Get lean legs!

Bring out the skirts and shorts. These easy leg exercises will have you stepping your way to a new, sexier you.

By Nancy Lepatourel, web excerpt

"The best way to get great legs fast is to lunge for four weeks," says Bobby Strom, the Los Angeles-based trainer responsible for getting Britney Spears and Shakira in top shape for big events and music videos. "Lunges recruit so many leg muscles that you will see results almost immediately. They also burn more calories than machines do."

Strom suggests doing a variety of different lunges and split squats (a stationary lunge) using the morning- after muscle soreness as an intensity gauge. "Don't overdo it if you're a beginner," says Strom. "You should be a little sore the next day, but nothing too intense. If you don't feel anything, bring it up a notch." Strom recommends mixing forward, reverse, side and walking lunges, but also suggests mixing in equipment for an added challenge in your workout. "I like the bicycle or the elliptical machine for toning the lower body," says Strom. "Your feet don't leave the pedals so you are constantly pushing against resistance."

TRY Split squats off a step to condition the entire lower body.
•Start with your right foot on a step and your left foot on the floor. Feet should be shoulder-width apart.
•Hold a five-pound weight in each hand and keep hands at your sides throughout.
•Keeping your torso tall, slowly bend your knees until your left knee hovers just above the floor. Your right knee should be over your right foot.
•Hold for two seconds at the bottom, then return to starting position.
•Do a minimum of 15 to 20 repetitions on each side. Switch to a different lunge, then return to the step and repeat. "This is a great move because the step gives you more range of motion," says Strom.

How to make a natural face scrub

By Donna Daniels, web excerpt
Your complexion can look brighter and healthier when you give yourself a homemade all natural facial scrub. You don't need an additive in your facial scrub and when you buy a commercial facial scrub chances are that you will get unnecessary ingredients included in that facial scrub. This homemade facial is easy to make and inexpensive too.
You easily make a homemade facial scrub that is all natural and has no added chemicals in it. Homemade facial scrub can be made from simple ingredients that you can find in your kitchen.
To make a homemade facial scrub you will need a mild abrasive and cornmeal is a great mild abrasive that you can use in your facial scrub. Honey is also a great natural ingredient that is good for a healthy glow on your face. Walnuts are a protein that is also a form of oil. The oil will keep your face moist and healthy.
To make a homemade all natural facial just mix together equal amounts of cornmeal, honey and some ground walnuts. Mix the three ingredients together well and you have made a homemade facial that is made of ingredients from your kitchen.
To use the homemade all natural facial you should wash your face with warm water and a mild soap. Make sure you rinse your face well after you wash it. After you have washed your face just massage the homemade facial on your face and let it soak into your pores for five minutes.
After the homemade all natural facial has soaked into your pores for five minutes you can rinse it off and dry your face off gently with a soft clean cloth. Once your face is dry your skin should look healthy and fresh.
It is very easy to make a homemade all natural facial and it does not take much time to make it. You can probably find the items you need to make a homemade all natural facial right in your kitchen.
Keep your face glowing by giving yourself a facial every week. A facial is a great way to pamper yourself. When you make a homemade facial you should make it fresh and use it right away.
A fresh homemade facial will make your facial skin soft and moisturized. The mild abrasive in the homemade facial will scrub off any dead skin cells and your face will feel clean and fresh.

Natural Beauty Tips

*Sleeping on your back will prevent many wrinkles and breakouts on your face, and even wrinkles in your cleavage area.
*Wearing clothes that are tight make you look heavier. Even a slim girl can bulge over too-tight jeans.
*Put on a coat of clear nail polish before a colored polish to keep your nails from discoloring.
*Being angry really does take away from your beauty now and will result in more wrinkles later.
*Wearing less make-up makes you look younger.
*Vitamins and minerals are needed for health and beauty, but more is not always better. Too much Vitamin A or Selenium can cause hair loss. There is nothing beautiful about losing your hair.
*If you are unhappy with a hair conditioner, it will still make a great "shaving cream" for your legs in the shower.
*When shaving, don't stretch the skin or you could cause ingrown hairs by shaving hair off slightly under the skin.
*Drink plenty of water and get eight hours of sleep every day.
*Tighten bra straps as they stretch out, or buy a new bra when they can't tighten any further, to keep the bosom looking young and perky.
*Instead of shaving over and over, with the hairs coming in darker and thicker each time, try waxing or epilating. Waxing or epilating to remove hair will result in softer hairs each time and result in permanent hair loss after a few sessions.
*Sleeping on two or three pillows at a time will help get rid of dark circles under your eyes.
*Exercise while dieting is a must or your skin will be too large (and saggy) for your smaller body. It is much, much tougher to tighten skin after your body shrinks than as you go.
*After washing your face, rinse in cold water (fair-skinned people should use cool instead of cold) to close the pores and tighten the facial muscles.
*If you are out of quick-dry spray for nails, dip your fingers into a bowl of ice-cold water. (Don't to touch the sides of the bowl.) Your nails will dry very quickly.
*Good posture can make you look much slimmer.
*Wearing a low heel will give you better posture than wearing flat shoes.
*Renew thick nail polish by adding a few drops of fingernail polish remover to the bottle.
*To make a nail polish bottle not get stuck closed, put a thin coat of Vaseline inside the lid.
*Clean hair brushes occasionally with dish soap and borax. In a dishpan of very warm water, add 1/2 cup of borax and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Swish the brushes to stir, rinse, and let air dry. Scrub any stubborn spots with a used toothbrush.

The Importance of Drinking Water in Weight Loss

The Importance of Drinking Water in Weight Loss
By Michelle Vaughan, excerpt from her book “Secrets to Successful Weight Loss”

To some people, it may seem that drinking water will only add to your weight instead of helping to decrease it. This, however, is definitely not always the case. It actually depends on how much water you drink.
Many people, thinking that water will only increase their weight, tend to drink very little water. When you do this, your body holds on to that water, because it knows that no more is coming, and by doing adds the water weight to your regular body weight.
On the other hand, there is also such thing as going overboard with water consumption, which completely washes out your insides, and isn’t good for you at all.
A good amount of water to drink is about 3L (litres) daily, if you exercise averagely; however, for someone who exercises very often and a lot, then 4 L is a good average.
Also, drinking water at mealtimes washes all the nutrients away before your stomach has a chance to digest them. Water helps to clean out your system, which is one of the main reasons why it is so important to drink it. Remember: 1) not drinking enough water will cause your body to hold on to the water weight, 2) drinking too much water is unhealthy—it completely flushes your system, 3) drinking water at mealtimes washes away all the food you’ve eaten before it gets digested, and finally, 4) drinking water is very, very important.

The importance of excercizing regularly

By Paige Waehner, web excerpt

It may seem like a no-brainer that regular exercise can help you burn fat and lose weight. But, it's not just about the calories you're burning. It's also about the adaptations your body makes when you exercise on a regular basis. Many of those adaptations lead directly to your ability to burn more fat without even trying. When you exercise regularly, your body:
Becomes more efficient at delivering and extracting oxygen -- Simply put, this helps your cells burn fat more efficiently.
Has better circulation -- This allows the fatty acids to move more efficiently through the blood and into the muscle. That means fat is more readily available for fueling the body.
Increases the number and size of mitochondria, also known as cellular power plants that provide energy for the body.And, don't forget, regular exercise will also help you manage your weight. The more activity you engage in, the more calories you'll burn, and the easier it is to create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight.
Tips for Consistent Exercise
Schedule some exercise time every day, even if it's just a few minutes.
Split up your workouts. You can get the same benefit from short workouts spread throughout the day as do with continuous workouts.
Change daily routines to incorporate activity. Park at the edge of the parking lot at work to add more walking time, or add an extra lap at the mall when shopping. Integrating more activity into your usual routines will help you stay active, even if you don't have time for a structured workout.
Make exercise your focus and schedule the rest of your day around it instead of trying to squeeze it in when you can. If it's not a priority, you won't do it.

10 foods that will help you lose weight, part two

Plentiful and versatile, apples can help you satisfy sugar cravings for less calories. Whether eaten fresh as a midafternoon snack in the office or baked for dessert, these nutritional powerhouses will help fill you up and keep you slim.
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With an average 72 calories, a hefty 6 grams of protein, and elements of almost every essential vitamin you need, eggs can be a nutritious (not to mention affordable) part of a healthy weight loss plan. Hard-boiled eggs are highly portable for a post-gym snack; poached eggs can be a delicious, filling breakfast.
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All nuts are healthy and loaded with good fats and other nutrients, but almonds are the one to go for when you're trying to lose weight. They're lower in calories than many of their cousins (that means you, macadamias) and the protein and fat content will help keep cravings at bay. ____________________________________________________

While not low in calories nor in fat, dark chocolate still has two major things going for it. First, it's very hard to eat large quantities of real, high-quality dark chocolate as compared to its milky sibling; and second, it's very high in health-promoting antioxidants. It's no diet food, but eating a few small squares to squelch a potentially much larger scarfing of, say, a piece of chocolate cake with icing, is well worth the modest calorie intake.
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One of the biggest trends in weight loss research is the concept of calorie density – the idea is that your body pays more attention to the amount of space your food takes up in your stomach than it does to the amount of calories you're consuming. So by eating lots of foods with a low calorie density, you'll be satisfying your hunger for less. Vegetable soups (and we're not talking cream of broccoli) are one great option – serve them as a starter or a light meal and just watch how quickly you feel full.
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10 foods that will help you lose weight, part one

By Kat Tancock and Helen Racanelli, web excerpt

Trying to lose weight? Instead of thinking about what you shouldn't eat, focus on the delicious foods that will help keep you satisfied. Here are 10 top picks for foods that can help you lose weight.


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Although cucumbers offer only modest nutritional benefits (a bit of vitamin C, A, and some fibre), this delicately flavoured member of the gourd family goes a long way in bulking up a salad, and making you feel nice and full for few calories. Or if you're in the mood for a crunchy snack, slice them up with the skin on, instead of reaching for potato chips or crackers.


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Grapefruit is a delicious and nutritious sweet-tart snack, breakfast side or salad topping. But researchers have also discovered that eating grapefruit or grapefruit juice daily can aid in weight loss, possibly due to a reduction in insulin levels.


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Packed with fibre, folate and magnesium, this versatile fat-free legume can be a fabulous supporting player of a slimming healthy eating regimen. Lentils, prepared any number of ways, will have you feeling as if you've eaten a meaty, even creamy, dish minus the calories and saturated fat that come with eating meat.

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Oats and oatmeal are high in fibre, which helps you feel full – and satisfied – longer. Plus consumption of whole grains has been shown to aid in weight loss. For the best benefits, fill up on oatmeal for breakfast – try steel-cut oats if you've got the time, or instant oatmeal if you prefer to eat at work (just try to pick the sugar-free kinds and add your own sweeteners).

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If you’re a compulsive snacker with a yen for salt, foods with their natural shells on can help you slow down and savour what you're eating while curbing the craving. For instance, unsalted pistachio nuts, walnuts in the shell, peanuts, and edamame in the pod can help you curb your cravings for saltier, unhealthier junk food. Plus, you're not as likely to overeat if you have to work for your reward.