Berry Smoothie Bowl with Toasted Coconut

Smoothie bowls are all the rage right now, and why not? They’re a delicious, aesthetically-pleasing way to eat your smoothie rather than drink it! Plus, you won’t have to blend up all the fruit and instead enjoy each one separately. This beautiful recipe calls for lots of fruit, some yogurt, almond milk, chia seeds and coconut for a tasty breakfast you’ll make again and again. One serving contains 12 grams of fiber, 16 grams of protein and only 280 calories!

Pro tip: This recipe makes two servings. If you’re saving the second portion for the next morning, re-blend the smoothie mixture with one cup of ice to thicken it again.

Recipe: Berry Smoothie Bowl with Toasted Coconut

Cook time: None minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Serving size: 8-ounces + 1 tablespoon coconut + 3 slices banana + 1 sliced strawberry + 2 tablespoons blueberries + 1 teaspoon Chia seeds

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ½ banana, frozen
• ½ fresh banana, sliced (to top the bowls)
• ½ cup strawberries, frozen
• ¼ cup fresh strawberries, sliced (to top the bowls)
• ½ cup blueberries, frozen
• ¼ cup fresh blueberries (to top the bowls)
• ⅓ cup frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds

Instructions

1. Place the coconut in the center of a microwave safe plate, and microwave in 30 second intervals, turning the coconut over until browned and toasted.
2. Combine the yogurt, almond milk, and frozen fruit in a blender and blend until smooth. The blended mixture will be thicker than a smoothie.
3. Pour 8 ounces into two bowls and top each bowl with the remaining sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and 1 tablespoon of toasted coconut and 1 teaspoon of chia seeds.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: (8-ounces + 1 tablespoon coconut + 3 slices banana + 1 sliced strawberry + 2 tablespoons blueberries + 1 teaspoon Chia seeds)

Calories: 280

Calories from fat: 64

Fat: 7g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 5mg

Sodium: 89mg

Carbohydrates: 45g

Fiber: 12g

Sugar 23g

Protein: 16g

WWP+: 7

SmartPoints: 10

https://www.skinnymom.com/recipe-berry-smoothie-bowl-with-toasted-coconut/

Does Coffee Count Toward Daily Fluid Requirements?

Q: I drink a lot of coffee, but I’ve been told it’s a diuretic and I shouldn’t count it toward my daily fluid requirements. Is this true?

We’ve all heard the warning before: Coffee has a diuretic effect, it’s dehydrating, and it shouldn’t count toward your daily fluid intake. Given that most of us who pursue fitness rely on coffee for its pick-me-up effects, are many of us unwittingly contributing to poor athletic performance because we’re in a state of chronic dehydration, or can it contribute to our daily fluid requirements?

Before we get into the research looking at the effects of coffee on hydration levels, let’s first identify how much fluid we should be taking in every day. Individual requirements can vary extensively across populations, and can differ based on gender, activity level, rate of sweat, altitude and climate.

Generally speaking, women require about 90 ounces (11 cups) of fluids per day, while men should aim to get around 125 ounces (16 cups) per day. And if you’re a coffee drinker like myself, it’s recommended you drink an extra glass of water for every cup of joe. Given those guidelines and the amount of coffee I drink regularly, I might as well set up my office in the bathroom! But seriously, is all that extra fluid consumption really necessary?

The quick answer is no. Results from several studies suggest that coffee, when consumed in moderation (about 4 cups a day) by caffeine-habituated individuals, provides hydrating qualities similar to water.1,2 Additionally, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which compared the effects of consuming equal amounts of water to caffeinated cola and coffee, found no adverse effects of coffee consumption on hydration status.3 All this simply means that coffee can count toward your daily fluid goals, as it does not lead to dehydration.

So where exactly did this “coffee dehydrates you” myth come from? My guess is that it all started with earlier studies that found coffee increased urine output. The problem with these studies is that they only measured urine production 2-4 hours after consumption (failing to look at the 24-hour picture), they didn’t compare the effects of drinking coffee to drinking water or other non-caffeinated beverages, or they used ridiculously high doses of caffeine in one sitting.

The truth is, drinking several cups of anything, whether its water, coffee, BCAAs, or milk, will cause you to pee more frequently. Think about how you make coffee… with water! So it’s no surprise that if you start your morning with 3-4 cups of the stuff, you’ll have to make at least one trip to the bathroom. Moderate intake of caffeinated beverages (including coffee) can be counted toward your daily fluid needs, particularly if you consume caffeine on a regular basis. (I’m pretty sure we all know one person who drinks copious amounts of coffee throughout the day and yet somehow remains fully functional!)

A couple of key points to keep in mind:

• Caffeine consumed in large doses (more than 500 milligrams, which may be as many as 5 cups of coffee) can elicit a diuretic effect. However, regular consumption can build up your tolerance so that you don’t experience those initials effects, meaning you might soon require more.
• The nonhabituated caffeine user can still consume a moderate amount without causing a diuretic effect, but may be more at risk for some dehydration than habitual users in larger doses.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think drinking adequate amounts of water and staying hydrated are important, especially for those who are physically active. Chronic dehydration can have a significant impact on performance and lead to headaches, fatigue and muscle cramps. But do we need to eliminate coffee altogether? Absolutely not!

If you notice you’re not performing as well in the gym, experiencing muscle cramps, or lacking overall energy during your workouts, you may want to cut back a little on the bean juice, or drink 2-3 more cups of water or low-calorie beverages throughout the day.

https://www.skinnymom.com/does-coffee-count-toward-daily-fluid-requirements/

Why Hypnotherapy Works for Weight Loss

How the right psychology can render diets irrelevant

"Being a fat man is no picnic."

"How so?"

"My male friends greet me by play-punching my stomach. They ask me things like: 'Hi Sam! How's your sex life?' No one else gets asked about their sex life. It's as if my fatness makes me one big joke! I like to laugh as much as the next guy, but I also want to be taken seriously sometimes."

In 7 Weight Loss Motivation Tips That Work, I wrote about ways to approach weight loss psychologically, and I've also mentioned the importance of limiting carbohydrates as a way to a slimmer, healthier body in my Primal Blueprint Review. In this article, I'm going to specifically address the use of hypnotherapy in maximising healthy weight loss.

Weight loss and self-image

We're always hearing messages from the media like: "Losing weight will improve your self-image" - as well as all the health benefits being slimmer will bring you. But it's a lie to say that other people never judge us by our size.

Sam had always been 'the fat kid' at school, back when being overweight was rarer than it is now. He was not lazy. He'd tried all the diets, exercised his "backside off", and been told repeatedly that it was his genetic destiny to be 'big' always - or as the current parlance has it: 'a person of size'. It was his hormones, glands...whatever.

"Mark, how come you never see fat Biafras on those famine news reports? Surely some of them must have fat genes!"

"Err..."

Sam was right; overweight people are treated differently. Men negatively discriminate against fat women on dating websites (1) and larger men are pigeon-holed as 'jolly' or comical, but not as masculine or even as intelligent as their slimmer, toned peers (2).

Hypnotherapy for weight loss is not like a sugar hit

"What I need," said Sam, "is an instant hypnotic suggestion implanted into my head."

"What, like an instant psychological sugar hit?!"

People will often relate to food the way they relate to other things and vice versa. Hypnosis can seem miraculous, but the 'instant hit' mentality had been keeping Sam fat - we needed to discard it.

Hypnosis isn't a pill (even most pills don't work instantly). It's not just a case of telling someone to be a certain way and that's it, now they're sorted...forever. Actually, treating post-traumatic stress disorder (especially if it's related to just one event) can be pretty instant, but obesity is a condition that can have many different contributing factors.

If, for example, I hypnotically commanded Sam to "eat less", then what? He might eat less, but his energy levels would drop, he'd move his body less; and as his metabolism slowed, he'd burn less fat. And that's the crux of the matter; losing fat. When people say they want to lose weight, they really mean they want to lose fat - not water or muscle tone.

No, we needed an overall approach. I could see Sam understood this and was prepared to 'consume' his hypnosis sensibly. He was not expecting to gorge and feel instantly satisfied (only to discharge it soon afterwards without absorbing its nutriment).

So how does hypnosis work for weight loss?

Hypnosis and weight loss - how it works

Hypnosis works because it works on the level of feelings, patterns, and unconscious motivations. It's much better when we feel we want to eat healthily rather than just think that we should. Used well, hypnosis will help people naturally feel like making the right choices. This doesn't mean that someone who's had hypnotherapy for weight loss will never have to use their willpower, but it does mean they'll feel better able to use it.

Some hypnotic approaches for weight loss

When helping people to lose weight using hypnotherapy, I use a number of approaches, including:

• Using hypnosis to maximize motivation to eat well.
• Using hypnosis to encourage an increase in fat-burning metabolism. And I might suggest that at a certain time each day, their legs will become very restless and "let them know" it's time to exercise; just like a dog wanting its walk badgering its owner.
• Using metaphor, such as describing a sculptor working bit by bit with a shapeless rock to "find" the "real form" in the rock - and, having found it, discarding all the needless rock.
• Suggesting the person envisage seeing themselves in a fat suit and what it's going to be like to feel so relieved to begin to discard one layer at a time and to inhabit their "real body".
• Suggesting, though, that they don't mainly focus on weight, but rather on fitness and health.
• Distinguishing between "fake food" (processed carbs, sugars, chemically altered stuff) and "real food".
• Using disassociation by talking about the body having its own "needs" and the unconscious mind working with the body "regardless of the habits of the conscious mind" to eat healthily.
• Using a hypnotic journey metaphor and suggesting that at each stage of the journey, they can notice how the pressure on their feet feels lighter, how their body feels better, what clothes they are now wearing.
• Using disassociation to enable them to see themselves in the future looking slimmer, eating well, and exercising in the right ways.
• Using 'age progression' to take them into the future where they've become slimmer and suggesting they "remember" exactly how that's happened.

Over the weeks, Sam started to look better, to exercise sensibly (over-exercise helps no one), and to eat well. He lost fat and increased muscle tone, his blood pressure readings improved, he became confident, and he got a girlfriend. And he told me that not once had he felt like he was "on a diet", yet he'd become slimmer. He was no longer 'the fat guy'.

http://www.uncommonhelp.me/articles/why-hypnotherapy-works-for-weight-loss/

Fruity Cheesecake Parfaits

For a fun summer treat, you must try these fruity cheesecake parfaits. We use oats, sugar-free pudding mix, strawberries, blueberries and even a little chocolate for a healthy red, white and blue dessert. Start with Oats Cookies as a base and pile them high with pudding and berries! This patriotic, low-calorie dessert will impress everyone gathered around the table.

Recipe: Fruity Cheesecake Parfaits

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: None

Yield: 4 servings

Serving size: 1 parfait

Ingredients

• 12 Oats Cookies
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 (1-ounce) package sugar-free, fat-free pudding mix (makes 2 cups total, will have 1 cup leftover)
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

1. Prepare the Oats Cookies.
2. Prepare the pudding mix with the almond milk, according to package instructions. Then set aside to chill.
3. Assemble each cup by layering 3 cookies, 2 tablespoons pudding, and a small handful of fruit. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons of pudding, and a second small handful of fruit.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: (1 parfait)

Calories: 186

Calories from fat: 50

Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 89mg

Carbohydrates: 32g

Fiber: 5g

Sugar: 17g

Protein: 4g

SmartPoints: 6

https://www.skinnymom.com/recipe-fruity-cheesecake-parfaits/

International Yoga Day - Get Ready!

Seems like yoga has been around in our lives for quite a while. Yet in 2016 the International Yoga Day will be celebrated only for the second time.

On 21st of June which is the longest day of the year yoga events will be organized all over the world with the major ones taking place in India. This day you have a great opportunity to practice yoga outdoors, to meet fellow yogis and to attend open classes organized by yoga studios in your area.

Planning a vacation during this days? Not a problem. It will be an INTERNATIONAL Yoga Day, so perhaps where you are staying, some yoga-related activities will be organized as well.

This year 21st June will be Tuesday. In some countries, Yoga Day will be celebrated 1-2 days earlier. For example, yoga classes on Times Square will be held all day on Monday, June 20th. Check your local news and get your yoga mat ready.

International Day of Yoga 2015. Paris. Image Source: AP Photos

International Yoga Day is a great reason to get better acquainted with yoga if you are only starting your yoga journey. Have a look at the Common Yoga Protocol video released for the second International Day of Yoga to learn more about  the origins of yoga, different kinds of yoga, International Yoga Day, and yoga asanas.

Yoga Facts You Probably Didn't Know About

No matter how long you’ve been doing yoga, there is always something new to discover, some new yoga benefit to learn about, some new fact to be surprised by.

Let’s learn some mind-blowing facts about yoga. Hope you’ll find at least one thing here you didn’t know.

• The largest ever yoga class took place on the 21st June in 2015 during the first International Yoga Day. The class was organized in New Delhi and 35,985 people participated. It’s interesting that the participants had been given the video of the exercises two months before the event so that they could prepare and practise to the best of their abilities.

• Savasana is one of the most challenging poses in yoga. No matter what kind of sequence you are doing and how long it lasts, it should always end with Savasana. You are supposed to achieve the state of ultimate relaxation in this pose which is really hard to do.

• The number of Americans doing yoga almost doubled since 2012 from 20.4 million to 36 million (According to the survey conducted by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance). That’s like 10% of overall US population. No wonder, yoga is often referred to as a first effective result of globalization.

• Yoga includes 8 limbs or steps that are supposed to be followed one by one. Those are Yama (universal morality, truthfulness, compassion); Niyama (personal observances that imply self-study and disciplined use of energy); Asanas (body postures); Pranayama (control of breath, breathing exercises); Pratyahara(control of the senses, the senses shouldn’t be tied to external sources); Dharana (concentration, cultivating the ability to concentrate on one point of experience or one subject); Dhyana (meditation);Samadhi (Union with the Universe). What many of us understand as yoga is Hatha Yoga combining only two of the stages (Asanas and Pranayama).

Yoga is an incredible practice that can be enjoyed by everybody. You often read about it, but take a minute to realize what this really means. It is practised by people of all generations, all nations. And the practice is the same for men and for women. Anything great about yoga you know and want to share? Please, write it in the comments!

https://yoga.com/article/unbelievable-facts-about-yoga

Best Quick HIIT Workouts For All Fitness Levels

Some women see HIIT (high intensity interval training) and immediately run for the hills, thinking it’s too advanced or too intense for them to do. But the nice thing about HIIT is that it is different for everyone. In other words, your level of high intensity is not necessarily everyone else’s level of high intensity. Your starting point is a reflection of your own personal level of fitness — not that of your friends, family or personal trainer. So while you may not be able to go as fast or as hard as someone else, you can still get a great workout that reaps the same great benefits. Even better is the fact that HIIT workouts can often be done at home!

Here are 3 HIIT workouts for three different levels of fitness:

1. BEGINNER HIIT WORKOUT

Equipment: Stationary bike, elliptical machine or treadmill

Ratio of work to rest: 1:3

Duration: 8-10 minutes

Directions: Choose whatever piece of cardiovascular equipment you prefer and go all out as fast as you can for 15 seconds. Back off on the intensity and go at a normal pace for 45 seconds. Try repeating this for 8-10 sets. If you find it is too easy, you can either increase your working time, decrease your resting time or add resistance or speed to whatever exercise you do. Looking for more beginners’ exercises?

2. INTERMEDIATE HIIT WORKOUT

Equipment: Jump rope

Ratio of work to rest: 3:1

Duration: 10-15 minutes

Directions: Now that you’re past the beginner stage, you can decrease your rest and add more work time. Grab a jump rope and jump for 40 seconds. After that, take a 20-second break and then go again. Try doing this for 10-15 rounds. You can make the jump rope more interesting by jumping side to side or doing little ski jumps, bringing each foot forward every time you land. If you’re really up for a challenge, try to get a few double-unders where the rope does two complete rotations for every one jump.

3. ADVANCED HIIT WORKOUT

Equipment: None

Ratio of work to rest: 2:1

Duration: 12 minutes

Directions: You’ve now graduated to the top of the HIIT food chain. Congrats! That means the intensity is going to be high-charged. You will do three exercises for 20 seconds at a time with only a 10 second rest before going again. This will be done for a total of eight rounds. This is known as Tabata training. The exercises you are using are burpees,mountain climbers and squat jumps. After you complete your eight rounds of burpees, rest one minute and then go to the mountain climbers and do the same 20/10 cycle for eight rounds. Rest one minute and then finish off with eight rounds of squat jumps. To make any of the exercises more difficult, be sure to hit your chest to the floor on the burpee and get very low on your squats before you jump.

Here you have three different levels of HIIT workouts. Don’t be afraid to try one of the modifications to make it more difficult! You may be surprised just how quickly you are moving up the HIIT ranks once it becomes part of your regular workout routine. Happy HIITing!

https://www.skinnymom.com/best-ever-hiit-workouts-for-beginner-intermediate-advanced-levels/