High Intensity Interval Trainings (HIIT) or Why you should quit long-lasting gym workouts?

A few years ago I used to spend around an hour and a half in the gym working out. That was sometimes without the time for going there and coming back. Now my workouts rarely take more than 30 minutes of my time. I do them at home or in the nearby park (so I save money) and I am loving the results. Read more about High Intensity Interval Training and its benefits...

What is HIIT?

High Intensity Interval Trainings are short workouts, that might last from 4 to 30 minutes. It is a form of
workout that alternates high intensity anaerobic exercises with lower intensity (or recovery) periods. A warm up is required before the workout and is recommended to be followed up by some stretching to cool down. 

The Tabata method

Probably the most famous kind of HIIT is the Tabata method. After a study, Izumi Tabata found, according to him, the most effective regime of training. The Tabata method alternates 20 seconds of a maximum- intensity exercise with 10 seconds of rest for 4 minutes, or 8 cycles in total. According to the study, this method performed 4 times a week produces the same results as a steady state training performed 5 days a week.

Benefits from HIIT

1. Fat burner cardio effect

Actually HIIT trainings burn more calories than regular cardio exercises such as jogging ! Apart from being a great fat burner during the workout, this regimen kicks off your metabolism so good that you burn more calories also in the 24 hours after the workout!

2. Metabolic kick

The fact that you keep on burning calories up to 24 hours after the workouts, means your metabolism is constantly working like a Swiss watch. It keeps on burning calories from fat and you do not lose any muscle unlike regular cardio activities! Moreover, it stimulates your body to produce more of the human growth hormone, which is an awesome anti-ageing effect.

3. Aerobic / Anaerobic benefits

Most of the people find it hard to keep up when they are in the anaerobic zone. This is the moment when you feel like your heart is going to jump out any moment and you are gasping for breath. With a few weeks of an intensive interval training, you can improve your anaerobic abilities and your sport performance in general raises to higher levels - also when it comes to aerobic exercises. 

4. Efficient

Apart from being very effective, HIIT workouts are the best regimen for a busy schedule that most of us have. The workouts are short - they take between 4 - 30 minutes -  and you can perform them anywhere you want - in the gym, in the park, at home. This means you can do it Anytime and Anywhere! 

4. Cheap - No gym equipment needed

To do HIIT you do not really need any equipment. Many variations of HIIT use only the weight of the body. So, you basically need to get some comfortable shoes and sweaty pants and you are ready for an awesome workout. If you do want to add some weight, you can equip yourself with a set of dumbbells or a bar at home, which is still quite cheaper than a regular visitation at the gym. 

Example of a HIIT workout

An example of an awesome HIIT workout that uses the Tabata regimen will show you the super cardio effect of interval trainings. 

Now enjoy sweating and getting lean! 

 Sweat is fat crying :)

Resources:

http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-benefits-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit

Interval build-up running

Hello All,

A few days ago a friend of mine( Thank you Darin!) remind me of a great workout which I must share with you. It's a workout that everybody has to do from time to time.As many of you probably have already heard, there is a more efficient way to increase your aerobic capacity without the need to run for hours. It's called Interval Running\Training.

Today I'm going to introduce an interval running workout, which helps increasing aerobic capacity and has a huge fat burning effect. I can also say that this is one of the best alternatives of the aerobic training.
You can do it 3 times per weeks and soon you will notice the results.

As you can see it will take you about 25-30mins including warm-up before and stretching once you are done.

Take a chronometer with you or just use your mobile. Nowadays every mobile has one built-in.

In short, start jogging for 30 seconds. Increase the duration of the jogging with 30 seconds after every time you do a sprint.
After the first jogging, start with the sprint for 20 seconds and increase with 10 seconds after every jogging.

In a similar way I used to prepare myself for a competition in mixed martial arts. But I will show you how in the next article ;)





Source: Black Book of training secrets by Christian Thibaudeau

SuperFoods: Goji Berries

General Info

Goji berries are bright orange-red, oval fruits of between 1-2 cm size of the seeds. The number of seeds of each fruit may vary by variety or size between 10-60 tiny yellow seeds. The fruits ripen from July to October in the northern hemisphere.

Latin name of the goji berry (Lycium) comes from the ancient southern Anatolian region Lycia, and in pharmacology is marked as Lycii fructus. In the English-speaking world the name "goji berries" is used from the beginning of the XXI century.

Advertised as a superfood, fruits of Lycium barbarum are also known as the wolfberry and grapes wolf. You will meet goji berries in any organic shop and anywhere you will read how useful these fruits are, also known as the "Miracle of the Himalayas", the secret of longevity and magic fruit of youth

Health Benefits of Goji Berries

They are high in antioxidants, specifically the carotenoids (like beta-carotene) and zeaxanthin (compound that absorbs blue light and helps protect the eyes).

The antioxidants in the berries are thought to help fight off free radicals in the body.

Goji Berries have about 20 different vitamins and minerals, making it one of the most nutritionally beneficial foods available.

They have 18 different amino acids (the building blocks to protein).

They have been used for many years in teas, juices and tinctures to treat ailments (although these are just assumptions and not based on clinical trials - at least not yet!)  The FDA has NOT approved the consumption of these berries to treat any disease or ailment.

Goji Berries have been used in Tibet for at least 1,700 years. Tibetan Medicine includes these berries in the treatment of kidney problems, liver problems, to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, cleanse the blood, eye problems, skin rashes, psoriasis, depression, allergies, insomnia, chronic liver disease, diabetes and tuberculosis. Goji Berries are also used by the people of Tibet to increase longevity and as a general health strengthening tonic. Many people that now eat Goji berries on a daily basis notice improved eyesight, restoration of hair color, mood enhancement, noticeable improvement in energy levels, better sleeping habits, stronger immune function, and more zest for life.

The Goji Berry is also being called the world's most powerful anti-aging food.

Nutritional properties and content of nutrients in goji berries

It is believed that goji berries contain the following nutrients :

• 6 essential vitamins ;

• 11 basic elements ;

• 22 minerals ;

• 18 amino acids ;

• 8 polysaccharides ;

• 6 monosaccharides ;

• 5 unsaturated fatty acids ( alpha -linolenic acid , beta -sitosterol and other phytosterols ) ;

• 5 carotenoids , including beta carotene , lutein and more. ;

• many phenolic pigments ( antioxidants ) .

Has also been found that fruits contain :

• Calcium - 112 mg/100 g ;

• Potassium - 1130 mg/100 g ;

• Iron - 9 mg/100 g ;

• Zn 2 mg/100 g ;

• Selenium - 50 mkg/100 g;

• Riboflavin - 1.3 mg/100 g ;

• Vitamin C - Between 29 and 148 mg/100 on

In goji berries contain many phytochemicals , such as:

• Beta Carotene 7 mg per 100 g dried fruit ;

• zeaxanthin - up to 200 mg per 100 g of dried fruit ;

• polysaccharides : up to 31% by weight of the pulp.

How to consume Goji Berries

You can eat a small handful of them plain.

Add them to yogurt or Greek yogurt for an added boost of nutrition.

Add them as a nutritional boost in your smoothies.

Mix them with your homemade granola and/or trailmix.

Sprinkle on your oatmeal for breakfast.

Add to muffins, baked goods, pancake batter, waffle batter, cookies or anything that would have the addition of something like a raisin.

Try not to consume an awful lot of these.  Just because something is thought to be "good" for you doesn't mean you want to eat a ton of it.  Just like any food, moderation is key.

Possible Side Effects

Reactions are possible with the use of goji berries along with certain herbs or substances designed to thin the blood. It is also likely that goji berries can affect the action of drugs for diabetes and blood pressure. Avoid them also for diarrhea, gas and bloating.

 Sources

http://www.bb-team.org/

http://www.chefcathythenutritionist.com

http://www.purehealingfoods.com

How to Make Almond Milk at Home?

Recently I have read and heard information that most of the milk sold in the supermarkets is not of best quality and often it does not provide you with the nutrition bio-milk provides you with. Some of the low-fat cow milk as well as the packaged almond and soya milks might contain artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame or others that are said to have negative effects. 

Benefits of Almond Milk

Almond milk is a very nutritions product that can be a substitute to cow milk. Therefore, it is a very good as part of a vegan diet. It contains protein and unsaturated fats.

Because of the unsaturated fat, almond milk does not raise cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart problems. Because of its content of omega-3 fatty acids, it helps to lower bad cholesterol. 

Apart from that, almond milk is high in mineral and vitamins, which makes it a very healthy choice.

Compared to the cow milk, almond milk is lower in fats and calories, so it is recommended if you aim to loose weight.

Who should NOT drink almond milk?

You should not drink almond milk if you have any nut allergies.

It should not be given to infants who need breastfeeding. It cannot substitute the nutrition that breastfeeding gives and it might develop nut allergies in the infants.

How to make it?

1. Soak the amount of almonds you would like in water for overnight (at least 6 hours). Do not use too much almond if you do not think you would drink it in 3 days (this is how long it stays fresh). Try with just one cup.
2. Drain the almonds.
3. Put them in a blender
4. Add water; ratio 2:1 water:almonds (so for a cup of almonds - two cups of water)
5. Sweeten it up with 1 date, vanilla and coconut sprinkles. 
6. Blend until you have a smooth white foamy liquid 
7. Separate the almond skin from the liquid with a drainer (you can also use a cloth)

Keep the leftover from the almond skin and use it for various purposes as you would like - in your breakfast, for baking, etc. 

Nutrition Facts

Almond milk (raw) Nutrition Facts	Per 1 cup
Calories	115.6
Total fat	10.1 g
Saturated fat	0.8 g
Polyunsaturated fat	2.4 g
Monounsaturated fat	6.4 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	0.2 mg
Potassium	145.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate	3.9 g
Dietary fiber	2.4 g
Sugar	1 g
Protein	4.3 g
Vitamin B-6	1.3 %
Vitamin E	26.0 %
Calcium	5.0 %
Magnesium	13.8 %
Zinc	4.5 %
Copper	11.1 %
Iron	4.8 %

Source:

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/calories/almond-milk-nutritional-facts.html#b

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/almond-milk-nutrition-facts.html