It helps build cardiovascular fitness with shorter workouts Have you heard about interval training but aren't sure how it works and whether it's right for you? Interval training simply means alternating between short bursts of intense exercise and brief periods of rest (or a different, less-intense activity). The payoff is improved cardiovascular fitness. You can give interval training a trial run simply by altering your current workout routine. To get the cardiac boost from interval training, you have to be willing to push yourself close to your limits—at least briefly. Three 20-minute sessions per week could add zest to your exercise experience and enhance cardiovascular fitness. What is interval training? That seesaw relationship between exercise intensity and duration is what makes interval training work—but you may need to break a sweat. "High-intensity basically means exercising at a higher intensity or velocity than you could otherwise sustain for five to 10 minutes before becoming exhausted," in interval training, "you do high-intensity exercise for a minute, then rest, then repeat." Here are a few ways to adapt your normal workout to a session of interval training:
What are the benefits? Interval training allows you to accomplish the same amount of exercise "work" in less time. That could make workouts easier to fit into a busy day or open a time slot to add some strength training. If you can reduce your moderate 30-minute workout to 15 or 20 minutes of interval training, the cardiovascular benefit should be about the same. Is it safe? In an otherwise healthy person, interval training should not present major risks, as long as you don't dive in too fast. "If you haven't done this before, begin slowly," "As you find it easier to exercise, you can increase the intensity." If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, talk to your chiropractor before starting interval training or any other new exercise program—especially if you've been relatively inactive until that time. How to get in the aerobic zone Aerobic exercise gets your lungs and heart pumping to deliver the oxygen to your muscle cells, which use it to produce energy. You can use your heart rate to find the level of exercise that gets you in the aerobic zone and enhance cardiovascular fitness. Subtract your age from 220 to roughly approximate your maximum heart rate during exercise. Exercising at between 60% and 70% of your estimated maximum heart rate is sufficient to build cardiovascular fitness. If you can gradually condition your way up to 80%, the fitness gains will be even more noticeable. Using a wearable heart rate monitor can help you stay in the aerobic zone and show the benefits as your fitness improves.
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For many of us September is a wonderful month, with beautiful scenery and the first autumn’s harvest month. One of my favourite quotes from Albert Camus says: "Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower." I’ve always been fascinated about nature, plants and I will always admire and respect people who are growing their own food. And growing also for others, like us, so we can enjoy the best flavours, textures and colours of the nature. If we need to consider the full supply chain of majority of the products we have in the shops you will realise it takes a long time until food arrives on our plate (average is 2 weeks). During this time the nutritional value of food is decreasing with almost 60-70%, do not even mention about freshness! I can always recommend few ways to improve our health and this is starting with the food. Whenever you live, there will always be a better option than buying only from supermarket. I know this as my family back home in Transylvania go to the Farmer’s Market twice a week ( Wed and Sat) and my friends from Europe go every Saturday morning to a market in their own town. So, if you really want something you will find a way to make it happen. Am I right? One of my favourite is to go to the farms where you can pick your own fruits and vegetables. So search for PYO farms in your area and I am sure you will find some. It is a great time to spend few hours outside with the family and the kids will just love it. You can find a great variety of fruits and veggies and you can pick them by yourself from the field or simply buy them from the local farm shop. My favourite place to go is Gray’s Farm, where everything is grown locally, according to seasons and organic. Find more info about the farm here : http://www.graysfarm.co.uk/ Best in season now are : courgettes, marrows, beetroot, leeks, runner beans, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, sweetcorn, apples, blackberries, raspberries, apples, plums, pears. Also another great way to keep your food local and known is grown in your area is to visit the Farmer’s Markets. This is a community-interest, non-profit organisation that is committed to helping the local community benefit from rural’s economy. The products here are so delicious that you’ll want to come back as soon as possible. Believe me. For me this is the place where I always buy the organic eggs, fresh raw milk, cheese, mushrooms, organic meat, veggies and fruits in season. Another way to have fresh, seasonal and organic products right next to your door is to order online your weekly box. You can always pick and choose whatever you need, based on your habits and lifestyle as you might not cook everything in house, hence this is a great way to plan in advance for a week. I can recommend Riverford Organic and I always use them during winter time as they work with other partners from Europe to source best products for UK market. Please find more info here (http://www.riverford.co.uk/ ) The next on my list to try for online shopping is Gazegill Farm with organic and non-GMO products. Find more about here : (http://gazegillorganics.co.uk/ ) Knowing from where your food is coming from and where is grown, having it local, seasonal and fresh as much as you can is one big step forward to your health and wellbeing. I would say as well is the best investment in your family future. Getting in touch with the people who have grown our food is bringing us closer to nature and to our roots. Food is life. Food changes everything. Let me know what are you up to in the next week, where do you go next for shopping? How do you enjoy those beautiful autumn days? What are the products you enjoy most now? Do you know why? If you have any questions that I can help answer or support you, let’s connect. Carmen Your Health Coach Dads need some pampering too! So here’s a few super easy gift ideas using natural products that aren’t expensive and ideal for last minute gifts.
WAKE UP SALT SCRUB Perfect for early morning starts with a quick shower for a refreshing start to the day.
Use in the shower - take a scoop and gently massage onto wet skin. The coconut oil will moisturise, the Epsom Salt will exfoliate and the lemon zest will awaken any sleepy head in the morning. WARMING MUSCLE RUB Excellent for use on aching muscles after a tough strength training session at the gym!
The ginger and black pepper will help promote blood flow to the area, which is what gives that warming feeling when rubbed onto the skin. The extra blood flow helps the muscles heal faster. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and black pepper improves circulation. Now that spring has sprung, it is time for a thorough spring-cleaning! Being as crazy about apples as we are in all our practices, we will use apple cider vinegar for cleaning.
Not many people realize how powerful apple cider vinegar is for cleaning the home! Research tells us that apple cider vinegar possesses an amazing superpower that will leave you wondering why you ever invested in those expensive, harsh over-the-counter cleansing products. One of the main reasons for its effectiveness is the acid that it contains. This acid has the ability to cut through difficult substances, such as grease build-ups, with ease. Additionally, the acid is considered to be a highly effective deodorizer. Furthermore, this form of vinegar has been found to possess both anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, which assists in preventing the growth and development of mold, mildew, and various forms of bacteria. Ways to experience the benefit of Apple Cider Vinegar cleaning While the task of spring-cleaning may never prove to be a completely effortless task, it can be a bit more manageable. Below, you will find many productive ways to experience the benefit of apple cider vinegar in spring-cleaning:
A lot of the shampoos, conditioners and styling products that we use on a regular basis are full of chemicals and ingredients that will actually do more damage to our hair than good. Certain ingredients will eventually strip your hair of moisture, breakdown hair proteins and lead to badly damaged and dry, brittle hair. Check the ingredients labels on your hair products … if they contain any of the following, then put the bottle down and walk away. Sodium laurel / laureth sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium lauryl sulfate. While SLS is a key ingredient in industrial detergents and cleansing agents - including engine degreasers and garage floor cleaners - it is also shockingly found in a high number of leading shampoos. This chemical will cause damage to hair by drying it out considerably. Isopropyl alcohol. This chemical is used in antifreeze, wood finish and shellac, isopropyl alcohol is designed to dissolve oils, which can strip the hair of moisture. Many hair gels, root lifters, volumizers and hairsprays use this substance. Proplyene Glycol (PG), PEG or Polyethylene Glycol. PG can cause scalp irritation, and PEG’s intended use is for deep cleaning ovens that have accumulated a ton of baked in grease! You will never need such a harsh chemical to dissolve oil and grease buildup on your hair. Here’s the good news... We stock natural, chemical-free products that you may not have considered using on your hair! Coconut Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar are nature’s wonders for healthy locks! Treat your hair to a deep conditioning treatment with Coconut Oil. Take a scoop out of the jar and melt it between your hands, then run it through the ends of your hair and gently comb it through. Leave it on for as long as possible before washing your hair. Coconut oil will add shine and softness to your hair, moisturise dry hair and also help to prevent breakage and split ends. Use this treatment as often as necessary if you have dry ends. You can also use coconut oil to treat persistent dandruff. Massage warm coconut oil into your scalp, leave for approximately 30 minutes, then wash out with a gentle shampoo. Need an inexpensive, natural haircare remedy that will restore shine and remove sticky, chemical deposits from all the hair products you’ve been using? Look no further than Apple Cider Vinegar! Pour a couple of tablespoons into a large mug of warm water and rinse it through your hair after washing. Leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing off. It will leave your hair so squeaky-clean and soft that it will be unlikely you’ll need to use a conditioner - even on dry hair! The results are quite amazing! Use this treatment once a month for best results. As it is February, and there are love hearts everywhere, we thought it was the perfect time to promote heart health! This recipe has been designed to keep your heart healthy and release energy slowly, making these bites perfect for your pre-workout snack.
Each ingredient has been carefully selected due to its fantastic properties: Oats - the humble oat helps to lower cholesterol and also contains antioxidants that help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Oats help to stabilise your blood sugar levels and release energy slowly. Honey - when choosing which honey to buy, go for the one with the darkest colour, these contain more antioxidants which help to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Honey also slows down the oxidation of bad cholesterol in your blood and gives you a natural energy boost. Coconut Oil - as one of the top foods of 2015, we all know that coconut oil is fabulous. One of the great properties it holds is that it increases energy expenditure, due to it containing medium chain triglycerides. Choose a raw, cold-pressed coconut oil to reap all of the benefits you’ve heard so much about. Almond Butter - always choose almond butter over peanut butter, it is much better for your body. In regards to heart health, it helps to lower cholesterol. And it is a great source of protein too! Flax Seeds - also known as linseeds, these little seeds come in a variety of colours. They are high in plant based omega-3, which lowers blood pressure and prevents the hardening of arteries. And on top of that, it lower cholesterol as well! Dark Chocolate - When choosing chocolate, go for the lowest sugar content. If you are used to milk chocolate, start with a 70% cocoa content and work your way up to 90%. Dark chocolate (in moderation) helps to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Shredded Coconut - be careful when purchasing coconut, as many varieties have been sweetened. Dried coconut is high in fibre which helps to lower cholesterol. Ingredients
Most people have brazil nuts at Christmas …usually chocolate coated, but still a relatively healthy treat for the season’s celebrations. But have you ever considered making milk from brazil nuts? With many people experiencing intolerance to lactose, there are a wide variety of alternative milks available now. However, it’s really simple to make your own. I have recently made some with coconut and almonds, both of which are delicious, but I thought I’d try it with brazil nuts, and the result was fabulous!
Brazil nuts contain the richest source of selenium. They have antioxidant properties which help the body prevent cell damage from free-radicals. Selenium also helps support your immune system, which is great for this time of year. I was surprised at how simple it was to make with only three ingredients:
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