Discover Good Nutrition, Fitness & Beauty

Posted: 03 Jul 2017 07:00 AM PDT

Mixed greens make a good base for salads.

A salad often seems like a healthy choice, but many are loaded with high calorie ingredients.

When I think of a salad, I picture a beautiful bowl of leafy greens tossed with other colorful veggies like orange carrots, purple onions, bright red tomatoes and yellow bell peppers. A salad like that is the picture of health. But there's an unhealthy side to salad, too. We use the term salad so loosely now that we call almost anything tossed together in a bowl a salad, as long as there's something coating it, flavoring it or holding it together.
I've seen entrée salads on restaurant menus without a veggie in sight—just an overload of meat, cheese and heavy dressing. Some salads start out with good intentions, in the form of leafy greens and mixed veggies. But then they're loaded down with crispy noodles, fried chicken strips, cheese or bacon. And if you were to eat at my grandmother's house, a "salad" invariably consisted of a square of neon-red gelatin nestled in a single lettuce leaf (which was usually not eaten), topped with a dollop of mayonnaise.

Salads Can Have More Calories and Fat than a Cheeseburger

The problem with many entrée salads is that they're loaded down with fat, so it helps to know where all that fat is coming from. Next time you're in a restaurant and decide to have just a salad, here are a few things to consider.

Ditch the fatty proteins. When you see the word "crispy," as in crispy chicken strips, it's just a nicer way of saying "fried." So, if you're having an entrée salad with protein in it, look for salads containing chicken, shrimp or fish that's grilled rather than fried. And watch out for other high calorie proteins, too. Foods like sausages or fatty cold cuts often make their way into main-dish salads.
Avoid high fat extras. Many restaurant salads are overloaded with lots of extras that can make the calorie count soar. These fatty calorie bombs include cheese, bacon, fried tortilla strips, crispy fried noodles, onion rings, sour cream and oily croutons.
Choose dressings carefully and use sparingly. Dressings are one of the quickest ways to undo the nutritional value of a healthy salad. Creamy or cheesy dressings can cost you 75 calories per tablespoon, and many restaurants serve as much as 8 times that amount. And since that's what we're given, many of us assume that's a normal portion. But few of us can, or should, afford the additional 600 calories and 60 grams of fat that a half-cup of ranch dressing adds to the mix. Always order your dressing on the side, and choose lighter vinaigrettes over creamy dressings. Also, try the fork-dip method: dip your fork into your dressing, take a stab at your salad and repeat. You'll get a little taste of dressing with each bite, but you'll be surprised at how little you actually use.

Choosing Salads Wisely

When you choose a restaurant salad, be on the lookout for these high-fat ingredients, and make adjustments accordingly. Most of the time, it's as simple as asking that an ingredient or two be left out. And maybe swap out a creamy dressing for oil-based vinaigrette and having it served on the side. Just a few simple changes can make a huge difference.
A Southwestern-style salad with lettuce, grilled chicken, a few spoons of black beans, a dab of guacamole and some salsa can be a healthy choice. And it will probably only cost you about 400 calories. But get your salad fully loaded with cheese, creamy dressing and served in a fried tortilla shell, and the calorie count triples to more than 1200.
Similarly, a Chinese chicken salad might sound healthy, since it usually includes greens or cabbage, grilled chicken, some mandarin oranges and toasted almonds. But it's the crispy fried noodles and the huge amount of dressing that sends the fat and calorie count soaring. Leave out the fried noodles and keep your dressing portion to around a tablespoon, and you're looking at a reasonable 450 calories or so. If you eat the salad as the restaurant serves it, you'd be eating more than 1000 calories. That's the fat equivalent of a huge slice of cheesecake and large fries.
Use the same principles when choosing side salads, too. A mixed green salad is usually a great choice if you use just a dab of vinaigrette dressing. Fruit salad—as long as it's not loaded down with sugary syrup or a sweet creamy dressing—also makes a great side salad. But watch the side salads that are creamy or starchy. Even a small portion of potato salad, pasta salad or mayonnaise-heavy coleslaw can cost you several hundred calories.
When it comes to choosing a salad, the bottom line is this: just because a dish is called a salad, doesn't automatically make it healthy. So, don't let the word salad sway you. When making your choice, pay a little less attention to what it's called and a lot more attention to what's in it.
Find out more at: http://www.DiscoverHerbalife.com

Try These 3 Low-impact Water Workouts

Posted: 03 Jul 2017 06:00 AM PDT

Water workouts keep stress off your joints.

A low-impact water workout is ideal, regardless of your age or current fitness level.

If you head to a water-based destination on vacation, instead of skipping your workout routine, you should consider taking to the water to get your exercise. This may help to ensure that you avoid gaining too many vacation pounds as a result of lazing around. Also, if you're looking to challenge yourself without putting stress on your joints, or you just like being in the water, you'll definitely enjoy giving water exercises a try. There are many types you can do. Here are three of my personal favorites:

Paddleboarding

Stand up paddleboarding (SUP) is a combination of kayaking and surfing. It's one of the fastest growing water sports in the world. Many people are drawn to it because it provides you with a full-body workout. It improves your core strength, cardio fitness, balance and flexibility, with virtually no impact. It's also a lot of fun.
Your core will be working overtime to stabilize your body position, and as you add in the paddle motion, you'll also get a shoulder and oblique challenge. The resistance created by the paddle in the water will help you to gain muscular strength. Paddleboarding is ideal for people of all ages and fitness levels, and unlike surfing, you don't need waves to do it. Calm, flat water is perfect for beginners, and you can do it on an ocean, lake or other body of water.

Aqua Aerobics

Water exercise classes are a fun way to use the resistance and buoyancy of water to condition your muscles and improve your cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility. By employing strengthening exercises and stretching techniques, such classes can help you to increase your body's tone and range of motion. You don't need to attend an official class to get a great workout. Simply hop into the pool and experiment with different movements that take your joints through their full range of motion.

Swimming

Swimming can help you to improve your aerobic fitness level, because it forces your body to learn a new breathing pattern. Being face down in water means your body must learn to adapt quickly. By expanding the depth and volume of each breath, you're forcing the lungs and heart to process oxygen more efficiently. Because swimming creates no impact on your joints, it's great for giving your overworked muscles a break from high-impact activities like running or weight training, which can place stress on the joints of your hips, knees and ankles. Plus, you can choose whether you want to swim to relax or create a calorie-torching, total-body workout with lots of laps.
You don't have to be on vacation to reap the benefits of being in and around water. Its tranquil nature can help you to feel relaxed and may help you to relieve stress. I love to add a water exercise day into my week all year round. And because of the resistance it creates, I know I'm burning a significant number of calories each time I do it.
It's fun to get out on the water and enjoy nature, and it hardly ever feels like exercise. This summer, consider staying active with some water exercise.
Find out more at: http://www.DiscoverHerbalife.com

7 Ultra-cooling Summer Beauty Tips

Posted: 03 Jul 2017 05:00 AM PDT

Beat the heat with a hat this summer.

Staying cool in the summer is essential for avoiding a sweaty makeup meltdown. Here are some tips to beat the heat and look your best.

After a long, cold winter, the idea of warm summer weather sounds great. However, there are some challenges to dealing with summer weather. It's easy to get overheated and sweaty, which can wreak havoc on your hair, makeup and all aspects of your look. Not to worry, there are lots of ways to keep your face and body cool and dry.

7 Ways to Stay Cool and Maintain Your Summer Beauty

Control Outdoor Exposure

When you've been outdoors for a prolonged period of time, make sure you take a break and go inside. Get in the daily habit of applying sunscreen. Also, keep your face protected with sunglasses and a brimmed hat. These are important habits you should practice all year long.

Get Creative with Your Hairstyle

Long hair against the back of your neck is enough to raise your body temperature by a degree or two. A great way to stay cool is to keep your hair at a shorter length. If that's not your style, consider putting your hair up, try a sleek topknot, or a variation on the classic braid. One of my all-time favorite hairstyles to stay cool during the summer is a high ponytail.

Put Your Fridge to Work

The refrigerator doesn't have to be just for keeping food cold. During the summer, keep moisturizer and body mist in there, too. Slathering on cool product will instantly make you feel cooler. You can keep your moisturizer in the fridge during the summer, too.

Ice Your Pressure Points

Here's a quick party trick that really works: press your icy beverage or an ice cube against your wrist or your neck. The chill on these two pulse points can provide you with an all-over feeling of cool when it's sizzling hot. If you stay cool, you're less likely to encounter melting makeup.

Spray Yourself with Sea Salt

Add spring to your hair and keep your scalp dry with sea salt spray. It acts as a natural styling agent to create waves and add volume. Some hairstylists say this is the key product they use to create texturized waves. Sea salt spray can be found at any beauty supply store, or you can even make it yourself at home.

Spritz Your Face

For a quick cool-down after baking in your car, or any other heat-related situation, try spritzing on a face mist. It can give you an instant chill and make you feel refreshed. To enhance your face mist, choose your favorite fragrance like mint, herb or lavender and you'll feel instantly freshened up.

Choose Your Cosmetics Carefully

When it comes to makeup, go for the smudged look—on purpose. Summer beauty trends suggest you should go easy on eye makeup, but if you want to glam it up, use crayon liners and eyeshadows that provide softer, smudgier lines. Matte lipsticks go on dryer than creamy ones and look great with dewy summer skin. Once you're done applying makeup, use a setting spray to finish off your look and help keep your makeup in place.
With all of these refreshing ways to stay cool and collected, people will wonder what your secret is and admire how well you pull it off.
Find out more at: http://www.DiscoverHerbalife.com