fitness challenge

for those with smartphones, your probably familiar with instagram. i am a massive fan of it. follow me if you wish @saraaghelise. but this isn't the point. i have found one thing helpful with sorting out my fitness and health. and its doing photo challenges, and i love photos and fitness so why not make one of these babies.

Beauty New Years Resolutions

So it’s coming to the end of the year and every seems to make a new years resolution that they don’t ever seem to keep. “I will lose that last 10 pounds” “I will exercise more” “I will quit smoking” Well i hope you don’t smoke at all cause major factor in pre mature aging. But instead of looking at the bigger things why don’t we just start with the smaller things for a change? Here’s a few ideas they you may want to consider: all linked to making yourself that much more beautiful at any age.
Drink more water for a healthier body; as well as eating more foods rich in water. Eg: cucumber
Wear SPF 30 every day, whether its hailing, boiling and just a nice day.
Take a multivitamin right for my body everyday.
I will stop wearing my make up to bed, no matter how tired or drunk I am.
I will clean my brushes regularly. Try to do it at least every 2 weeks and it should be done straight after you have used them on someone else.
Clean my phone regularly with an alcohol swipe, why? Because all the bacteria built up on the phone can cause breakouts on the side of your jaw.
Find an eye cream suited to my skin type and apply it morning and night.
Use a salt scrub on my body once a week, make a scrub at home because it’s a lot cheaper than buying from the salon.
Start using a spray leave in treatment on hair regularly, at least once a week though try for more often.
Mix up my exercising so I don’t get bored, regular try to find new ways to get fit.

You can add whatever ones would be suitable to yourself and try to review it every couple weeks to ensure that you’re continuing throughout the new years. Remember it takes 21 days to develop a habit, so let’s use that first part of the month to develop new good habits.

15 ways exercise sends your health soaring

Be happier at work - You can think more clearly, get more done, and interact more effectively. Less likely to miss work due to illness

Improve your vocabulary - Getting your heart pumping increases blood flow, delivering more oxygen to your brain. It also spurs new growth in the areas of the brain that control multitasking, planning and memory.
Get natural pain relief - exercise release endorphins and makes you less vulnerable to tiny tears in muslces and tendons.
Feel sexy at any size - the simple act of exercising can make you feel positive about how you look due to the release of feel good hormones. It can also increase your libido by increasing blood flow to your genitals

Lower dental bills - Those who exercise more regularly are less likely to produce periodontitis, a gum disease thats more common as you get older.
Unlock hidden energy - Moving your body increases energy and reduces fatigue. Regular exercise boost certain fatigue-fighting brain chemicals.
Shrink stress fat - exercise lower levels of hormones such as cortisol that pormote belly fat.
Slash cold risk - it boosts your immune system helping your body fight off cold bugs and other germs.
Improve vision - an active lifestyle can cut the risk of mucular degeneration
Reach the deep sleep zone - its shown that those who exercise more regularly get can average of 48 minutes more sleep a night

Never get diabetes - exercise improves the body's ability to release insulin and control blood sugar, therefore preventing diabetes.
Eliminate belly bloat - Increasing your heart rate and breathing stimulate the natural contractions of the intestinal muscle, helping to prevent constipation and gas buildup by expediting digestion.
Save your heart - exercise lowers your levels of c-reactive protein which is an imflammatory blood marker linked to heart disease
Add years to your life - being physically fit can actually change how your body works. Vigorous exercisers have longer telomeres, cellular biomarkers that shorten as we age compared with healthy adults who rarely work out.

Survive breast cancer - it not only reduces the risk but can save your life if you are diagnosed. Overweight women who were exercising more than 3 hours a week before they were diagnosed were 47% less likely to die than those who exercised less than a half hour per week.

Habits that Skinny People live by.

How do those people that have lost the weight stay thin? Well they live by these habits to help them keep the weight off and you can start when you’re trying to loose weight.

Eat an early dinner - stop eating at least 3 yrs before bed and your body is better primed to burn fat instead of creating more.

Weigh yourself daily - It is believed that those who get on the scales daily lost twice as much weight as someone whp weighed themselves less often.

Eat a boring diet - the novelty of new foods drives us to consume more, so by removing the novelty, we feel fuller faster.

Reward yourself - once you have established a healthy routine, you need to establish a reward sysem. A great way to stick to a low-calorie diet is to reward yourself with a small dessert everyday that is less than 200 calories, but remember its only if you deserve it.

Read diet and exercise tips - being exposed to nutrition and exercise advice led people to make smarter diet and lifestyle choices for themselves. To ensure you stay focused, read information on these sorts of things daily if you can.

Eat breakfast - it's not called the most important meal of the day for nothing - eating a nutritious morning meal jumpstarts your metabolism and prevents you from overindulging throughout the day.

Take snack breaks - snacking somethings get a bad rep, but planning nutritious snacks throughout the day can actually keep you skinny. Consuming low-sugar, high-protein snacks promotes weight loss. The reason: healthy snacking keeps your blood-sugar from spiking, prevents hungers pangs, craving and body fat storage.

Drink water - In a study of women who added 1 litre of water to their diet daily lost five extra pounds over the year. Replace half of what you drink with water and you'll save 23 pounds per year!

Order one item - Resist the temptation of ordering a 'value' meal and only order the one thing, you'll save cash and calories

Choose whole grains - Those who add whole grains to their diet loose more belly fat than those who don't. The healthy dose of fibre helps slow digestion: keeping you fuller for longer.

Eat spicy food - A chemical compound called capsaicin, found in chili peppers, acts as an appetite suppressant. Capsaicin has also been shown to boost metabolism and fight inflammation. The take away: Routinely adding spicy ingredients like cayenne or red pepper to your meals is an easy, flavorful way to stay slim.

Sleep for 6 to 8 hours each night - lack of sleep is known to increased appetite, lower willpower, and bolster cravings for high-calorie foods

Manage stress - Deal with work, money and relationship related stress can lead to weight gain. When you stress, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that promotes abdominal fat storage. If you find yourself overwhelmed in your work or personal life, try incorporating stress-reducing activities into your day. Join a yoga class or go for a jog, and when you start to feel stress coming on, pause and take deep breaths.

Take the stairs - Simple choices like taking the stairs can be just as important as formal exercise if you want to stay trim

Chew throughly - chewing more and eating slowly causes people to ingest fewer calories.

Dont eat on the go as it can lead you to quickly inhale a ton of calories before your body has time to let you know it's full.

Walk after meals - take a walk after dinner as light post-meal exercise can lower your blood sugar and prevent your body from storing fat.

Keep healthy food on hand - Surround yourself with healthy options, store nuts or fresh fruit, pre-cut vegies and leave in the fridge to snack on.

Learn to take a joke - laughing for 15 minutes each day can help you burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on your body size and the intensity of your laughter.

Eat protein - those that increase their protein intake to 30 percent of their overall diet ate roughly 450 fewer calories throughout the day and lost about 11 pounds of he course of 12 week.

Avoid dinner distractions - With laptops, smartphones, and iPods aplenty, we've become accustomed to round-the-clock entertainment. But your mealtime may be one time of day we should fight our addiction to amusement. With these distractions, its found that they consume more unhealthy snack foods later.

skin sins

There are things that we are doing every day (nearly) that are not only affect our skin, but our health as well. Learn about what these bad habits are and avoid them for healthier skin and a healthier you.

Not having a home care routine, I see several clients weekly that come into the collage clinic saying that don’t do anything at home or they only just rinse their face. They may have really good skin (which they must be damn luckier, cause I can’t explain it just yet) or they don’t have good skin: they’ve found that it ages too quickly, they are still having pimples pop up. A basic routine includes cleansing once in the morning and twice at night if you’ve been wearing make-up, following up by applying eye cream and moistuiser. Ensure you exfoliate twice a week and use a mask once a week.

Basic aging habits are also part of these skin sins that include not using sunscreen daily, not drinking enough water, consuming too much alcohol, smoking, too much junk food and caffeine, too little exercise and too little sleep.

Not using oil on your face - Most people would freak at the idea of putting oil on their face, especially if you have oily skin. But using oil can actually decrease your oil production. Sounds crazy, i know. Overcleansing the skin is known to stimulate the sebum glands which promotes more oil production whereas applying oil to your face can have the opposite effect and actually slow oil production and make you less shiny. Essentials oils that are anti-bacterial and anti-fungal are good at killing bacteria that causes breakouts. Apply this oil at night when you don't mind looking a little bit greasy.

Eating diary and other inflammatory foods - The hormones in cow's milk have androgenic affects that can cause acne in women. They can worsen acne issues and accelerate aging. So it is best to find calicum in other forms such as leafy greens and tofu.

Using too much cortisone - They tend to be in your first aid kit at home and are used for bug bites, rashes, etc. But we tend to forget that cortisone is a steriod and long term use can lead to tachyphylaxis which is when the skin gets so used to having cortisone around to control any inflammation, it reacts if you suddenly stop using it and becoming 'angrier' and itchier than ever. Overuse of cortisone also causes collagen to break down, which leads to thinning of the skin and worst case - stretch marks. So remember to use this product safely - only using a small amount, not using it for more than two weeks and only when you need it.

Not airing out your makeup brushes - While we know that we should wash our brushes, once a week, there is the common mistake of not airing them out after washing them. So remember after you washed, leave them out till they are bone dry and see your doctor if you develop a rash.

Using recreational drugs - while there are obvious health reasons to avoid recreational drugs, now there's another consequence that can result if you just say yes. You could find crusty, purplish areas of dead skin on your body that have a good chance of getting infected.

Taking supplements without a doctor's approval - Certain supplements can interfere with prescribed medications. Even if your not on any meds, mixing supplements can be hazardous to your health

Drinking your water instead of eating it - We all know the 8 glasses a day rule, but it turns out that your body doesn't retain a lot of that water, since it goes right through you during your bathroom breaks. The secret to retaining water is by eating it. Suggested are food with large quantities of H2O such as watermelon and zucchini. As a general rule, starting eating more fruits and vegetables, which have higher percentages of water than processed foods.

Getting refills of prescription pills without seeing your doctor - Some medications for your skin need to be monitored closely as they can affect your liver, blood pressure, etc. So its best to check with your doctor before getting your next refill.

core exercises to trim your waistline

Some tips before you begin working on your waistline, you need to keep your body in a neutral position when doing these exercises to protect your muscles and joints. Go slowly and carefully for maxiumum effect and cutting fatty foods from your diet can help zap tummy fat as well as walking.

Basic Crunch - Lie on your back on an exercise mat or carpeted surface with feet planted firmly on the ground. Cross your arms over your chest and using the strength of your abdominal muscles, lift your upper torso off the floor toward your thighs. This movement should be very short. Don't attempt to touch your thighs, as this can overstress your lower back. Keep constant tension on your abdominal muscles throughout the exercise and with a controlled motion, return to the starting position.
Do 10-12 reps per set; work up to two sets.

Oblique Crunches - Lie on your left side on an exercise mat or carpeted surface. Bend your knees and curl slightly at the hips. Clasp your hands behind your head. Raise yourself up slightly by lifting your upper torso off the floor, contracting your waist. Return to the starting position. Keep your core engaged throughout the entire exercise.
Do 10-12 reps per set; work up to two sets. Repeat the exercise on the other side of your body.

Bicycle Maneuver - Lie on your left side on an exercise mat or carpeted surface. Bend your knees and curl slightly at the hips. Clasp your hands behind your head. Raise yourself up slightly by lifting your upper torso off the floor, contracting your waist. Return to the starting position. Keep your core engaged throughout the entire exercise.
Do 10-12 reps per set; work up to two sets. Repeat the exercise on the other side of your body.

Captain’s Chair - Sit up straight on a sturdy, armless chair or weight bench and grip the sides to stabilize your upper body. Slowly draw your knees up toward your chest. Hold for a moment, then lower slowly.
Keep the motion of raising and lowering your legs very controlled. Concentrate on using the strength of your abdominal muscles to push through the exercise, or else you could place too much stress on your lower back.
Repeat 10-12 times; rest briefly and repeat.

Vertical Leg Crunches - Lie on your back on an exercise mat or carpeted surface. Extend both legs straight up in the air so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Place your hands lightly behind your neck. Keep your core tight and engaged. Slowly raise your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor--no more than 3 to 5 inches. To protect your neck, be careful to not use your arms to pull your neck up. Hold for a moment, then return to the starting position.
Repeat 10 to 12 times per set; work up to two sets.

Half Roll-Ups - Lie on your back on an exercise mat or carpeted surface with your legs stretched out and your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Press your ab muscles into the floor, flattening your arch.
Lift your shoulders and upper torso off the floor, forming a "C" shape--about half way up. Your head should come up last. Slowly return to the starting position, following the same path, with your head touching the floor last.
Do the rollup 10-12 times per set; work up to two sets.

Plank - Lie face down on an exercise mat or carpeted surface. Rest on your forearms with your palms flat on the floor. Keep your spine in the neutral position. Push off the floor so that your body is parallel to the floor and raise up on your toes. Rest on your elbows. Keep your back flat and your body in neutral alignment from your head to your heels. Think of your body as a table being supported by two sets of "legs" (your arms and feet). Hold this position for as long as you can, up to 60 seconds. Work up to repeating three to four times per session.

Side Plank - Lie on your side on an exercise mat or carpeted surface. Raise your body off the ground and balance yourself with your forearm and the side of your bottom foot. Rest your other arm at your side. Make sure your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Contract your abdominals.
Hold this position as long as you can, up to 60 seconds.
Work up to repeating 3 to 4 times per session. Repeat on the other side.

Back Extensions - Lie on your stomach on an exercise mat or carpeted surface. Rest your arms at your sides. Gently contract your lower back muscles and lift your chest 3 to 5 inches off the floor. Don't strain; just raise your chest as much as you can. Hold for a moment, then slowly lower.
Repeat the move 10 to 12 times per set; work up to two sets.

Hip Extensions - Kneel on an exercise mat or carpeted surface and place your hands on the mat, under your shoulders, about shoulder-width apart. Keep your spine in neutral alignment. Slowly lift an opposite arm and leg up together. Pause, then return to the starting position. Repeat with the other arm and leg.
Alternate in this fashion 10 to 12 times per set; work up to two sets.

Wood Chops - Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a light dumbbell or medicine ball with both hands. Bend at your waist and hold the weight at your right side. Keeping your hips forward, sweep your arms up and across your body in a diagonal until your arms are over the left side of your body.
As you perform this move, make sure you're lifting from your core to produce the rotational movement.
Repeat this movement 10 to 12 times for one set; work up to doing two sets. Then repeat the move the other way.

running benefits

Today i started running like old times (back in yr 9 i use to run every morning before school) and i thought well why not write about running. So i've chucked in a few benefits of a good ol' jog and hopefully it might encourage you to put on your running shoes.

One thing that we all try to do, is go for a jog or a brisk walk to lose weight, gain fitness or just general feel healthy which they can be all beneficial for that. It burns fat providing a great cardiovascular workout, boosts muscle quality by strengthening and toning, eases stress and anxiety, helps us sleep better, and revs up metabolism, it also decreases the risk of chronic disease.

Jogging helps to speed up your metabolism and if you are consuming less calories than what you are burning, you will be able to lose weight. It also helps to improve your appetite – the harder you work, the more you need to eat to repair your muscle and refuel them. Ensure that this food is nutritious.

It will strengthen the muscles and bone density of the legs, back and hips and it doesn’t produce bulky muscles like weight training and circuit training does, but it does increase leg strength.

You need to stretch your muscles before and after each jogging session. Ensure that your stretch your whole body, you can do the following movements:
• Bend forward and touch your toes.
• Kneel down on one of your feet, and stretch the other out backwards.
• Bend your body to both sides.
• Stretch out an arm, grab something, and turn your body round so that your arm is bent backwards.
• Shoot your abdomen foreword, so that your spinal column is stretched into a bow.
• Place your hands behind your neck and stretch your arms backwards. Then twist your body to the left and right, and also bend to each side.

If you’re going to run in the morning, do not have breakfast before hand and don’t do it as soon as you get out of bed. Give yourself time to prepare yourself for it. Switch on the TV and watch a morning shoe for a couple minutes before stretching and heading off. Also ensure that you have a good breakfast afterwards.

Running can also add years onto your life and improve the quality of life at old age. And if you’re excuse for not running is the damage it can do to your knees, no excuse! If you’re knees are going to give way, it will happen whether you are a runner or a non runner.

basic skin care tips.

A simple good skin care regime would include the following: Cleaning, Toning, Moisturising, Sun Protection and Skin Treatments. It must be kept in mind that it must be followed everyday for the best results and keeping it looking younger for longer.

Don’t leave home without sunscreen, especially in the summer. UV rays are there everyday even if it’s cloudy and those are the sorts of days your face or other exposing areas of your body can be really damaged. Use a foundation with sunscreen in it, or if your face is dry use a moisturising cream with sunscreen in it. Make sure that if you’re going into water that you use a water resistant sunscreen; also try to find a sunscreen which suits your skin type.

When you apply sunscreen, make sure you have applied it 20 to 30 minutes before you allowing exposure to the sun and before going into water. If you have fair skin, you may want to prepare yourself the night before by applying a layer of sunscreen. Don’t forget important areas such as ears, nose, feet, hands, hairline and lips.

Avoid aging habits such as excessive sun tanning, no skin care, not drinking enough water, consuming too much alcohol, smoking, junk food, too much caffeine, too little exercise and too little sleep.

Drizzle cool water on chamomile teabags, wring and rest of problems areas such as your chin, nose and forehead to unblock angry pores.

Your face should be steamed once a week as it increases blood circulation and deeply cleanses the skin. The steam should not burn the inside of the nose as its important to have the right temperature for this. Boil a large pot of water and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil. Bend over the pot and drape a towel over your head to capture the steam. Keep your face steamed for 5 minutes, pat your face and neck dry with a towel and apply a moisturiser to face and neck afterwards.

Exfoliate your feet following a bath or after applying a lotion. Use a pedi-paddle to soften the hard areas of the foot.

Wash your hands before applying anything to your face such as skin care products or make up and avoiding touching your face too often as your hands can spread bacteria onto your face.

If you were sunglasses or glasses make sure you clean regularly to avoid them clogging up your pores.

Regular exercise helps to achieve glowing skin by sweating out toxins as well as improving your circulation.

Don’t be afraid of retinoids, they are well-known to assist in turning back the age clock. Products containing retinoid have been found to assist in smoothing out fine lines and hiding the signs of ageing skin.

Due to the level of damage that Australian Sun gives, it is recommended to start using anti-ageing creams earlier than normally suggested. Start using an eye cream from the age of 21 and if you spot fine lines appearing on your skin, start applying enriched products immediately to prevent further damage.

Exfoliating the skin regularly (two times a week) will help buff away dead skin cells, allowing creams to penetrate deeper, giving you an overall clearer complexion and healthy skin.

Make rosewater ice cubes for your blemishes. Rose water is a great natural healer, boosting serious soothing properties. And the ice will shrink the swelling and inflammation.