Watermelon undercover benefits

Watermelon is the perfect summer treat, offering a tasty way to beat the heat and quench your thirst. Thankfully, summer is the season for watermelon. Though you can find it in markets throughout the year, summer is the time when you will get the freshest pick. Despite being a sweet and much loved fruit, it is full of nutrients. Eating watermelon will give you a boost to your health while tantalizing your taste buds.

1. Vitamin C

   • One cup of watermelon offers 25 percent of your daily need of vitamin C. This vitamin helps to boost the immune system and works as an antioxidant in the body.

   Lycopene

   • Watermelon is known to be full of antioxidants, and one of these is lycopene, a carotenoid. It is known to be a powerful combatant of a number of different types of cancer.

   Energy

   • Eating watermelon offers a temporary boost of natural energy. This is because it is a good source of a number of B vitamins, which affect the energy level of a person.

   Vision

   • The lycopene and the vitamin A found in watermelon can help protect vision. it does this by preventing macular degeneration and a number of other health problems.

   Blood Pressure

   • One of the other nutrients in watermelon is an amino acid called arganine. This helps to lower blood pressure, as well as contribute to overall general health.

Should I take protein shakes on days that I don't work out?

Yes that's right muscle growth takes place when you rest not when you workout, so protein when you rest is just as important as on the day you workout, personally i have 3 protein shakes a day, 2 of those are 1 scoop and my post workout is 2 scoops so 4 servings total, and on the days off i have 3 single servings spread throughout the day.

You've got it right with the 2 scoops after a workout though as its important to take advantage of that window when your muscles are drained and a big 40g serving of protein is ideal.

Can You Get Ripped by Doing Push Ups?

Logic says the push-up won't build strength unless you're kind of weak to begin with. Its benefits lie elsewhere. "If you do push-ups correctly, you develop your scapular muscles and your rotator-cuff muscles to stabilize your shoulders. If you do bench presses instead of push-ups, you don't have to use those muscles as much," says Michael Clark, C.S.C.S., a physical therapist and president of the National Academy of Sports Medicine. In other words, push-ups not only build up the facade in front of your physique, but also develop the support system behind those muscles, too.
Here's why that's important: In every physical action, some muscles act as the engine and some act as the brakes. If the brakes aren't strong and durable enough to counterbalance the engine, you've got an injury waiting to happen. When a guy comes up with a chronically sore shoulder from bench pressing, for example, the problem is usually that the chest and shoulder muscles are too strong relative to the muscles behind them.

So it makes sense that push-ups help improve muscular balance, which is important for developing serious strength. And with strength comes muscle size.

Can you lose weight without exercise?

You can still lose weight, but it will be very gradual. Never take in less than 1500 calories/day if you have a normal activity level, and try to do some heavier exercise. Instead of just walking, try running, or at least power/speed walking. You could also bike, or any other cardio activity, and it would help a lot. If you can keep your heart rate between 120-150 for at least half an hour at a time every day, you should start losing weight more rapidly.

The Healthiest Cheese List

1.) Cottage cheese: Cottage cheese, an unpressed cheese curd has one of the lowest saturated fat content of all cheeses. Look for varieties with lower salt content as some have high sodium levels.

2.) Quark: Quark is another form of unpressed cheese curd that generally has a lower salt content than normal cottage cheese and is now widely available in supermarkets.

3.) Ricotta: Ricotta is generally considered to be one of the healthiest cheeses as it has a low fat content.

4.) Parmegiano Reggiano: Parmegiano Reggiano is a high quality Parmesan cheese that has had to pass stringent tests to qualify it for the official Consorzio mark. It has a lower fat content than many cheeses due to the processes used in its production.

5.) Feta cheese: Feta cheese is made from either goat’s milk or sheep milk and is therefore one of the healthier alternatives.

6.) Halloumi: Halloumi is another goat’s or sheep milk cheese that originated in Cyprus. Do check labels as some modern manufacturers make this cheese with cow’s milk therefore regulating it out of the healthiest category.
Many of the well known cheeses such as Brie and Mozzarella come in low fat or even fat-free varieties although many consumers complain that these really have little of the taste and texture of their full-fat varieties.

How many calories does a butter croissant have?

  Large piece: 350 calories & 18 grams of fat - 11 of them saturated

Top 10 Indoor Exercise Ideas for Winter

 
1. Jumping Jacks are a nice way to warm up for a good workout. If you're in good shape, do about 50 straight jumping jacks. If you're not in the best of shape, start slow. Maybe 20 or less. Break your jumping jacks down into sets if necessary.
2. Workout at home. Start a home workout regimen consisting of exercises like leg squats, push-ups, crunches, and leg raises. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions. You can add additional exercises, reps or sets, as your exercise tolerance increases.
3. Exercise DVD's like Billy Blank's Tae Bo series can help give your body a total workout. The Tae Bo workout combines strength training, cardio, and kickboxing. You can purchase Tae Bo DVD's at Sports Authority or on websites like Amazon.com. The best thing about exercise DVD's is that you can workout around your own schedule.
4. Give Pilates a try. You can buy a number of different pilates workout DVD's from Amazon.com. Consider the Pilates workout by Denise Austin as a possible option.
5. Martial Arts is a great way to add flexibility and dexterity. Consider tai chi, kickboxing, and taekwondo as possible options. If you don't practice martial arts, you may be able to get lessons at your gym, local YMCA or from a private instructor.
6. Dance to the music. Dancing is great cardio exercise, and henceforth a great way to burn calories. Put your favorite tunes on, and dance the night away. If you're not much of a dancer, try salsa lessons, or another style of dance that has your interest.
7. Play a Game. Try the Wii Fit or the Wii Fit Plus. The Wii Fit is designed to help you get fit using aerobic and strength training. You can play a friendly game of twister with family and friends. Twister requires you to bend and stretch your body into a number of difficult positions.
8. Walk your home stairs. If you have stairs in your home, walk them often. If you don't have stairs in your home, you can stay active by walking throughout your house. It may seem silly, but the more your body stays in motion, the easier it is to burn calories.
9. Clean up. Cleaning up your home involves a good deal of physical labor. Sweeping, mopping, and dusting burns fat. If you want to add more "burn" to your cleaning, increase the speed of your movements.
10. Yoga is a great way to get in shape physically and spiritually. If you aren't familiar with Yoga you may purchase books and DVD's from websites like Amazon.com. Consider taking a Yoga class with a private instructor.

10 Foods for Better Memory

1) Green Tea
Several studies have found that drinking green tea helped improve cognitive function. This doesn’t mean more is better — go for one (or two) cups of tea at most per day.

3) Blueberries
Numerous studies have linked blueberries to improved memory and cognitive function. Studies on lab rats have shown that a certain plant compound found in blueberries called anthocyanins helps reverse some of the age-related memory loss.

4) Fortified Whole Grain Cereal
Fortified whole grain cereals contain folic acid, a B-vitamin that’s been linked in several studies to improved memory. Not sure if your cereal contains folic acid? Check the label. Other good sources: lentils, grapefruit, spinach and oatmeal.

5) Cruciferous Vegetables
The antioxidants found in cruciferous veggies like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and collard greens helped women in a 25-year study conducted at Harvard Medical School to retain memory function.

6) Coffee
Research has shown that a cup of joe helps you think more clearly. Stick to plain, brewed coffee with 1-percent or nonfat milk and forgo the fancy, high-calorie varieties.

7) Salmon
Omega-3 fats found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna have been found to directly affect memory. A study conducted at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that folks who ate the fish at least once a week had a 10 percent slower decline in memory than those without salmon in their diet.

8) Gum
A study conducted at Northwestern University found that gum chewing resulted in increased blood flow to the brain and improved cognitive performance.

9) Chocolate
As if we needed another excuse to eat chocolate, research shows that the flavanols found in cocoa also increase the blood flow to the brain and improve cognitive function. Stick to one ounce of dark chocolate at most per day (the dark varieties have more flavanols.)

10) Turmeric
Add some spice to your life! A study found that folks who reported consuming turmeric from occasionally to very often performed better on memory tests. Turmeric gives curry powder its yellow color and contains inflammation-fighting antioxidants. It tastes great in these chicken lettuce cups.