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Five Best Types of Exercise for Fat Loss

Can you work your way to a lower body index? Yes! Losing fat isn’t exactly easy — no matter what some may say — but with a low-calorie, supplement-enhanced diet and with the right mix of exercises you can burn fat in a healthy way.

Before you learn more about the most effective fat loss exercises, let’s get one thing straight. There’s no single fat loss exercise that, performed to exhaustion, will help you achieve amazing results. There’s no magical device that can enhance the way you exercise so amazingly that you just shed pounds every day. It’s better to rely on old, proven fat loss exercises than to spend a lot of money or miracle promises.

Another thing that’s good to know is that slow and steady cardio — running, cycling — isn’t the magic bullet to weight loss. Three hundred hours of cardio over a 12-month period burns only around 5 pounds, according to a study published in the journal Obesity.

Things are clear — if you want to see noticeable results, you just can’t go slow and steady. You have to focus on short bursts of intense training. Learn more.

1. Interval Training

Interval training is all about bursts of intense exercise followed by short periods of rest. Interval training is more effective at burning fat than jogging or running on a treadmill because it makes your body secrete more adrenaline and growth hormone. Both of these hormones burn fat. As it happens, interval training also burns more calories than steady cardio, hence another reason to make it the centerpiece of your training routine.

One of the benefits of interval training is that you can adapt it to your needs and workout style. You can do it on a treadmill in a gym, but you can also do it in the park or wherever you like to run. You can even cycle your way through interval training. Another benefit of this type of exercise is that interval training is shorter — just try to do intervals for an hour and you’ll understand what we mean.

So how can you use interval training to burn fat?

· Do a good warm-up of at least five minutes.

· Run or pedal 20% faster than your usual running or pedaling cardio workout rate — don’t push too hard

· After 30 seconds, slow down to half of your regular cardio rate — 30 seconds is a good start for a high-intensity workout.

· Alternate periods of 30 seconds or fast-rate exercise with 30 seconds of easy exercise.

· Do 6 intervals.

· Do at least 3 interval training sessions every week

You can get even better results with interval training by increasing the duration of the high-intensity / low-intensity intervals and the number of repeat intervals. But as with most types of training, you want to start slow to avoid injuries or exhaustion. It’s better to do several short interval training workouts every week than to just do one amazingly intense one and fall flat after it.

2. Jumping Jacks with Pushup

Countdown workouts are another effective way to burn fat. Because of the countdown they involve, they can be a motivating way to push through to the end of the exercise. Here’s a simple but highlight effective exercise of this type.

· Do six jumping jacks

· Do six push-ups

· Do five jumping jacks

· Do five push-ups

· Continue in the same way, alternating between the two types of exercises until you get to zero.

· In each future workout, add one extra rep to each exercise.

3. Hurricane Workouts

A hurricane workout lasts about 16 minutes and is designed to build muscle and keep your heart rate high. For a hurricane workout you need a bike, a treadmill, or a jump rope. For our example, we’ll use a bike.

· Warm up with light pedaling for five minutes.

· Pedal near maximum effort for 15 seconds.

· Slow down and measure your heart rate.

· Multiply the result by 10 to find your beats per minute rate.

· When your heart rate drops below 120 bpm (measure it!), do another intense bout of cardio.

· Do 9 intervals.

4. Strength Training

Strength training can also help you lose weight because bigger muscles eat more calories. The more you work your muscles, the more calories they need. Do push-ups, crunches, squats, lunges, and rows. These are all straightforward exercises you can get right at home. They’re simple enough that anyone can them. Do strength training at least twice a week, ideally in the gap days between your interval training. Don’t expect immediate results.

5. High Intensity Strength Intervals

These are more effective than regular pushups or crunches, but they also demand more energy and strength, though, so you may want to start with basic strength training first and only later move on to them. The key to making high intensity strength intervals burn a lot of fat fast is to work opposing muscles. Here’s a simple and effective exercise for that.

· Grab dumbbells you can handle for 10 repetitions.

· Do a dumbbell bench press.

· Do an inverted row with.

· Do five repetitions of each move, alternating them

· Rest enough between sets so you can complete them all.

· Do five sets of each.

In the end, remember that one of the common mistakes people who want to lose weight by exercising make is to work too much too fast. If you try to implement all of the five types of exercises above into your workout, you may set yourself a pace you can’t keep up for long.

Choose instead one or two exercises from this list that you think you will enjoy the most and do them three times a week, pushing yourself a little harder every week. You’ll lose more weight this way than if you try to do too much and end up on the sideline. In time, you can add new exercises and combine them to get even better results.

Hi! We’re Team NeuroGum, aficionados of all things brain-related, from creativity to working out. With backgrounds in art, science, and athletics, we love delving into all the potentials of the human body.

We also created the world’s first nootropic energy gum, made help you optimize your mind — anywhere, anytime. Find out more from: https://neurogum.com/

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What’s the Real Deal With Energy Drinks?

There are a lot of ways to get an energy hit, but how many of us stop to consider the other effects of that sticky liquid? When we’re overtired and having a demanding day, it’s tempting to grab the nearest thing promising to do the trick; quite often that’s an energy drink or espresso, as those are available on practically every block. It’s a nootropic boost you’re looking for, but reaching for the wrong combination can equate to long-term health problems. You grab the energy drink ‘cause you know you’re going to squeeze a bit of much-needed motivation out of that can, and you might even get a little buzz to boot.

Give in to that temptation more frequently, however, and you’ve got a habit on your hands. Before you know it you can’t function without it. Some energy drinks can even feel like amphetamines, making them popular mixers in nightclubs. Vodka and Redbull was once (and possibly still is, for all I know) one of the most popular drinks in the clubs thanks to its ability to keep people feverishly body popping until the early hours. If that’s ever been you, you’ll know that the next day is a different story.

Energy drinks gave me more than I bargained for

I remember being 21 (a disturbingly long time ago) and it was around the time when energy drinks had just found their way onto the market; they were being quaffed by the gallon and I remember naively thinking, what a great idea! I can stay out even later now! Hmmm. Did I stop to consider the ingredients? You bet I didn’t.

I found out about the ridiculously high caffeine content after laying in bed sweating and wide-eyed until 8am with an anxiety to be reckoned with, and heart palpitations loud enough to match the beat of the relentless nightclub below. Not fun, but that’s what happens when you mindlessly swig back four of these as mixers in one night. Lesson learned.

These days, I’m not quite so daft – health is my number one priority, but still, life sometimes tires me out; I still need a helping hand here and there. I have an idea about how to handle this, which I’ll get to, but first of all I’m going to tell you why turning to energy drinks for ‘help’ is a bad move. They really won’t help you at all, actually. It’s not such a secret anymore, but if you missed this news, here’s the heads up:

Energy drinks are toxic and dangerous

Cardiac arrest and abnormal heart rhythms

They’ve caused cardiac arrest in unwitting consumers with underlying heart problems – it only takes a small number to push a weak heart over the edge, due to the violent contractions it brings on. This is even the case with teenagers, which might sound surprising but they’re probably the least likely to consider the dangers and the most susceptible to marketing hype - therefore they buy a lot of these drinks. As a result, abnormal heart rhythms are another common result.

High blood pressure and medicine interactions

Likewise, high blood pressure is grossly exacerbated by energy drinks, which is bad news if you already have this problem; besides, it’s not the kind of problem you want to create. Those on prescription drugs can find themselves in deep trouble when combining them with energy drinks - lots of contraindications have been recorded, especially with drugs designed to treat depression.

Headaches, migraines, anxiety, insomnia

Just as I personally experienced, headaches (or migraines) and anxiety are very common side effects, and panic attacks are far from rare thanks to the excessive caffeine content. Vomiting and other allergic reactions have been recorded, and as suffering from insomnia is yet another frequent side effect, you can see how this cycle may start to perpetuate. To make matters even worse, they’re addictive. But there’s worse to come:

Aspartame, diabetes and vitamin B3 overdose

Diabetes Type 2 is on the increase thanks to the ludicrous amount of sugar in most energy drinks; they wear out the pancreas’ insulin-producing cells. Aspartame is another common ingredient (a highly-toxic chemical sweetener) that can cause serious and irreversible health problems.

Finally, because most energy drinks are infused with Vitamin B3 (Niacin), some people have been known to overdose on it. It normally promotes good health but can be toxic in too-large amounts. One man even developed hepatitis from B3 toxicity, and typical overdose symptoms are skin flushing, increased heart rate, vomiting, itching, gout, diarrhea and dizziness.

Surely there’s a healthier way… isn’t there?

I’m assuming that if any of this is news, alarm bells have gone off and you’re wondering whether there’s a healthy way to get that much-needed energy hit. The good news is that yes, there is. Nootropics substances can be attained through much healthier means, and that’s exactly what Neurogum have brought to the table.

NeuroGum is a sugar-free and aspartame-free nootropic energy gum, and as it contains only natural ingredients in amounts that the body can use to function optimally, you don’t have any of the risks associated with sickly-sweet energy drinks. Neurogum contains a caffeine and L-theanine nootropic combination to keep you energized and mentally fresh, and it’s got a healthy dose of vitamin B6, and B12 infused into it too.  

This gum not only tastes great and works five times more quickly than energy drinks and supplements; its ingredients have been scientifically proven to enhance cognition. In other words, you’ll think clearly, be more focused, remember more, be more alert and make better decisions. When you think about it, all your energy problems can be solved by a little box sitting in your pocket.

Whether it’s a nightclub podium you’re heading for or your office desk, why would you opt for a tooth-rotting heart attack in a can over a natural, healthy, simple and flavoursome chunk of gum. I know I wouldn’t… preserve your lifespan and sanity  – ‘chews’ Neurogum!

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Live Bold and Dismiss the Haters

Naysayers and haters. It’s a real shame. You’re struck with envy. You make excuses. You are resentful. You aren’t hustling to make it happen. You throw shade in attempt to rationalize your inadequacy and mediocrity. Your pride keeps you numb in your tracks and unable to click the “like” button to support an individual who once was a crucial piece in keeping the ball bouncing in your court. Your lack of applause and maliciously cynical claws speak to your internal dissatisfaction tied to your lack of ability to confront your flaws. Think broader. Out-dream yourself. You don’t know much about the years of struggle and toil leading to an individual’s ascendance; I recommend that you plan a deeply personal intervention and pay keen attention to your misapprehension and self-inflicted psychological infections. Let that marinate.

You will stumble across haters everywhere you go as long as you continue to live right and bust your behind toward meeting your goals and actively living out the life of your dreams. Real talk, I am certainly not the fan favorite in my hometown. Actually, I am furthest from it. I can straight up count a variety of souls who have morphed into foes that no longer show any support or love the more and more I become exposed. There’s something wrong with your character if opportunity controls your loyalty. If you subscribe to continuing to see a loaf of bread when there are only crumbs left with certain friends or family as your life progresses, drop ‘em like it’s hot. Those human beings are no longer your friends or of any substantial benefit to your well-being. Thank them for the free marketing when they moan, bitch and complain. Acknowledge the pain of disloyalty and the petty spitefulness that they have imbued into their nature, feel it and let it fucking go. These individuals are cancerous limbs in your life that you must amputate. Expel them from your worthy presence and make it a point to choose to solely spend your precious time with positive and healthy human beings who supplement your well-being while they improve their own. You cannot afford anyone else’s company.

I have tossed in the towel on relations with phony human beings who come out of the woodwork when life is poppin’, haven’t hit me up in months and refuse to fully express themselves on the faulty promise of securing external wealth. Society recognizes genius and compares it to insanity; I perceive the astute individual as a living, breathing gift raising awareness within humanity through emphatically broadcasting a rich diversity of unorthodox alternatives steering clear of conservative concurrences. Allow me to highlight some outspoken masters; Eminem, Rosa Parks, Johnny Carson, Audrey Hepburn, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Nas, Lupe Fiasco, each and every member of N.W.A. Whether still kicking or deceased, I perceive that each one of those individuals are either living or have lived an existence full of unrelenting persistence.

You gotta fly your own magic carpet and explode like fireworks across a night sky with red-hot blood pumping in your veins. You gotta toss relations with individuals that have mindsets tied to depravity that perceive the imaginable as unimaginable aside and focus on your ride. When you’re a threat, you will morph into a target if you allow the malice within an insecure individual get to you. You have got to be exceptionally relentless in your pursuit for life excellence. Reasoning as to why I am beginning to open magical doors is because I think like a black belt and habitually bleed words that are mysteriously enigmatic and imbued with transcendental magic. I never toe the line and I have never paid tuition; I simply paid attention.

I want to see every single bloody awful and nobly wonderful human being succeed no matter what “success” means to you. Choose not to wait until you hear that you are dying to begin to live. I recommend that those who are personally threatened by another human beings accomplishments quit wishing upon a star and camouflaging their inner instability behind a smokescreen of petty politics and feelings of back-biting inferiority and use the experience as an indicator of their personal beliefs behind themselves. Stop hating. Fiercely practice your craft and choose to experience the so-called pain of discipline over the excruciating pain of regret. Virtual high-five to every single fearless individual who genuinely encourages the success of others while working on their own. Don’t hate, celebrate.

IT’S LONELY ON TOP FOR A REASON. ENJOY THE SILENCE.

Hi! We’re Team NeuroGum, aficionados of all things brain-related, from creativity to working out. With backgrounds in art, science, and athletics, we love delving into all the potentials of the human body.

NeuroGum have created the world’s first nootropic energy gum, made help you optimize your mind — anywhere, anytime. Know More: https://neurogum.com/

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Fitness Goals Don’t Always Go As Planned – This Is What You Do

Whether you are already fit or only starting to get in shape, chances are that you probably have some fitness goals. You may have noticed that the enthusiasm you had when you had first set up your fitness goals started to somewhat taper off as the weeks go on. In addition, you may find yourself losing focus and failing to achieve the milestones you had envisioned for yourself. All sorts of health goals, including eating a more balanced diet, increasing muscle mass, running your first 5K or even half-marathon can be achieved if you choose the right approach to follow through on your plans. If you are stuck in a fitness slump, here are some tips and tricks to get you back on track.

1.      Track your progress

Keeping track of your progress is essential to know if your fitness routine is working for you. In addition, recording your progress helps you stay motivated and brings you closer to your goals, one step at a time. What should you be keeping track of? It is generally a good idea to keep a record of your food habits and your workouts. Taking some notes on what you are eating can be helpful to gain some perspective on your diet, and to see if there is any room for improvement. 

Keeping track of the exercises you performed can help you stay focused on your fitness goals, and make it easier to remember details such as the weights you used and the number of repetitions you did. You may also find taking progress photos, or “workout selfies,” can help you visualize the changes in your body over time. Just remember that according to fitness studies, stepping on a scale won’t always give you an accurate idea of your progress. Instead, a useful technique to track your progress is to measure your thighs, hips and biceps – since muscle takes up less space than fat, this is a good way to see how you are advancing in your fitness plans. In addition, keeping a record of your waist-to-hip (WHP) ratio is another method to assess your fitness level, with the ideal ratio being 0.85 or lower.

2.      Examine your eating habits

If you have been working hard at achieving your fitness goals, but are nowhere near your desired results, it is time to get a close look at your diet. Poor eating habits will interfere with your fitness progress, and it is very important to choose the right foods. General diet recommendations for nutritionally-balanced meals include avoiding processed foods, as well as foods high in fat and sugar. In addition, it is not recommended to eat late at night, rush through your meals and eat at irregular intervals. 

On the other hand, nutritionists recommend eating a similar number of meals and snacks each day, being careful not to snack out of boredom, and paying attention to the quantity of food you eat. Keeping healthy snacks available within reach at work and at home can help to reduce unhealthy snacking in between meals. Examples of healthy snacks to stock up on include fruit, low-fat dairy products, vegetables, and whole-grain foods.

 3.      Set up realistic expectations

In order to successfully reach your fitness goals, it is necessary to be realistic about your expectations. Setting up fitness goals that are overly ambitious will likely lead you to disappointment and loss of motivation. According to fitness experts, your goals need to be clear and specific. For instance, specific goals include how much you want to lift, what distance you would like to run, or exactly how much weight you would like to lose. In addition, your fitness goals need to be measurable and attainable – you need to be realistic about whether you can achieve your goal within the time period you give yourself. For instance, if you have not exercised in years, it is not reasonable to expect that you will start running for an hour every day. Setting a timeframe is equally important as setting realistic goals – it helps you organize your time better and to set up milestones to reach along the way.

4.      Analyze your obstacles

Keeping in mind the obstacles to your fitness goals is crucial when deciding and planning your fitness goals. We all have important commitments that can’t drop, and these include social, professional and personal obligations. It is, therefore, important to plan your workout routine and fitness goals around these commitments, and not the other way around. 

A recent study reveals that when its participants planned their fitness goals, they based their plans on ideal conditions, and ended up achieving less than they predicted because they didn’t factor in other important activities that distracted them from their goals. Experts’ advice? Be realistic about your distractors, and plan your fitness goals accordingly. Even if you have limited time to go to the gym, you should still make the effort, since doing a shorter session is better than doing nothing at all.

Hi! We’re Team NeuroGum, aficionados of all things brain-related, from creativity to working out. With backgrounds in art, science, and athletics, we love delving into all the potentials of the human body.

NeuroGum have created the world’s first nootropic energy gum, made help you optimize your mind — anywhere, anytime.

[wingedbelieverpaper-blog]

Music Supports Your Wellbeing

Each and every day, I am exhilaratingly allured by its tranquilizing essence. I inject generous tranquilizing doses of it’s medicinal sorcery into my veins. Pleasant waves of ecstasy rush through my body as I bow to its magnetic charm. The initial rush transforms my heartbeat and orchestrates a symphony of euphoria and rhapsody. Come hell or high water, it unceasingly brings to life the marriage of my fives senses. I am moved by a thrill so powerful that it sends shivers down my spine. Music, you are a drug to me.

The phenomenon of music pulls on the heartstrings of individuals all across the world. Music transcends the arbitrary boundaries that human beings devise to irrationally dissociate themselves and escalates unity amongst various cultures and encounters. The broad array of genres in the melting pot of melody builds bridges, which suggest the release of xenophobia and the curiosity of understanding between different cultures. Universally esteemed as a powerful force of expression, music conveys important messages, challenges predictability and evokes emotional realizations through stimulating the chemical and electrical impulses that power the mechanisms of the brain. Music simultaneously conjures memories and leads the minds petty cries to the evocation of influential realizations. Listening to music places cunning emphasis on the production of certain emotions an individual desires to explore along with the support of radical thought, delivery and the disavowal of societal norms. Music stimulating social movement and debate plucks the strings of fucked up corporeal villains. From records full of pumped-up, electrically enhanced studio magic to memorable explosive opening riffs on songs that have left deep-rooted legacies, music gets an individual's juices flowing and visibly exhibits the importance of humanity’s greatest driving force. Newfound clarity heralds as sensory appetites ripen toward satisfaction from any artist other than New Found Glory and lead individuals to the strengthening of interest to create an opportunity to share personal perspicacity associated with the piece of music. Vivid imaginations of fucking incredible ingenious artists (alternately categorized as space cadets, freaks of nature, weirdos, social rejects, etc.) fire up illustrious feelings and challenge the use of standard musical gadgets by generating the creation of majestic sound through the use of everyday objects. I recall the feeling I derived from witnessing the musical use of a frying pan on stage by Imogen Heap in 2006 (the only sober adventure of the decade) which sparked numerous conversations and debates pertaining to thinking outside of the box when it comes to the composition of harmonization.

Music remains the most natural and effective cognitive enhancer. It is a reputed nootropic known to help humans release a mood enhancing chemical in their brain. Neurogum also offers a nootropic which activates your mind and fuel your body.

Music has been a preeminent source of delight within my nomadic, foolhardy and downright brilliant life thus far. Music has touched me on the deepest abstruse and inmost level. The experimental sub-genre, Trip Hop, fervently carries the musical key to my heart. The artistically creative, enticingly dense, magnetically dark, and utterly captivating mature display of musical craft blithely seduces me as it seeps under my skin and has left a penetrating mark on my being. The lustrous combination of head-nodding beats, deep ambience and the erratic application of acid-house sounds with mysterious vocals dripping through my headphones aids in the creation of an abstract world of drifting smoke and wonder. The production of Massive Attack’s 1998 release, ‘Mezzanine’, is flawless. Listening to Massive Attack heartily takes over my entire body and mind. Though I will give any song in the entire world a chance, Trip Hop has metamorphosed my interest in open-ended forms of expression and serves as my personal most faithful musical mirror of reflection.

It is no surprise that crowds of thousands from worldwide walks of life collect wristbands and come together for the unique opportunity to bask in the intoxication drawn from the infusion of multiculturalism, instruments, enthusiastic vibes and distinctive musical styles at music festivals all over the globe. Human beings are immediately connected by live circulating energy and intensity of collective fury exploding into the day/night and casting spells on conventional behavior. Intricately woven tunes kick passion into high gear and bury an individual's fear of judgement. Music directly conveys the power to affect our equilibrium, physical jumpsuit, conscious thoughts and movement. Music festivals are playgrounds beaming of spontaneity and enriching interaction amongst human beings sharing the authentic feeling composed from being engulfed by noteworthy performances. Pausing to feel the music deeply penetrate your heart activates the pleasure of being fully alive and sparks the flow of flamboyant freedom.

Music has the potential to bring a listener to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Music rises above the barricades of communication and dishes out stories behind the exertion of an individual's idiosyncratic creativity. Music is a driving force. Music breeds coexistence. Music heals.

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Interesting Relaxation Techniques for Better Sleep

According to the National Institute of Health, we need between seven to eight hours of sleep. In today’s fast-paced life, many people find it difficult to wind down before bedtime, which can result in difficulty falling asleep and insomnia. Fortunately, there are a number of effective relaxation techniques to help us achieve both physical and mental relaxation at bedtime. They work by reducing the physical tension of our muscles and block the flow of our thoughts that can prevent us from falling asleep. In fact, studies show that people who use relaxation techniques before sleep end up falling asleep faster and sleep longer. Sleep research studies have revealed that using the following techniques that take only 15-20 minutes of your time and can help you fall asleep faster and get more restful sleep:

1.    Imagery (Visualization Techniques)

One of the most common and effective relaxation techniques for going to sleep is visualization of peaceful imagery. This technique involves visualizing (imagining) peaceful scenes, such as calm ocean waves or mountain meadows. As you deeply inhale and exhale, use your imagination to focus your mind on the scenes of tranquility you have come up with. It is important to focus on different sensory aspects of the peaceful imagery you have conceived in your mind. For example, if you are imagining a sunset at a beach, it is recommended to also imagine what the waves would sound like, and what the warm feeling of the sunset would be like. Imagery techniques help the mind relax and focus on pleasant and peaceful sensations, helping us drift off to sleep. If you are having trouble coming up with your own imagery, there are plenty of free scripts and audio programs available online.

 2.    Focus on Your Breathing

Focusing on your breathing while producing deep and slow breaths is an effective and simple way to achieve the state of tranquility necessary to go to sleep. Deep breathing helps to eliminate muscle tension, slow the heart rate and lower the blood pressure. In addition, focusing on your breath helps to clear your mind and to focus it on the sensation of your body becoming more and more relaxed. A breathing relaxation technique involves assuming a comfortable position and taking a series of deep and slow breaths while having the eyes closed. In addition to relaxing the body, deep breathing relaxation methods mimic the breathing rhythms of deep sleep and therefore prepare your body and mind to rest and fall asleep.

3.    Autogenic Training

Autogenic training is a technique originally developed by the German psychiatrist Johannes Heinrich, and has been shown to be clinically effective in reducing stress and treating sleep disorders. The technique is based on the findings that simple auto-suggestive messages (or statements) can influence our bodily perceptions and help us achieve deep relaxation.  Autogenic training involves a series of several standard exercises which are aimed to make the body feel relaxed, warm and heavy. Specifically, each exercise requires you to get into a simple posture, such as sitting in a comfortable chair, and to use several visual or verbal cues to relax specific parts of the body. You can learn each exercise by reading about it or by taking a course in autogenic training. The techniques are fairly straightforward, and after a few brief courses, you can learn to do them on your own.

4.    Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation, also often referred to as Jacobson’s or deep muscle relaxation, is a technique which involves systematically contracting and then relaxing groups of muscles all over the body. The technique is a two-step process: first you need to tense specific muscle groups in your body, such as your neck and shoulders. Then, you need to relax them and release the tension you applied, and take note of how your muscles feel when you relax them. By practicing deep muscle relaxation techniques, you can learn the difference in the feeling of tense muscle and completely relaxed muscles, and you will be able to recognize if your body gets tense throughout the day. These exercises can help lower the overall muscle tension in the body, help to fight stress and anxiety, and get better sleep. It is easy to learn progressive muscle relaxation techniques by attending a course, reading about it or by listening to an audio guide. Mastering the methods of progressive muscle relaxation will allow you to both monitor and control the state of muscle tension in your body and learn to achieve the state of deep relaxation.

5.    Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a technique which can help us to become more aware of how our bodies react to tensing and relaxing. Basically, it is a mind-body technique that uses our body’s signals to teach us to modify our own physiological states in order to improve our physical, mental and emotional health, as well as our quality of sleep. Traditionally, this method used electrodes placed on the body to take measurements of muscle tension, breathing, body temperature and pulse. Following these measurements and their changes, helps us to understand how they are influenced by muscle relaxation techniques or by particular thought patterns. Recently, a variety of gadgets has become available to help us track and measure these physical functions, and thereby to track our emotions, including stress and anxiety levels, throughout the day. Tracking our body’s signs of tensing and relaxing can help us learn to implement voluntary self-awareness strategies to help us ease the tension, calm our bodies and minds and become relaxed and at ease.

Neurogum Nootropic Energy Gum is the best focus enhancing product with many promises of improving lifestyles, brain power, and more. It is specifically designed to improve your concentration.

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Five Bad Habits That Could Be Wrecking Your Sleep

Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. In fact, poor sleep quality and sleep disorders are among the most common, yet most frequently overlooked and readily treatable health problems today. Recent research shows that poor quality of sleep and chronic sleep deprivation can lead to problems such as daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and weight loss or weight gain. Scientific research studies have demonstrated that in addition to negatively affecting our health, sleep deprivation also causes cognitive performance and memory impairments. The good news is: it is possible to reboot bad sleeping habits and get the good night’s sleep you need. Here are some sleep-disrupting habits to avoid if you would like maximize your sleep quality:

1.    Eating too close to bedtime

It is hard to resist the temptation of finishing that leftover pizza right before going to bed. However, eating too close to your bedtime will disrupt the quality of your sleep because it increases the risk of acid reflux and overloads your stomach during a period when it should be resting. In addition, the feeling of being bloated after a big meal can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Experts suggest avoiding calorie-rich foods, such as ice cream or potato chips before going to bed, since they put a heavy workload on our digestive systems and can lead to weight gain. If you feel really hungry and need to eat something before going to sleep, try having a light but filling snack, such as a small fruit salad or a cup of fiber-rich cereal.

2.    Using technology at bedtime

Many of us have taken on the habit of casually browsing the newsfeeds of our social media accounts in bed before going to sleep. According to sleep researchers, this is a terrible habit and interferes with our ability to fall asleep. First of all, using technology devices before bedtime stimulates mental activity and promotes the state of wakefulness. In addition, artificial light sources, such as the screens of our phones, interfere with sleep by interrupting our body’s natural circadian rhythms by producing “blue” light. The circadian rhythm is the body’s 24 hour sleep/wake cycle, and interfering with it can result in health problems such as depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and insomnia. Blue light suppresses melatonin, which is a hormone that is needed to promote sleep and regulate circadian rhythms. To break the bad habit of using your smartphone before going to sleep, don’t keep it near where you sleep. In addition, you can avoid other artificial light sources by turning off your television long before you get ready for sleep, and by facing the screen of your alarm clock away from you.

 3.    Drinking alcohol close to bedtime

Think twice before pouring yourself that nightcap. While it’s true that having a drink before going to sleep will make you fall asleep faster, alcohol actually has detrimental effects on the quality of your sleep. According to a recent study by sleep scientists at the University of Melbourne, having just one drink before going to bed alters our sleeping brainwave patterns, disrupting our sleep and interfering with the restorative efforts of our brain cells. Consequently, the disruption of our brainwave patterns during sleep can lead to daytime drowsiness, headaches and irritability. Sleep scientists suggest avoiding all alcohol before going to sleep, and opting for herbal teas, such as chamomile instead. Herbal teas provide a calming and sedative effect before going to sleep without interfering with our sleep’s quality.

 4.    Consuming caffeine-containing drinks or snacks close to bedtime

When considering your choice of late afternoon or evening beverages and snacks, keep in mind that caffeine-containing foods and drinks will interfere with your ability to fall asleep for many hours after consuming them. A 2013 study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine has demonstrated that caffeine consumed even as far in advance as six hours before bedtime disrupts the quality of sleep. It is also important to remember that caffeine is not only found in coffee, but is also contained in soft drinks such as soda, ice tea, and in certain foods, such as chocolate. Although caffeine does not affect everyone in the same way, with some people being more sensitive to it than others, researchers agree that it is a good idea to avoid all caffeine around dinnertime.

5.    Hitting the snooze button

Paradoxically, hitting the snooze button and trying to get those extra precious minutes of sleep will make you more tired during the day and will do you more harm than good. According to sleep researchers, we often make the mistake of thinking that those extra five minutes of sleep will give us an energy boost during the day. It turns out that the “snooze time” between the beeps of your alarm is not enough for your body to fall back into deep sleep, and will also confuse your brain about the meaning of the alarm sound, making it harder to get out of bed. As a result, the fragmented sleep will result in daytime drowsiness and fatigue. Sleep experts’ advice? Set your alarm exactly for the time you will need to get up.

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8 Brain Hacks That Can Make You Smarter

Brain Hacking, or the practice of taking the brain and its capacity to a higher level has nothing to do with arcane rituals, spiritual prowess or the institutions of higher learning. Basically it all comes down to exercising the most basic self control techniques that can allow you to unlock some impressive potential that exist in us all.

 One way to look at this is “mind over matter”by changing the way your brain approaches its challenges it can be optimized for peak performance. Following is a collection of 8 such important techniques that can assist in improving brain processes and actually make you a smarter human being.

 1. Nourish your brain

 This is the most important thing you can do for your brain. Have you ever heard that your mind is a muscle? The first thing to address when increasing the strength of your muscles — or power of the mind — is to improve the nourishment you are providing for the required process.

 Muscles need protein and carbs to operate at top performance; the brain needs those upgraded fatty acids, especially Omega 3’s to improve cognitive function. Make sure you are getting a good supply of these acids by increasing the quantities of healthy foods like almond butter, grass-fed beef and fish of all types. This is how you can provide your brain with the fuel for success.

 2. Reset your Circadian Clock

 No one is sleeping enough these days, it's all the artificial light and energy-induced beverages that allow us to goof around with our highly developed body clocks. But our circadian clocks — that internal mechanism that regulates sleeping patterns and such — can be reset by increasing the time you spend in the sun and cutting caffeine and sugar from your diet.

 By realigning your natural clock to the Sun’s cycle you can enjoy a fresh start in the morning without the grog and then fall into a blissful sleep at the end of the day without the tossing and turning of an insomniac. There are even apps that can be downloaded for this purpose. Sleep Cycle will monitor your sleep cycles (of course) and help you figure out when you dose off in the cycle and get up. Information can be used to adjust your sleeping habits for better rest.

 Remember to shut down TV's, bright lights and mobile devices at least an hour before falling to sleep.

 3. Practice Awareness

 An easy way to gain a level of cranial capacity for memory retention is to practice the ancient art of mindfulness. This is very simple and quite the opposite of the popular multi-tasking ability so many people are flaunting these days. Mindfulness is focusing all you attention and mental function on a single task at a time. This could be listening to your boyfriend describing a discussion with his boss and not running through your to-do list for the next day at the same time or even completing a flower arrangement with no other thought on you mind.

 Taking the time to increase the focus you provide to an action, project or conversation is what makes the difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary. You will feel it,your results will be imbued with it and your brain empowered as you do it more.

 4. Do Yoga

                           When I was doing my stint of desk work I felt tired and unmotivated no matter how much I accomplished, or how many different diet plans I adopted. I would down coffee like a madman and I felt even more groggy as time went by.

 Then I tried Yoga. This ancient routine of fitness and coordination of the mind andbody through breathing and stretching exercises has a profound effect on the individual’s sense of time and awareness of the present moment. These exercises have a cumulative effect after performed consistently which can actually be beneficial to feelings of increased focus and feelings of wellness.

 5. Learn to Speed Read

 Knowledge is power and there is enough information at your fingertips today to make you a god among other gods and goddesses just like yourself. How can you consume all this high-quality brain food? Speed reading is the way to go. This technique is easy enough to learn and allows you to retain information being gleaned at high speeds. The more you practice the better the smallest details will adhere to your memory for application when needed. For the average person, speed reading is the best first step to better brain function.

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 6. Rewire your emotions

 Some of the smartest people I know can’t help but get in their own way. If it weren’t for this enormous amount of emotional baggage they insist on carrying around with them they’d have mental power to spare. Gaining control over where the mind goes when it is left in neutral for even a second is a good way to gain a grasp on the present moment and increase your mental effectiveness.

 What better way to begin interfacing with the mind then the practice that has yielded some of the greatest scientific and philosophical concepts known to humanity. I’m speaking, friends, of meditation. This useful form of mind control — personal mind control, which is — can help to disconnect the negative associations with the past or future worries. Dumping excess baggage is like removing the training weights that held back a champion swimmer — you can fly!

 7. Better a short pencil…

 The cure for cancer, the solutions to faster-than-light travel and even world peace has all been lost for lack of a pencil, presumably. The problem is some of the best ideas are lost under the assumption “I’ll remember this when I get back.” But Star Wars, Microsoft and some of the greatest revolutions in the art world were perfected because George Lucas, Bill Gates and Pablo Picasso were so intent on catching every brainchild they birthed.And you should too.

 8. Never stop being young...

   What was the biggest difference between our mind as a bright and eager child and the dusty old muck we have now? Perspective! When we were children we looked at everything as if it were new. With time and monotony we tend to settle into comfortable ruts and they run deep sapping our creativity and killing our zest for life.

 But they can’t call you an old dog if you’re still learning new tricks. So take up a hobby, study Russian, play or sing in a jazz or learn to appreciate classical music or foreign cuisines. Anything you can do to treat your brain to new sensations and experiences will exercise the brain and revitalize your cognitive functions over time.

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5 Reasons Your Weight Loss Efforts Are Not As Effective As They Could Be

Even if you are sticking to the best regimen for healthy eating and living, you may see that your weight is not dropping as you think “it ought to be”. While the benefits of healthy eating and living stretch far beyond a decreased body weight, this one aspect can be disheartening.

But it is no reason to quit, here are some of the most common reasons for weight loss frustration and some practical ways to address each one. 

1.    Too Much Emphasis on the Scale

It’s common to feel that results aren’t happening fast enough. Or they aren’t coming as fast as when you first began your plan for better fitness. But you should remember that the scale is only measuring weight and this is nowhere near synonymous with overall progress, quite the opposite.

Weight can be affected by a number of circumstances, including undigested food and retained fluid levels. The fact is your body’s weight can change dramatically, even by as much as 4 pounds in a day. This depends on your typical eating and hydration habits.

Furthermore, women are also affected by the levels of estrogen and other hormones regulated during their monthly cycles. These can also affect your weight as they regulate how much of your fluids are retained.

Finally, if you are accompanying your weight loss goals with plenty of exercise, it is quite likely you are swapping body fat for muscle, which is considerably heavier. The takeaway here is that your weight can be a deceptive way to track progress and can distract you from your long term goals. So don’t place too much emphasis here.

Instead break out the tape measure and take monthly snapshots of yourself in the same pair of jeans you started out in, soon you will notice how loosely it fits.

2. Too Many or Too Few Calories

Calories must be carefully balanced in weight loss efforts. The ideal situation is to create a calorie deficit, meaning you will burn more calories than you are consuming. Typically, a decrease of 3500 cal. In a week was equivalent to a 1 pound loss. But things aren’t that simple, the calorie deficit must be done to the specific needs of the individual

It can be tricky to measure the exact amount of calories being consumed and it is quite possible that you are getting too many calories for your specific needs. Many healthy foods are also extra high in healthy energy and keeping an accurate account of your calorie intake will help you maximize your efforts.

On the other hand, many have found a 3500 cal. In a week to be a too much to drop in a week and left them famished without the energy to perform their exercise routines. Even worse, when the body feels threatened with starvation — because in a sense that it what‘s happening here— it will typically go into survival mode, dropping metabolic rates and greedily clinging to every ounce of energy reserves, or stored fat.

To get the best results from your diet and exercise program you will need to fine-tune your calorie intake, it is important to be burning off a good amount, but you also need enough food to fuel your routines, so aim for those happy mediums.

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3. Irregular Exercise Habits

During your weight you can expect to see some muscle mass and fat to be lost or gained depending on several factors.

If you don’t exercise, you can expect to lose some of that muscle mass, and because it weighs more than fat, some weight will go too. Inactivity also lowers the metabolic rate and weight from stored energy can increase too.

On the other hand, when you begin exercising you will also retain lean muscle mass and this will also raise the metabolic rate. The more you raise your lean mass levels and metabolic rate the easier it will be to lose weight and keep it lost.

By the same measure, you don’t want to overdo it. Too much exercise can be just as detrimental. Studies have shown that excessively ambitious exercise routines can be impossible to continue and can lead to feelings of frustration that thwart the most determined efforts.

You will want to make sure you begin with an actionable plan that doesn’t demand too much but also keeps you from falling to the effects of lethargy. Begin with routines that you can complete consistently for the foreseeable future to get the most from your weight loss goals.

4. Not Eating Enough Protein

Proteins will be an essential part of your weight loss success. This important nutrient can have a tremendous effect of your weight loss goals.

Proteins can make you feel more full, reduce cravings, increase metabolism and help to preserve vital muscle mass that can suffer during weight loss. According to one study on a group of participants on a diet of 30% calories from proteins, the final result was a reduction of calorie intake by 575 cal. Compared with a 15% calorie from protein diet.

This is another point where the exact ratios between personal requirements and precision protein intake will make all the difference in the world. If you have doubts, speak to a qualified nutritionist to see what would be the best choice for you.

5. Unrealistic Expectations

Without goals you will wandering about wondering if you are getting any closer to your ideal weight, so they are important to your overall success. However, it is essential that you keep goals that are easily attained.

According to extensive study in the fields of medicine, fitness and psychology, it is attainable goals that keep the individual challenged, inspired and progressing. Studies have shown that those who set the highest goals for themselves will be the first to drop out when they see they are only capable of a fraction of these results.

Set goals you can hit and hit consistently. Think baby steps, because we all got a crawl before we learn to fly. By setting a goal to something like a 10% weight loss in the first year you will understand what is required of you for that mere 10%.

By this time next year you will know exactly how to interface with yourself and make precise goals for yourself.

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In Conclusion

As you can see from many of these point, the feel for balance is the key to successful weight loss efforts. While the dynamics of weight loss are relatively simple to comprehend, all efforts must be tailored to your needs personally. This is where an intuitive approach and respect for the greater picture can bring you closer to your goals.

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4 Effective Ways to Motivate Yourself into Working out Regularly

Are you looking to take your fitness routines to the next level by making them a part of your regular life and schedule? Very often a casual exercise routine will spark the desire for regular sweating sessions. Nevertheless, desire alone can only take you so far on your journey to greater health and fitness. It can be a daunting task to make your fitness routine an important part of a regular schedule.

Conventional logic is only helpful to a certain point. But becoming the kind of person who skips out on lunch with the friends because it would mean sacrificing their weight training is not as simple as it sounds.

You will typically hear helpful trainers and even your own self-criticism telling you it’s all about willpower. Others say that after you have continued your training for a full 21 days; it is all downhill from there. Yeah right! Tell yourself that 24 days later when it’s freezing outside and every inch of your sore aching body is begging you to lie in bed, even just a few more minutes.

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Finding Motivation for Fitness Pursuits

The good news is that this problem has been investigated by the medical, psychological and even economical fields of research. Here are some of the strategies that the experts have been coming up with that can encourage the individual to stick to their habit despite reluctance:

1. Give Yourself a Real Treat

There are the Olympian heroes and pantheon of fitness gods whose only motivation is rippling pectorals, a sleek build, or even excellent health. But for the rest of us mere mortals, Charles Duhigg outlines another approach in his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”.

According to Duhigg, tangible rewards and benefits will be far more effective motivators. Treating yourself to a double chocolate cake or episode of your favorite TV show can be a better motivator. Just be sure any tasty treats don’t offset your progress as an athlete.

The extrinsic reward is so effective because it give the mind a focal point on which to gain traction and add validity to the efforts and push them through to completion. The best way to do this, according to Charles Duhigg is by setting up a “habit loop”. A proper habit loop will begin with a cue to trigger the desired behavior (setting out your gym bag as a reminder), the action itself (complete weight training at the gym) and finally the reward (Game of Thrones! Yay!) The complete loop and commitment to it can make the routine a habit.

As more effort is added in a routine manner, the motivation moves from being extrinsic to a more intrinsic desire to complete the endorphin induced activity. Endorphins are those feel-good drugs released into the body during an especially active routine. Once you become “addicted to that rush” you won’t even need the reward at the end.

2. Sign a Commitment Contract

We spend a good portion of our lives making empty promises to ourselves. But according to research, we are far more likely to keep these promises if we make them to our friends or people whose esteem we highly value.

You can even take this idea a step further and make the deal a little interesting. What if you included a $20 payment for each time you skipped out on your commitment. It's a simple notion of paying an agreed upon price over a certain amount of time. Either the price will be paid in buckets of sweat and fruitful exertion or the equal amount of cold hard cash. This way you know you have a commitment whether paid to yourself in exertion, your friends in cash or in the chagrin of knowing you have failed yourself and your friends. What fun!

There are even sites that facilitate such arrangements. www.stickk.com is one such site, according to statistics held by the site’s administration, those who set down long term goals in longer contracts have been found to stick to their plans better and get more exercise in the end. It is important to get past the initial stage that can be especially uncomfortable to get to the part when long term goals are the objective. This takes the focus of momentary discomfort and onto greater rewards and dividends in the future.

3. Rethink Positive Thinking

Proponents of the “sunny side of the street” suggest there is great power in visualizing the rewards for your good/desirable behaviour. For example when you are sitting down tired at the end of your work day and considering just skipping this day's’ routine, consider how good you will if you head out anyway and get some late afternoon glow on your cheeks and the fresh smell of the leaves and grass in your lungs as you raise your heart rate. Even better, how awesome will you feel when you get back and enjoy that glorious after burn?

After you imagine the obstacle in your mind’s eye, you can invent whatever solution you need to counter it. The thing to remember is that when you use these “fantasies” to feel better and motivated you should always accompany them with realistic solutions to your situation.

For example, if you have identified your obstacle as being exhausted after the end of the day, you can’t simply imagine some extra energy, but you can make extra energy an option by moving your exercise routines to the morning or lunch hour as well as getting better nutrition or high quality sleep at night.

4. Get Paid

Finally, there is a trick that seems to work on everyone, getting paid. Money talks, and it can be a good reminder to begin pursuing these goals. Research into techniques like this have found them to be especially effective in keeping people motivated and increased the rate of completion considerably.

What? Get paid to work out? How? Those who lack billionaire dollar patronage can consider looking at the Pact app. This community of users literally pays each other to stay in shape and meet their goals. If you fail to meet your commitments you authorize the app to discount a penalty. Goals that you reached earn you a cash prize paid for by yourself and the pooled funds of others who failed to hit their goals.

In conclusion — No matter how you reach your goals, you will know you are there once the effort itself is your reward. Once you have made hitting your goals a part of your life you have gained a measure of self-control that will not be easily lost.

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Taking Command of Your Mind

What a tremendous tool the mind is. It has the focus and creativity to conceive the concepts of gravity and rocket science and still remind us to brush our teeth, hit the gym and avoid processed foods. But it can also become difficult to control.

The mind can seem to spin out of control like a car on an icy road. When this happens, it can seem impossible to stay focused on the moment and the important tasks at hand. What’s worse, a condition like this tends to worsen the longer it goes unchecked.

To gain control, many people practice meditation, break out the anti-depressants or test the value of one of the thousands self-help books out there. Often these best efforts can end in frustration and the return to square one more disappointing each time.    

But taking control of the mind is an intuitive process and by learning more about yourself and the way you function as an individual and a human you learn to fine-tune your mind and your capacity to wield it effectively.

Following are six important points on the subject of your mind that can help you better understand it:

 ●        Notifications

Your mind will frequently bring up important tidbits for your attention. This could be anything from “you left your keys on top of the fridge” to “you will never find love and will probably die alone”. The mind also has a useful feature that allows these notifications to become louder if they are ignored, this has saved human life countless times.

 But it can get out of hand and there is a simple solution. Understand that your mind, just like yourself, will feel better and gain a measure of peace if it feels understood and not neglected. So treat it as you would a valuable and fragile piece of equipment. Thank it for its important service and acknowledge the information provided.

 “Thank you for bringing up these important concerns. I will make the most of my moment and solve them as the opportunities arise”. By practicing gratitude you will keep positivity as your mode of operations and this always leads to buoyancy and mental resilience.

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 ●        No Fighting in the War Room

As long as you are struggling with your mind and disputing with the way it seems to work and operate, you will be wasting valuable time and focus that must be placed on the moment. It can be downright crazy how much negativity can be fed to the mind. But you can’t fight it, or you will become entangled it an insane morass of grim possibilities. The more you fight the more time and energy is lost.

  So make peace. Accept that the gloom and negativity is just a part of life and you really can’t control them. What you can control is how you react to them. Just smile as these thoughts go by and set your focus to the tasks at hand, your breathing or the awesome fact that you are alive.

 ●        Mind over Matter

Interfacing with the mind has always been the subject of great debate. We don’t see the mind but rather experience it as an inner monologue being displayed in fascinating and terrifying word pictures, images and a host of other notions to many and too individual to list here.

This leads us to accept what the mind expresses as the inarguable words of our inner soul. When we hear the mind say “I’m a failure, anyone with half a brain would've figured that out”, we tend to echo the sentiment, “yup, maybe I won’t call Cindy, why would she want to talk to a loser like me?”.

But ask yourself this “how many time have those thoughts been spot on? How many time were they were way off?”

The fact is that thoughts are fleeting mental events drifting through the mind's eye, influenced by the time of day, moods swings, sex, cups of coffee, current activity, recent events, that hilariously depressing meme, what dad said when you were young, etc.

 What you can remember is that they are old circuits stuck on playback. A mental habit that can be broken by a resolute mind. Of course, habits don’t just break overnight. The cycles of negative thinking must be addressed with consistency and determination but positivity and creativity as well. Even then the hyperactive amygdala will still send out a distress signal, but in time you will have a decisive response

 ●        The Missing Manual

 How ironic? The most complex chemical mechanism in the known universe didn’t come with an instruction manual. Nevertheless, it can be fully understood through interactions. It’s kind of like the way a good leader would take the time to fully understand how his followers work and operate.

 Practicing mindfulness is one of the best ways to do this. Have you ever tried to focus your entire mind on a sunset, the rhythm of your breathing or the sound of the wind. Eventually the mind gets restless and rushes back to concerns, memories and other interests.

 This lack of control can be very upsetting when trying to focus and taking the time to practice mindfulness can give you a chance to observe where your mind goes and what you need to do to keep it fresh and clean. . Without a manual, observation is the best way to understand the nature of the mind.

 ●        Reset Your Automatic Tasks

 What is a thought? Simply put, It is like an electrical impulse that spins around in a specific pattern of neurons in the brain. As the thought is fortified by repetition the circuit it follows and the conclusions that follow thought become hardwired into the brain as a standard response. This is why we are a product of the way we think and the actions our thoughts cause us to enact.

 While some of these automatic responses are great for perfecting desirable habits, it is important to identify and reevaluate outdated thought patterns. Those who were mistreated as a child often develop very deep rooted responses to aggression, ridicule or even affection, which must be abandoned to adopt a more intuitive response to the moment.

 ●        Be Your Biggest Fan, Coach, Butler, Bodyguard, Confidant and More

Don’t Judge yourself for the things that happen in your head, learn to appreciate them and understand them. When you learn that your feelings, emotions and thoughts are natural reactions to the things you encounter in your life, you can find positive responses and solutions.

 Cravings for food, for example, can be better understood as the need for company or something better to do. This could be the start of a whole new passion, hobby or relationship. By finding the most positive responses to our thought processes we can begin a healthier happier life and better enjoy the company and individual personalities of others.

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How Does Sleeping Cause Your Brain to Shrink?

As it turns out, sleeping isn’t just for resting our tired bodies. A full night’s sleep is essential for many of the recharging processes, both in the body and in the brain. Just as we thought that we already know all about the benefits of getting eight hours of sleep, a new research study has revealed that our brains actually shrink when we sleep, and that this helps us prepare to learn new information.

The brain is an incredibly complex organ, and its capabilities are truly astounding. While we are awake, our brains constantly process the information from our environment, make new memories and direct our actions. There are billions of cells in the brain, otherwise known as neurons.Many previous scientific studies have already shown us that sleep plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, and that lack of sleep can cause memory impairments. But how exactly does sleep help us retain information?

In a recent study published in the journal Scienceby researchers of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Sleep and Consciousness, scientists used a new, cutting edge technique called serial block-face scanning electron microscopy to take high resolution images of brain cells. The researchers made a surprising discovery: the synapses, or the connections between our brain cells, shrink by up to 20% during sleep [1].

During the day, we learn and makenew memories. In order for us to keep these memories, we have to make more connections in the brainand to increase the number of our synapses. According tobrain researchers, it is also necessary for the brain connections to shrink during sleep in order to reset, and to prevent overloading.Scientists call this theory “synaptic homeostasis hypothesis”. In addition, researchers believe that this type of scaling down of the brain connections helps to make room for new memories.

“Sleep is the perfect time to allow the synaptic renormalization to occur… because when we are awake, we are ‘slaves’ of the here and now, always attending some stimuli and learning something,” explained Dr. Chiara Cirelli, one of the study co-authors, in her interview with the science news website LiveScience [2]. “During sleep, we are much less preoccupied by the external world… and the brain can sample all of our synapses, and renormalize them in a smart way,” she added.

According to the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis, without synaptic downsizing, the synapses would reach their maximum size and capacity and we would not be able to continue to learn and consolidate our memories to retain them.

Interestingly, it was found that only the smaller connections were decreased in size, while the bigger synapses were not affected and stayed the same. The study authors suggest that the bigger synapses are more stable and contain important memories that the brain does not want to lose.

Another study recently published in Science provided some insight into the molecular process behind the synaptic downscaling. According to the findings, the shrinking of synapses is driven by the gene called Homer1a, and that this process is important for memory consolidation [3]. In this study, researchers found that sleepiness prompts brain cells to make Homer1A protein and to send it to their synapses. Then, during sleep, Homer1A activates the mechanisms responsible for “synaptic pruning”.

So does that mean that the main purpose of sleep is to “reset” our brains and prepare them for the next day? According to scientific studies, there are many important changes that take place both in our bodies and in our brains that occur during sleep.For example, people who are chronically sleep deprived are more likely to suffer from elevated blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and depression; moreover, they have a higher risk for heart disease and stroke [4].

In his interview with New York Times, Dr. Markus H. Schmidt, another sleep researcher at the Ohio Sleep Medicine Institute, proposed that the shrinking of synapses is not necessarily the main reason that sleep exists. Referring to the new studies on synaptic downscaling, he said: “This work is great, but the question is, is this a function of sleep or is it the function?” [5].

A groundbreaking study published in 2013 has already shown us that as we sleep, the brain washes away waste and toxins that are built up during the day [6]. In this study, scientists found that some types of cells in the brain also shrink during sleep, allowing the spaces between cells to grow bigger. This allows more fluid to be pumped between brain cells, and to wash away more toxins.

In any case, we can conclude that sleep is an essential process that is important for learning and memory. In addition, the new studies help to explain why a lack of sleep can impair our memory and cognitive processes the next day: without shrinking during sleep, the synapses could not make room for new information

Nootropic Energy Gum is the best focus enhancing product with many promises of improving lifestyles, brain power, and more.  It is specifically designed to improve your concentration.

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8 Ways to Improve your Fat Burning Capacity By Raising Your Metabolism

Banishing that belly-belly is a good idea for many more reasons that looking stunning in a pair of jeans. There are some serious health reasons that say burning belly fat is a healthier way to live. White fat begins to expand through the abdomen and makes a home right next to your vital organs.

This is the beginning of a whole world of trouble. This type of white belly fat, better known as visceral fat, is responsible for sending out stress hormones that contribute to the fatty build up. Cytokines are inflammatory substances released by visceral fat as well and can adversely affect the body's insulin production.

The end result of this condition can be nothing less than increased body weight as well as the increased risk of type II diabetes. The problem is belly fat can be an especially difficult issue to be rid of, if you don’t know how to fight it.

This following article will illustrate some of the best practices for facing and being rid of the belly-belly, so you can get back to living healthy and free from some major health risks. Remember that an intuitive approach will show you how to best apply these suggestions in a healthy and balanced manner.

●        Skip the Diet

It seems like the first thing many people do when they want to lose weight, is make sudden alterations to their eating habits. While healthy eating is a good way to improve one’s health, the sudden commitment to a diet can actually be counterproductive to your belly banishing goals.

What we are trying to do is raise the body's metabolism so that it will begin to process this excess belly fat all by itself. When you suddenly stop eating, your body reacts on primordial responses and immediately understands that there must be a famine or something because “I’m Really Hungry”. In the face of starvation, the body reacts by slowing the metabolism and gaining more weight.

Even worse, as your food shortage (diet) continues, things get worse. Your body begins to burn your vital muscle mass for fuel. The fat continues to grow, and your condition gets steadily worse.

●        Get Better Sleep

Sleep cycles are essential for balancing your body's chemical functions like metabolism. Without a proper sleep cycle, levels of stress are raised and this has similar a response to not getting enough to eat; the metabolism is slowed and fat is stored. By improving your rest and getting the same amount of sleep every night, your body feels safe enough to release its stored fats and raises the metabolism.

●        Eat More...Protein

Protein is what your body needs to maintain its muscle mass. While it was the commonly accepted notion that 0.36 grams of protein for each pound of body weight was ideal, recent studies have found this figure to be below what is needed. Today, nutritionist agree that a women should get a minimum of 0.54 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. If you are trying to lose weight, make the target weight your guide in this equation.

This is actually very easy to do by adding extra protein to each meal or snack you consume. Just 3 ounces of lean beef, 8 oz. of Yogurt or a couple tablespoons of nuts and there you go, extra protein.  

●        Choose Organic Foods

A report from Canadian researchers has found that organochlorines are very bad for building up a strong flab-burning metabolism. These toxins are found in chemical pesticides and are stored in body fat when ingested. From there they go on to interfere with the way our bodies process energy and effectively hamper your best efforts for weight loss.

Now going completely organic is a costly affair. But you can remember that peeled fruits like bananas, mangoes and grapefruit are generally ok because pesticides are peeled away. It is the celery, lettuce, blueberries, kale spinach and other leafy produce that need to be chosen from organic growers.  

●        Take a Commanding Approach

It is easy to sink into our lives and responsibilities with a lethargic reluctance. This penchant for inactivity is the largest reason for an expanding waistline this is because after a few hours of inactivity, the body stops producing an important compound in the metabolic process. After all, your body will figure, you aren’t using this powerful enzyme.  

To keep this enzyme functioning and in production, stand up. Get up and walk about when talking to a visitor, handling a phone call or getting a cup of tea. (That’s right get up and get it yourself instead of asking a coworker to bring back two cups!) By taking a commanding approach to your life you will gain a positive control over your metabolic rate.

●        Drink Cold Water

A study done by German researchers showed that a person drinking 6 cups of water each day can successfully raise their metabolism by about 50 calories each day.  That's enough to drop around 5 pounds in a year. It could be that the body uses this energy to increase core body temperatures, how intuitive.

●        Eat a Healthy Chili Pepper

Capsaicin is an important compound that makes the chili pepper so spicy. Research shows they can be used to boost metabolism too. By eating a tablespoon of chopped hot chilies you can boost your sympathetic nervous system. The one that prepares the body to fight or flee from an opponent. This will cause an immediate spike in your metabolic rates as much as 23 %.

Of course, a tablespoon of even milder chili peppers is enough to take your head clean off.  So keep some in your kitchen and add just a bit to your salsas, scrambled eggs, pastas and stir fries for an invigorating zing.  

●        Don’t Skip Out on Breakfast

Eating breakfast is the single most important way to jumpstart the metabolism each day. This is why those who skip breakfast are 25% more likely to become obese. The bigger and healthier your breakfast is the higher your metabolic spike will be. In a study posted in the American journal of Epidemiology, subjects that consumed 22% to 55% of their daily calorie intake at breakfast gained an average of 1.7 lbs. in a year. Those that ate below 11% gained an average of 3lbs in the same time.  

Nootropic Energy Gum plays a significant role in adjusting the body’s daily natural clock and is a good way to optimize daily events such as waking up, intense exercise, and mentally exhausting activities. Fuel your body and activate your mind with Nootropic Caffeine Gum.

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7 Best High Protein Diets for Weight Loss

High protein diets are important to those looking to improve their physical condition, lose weight and increase strength. Foods that are high in protein give a feeling of being full and well-nourished which can keep you from snacking between meals. Finally, high protein diets are absolutely essential to building and maintaining muscle mass.

High protein diets are important to a variety of health and fitness routines, but picking the best option for you should be done with plenty of consideration for personal needs. This article will provide an overview of some of the most popular high protein diets as well as the advantages each can provide to your fitness goals.

It will be very important to remember the vast majority of high protein diets feature very low amounts of carbohydrates and therefore can be scant in the fiber, vitamins and minerals that carbs provide.  Furthermore, some of these high protein foods contain a large quantity of fats that can be very unhealthy if not derived from pasture-fed or “organic” food products.

 With this caveat in mind, it will be important that you seek out the healthiest way of applying a high protein diet to your life. Consulting with a health care provider or qualified nutritionist is the best way to be sure you are getting all the nutrients you need to live a healthy lifestyle. Careful selection is essential for best results. Once you understand how important this is, we can begin looking at the most common high protein diets and choosing the best one for your situation. 

●        The Paleo 

Avoiding refined foods, grains and legumes that have entered the human diet after the advent of the agricultural revolution, back in the late Neolithic age, is the first Paleo rule. You will only consume foods that have been fully integrated as part of the human diet and avoid the inflammation and weight gain problems that were unheard of in the Stone Age.

 You will be sticking to a diet primarily consisting of red meats, pork, eggs, poultry, game fish and shellfish. Fatty cuts are very good for you — if they are not loaded with insecticides, growth hormones or GMOs. Furthermore, feel free to eat all the clarified butter, coconut oils or bacon grease you want. Steer clear of these vegetable oils or partially hydrogenated oils in margarine, soft ice cream and many other imitation dairy products.

 Being hunters and gatherers means that there were plenty of fruits and vegetables included in the Paleo diet. So visit the produce section or farmers market and avail yourself of the organic fruits and veggies found there. While organic eating is a good idea, it can also be pricey and looking for the most economical way to practice Paleo-tology is the only way to make lasting choices.

 Final Word

The great thing about going Paleo is simplicity. There is no need to count or weigh any amounts or portion sizes. The downside is how restrictive it can really be. This is especially true for those who count on large carb intake to fuel their high-intensity exercise routines. It is a known fact that protein is not an effective muscle fuel like carbs are, but if losing weight and gaining muscle mass is what you are looking to do, this could be a great way to go.

 ●        The ZONE

The ZONE diet operates off a special balance between the major nutrient groups that will keep your body at its peak fat burning state. It is the finely-tuned ratios between carbs and proteins that maintain optimal insulin ratios and this allows you to pretty much eat whatever you’d like.

Your meals will be decided by balancing “blocks”. A block of protein is about 7g, or the equivalent of an egg. Another is the 9g block of carbs and finally, the fat block is 1.5gs of fat. Your specific needs band diet guidelines will determine how many blocks you will eat for a meal.

Those with high-intensity workout routines will need to eat many more “blocks” than a smaller person or someone who is not actively participating in an intensive workout routine. Ratios are pretty consistent though, a meal can consist of an equal amount of blocks from each major food source. At the beginning, it is recommended to weigh out the foods being eaten but after a while you can eyeball the serving for portion sizes with satisfactory precision.

Final Word

In case you haven’t spoken to a die-hard cross fitter fanatic recently, this is the diet of the Greek Olympian gods — enough to turn Dionysus into Adonis in a Peloponnesian minute. You can expect considerably more organization and measuring, but you can’t argue with the results. Here you will find lots of proteins to build muscle and carbs to burn energy, plus some fats and oils to facilitate the metabolism.  

●       The Slow-Carb Diet

The Slow Carb Diet was originally conceptualized by Tim Ferriss who claims this diet can help you drop 10kg in only 30 Days. Furthermore, you get to enjoy some cheat days and increase food intake to keep the metabolism high.

 Here you will try to avoid the scratches from bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, this includes both brown and white varieties. That is unless you are eating within 30 minutes of an intense physical workout. On the other hand, you can eat all the proteins from meat and legumes that you’d like. Actually four meals a day is the recommended average.

 It is also recommended to keep high calorie beverages off limits. You can drink coffee and tea but leave off the sugar and creamer. Beer is also a no-no but you can drink wine in moderation.

Final Word

The Slow-Carb Diet can be considered a less restrictive version of the Paleo diet with plenty more carbs for fuel. There have been some doubts at how effective the “cheat days” really are at raising the metabolism. It will be important to balance out this diet with plenty of high-intensity training if the carbs and cheat days are to have their ideal effect.

In Conclusion

The aforementioned diets represent the most effective high protein diets being popularized at the moment. Other high protein diets include the “Biggest Loser” and “South Beach” diets that consist of 30% protein intake plus plenty of veggies and minimal carb consumption.

 Remember that whichever diet you choose must be built around your specific needs and eating habits as an individual. If you are unsure of how to incorporate so many proteins or few carbs into your diet, a nutritionist can provide insights into a gradual transition. This will ensure the best possible results from your new diet plan.

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5 Can’t-Miss Reasons You Have Stopped Losing Weight

Losing weight can be a difficult challenge. It takes determination, focus, motivation and plenty of fight. Just like any fight worth fighting, you can’t expect to constantly be victorious. It can often seem like at the beginning there was a noteworthy difference each time you stepped on the scale, but now it seems progress is harder and harder to come by, and sometime it feel like you’re just spinning your wheels. 

Then you hit the inevitable weight loss plateau, which can be very discouraging to your determined efforts. The encouraging thing to remember is that a weight loss plateau is a part of every successful weight loss routine that has attained its goal.

As you get leaner and improve your metabolism, you will see that it gets harder and harder to lose those final few pounds. This is because your metabolism will naturally begin to slow down and you will either need to burn more calories than before or consume less to make similar efforts as you had done. Still this is not the end of your adventures in weight loss, and the weight you seem stuck at is not a death sentence. Nevertheless, you may have to approach your fitness routine from a different angle if you hope to continue across the plateau.

Nootropic Energy Gum unlocks your potential by improving focus. This sugar free energy gum also improves your alertness and concentration five times faster.   Following are 5 can’t-miss reasons you seem to have stopped losing weight and some helpful advice on getting going again: ● Portion Control It is easy to underestimate the importance of portion control. You may think that taking a good look at your portions and making visual calculations is not going to affect your overall goals, but you’d be wrong. When it comes time to shed those last few pounds, the devil is hiding in the details. The closer you get to your weight goals the more important it is to get very specific with portions and serving sizes. Go back to those careful calculations you were making at the beginning of your routine. Carefully measure out your necessary portions exactly at first and when you know exactly what your serving size looks like you can get back to visual measurements. The smallest additions can tip the scale in a frustrating direction. ●  Too Many Cheat Days “There is nothing wrong with me having this brownie, if I just went through this exhausting exercise routine, right?” Nothing inherently “wrong, but having these little cheats at the ready every time you exert yourself is cancelling out the advances you could be making toward your weight goals. Fitness enthusiasts who reward themselves into pushing harder could be off-setting the results of their extra efforts. It’s terrific to run an extra five miles, but if you reward yourself with a 500 calorie treat at the end, what was the purpose? Reward systems are great motivators, but they must be precision-tuned to your current health efforts if they will be effective in the long term as well. Instead of taking on a full banana split because you did such a great routine, increase the value of your treat while reducing your calories. Have a single scoop of top-quality ice cream or a sliver of really decadent chocolate cake. As a rule of thumb, your daily calories from junk food can’t be more than 10 or 20 percent of your total calorie intake. So really active people burning over 2000 calories a day, should limit their goodies to a mere 200 - 400 calories tops. ● Less Exercise than Necessary At the beginning of your fitness program you may remember exercising so much that the rest of the day was spent in inactivity, this has been referred to as “compensatory inactivity”. The problem is when this habit becomes a norm. It is easy to give it all you got in your daily exercise routine and then fall into intense inactivity for the remainder of the day. People “keep score” by assuming that an hour or two of intense training can be followed by a few hours of inactivity. This will only accomplish one thing, dropping the metabolism back down after you worked so hard to bring it up. The only way to consolidate the metabolism raising benefits of an active lifestyle is to stay active as much as possible. It is those small differences that make all the difference in the end. Even better is the way these small differences keep you strong and feeling motivated. So take the dog to the park or play some catch with the kids you will feel stronger and perfect your results in the end. ● Lack of Proper Fueling You can expect your appetite to increase considerably if you are involved in a high-intensity exercise program. It is quite common to end your exercise routine with the urge to eat everything you find in the kitchen. This can lead to overeating and all its counterproductive consequences. The plan to counter this attack is preparation. If you are feeling hungry before you begin the routine, there is a good chance you will be even more famished when it's finished. Having a snack before beginning your routine will keep you energized during exercise. Then you can easily continue with your healthy diet plan. ●  Inconsistent Efforts As you get closer to your ideal weight goals you will find consistent efforts make all the difference. The first reason is because if you skip one day of exercise, studies show you are 61% more likely to skip another one too. But consistency maximizes your efforts as a whole too. It takes thousands of repetitions to master the routines you will perform to lose weight. When it comes down to the really fine differences, the way you perform your squats, bench presses and deadlifts will make all the difference in the world. When you have mastered these techniques you will have the capacity to effect more precise weight adjustments. In Conclusion The only way to get to the final goal of a fat burning routine is by paying full attention to the finer points and committing to the process day in and day out. Weight loss plateaus will happen and will be easily overcome the more patience and continuity you apply to your efforts.

NeuroGum

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6 Reasons Why You Need Green Tea in Your Life

The color green implies natural, healthy, and also calm. It’s why green is the firm favorite for natural health company branding… and mental hospital cell walls (so I’ve heard). There is definitely something about green that makes a person feel safe, and green products are among the most popular on the market, if the booming wellness industry is anything to go by.

That green tea is a wonder product is not news; still, its impressive range of benefits (both anecdotal and scientifically proven) could not yet be classed as common knowledge. It’s probably another of those products that you’ve heard is good for you, but you can’t quite remember why. Let me enlighten you.

Green tea is processed differently to black tea; i.e. it is less processed and not allowed to ferment, so it can retain its health-inducing flavonoid antioxidants, its polyphenols and its high number of catechins (antibacterial and antiviral agents). Green tea is an Energy Gum, meaning that it can enhance your mental functions, leading to better attention, alertness and memory.  As I mentioned, some of the benefits are anecdotal but there is scientific data to back up many of green tea’s benefits.

                                  Green tea is old news…

China (and Asia in general) has been in on the green tea secret for thousands of years. Asia knows well that green tea is a kitchen cupboard staple; it’s not just a refreshing drink, but a medicine in its own right. Green tea contains a unique amino acid, L-theanine. L-theanine positively impacts some of the health conditions mentioned below, but also increases your state of mental alertness significantly.

In Asia it’s accepted that green tea has anti-cancer properties, which is no small thing. It is considered to be an effective cure for hypertension (high blood pressure), a preventative measure against diabetes, and an aid to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s sufferers. But that’s not all:

1. Green tea boosts your metabolism and burns fat

Green tea has acquired a veritable reputation among aspiring fat burners. This is down to the polyphenols, which promote a higher metabolic rate and the oxidization of that pesky excess fat. Because green tea can also regulate glucose levels, your blood sugar is less likely to rise after you’ve eaten, meaning less insulin spikes and ultimately less diabetes!

This is not an excuse to let the devil on your shoulder win… step away from the Krispy Kreme if you want green tea to stand a chance at proving itself. Althletes (who wouldn’t dream of a Krispy Kreme-fest) apparently appreciate a spot of green tea too; they love it for its regenerative qualities, as well as its ability to rehydrate. Green tea boosts physical performance as well as mental performance.

2. Green tea prevents heart problems

Green tea has a reputation for preventing heart disease, due to its ability to both relax and strengthen your blood vessels; so in the event that your blood pressure spikes, they can handle that pressure. It also works to keep your blood pressure low, and it is said that green tea can prevent blood clots from forming. What’s more, green tea lowers bad cholesterol in your blood, while boosting good cholesterol levels.

I doubt you’d argue that it’s not wise to mess around with your heart in any sense. In short, green tea is your ally; it wards off an early visit from the Grim Reaper.

3. Green tea prevents chronic diseases

A carcinogen is a cancer-causing agent; something you’ll want to steer well clear of. Green tea has been shown to destroy cancer cells while causing no damage to surrounding tissues; it is said to reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in particular. There is also evidence to suggest that green tea makes cancer drugs more effective.

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s may be held at bay thanks to green tea’s ability to restore brain cells that are passed their use-by date. No mean feat! It also fortifies the healthy brain cells, making them less likely to succumb to disease or death.

4. Green tea boosts your mental health

If you’re planning to avoid those green cell walls, green tea is your friend. It can literally regulate your brain function. This is down to the L-theanine content, which blocks the binding of L-glutamic acid to glutamate receptors in the brain. This reduces your stress response and (as demonstrated in EEG test study results) increases activity within the alpha frequency band, meaning you’ll feel both alert and relaxed at the same time. The alpha state is associated with improved faculties, such as attention span.

This is why green tea’s buzz has a reputation as being less ‘manic’ than coffee’s can be for some; coffee lacks the L-theanine. Essentially, green tea prevents anxiety by relaxing you – it feels like a tranquilizer. It might be time to bin the Valium and stick the kettle on!  

5. Green tea is great for your skin and teeth

The catechins in green tea kill bacteria and viruses, so green tea can be considered an immune-booster. It’s also anti-inflammatory, which is a mega benefit in itself.As it washes over your teeth and down your throat, it puts paid to any insidious invaders waiting to assault your immune system. Instances of tooth decay, colds and flu are said to be less amongst regular green tea drinkers.

Thanks to its antioxidant content, this green wonder drink is considered to be anti-aging. It’s a worthy addition to your armory if you’ve embarked on that inevitable war on wrinkles. Another thing that will win green tea your vote is its capacity to negate the effects of sun damage. You need to smear it on your skin for this to work, but time it well… rubbing tea bags on your face in the office may not be the smartest social move.

6. Green tea isn’t only present in a tea bag

As with any other drink, guzzling green tea all day long could get boring, or time consuming. Fortunately there are other ways to get the benefits of green tea - even better, you can get the benefits of other nootropic substances like caffeine while you’re at it. The combination of the L-theanine and caffeine is thought to improve cognitive performance substantially; you get the caffeine’s ‘alert’ and the L-theanine’s ‘calm’… win-win. In case you didn’t know it, chewing a gum from best nootropic stack which is made from natural ingredients is a quick-fix way to get your perfectly-measured L-theanine and caffeine buzz.

So to sum it all up: green tea is an anti-cancerous, immunity-boosting, anti-ageing, anti-depressant, fat-burning, heart-protecting, Nootropic wonder product… and you can get all that in a tiny piece of gum.

[wingedbelieverpaper-blog]

4 Super-Fast Ways to Burn Calories and Fat

The beginning of the year is often the time when fingers are ‘pulled out’ and gym sessions are undertaken with renewed rigor. What if there was an easier route to your calorie or fat burning goals than 2 hours a day on the treadmill, though? Sometimes what it takes is a consistent metabolic boost and a little nutritional know-how, and you’re already ten steps ahead. With that in mind, here’s my advice to you:

HIIT

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is short intervals of high-intensity exercise, training at around 90% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) for a short period of time;you alternate those periods with intervals of a slower pace so you’re recovering while still exercising. You can burn around 500 calories in 32 minutes this way (dependent on the exercise). This is a great option for those who are impatient or lack free time for long gym sessions.

The Metabolism journal published study results back in 1994 confirming that the HIIT method is superior to steady cardio over a longer period. One group followed an HIIT program for fifteen weeks while another did steady cardio over a twenty week period. Although the latter group burned more calories, the HIIT group lost a lot more body fat. 

HIIT works because your body isn’t able to predict what is required of it, and the increased intensity keeps your metabolism ticking over long after you’ve finished working out; meaning it’s still burning off those pesky calories while you’re slumped in your office chair all afternoon. You’ll burn 10% more calories than those who opt to go steady - for the next 24 hours.

Good HIIT workouts might include jumping jacks/squats, skipping, hill sprints, or running up and down stairs. Aim for around 90 seconds of HIIT, then around 30 seconds at a calmer pace. If you do this for half an hour, that should be enough.

Your brain is no different than rest of the parts of your body – you either use it or lose it. To make your brain work better, go for Nootropic Energy Gum. It fuels your body and activates your mind.

 Hydrate with ice-cold water

 Hydration is one of the most important aspects to staying healthy, but it aidscalorie too – if you do it the right way. It’s all to do with the temperature; your body has towarm or cool fluids you drink to 98.6°F before it can use them, which takes energy. It may not take lots of calories to do so, but this method (in conjunction with other calorie-burning techniques) can go far.

If water is very cold, you’ll burn a calorie every time you consume 1floz of water. So if you chug a liter of ice-cold water, you’ve burned off another 32 calories without moving. Word of warning: the more often you do this, the more often you’ll need to move anyway… to the toilet.  

 Over the course of a week, one liter a day equates to 224 calories. A liter a day is not really enough anyway – especially if you’re doing HIIT – so you can up that number substantially and get all the other benefits of hydration in the process. If you are suitably hydrated, this will have an even more positive impact on your overall calorie burn.

 Intermittent Fasting

Think about it: in nature, animals eat only when they can eat.They’ll go for extended periods without any food, and then eat one huge meal. They’re rarely starving, though; if anything, they are never subject to disease, they have plenty of energy and no extra body fat. Primitive man functioned the same way;no food for extended periods. Simply put, they fasted because nature necessitated it. Convenience food is not only destroying our health; it’s extending our waistlines too.

I’m not suggesting you don’t eat for the next five days, although there are some well-documented health benefits for that. There are ways to fast comfortably; for example the 16:8 fast (16 hours fasting, 8 hour eating window), the 24 hour once per week fast, the one meal per day containing all your daily calories fast, or the 5:2 plan: two days per week eat a quarter of your usual calories (e.g. 500 for women, 600 for men). You might be surprised at how significantly your energy levels rise, now that your digestion isn’t working overtime all day long.

It works because when you fast for an extended period, you’ll have less blood sugar and less carb storage. Fasts work best when you go 14 or more hours without food. Your body will then start burning fat for energy, so you won’t feel tired. Intermittent fasting also encourages cell renewal and heightened immunity. Simply put, it’s good for you!

Boost your metabolism

 Sometimes all your metabolism needs is a good kick up the backside. There are many ways you can do this; food-wise, as long as you’re consuming enough monounsaturated fats rather than saturated fats, you’ll burn more calories.

 Olives (and olive oil), peanuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, avocados and coconut oil are incredibly healthy fats, famed for reducing belly-fat in particular. Hot peppers will also give your metabolism a helping hand… no, not in the form of a creamy curry. Sorry.

 These foods increase your body’s fat and calorie burning ability – equating to an increase of around 4.3%. This is apparently because such fats prompt our mitochondria (our cells’ calorie-burning engines)to burn energy as heat. Remember, dropping the saturated fats is a must, or your MUFAs are going to have their work cut out for them.

 Coffee and green teas are also popular metabolism boosters. EGCG is an antioxidant (found in green tea) that boosts fat burn and weight loss, provided that it’scombined with caffeine. Green tea happens to contain both, so it’s a winner. If you don’t fancy supping tea all day, you can try a super-healthy energy such as Neurogum, which combines all the elements you need to set your metabolism flying.

 In short, combining high-intensity exercise with eating the rightkind of metabolism-boosting foods and drinks (at the right temperature and time) is a sure-fire route to success. Get ready to make some new notches on those belts.