both protein and nutrients. Make sure you're meal is packed with leafy greens to up your magnesium levels.

MAGNESIUM

For every molecule of sugar that slips past your lips, it takes 54 molecules of Magnesium to process it so if you went hard on the cocktails, kale will help.

PROTEIN

If you're a vegetarian you may also want to through some lentils and beans into the mix to keep protein levels up (full of those helpful amino acids). These are also good for the heart and recent research has found that the impact of drinking may be even worse for the heart than the liver.

COCONUT WATER

Wash it all down with some coconut water - it's full of electrolytes and is much healthier than a Lucozade.

WHAT TO EAT THE FOLLOWING DAY

There are recommendations to not drink again until at least 48 hours after you've had any alcohol, however new research has found that in terms of the impact on the body you need weeks not days to fully recover.

POTASSIUM

It's very important to keep hydrating for the following days and if you suffer from terrible hangovers and are still feeling a bit weak, it's essential to keep eating well. So start the day with a banana and up your potassium levels, this will help with mood boosting and fatigue.

ZINC

Even if you're not feeling sick anymore, you'll likely still be tired and lacking in concentration so add pumpkin seeds to your salad for some brain enhancing zinc.

WHAT TO EAT ALL WEEK

If you're feeling run down after going hard, now is the time to have some orange juice. Avoid OJ the next morning as it will give your liver even more work to do.

VITAMIN C

Later on in the week though, your body will be glad of the Vitamin C as alcohol consumption has been linked to a lowered immune system.

You should also avoid spicy foods until your stomach has recovered so now's the time to start boosting the metabolism with chilli again.

We chatted to NutriCentre's head nutritionist, Shona Wilkinson to get this advice.

Source:womenshealthmag.co.uk/nutrition/happy-hour/3023/what-to-eat-after-a-heavy-weekend-when-you-re-hungover#ixzz3dDUa8OV5

HOW TO CRANK UP YOUR METABOLISM

Here we reveal the experts’ metabolism-stoking tips to help you fire up your body’s internal inferno and scorch through fat.

FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

Metabolic Rating: 3
Eat a decent breakfast. Every. Single. Day. If you don’t, your metabolism goes into starvation mode (it’s paranoid like that) and slows to a crawl. In fact, research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found testers who ate no less than 22% and up to 55% of their total daily calories at breakfast gained only 1.7lb on average over four years. But those who ate less than 11% of their calories first thing gained nearly 3lb. See the pattern there?

Crank it up: Go for morning munchies that are slow to digest. Try a mix of lean protein with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Berardi recommends an omelette made with one egg and two egg whites, plus a handful of sliced mixed peppers and onions. Follow that with a small bowl of porridge topped with a handful of frozen berries and 3tbsp of omega-3-loaded flaxseed (try Linwoods, £5 for 425g from Tesco). Great, now you’re firing on all cylinders.

AT THE OFFICE

Metabolic rating: 2
Rejoice, caffeine addicts. According to a study in the US journal Physiology & Behavior, the metabolic rate of people who regularly drank caffeinated coffee was an average of 16% higher than those who drank decaf. “Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system by increasing your heart rate and breathing,” says Robert Kenefick, a research physiologist at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. We won’t argue with that, Sir.

Crank it up: Follow your morning cup of the black stuff with an ice-cold glass of water. Researchers at the University of Utah found just drinking one glassful can raise your body’s metabolic rate by up to 30 per cent and keep it raised for around 10 minutes. The theory is your body has to burn extra calories to maintain its core temperature. Get your recommended eight glasses a day with the help of the free Waterlogged app, which gives you regular H2O prods.

AT THE GYM

Metabolic rating: 3
Swap hours on the treadmill for the Tabata Method. This school of exercising is all about fast and furious intervals – 20 seconds of gut-wrenching effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated a total of eight times over four minutes. Studies have shown working out this way is as effective at boosting your metabolism as much longer lower-intensity sweat sessions.

Crank it up: Geoff Bagshaw, a trainer at Equinox gyms, has come up with this three-move sequence. Do as many reps as you can of the first exercise in 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then repeat eight times. Rest for two minutes, then do it again for the other two exercises. Got it?

Lunge with a bicep curl: Holding dumbbells at your sides, step back into a lunge, curling the weights up to your shoulders. Repeat on other leg. That’s one.
Squat overhead press: Hold your dumbbells at shoulder height, arms bent, and lower into a squat. Now raise the weights to the ceiling as you push back up.
Push-ups: You know this one. Assume push-up position, bend arms and lower. Well, go on then.

AT MEAL TIMES

Metabolic rating: 3
To slim down, pile your plate with protein. Regular large helpings will help you build and maintain lean muscle. And we all know muscle burns more than fat by now, right? Aim for 30g of protein – that’s 250g of low-fat cottage cheese or 100g of chicken breast – at each meal.

Crank it up: Chase your meal with a cup of green tea. “It’s the closest thing to a metabolism potion,” says Tammy Lakatos Shames, co-author of Fire Up Your Metabolism. In tests, people who consumed three to five cups a day for 12 weeks shed an average of 4.6% of their total body weight. Another study found having two to five cups a day torched an extra 50 calories a day. Not bad. Try Clipper organic green tea (£2.19 for 50 bags from Holland & Barrett). To really go for the burn, down it two hours after eating. Research shows it can increase breakdown of fat by a third. Now go forth and burn.

RAGE AGAINST TIME

Beat the downshift in metabolism that creeps up along with those laughter lines. With each passing decade, your metabolism slows down by about 5%. Ouch. Hormones are partly to blame, but so is the typical drop-off in physical activity. As a result you lose muscle mass, a major calorie consumer. So by the time you hit 35, you’ll burn about 75 fewer calories a day than you did at 25, and by age 65, it’s a hefty 500 fewer, says Dr Madelyn Fernstrom, author of The Real You Diet. But don’t panic. You can outsmart Mother Nature with the tips above. A warning: here’s what happens if you don’t.

20s: Your muscle and bone mass are at their peak and your metabolism should be firing on all cylinders. Enjoy it while you can.
30s: Your body’s cellular powerhouses, the mitochondria, start to get less effective at turning food into energy for your muscles to burn.
40s: The decline continues as your oestrogen levels go into free fall, further slowing your metabolism and causing belly fat.

Source: womenshealthmag.co.uk/weight-loss/fat-burners/190/crank-up-your-metabolism#ixzz3dDOXHB4V