Fitness

This Summer, make swimsuit season even hotter with the addition of spice. It's true; spices curb your appetite, leading to a hotter you - no pun intended. According to Kate Geagan, MS, RD, author of Go Green, Get Lean, herbs and spices can play tricks on your sweet tooth. Adding a spicy combo to your meals expands your palette without extra calories. It may also decrease the amount of salt, fat, and sugar you use, keeping you satisfied without sacrificing flavor. Take red chili peppers for example, research has found that sprinkling them on meals curbs your appetite because capsaicin - the heat factor - not only reduces hunger, it increases energy levels too. Try adding a spice rub to your meal's protein or a dash of cinnamon in your next cup of coffee. Because cravings are so overrated . . .

Get this, jet-setters: aside from renting movies at your next hotel stay, you can rent workout gear. Yes, leave those kicks behind if you're planning on staying at any Westin or Fairmont Hotel, because you can now "borrow" workout apparel and footwear. For a small fee of $5 or $10, you can borrow clothing and sneakers from top brands like Reebok and New Balance. These packages include a t-shirt, capris, and running shoes in your size (the Westin program also includes new socks that you can keep). At the Fairmont, you can also request to have an MP3 player - playlists included - and a yoga mat ready at check-in. Sure, the idea of making our carry-on light is appealing, but we're not quite sure if we're sold. Workouts involve sweating, and this time it wouldn't be in our own shoes or even pants - hmmm. But it's a cool concept, especially if you forgot something or randomly decide to hit the gym. Let us know what you think: is this service a little too good to be true? popsugar pollWould You Rent Workout Gear? If it makes my load lighter, sure! No, workout clothes are rather personal . . .

Kymberly Williams-Evans, MA Stress, Weight Gain, and Strategies to Lose Fat are Connected Stressed out and feeling beastly? Stress affects all species. Most humans have a good idea of their stress levels and whether the stress is helpful (such as exercise) or harmful (such as an injury). As well, we human personages can distinguish between Chronic and Acute Stress. Interesting to note is that we tend to handle major stressors better than micro ones. When it comes to weight gain and fat accumulation, chronic stress is the problem. In short, chronic stress triggers a cascade of hormonal reactions that tell your body to store fat, create more fat, and swell up. Yes, long term stress increases both number and size of fat cells. As fat cells increase in size, they increase chronic inflammation, which triggers more hormonal reactions, all leading to more fat. Aaaaarrrggggh! Getting caught in this cycle can be very … well, um … stressful! Keep reading and take a relaxing breath as we look at ways to decrease fat that stress may have added to your “friend’s” figure. Recently Alexandra and I attended and spoke at the IDEA Personal Training Institute. One of the many stellar sessions we attended was Professor Len Kravitz’s talk “Stress, Obesity, and Cortisol.” He offered key insights on stress and fat collecting — the collection we don’t want to inherit, pay too much for, nor store for posterity (in posteriors). First off, bad news and some Fat Facts: More women than men are obese because of menopause (not really bad news for men). We now know our bodies can make more fat cells at any age. We used to think we added fat cells only at certain times in life, such as gestation and puberty. Fat cells can swell up to three to six times their minimum size. Oh, swell! Those cells are unwell! “Normal” weight adults have about 40 billion fat cells; overweight people may have as many as 80 billion. Yes, DOUBLE! The odds are really stacked against the stressed out. Now for some good news and Fit Facts: Exercise Your Right to Relax and Destress We really don’t gain a lot of weight over the holidays. The average is about one pound … per holiday season, so pack light for the upcoming 4th of July! Two super duper interventions that really work to unpack fat are exercise and destressing. No kidding, Sherlock. (Yes, I heard you thinking that all the way from here.) What Dr. Kravitz emphasized is our need to shift our thinking from all or nothing strategies to ones that are more realistic and flexible. Aaaaahhh, Bliss Out, Le Freak, C’est Chic The plan? First, implement the 4 F words of Weight Management and Lower Stress Levels Have a Flexible approach when creating your workout program. For instance, maybe morning routines don’t work for you, though you’ve heard that early bird exercisers tend to be more consistent. Or your favorite cardio machine is taken. Try a different piece of cardio equipment or an aerobic class. Look for what fits YOU. Today. With each day up for a renewable contract. Remind yourself that you are not a Failure if you lapse. Forgive yourself for any unmet goals or expectations. Fix what’s not working — without blame or self criticism. As Dr. Kravitz stated, “Learning to lose weight is a skill, just like learning to ride a bike.” He recommends that we use the same strategies as proven, successful weight losers. Referring to the work of Dr. James Hill, who founded the National Weight Loss Registry, Dr. Kravitz highlights the actions in common of those who lose fat (and keep it off): Successful Fat Losers: Dog Days of Slumber Stay or become physically active Log 250-300 minutes per week of aerobic activity Limit and monitor dietary intake Accept realistic weight goals Eat a healthy breakfast Schedule meals and exercise thereby staying consistent with both Limit fast food Eat some favorite foods without guilt Accept their body shape Confront problems rather than eat to cope Recognize that weight control is ong

Celebrate your healthy accomplishments with a healthy (and cheap!) treat for $10 or less. Instead of breaking the bank, overindulging, or hindering your healthy progress, each of these ideas supports your new balanced lifestyle. Dig into a new book: Even if you have the best intentions to read regularly, work and other obligations manage to get in the way. Schedule out a block of time to read a few chapters of a book you've been wanting to check out for a long time. If you're not a huge reader, buying a physical (or virtual) stack of fresh magazines is another welcome luxury with little cost! Make your own face mask: You might not want to shell out a ton of cash for a professional facial, but with just four common ingredients (most of which you already have in your kitchen!), you can DIY your own peel-off face mask with this tutorial from POPSUGAR Beauty. Download new music: Nothing motivates like a quality workout playlist. Either download a handful of new songs you love on iTunes, or buy a month of Spotify Premium for $10. This way, you can have all of our workout playlists with you on all your devices with no commercials whatsoever. Buy a bauble on Etsy: Sure, Etsy has some high-end expensive jewelry, but there are plenty of stylish options for under $10! This neon bib necklace will help you make a statement this Summer, but this running bracelet might remind you to stick with the program. Sleep in late: Instead of waking up early to make time for a Sunday morning workout, give yourself permission to sleep in and lounge around as late as you want. Beyond being free, taking time to rest is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Keep reading for five more ways to treat yourself for $10 or less.

A holiday weekend is the perfect time to relax - and indulge - but come next week, you may be thinking that you've had too much of a good thing. Take a trip to your grocery store and stock up on fresh, detoxifying produce like spinach, asparagus, and broccoli; then, make a big batch of any of these vegetable detox soups to help you feel and look your best. View Slideshow ›

Even if you're not a dessert junkie, you might be shocked at some of the everyday foods that pile on the sugar. According to the American Heart Association, most women should be consuming no more than 100 calories from added sugars per day, or about 24 grams (six teaspoons of sugar). Added sugars come from sugars or syrups and are cooked into foods or sprinkled on at the table. While you should be concerned about all the sugar you're eating, generally speaking, naturally occurring sugars are less detrimental to your health - especially when they come in the form of a piece of fruit. The following list offers a mix of the two, but learning about all high-sugar foods will help you make smarter decisions in the future. Spaghetti sauce: One cup of jarred marinara sauce from the store contains 14.5 grams of sugar, much of it from added sugar. Instead of buying the store-bought stuff, up the nutritional value and lower the sugar content naturally with this light and tasty raw tomato basil sauce, perfect for a refreshing Spring supper. Juice: Robert Lustig, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital has said "juice is just like soda . . . there is no difference." It's not surprising that fruit juice is filled with sugar, but even a glass of V8 vegetable juice has eight grams of sugar per serving, and some store-bought green juices contain a large amount of apple juice. Grab your blender or juicer and go for a leafy green smoothie instead of a sugar-laden beverage. There's no need to drink all your sugar and calories for the day in one sitting. Bread: Bread may seem like a strange place to find sugar, but two slices of whole wheat bread have four grams of sugar. Opt for stuffing all your sandwich fillings into a large whole wheat pita that only has 0.5 grams of sugar. Keep reading for two more surprising foods loaded with sugar.

We're about to turn the seasonal corner and head straight into Summer, so make the most of your beach time and hit the sand for a workout. And who better to help you get your sweat on in the sand than the quintessential beach babes Katrina and Karena of Tone It Up? With no props required, these gals have created a five-move workout perfect for the soft sand or your living room. The full-body exercises will work you from head to toe and provide a little fine toning with small pulses to finish up the moves. Keep reading for a breakdown of the moves.

Sure, you want your abs to be tight and toned for Summer, but don't forget about your thighs! Between the short shorts and bikinis, show your legs some love with these five inner and outer thigh moves. From step-ups to leg lifts these target exercises will have you on your way to lean, mean legs in no time! - Additional reporting by Emily Bibb View Slideshow ›

Is it just me or am I just feeling the pressure of summer and all I WANT is to be skinny! I’ll even take flinny(Flabby and skinny). Well, I’m freaking out and considering every diet on the face of the earth. So I searched the skinniest celebrity and Posh Spice AKA Victoria Beckham came to mind. I honestly think she doesn’t eat, but she DOES, it’s just vegetables and fruit. That’s basically all. It’s the Alkaline Diet. Here is the premise: “The alkaline eating plan involves getting rid of refined sugars from your diet and using alternatives like honey, agave and coconut palm sugar. Seventy percent of all food consumed on the diet should be raw, and all cow dairy should be replaced with alkaline dairy like sheep and goat milk. Protein should not be over-consumed, and dieters should drink hot water with lemon every morning to increase alkaline levels.” Can you do it?! I’m so into protein that the idea of basically eating all veggies and fruits leaves me wanting more, right now and I’m not even on the diet yet. Imagine when I am!? Ugh. But the idea of having no acidic foods in my body sound “healthy”, but what they consider acidic food is a lot of the food I consume on the daily. Acidic Foods: Meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, processed foods, white sugar, white flour, and caffeine. No caffeine?! My grandma told me of a diet that worked for her. I’ve named it “The Nicaraguan Diet AKA The Diet that made her lose a lot of weight in a month.” It consists of: Coffee and 2 eggs, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Alkaline Diet is looking really good now, right?! Acidic Food Free, Bianca

Time to Deskercise! DailyBurn trainer @AnjaGarcia shares on-the-job fitness & diet tips with @Shopathome: