Samba balances his energy with two daily walks.
He keeps fit and socialized by running and playing in the park three times a week. |
Lifestyle Find Yours.
Samba in front, followed by his friend Batucada. |
Take the doc's advice to look and feel your best for life.
3) Bring On the BroccoliBroccoli is the best produce option because it cleanses the liver and helps to fight cancer. To reap the most rewards, the doctor suggests cleaning and slicing cruciferous veggies (like broccoli) five to 10 minutes before cooking, and then steaming or microwaving them (instead of boiling) to help retain the most cancer-fighting compounds. 4) Get Your Daily Dose of DNew research says that vitamin D may play a crucial role in weight loss by controlling appetite and helping fat cells become more metabolically active. The sunshine vitamin also helps your body better absorb bone-boosting calcium, improves immunity, reduces inflammation, and may even protect against some forms of cancer. Nearly 75 percent of Americans are vitamin-D deficient, so there's a good chance you're not getting your recommended daily dose of 400 IU (some people may need as much as 1000 IU, so check with your doctor to find out what's right for you). The best sources of vitamin D are salmon, tuna, and mackerel (especially the flesh), adding that "fish liver oils, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks also contain small amounts. And don't forget the most convenient source of all: sunlight. Vitamin D is actually produced in your body when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike your skin; the UV rays trigger synthesis of vitamin D, which then gets converted in your liver into its active form. 5) Drink More WaterDrinking water is so imperative for staying healthy, energized, and even losing weight. There are so many reasons to stay hydrated—hunger is often disguised as thirst, it boosts your metabolism, and water is the best energy drink available. To find out exactly how much water you should be drinking, divide your body weight (in pounds) by two and aim to drink that many ounces of water every day. 6) Trade Supplements for TeaDrinking all-natural green tea is an excellent way to boost your weight loss and your health. Not only does it have the power to stoke your metabolism, but it also contains the highest concentration of catechins, antioxidants found in plants that have been found to protect against heart disease and even some cancers. Sip on a few cups of green tea throughout the day to get all of its amazing benefits. 7) Focus on Nutrients, Not CaloriesWhile the amount of calories you consume is crucial for weight loss, the quality of your food is often more important (and often ignored). Losing weight isn't all about cutting calories. Your brain is looking for nutrients, not calories, and your brain will prod you to eat until you're satisfied, who cites a recent landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that found specific foods, not just their calorie content, influence weight gain. After adjusting for age, baseline body mass index, and lifestyle factors such as exercise and sleep duration, the authors found that the foods most associated with adding pounds over a four-year period were French fries, potato chips, sugary drinks, meats (unprocessed red meat and processed meats), sweets, and refined grains; the foods most associated with shedding pounds were yogurt, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These results aren't exactly ground-breaking, but they confirm what weight-loss experts have been recommending for years. To stay slim and healthy, fill up on high-fiber, nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean meats (Dr. Oz always eats a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts prior to a large meal). This will help you avoid overloading on empty calories later, when you're starving. 8) Delay DessertYou don't need to completely eliminate, just try not to indulge immediately after dinner. Avoid sweets directly after a meal since sugar disrupts the absorption of nutrients. The best time for a sweet treat is about two hours after you finish your meal. And when it comes to what you eat, try the good doctor's go-to dessert: dark chocolate. The flavonols found in cocoa improve circulation and increase blood flow to the brain, which helps you see more clearly. 9) Sleep More to Slim DownThe old saying 'you snooze, you lose' couldn't be more accurate when it comes to shedding pounds. According to Dr. Oz, depriving your body of sleep can speed up the aging process and deter your weight-loss efforts. The brain craves carbohydrates when you're tired, so you could unknowingly sabotage even the best laid plans. Aim for a good seven hours (minimum) of shuteye every night to allow your body to restore and to protect vital organ functions. 10) Make Breakfast MandatoryYou've heard it before, but it's worth repeating: Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day! Skipping the first meal of the day can increase risk for obesity more than fourfold. If you don't eat right when you wake up, your body senses a famine is coming and slows your metabolism to compensate. Then, when your body is presented with food later, it's ravenous and wants to pack it in, leading to bingeing with a slow metabolism—a recipe for weight gain.
Your plan of action: Dr. Oz suggests automating your first meal of the day by eating the same breakfast (like an egg-white omelet or steel-cut oatmeal), or cycling through a small variety of breakfast foods each and every morning.
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Implement these 9 fat-burning tips that use exercise and diet and watch the body fat melt like the butter you're no longer using. How you look in the mirror, how you feel, and how your clothes fit are much better indicators of your progress. The human body is a remarkably adaptable machine. Even if years and years of neglect have allowed pound after pound of fat to fill out your frame, you can rid yourself of that lard at a much faster rate than you brought it on board. In that sense, time is your side! Take these nine easy-to-implement tips to heart, and progress will come in a hurry! 1 - Stay Off the ScaleThat you can gain muscle and lose fat is one of the reasons I stress to people not to follow the scale. Body composition and how you look in the mirror matters more than what the scale says. You could train hard and eat right and build five pounds of muscle and lose five pounds of fat, and what will the scale say? That you still weigh the same. Frustrating, even though you've made good progress. Use the scale as a guide, but how you look in the mirror, how you feel, and how your clothes fit are much better indicators of your progress. 2 - Train With Weights
3 - Reduce Your Calories GradualleIf you're looking to lose fat, don't make huge calorie cuts. This will kick your body into starvation mode, reducing your metabolism and making it more difficult to burn off the fat. To prevent this metabolic slowdown and allow your body to burn fat at an optimal rate, make smaller calorie reductions every week or two. 4 - Vary Your Caloric IntakeThis is another way to outsmart your body and continue to lose body fat without lowering your metabolism. By varying your caloric intake every few days instead of eating the exact same amount of calories every day, keep the starvation mechanism in check and continue to burn fat. Says Jim Stoppani, Ph.D: "Although in today's society food tends to be accessible and abundant, our bodies are designed to store as much energy as possible to prepare for times of scarcity. One way the body does this is by adjusting its metabolic rate based on calorie intake. If you stick with the same calories every single day while dieting, your body will adjust by lowering metabolic rate to prevent you from burning off too much body fat. It's all about hormones. When leptin levels are high, your metabolic rate stays high; when leptin levels drop, so does your metabolic rate. When calories are low and steady, leptin levels fall and so does metabolic rate. Eating higher calories on some days and lower calories on others helps to keep leptin levels up." 5 - Do Hight-Intensity Intervals (HIIT)
6- Eat More FatConsuming enough of the good fats will help you lose fat, build muscle, and recover faster from your workouts. Healthy fats also have myriad health benefits, including being good for your heart. So which fats are "good" fats? The polyunsaturated ones (especially omega-3s), such as those from fish and nuts, and the monounsaturated kind, such as those from peanut butter, olive oil, egg yolks, and fish oil. 7 - Cut CarbsThe attention focused on low-carb diets has divided many people into "pro" and "anti" low-carb camps. Whichever side you're on, the bottom line is that reducing your carb intake—especially sugar and starches—when trying to lose fat will help. Those carbs you do consume should come from sources such as oatmeal and vegetables. The timing of your carb intake also affects fat-burning. Consume most of your carbs in the morning and around your workouts. 8 - Increase Your ProteineIncreasing protein intake will increase your metabolism and help to maintain your muscle mass, all of which helps with fat-burning. In fact, your body burns more calories when you eat protein than when you digest either fats or carbs. This may explain why the fat-burning effects of eating more protein were confirmed in a study published in the American Journal of Physiology. One group was fed a high-protein diet (just over 1 gram per pound of body weight per day) while the second group consumed an amount closer to the lower recommendation of the RDA (recommended dietary allowance). The group eating the higher-protein diet burned the most fat. Yes, you read that right, Grasshopper: Many dieters actually gained muscle mass without working out, simply by eating a high-protein diet. 9 - Eat 6 Smaller Meals Per Day, Not 2-3 FeastsThis will ensure that you supply your body with the nutrients necessary to build muscle and burn fat.
Bonus: Your resting metabolic rate increases. It will also prevent your body from kicking into "starvation" mode, which can happen when too much time elapses between meals. If this happens, your body will start burning muscle for energy and increasing your body-fat stores, as well as slowing down your metabolism. This is the exact opposite of what you want to happen. Who Should Go Low? Low-impact exercises are most appropriate for beginners, as well as people with arthritis or osteoporosis and older adults, individuals who are obese, pregnant women, and people with bone, joint, connective tissue injuries. That's because low-impact exercise tend to be less jarring on the body and joints, and less intense overall (more on that below). According to the American Council on Exercise, keeping at least one foot on the ground at all times also reduces your risk of musculoskeletal injury. Who Should Aim High? High-impact exercises tend to be more intense overall and therefore burn more calories. They may even strengthen bones better than lower impact options, but any impact can help with that, even if it's light. These types of exercises should be reserved for people who already have a baseline of fitness and are at low risk for joint problems because they pose a higher risk for injury, especially to the ankle, knee and hip joints as well as the spine. How? If you remember high school science class, Newton's third law (the law of impact and reaction forces) explains why. For every action (force applied by one body to a second), there is an equal and opposite reaction (the second applies an equal force on the first but in the opposite direction). Whew! What that means as that your body must absorb the impact forces during high-impact moves. The force on your body while running (high impact) can be more than twice that of walking (low impact). A 150-pound person who runs will land on one foot with about 300 foot pounds of pressure on the ankle, knee and hip joints. This can result in overuse and stress injuries, especially in larger people and at fast speeds. 21 Low-Impact Workouts That Are More Effective Than You Think. Today we're going to show you 21 low- (or no!) impact exercises to keep things varied, safe and full o’ fun. 1. Walking
Want to actually hit the water? Grab a kayak and jump on in! Kayaking works the arms and core (no crunches necessary) and can burn up to 400 calories an hour while seeing some stellar sights. 2. Elliptical Sorry treadmill, elliptical takes the cake when it comes to putting less stress on those legs. 3. Stairmaster Not all gyms have staircases, but they probably have a Stairmaster. (Which is obviously way more exciting than a treadmill.) No gym nearby? No problem. Hit the real stairs. 4. Strength training Want to actually hit the water? Grab a kayak and jump on in! Kayaking works the arms and core (no crunches necessary) and can burn up to 400 calories an hour while seeing some stellar sights. 5. Cycling Thank mom and dad for teaching us to take off the training wheels. Hopping on the bike is a fun way to fit in some exercise, with a lower chance of damaging the joints. And you don't even need to sign up for a spin class. 6. Rowing machine Spice up the cardio routine and bring the water sports to the gym? Yes, please. The rowing machine (impact not included) is an intense and fun way to work those arms, back, legs, and core. Score! 7. Kayaking Want to actually hit the water? Grab a kayak and jump on in! Kayaking works the arms and core (no crunches necessary) and can burn up to 400 calories an hour while seeing some stellar sights. 8. Tai Chi Try some meditation in motion to give those bones a break. This gentle, fluid movement may also help ward off headaches, helping to improve flexibility, too . (Whether that includes a hangover headache is unclear.) 9. Hiking Another way to spice up a walk is to add some hiking terrain (opt for flatter areas, though, to keep impact to a minimum). Ready to strap on the boots and hit the woods? Want to actually hit the water? Grab a kayak and jump on in! Kayaking works the arms and core (no crunches necessary) and can burn up to 400 calories an hour while seeing some stellar sights. 10. Rock climbing To take off some stress, head to the nearest wall (err, rock wall, that is!). Climbing movements are typically slow and controlled, which works the muscles without the added strain. 11. Yoga It’s no tackle football, but the NFL pros are doing it. So ease up and add some spinal twists and half moons to that fitness routine. Or try aerial yoga to really lift the stress off the ground. 12. Pilates High-impact sports won’t magically give us six-pack abs, that we know. The potential solution? Just roll out the mat for a quick Pilates session to strengthen the core and help increase flexibility. 13. Total Body Resistance Training Also known as "TRX", it is a strap suspension system (say that three times fast) that’s easy on the joints but a serious challenge for your whole body. 14. Swimming Skip the pool floats and start doing laps. Swimming is a great low-impact exercise with a boatload of benefits, from strengthening the shoulders to improving lung function. 15. Water aerobics If laps in the pool gets repetitive, bring the aerobics class to the water. Some gyms even offer treadmills in the pool to really keep things interesting. 16. Snowshoeing For a different kind of walk in the park, snowshoeing is the way to go. Working against the resistance of the snow will expend more energy than walking on dry land. 17. Step aerobics Step aerobics is a form of aerobic power distinguished from other types of aerobic exercise by its use of an elevated platform (the step). The height can be tailored to individual needs by inserting risers under the step. 18. Ballroom dancing Take a tip from Dancing With the Stars. Not only is dancing super sexy, it’s often easy on the body and a guaranteed great workout . So go grab a partner and give those dips, twirls, and whirls a spin! 19. Rollerblading Let’s take a trip back to the 90s. Gliding on pavement won’t fail to burn calories while putting less stress on limbs. Now, if only stopping was that easy… 20. Cross-country skiing This flat-terrain travel keeps things heated—even in the snow. So strap on the skis and start pumping those poles. You’ll keep the pressure light (as snow) on the body. 21. Golf Now, now—golf isn’t just for the pros (or the retired). Take a trip to the fairway and get that swing on. Bonus points for skipping the golf cart and walking the course! 10. Rock climbing To take off some stress, head to the nearest wall (err, rock wall, that is!). Climbing movements are typically slow and controlled, which works the muscles without the added strain. 11. Yoga It’s no tackle football, but the NFL pros are doing it. So ease up and add some spinal twists and half moons to that fitness routine. Or try aerial yoga to really lift the stress off the ground. 12. Pilates High-impact sports won’t magically give us six-pack abs, that we know. The potential solution? Just roll out the mat for a quick Pilates session to strengthen the core and help increase flexibility. 13. Total Body Resistance Training Also known as "TRX", it is a strap suspension system (say that three times fast) that’s easy on the joints but a serious challenge for your whole body. 14. Swimming Skip the pool floats and start doing laps. Swimming is a great low-impact exercise with a boatload of benefits, from strengthening the shoulders to improving lung function. 15. Water Aerobics If laps in the pool gets repetitive, bring the aerobics class to the water. Some gyms even offer treadmills in the pool to really keep things interesting. 16. Snowshoeing For a different kind of walk in the park, snowshoeing is the way to go. Working against the resistance of the snow will expend more energy than walking on dry land. 17. Step aerobics Step aerobics is a form of aerobic power distinguished from other types of aerobic exercise by its use of an elevated platform (the step). The height can be tailored to individual needs by inserting risers under the step. Most strength training exercises are low-impact and still work up a sweat. (Keep in mind those monster box jumps wearing a weighted vest doesn't exactly qualify.) Try squats, lunges, or super mans ( Lie face down with arms and legs extended. Keeping the torso as still as possible, simultaneously raise the arms and legs to form a small curve in the body)! |
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