Best Autumn Food to Stay Health

Time to take your coat out: Autumn, charming and nostalgic, has officially started! London's getting rainy, leaves are turning red and outside it's colder every day. As winter gets closer, it's super-important to start building right now a strong immune system to avoid annoying cold and flu... 

We suggest here a few Fall Superfoods, at their peak in this season, that will help you in this mission, with a great deal of taste. 

1. Apples 

Sweet or tart, apples are satisfying eaten raw or baked into a delicious dish. Just be sure to eat the skin—it contains hearty-healthy flavonoids. Health benefits include:

• Full of antioxidants 

• 4 grams of dietary fiber per serving

2. Rutabaga

A cross between a turnip and a cabbage, rutabagas are a popular Swedish dish. To utilize their earthy flavor, add them to casseroles, puree them with turnips and carrots to make a sweet soup, or roast them with ginger, honey, or lemon. Health benefits include: 

• Good source of fiber 
• Good source of vitamin C 

3. Squash 

Unlike summer squash, winter squash has a fine texture and a slightly sweet flavor. Because of its thick skin, it can be stored for months. It tastes best with other fall flavorings, like cinnamon and ginger. Health benefits include

• Contains omega-3 fatty acids 
• Excellent source of vitamin A

4. Pomegranates

This slightly sour fruit has gotten a lot of press as an antioxidant powerhouse. The juice provides a tangy base for marinades, and the seeds can be tossed into salads to amp up the flavor. Health benefits include: 

• A UCLA study showed pomegranate juice has higher antioxidant levels than red wine 
• Good source of vitamin C and folate 

5. Dates

This Middle Eastern favorite is a sweet fruit that is perfect braised in stews, chopped up in desserts, or stuffed with cream cheese or almonds. Health benefits include: 

• Low in fat 
• Good source of fiber 
• Good source of potassium 

6. Tangerines

The small and sweet citrus fruits are positively refreshing for fall recipes. Our favorite flavor combos include almonds, dates, and honey. Juice them with oil, vinegar, and ginger for a to-die-for dressing. Health benefits include: 

• Good source of vitamin C 
• Good source of beta-carotene

Fitness Trends of the Year

If you're one of those people who finds jogging extremely boring, maybe it's time to try something new. Just like every year, also 2014 brought some fun and innovative fitness trends that can help losing some extra-weight and shaping a perfect bikini-body. With summer approaching, we thought this was the right time to suggest four of them: whether you prefer a softer or tougher training, whether you have a busy or relaxed schedule, you'll find at least one new discipline to meet your needs. Enjoy!

ZUMBA STEP
After 5 years of traditional Zumba, it's time for a change! More focused on the lower part of the body, aimed at shaping a tonic bum, Zumba Step is definitely more challenging than its traditional version. Still fun and dynamic, this new discipline combines old school traditional fitness, dance (it's still Zumba after all!) and step aerobics.

AQUA SPIN
Take your bike and put it into a pool: this is aqua spin. It's as effective as traditional spinning, but with all the benefits of water that soothes the muscular pain and helps burning lots of calories (up to 800 in an hour).


EQUINOX TRAINING CAMP
This is literally a military approach to burn fats: three sessions a week for six weeks (no excuses, if you miss one you're out of the program) in which you'll push your body to the limits. The intense combination of circuit training paired with time drills makes you burn calories for hours after your training session ends. The result is guaranteed.

HOTPOD YOGA
This year is all about doing yoga in a portable and inflatable pod. The "cocoon" is heated to 37°, warm enough to aid flexibility, without making you feel sick. Hotpod Yoga shapes your body really nicely and it's great for tone and suppleness.

The Benefits of Yoga

Not all women need (or want!) to count calories and go running every other day to burn each and every inch of extra-fat on their hips. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember that -unfortunately- in this life we’re given only one body and it needs to be looked after in order to live a healthy and happy life. Practicing yoga is a great way to do that for a long series of reasons! To give you an idea, here are some of them. 

1. Your posture improves substantially (which is good for your well-being, confidence and looks!)

2. You get a much better night's sleep.

3. Stress fades away. At the beginning only during your yoga class, but after a bit of practice also in your daily life.

4. Yoga builds and tones lean muscles that shape a super-sexy silhouette.

5. The effort that you put into meditation returns in the form of better memory and concentration.

6. Yoga is a great cardio workout: if practiced regularly, the constant and well balanced physical activity helps maintaining your target weight.

7. Those who practice yoga state that once you’re into it you’ll be very motivated to live a healthier lifestyle in general (better food, fewer cigarettes…)

8.  Goodbye back pain.
9. You can practice it almost everywhere.
10. You get a firm, round bootie, tight abs, and gorgeous legs.

What else do you need? :)

Healthy Food in London: Down to Earth

Making healthy lifestyle choices is not always easy in a busy city like London. But neglecting our health, hoping that those ready meals from the supermarket are good enough, may lead to unpleasant results in the long term… 

Luckily, London doesn’t only bring us butterish flapjacks and saucy sandwiches.  More organic restaurants are popping up, offering healthy and delicious food for reasonable prices.

The Kensington cafe Down to Earth especially impressed us.  Its menu, highly focused on ethical and organic food, offers a wide range of vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free food, embracing the needs of all who aim for a healthier lifestyle. Salt and sugar are kept to a minimum (including in the desserts!) and most of the dishes are made entirely of raw fruit and vegetables, to maintain their natural nutrients.  Trust us when we say this food is delicious.

The cafe also has small but well-supplied shop carrying fresh and essential cooking ingredients can be purchased, as well as high-quality organic beauty products. Down to Earth holds periodic seminars and workshops to educate customers on healthy living practices. We highly recommend checking out this cafe!

http://www.downtoearth.co.uk

Cameron's 'Body Book' to live healthily

"One of my proudest moments! Receiving the first bound copy of The Body Book!! @thebodybook LADIES!! I wrote this book for YOU and YOUR BODY.. And I'm so excited to share it with you!!"

This is the caption that accompanied the stunning make-up free picture that 41-year-old actress Cameron Diaz published on Instagram as she received a bound copy of her first book. 

"The Body Book" is an empowering handbook aimed at teaching women -- and young girls in particular -- how to live happier, healthier and stronger lives by focusing on being healthy instead of being thin.

Cameron has been a role model throughout her long career and she is now sharing her knowledge and values on living well, the same values Sumarie believes in.

Health and Relaxation - Summer 2012

SUMARIE AND MIRANDA KERR SHARE THEIR HEALTH AND DIET SECRETS

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