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Along with juicing, the keto diet and affordable leggings, another big trend that has picked up popularity in the last few years is Intermittent Fasting. We will get into the specifics shortly, but essentially intermittent fasting is when you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. 

And adopting or trying this method can be difficult at first, especially if like me, you grew up thinking you need 3 meals and 2 snacks per day with no more than 3-4 hours apart to keep the metabolism working all day long.

Now things have shifted and new studies are 犀利士 showing just how beneficial Intermittent Fasting can be to your health and body.

What is it?

First things first, consult your doctor before starting any new diet and exercise regime to be sure it’s suitable for you.

Second, even though intermittent fasting is the blanket term for this type of dieting, there are actually many different variations.

For daily intermittent fasters, the main goal is to aim for at least a 10-16 hour fasting window everyday (12 hours is common). But you still need to get in your allotted calories for the day,  you just have a smaller time window to do it in!

For example:    

• Fasting Time: 16 hours
• Fasting Period : 7pm- 11am
• Eating Period: 11am-7pm

This type of fasting is said to help turn fat stores into energy, which then can release ketones into the bloodstream and help encourage weight loss.

Here is a list of some of the other most common intermittent fasting schedules:

1. 12 hour fast (ex. 6pm-6am)
2. 16 hour fast (ex. 6pm-10am)
3. Alternate Day fasting (You can either eat no solid food or allow up to 500 calories on fasting days)
4. 5:2 (Eat for 5 days, allow 500-600 calories on your 2 fasting days)
5. Weekly 24 hour fast

Or you can try just skipping meals first until you’re ready for longer fasts!

Intermittent Fasting Benefits

Besides helping to turn fat stores into energy, what can intermittent fasting do for the body?

Well surprisingly, this type of dieting can affect our bodies on a hormonal level too. While the body is fasting it initiates cellular repair processes and helps to change hormone levels making fat more accessible.  It can lower insulin levels and actually help to increase the levels of human growth hormone, leading to burning more fat and even muscle gain.

These hormone changes can also help facilitate weight loss because short term fasting can actually help increase your metabolic rate by 3-14% helping you burn more calories daily. And some studies have even shown it can actually cause 3-8%  weight loss over 3-24 weeks, many people losing  4-7%  of  their waist circumference.

Lastly intermittent fasting is said to even be good for your brain too! It can help to reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, reduce blood sugar levels and even insulin resistance. Fasting can help to keep the cells repairing themselves and hormones balanced.

Bottom Line

Overall intermittent fasting is just a way to cycle periods of eating and fasting. The amount of time allotted for both is completely up to you and what fits your lifestyle best.

Some say you can be a little more lenient with the actual food you’re eating because you’re also fasting. But you can’t just eat fast food/processed food and expect your body to run perfectly. It is still important to opt for healthier options and be mindful of your caloric intake. And like any diet there will be harder days in the beginning, but in time your body will adapt to its new feeding schedule and the benefits will start coming!

Anti-aging is the trend that will never end, because regardless of your skin color or gender, everyone wants to look youthful forever. I think most people, like myself, start seeking out anti-aging information and products when we hit our mid to late 20’s and into our 30’s.

I think the first time I ever noticed a “wrinkle” or really just an exaggerated expression line was at 24. None of these lines really bothered me then or bother me now, but I am curious what, if any, natural anti-aging tips are out there?

5 Natural Anti- Aging Tips

1. Avoid the Sun Unless Protected

Now, that being said, we need vitamin D and the sun to survive, and being active outdoors it also important, but do your best to keep from baking in the sun with no protection.  Where sunglasses, sunscreen, hats etc., and skip any sort of tanning bed in favor of spray tans or at home self tanners—if like me, having some color is your preference.

2. Diet & Exercise

Even if your goal isn’t to lose weight, proper nutrition and regular exercise are important if you want to maintain your 20 year old bod for as long as possible. Many suggest eating a “plant rich” diet, which really just means

being sure your getting all your fruit and vegetable servings, whole grains, as well as lean protein and good fats.

As for your anti-aging exercise regime, many studies have shown that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a great way to help slow aging. This type of workout is great for the lungs, heart, muscles and skin because of the influx of oxygen and blood circulating through the entire body and even brain.

3. Drink More Water

Another big one is to increase the amount of water you drink and decrease the amount of caffeine and alcohol.  Not only do alcohol and caffeine dehydrate your body and skin, they can also cause a flushed appearance or even spidery veins on the face.  The more water you drink the more hydrated and supple (youthful) your skin will look overall.

4. Skin Care

But in addition to drinking more water you also need a good skin care routine. 

Now everyone’s skin is different and will have different needs but the basics are; cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate! You want to keep the skin and pores clean, get rid of any dead skin cells and moisturize everything else away!

I cleanse and moisturize my face twice a day, both morning and night and do a facemask or exfoliate 1-2 times per week. I either use a hydrating mask or a charcoal one to deep clean my pores.

5. Natural Supplements

It doesn’t matter what your goal is, weight loss, smoother skin or even longer hair, supplements are a great way to help us reach our goals. Even if you are a pro-dieter it is not a bad idea to include some natural supplements in your routine to help cover any nutrient gaps.  Supplements can help add in vitamins and minerals you may not get from your food, keeping your body running smoothly.

The bottom line is, we can’t slow down the hands of time but we can learn how to age gracefully every step of the way, am I right?

If you are interested in adding any natural supplements to your regime, we have some great options , check out the Beauty and Health tabs to learn more! Here is one of my current favorites…

Mosea Elements All Natural Radiance – All Natural Hair, Skin & Nails Vitamins – For Men & Women

•  NATURAL AND NAKED – A Powerful Fusion Of Wild Harvested And Organic Herbs, Bio Boosting Minerals And Homeostasis Promoting Plants Formulated To Strengthen Structural Building Blocks For Beautiful And Healthy Hair, Skin And Nails.

•  ANTI-AGING NUTRIENTS – Containing A High Concentration Of Vitamins A & C, Other Viable Nutrients And Antioxidants To Support Collagen Synthesis Vital For Blemish And Acne Tissue Repair While Reducing The Appearance Of Wrinkles, Promoting Younger Looking Skin.
•  BEAUTIFUL HAIR AND NAILS – In Terms Of Your Hair, Vitamin A And C Both Help With Healthy Collagen Construction Giving Rich Luster To Your Locks And Preventing Hair Loss And Dandruff.
•  RADIANCE BEGINS WITHIN ME – Hydration Coupled With The Right Nutrition May Be Your Best Defense Against Oxidative Stress By Bringing Balance To Free Radicals And Antioxidants Preventing Homeostatic Disruption.
• NOTHING ADDED – Vegan, Paleo, Non-GMO, Gluten-free, No Soy, No Dairy, No Added Sugar, No Fillers And Cruelty Free. Add To Water Or Your Beverage of Choice.

I never thought that yoga would be a part of my daily routine, but I find myself on the mat day after day for longer each time. At first my main motivation was just clearing my mind and getting some needed “me” time, which was the right reason I think.

Then over time while my mind was relaxing my body was also changing quite a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t lose much weight and it didn’t happen over night, but after many consecutive days I was becoming stronger, more flexible and the poses were starting to feel less awkward.

And it doesn’t take long once you’ve begun loving practicing yoga, that you look for ways to expand your practice, and Hot yoga is a great way to do that!

What is Hot Yoga?

I’ve explained this briefly and other types of Yoga before in a previous blog: https://kiknbacassets.com/yoga/

But to be more precise hot yoga is a rather vigorous form of yoga, which is practiced in, you guessed it, a hot and usually humid room/studio for 90 minutes. The climate goal is usually around 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity.

The type of yoga usually practiced in this heated climate is called Bikram yoga. This yoga type consists of a series of 26 different standing and stretching positions that usually require the contraction of all muscle groups. The main purpose of hot yoga is to raise your heart rate and exercise your muscles— this is not a stretch and relax type of class!

Hot yoga is not for everyone given its more intense nature so check with your doctor before diving in. But for those both healthy and crazy enough to try, you’ll benefit greatly from this type of practice!

Hot Benefits

One of the biggest benefits that comes from just the environment alone is that you will sweat like crazy! Which means not only are you getting a good workout and burning calories but you’re also detoxifying your body, the sweat helping to pull toxins out.

Beyond sweating the heat can also help with flexibility, the warmer the muscles are the more flexible they become. And being mindful of your flexibility moving into Bikram yoga is important to complete the series and avoid any injuries. It is also low impact, like most yoga, and allows you to get in a good workout without putting any unnecessary stress on your joints.

It is also a good mix of both strength training and cardio!

Even though hot yoga is usually all bodyweight training, due to the types of postures and prolonged period of time holding each one, it is a great full body workout that can leave all major muscle groups fatigued. 

Plus your cardio vascular system will thank you!

Without a doubt your heart and lungs will be pumping during any hot yoga session, and this can help to make them both stronger and more efficient.  Having a strong heart and lungs means more oxygen gets to your muscles, so you can do more!

And if weight loss and fat loss are your main motivators than hot yoga is probably your best yoga option. In a single 90 minute class you can burn up to 1000 calories. Not to mention it can increase your metabolic rate so that more calories are burned off versus turning into body fat.

Bottom Line

Practicing any type of yoga for any reason is already a step in a healthier direction, for both your body and mind!

I’m an at home yoga practitioner and have never been to an in-person-class (Youtube is my teacher, so many FREE options!) but considering how hot and humid the room needs to be you will probably have to seek a class for the true and full experience that is hot yoga and all it’s benefits.

Which is also a great opportunity to meet other local yogi’s and make new connections!

But if I’m being honest with the weather getting both hotter and more humid, it’s more likely that you’ll find me doing some Bikram yoga, or any other type of yoga, in my backyard. And I know I won’t get all the amazing benefits that I would from the proper studio, but yoga is all about what feels good for you, wherever that is!

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Water… well, we can’t live without it! And somehow even though water also makes up 60 +% of our bodies we are still responsible for consuming it in large amounts daily!

No, you don’t have to drink the recommended amount of water to survive but you would be surprised what amazing benefits are possible when your body is actually hydrated properly.

H2O Benefits

First things first, how much water should YOU drink daily?

Don’t worry, I Googled it for you, and a general guideline is to try to drink between half an ounce to an ounce of water for each pound you weigh. For example; A 150 lbs person should drink anywhere from 75 to 150 ounces of water a day to remain appropriately hydrated  (Keep in mind this is only a guideline and depending on your physical activity and diet the numbers may vary).

It’s said that water helps to maximize physical performance, energy and even brain function. Water can also help to prevent and treat headaches and constipation. And don’t forget it’s your best friend after a night of drinking!

But water is even great for those of us who want to shed a few pounds! When your body’s water content is adequate, water can help you feel fuller longer and even help to boost your metabolic rate. And lastly, water alone can help to detox the body naturally!

But should you be infusing your water so it can do more…?

Infused Water Benefits

So right off the bat if you think water is boring, infusing it with fruits etc. is a great way to change up the flavor and still get all the benefits from the water itself.

But it’s said that only roughly 20% of the nutrients in the soaking ingredients will actually make its way into the water and ultimately your body. Meaning that while you’ll get a little nutritional boost, it probably isn’t enough to make a noticeable difference.

Many suggest, especially if you like to infuse citrus, to just squeeze the juice into the water instead, more flavor and nutrients! Or even try mixing fruit powders directly into your water if nutrients are your main priority.

Bottom Line

As far as infused water vs. regular H2O, I think it’s an experience and flavor preference more than anything else. The main objective for most is just getting multiple liters of water down daily. But if infusing your water helps you to do that then it’s worth it, but it’s certainly not necessary!

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