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    Alliya Samhat

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    The 4 Best Moves to Whittle Your Waistline

    Young Woman Doing A Sit UpsWe all strive for that hourglass shape, cinched in waistline and full hips. Not only do a woman’s curves look beautiful, but they are also indicative of her heart health. Waist circumference, as well as your hip to waist ratio, can tell you a lot about your weight and overall health. When it comes to where you carry your weight you want to be sure it is dispersed between the lower half of your body, not concentrated around the abdomen. Having too much weight in your abdomen can be harmful to your vital, visceral organs. This body style is characterized as apple shape. The body type you should strive for, in order to keep your heart as healthy as possible, is pear shape. Pear shape is characterized by those hourglass curves, slim waist and fuller hips. Keep in mind that any excess fat is bad for your health, but certain areas which you hold your weight are better than others.

    As we know, the size of your waistline can be greatly affected by diet and exercise. Today, we’re going to share with you the top four moves to whittle that waistline!

    1. Wood choppers
    Stand up straight holding a weight above your head with both hands. Start twisted facing slightly to your right (twist at your waist not your feet). In a chopping motion bring the weight down diagonally across toward the left side your body. To end you will be facing left and you will have a slight bend in your knees. Perform three sets of 12 reps on each side.

    2. Russian twist
    Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet hovering above the mat. You will be balancing on your sit bones. Holding one dumbbell with both hands. Twist toward your right, then quickly, with control, twist toward your left. The only movement should be coming from your waistline; your feet should not move in space. Perform three sets of 12 reps on each side.

    3. Bicycle
    Lay on your back with your hands behind your head and neck for support. Your upper body is flexed forward and your legs are lifted off the mat in a table top position. Extend your right leg out long. Twist your upper body toward your knee that is still bent, bringing your right elbow to your left knee. Be mindful to keep the bend knee at about 90 degrees. Twist to the other side and extend the left leg long. Perform three sets of 20 reps on each side.

    4. Toe taps
    Lie on your back knees bent feet flat on the floor. Flex your upper body forward, hands hover the mat palms facing inward. Close the space between your ribs and your hips and reach your right hand toward your right foot. Return to center and reach the left hand toward the left foot. Perform three sets of 30 reps on each side.

    Head over to Instagram @MyHealthSpin to check out a video demonstrating these four moves!

    To learn more about women’s health check out the Women’s Mind Body Wellness Summit. It contains 6 interviews by top female health professionals plus two workout videos and 3 bonus videos on mind-body wellness with MyHealthSpin Founder Lori-Ann Rickard.

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    4 Things You Need to Know About HPV

    Woman In Need To UrinateHuman papillomavirus, more commonly known as HPV, is a sexually transmitted disease. Most young adults will contract HPV at some point in their life, and most won’t even know they have it. HPV is characterized by warts that can form in various parts of the body. If left untreated, HPV can lead to cervical cancer. January is cervical health month and today we are discussing 4 things you need to know about HPV in order to stay healthy!

    It can be asymptomatic
    Sometimes women don’t even know they have HPV. They go in for their yearly pap and they get tests results that the doctor found “bad cells.” This doesn’t always mean that you have HPV, it just means that there is some sort of abnormality. A follow up pap is done to figure out if there’s a problem and what steps to take next.

    It’s not uncommon
    Most people will contract HPV in their lifetime. Although a lot of people don’t know about HPV it is extremely common. In fact, several of your friends may have it and you may not even realize.

    It’s actually pretty easy to get
    The most common mode of transmission is through sexual contact. However, HPV can be transmitted through things such as hot tubs. That’s right, hot tubs.

    Condoms don’t always protect you from HPV
    This is not to say that you not need to use condoms, you do. However, since a condom doesn’t cover the entire genital area HPV and other STDs can be easily transmitted. Therefore, it’s always important to get yourself and your partner tested.

     

    To learn more about women’s health pick up the Women’s Mind Body Wellness Summit TODAY! Use promo code BEWELL to receive 50% off! The WMBW Summit includes 6 interviews from top female health leaders plus 2 bonus workout videos and 3 mind-body wellness videos from HyHealthSpin Founder Lori-Ann Rickard!

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    5 Sneaky Sugar Substitutes

    bigstock--164564432We all know that sugar isn’t good for us, but sometimes its unavoidable. Many recipes call for some sort of sugar or we just get a craving that we need to satisfy. There are plenty of sugar substitutes out there, but some of them are full of chemicals and just as bad for you as real sugar. This week is sugar awareness week, so let’s talk about what you can substitute for sugar to stay healthy, not just this week, but all year long!

    Agave
    Agave comes from a cactus and has a syrup like consistency. Most people think that it’s healthier than regular table sugar, but you need to be careful. Agave is high in fructose, which is high in calories, and it’s not something produced by the human body. So agave is an OK option in moderation.

    Stevia
    Stevia is a natural, no calorie sweetener. It is an excellent alternative to other sweeteners. You can use it on a daily basis. Be picky about the brand you use, though. Make sure it’s not non-GMO.

    Sugar alcohols
    One common sugar alcohol is xylitol. Sugar alcohols are not calorie free like most artificial sweeteners, but they don’t cause tooth decay. Xylitol has such a great taste even kids will love it! They won’t even know the difference.

    Coconut sugar
    Coconut is all the rage right now. People use it for everything. It can also be used as a sugar substitute. It’s easy for your body to digest, low glycemic index and it’s not full of a ton of toxic chemicals like other sugar alternatives.

    Dates
    Believe it or not this tiny dried fruit can act as the perfect sugar substitute. Dates contain sugar (they aren’t a form of sugar), but they’re also high in fiber so they’re a win-win.

    Avoid…

    As you probably noticed, not all sweeteners are equal. What sweeteners should you avoid?

    High fructose corn syrup
    It’s no secret that high fructose corn syrup is bad for you. It’s found in many prepacked products and it can lead to weight gain and obesity. Avoid all foods that contain high fructose corn syrup. Be careful: a lot of companies have tried to use different words for high fructose corn syrup to try and trick consumers. Look for words like glucose syrup or maize syrup and avoid products containing them.

    Aspartame
    Aspartame is advertised as a zero-calorie sweetener. Because of this, people use it–way too much of it. Even though it doesn’t contain any calories, studies have shown that it can cause weight gain and the chemicals in it can even cause cancer! Avoid this type of sweetener at all costs.

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