Quick Health Tip #1

1. Drink less coffee and more tea

I understand that coffee is a must in the morning for a lot of you, but tea is a healthier option and a better way to get your caffeine fix. Tea is known to provide many more health benefits than coffee. Some people don't enjoy the taste of tea but it's an acquired taste: so is coffee. There are so many different types of tea out there that can hopefully match your tastes. For me, I LOVE green tea. Not only do I find the taste to be relaxing and enjoyable, but the health benefits of green tea are off the charts in my opinion! Green tea is known for its potential to fight off cancer and other types of diseases, boost the metabolism to burn fat, lower cholesterol, and so much more. It's chop full of antioxidants that makes for a healthy and energized body. It's recommended to drink at least two cups per day but slowly start with one and make your way up to two.


     Priscilla

How Pinterest helped me to a better body

If you guys don't know what Pinterest is, Pinterest is basically an online pinboard where you can "pin" different things onto custom-categorized boards (i.e food board, art board, etc). I happen to be a huge fan of Pinterest because there are so many ideas available on the site and I get exposed to tons of cool ideas, tips, images, and more. But who knew Pinterest could help me to a more toned and healthy body?

5 Tips to Stay Fit This Summer

1. Water. Take your body weight and divide it by 2. What's the number? That's how many ounces of water you should be drinking a day (unsweetened tea counts). The easiest way to ensure you are getting the right amount of water is to substitute your normal drink with water. By substituting the sweetened and carbonated drinks with water, you are cutting hundreds of calories out of your daily diet. After your morning routine, drink 16oz of water and when you go to bed, drink 16oz of water again.With the heat index the way it is, anything else other than water could actually dehydrate you. 
2. Wake Up. Sleeping eight hours burns a little over 300 Calories. Waking up after those 8 hours, eating and moving boost your metabolism and allows you to be more active throughout the day.
3. Phone a friend. If there isn't a heat advisory get outside and get active!
4. Cook. What??? I said cook! Cooking your own meals instead of ordering out allows you to account for everything that's going into your meal. It also allows for you to maintain portion control. I don't know about everyone else, but I eat while I cook. I end up being full not too long after I sit down with my plate.
5. Shop. Okay, I kind of cheated - there is no scientific evidence that proves shopping is a fitness technique but it makes sense to me. Besides making you more active, shopping is a great stress reliever. We store stress in fat! Less stress less fat. Haha c:

Forever Spicy,
     Jamara

Jump your way to a Better Body!

When I was younger, jump roping was one of my absolute favorite things to do. When my elementary school would host its annual "Jump Rope for Heart" event in partnership with the American Heart Association, I would jump on the opportunity (pun intended). But did you know that jumping rope is one of the best and CHEAPEST exercises you can do?

For under $20, jumping rope for 15+ minutes is a great calorie-burning exercise. It works many parts of your upper and lower body, helping you lose weight!

* Think about it: turning the rope with your arms + jumping with your legs = full body workout.

For beginners, it is recommended to start off with a beaded rope since it retains its shape and you have better control of it than other ropes. Make sure you adjust the rope according to your height and you are jumping on an appropriate surface - avoid grass & carpet; your best bet is a wood floor.

Jumping rope is an exercise that