When your six week recovery time is up and your doctor gives you the go ahead, it’s not only time to plan your new workout routines, its also just as important to keep in mind the quality of ones diet as well. There is one natural herb that can be used to insure your body is producing enough milk to feed your baby without popping pills.

What is it?

Known in medieval times as “Indian Saffron” because of its potent hue, turmeric comes from the root of Curcuma Longa, a member of the ginger family. The ancient herb, most popular in Southern and Southeastern Asia, has been used as a dye, in medicine and for flavoring.

How to store?

Dried Turmeric is best stored in an airtight container away from direct light. The color and flavor tend to fade if stored too long.

Nutritional breakdown

One teaspoon = 5 calories, 0 g of fat, 0 g of protein, 1 g carbs. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, niacin and carotene.

How to use

Turmeric is abundantly used in Indian and Asian cuisine. It can be used to flavor rice, fish, vegetables or whatever suits your fancy.

Health benefits?

This spice has a long history as a remedy, dating back to ancient times. In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric has been prescribed for poor vision, rheumatic complaints and to increase breast milk production. Because it aids in the digestion of proteins and the absorption of nutrients, as well as stimulating the flow of bile, turmeric is used as a treatment for certain stomach ailments, diarrhea, and flatulence. Due to its antiseptic qualities, it has been used to treat bronchial asthma and coughs. It’s also a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It can lower cholesterol levels and protect against certain cancers and heart disease. Through studies, it has been found to protect against Alzheimer’s. As a beauty aid, eating this colorful herb has been said to give your skin a natural glow.

Exercise of the week:

The move:

Stiff-Legged Dead-lift :

This exercise should always be part of your workout routines. Not only does it work your butt into shape but it also works your hamstrings, lower back and your abs all in one move. The problem is, it’s one of the hardest exercises to perform properly.

Follow these simple rules to make it count:

Do:

Do choose a comfortable weight

Do have a slight bend to your knees

Do keep your head up and eyes forward through the entire movement.

Do focus on muscle contraction

Don’t:

Don’t lift more weight than you can handle.

Don’t lock your knees

Don’t round your back

Don’t lower weight beyond a mild stretch throughout hamstrings.

Don’t pause or bounce at end of life

You can perform dead-lifts with either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. The key is to use the one that you can perform the exercise in perfect form.

Start with your feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and a dumbbell in each hand. Keep you abs tight and your back straight as you lower through your hips. Be sure to keep the dumbbells close to your body. This will help you keep your back straight. To return to the starting position, push your heels into the floor as you tighten your glutes and hamstrings.

Remember to keep you back straight or you won’t increase your range of motion. So with a flat back, lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Bending your lower back during this exercise doesn’t have any effect on your hamstrings, it only increases your chances of injury.

The level at which you perform this exercise depends on you. If you are just beginning your workout routine please start at the beginner level below.

• Level:
• Beginner: 2 sets of 10 reps with 8 to 10 pounds
• Intermediate: 3 sets of 15 reps with 15-20 pounds
• Advanced: 4 to 6 sets of 15 to 20 reps with 15 to 25 pound

If you find you want to make this movement more difficult, stand on a bench or a step and reach down lower. Remember, to never compromise form to make it to the next level.

When faced with a time crunch which exercise would you choose? Many People are just too busy these days to find the time to workout. They are simply too busy with family and career to attend the hot new classes at the gym down the street. For most time is critical, so they need workout routines that are efficient in both aerobic and strength training, while being done in a short amount of time.

The Best of Resistance and Aerobic

If you choose only one form of exercise to meet your needs, you want one that will offer you the best of both worlds. There is one activity you may not have thought of, jumping rope. A good jump rope routine is more than child’s play. It is the best cardiovascular exercise there is. It provides a maximum workout in a minimal amount of time.

Skipping through a rope is more than a good cardiovascular workout, it also develops coordination, agility, and rhythm- three areas that are important not only in your workout but in your everyday life. As well, jumping rope helps you tone your body.

Even though it appears your lower body is doing most of the work, it is equally challenging for your upper body. Constantly rotating the rope while keeping your arms up and away from your body works all of your major muscle groups. Your calves, thighs, and buttocks are used for jumping while your shoulders, upper arms and forearms must turn and grip the rope. No wonder it is no easy feat for an extended period.

Since jumping rope offers both an aerobic and strength workout it’s perfect for people who only have time for one form of exercise. Another great reason to choose this form of exercise, is its portability. You can jump rope anywhere- indoors or out. You can put it in your purse and take it with you when you travel. The real kicker of this sport is that it costs next to nothing.

To get started, all you need is a rope and a good pair of shoes.

Size Matters

When choosing a rope, look for one that is adjustable to your height. The right size rope has handles which extend to your chest if you stand on the center of it and pull the handles upward.

The surface

When jumping you should stick with a padded surface or jump on ground with some “give.” Stay away from hard surfaces like cement to save you from injury.

Beginning Workout

Start out at a moderate pace and slowly build up your endurance over the following weeks. You want to be able to do at least 20 to 30 minutes at a brisk pace. Try to fit this workout into your schedule 2 or 3 times a week for best results.

• Tips:
• You do not have to jump high-just clear the rope.
• use your whole arm to turn the rope
• The faster you jump, the more calories that you burn!
• The more you bend at the knee, the more you feel the burn in your leg and butt muscles.

Q. I have been working out for about 2 years now and have made a lot of great changes. I am the mother of 4 children and my body has been through a lot in the past five years. I decided that, after my last baby, I was going to work hard at getting my body back in shape. But, the one thing I’m having trouble with is that I have very muscular thighs. I’ve been doing aerobics, squats, and lunges but nothing is happening. I really want to slim down the muscle in that area and have a toned, well defined look. Can you please tell me what kind of workout routines I can do to help me reach my goals?

A. I’m happy to say I faced the same problem when I first started my training program. Everyone told me to do squats and lunges also. They kept telling me to get the lean look that I was after, I would have to work them extra hard. I don’t disagree with them totally. I just think it would have taken a lot of time to reach my goal in that way. So I decided to back off of the weights and started running daily to lean out my legs. I WAS NOT running hard or sprinting, but kept up a good moderate pace for at least 45 minutes.

Remember, distance runners tend to have long, lean thighs, and sprinters usually have the big muscular quads.

Add this to your workout routines and try to remember to eat a clean diet and keep lifting weights to shape the rest of your body. Since you carry a lot of muscle on your lower portion, you will benefit from building muscle on the top portion of your body. Building up your shoulder, back, and chest muscles will automatically give you a leaner look down below.

You may have been told that fasting is not a safe or healthy thing to do. I have been told the same thing and it scared me away from ever trying a fast. However, there have been studies showing, if done properly, a fast can work to your advantage in more ways than one to help and improve your diet and workout routines.

Studies show fasting

• helps you lift more weight
• makes your muscles look more cut and defined
• helps with chronic fatigue syndrome and hypoglycemia

Mary’s story

The study was done on a woman (I’ll call her Mary) who wanted to lose some fat. So her trainer put her on a fasting program that consisted of only vegetable juice. During the first week of her program she lost muscle, but after two more weeks of eating and working out, her muscles came back more cut than before.

After a week of fasting on only juice, she switched to a diet that consisted of raw vegetable and fruits. Within only about 3 weeks after the fast she was lifting two times more what she was lifting before she started her fast. She was able to maintain this weight for at least a year.

When I first read this article, I thought these people were crazy! Seriously? This goes completely against everything I ever heard. Wasn’t Mary depleting herself of vital nutrients when she fasted? How could this make her stronger? Isn’t it the protein in the food she eats that helps her build muscle when combined with a weight training program? This really raised a lot of questions for me. But I kept reading, because I wanted to know what happened with her.

Definition of fasting :

Abstinence from all food and drink except water for a prescribed period of time.

Doctors that have supervised fasters at a health resort and spa have stated that during a fast, your body will seek to conserve energy by slowing it’s metabolism. (exactly what I have heard) and your body will then become more efficient on less food. So your body is primed to gain weight if you resume your unhealthy eating habits after the fast.

If you fast, then binge, you can gain all the fat back. But if you fast and move onto a healthy diet, you can keep the weight off. During a 10 to 14 day period, Doctors at a university found this out when working with 900 obese patients. When the patients lost their weight, they kept their weight off, and continued to lose even more weight by staying on a low calorie diet, exercising more and fasting for a day whenever necessary.

The doctors did say, I’m happy to hear, if you are prone to eating disorders this was not the way to go. So you should not fast unless in a supervised facility if you have any food addiction problems.

Back to Mary’s story

After Mary ended her fast she went on a healthy eating plan and was able to keep the weight off. She said, since being on her fast, it not only helped her body look better but it also made it easier to drop all unhealthy foods. She no longer had the cravings for salty and sugary foods since the fasting helped to clear her taste buds.

Fasting Facts

• Fasting helps to cure the temptation to eat some unhealthy foods
• Since fasting can help to clear your taste buds, it also can help you to kick the smoking and drinking habits
• Fasting helps expel toxins that can make us sick
• Doctors have seen cysts and tumors dissolve after fasts

Signs you might benefit from a fast:

• Thick coating on your tongue
• Constipation
• Bloating and bad breath
• Waking up feeling foggy and sluggish
• Unable to concentrate or remember things you used to remember
• You’re congested and wiped out

If you fast, you free up your body to discharge longstanding toxins through normal sweat and urine. Experts say to take a 36-hour water fast to nip them in the bud, and save you from colds, sinus congestion, joint pains, and headaches.

Mary said she suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome for about 2 years. She tried herbs and chiropractic care and while they did help, she still had to take naps in the afternoon and sleep for 12 to 14 hours a night. Mary said fasting helped her tremendously by getting over the fatigue and finally being able to get by with the normal 8 hours of sleep a night.

This was an interesting article and it convinced me enough to give it a try. I can’t wait to see if it helps me in the way it helped Mary.

Mary ended her article with these tips:

To start your fast:

1. Day 1 Drop the protein from your normal diet.
2. day 2 Drop the oils (such as nuts).
3. day 3 Eat only fruit and nonstarchy vegetables
4. day 4 Launch your fast

To break your fast:

1. Day 1 Eat fruits and nonstarchy vegetables
2. Day 2 Add whole grains, potatoes, legumes and other starches
3. Day 3 Tack on oils (like butter and nuts)
4. Day 4 Include your beans, cheese and other proteins.

Consult your doctor before you fast and when breaking a fast

There are plenty of exercises you can do to increase your chest size, but it’s often the little things you don’t think about that hold you back. Find one of the best workout routines for chest and then add in the following 5 tips:

1. Fuel the rebuilding
   Resistance training breaks down the muscle tissue in your body. Your body then rebuilds these tissues bigger and stronger. The building blocks for this reconstruction process are found in clean proteins. Make sure you’re consuming at least three servings of good quality protein each day. You’ll want to consider supplementing with a low calorie protein mix to help reduce your daily caloric intake and still provide the protein your body needs.
2. Warm Up Always
   Before you set your hands on the weights make sure your stepping up with about 10 minutes of cardio work. You want to make sure you’re warming up your muscles so they can stretch and move more freely. This will maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
3. Streeeeeetch
   Cooling down is just as important as warming up. Make sure you’re giving a good quality stretch to each major muscle group after your workout. The best way to ensure this is to you’re holding each stretch for at least 20 seconds. This will help prevent stiffness the following morning and increase your flexibility.
4. More With Less
   By doing more reps with smaller weights, you’ll decrease your chance of injury and increase your muscular strength without bulking up. Using lighter weights will help shape your muscles as well.
5. Consistency is Key
   Don’t miss a workout, even if it’s an abreviated one. Consistency will pay huge dividends when it comes to resistance training. If you can’t make it to the gym, use some home made weights. A gallon milk jug filled with water, or even a bag of dog food will make due in a pinch.

These may seem like small insignificant elements to your fitness routine, but they can make a difference you wouldn’t expect. They’re easy, simple and extremely important.

Have you stopped seeing results with your post natal exercise and workout routines? It could be because you are pushing yourself to hard. It just may be that your body is adjusting to what you have been doing, and you need to change things up a bit. Sometimes all it takes is cutting back on a few calories or spending less time on the treadmill. Most people spend too much time in the gym concentrating on the wrong part of their training. In order for our bodies to burn more calories we need more muscle. More muscle = more calories burned.

When is comes to training, most people spend too much time on their cardio (running or biking) when they should be doing more weight training. The problem with this is that too much cardio can be harmful more than helpful when it comes to getting in shape. It’s not that I’m trashing cardio. I love to run. I try to run almost everyday. I just don’t think most people realize the importance of weight training in their fitness program

For our diet, the problem seems to be the desire to have to count calories. Learn to trust your stomach. Soon you will learn that it is natural to be hungry every three hours. Everyone has indulgences in food and after they eat, they run it off. Cardio conditions the heart and lungs but it’s not going to change your bad eating habits. The answer to why our body is not responding lies in our unhealthy diet and not enough time spent lifting weights. Most people run every day or do spin classes five days a week with only two sessions per week of weight training, and then they wonder why the fat isn’t coming off. If this is you, try cutting back on your cardio and concentrate more on your weight training. Then you will see the difference.

Guest article to help with your workout routines.

Top 3 Reasons WHY More Moms are NOT “into” Resistance Training

By Holly Rigsby, CPT
www.FitYummyMummy.com

Moms have mistakenly believed that resistance training shouldn’t be the foundation of their fat loss program. Here are the three most common myths about resistance training and the “truth” about each.

1. Moms believe the answer to Fat Loss lies in CARDIO
Can’t blame you, Mom! The fact that we are being bombarded with misleading ads and articles on a daily basis boasting that the best way to burn fat is to simply DO more cardio.

From a Popular Beauty Magazine:
“The formula for great abs is crunches + cardio = results. Cardio burns fat, uncovering the incredible abs you’ll have thanks to those crunches. So hop on that exercise bike, elliptical or treadmill for 30 to 45 minutes at least three times a week…”
The “cardio burns fat” myth is so rampant, that the very support groups and forums women turn to for answers are littered with faulty advice.

From a Forum:
“We do 15 mins on the bike, 15 on the elliptical, 15 on the treadmill, 1000 metres on the rowing machine (we’re building that up slowly because we hate it).”

Who has time for this? We are Moms, we are busy, we do not have the time, energy or patience to attempt a fat loss program that is solely based on cardio. And if you “hate” something – how much longer are you going to keep up with it – especially if you are no longer seeing results?!

Cardio is only ONE piece of the Fat Loss puzzle. When it comes to Fat Loss cardio’s role is much less important than resistance training. More is simply not better. Cardio does very little to boost your metabolism and extended sessions not only eat up your precious time with little to show for it, but also eat up your lean muscle, slowing your metabolism to a crawl.

2. Moms are scared of “Bulking Up”
Just the mention of the word muscle makes a lot of women cringe. Images of huge bodybuilder-type bodies make them run in the opposite direction. Yet amidst this protest, Moms want to look lean and toned. Well without muscle, it is impossible to attain this desirable physique.

Women simply do not have the ability to bulk up. Men, however, are able to add lots of muscle because:

One - they have the hormones to do so (we do not, well not naturally)
Two - they lift weights in an entirely different fashion
Three - they must eat a tremendous amount of food - muscle need a LOT of calories to grow and get bigger.

So Moms, unless you are taking Testosterone boosting supplements, lifting VERY heavy weights and eating an upwards of 5,000 calories a day - you will NOT bulk up.

3. Moms think Resistance Training is just TOO Complicated!
“It’s so much easier.” “It is less intimidating.” “It’s less complicated.” These are the very attitudes that lead busy moms to jump on a treadmill and walk or run for 45-60 minutes. The thought of picking up some weights seems complicated and undesirable especially when there are more “mindless” options from which to choose.

Sure, if you are new to the concept of Resistance Training, an introduction to this type of workout can make you throw your hands up in frustration…..what exercise, what weight, set, super sets, repetitions, rests….Oh My!

The best way to begin a resistance training program is to use your own body as weight. No gym membership, no fancy equipment….just a small space and a few minutes of your time.

Movements such as squats, lunges and assisted push ups are great examples of effective bodyweight exercises that any Busy Mom can do. Establishing a place to begin builds confidence, boosts energy levels and in turn increases metabolism. Moms naturally want to do more!

From there it is quite simple to keep your workouts challenging by using equipment many moms already have at home; a stability ball, dumbbells and a medicine ball.

When you have an effective resistance training workout plan, that not only fits your fitness goals, but your lifestyle, your plan becomes a priority and you achieve a lean, fit body before you know it!

Now you understand not only the importance resistance training plays in your fat loss efforts, but also how easily it can be integrated into your routine. It is time to adjust your mindset and your priorities. When you put your time, energy and effort into a resistance training regimen you guarantee yourself a faster metabolism and a toned, tight, energetic body.

Holly Rigsby, CPT, MAT America’s #1 Fat Loss Expert for Busy Moms and the author of www.FitYummyMummy.com. Holly has worked with over 300 Mom’s to help them lose the stubborn baby fat, get their pre-baby body back and reclaim their yummy-ness. Don’t miss her Free Report: Top 5 Busy Mom Metabolism Boosters.

One of the secrets to keeping your weight off is to raise your metabolism. The aisles of your local drug store or stocked full of artificial ways to raise your metabolism, but these aren’t true lifestyle changes that last.

If you look at the list of 10 ways to raise your metabolism, you’ll see most of these are very simple. They’re things you can do right now to positively impact your life as you continue with your post natal exercise routine.

1. Make sure you eat enough calories: Just the act of digesting your food, allows your body to burn more calories

2. Do some kind of aerobic activity 4 to 5 times a week: By adding aerobic activity to your post par-tum exercise routine you will give your body the fire it needs to burn even more calories, even when watching tv.

3. Add strength training By replacing 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of muscle you allow your body to burn an extra 100 calories a day.

4. Drink green tea: Green tea has been studied and proven to help you burn more calories.

5. Spice up your food: By adding hot and spicy foods to your diet, you are allowing your bodies metabolism to rev up and burn more calories. Cayenne pepper can be used in a lot of recipes.

6. Increase your workout intensity: Your body burns more calories when you are active then when sitting at your desk.

7. Eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3: Your body burns more calories digesting food. Eating 6 smaller meal will keep your body from going into starvation mode, and stop you from binge eating.

8. Get enough sleep each day: Your body can not metabolize carbs properly with out enough sleep.

9. Drink plenty of water: Drinking cold water makes your body work harder to raise your body temperature. Studies show that if you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day you could lose up to10 pounds in a year.

10. Include clean protein to your diet: Your body burns more calories burning protein than sugar or carbs. Protein also helps your body to build more muscle, giving you the ability to burn even more calories.

Between diet and exercise you can raise your metabolism so you can burn lots of calories all day long, even at rest!

Are you working out everyday, but seeing no results? It could be because you are not using your time to it’s full potential. When starting your postnatal exercise program, the way you make use of your time makes all the difference. Use your precious minutes wisely by staying away from these top 10 time- wasters

1. Light weights, lots of reps: If you’re looking to build strength and muscle, you won’t get very far doing 50 reps with 2 pound weights. Up the weight and decrease the reps so you can do no more than 15 reps per set.
2. Failing to plan: Don’t wander around the gym or get side tracked at home. Before you start your workout, make a list of six to eight exercises for a variety of muscle groups and have in mind what cardio activity you’re planning on doing. Then once you get to the gym, you can get started right away.
3. Poor form: You may think you’re training hard but without proper form not only are you sabotaging great results, you’re at risk for injury. Ask a trainer for help to make sure your are doing your exercise correctly.
4. Too much resting: Don’t rest longer than 30 to 90 seconds between sets. If the machine you want to use is already busy, do some push-ups or sit-ups while you wait.
5. Social butterfly: Although a workout buddy is a great idea, make sure you are not talking through your whole session. Save the talking for your warm-up and cool-down.
6. In a rut: Muscles can adapt to your workout routine. Do you always use the elliptical? Try using the treadmill instead. If you have a favorite bicep exercise, try a new one in place of that one. Always keep your muscles guessing for maximum results.
7. Reading or watching TV: If you like to watch TV or reading your favorite magazine while you workout, then chances are that you are not giving your workout the attention your should be. Focus on your training and push yourself.
8. Muscle isolation: Doing separate exercises for each muscle group can leave you with little time for each. Concentrate on compound moves like push-ups, squats, and dead lifts that use more than one muscle group for greatest gains.
9. Changing clothes: Walking to the change room, finding a locker, changing into your gym clothes and tying your shoes just used up 10 minutes. Get ready at home so you can get started right away.
10. Afternoon exercise: Although fitting in your training at anytime is great, chances are you’re more likely to skip your afternoon session or cut the time short if something else comes up. Try working out in the morning to get it done early and feel great the rest of the day.

Hopefully these 10 simple things can help you stay focused and make great use of your time. There’s always something else you could be doing instead of exercise, but none of them are going to help you get into the shape you’ve been seeking.