Day 4: Balloon Breathing

Here's another easy way to get hot, yes it sounds weird and it is a bit weird to begin with, but if you're like me, then its helpful to have some things you can do with your hands and/or mouth to keep them from snacking while you're relaxing. So its easy to keep a stash of balloons around and do it for a couple minutes while watching TV or reading, and it really does help to develop the transverse Abdominis muscles, also it helps exercise the neck muscles which keep them from wrinkling and sagging.

Here's some instructions borrowed from Cranky Fitness:

1. Purchase a pack of mixed balloons (some easy to blow up and some more challenging

2. Start with an easy balloon and stand in front of a mirror ideally just before bedtime when lung capacity is at its peak 

3. Hold your elbows up level with your face as you inflate the balloon... and be sure to take a moment while staring at your reflection to realize you look like an absolute dorkbasket.

4. Once your balloon is blown up, let the air escape, and repeat ten times.

5.  Take a three-minute break if you start to feel dizzy. Go slowly at first, work up to more as you get stronger.

6. Blow up balloons on alternate days (using a new balloon each day), adding two more inflations each time until you reach 20. Then it's 20 inflations every other day to keep your belly flat. Calculate how many balloons you will be inflating in your lifetime, call your broker, and purchase stock in a balloon company.

Important Health Warning! Not suitable for people with high blood pressure, hernias, stomach ulcers or lower back problems.  And I ain't even gonna mess with this one because I don't want you to hurt yourselves.

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H&L Boot Camp Day 3: The tea switch

Drinking green tea is one of the easiest ways to rev up your metabolism, it's literally a lazy girl's dream come true. A study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that green tea increases the metabolism by 4% over a 24 hour period. Three to five cups a day can help you burn an extra 70 calories a day, which adds up to seven pounds a year, 35 pounds for five years and 70 pounds for 10 years. Many of the world's healthiest and longest living countries drink between 8-10 cups per day.

There is another aspect to this that many people fail to take into account, if you are replacing caloric drinks, such as juice, soda or sugary coffee with drinking green tea instead, you can impact your caloric intake/burn by over 300%. For example, if you usually have juice at breakfast, soda at lunch and a blended coffee drink on your break at 3pm, that could easily be 350 calories you are saving by switching to drinking tea, add that to the 70 per day increase in your metabolism and now you are taking in a total of 420 calories less than before. That could translate to a pound a week if you do not replace those calories in your diet! Plus, there are more health benefits when you make this tea switch, because you are removing empty, sugar-laden calories that actually cause harm to your body, you are taking great steps towards a healthier future!

Green tea has also been shown to inhibit fat absorption—the movement of glucose into fat cells, support healthy glucose levels after eating a meal, prevent insulin spikes which prevents fat storage, and reduce appetite.

Get creative and add green tea to your recipes, mix it with fruit infused waters, you can even use it on your skin or in your bath! Studies show decaffeinated green tea is healthy too, if you are sensitive make sure you watch how much and when you drink it, to avoid being up all night. And remember, you don’t have to stick only to green tea, black tea, oolong, and even herbal teas are all beneficial and have zero calories as well!

Of course, we feature green tea in several of our tea blends such as our signature Newport Skinny Tea, because its awesome! But you can choose any quality green tea that you like, there are many different varieties and flavors.

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Day 2: Spice it up

Holidays mean plenty of fun gatherings – and lots of extra food! This year, tweak some of your usual recipes to improve your health. How? Cook with flavorful spices and herbs that have amazing healing powers. This warming blend of herbs and spices helps increase your energy levels and the function of your metabolism, making it good for healthy weight management. It can also be helpful for insulin resistance and pre-diabetes care. You can make both a sweet and savory blend if you prefer to add to separate dishes.

Spice & Herb Blend recipe

• Ground cinnamon
• Garlic powder
• Ground mustard seed
• Ground coriander seed
• Red chili pepper & Black Pepper
• Ground cayenne Pepper
• Ground cumin seed

Fresh is best; when possible, grind your own spices from the original dry source (think cinnamon sticks, mustard seeds, an actual dried cayenne pepper) use a coffee grinder and blend the spices together to taste. Store in a glass jar for up to a month. To use, simply add the spice blend to your meals just as you are finishing cooking the dish – about 1 minute before you turn off the heat.

Cinnamon for Insulin Sensitivity

A standout ingredient is cinnamon, which has been linked to lowered blood sugar. Research has demonstrated improvement in insulin sensitivity with cinnamon polyphenols, as well as total and LDL cholesterol. It doesn’t hurt that it is tasty, too!

Garlic for a Healthy Heart

Garlic has been used traditionally to regulate blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes-related conditions. And garlic has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels. According to the National Health and Medical Research Council, consuming half to one clove of garlic daily may reduce cholesterol by nearly 10%. Your breath might suffer, but your heart will thank you.

Mustard Seeds Warm Up Your Metabolism

Big in spicy flavor, these small brownish-yellow seeds give your metabolism a boost, potentially helping you burn fat more quickly. Mustard seeds are low in calories and carbohydrates, but high in fiber, which gives the feeling of fullness.

Coriander Seed for detox

If some heavy toxic metals like lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminium etc get accumulated in our body, it leads to serious health problems like Alzheimer’s disease, loss of memory and eyesight, improper functioning of cardio-vascular and neurological system. Coriander seeds contain natural compounds which help to detox the body and remove all the traces of heavy toxic metals.

Cayenne Pepper for fat burning

Cayenne peppers, also known as Paprika, are often used as a natural fat burner and pain killer with anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne is used to heal ulcers, improve circulation, boost the immune system, aid digestion

Cumin Seed for better digestion

Cumin seeds have traditionally been noted to be of benefit to the digestive system, and scientific research is beginning to bear out cumin's age-old reputation. Research has shown that cumin may stimulate the secretion of pancreatic enzymes, compounds necessary for proper digestion and nutrient assimilation.

While this spice blend will help you along, of course it is still essential to make healthy choices about the foods you eat.

Ideas for using this spice blend  in everyday life

• Add Cinnamon & Ginger to a smoothie
• Add it to Carrot, Tomato or Vegetable soup
• Make a delish detox veggie broth with it
• Add it to roasted chickpeas or kale chips
• Add it to almost any side vegetable or grain dish
• Add it to Green Tea smoothie
• Add it to apple-cabbage & walnut or chicken salad with yogurt dressing
• Add it to Quinoa or Sweet Potato Burgers
• Add it to Hummus
• Order Curry or stir fry that feature these spices in restaurants

This herb blend is meant to support your health, but you should not treat it as a cure-all or replacement for medication. Some herbal supplements may interact with drug medications, please check with your doctor first if there are any questions or you are dealing with any medical issues. As your health strategies change and evolve, never stop taking prescription medications without first speaking to your physician.

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Day 1 of Hot & Lazy boot camp

Legs up wall yoga pose is so easy! Its a restorative, restful pose you can do it while you’re doing something else and the list of benefits is HUGE (see below). Here's a great example of being rewarded for being more lazy! With daily practice you will see better digestion, better circulation and better skin tone, plus less anxiety! Try this today and feel better immediately!

How to do Legs up wall

1. Sidle one hip as close as you can to a wall.
2. Swing both legs up the wall and move your rear end as close to the wall as possible. If this hurts your hamstrings, slide a few inches away from the wall. Rest your arms on your belly, or stretch them away from you in a T, W, or V position.
3. When you are done, bend your knees, roll to one side, and rest there, taking a few breaths before getting up.

what’s going on in this pose?

• Your femur bones are dropping into your hip sockets, relaxing your psoas, the muscles that help you walk and support your lower back.
• Blood is draining out of your tired feet and legs.
• Your nervous system is getting a signal to slow down, It’s all stress release and recovery   

Want more of this in your life?

• Do this pose while doing something you love, it will form a positive link in your brain, such as watching guilty pleasure TV shows, playing games on your phone or reading Divergent for the 3rd time. Set an alarm on your phone for the first week, because we often forget to integrate new habits- make technology work for you!
•  Check out Yoga Journal’s A lazy girl's guide to yoga
•  Ask a fun friend to check out yoga classes with you, most centers have a special rate for first time visitors. Or find an at-home yoga based workout program, our favorite is Piyo by Chalene Johnson 

benefits

• Eases anxiety and stress
• Therapeutic for arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure, low blood pressure and insomnia
• Eases symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, menstrual cramps and menopause
• Relieves tired or cramped feet and legs
• Gently stretches the hamstrings, legs and lower back
• Relieves lower back pain
• Calms the mind
• Regulates blood flow
• Relieves swollen ankles and varicose veins
• Helps testicular, semen, and ovarian problems in men and women respectively
• Improves digestion and circulation
• Restores tired feet or legs
• Stretches the back of the neck, front torso, and back of the legs
• Improves problems of the eyes and ears
• Relieves mild backache
• Helps keep you young and vital
• Calms anxiety
• Relieves symptoms of mild depression and insomnia

Contraindicated for glaucoma, please check with your doctor first before trying this pose if you have any concerns about your health and/or medications.

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