Slim Trim

Bikini Blast Workout – Just 6 Minutes

DP — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:39:42 +0000

Roll out of bed, wake up your brain, and work out your body in (good morning!) 6 minutes. It’s even better with your eyes closed.

We’re not saying that 6 minutes will turn you into Kim Kardashian. But this routine is more than genius. New York City trainer Michael Gonzalez-Wallace has been teaming up with a Columbia University neuroscientist for the last couple of years to design what can only be called the next generation of exercise.

“In the begining I was training all these very succesfful people, but their minds would be on something else,” says Gonzalez-Wallace. So he began to add balance and coordination challenges to the strength-training moves, inspired by his years as a former semi-pro basketball player in Spain. Sometimes he even had his clients exercise with their eyes closed. ”I started seeing incredible results. The older ones were thinking more sharply and the young people were getting massive definition—really fast.”

Since then, science has confirmed his instincts and helped him perfect the technique. “We’re still learning,” he says, “but we know for sure that the more you challenge the brain when you move, the better the results—both mental and physical.”

To try Gonzalez-Wallace’s ”Super Body, Super Brain” workout (also the name of his upcoming book), check out these four moves. They’re great as a morning wake up, but you could also do them after work to wind down, or add them to your usual workout. Ideally, aim for three to five times a week along with 20 minutes of cardio each day. Because you’re working multiple muscles and forcing your brain to concentrate with each move, you’ll be maximizing the payoff.

Abs, Thighs, and Brain!
Do the following moves one after the other, as one circuit. Rest 15 to 45 seconds. Then, go back to the beginning and do two more circuits.

STANDING TWISTER Works: your core, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and calves

A) From a standing position (right), hold a towel in both hands with arms straight up overhead. Cross your left leg behind your right and bend both legs. Your back foot should be on its toes.

B) Balancing on your right leg, raise your left leg—still bent—up and out to the side, at the same time as you twist your torso toward it (below). You should feel like your body is making a “C”. Hold here for 2 seconds. “This is really challenging, because you’re targeting the obliques, which are hard to get to, and where you tend to store fat,” says Gonzalez-Wallace (who’s showing the moves.) Do 10. Then switch legs and do 10 more to the other side.

DOUBLE PUSH Works: arms, shoulders, chest, glutes, calves

A) Start in a plank with arms straight, slightly wider than your shoulders. Your legs should be together, and your feet on your toes.

B) Lift your right leg behind you, holding the plank position (below). If you want more of a challenge, rather than straight toward the ceiling, direct it slightly to the right side on a diagonal. Then return to the plank (position A.) Now do the same with your left leg. Alternate leg lifts for a total of 10 (5 with each leg).

C) Now drop down from the plank into a pushup position, arms bent at a 90-degree angle, elbows out to the side, head straight in line with the back (right). If this is too difficult, bend your knees and rest them on the floor. Do 10 pushups.

THIGH TONER
Works arms, glutes, and thighs.

A) Start in a plank position, legs straight and together, on your toes. Your arm are bent, elbows in the floor, and hands clasped (right).

B) Holding the plank position, bend your right leg, so the knee is dropped toward the floor. Now lift the right leg to the side (left.) Do 10 raises (don’t touch the knee when you lower.) Switch legs and do 10 lifts with the left.

GIVE AN ARM & A LEG
Works: the triceps, glutes, hamstrings, and back
A) Lie on your stomach, forehead on the floor, fleet flexed. At the same time, raise your right arm and left leg a few inches from the ground (below). Stay in your comfort zone—rather than going for height, just concentrate on lifting the limbs simultaneously until you feel the muscle tension. Then switch and raise the left arm with the right leg. To increase the challenge, add hand weights or use water bottles (hold the weights so that you start with the thumb and forefinger of each hand resting on the floor.) Alternate and do 20 lifts.

Now that you’ve finished your first circuit, go back to the beginning and do two more. For extra credit, try closing your eyes.

To help with your weight loss program, add Slim Trim to your daily regimen. Visit here to learn more. Tell then, eat slim, stay trim!

How to Make Celebrity Diet Secrets Work for You!

DP — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:09:36 +0000

From the Slim Trim team….

How do they do it? We mere mortals seem to struggle with every bite while celebs maintain their perfect shapes. To find out, we enlisted the help of John Stewart, the owner of Sunfare, a food delivery service that works with many of Hollywood’s A-listers. John shared five celebrity diet secrets with us.

1. Speed up your metabolism by eating five small meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner bedtime snack. Yes – a bedtime snack! It keeps your metabolism working while you sleep. And remember – this isn’t a license to pig out! Read on for how to eat!

2. Each meal should have a balanced ratio of 30% protein, 40% carbs and 30% fats. Yes, fats! But good fats – nuts, avocado, olive oil and so on. Fats play an important role in keeping you feeling full and satisfied as well as regulating how much sugar is released into the blood stream.

3. Spice up lean protein. Diet foods don’t have to be bland and boring. Add flavor so you’ll enjoy what you’re eating. Lemon on your salmon. Herbs, spice, salsas. The possibilities are endless! And you just might like it so much you’ll stop thinking of it as “diet food.”

4. Drink lots of water – 80 ounces a day. That’s ten 8 ounce glasses. Besides keeping you hydrated, water can curb your hunger pangs. Drinking it before a meal can take the edge off your hunger. And drinking it with your meal can help fill you up.

5. Plan ahead. Don’t wait until you’re hungry to decide what to eat. That only leads to bad choices! When you’re making dinner, cook a little extra for another meal or snack. You’ll be amazed at how well you eat when you’re not grabbing for everything in the fridge!
Article by Diane Mizota

For more weight loss tips and help to get bikini ready, visit SlimTrim1.com (click here)

Kelly Ripa Looks Amazing

DP — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:52:56 +0000

How do celebrities diet?
The right way, through proper diet and exercise…

Please check out more weight loss tips and plans at SlimTrim1.com. Click here to learn more!

6 Trips for Bikini Season

DP — Wed, 19 May 2010 02:04:09 +0000

A plateau is a lovely thing when you get to it after hiking all day. It’s not, when describing your fitness efforts!

Plateauing means that despite dragging your body to the gym every day, it’s gone into slacker mode. Your weight won’t budge, your muscles go on hiatus. Bikini season is only three months away. This is no time for your workout to conk out.

Enter The Hollywood Trainer, Jeanette Jenkins, with jumper cables. “People get into an exercise rut,” says Jenkins, whose students have included Queen Latifah and Christina Applegate. “You can go to the gym for 30 minutes and burn 300 calories. Or go and burn 600. You can literally double the amount.”

Here, she shows six ways to do that——techniques she perfected for her new super fat-blaster DVD, “Bikini Boot Camp.” “In my other DVDs, even I dilly dallied—I put down the weights, took a little breather. But on this one, there’s not a moment to think about resting. It’s boom, boom, boom, next, next, next. We maximized the calorie burn for the time spent. And you can definitely do that with your own workout.”

1. Combine upper and lower body: For example, instead of standing there doing biceps curls with dumbbells, add simultaneous stationary lunges.

2. Shuffle with your walk: During a 30-minute power walk, include 5 intervals of side shuffles lasting 60 seconds to 2 minutes each.

3. Insert cardio blasts: Instead of resting or texting between sets on the weight machines, do 25 to 30 jumping jacks, alternating knee lifts, or front kicks.

4. Wear a weighted vest: This will double your burn while walking, hiking, running, or taking a cardio class.

5. Do drop sets: For weight training, start off each set with the heaviest amount you can lift for 10 to 15 reps; then drop the weight 50 percent and continue to 25 reps.

6. Bump up your weights. While taking a sculpting class, push yourself to use 2 to 3 pounds more than you normally would. “It will make an incredible difference,” says Jeanette.

To help complete your bikini season goals, SlimTrim can help. Click here to learn more!

How to Eat Right at Work

DP — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:38:47 +0000

Other than getting a good night’s sleep, there’s probably no other thing that impacts your productivity and mood at work more than what you eat. Yet you probably give little thought to what you consume before and during work, defaulting instead to what’s convenient, cheap, and tasty. And when you do think twice about what you eat, it’s usually in the context of a diet that’s focused on losing weight rather than improving your cognitive functioning and energy levels. Fortunately, there are a few basic food rules that go a long way towards achieving these latter goals. Here are the best of them.

Things you will need:

* A new food attitude: Carbs are not the enemy. Neither is fat. Eliminating certain food groups may help your waistline, but it will hurt your brain functioning.
* A stash of snacks: To keep your brain well fueled, you can’t let yourself get too hungry. Have a ready supply of trail mix, peanut-butter crackers, or Snickers bars at work. The combination of carbs and protein in these snacks will stabilize your blood sugar, fill you up, and keep you energized.
* Some willpower: Big meals actually reduce the supply of energy to your brain and leave you feeling sleepy for hours. Eat half of what you order, and take the rest home.

1. Balance What You Eat, Whenever You Eat

In 1956, the United States Department of Agriculture produced its “Basic Four” guide promoting the daily consumption of foods from four main groups — meat, dairy, grains, and vegetables. But today, nutritionists talk about a different set of food groups —proteins, carbohydrates (which produce glucose), fats, and fiber — and a different way to combine them. Instead of having a few helpings from each group every day, they recommend having something from each of the four groups every time you sit down to eat. And, yes, that includes carbs, which certain popular diets restrict. Why? Because the combination of carbs and protein (and to a lesser extent, fats and fiber) regulates your glucose levels and keeps your mood and mental ability on an even keel.

Moreover, each food group brings unique brain-boosting benefits to the table. “Research suggests that meals with more protein and fats are associated with better-sustained attention, focus, and concentration,” says Tufts research psychologist Kristen D’Anci. “Meals that have a higher carbohydrate content seem to be more calming and have fairly consistent positive effects with memory.” Cut back on either group and you’re missing half the benefits that food can offer.

2. Neglect Carbs at Your Own Peril

The research here is clear: Cutting carbs may shrink your waistline, but doing so will shrink your brainpower, too. “The popular low-carb and no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition,” says Tufts psychology professor Holly A. Taylor. In a 2008 study Taylor conducted, dieters who lowered their blood-sugar levels by cutting carbohydrates from their meals immediately performed worse on memory-based tasks than those who simply reduced total calories by the same amount. When they started eating carbs again, their memory skills quickly rebounded.

Brain cells require twice the amount of energy needed by other cells in your body because they never rest. And high-carb foods like pasta, bread, fruit, and rice produce the brain’s favorite fuel — glucose. “Your brain only wants to burn glucose,” says Shawn Talbott, a nutritional biochemist and author of A Guide to Understanding Dietary Supplements: Magic Bullets or Modern Snake Oil. It can burn protein if it has to, Talbott adds, “but it’s like trying to run a gasoline engine on diesel.”

If you are on a low-carb diet, we’re not suggesting you go out and eat a loaf of Wonder Bread. There are plenty of “good” carbs (such as fruit, vegetables, and brown rice) that will supply your brain with all the fuel it needs.

3. Pack in the Protein

Proteins such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, beans, and nuts slow the absorption of glucose so your brain gets a long and steady flow of fuel, rather than the brief blast you get from eating carbs and sugary foods (fats and fiber also help with this). And protein also brings its own set of brain boosters to the party. The amino acids found in meats, poultry, fish, and eggs help produce the neurotransmitters — serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine — that keep us focused, energetic, and upbeat.

Studies also suggest that certain minerals typically found in high-protein foods also enhance memory. A 2005 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that adding zinc — found in meat, seafood, eggs, and milk — to the diets of middle-school kids improved their memories and attention spans. After receiving 20 milligrams of zinc a day, five days a week, for 10 to 12 weeks, their reaction time decreased by 12 percent, their word recognition rose 9 percent, and their ability to sustain attention on a task increased 6 percent.

4. Eat Smaller Amounts, and Eat More Frequently

If you want to keep up your energy and performance levels, the last thing you need is a three-course lunch (or a three-egg cheese omelet for breakfast). The same thing goes for big dinners if you’re working late. Too much food — even if it’s well balanced — is going to make you drowsy because it introduces too much glucose for your body to handle at one time. When that happens, your liver reacts by storing the glucose, and your brain actually gets less fuel than it needs. “If you eat too much, you’re going to get sleepy, and there’s really no way to recover from that,” says Talbott. “Five to six small meals tend to make people perform much better than three squares.”

5. Fat Is Beautiful … for Your Brain

You probably know that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart. But they’re great brain food, too. The fats found in salmon, walnuts, and kiwi improve learning and memory and help fight against mental disorders like depression, schizophrenia, and dementia, according to a 2008 report from the Brain Research Institute at UCLA. The fats support the synapses in the brain where much of our cognitive functioning occurs.

6. How to Keep Things in Proportion

In addition to controlling your carb intake, portion and proportion play a big role in regulating glucose. Talbott recommends a highly sophisticated tool for measuring food amounts — your hand. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, he says the portions are the same: “Your fist is the size of the carbs; your palm is the size of the protein. Make an OK sign with your thumb and index finger, and that’s how much fat you should have. Open your hand as wide as it can go; that’s the amount of fruits and vegetables. That’s going to be a well-balanced mix.”
By Gail Belsky for CBS MoneyWatch.com

Lastly, have fun…
For more great ideas on how to lose weight with a healthy lifestyle, visit SlimTrim now.

Spring Tips on Losing Weight

DP — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:43:30 +0000

Since mini skirts and shorts are around the corner, it makes sense that we’d start to think more about what we’re eating, what we should be eating and what we’re eating way too much of (hello, cupcakes). To help us jump start our spring slim down, The “Today Show” nutrition expert, Joy Bauer, came by to give us her top 7 spring diet tips.

1. Ditch liquid calories. Between coffee drinks that masquerade as ice cream sundaes, sodas full of high fructose corn syrup and super sugary fruit juices, you may be consuming thousands more calories than you realize. Joy’s suggestion: stick with water but make it more interesting by tossing in slices of cucumber, lemon or oranges.

2. Turn off the TV and head outdoors. This one may sound obvious, but it’s important advice. Yes, “Glee” is starting again (thank God). Yes, “Dancing with the Stars” is heating up. But if you’re like me, while you’re stuck to the couch you’re not only NOT burning calories, you’re consuming them. I’ll settle in to watch a show and suddenly I’ve eaten a whole bag of pretzels without even tasting it!

3. Start dinner with a vegetable first course. Joy suggests starting with a salad or a non-creamy, broth-based vegetable soup because the fiber and water content will expand in your belly and as a result you’ll be less likely to overeat when you get to the main meal.

4. Love your grill. One of the great things about grilling is that it makes a cook out of anyone. There’s nothing easier than throwing fish and veggies on the fire. You don’t have to add anything and they end up with flavor.

5. Strike starchy carbs a few nights a week. Sometimes I think, “Well, if it’s whole grain it’s ok…” but Joy suggests, even just a few nights a week, skip the starchy carbs (pasta, bread, grains) altogether. You’ll be forced (in a good way) to load up on lean protein and vegetables instead.

6. Close the kitchen after dinner. To stop yourself from going back for more—especially as the days get longer and the time between dinner and bedtime extends— put closure on your meal by drinking some herbal tea or brushing and flossing your teeth!

7. Eliminate the extras. A few M&Ms here, a few crackers there. . . it can all add up— again, without you even realizing it. If you can cut out the “in between” eating, it will pay off.

For more healthy eating ideas, check out Joy’s new book “Slim & Scrumptious,” which I am in love with. My favorite: her crispy kale and crispy Parmesan chicken. Easy and delicious.

Do you have any diet tips for spring that we should know about? Let us know by posting a comment below or emailing us at thethread@yahoo.com

Great article on eating healthy

DP — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:57:14 +0000

We just read this and thought it really hit home on the small and subtle changes you can make for a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. Of course this isnt the only ’secret’ out there. Its really a balance of diet and exercise. And of course, SlimTrim can help you with your long term plans.

Check out the article here….

Kitchen Daily from 4.7.10

To learn more about Slimtrim weight loss, visit our site here.

www.SlimTrim1.com

Cheers folks and get ready for bikini season soon.

Bikini Season is Fast Approaching!!!

DP — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:24:58 +0000

How to get ready now that winter is fading (slowly) but hopefully gone soon…

Here are a few great tips and a plan to get you ready in 2010.

Step 1

Establish goals to help keep you motivated and on your desired track. Start early to make the most of the time you have before bikini season begins. For example, decide how much weight you want to lose in a specific time period. Chart your progress to help create and modify future plans. While it’s impossible to lose 100 pounds in three days, you can make great strides toward bikini-season body you desire over time. Keep your ideal swimsuit in mind as you work your way into a healthier you.
Step 2

Find your motivation point. Whether it’s the gorgeous bikini you passed in the mall last week or the desire to shock your friends, you must know how to keep yourself on the right track. Ask yourself what you want to gain from getting fit for bikini season in 2010. Keep this in mind when times get rough as a reminder of why you should keep moving.
Step 3

Since there’s often strength in numbers, getting with a group of like-minded individuals can be a confidence and will-power booster. Let close friends and co-workers know of your efforts to form helpful alliances. For example, you could eat a healthy lunch with your co-worker instead of heading alone to the buffet. There will be a greater sense of accountability if others are aware of your intentions.
Step 4

Get your body in bikini shape by attending aerobics and conditioning classes. Visit the gym a few times a week to help build and maintain a toned frame. Ask for help from trainers to ensure you’re performing he correct exercises in order to meet your goals. Focus on any problem areas, such as your abdomen or thighs.
Step 5

Modify your diet. Cut back on any unhealthy aspects of your diet. Assess your current eating habits to establish your nutritional intake compared to your actual needs. Reduce caloric intake in problem areas such as fats and sugars. Never starve yourself for the sake of fitting into a bikini. Consult with a doctor or dietitian to determine your specific nutritional needs to ensure your safety.
Have fun! (last but not least)

For more ways to help with you with your weight loss plans (along with exercise)…

Visit us at www.slimtrim1.com, available online for only $19.99. Find out how.

www.slimtrim1.com

DP — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:38:49 +0000

Slim Trim at ECAWorldFitness Conference this week

DP — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:27:03 +0000

If you’re a personal trainer, into Yoga or Pilates, let SlimTrim help you Train Naturally!

Stop by our booth this week at….

ECA/NYC 2010 OBOW Show

March 18 – 21, 2010
at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, New York City

http://www.ecaworldfitness.com/

..for more information about Slim Trim, please visit the link below:

http://slimtrim1.com