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If you plan your meals in advance, you can aim to have nutritionally well-balanced meals throughout the week. For example, you can make sure each of your dinners have the requisite veggies, protein, and grains. Planning your meals ultimately allows you to take control of your own personal nutrition needs.

There are 3 reasons why meal planning is important.

Number 1 reason is that you can Prepare & Eat Healthier Food. Education is key when it comes to buying and preparing healthy meals for yourself and your family. And, meal planning is the perfect solution for people who find it difficult to buy healthy food when they go shopping. You can eat the right amount, you can stay accountable and you have more control over your choices.

Secondly, when you plan and cook your own meals, you are most likely saving money when compared to purchasing the same type of meal in a restaurant.You will get into the habit of buying what you need, instead of buying what you want.

Meal planning will also reduce the number of times you need to go to a store to buy food, which adds up to a large sum of money over the course of a month.

Lastly, you have control over time.You can identify where you need a time-saver, and plan your meals to save yourself the time you need. Pick your busy days, and make those meals the most simple or prepared ahead to help you later. Having control over time means greater quality of food.

Solving all your food decisions in advance really frees up some of your willpower and mental stress, helping you reach your goals faster and with more ease.

Starting from flax seeds, to chia and pumpkin seeds, each seed has something unique to provide. They are nutty, crunchy and delicious superheroes, which can provide you with all the essential vitamins, minerals and strength you need.

Ever wondered which seeds may fit your needs? Here are our top 3:

1. Flaxseeds

Also known as linseeds, are a great source of fiber and omega-3 fats, particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). However, the omega-3 fats are contained within the fibrous outer shell of the seed, which humans can’t digest easily. Therefore, if you want to increase your omega-3 levels, it’s best to eat flaxseeds that have been ground

2. Chia seeds

Chia seeds have a soft, creamy texture and are one of the most popular super foods. Thanks to their health benefits, you will see them being used in salads, smoothies and even desserts. They are extremely rich in calcium.

3. Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds may be associated with reduced inflammation in middle-aged and older people, which may help reduce the risk of heart disease. An observational study of more than 6,000 adults found that a high intake of nuts and seeds was associated with reduced inflammation

When consumed as part of a healthy diet, seeds can help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. Go to your nearest supermarket and grab a handful of these! 

Squats are many people’s favorite exercise for building muscle. They are always recommended to people who want to stay fit as they get older.

Contrary to what some may think, squats aren’t just for body builders or weight lifters; they’re for everyone wanting to tone up at any age and they can be done anywhere, at any time, without the need for specific equipment. Some people even say that squatting is the best exercise you can do.

Why should you include it to your workout routine?

1.    Squats Help Build Muscle.

They don’t just help you achieve wonderful, toned legs; they promote body-wide muscle building by creating an anabolic (muscle building) environment in the body. They work up your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, abdominal muscles, lower back and your butt too. Not many exercises can claim to recruit so many muscles at the same time! 

2.    Squats Burn Calories Fast.

Because they help you build muscle, you’ll become more efficient at burning calories so you can get to that slimmer physique faster. Add weights to your squats and you’ll burn the calories even quicker.

3.    Squats Help Improve Flexibility.

Improving your flexibility should be part of any well-rounded workout training plan. Our muscles, tendons and ligaments become less elastic with age so doing all we can to slow down this process is a good idea. Squatting regularly will see you limber up and become more flexible as the exercise involves bending and stretching of the leg muscles.

The most nutritious smoothies are made with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and healthy fats, while those with lots of added sugars aren’t as nutrient-dense and may contribute to negative health effects over time. Smoothies high in protein and fiber may even aid weight loss by keeping you full – the options are endless.

Here are your top 3 most nutritious smoothie recipes:

Green Goddess Smoothie

Power up your morning with this fruit-veggie combo: Blend 1⁄2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1⁄2 cup honey yogurt, 3 cups baby spinach, and 2 bananas, sliced and frozen.

We know that green leafy veggies are an excellent source of fiber, folate, and carotenoids. These vegetables also contain vitamins C and K and the minerals iron and calcium.

Pineapple Citrus Smoothie

Ingredients are: 3/4 c. orange-tangerine juice blend, 1/4 c. carrot juice, 1 c. frozen canned pineapple chunks, 1/2 frozen banana.

This golden smoothie looks and tastes like sunshine in a glass, and it’s a nutritional knockout to boot. The orange juice and pineapple are high in vitamin C and the banana is a good source of potassium.

Pomegranate – Berry Smoothie  

Eating pomegranates as a whole can have anti-inflammatory effects and can protect a human body from various diseases like type-2 diabetes, and obesity.

Ingredients are: 1/2 c. chilled pomegranate juice, 1/2 c. vanilla low-fat yogurt, 1 c. frozen mixed berries.

Elite military forces, athletes and football teams have something in common – they all embrace burpees. 

The burpee, a squat thrust with an additional stand between reps, is a full body exercise used in strength training and as an aerobic exercise.

Why the heck is this so important?

Burpees primarily target your core, shoulders, and upper back, and the vertical and horizontal jumping motions also sneakily work your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. 

Here are some reasons why you should do this:

1. Burpees make your body a fat burning machine.

That’s because since burpees are an intense full body exercise, they burn a ton of calories. Plus, research shows that high intensity exercises like burpees burn up to 50% more fat than moderate exercising.

2. They require no equipment. 

The best thing about burpees? They require absolutely no equipment. You can do burpees in your house, in a nearby park, even in your hotel room.

3. They make you stronger

The burpee is a full body strength training exercise and the ultimate example of functional fitness. With every rep, you’ll work your arms, chest, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and abs. After a few sets of burpees, your legs should feel a little bit like lead.

Do you have enough protein in your diet? While you may monitor your calories, sugar and salt intake, you should also make sure you are getting enough protein. It plays a key role in the creation and maintenance of every cell in our bodies. It fuels our cells and powers our bodies.

Protein and amino acids are the main components of our muscles, bones, skin, tissues, and organs. When we eat protein, our body breaks it down into individual amino acids during digestion and then uses these amino acids to create new proteins where needed.

Why is it so important? Well, read below.

Protein Makes You Feel Full

Protein promotes satiety, or the feeling of fullness, more than both carbohydrates and fat. This can be beneficial for athletes who are often fueling their bodies for long stretches of time.

Protein Boosts Metabolism

Along with reducing appetite, eating protein temporarily boosts metabolism. The body uses energy to digest and make use of the nutrients in food. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF), and protein’s thermic effect is much higher than that of carbohydrates and fat.

Protein Helps Maintain Your Muscles

Since protein is the building block of your muscles, eating adequate amounts of protein helps maintain your muscle mass and prevents muscle wasting. So if you walk a lot, enjoy cycling, or do any sort of exercise to stay active, you need to eat protein.

If we don’t get enough protein, our body will start to plunder it from within – beginning with the breakdown of muscle.

Planking is one of the easy exercises that make its way into almost any core workout. When done the right way, plank exercises not only fire up your core, but the muscles in your shoulders and legs, too. Moreover, planks can help you build strength and endurance which is important for logging miles injury-free.

How do you do a proper plank?

Start on the floor on your hands and knees. Place your hands directly under your shoulders. Step your feet back, one at a time. For more stability, bring your feet wider than hip-distance apart, and bring them closer for more of a challenge. Maintain a straight line from heels through the top of your head, looking down at the floor, with gaze slightly in front of your face. Now, tighten your abs, quads, glutes, and hold.

Start with small increments of time: 15 seconds, 30 seconds. As you get stronger, build up to a minute or even two minutes.

Is there a wrong way of doing it?

The most-common mistake people make when it comes to the plank is looking forward or even up. That strains your neck and eventually kills your entire form. Look at the floor in front of you. Imagine holding a tennis ball between your chin and neck. That will keep your spine neutral and help you avoid pain or injury.

Beyond your core, if you’re doing it right, the plank is a great total-body move. You engage your quads, glutes, arms, and more.

Waiting for the right time to do it? The perfect time is now! 

Plank your way out of unhealthy fats.

During this time of pandemic, it is essential to boost our immune system. Catching the Covid-19 virus can be so dangerous and as we always say, prevention is better than cure.

But how? Well, the answer is Vitamin C!

Our bodies do not produce or store the water-soluble vitamin C. We need to replenish our supply of vitamin C every day – and the best source is from fruits and vegetables.

What are the best sources of Vitamin C then?

Citrus fruits such as orange, kiwi, lemon, guava, grapefruit, and vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and capsicums are rich, natural sources of vitamin C. Other vitamin C-rich fruits include papaya, cantaloupe and strawberries.

One cup of raw capsicums will provide 117mg of vitamin C, which exceeds the RDA for both men and women. A combination of a kiwi fruit (75mg of vitamin C) and a vegetable will provide all the vitamin C you need in a day.

Why do you need it?

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects your cells from being damaged by free radicals produced by cigarette smoke, air pollution, excessive sunlight and normal metabolism. Free radicals are thought to play a role in rapid ageing and diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Vitamin C is also important for many bodily functions, including the production of collagen, which is important for skin health.

A deficiency in vitamin C may also impair wound healing. Patients recovering from injuries, surgeries, burns and wounds may benefit from a short-term use of vitamin C supplement as it can promote the healing process.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your fresh fruits now and go to the nearest drugstore to get your vitamin C supplements.

A diet rich in leafy green vegetables can offer a lot of health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline.

Low in calories, yet high in fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients, greens are incredible for your health in more ways than you would even suspect.

1. Kale

Kale is a popular vegetable and a member of the cabbage family. It is a cruciferous vegetable like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and Brussels sprouts. It also contains antioxidants such as lutein and beta-carotene, which reduce the risk of diseases caused by oxidative stress.

2. Spinach

Spinach is a popular leafy green vegetable and is easily incorporated into a variety of dishes, including soups, sauces, smoothies and salads.It  is a superfood. It is loaded with tons of nutrients in a low-calorie package. Dark, leafy greens like spinach are important for skin, hair, and bone health.

3. Cabbage

Cabbage is formed of clusters of thick leaves that come in green, white and purple colors. It seems to raise levels of beta-carotene, lutein, and other heart-protective antioxidants. It also helps lower something called “oxidized” LDL, which is linked to hardening of the arteries. And since it eases inflammation, it can help prevent heart disease.

Leafy green vegetables are full of important and powerful nutrients that are critical for good health. Many leafy greens can be found year round, and they can easily be incorporated into your meals — in surprising and diverse ways.

To reap the many impressive health benefits of leafy greens, make sure to include a variety of these vegetables in your diet.

Athletes are high thoroughbreds of high-performance runners. However, even the slow or steady joggers can also improve their health. A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that even 5 to 10 minutes a day of low-intensity running is enough to extend life by several years, compared with not running at all. It shows that the minimal healthy “dose” of exercise is smaller than many people might assume.

In these trying times, you cannot just go back to your normal routine. It seems that with gyms and fitness studios closed, more people are turning to running, suggesting that ours is the perfect social distancing sport. This shouldn’t be a problem as we have a lot of ways of converting the normal routine at home.

One study suggests a relatively low entry level for the benefit of jogging, but it is not a prescription. “A little bit is good but a little bit more is probably better,” says cardiologist Dr. Aaron Baggish, the associate director of the Cardiovascular Health Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital who’s also an accomplished runner. A 2013 study in Denmark suggested that the “sweet spot” for maximum longevity is up to 2.5 hours of running a week.

There’s no question that running has its health benefits. Regular exercise, like jogging miles, keeps your heart healthy, helps you burn calories or maintain a healthy weight, and is a perfect way to de-stress, which is extremely important right now.

Do more than the usual, boost your metabolism at a higher level. It would feel tiring at first but the benefits you’ll reap is bigger.