Lifestyle

To find out more we turned to Jennifer Iserloh, food and nutrition expert for LIVESTRONG.COM, about what to eat and how to move to get the body you want.

How to get more muscle definition

To create more lean muscle mass, scale back on carbs. Often muscle definition is simply hiding under fat from excess calories that can come from too many high-calorie items like carbs, Iserloh explains. "The anti-carbs craze is definitely so last year, but most people are still eating way too much in the form of bread, crackers and pastas than they should and most don't even know it." She tells us her healthy carb load is six ounces in a 2,000-calorie diet, meaning three slices of bread and a cup of uncooked pasta. You can find out what your ideal amount from each food group by using the USDA's daily food plans tool.

How to get a flatter tummy

Fiber is always your friend when it comes to beating tummy bulge, and most people only get about half of what they should, Iserloh says. "Fiber is key to better digestion, less bloating and burning calories more efficiently. Fiber fills you up, meaning less snacking and fewer calories," she explains. "It also helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, meaning you burn calories more effectively." For women, she recommends 21 to 25 grams of fiber every day and provides an example of how to get it.

• Breakfast: 1 cup raspberries on 1 cup of oatmeal
• Lunch: 1 cup whole wheat pasta topped with marinara and steamed vegetables
• Dinner: 2 cups black bean and vegetable soup with one slice of whole grain bread

How to get better posture

You can lose an inch or two off of your mid-section just by standing up straight, Iserloh notes. "Not only do you look slimmer, but you'll look more confident, something that helps everyone," she says. Taking posture classes like the Alexander technique is an option; other forms of exercise that can help you to burn from 200 to 400 calories an hour while benefiting your posture include yoga, dancing , Pilates and barre. "They all instruct on how to lengthen through the mid-section, dropping the shoulders, tucking the pelvis and engaging stomach muscles to stand more erect."

How to get better skin

We all know that drinking water is great for your skin , but what you eat also has a profound effect on your complexion, explains Iserloh. Enjoy foods that are rich in potassium, which is responsible for keeping you hydrated . Eat foods that are high in vitamin A, which is essential for healthy skin and omega-3s, found in wild salmon, walnuts and flaxseed, to ensure skin stays supple and functions properly.

How to lose that last five pounds

Many people have a hard time taking off that last five pounds or the extra weight that seems to occur after the holidays or a vacation-induced splurge. Rather than sacrificing flavor for lower numbers on the scale, Iserloh recommends adding more homemade soups to your diet. She avoids the canned versions since they are high in sodium and because fresh food is always best. Soups are filling but naturally low in calories and you can pack them full of vegetables. "It doesn't feel like a sacrifice at all and I don't go hungry," she says. "I go for veggie soups that don't have noodles but plenty of flavors from spices and herbs."

How to get tighter buns

Change your eating habits, then switch up your workout to see a difference in your derriere. Your body gets used to certain types of exercise, so after a while you won't see further improvement. "When I first started doing yoga in my 30s, it was more than enough to keep me in shape, but now that I've been doing it longer and getting closer to 40, I don't even break a sweat when I do it," says Iserloh. "Add one to two new types of exercise to your routine such as dancing, the barre workout or Pilates and see new definition."

More healthy living tips

10 Fitness tips for winter workouts
5 Fitness programs for weight loss
Top 10 healthy -- and budget-friendly -- foods

We asked Dr. Wayne Andersen, board-certified physician and bestselling author of Dr. A's Habits of Health, for his top tips for helping ensure your heart stays healthy.

If you smoke, stop

If you haven't already, now is the time to butt out. "The negative impact of tobacco and smoking dwarfs all of the risks to your heart," Andersen says. "Toxic chemicals produced by smoking lead to narrowing of your arteries, which increases both blood pressure and heart rate, and lowers your supply of oxygen, as your heart has to work harder after being exposed to harmful agents," he explains. Quitting is the only option if you want to have a healthy heart. The good news is that your body has the inherent capacity to heal itself and can recover significantly within as little as one year.

Increase daily activity

Get moving if you want to make heart health a priority. "Increasing your daily activity in both work and leisure is the most direct method for lowering your risk of dying of heart disease," says Andersen. Throw in a 30-minute period of more intense exercise such as running, interval training or swimming four to five days a week and you will significantly increase the health benefit to your heart, he explains. "This level of exercise helps prevent heart disease and strokes, as well as diabetes, which increases the risk to your heart. Regular exercise will also lower high blood pressure and reduce inflammation, another key contributor to heart disease." By choosing the stairs over the elevator, standing rather than sitting, using a rake for the leaves rather than the blower or simply opening our cans with a can opener, you are moving more and having a small but positive effect on our heart health.

Practice portion control

Maintaining a healthy weight doesn't just mean fitting into your skinny jeans. A 10 percent reduction in your weight lowers your risk of heart disease by 50 percent, explains Andersen. "Use a plate system similar to the one recently adopted by the USDA to help you decrease your caloric intake and create a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates," he says. "Beyond the quantity of calories consumed, the ingestion of animal fats, high-glycemic sugary substances, charred food and salty processed food all have a negative impact on your heart by raising cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and inflammatory markers, eventually leading to heart disease," he says.

Eat healthy fats

Andersen advises lowering your daily fat intake to less than 20 to 25 percent, with less than 7 percent coming from saturated fats. "Eliminating all trans-fats should be a priority, so dump the deep-fried fast foods, bakery products, packaged snack foods, margarine and crackers," he says. "Also, reduce red meats, dairy products and avoid coconut and palm oils completely." He advises increasing your intake of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil and omega-3s from sources like salmon and mackerel, flaxseed oil and soybean oil.

Get enough sleep

The amount and quality of your sleep is a critical component to heart health. Andersen cites a large study of 71,000 female nurses which found that women who sleep fewer than five hours a night were 45 percent more likely to have heart problems and those who slept six hours were at a 20 percent higher risk than those who slept seven or more. On top of that, missing out on your rest causes a whole host of other problems. "A lack of quality sleep increases your risk of weight gain, immunity problems and raises your inflammatory markers, which directly increase a risk to your heart health. Ideally, most people need at least six to seven hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep each and every night," he explains.

Think healthy

Chill out for the sake of your heart. "When we are experiencing stress and emotional dysfunction, our heart is at increased risk," says Andersen. "From inflammation to raising our blood pressure, we are not designed to be connected 24/7 to an electronic chain of email, TVs, smartphones and iPads. Every now and then, you need to let your mind unwind and disconnect from your busy workday and other obligations," he advises. Get a massage, do some yoga, take a warm bath, make your home warm and cozy – whatever helps you relax and forget about daily stress.

More about heart health

How to prevent heart disease and diabetes
3 Heart disease myths busted
5 best exercises to improve heart health

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Diesel, Racing

Continue reading Audi confirms R18 hybrid as part of 2012 endurance racing program

Audi confirms R18 hybrid as part of 2012 endurance racing program originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Post from: TheGloss