How to tone up your body

Check out these top tips on how to achieve a firmer body, courtesy of the experts at Tesco Diets

Thinking about starting a new exercise routine? First things first: have your goal in mind, plus a realistic, healthy time frame to achieve this goal in – and a four-week programme is a great place to start. 

Think cardio

By including a cardiovascular element to your fitness programme, you get the heart pumping and your body losing fat while you tone. An easy way to get going, particularly if you haven't exercised for a while, is to tell yourself: "I will do three 20-minute brisk walks this week".

After the first week, you should increase your walks by around five minutes per week, this will build you up to a good cardio programme after the four weeks.

Pick up the weights

Your programme also needs to include three to four sessions of weight training a week, which will tone those tricky areas of arms, legs and tummy. You can buy a set of weights, but household items including tins of beans and large bottles of water work just as well.

Warm up with 5-10 minutes of cardio, such as walking or jogging on the spot at home. Start with one set of 8-16 reps of each exercise using your weights, adding extra sets gradually. Cool down with some stretches. 

All the exercises below will help to strengthen and tone your arms, stomach and legs.

Toning exercises

The bicep and tricep curls will banish the dreaded bingo wings and tone your body.

Bicep curls

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your weights held in each palm, arms by your side.
2. Concentrate on keeping your tummy pulled in tight and your knees slightly bent.
3. Bend your arms at the elbow and bring your palms up towards your shoulders.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat (8-16 reps).

Tricep curl

1. Stand with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder width apart (you can also sit on a bench if you feel more comfortable).
2. Holding one weight between both hands, raise your arms straight above your head, bend your elbows and then slowly lower the weight to just behind your neck.
3. Straighten your arms and return to the start position.
4. The two exercises below will not only tone your body but also work your stomach muscles, so you can say au revoir to a flabby tummy.

Sit ups

1. Lie flat on your back and knees bent.
2. Keep your hands to your temples and slowly raise your chin towards your knees.
3. Make sure the small of your back (just above the bum) is kept flat on the ground at all times.
4. While performing the movement make sure you are engaging your core and pulling in the tummy muscles.

Back extension

1. Lie flat on your stomach facing the floor with your hands at your temples.
2. Slowly raise your torso upwards, while pulling in the stomach muscles and engaging your core.
3. Keep your head in line with the rest of your body and don’t face outwards.

Lunges

1. Stand tall with your feet together (you can hold dumb bells in your hands if you want to add to the workout).
2. Step forward with your right foot, taking a slightly bigger step than normal.
3. Bend your right knee and lower yourself towards the floor until your left knee almost touches the ground.
4. Your left thigh should be in a straight line with your back. Push backwards off your right leg to return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg.

Remember to keep variety in your workout and make changes every few weeks

Source: Tesco Health UK

www.gooddeedsmall.com 

10 tips for a flatter stomach

Fed up with the bulge? Follow our expert advice and a more toned tummy can be yours…

Stand up straight

For a flatter stomach in an instant, follow the advice of Pilates instructor Loren Barclay, and stand with your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in one straight line, while you draw your belly button in towards your spine. "Practise while you’re queuing at a checkout, waiting for a bus or brushing your teeth."

Breathe away the bulge

"This yogic breathing technique massages your abdomen and encourages fat-burning around your middle," promises Christy Fergusson, author of Hot, Healthy, Happy. "Sit with your back straight and eyes closed. Breathe in deeply, allowing your abdomen to inflate, then exhale through your nose sharply, as if you’re sniffing, as your stomach pulls in. Repeat 30 to 50 times, increasing the pace."

Ditch the gum

Chewing gum encourages you to swallow air that can become trapped in your gut, causing your tummy to bloat and bulge, which is never a good look. Instead freshen your mouth by brushing your teeth after meals and snacks or sucking mints that contain peppermint oil, which relaxes the gut.

Get some secret support

...under your clothes, that is! When your LBD gives you curves in all the wrong places or you need a trimmer tummy tonight, try some figure-fixing underwear from your trusted shop. The stomach-flattering control pants, shorts, bodysuits and slips are all designed to smooth out lumps and bumps, so you can shimmy into your favourite dress with confidence.

Chew properly

According to justchewit, the average person spends just 23 minutes a day eating, but wolfing down your food makes you more likely to overeat and swallow air that can cause your tummy to distend. Slow down! Chewing properly stimulates the digestive process and helps your brain register that your stomach is full.

Go for a spin

It might look like a simple kids’ toy but the hula hoop can also be used to achieve a svelte stomach and toned waist. Don’t believe us? Check out Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Liv Tyler, who have all hula hooped to keep their figures trim. You can borrow the kids’ or invest in your own weighted version for faster results.

Eat regularly

It might seem strange, but eating more frequently can actually help you beat the bulge. Skipping meals can make your blood-sugar levels dip, leaving you prone to bingeing which in turn can cause bloating. Aim to eat three balanced meals and two snacks – one mid-morning and one mid-afternoon – a day to keep your energy levels and mood stable.

Hold a plank

A pot belly is a sign your core muscles are slack so tighten them up with the plank:

• Lie face down, supporting your upper body on your forearms, elbows beneath your shoulders.
• Keeping your toes on the floor, suck in your belly, navel to spine, and lift your legs so you’re in a straight line from head to heels.
• Hold your abs in tight for 15 seconds.

Switch to herbal tea

If your rounded tum is due to a big meal or water retention, sip a herbal tea. Look out for stomach-soothing peppermint, chamomile, ginger and liquorice and cleansing fenugreek seeds, fennel and cloves. Gentle enough to be taken during pregnancy, herbal teas can also help ease colic in children and toddlers.

Try to stress less

Cortisol, the hormone that is released when we are stressed, directs your body to store fat round your middle. It also slows down your digestion, causing food to hang around in your gut, which can lead to bloating. Try to relax and unwind by going for a daily walk, having a bath or curling up with a good book.

Source: Healthy living Uk

www.gooddeedsmall.com 

Top 10 health benefits of walking every day

It’s a gentle, low-impact form of exercise that’s easy, free and suitable for people of all ages and most abilities. Here’s why it’s so good for you

1. It strengthens your heart

Regular walking has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. It lowers levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and keeps blood pressure in check. 

"Anything that raises your heart rate and gets your blood pumping is a workout for your heart and circulatory system," says personal trainer Stuart Amory. According to the Stroke Association, walking briskly for up to 30 minutes can help prevent and control the high blood pressure that can cause strokes – reducing your risk by up to 27 per cent.

2. It lowers disease risk

As well as heart disease, a walking habit can slash your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, asthma and some cancers. A study in the British Medical Journal showed taking more steps every day can help ward off diabetes. And according to the charity Walking For Health, regular exercise such as walking could reduce risk by up to 60 per cent. Those of us who are active have around a 20 per cent lower risk of developing cancer of the colon, breast and womb than those least active.

3. It keeps weight in check

"If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to burn about 600 calories a day more than you’re eating," says Amory. "Putting one foot in front of the other is one of the easiest ways to do that." A person weighing 60kg burns 75 calories simply by strolling at 2mph for 30 minutes. Increase that to 3mph and they’ll burn 99 calories. Speed it up to a fast walk (4mph) and that’s 150 calories – the equivalent of three Jaffa Cakes or a jam doughnut. "Walking also increases muscle mass and tone and the more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism – so the more calories you burn, even at rest," he adds.

4. It can help prevent dementia

Dementia affects one in 14 people over 65 and one in six over 80. We know being active has a protective effect on brain function and regular exercise reduces dementia risk by up to 40 per cent. And, according to Age UK, older people who walk six miles or more per week could avoid brain shrinkage and so preserve memory as the years pass.

5. ...and osteoporosis, too

"Walking counts as a weight-bearing activity," says Amory. "It stimulates and strengthens bones, increasing their density – really important, especially for women. It also helps maintain healthy joints so may stave off conditions such as arthritis."

6. It tones your legs, bum – and tum

A good walk can help strengthen and shape your legs, giving great definition to calves, quads, hamstrings and lifting your glutes (buttock muscles) – especially if you add hills. But if you really pay attention to your posture as you walk, it can tone your abs and whittle your waist, too.

Fitness expert Joanna Hall is founder of the Walkactive method of 'conscious' walking for better posture and overall fitness results. She says: "Think about lengthening up through your spine to create space between your earlobes and shoulders. Relax your shoulders, pull in your tummy and pelvic floor and imagine you have a cup of water balanced on top of each hip bone that you don’t want to spill. As you walk with this posture, your shoulders will naturally rotate and this works your oblique abdominal muscles – you’ll be taking inches off your waist with every step." Check out these 12 fitness videos on how to tone your body.

7. Let’s not forget your arms

"Your speed when walking comes from your arms," says Hall. "Hold them at a comfortable level, bent at the elbow, and swing them backwards and forwards as you walk. Swing them faster and you’ll automatically speed up. And all this movement tones your arms, shoulders and upper back." Bye bye, bingo wings!

8. It boosts your vitamin D levels

If you’re walking outside in daylight, you’ll be boosting your body’s stores of vitamin D – a nutrient that’s hard to get from food, but that we can synthesise from exposure to sunlight. Many people in the UK are deficient in vitamin D and it’s a nutrient that plays a big role in everything from bone health to immunity. While sun safety is still important , experts agree that exposing as much skin as you can to the sun, little and often and without burning, will help you to produce sufficient vitamin D.

9. It gives you energy

It might seem like a paradox (and the last thing you might feel like) but a brisk walk is one of the best natural energizers around. It boosts circulation and increases oxygen supply to each and every cell in your body, helping you to feel more alert and alive. It wakes up stiff joints and eases muscle tension so you feel less sluggish. Always have a mid-afternoon energy slump at work? Head out for a walk at lunchtime instead of sitting in a café or at your desk and see what a difference it makes. Here are some other quick ways to boost your energy levels.

10. It makes you happy

The ability of exercise to boost mood is undisputed. Studies have shown regular, moderate-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking) to be as effective as antidepressants in cases of mild to moderate depression. Getting active releases feel-good endorphins into the bloodstream, reducing stress and anxiety. And don’t forget it’s often a social activity – joining a walking group or meeting friends to walk and chat is a great way to banish feelings of isolation and loneliness. A survey by the charity Mind found 83 per cent of people with mental health issues look to exercise to help lift their mood. For greatest benefit, they say, get active outdoors and somewhere green. Check out our tips on how to join a walking group.

Source: Hannah Ebelthite , Natural Health UK 

www.gooddeedsmall.com

The Painful Truth About Gay Pleasure

The Painful Truth About Gay Pleasure

I’ve never hunted ducks, and I’ve never watched Duck Dynasty, so I didn’t rush to defend Phil Robertson last month after the bearded reality TV star sparked an uproar with his comments about homosexuality. I do believe everyone is entitled to their opinion about religion, so I was amazed that people were calling for Robertson’s head just because he dared to quote a Bible verse that says homosexuals (along with adulterers, fornicators, idolaters and swindlers) won’t go to heaven.

The Duck Dynasty hullabaloo proved many things: (1) A lot of people in America today love to make fun of conservative Southerners; (2) conservative Southerners might need some coaching on how to express their views in the media; and (3) if you dare to say that gay sex is contrary to God’s moral law, you’d better be ready to hide in a Louisiana bayou because people are going to get really, really angry.

Phil Robertson made his remarks in his own backwoods way. He said: “It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

OK, so maybe it’s not the most sensitive way to say that gay sex is not God’s plan. But I’m glad Robertson and GQ magazine opened this can of worms. We need some honest dialogue about this topic.

I counsel men and women who struggle with same-sex attraction. Most of them are Christians who know homosexuality is not God’s will for their lives, and they want the Holy Spirit’s help to live in purity. They want to please God, and they don’t want to live in gay relationships. But they crave spiritual guidance and loving acceptance as they learn to resist temptation.

As a minister, I owe them respect and compassion—and if I really love them, I will tell them the truth. When I talk with guys, I always address the gory details about gay sex that many Christians today won’t mention. (WARNING: These points are not for the squeamish.) If we don’t talk about this stuff in church, more people with same-sex attraction are going to assume we have no answers.

1. Gay sex is against nature. People who believe in God also believe He created human bodies. He designed every part of us, including our genitals. The first chapter of Genesis is clear that God created male and female and that He not only did this for procreation (v. 28) but also for sexual pleasure (Gen. 2:24-25). Even the most amateur biology student knows that a penis was made for a vagina and that the act of heterosexual intercourse is the only form of sexual activity that results in conception. The only way to make a baby is with a sperm and an egg.

When a man has sex with another man, or a woman with another woman, they will experience bonding, deep affection and intense physical pleasure. But nowhere does the Bible say pleasure alone is a sign of God’s approval or blessing. Some pleasure is outside God’s boundaries. This is why Paul warned Timothy that in the last days, people would be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4, NASB). Just because it feels good does not mean you should do it!

2. Anal sex is very unhealthy. Doctors will tell you that the anus is very different from the vagina. Penetration of the anus by a penis can lead to tearing of rectal tissue, bleeding and infection. Because the anus is full of bacteria, anal intercourse spreads the human papillovirus and can result in anal warts, anal cancer, HIV and other diseases. It can also result in bowel incontinence. When anal sex is combined with oral contact, disease is even more likely. Yet despite these concerns, about 90 percent of male homosexuals participate in anal intercourse. Condoms can offer some protection, but they aren’t foolproof. Anal sex is high-risk behavior.

3. Any form of immorality separates us from God. The apostle Paul was blunt in his description of homosexuality in the first century. He wrote in Romans 1:27, “Men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error” (NIV). God offers mercy, forgiveness and healing to anyone who wants to be free from immorality. But those who continue to live in sexual sin will become slaves to that sin—and in the end they will be eternally separated from God.

God is not homophobic. He understands why people feel confused or broken in their sexuality. He offers the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to anyone, no matter their sexual history or their sexual inclinations. He invites us to join Him in a journey toward healing. But those who want a relationship with Him must, like all true disciples, deny their own desires, take up their cross and follow Him.

By J. Lee Grady.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of the Mordecai Project (themordecaiproject.org). 

Do you agree with the article? Send in your comments-and please be respectful -we do not tolerate homophobic  or cynic statements-bless you all ..

The Truth About Premarital Sex and How Premarital Sex Rewires the Brain

The Truth About Premarital Sex and How Premarital Sex Rewires the Brain

There’s a reason why breaking up from a sexual relationship is much more emotionally painful and much harder to forget than one that didn’t involve sex. There are several neurochemical processes that occur during sex, which are the “glue” to human bonding.

Sex is a powerful brain stimulant. When someone is involved sexually, it makes him or her want to repeat that act. Their brain produces lots of dopamine—a powerful chemical, which is compared to heroin on the brain. Dopamine is your internal pleasure/reward system. When dopamine is involved, it changes how we remember.

The other part is oxytocin, which is designed to mainly help us forget what is painful. Oxytocin is a hormone produced primarily in women’s bodies. When a woman has a child and she is breastfeeding, she produces lots of oxytocin, which bonds her to her child. For this reason, mothers will die for their child, because they’ve become emotionally bonded due to the oxytocin that is released when they’re skin-to-skin with their child.

The same phenomenon occurs when a woman is intimate with a man. Oxytocin is released, and this makes her bond to him emotionally. Have you wondered sometimes why a woman will stay with a man who’s abusing her? We know now that it’s because she bonded to him emotionally because of the oxytocin released during sex.

Men produce vasopressin, which is also referred to as the “monogamy hormone,” and it has the same effect as oxytocin has on a woman. It bonds a man to a woman.

These “bonding” agents narrow our selection to one person. That is wonderful in a marriage relationship but really bad in a dating relationship because you lose your objectivity when you’re searching for your potential lifemate.

Impaired Judgment

According to neuropsychologist Dr. Tim Jennings, “When you have premarital sex, your reward circuitry is bonded to them now, and it will be much deeper and hurtful. Oftentimes, in breakups of people who’ve been sexually active, they can’t tolerate the sense of emptiness, so they rush into another relationship. The neuro circuits did not have time to reset, and so they’re impaired in their ability to bond with the next person, and they may become sexually active with them. This is just a repetitive cycle, and there are real impairments in bonding going on.”

Becoming Bonded With Porn

These same neurochemicals are present when viewing pornography. A man will become bonded with whatever he is engaged in during the moment these chemicals are released. When your relationship is being carried on with an image, you become bonded to whatever you’re viewing.

Dr. Doug Weiss, a marriage counselor, advises men to have eye contact with their wives during sex because they become bonded with that person. By doing this, he explains that, over time, individuals will decrease the “neural pathway to pornography and sexually inappropriate thoughts and believes and glue to healthy sexuality to [their] wife. When your brain thinks sex, it thinks, ‘Where’s my wife?’ And that is a great way to fight this battle."

Discovering how our minds were designed to operate by a magnificent Creator reveals truth in the way we are to live.

Cycle of Sexual Sin

For someone viewing porn, one of the functions of oxytocin is to separate the experience and the excitement from the intensity of the shame. According to neuropsychologist Dr. Jes Montgomery, “Usually by the time they turn the computer off, they are already sinking into a sense of failure and shame, and the function of oxytocin is to tell the brain, 'Wait a minute. You don’t want to remember that. You want to hold on to this excitement and this amazing magic that you just experienced.'”

Knowing how these neurochemicals interact and change the brain help us understand why sex is meant to be kept within the boundaries of marriage. You see the overtones here about God’s design for His pure temple. This is another reason why the devil attacks our sexuality so much—because in attacking human sexuality, it actually interferes with human bonding.

So, for those practicing sex outside of marriage, they are creating a bond with their partner, thus inhibiting their discernment of whether they should remain in that relationship. God wired and designed our brains for a specific purpose: to bond ourselves with the person we marry.

Culled from: http://freedomnewstoday.com/manup

Top 5 Most Popular Biblical Baby Names

Top 5 Most Popular Biblical Baby Names 

Parents have given Biblical names to their kids ever since, well, the Bible. And while our culture continues to introduce new entries into the naming lexicon – 38% more Kanyes joined the population last year, according to BabyCenter.com – Bible names have staying power.

Out of BabyCenter's 100 Most Popular Baby Names of 2013, here are the top 5 Biblical baby names for boys and girls. Their ranks among the top 100 are in parentheses.

BOYS

Noah, of The Flood (5)
Ethan, author of Psalm 89 (8)
Jacob, who became Israel (9)
Benjamin, son of Jacob (13)
Michael, an archangel (14)
GIRLS

Abigail, wife of David (14)
Hannah, mother of Samuel (23)
Anna, prophetess in the temple (36)
Leah, wife of Jacob (42)
Sarah, wife of Abraham (43)
With a slate of Biblical movies coming in 2014, expect Biblical baby names to gain even more ground. That's cool, because getting a name license plate for a Benjamin or Bethany is a lot easier than finding one for a Bilbo or Burgundy.

Source: Family Union US

Here are five things you can begin to do today to help you become a better communicator:

1. Ask questions: Don’t assume you understand what a person means. Once you ask a few questions, it doesn't take long to really find out what the person really means.

2. Listen: To become a better communicator, you must be willing to listen so you can understand the other person’s perspective.

3. Observe and be willing to verify the information you receive.

4. Let people know what you are thinking by sharing it: By disclosing information about yourself, it aids the other person in understanding who you are and how you are understanding them.

5. Remember that love covers a multitude of sins. If your motives are wanting to understand people and accept them for who they are, then communication will be easier. But if you set out to convince them that your way is the right way, then that’s not communication. And that’s not love.

Hope this helps you get better

Source: Family Union US