5 best exercises for your abs

All types of athletes ranging from football to hockey base their physical exercise on improving the muscle of their core by using compound activities. But what do you do to get ripped abs? It is no surprise that abs get a good workout even when you are not exercising. This is because they are in the front and center of the body. But here are some exercises dedicated to building great abs:

1. Arms-High Partial Situp

Lie down and bend your knees to 90°. Raise your hands straight up over your head and point them upwards throughout the duration of the exercise. Sit up halfway and return to the floor. This is a single rep; you can continue as much as you can in a single set.

2. Barbell Rollout

Take a barbell and load it with ten-pound plates; kneel on the floor at the back of it. Your shoulders need to be over the bar. Then, brace your abs and roll the bar forward. Once you begin to feel that your hips are sagging, roll yourself back to the original position. Continue till you feel a sharp pain on your thigh.

3. Ab Wheel Rollout

Kneel on the floor and hold an ab wheel beneath your shoulders. Then brace your abs and keep rolling front till you feel your hips might sag and about to lose your core’s tension. Roll back and repeat. Try to do as many reps as you can and end the set when you feel you might break your form.

4. Horizontal Cable Woodchop

You will need to make use of an adjustable cable pulley and set it to shoulder level; hold the handle with both hands and set your feet apart. Your body should be at 90° to the anchor point and far away from the machine, with extended arms. This will bring tension to the cable. Twist away from the machine in an action like chopping a tree. Make sure that your feet remain stationary.

5. Swiss Ball Crunch

Take a Swiss ball and lie back on the floor with your feet apart at shoulder-width. Make sure that your lower back is supported by the ball. Tuck your chin and place your hands behind your ears. Then curl your body up off the floor till you regain the sitting position again.

You need to look beyond deadlifts if you want to work on your abs. Plank holds and press-ups can beat even the heaviest deadlifts for core activation. It is also a common myth that abs need to be worked upon every day; in reality, two or three abs workout is optimal for most people.

Doing a hundred situps is not going to do anything for your back and abs, but it does not mean that you should ditch spinal flexion totally. If flexibility is important, you can opt for a wide range of crunches and curl-up exercises. However, if you are looking for maximum muscular development, than crunches and the above-stated exercises will help you realize your goal efficiently.

source https://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/5-best-exercises-for-your-abs/

3 healthy seeds you must eat

You already know that seeds have all the basic materials required to develop plants. This is why they are very nutritious. Seeds have lots of fiber, along with healthy polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats and various vital antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, when you consume seeds with a healthy diet, they can reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. In this blog post, you will get to know about three healthiest seeds you can eat.

 

1. Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are also called linseeds. They contain a lot of lignans, omega-3 fats, especially alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), fiber, and many other nutrients. However, the omega-3 fats are present in the seed’s fibrous outer shell, which is not easily digestible. Thus, if you want more omega-3s, you must eat ground flaxseeds.

One ounce or 28 grams of flaxseeds contain many nutrients, including 152 calories, 7.8 grams of fiber, 5.2 grams of protein, 2.1 grams of monosaturated fat, 6.5 grams of omega-3 fats, 1.7 grams of omega-6 fats, 35% of the RDI manganese, 31% of the RDI thiamine or vitamin B1, and 28% of the RDI magnesium.

Studies show that flax seeds are helpful in reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and the risk of cancer.

 

2. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are quite same as flaxseeds since they also contain good amounts of omega-3 fats and fiber, along with many other nutrients. Just like flaxseeds, these seeds have many vital antioxidant polyphenols.

One ounce or 28 grams of chia seeds contains 137 calories, 10.6 grams of fiber, 4.4 grams of protein, 0.6 grams of monosaturated fat, 4.9 grams of omega-3 fats, 1.6 grams of omega-6 fats, 15% of the RDI thiamine or vitamin B1, 30% of the RDI magnesium, and 30% of the RDI manganese.

Chia seeds help in reducing blood sugar and risk factors for heart disease. Moreover, many studies show that eating chia seeds increases ALA in the blood, which is an essential omega-3 fatty acid that helps in reducing inflammation.

 

3. Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds provide over 30% vegetarian protein, along with many other important nutrients. Hemp seeds are one of the few plants that are complete sources of protein, including all necessary amino acids made by your body. Studies show that the quality of protein in hemp seeds is better than many other sources of plant protein.

One ounce or 28 grams of hemp seeds have 155 calories, 1.1 grams of fiber, 8.8 grams of protein, 0.6 grams of monosaturated fat, 10.7 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 45% of the RDI magnesium, 31% of the RDI thiamine or vitamin B1, and 30% of the RDI zinc.

Hemp seeds held in reducing the symptoms of chronic inflammatory conditions and eczema.

Seeds are full of healthy fats, fiber, antioxidant polyphenols, and vegetarian protein. Moreover, they can lower the risk of certain diseases. The lignans in some seeds help in lowering the risk of cancer as well as in reducing cholesterol. Therefore, you should incorporate healthy seeds in your diet. You can easily add them to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, and salads. This way you can simply add healthy nutrients to your diet.

source https://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/3-healthy-seeds-you-must-eat/

4 best gluten-free flours

One of the most common ingredients used in foods is flour. It’s used in a lot of foods, including desserts, noodles, and breads. Flour is also used to thicken soups and sauces. Most of the foods are made using wheat or white flour. However, these two types of flours are not good for people who suffer from celiac illness, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or those who avoid gluten for any reason.

Luckily, you can find many flours that are free from gluten on the market. All these flours have a different taste, nutrient composition, and texture. So, let us take a look at the four best gluten-free flours you can use.

1. Almond Flour

Almond flour is quite common. It’s free from gluten as well as grain. This type of flour is made from blanched, ground almonds after removing the skin of the almonds. One cup of almond flour has nearly 90 almonds with a nutty flavor.

Almond flour is usually used in making baked goods and is a great grain-free substitute to breadcrumbs. While using this flour, you need to use one additional egg, which makes your batter thicker and results in a denser end product.

2. Coconut Flour

As the name suggests, coconut flour is made from dried coconut meat and has a mild coconut flavor. It has a light texture that gives the same results as when using regular flour. Coconut flour is great for baking desserts and breads.

You must know that this type of flour absorbs much more water as compared to almond or regular flour. Moreover, coconut flour has high saturated fat lauric acid. It’s great for people who have gluten or nut allergies.

3. Buckwheat Flour

Even though the name of this flour is buckwheat flour, it’s free from wheat grain and gluten. It comes from the pseudocereals family, which is a group of grains that are not from the grass family and are consumed like cereals.  

Buckwheat flour has a rich and earthy flavor. It’s ideal for baking yeast and quick bread. This type of flour is crumbly in nature owing to it being gluten-free. You can combine it with other gluten-free flours, such as brown rice flour, in order to make a quality end product.

4. Brown Rice Flour

Brown rice flour is made using ground brown rice. This whole-grain flour contains the endosperm, germ, and bran. This type of flour has a nutty flavor and it can be used to thicken sauces, to make a roux, and to make breaded foods such as chicken and fish. You can also use it to make noodles and combine it with other flours free of gluten for making cakes, cookies, and bread.

So, these were the four best flours that are free from gluten. You can make your food using these flours if you have celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or if you simply want to avoid gluten for some reason. There are a lot of gluten-free healthy alternatives to regular wheat flour.

Moreover, some flours that are free from gluten have more nutrients as compared to others, which make them healthier options for your diet. Therefore, you must choose gluten-free flours after comparing their taste and nutrients.

source https://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/4-best-gluten-free-flours/

Best supplements for weight-loss

Weight-loss supplements have earned quite a bad name, especially the synthetic blend of useless ones that will do nothing more than help you lose water weight for a short period of time. However, there are certain nutrient-, minerals-, and vitamins-concentrated supplements that can effectively help you cut down weight, especially when taken with a workout regimen and a healthy diet.

If you are looking to shed some of those fat cells, here are some best supplements that can help you do so:

1. GarciniaCambogia Extract

This is one of the most popular weight-loss supplements today. Garciniacambogia is a small and green-colored fruit that is shaped like a pumpkin. The skin of the fruit contains HCA (hydroxycitric acid), which is the active ingredient in this diet pill.

This pill inhibits the fat-producing enzyme in the body and increases the serotonin levels, thereby reducing cravings effectively. There are no known serious side-effects of this weight-loss supplement, apart from some mild digestive issues.

2. Hydroxycut

Hydroxycut is a weight-loss supplement that has been around for about a decade. It is also one of the most sought-after supplements for losing weight and cutting down fat. There are many different types of the same.

This pill contains many ingredients like plant extracts and caffeine that help cut down weight. However, if you are sensitive to caffeine, you might experience irritability, diarrhea, nausea, tremors, jitteriness, and anxiety.

3. Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the most consumed psychoactive substance today. It is naturally found in dark chocolate, green tea, and of course, coffee. Apart from these, caffeine can also be found in processed beverages and foods.

Caffeine boosts the metabolism of the body to a maximum limit of 11% and burns up to 29% of the body fat. But, as said above, there are some side effects if you are not exactly a caffeine-loving person. Additionally, caffeine is also very addictive and reduces quality sleep.

4. Raspberry Ketones

Raspberry ketone is a substance that is found in raspberries, which is responsible for the fruit’s distinct smell. A synthetic version of the fruit’s ketones is sold as a weight-loss supplement. The ketones increase the level of adiponectin hormone, which is related to weight loss and the breakdown of fat. The only known side-effect of this weight-loss pill is that your burps might smell like raspberries.

Choosing the right weight-loss supplement will help you lose weight without having to face the side-effects. The above supplements are some of the best weight-loss solutions today.

source https://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/best-supplements-for-weight-loss/