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10 Medal Winning Meals

How to eat your way to gold: Want to be a serious competitor when it comes to sports? You need to make sure you’re eating right. Your body needs the right fuel to perform to the peak of its abilities, so check out these 10 medal-winning meals that will have you going for gold in no time.

Fruit smoothie – Chris Hoy

If you can’t stomach a full meal first thing in the morning when you’ve just woken up, then you should consider following in the footsteps of gold medal winning track cyclist Chris Hoy by having a healthy fruit smoothie. As well as being delicious and simple to make, smoothies are filled to the brim with antioxidants, as well as calcium and vitamins.

Eggs on toast – Dai Greene

400m hurdle world champion Dai Greene lives by a simple philosophy; “the stopwatch never lies”. If you eat badly, then it is highly likely you will perform badly. Follow Dai’s healthy eating example by enjoying a meal of eggs on toast. Eggs are great as a protein boost, which helps to develop and build strength in muscles. Serve the eggs with wholemeal bread, which is a fantastic source of vitamins B and E, and you’re well on your way to a winning meal.

Bran cereal – Jessica Ennis

One of the biggest enemies of healthy eating are those mid-morning munchies that have you running to the vending machine. To avoid this unwanted hunger before lunch you should eat a meal high in fibre, which superstar hepathlete Jessica Ennis does by eating bran cereal in the morning. Not only does this cereal contain fibre to keep her full for a day of gruelling events, it also boasts an impressive amount of iron, […]

By |February 7th, 2014|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Ditch Your Christmas Fat!

Even though research has shown that the average American only gains 1.8 pounds over the festive period, they also found that the weight gained over Christmas was not lost during the year. So, even though the weight gain is not huge, putting on that much every year can have serious effects on your health and your self-esteem. To find out how you can shed the post-Christmas pounds for good, take at look at these top tips. 5 easy ways:

Give away leftover treats

After feasting for nearly two weeks, it can be hard to stop eating; especially so if you have too many treats in the cupboard. When people come over for Christmas they tend to be laden with gifts and the odd food-based present. Inevitably, not all of the food items you brought or were given will be eaten come January the first.

Yet with all of those Christmas goodies in the cupboard you’ll find it that much harder to stick to your new healthy eating regime. Rather than keep all of that calorific food, why not continue the Christmas cheer and pack up the food into a hamper or basket and give someone you know a treat. Or, give the hamper to a worthy cause. This will help you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions.

Drink water

For the majority of us, Christmas is spent nibbling cookies, cakes and all sorts of other unhealthy food. Therefore, once the festive season ends our bodies are filled with harmful toxins. To flush out these substances, drink lots of water.  You should aim to drink around three quarters to one full gallon of water in order to flush out these toxins.

If you don’t like drinking water or struggle to guzzle […]

By |January 21st, 2014|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Top 10 Detox Foods

Recently overindulged? Feeling a bit sluggish? Or just not looking your best? It could be that your body is in need of a detox. Fortunately, there are many foods around that can help counteract the effects of a toxic lifestyle. Whether you want to lose weight, feel more energised, improve your complexion or boost your mood, check out these top 10 foods to cleanse your body and boost your health.

Lemon

Lemons are a staple of many detox diets, and there is good reason for this. Firstly, lemons are packed with antioxidant vitamin C, which is great for the skin and for fighting disease-forming free-radicals. Furthermore, the citrus fruit has an alkaline effect on the body, meaning that it can help restore the body’s pH balance, benefitting the immune system. Try starting your day with hot water and a slice of lemon to help flush out toxins and cleanse your system.

Ginger

If too much fatty food or alcohol has caused problems for your digestive system, it may be worthwhile adding some ginger to your diet. Ginger is not only great for reducing feelings of nausea, but it can help improve digestion, beat bloating and reduce gas. In addition to this, ginger is high in antioxidants and is good for boosting the immune system. To give your digestion a helping hand, try sipping on ginger tea or adding some freshly grated ginger to a fruit or vegetable juice.

Garlic

Garlic has long been known for its heart benefits, however the pungent food is also good at detoxifying the body. Garlic is not only antiviral, antibacterial and antibiotic, but it contains a chemical called allicin which promotes the production of white blood cells and helps fight against toxins. Garlic is best […]

By |January 14th, 2014|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Ditch These 8 Bad Habits

And reasons why you need to quit – Everyone has bad habits from overdoing it on the booze to watching fantastically mindless, trashy TV. But although some things might seem like a hard habit to break, there are often really good health reasons why we should stop. So with that in mind, here’s our top 8 worst habits that really need to go.

Smoking

This is one of the classic New Year resolutions that so many people make and yet so many fail to break. Research has consistently highlighted just why smoking is bad for you.  Cancer, heart disease and long-term respiratory problems are just some of the health risks associated with the habit. It kills over 100,000 in the UK annually and over 400,000 in the USA. And it’s anti-social. So go on. Say no to nicotine.

Binge-drinking

When you wake up with a hangover, it’s a fairly common reaction to ponder the point of over-indulging on the alcohol front. But as well as adding pounds we don’t need in areas we don’t need them, too much alcohol can lead to a stroke, cardiac arrest, liver problems and heart issues. Indeed a recent study at University College London found that almost half of adults in the UK are binge drinkers. Time to hit the wagon huh?

Too much caffeine

Nothing beats that first cup of tea or coffee in the morning to beat the bleary eyes, but could you live without it?  Although we might think of the USA as the coffee capital of the world, Europeans consume more caffeine than anyone, with the UK 15th in the world charts.  Too much caffeine accelerates the heart rate and leads to insomnia, headaches and irritability. That said it can have a […]

By |January 10th, 2014|Uncategorized|0 Comments

7 Surprising Things That Make You Fat

From that 3pm trip to the snack machine to those evenings curled up on the sofa with your favourite treat, we all know the major culprits when it comes to gaining weight. However, the reasons why you’re struggling to keep off the pounds may not be as obvious as you think. To rid yourself of sneaky diet spoilers, check out these 7 surprising things that make you fat. 

Surprising thing that makes you fat: Your friends

While having close friends generates plenty of health benefits, research has also indicated that being overweight can be contagious amongst friends. Research results published in the journal PLoS ONE indicated that students were likelier to gain weight friends if they had friends who were heavier than them, while a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that having an obese friend increases your chance of obesity by 50 per cent. The good news is being slim can also be contagious, so try to influence your social group and keep your weight down by arranging healthy, fun group activities such as walks, bike rides or dance classes.

Surprising thing that makes you fat: Diet foods

You’ve cleared your cupboards of junk food, stocked up on smoothies and cereal bars, and now you’re feeling pretty saintly. However, those seemingly innocent diet foods nestling in your cupboards could actually be causing you to gain weight. Many foods claiming to be diet-friendly are actually hidden calorie traps packed with sugar and syrups. In fact, ‘healthy’ cereal bars can contain as much fat, sugar and calories as an average chocolate bar. Research by the Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio also found that those who consumed diet drinks daily experienced a 70 per cent greater […]

By |December 19th, 2013|Uncategorized|0 Comments

7 Worst Exercises

Exercises you need to ditch from your workout – We have shocking news for you: there are exercises in your workout routine that are inefficient, needlessly complicated, and dangerous. Make sure you don’t fall victim to them by ditching these seven terrible exercises.

Behind the head lat pull-down

Avoid: Walk into any gym around the world and you’re guaranteed to see someone doing lat pull-downs behind their head. This is a common mistake that should be avoided. Not only does it provide a far more limited workout than the correct method, it also damages your spine on each rep, and your shoulders if your range of mobility isn’t big enough to handle the pull-down motion.

Try instead: Correct lat pull-down form is literally the opposite of the injury-inducing behind the head method. Sit facing the bar with your feet flat on the floor and lean back slightly to relieve the pressure on your lower back. Now you can pull down towards your chest at a slight angle and release.

Rebound box jumps

Avoid: Box jumps are a great exercise for developing explosive power, co-ordination, and reaction time, and plenty of personal trainers involve them in circuit sessions. However, this exercise exerts a huge amount of sudden impact on the ‘jump down’ stage, and is notorious for severely damaging the Achilles tendon. The risk of injury is so high that this exercise simply isn’t worth it.

Try instead: Ditch the Achilles-damaging rebound box jump and swap it for the step down box jump. The majority of the benefits are gained from the explosive jump, so after that you can simply step down and repeat, minimising the impact on your Achilles.

Kipping pull-ups

Avoid: Kipping pull-ups are a variation on the standard pull-up that […]

By |December 5th, 2013|Uncategorized|0 Comments

5 Ways To Eat More And Lose Weight

Diets always have to be about eating less, right? Wrong. Diets don’t have to involve eating drastically less than you normally would and you can actually eat more and lose weight, just so long as you are eating the right foods. Here we show you the foods to eat lots of if you want to lose weight and how you can ditch those hunger pangs for good. By REAL BUZZ

Eat more at breakfast

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: do not skip breakfast. Studies published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association have found that those people who do not eat a decent meal first thing eat more calories during the day. Interestingly, when it comes to losing weight, the type of foods you eat at breakfast matters too.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity people who ate two eggs for breakfast lost 65 per cent more than those participants who ate the other breakfast option, which were bagels. Those who ate eggs also reported feeling more energetic than the bagel-breakfasters, which is always helpful when you are trying to lose weight because it might encourage you to workout. Therefore not only should you be eating breakfast you should also try eating eggs for breakfast, or other protein-rich food.

What to eat more of to lose weight: Eat eggs for breakfast or foods that are high in protein, such as natural yoghurt and a handful of nuts.

Eat more fruit

A great way you can eat more but still lose weight is to eat more fruit. Specifically, you should eat more fruit before a meal because, according to findings, eating fruit before a main meal will fill you up, but because fruit is low in calories […]

By |December 4th, 2013|Uncategorized|0 Comments

10 Warming Waistline Friendly Foods

With the winter blues kicking in and the swimsuit season still so far away, many of us are tempted to overindulge on comfort foods that make the cold winter season a bit more bearable. However, comfort eating needn’t mean piling on the pounds. For warming comfort foods that are kind on your waistline, check out these healthy winter foods.

Stuffed

A great way to use leftovers, stuffed peppers or mushrooms are also a satisfying and filling food option that will save you reaching for seconds. Using plenty of vegetables and flavours such as chilli, tomatoes and spring onions you will have a filling, comforting meal without the unwanted calories. A healthy alternative to roast potatoes and stuffing, this dish will also count towards your five a day.

Muffin top

Rather than reaching for calorie-rich puddings and cakes, try making some healthy muffins to bring comfort to those cold winter days. Using flavours such as cinnamon and honey instead of sugar, and vegetable oil rather than butter, you will have a sweet treat without adding to your muffin top! Throw in some seeds and dried fruit to up the nutritional value.

Warming drink

It’s tempting to opt for rich hot chocolates or creamy lattes to keep you warm while you’re out and about, but choosing an equally warming and uplifting hot beverage such as chai tea or green tea with cranberry will save you a lot of sugar and fat, will hydrate you and leave you feeling refreshed instead of sleepy – perfect to motivate you into a walk or trip to the gym.

Hearty soup

Stocking up on some filling soup will be a comforting way to warm yourself up while getting some of your five a day. Make some yourself using […]

By |December 4th, 2013|Uncategorized|0 Comments

10 Instant Mood Boosters

Feeling down in the dumps? Sometimes we don’t have the time to spend a day at the spa or invite friends and family over to de-stress and cheer us up, so we’ve compiled a list of quick tricks to give you a no-prescription-required burst of bliss in a jiffy. Here are 10 instant ways to boost your mood:

Instant mood booster 1: Soak in a warm bath or have a mug of warm tea

Who doesn’t love a good soak in the bath? A study by Yale University revealed that relaxing amongst the bubbles does more than simply relax and refresh our bodies. In fact, a warm bath or shower can act as an effective substitute for social interaction when we’re feeling lonely. The researchers from Yale University questioned 51 students about their everyday routines and their emotions, which revealed that those who regularly soaked in a warm bath and had hot drinks felt happier than those who had quick showers and very few hot drinks. If you need a quick pick-me-up, have a soak in the bath. If you need an even quicker pick-me-up, simply make yourself a warm drink for an instantly better mood.

Instant mood booster 2: Boost your brain’s happy chemicals with snacks

Sometimes when we’re feeling down, a good serving of mood-boosting nutrients is all we need. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh carried out a study in which they took blood tests from 106 healthy adults and measured their happiness. The study revealed that those with higher levels of omega 3 in their blood were 49 to 58 per cent happier than those with lower omega 3 levels.  Chocolate is an excellent mood booster too. The high levels of serotonin, alongside many other […]

By |November 28th, 2013|Uncategorized|0 Comments

10 Motivational Quotes for Dieters

Want to diet more effectively? It’s a long tough road, but when you get to the end you’ll feel and look amazing. To help you out, we’ve put together these 10 motivational quotes that will turn you into a champion dieter in no time at all.

“The groundwork of all happiness is health” – Leigh Hunt

Did you know that people at a healthy weight are generally happier than those who are overweight? According to a study carried out at Leiden University, overweight people are more prone to depression. That means if you stick to your diet and lose weight not only will you look amazing, you’ll also feel much happier in your day-to-day life!

“It took more than a day to put it on. It will take more than a day to take it off.” – Anonymous

Dieting is not an instant process, and that’s why it’s hard. But that’s also why it’s worth doing. Don’t be dismayed when you haven’t dropped four dress sizes in a week, or wonder where your washboard abs are after a day of eating healthily. Results from dieting take time, but when they do come they’re definitely worth it.

“If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food.” – Errick McAdams

This quote goes hand in hand with the classic “never go to the supermarket hungry”. Filling your home with healthy nutritious food is the first step to dieting success, and will get you into the habit of eating healthily quicker than you might think. You’re much less likely to have a sneaky bowl of ice cream if you have to go all the way to the store to buy it.

“It takes five minutes to consume 500 calories. It […]

By |November 28th, 2013|Uncategorized|0 Comments