Stress brought on by dieting is added to the personal and work life stresses that we face every day, often resulting in a "vicious cycle" of increased stress and increased food intake. If this sounds like you, read the following tips for managing stress-related overeating to help you check this unhealthy habit.

Is stress affecting your weight loss battle?

Stress brought on by dieting is added to the personal and work life stresses that we face every day, often resulting in a "vicious cycle" of increased stress and increased food intake. People under stress tend to engage in self-defeating and unhealthy behaviors such as binge eating and there is strong biologic evidence that stressed-out people may tend to put on the pounds faster. "I'm stressed, therefore I eat." Many people complain that they overeat in response to workplace or personal stress. If this sounds like you, read the following tips for managing stress-related overeating to help you check this unhealthy habit.

1. Practice waiting. Postpone your instant gratification when hunger hits. Tell yourself you'll wait 10 to 30, minutes to eat. Chances are good if your cravings are only stress-related, they'll disappear when you allow yourself to become distracted.

2. Write it down. Keep a food journal of what you eat each day. Knowing you have to write down every snack or nibble can be a good way to remind yourself to think before eating.

3. Enlist a friend's help - ideally one who also is tempted by stress-related cravings. When you feel like eating, write him/her a quick note or make a phone call.

4. Keep yourself nourished. Eat regular, healthy snacks to maintain your energy level. Skipping meals while under stress only prompts you to eat more, and unhealthily, when you do get around to eating.

5. Post it up. Post some reminder messages wherever you're likely to see them when stress-related cravings begin. Use any message that works for you. Examples might be "Are you really hungry?" or "Think about why you're eating."

6. Take away temptation. Physically remove tempting food items from your home or office. Never go shopping while hungry and always make a list of food items prior to shopping; bring home only what you feel good about eating.

7. Take time for yourself every day. Whether it's 10 minutes to reflect and relax, or whether it's some fun activity that will revitalize you, it's critical to do it. Health is not just physical, mental well-being is just as important, you deserve to mentally de-stress everyday!

Think you have what it takes to complete a Hard Corps workout? Then complete the sneak preview and enter for your chance to win cash and other cool prizes.  Visit Beachbody On Demand to try the 22 Minute Hard Corps Cardio Workout. This exclusive sneak peek of Tony Horton’s latest fitness program will be available free for 24 hours (full program available in March). 

Completing the workout will also make you eligible to enter the 22 Minute Hard Corps Sweepstakes.

Here’s how to enter the 22 Minute Hard Corps Sweepstakes:

1) If you’re not already a member, sign up for a free 30-day trial of Beachbody On Demand.
2) Complete the 22 Minute Hard Corps Cardio Workout, available for 24 hours on Sunday, February 7, 2016.
3) Take a photo or video of yourself doing the workout. Beachbody On Demand must be visible somewhere in the background of your photo or video submission.
4) Upload your photo or video to either Instagram or Twitter along with the hashtags #22MinuteHardCorps and #Sweeps. (You must use both tags.)
5) OPTIONAL: Nominate your own fitness MVP by tagging him or her in your post. You may tag up to five nominees with your submission.

Prizes: 10 randomly selected winners will receive $1,000 cash and the 22 Minute Hard Corps Base Kit. If a winner nominated any fitness MVPs, those MVPs will each receive the 22 Minute Hard Corps Base Kit.

Most people, especially those who are not as intelligent as Einstein, would want to have a boost of their brain power. If you are one of those people who want to think better, your brain power boost might be just a few steps away.

 

These seven steps might help you in your quest to train and keep your brain working perfectly fine.

1. Engage yourself in a Regular Exercise

Do simple exercises like a simple walk or jog. It may not be as intense as a full-blown work-out. You just have to keep your body physically fit and active.

Simple work-outs may trigger the release of neurochemicals known as endorphins. These chemicals are responsible for making us feel happy and by feeling happier, a more positive effect on the brain can be observed.

2. Supplement your Diet 

Natural supplements are believed to have a good effect on the brain. These supplements not only keep your body healthier, they also maintain the fitness of your brain; thus resulting to better brain power! These supplements are so popular that they can be found anywhere, from your local health and food store up to the web pages of the internet.

3. Use your Brain 

If you are to exercise your body, you should exercise your brain as well. Use your brain muscles more often – think and learn. You may read, talk with other people or even play educational games. Any activity that can keep your brain working effectively may be tried out.

4. Play Games

Choose games that will definitely have a good effect on your brain. Refrain from playing games which are “no-brainer.” Nowadays, most computer games are designed to exercise your brain, so all you have to do is to choose well the games that you will play. Gaming consoles are also following the fad into increasing brain function. So, do your part in boosting your brain power, play games that will increase your brain power.

5. Enjoy an Educational Hobby

Choose a hobby that will give you some lessons at the end of the activity. This will not be such a difficult task since most of the time, we learn something from our experiences. Just be sure to do things that are not monotonous. Your hobby should be something that will help you learn new things every time you perform it. This way, you will be able to use some parts of your brain which are left unused before.

6. Sleep Well

Sleeping is the time when your body rebuilds and recharges itself. Most professionals believe that you should sleep for at least six to eight hours a day. Aside from these hours, you should also try to take ten-minute power naps.  After these refreshing sleeps and naps, you will surely feel energized to take on more activities for the day. Do not deprive yourself of sleep, and you will then realize that your brain will function better with more hours of sleep.

7. Relax

Because of the complexities of our society today, your brain is exhausted just as much as your body. Thus, you should take the time to relax and cleanse your mind of the worries and stresses that might overwhelm your thoughts. You may want to try on spas or meditations to give your mind a break from all the hassle. After the relaxation, you will feel that you are prepared to take on another complex day! This is how you make better your brain’s health and performance.

Tired of those winter pounds sneaking up on you? When the weather won't let you get out to the trail to finish your daily run, you can always find a fun alternative to keep those pounds from creeping in on you.

What if you could turn winter's cold weather into a game? Instead of resisting the weather, you can use it to your advantage to get exercise, to burn calories and to improve your fitness. You can also use it to bond with friends and deepen relationships.

Here are five fun and social ways to exercise in the cold.

==> #1: Race through the Snow

Bundle yourselves up and go for a race! Racing through the snow poses unique challenges. You have to plunge through the snow's resistance, find easy paths and combat tough visibility.

If conditions are really bad, do the race in pairs to make sure nobody gets in a bind out there on their own.

==> #2: Host a Pillow Fight

When it's snowing, freezing or foggy outside, bring the party home. Instead of working out in the cold, why not get your heart racing indoors with a pillow fight party instead?

You can do it just once, or make it a regular thing. Combine the pillow fight with other physical activities to make it a workout for the whole group.

==> #3: Do the 100 Push-Up Challenge

There's something about the number one hundred that's inherently appealing - especially when doing a challenge. That's one of the reasons why the 100 push-up challenge was created and one of the reasons so many people took it on.

The 100 push-up challenge is a free online challenge you can take on. They provide a six-week training program designed to take you from where you are now to doing 100 push-ups.

This challenge will help build your shoulder muscles, your biceps, your triceps, your chest muscles and even your back and buttock muscles. It's also quite an aerobic exercise and will give your cardiovascular system a good workout as well.

==> #4: The Speed House Cleaning Party

Have a garage that hasn't been cleaned out in a couple years? Or an attic that needs rearranging? Or maybe you've been meaning to redecorate an area of the house for some time?

Since you're going to be stuck in the house anyway, why not make a party out of it? Invite a bunch of your friends, bring some food, put on some music and have a house cleaning party. If it's a small area, you could do it with just the family.

==> #5: Twister

Twister is a fantastic social and physical game that really shines in winter. Invite a few of your friends over, put on some music, lay out the Twister map and let the games begin. Again, you can combine this Twister party with some of the other activities described here.

These are some of the many ways you can use winter time to your advantage. Instead of exercising alone, use winter as an opportunity to get together with friends and work out together.

Looking better and feeling great may be their own rewards when you lose weight, but it never hurts to reward yourself for reaching goals and sticking to your eating plan. Building incentives is a time-honored way of helping keep yourself on track. Did you pass up that piece of cheesecake at lunch? Reward yourself with a pot of fresh herbs! Did you get out and exercise for your daily half-hour? Take a luxurious bath with scented oils.  The possibilites are endless, and can be customized to your preferences.

Looking better and feeling great may be their own rewards when you are losing weight, but it never hurts to reward yourself for reaching goals and sticking to your eating plan. Building in incentives is a time-honored way of helping keep yourself on track. Did you pass up that piece of cheesecake at lunch? Reward yourself with a pot of fresh herbs! Did you get out and exercise for your daily half-hour? Take a luxurious bath with scented oils. Went the whole week without falling off your new routine? That calls for a big reward! Treat yourself to an evening out, or buy that book you've been dying to read.

Need some excuses for rewarding yourself? Try setting one of these goals to give yourself something to shoot for:

1. Weight loss goals.

Pretty traditional here - treat yourself to something special whenever you can mark off ten pounds toward your goal weight. Get a manicure to make you feel extra special.

2. Look, Ma, I dropped a whole size!

Well, that certainly calls for buying yourself something in that new size, even if it's just a pair of new exercise sneakers!

3. Whew! I made it ALL the way through the half-hour workout without stopping ONCE!

Now that's impressive! Call your best friend or your mom and brag -or just chat. Even if it's long distance.

4. I didn't do it! That chocolate chip cookie dough sundae was calling my name, but I turned my back and walked away.

In that case, don't you think you deserve fresh flowers for your
desk?

5. I finally fit into THAT dress!

I'd say that calls for wearing it out somewhere special, wouldn't you? Take yourself out dancing to show it off!

6. I lost weight for the third week in a row. I'm so proud of myself!

Here's an ongoing reward - for every pound you lose, drop a dollar or two into a jar, and watch the money build up. Entertain yourself with plans on how you'll spend it when you reach your goal weight.

7. I got stuck for three weeks, but I finally budged from that plateau!

I'll tell you what - sticking to a diet when you're not seeing results is one of the hardest things that you'll ever do. Get yourself something that will make it easier to reward yourself. For example, buy a blender for whipping up frozen fruit smoothies.

8. I'm halfway there!

You deserve a Halfway Party, don't you think? Pull out all your old fat clothes and try them on so you can feel great about how far you've
come.

9. I've been slugging away forever, and I'm starting to get 
discouraged...

Okay, so it's not a 'reward' situation -- but it is. You deserve a reward for sticking to it this long. Want a quick pick-me-up? Pick up the phone and get together with someone you haven't seen in months.This will guarantee that you’ll receive compliments at how great you look!

10. I did it! I made it! I reached my goal weight!!

Well, sweetheart, that calls for pulling out the stops! Remember that money you've been paying yourself for losing weight? Time to cash it in for something fabulous!

Eating healthy and losing weight are gifts that you give yourself, though they may not feel like it at first. By rewarding yourself along the way, you’ll not only increase the chances of your success, but you’ll enjoy the process a whole lot more!

There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. Thus, if you cut back or work off just 3,500 calories, you will lose an entire pound of fat. While it is possible to cut back on your calorie intake and increase your exercise regimen in order to lose pounds quickly, it is important to note that doctors recommend that you lose no more than 2 pounds of weight per week in order to ensure that your body properly adjusts to the weight loss.

Here are some tips to help you safely drop those extra pounds.

There are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. Thus, if you cut back or work off just 3,500 calories, you will lose an entire pound of fat. While it is possible to cut back on your calorie intake and increase your exercise regimen in order to lose pounds quickly, it is important to note that doctors recommend that you lose no more than 2 pounds of weight per week in order to ensure that your body properly adjusts to the weight loss.

Here are some tips to help you safely drop 3,500 from your regular routine:

Run

Running for about 1 hour at a slow pace will help you lose approximately 350 calories, depending on your body type, speed and terrain. Thus, if you run for one hour five days a week while maintaining a consistent diet, you will safely lose one pound.

It is important to understand that many people who just begin running will eat pasta and other foods high in carbohydrates in order to compensate for the exertion. They think that because they worked out so hard, they deserve a treat. After all, they justify, the pasta will help to keep their energy levels high.

However, what they may not realize is that while they are justified in thinking that the carbohydrates will infuse their workout routine with energy, they are not actually setting their bodies up to lose weight. When you burn 350 calories but intake 450 over a high-carbohydrate pasta dish, you are adding more calories to your body than you otherwise would have.

Running does, however, help to boost our metabolism and change your muscle tone so that you burn calories more efficiently. Instead of inhaling a pasta dish after a run, select instead to have a large salad and splurge for the carbohydrate-rich croutons.

Eat In

When you eat out at a restaurant, not only are you subjecting your body to an array of high fat, high calorie foods, but you are also tempting yourself to eat a larger portion than you might normally eat. Therefore, what could be a simple 500 calories meal can easily turn into a 1500-calorie fat fest. In order to lose weight by cutting calories, it is essential that you are aware of exactly what you are putting into your body. Especially in the beginning of your new routine, it is important that you prepare your meals and monitor your level of hunger.

When eating out, generally you are in a social situation where food is not a priority – but spending time with your friends is. For this reason, people tend to eat more than they normally would. Non-dessert eaters often even spring for the extra round of calories. If you must eat out, help yourself avoid temptation by selecting a salad rather than a plate of pasta or burger. You will be amazed at the difference in the amount of calories you intake when you make simple choices such as meal option.

By reducing your overall calorie intake and increasing your level of physical activity, you will be able to lose those 3,500 calories without much trouble. Make sure that you stay focused, motivated and on task. You’ll shed unwanted weight in no time!

Are cravings controlling your eating habits? Well, they don't have to anymore. Cravings are overated. Learn how to use your mind to change what you crave. You will lose weight.

If I were to ask you which foods temp you, most likely they wouldn’t be ones that are very healthy. I bet they would be ice cream, potato chips, pizza, or something along those lines. In fact, in your mind right now as you’re reading, you are probably thinking about a food that isn’t healthy. Well, aren’t you? Stop for a moment and think about it……………….. The point I’m going to make in this article is that you can change what you crave by changing how you think.

Every new client that comes to my office for weight-loss has a “craving problem.” But I don’t see it as a problem at all. I see it as a solution. Cravings are over-rated. They are hodge-podge and we don’t have to be controlled by them. We don’t have to feel temped by ice cream, cookies or 20-ounce prime ribs. Instead, we can be tempted by watermelon, pineapple, oranges or apples; foods like that. Think that sounds crazy? Well it isn’t and you’ll see why.

When I first sit down and talk with a client about their eating habits, I gather everything I need to know about exactly what they eat and how they eat. The culprit to their weight problem always boils down to snacking, picking, eating foods that are unhealthy or just plain over-eating. Then I’ll ask them what fruits and vegetables they like. I’m yet to come across someone who hates fruit or hates every vegetable under the sun. Finally I’ll ask them how often they eat fruits or vegetables and it’s always a lot less often than the unhealthy stuff.

After I’ve gathered my arsenal of information, we do our thing. I’ll have my clients lay back in my recliner and close their eyes. I’ll direct their mind to a peaceful place, and within minutes they’ll be relaxed like never before. Then I start talking about their favorite fruits and vegetables. I’ll ask them to imagine taking a bite of their favorite juicy, ripe fruit and to feel the juices tickling their taste buds. I’ll say to their mind, “from now on anytime you have a craving for food, you will think of a juicy, ripe piece of fruit. And bingo!!! Next thing you know these are exactly the kinds of foods they start desiring. Why? Because anytime you close your eyes and bring yourself to a calm, relaxed place, your subconscious mind emerges, and it is this part of the mind that controls what you crave. Change your thoughts and you’ll change what you crave. Simple.

Let’s look at this from another perspective. Let’s say pineapple is your favorite fruit. Now, if you were sitting with me right now and I gave you a juicy chunk of it, you would enjoy it thoroughly. And you’d want more, right? Of course. Now, let’s say I reached into my refrigerator, whipped-out a piece of chocolate cake and said, “choose one.” Most likely you would opt for the pineapple because you just had a teaser-piece, which would make your mind want more. The fact of the matter is this: you enjoy your favorite fruits just as much as you enjoy your favorite junk foods, you just believe otherwise.

Again, cravings are over-rated. The mere mention of that devilish word always seems to conjures-up images of high calorie, high fat foods only because these are the foods you are most exposed to in our media driven world. Your subconscious gets accustomed to this and just doesn’t know any better. Change your minds images and you’ll change your cravings. Here’s a quick 5 minute mental exercise you can begin doing now to help you start changing the way you crave food.

Step 1: Find a comfortable, quiet place where there are no distractions. Begin breathing deeply until you are quite relaxed. Next, count backwards from 10-1, slowly. With each count, imagine that your mind is drifting deeper and deeper.

Step 2: After you have finished counting, imagine that you are relaxing by yourself in your favorite place. A secluded beach or a log in the woods will do the trick. Imagine yourself feeling so very relaxed and peaceful.

Step 3: Next, imagine a basket full of your favorite fresh picked fruit sitting right next to you. See it clearly in your mind, the color, the feel, everything about that fruit. Imagine taking a bite of that juicy fruit and enjoying it like never before.

Step 4: Repeat the following suggestion to yourself 10 times: “From now on, anytime I think of eating, I immediately feel a craving for fruit.”

Step 5: Count from 1 to 5, slowly, and when you reach 5 open your eyes.

Having some quick clean eating recipes on hand will help you have a nutritious meal available no matter how crazy your schedule gets.  We all know how it is when our schedule gets crazy and our day doesn’t end up going as planned.  Long meetings, crazy hectic work days, unexpected appointments after work, traffic jams, etc.  Before you know it, you are grabbing something quick to eat that doesn’t fit into your nutrition plan and you are off track on your eating goals for the day.  Don’t worry, it happens to all of us.  But hopefully these clean eating recipes will help you stay on track even when your day doesn’t.

 

Clean Eating Recipes for a Quick and Healthy Lunch

        Collard Wraps with Satay-Style Dipping Sauce 

Ditch that tortilla and save your carbs.  Collards pack more nutritional value than the usual lettuce, and they are sturdy enough to handle all kinds of fillings.  Use this recipe to get you started, but be creative and make multiple variations of this dish.

     Thai Chopped Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

This isn’t your regular boring chopped salad.  This delicious beauty is filled with yummy cabbage, kale, mangos, and even sriracha for a little heat.  While this healthy recipe is meatless, you can certainly add your favorite meat in there and it would taste even better.  If you are looking to perk up your salad game, this is a good choice.

      Spinach & sweet potato tortilla

This is another meatless option that is easy to prepare ahead of time to make lunch an easy pack and go option.  This can be sliced up into mini sized portions to be a great quick snack when you don’t have the time to sit down and eat a relaxing lunch, but is just as delicious when you do.

        Rosemary and Zucchini Flatbread

Craving pizza? Indulge your craving with this low calorie clean eating healthy recipe.  Perfect with a nice side salad and a refreshing class of cucumber water (one of my favorites).  Of course if you aren’t ready to go meatless, this would taste great with some shrimp on top!

        Grilled Chicken Burgers

Don’t stop at that drive through menu.  This delicious burger recipe is juicy, full of flavor, and won’t make you feel guilty afterwards.  Enjoy on your favorite while wheat bun or ditch the bun and use big pieces of butter lettuce as your bun!

Clean Eating Recipes are Healthy and Delicious

With so many healthy options to choose from eating clean has never been easier.  I am a firm believer that just because food is good for you doesn’t mean it has to be lacking in flavor.  Get out and experiment in the kitchen.  Find something new and expand your palate. Please check back later as I share some of my favorite clean eating recipes for breakfast and dinner options. I would love to hear your feedback on what you thought of these after you have tried them.  What are your favorite clean lunches that you keep in rotation to stay on your nutrition goals?