Get Rid Of Holidays Toxins!

Let’s assume you haven’t stick to our Survival Guide and you have inevitably fallen into the holidays’ overeating trap. Nothing to worry about, once in a while resorting to comfort food is a good thing to do for you. However, you are now left few extra pounds that you want to get rid of asap or, if you haven’t gained anything you might just have too many toxins in your body.
In both cases I think the time has come for you to considering detoxificating. Remember: detoxification is a good thing to do and do it at the start of the new year is, well, the best time!
Here’s few ideas on how to detoxify your body from the “Holidays toxins”.

New Year Intention: Make An Healthy One!!!

2011 is almost over and it’s time to look at 2012. The beginning of a new year is probably the best time to make intentions: things you want to do and/or achieve in the next 12 months.
Health-related ones make the top of the list: losing few pounds, exercising more, eat better are among the favorites.
However, even if the intentions are pretty good people fail to stick to them for more than a few weeks (one month at the most).
Why? From my experience I can tell that intentions fall short when they are too generic (or impossible to achieve for that matter!)
“Exercising more” or “Eat better food” are so broad that they are easily forgotten. For instance one of my best friends in January of every year becomes a member at the local gym and he ends up going just a few times. He gets stuck in his daily routine and the intention he made at the beginning of the new year becomes just a distant and forgotten thought.
So what’s the solution? Personally I believe that making one (or few) specific intention(s) and building a “system” to help you stick to them!
The more specific is the intention them more likely you’re going to make it happen.
Here’s how I will roll in 2012...

The Christmas Survival Guide (For Your Health)

It’s almost Christmas and according to some popular tunes: “It’s the best time of the year!” No one doubts about this however from our standpoint there’s one thing you should be careful with and that is your health! (No surprise since that’s what we’re passionate about here @TheIronYou).
The fact is that besides presents, what Christmas really comes down to is EATING and DRINKING and let’s face it: too much of it!
Christmas parties, Christmas dinners and Christmas lunches all filled with delicious (high-caloric) food and flowing with drinks. But after of all this bonanza what are you left with? Let me tell you: with few extra pounds on your belly, waist and tights (depending on where you store it!)
According to some recent studies The average person gains 5lb (2kg) over Christmas. Some of this extra weight - 1 lb to 4 lb - will be water and glycogen (stored carbohydrate); the remainder will be fat.
So here are our two cents on how to make it through Christmas without becoming a big tub of lard!

Spice Up Your Life #6: The Value Of Oregano

Do you use oregano? I bet that at the most you sprinkle it on your pizza or maybe you add it to your pasta sauce, but that’s about it, right?
Well, after you finish reading this post and discover all the health benefits of this herb I’m sure you’ll find new ways to enjoy it!

Spice Up Your Life #5: Garlic Amazing Properties

We all know garlic very well as it’s widely used in almost all cuisines around the world. And I bet you’re also aware that garlic is good for you: but do you know to what extent is it good for you?
I initially thought I knew it all but the more I dig into it, the more I found out...

Spice Up Your Life #4: Turmeric's Powers

We’re still on the spices that should make part of our diet and today it’s time to learn a little bit more about turmeric.
Turmeric is an important ingredient in Indian curries and also gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow color.
The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions.

Spice Up Your Life #3: The Magic Of Chili Pepper

Third chapter of the “Spice Up Your Life” saga: it’s chili peppers’ turn.
Chili pepper is a very common spice that find its way into almost all households around the globe. It’s responsible for putting on fire your tongue and maybe even make you shed a tear when you add it to your favorite dishes.
However, if you’re brave enough to use it you will get a lot of health benefits from it.

Spice Up Your Life #2: The Benefits Of Cinnamon

Second episode of the “Spice Up Your Life” series: today we’re going to talk about cinnamon and all the health benefits that it brings along.

First of all: do you know what is cinnamon? I used to ignored it an just found out that it’s a small tree that grows in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Egypt and Vietnam.
I also discovered that cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to humans. To prepare it, the bark of the tree is dried and then rolled into the very well-known cinnamon sticks (also called quills).
Cinnamon can also be dried and ground into powder which is the most common use in American households.

The flavor and aroma comes from a compound in the essential oil of the tree bark called cinnamonaldehyde.

Spice Up Your Life!

Do you know that herbs and spices have more disease-fighting antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables? This means that they may help protect against certain chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Most of the evidence exists for cinnamon, chili peppers, turmeric, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary.
For instance anti-inflammatory compounds contained in cinnamon have been linked to lower inflammation, as well as reductions in blood glucose concentrations in people with diabetes. We are going to explore some of the most used herbs and spices in the next days for now let's just get a general idea on them.

How Much Water Should We Drink Per Day?

We all know that we should drink a lot water in order to be healthy but, how much of it? Is there any precise amount we should seek for? My grandma used to tell me when I was a little kid to not drink too much water otherwise frogs will grow in my stomach. But besides this old-fashioned belief the real question is: how much water should we drink per day?

Be Careful With Snacking

There seems to be a lot of confusion lately around mid-morning snacking, especially whether it’s a good or a bad thing to do.
If you’re following the six small-meals plan to keep your metabolism up and running at all times then the mid-morning snack makes it into your daily diet. However, the findings of a recent study show that a mid-morning snack can be harmful thing to do if you’re trying to lose weight.
Let’s see what this is about...

December Workout Playlist

December workout playlist in collaboration with RunHundred.com