7 Mini Meals to Eat Throughout the Day for Weight Loss

Have you ever heard about eating mini meals throughout the day for weight loss? Do you know what actually these mini meals to eat are and when to eat them? If you don’t know, check out my list of 7 mini meals to eat throughout the day for weight loss.

1. At 5:30 a.m. eat an apple

Start your day with an apple as a mini breakfast to give your body some pectin, fiber, natural sugar and an energy boost to start your day. A large apple with the skin has only 116 calories. Eat your apple right before you exercise to boost you for an early morning workout!

2. At 9:00 a.m. eat hardboiled eggs or veggie omelet

Make a 2-egg omelet filled with a handful of broccoli or spinach. It’s only 214 calories, but you’ll give your body much needed calcium, iron, protein and other vitamins. If you don’t eat eggs, opt for a half cup of steel cut oatmeal that contains lecithin, a natural fat burner.

3. At 12:00 eat grilled chicken salad or chicken sandwich

In the afternoon it’s recommended to eat a grilled chicken sandwich or chicken salad to get much need nutrients, fiber and protein for your body. I usually add mushrooms, peppers and strawberry slices! There are 300 calories in 1 serving. Try not to add dressing, or look for a low sodium, natural dressing.

4. At 2:00 p.m. eat vegetable salad

At 2:00 p.m. eat vegetable salad to get plenty of fiber and satisfy your appetite. I usually slice up carrots, celery, broccoli, cucumbers and zucchini. This salad satisfies my appetite and boosts my immune system. There are only 130 calories!

5. At 4:00 p.m. eat hard-boiled egg whites

At 4:00 I eat three hard-boiled egg whites to get enough protein to rebuild my muscle fibers from my workout. If you don’t eat eggs, an alternate to this is a whey protein shake

6. At 5:00 p.m. have quinoa and veggie dinner

For dinnertime, a perfect meal is to have brown rice or quinoa, and carrots with chicken or eggs, which has 420 calories per serving (a medium-sized plate). You can also have a side spinach salad. This meal is balanced with plenty of protein, fiber and vitamins and has only 120 calories.

7. At 7:00 p.m. eat fruit snack

My last meal of the day consists of a small bowl of fruit or Greek yogurt (140 calories). I always choose only low glycemic fruits like grapefruit, berries or any other fruits low in sugar. If you are really hungry, make an egg white omelet (about 220 calories) so you do not go to bed hungry.

Along with this meal plan you should also have a multivitamin.

Do you eat a balanced diet with plenty of protein fiber, and veggies?
Are you going to try this meal plan?

Hope our will follow the steps.

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Source;Amerikanki

10 Surefire Ways to Get a Flat Stomach

Spring is the perfect time to start thinking about ways to get a flat tummy and get ready for bikini season.
 While sit ups, crunches, steam engines and many other abdominal workouts are great, it’s not enough to get a flat stomach.

 In fact, these workouts are perfect for strengthening your stomach muscles and they don’t help you lose stomach fat. To see those trained, sculpted belly muscles, you need to eat healthy and do the right set of workouts. Start following these tips for getting a flat stomach and wear your swimsuit with confidence.

1. Boost your protein intake

Increase your protein intake to speed up your metabolism by having 4 hardboiled egg whites for breakfast. This way you will speed up your metabolism in the morning and become closer to your fitness goal. The point is that protein-rich foods take much more work to digest, absorb, metabolize, and use. This means you burn much more calories and you feel full much longer. Protein is certainly important for ensuring you lose fat without losing muscle. And it’s a surefire way to get a flat tummy.

2. Have your apple every day

One of the most effective ways to get a flat stomach is to eat your fruits and veggies every day. Aim for 2-4 fruits and 4-6 vegetables per day to improve your immunity and increase your fiber intake. I recommend you to start eating an apple every day. Apples contain pectin that helps reduce cholesterol. Plus, apples are a natural hunger suppressant.

3. Add weight training to your workout routine

The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you don’t exercise. That’s because weight training boosts your metabolism. When you only do cardio workouts without weight training, you lose the muscle mass as well as the muscle in your belly. To get a flat stomach, make sure you add weight training to your workout routine.

4. Drink up

Drinking enough water each day aids in weight loss that can help you get a flat stomach. Try drinking a glass of water before eating and you’ll be less hungry and you’ll eat less. Sometimes we can mistake thirst for hunger, so you need to learn to recognize hunger and the best way to do it is to drink water before every meal.

5. Improve your cardio workout

To achieve a flat stomach, you should get 3 60-minute high intensity workouts. Try running for 10 minutes, then go for a 1 minute sprint, do 5-10 burpees and 15-20 push-ups. To get the best results you need to repeat this workout at least 5 times. However, begin with 1 set and then try to build your stamina to repeat it 5 times.

6. Don’t eat late at night

What time you eat could be the key to getting a flat stomach. Don’t eat anything 2 or 3 hours before going to bed. I know it’s difficult, but it’s important. Your metabolism slows when you sleep and it means you don’t burn any calories you ate before going to bed. Although there are many healthy bedtime snacks, it’s better to eat in the morning. Again, try drinking a glass of water, you might be thirsty, not hungry.

7. Plyometrics

Plyometrics are great anaerobic exercises that you can do to get a flat stomach faster. When you do plyometrics, you work out at 90% intensity and you boost your metabolic rate, meaning you burn a lot of calories. Don’t think these exercises are difficult and boring, they are actually fun. Give it a try and you’ll like them.

8. Reduce your salt intake

Not only will reducing salt intake help you get a flat tummy, it will improve your overall health. When you consume too much salt, you may suffer from bloating, which is not your fitness goal. If you can’t reduce your salt intake, you can begin using kosher salt or sea salt to see better results and feel better. These kinds of salt contain less sodium and they can help reduce bloating.

9. Ditch beer and soda

Beer and soda are the biggest enemies of a flat stomach. If you want a flatter tummy, cut those drinks. Even seltzer water is bad for you. This will certainly help reduce bloating and calories that are in beer and soda.

10. Strengthen your body core

When it comes to strengthening your core, it doesn’t mean you should do crunches or some other hard exercises, there are some easiest ways to do that. You just need to sit up straight and be aware of your breathing. The thing is that when you tighten your stomach when breathing, it gets used to being tight. Yoga can also help you strengthen your body core.

In fact, it’s not hard to achieve a flat stomach, you just need to want it. Eat healthy, get moving and you will certainly make your dreams of a flat and toned tummy into your reality. What’s your favorite way to get a flat stomach? Are you ready for bikini season?

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Source:Amerikanki

Makeup How-To: Pretty Pink Pastel Lips

Here's how you can create this pretty pastel pink lip on your own thanks to this how-to from makeup artist Lauren Cosenza.

1. Condition and line. Condition your lips first to help hydrate any cracked, dry spots. Then line your lips with a clear lip liner — this will keep the lip color you're about to apply from bleeding. Here, Lizzie Power, owner of Awoke Vintage, a clothing story in Brooklyn, applied No More Bleeding Lips along the perimeter of her mouth.

2. Fill in your lips with a pink lip liner. Lizzie used Estée Lauder Lip Pencil in "Pink Writer."

3. Create a chalky-pink lip color. Mix a peachy-pink lip color with a nude one to make an opaque shade. Here, Lizzie combined Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in "Femme," a peachy-pink shade, with MAC Cosmetics Cream Color Base in "Nude."

4. Pump up the color. Press a hot pink blush, like NYX Cosmetics Powder Blush in "Matte Hot Pink," over your lips with a flat makeup brush to set the shade and give it a matte finish. 

5. Pat on some SPF and make your lips pop by applying concealer around your mouth. Lizzie used a zinc-based SPF, like Sun Bum Sunscreen, to give that opaque pastel finish to her lips, and then cleaned up the areas around her mouth with a concealer, like Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer, to make her lip color pop.

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Source;Cosmopolitan

16 Best Ways to Improve Your Body Language

There’s no certain way to use your body language. Depending on who you’re talking to and the setting, what you do and say might be interpreted in different ways.

When talking to your boss, you will want to use your body language differently than when talking to your coworkers or friends. A slight changes in your body language can have a great impact on the people around you.

But before starting changing your body language, you have to know your body language. Pay close attention to how you stand, how you sit, and how you use you hands and legs when talking to someone. One of the best ways to know your body language is to practice in front of a mirror.

While it seems a bit ridiculous, it really helps. After all, no one is watching you. You will see how you look to others and how you use your body language.

You can also visualize how you’d sit and stand to feel relaxed and confident, or visualize how you’d communicate with someone. Watch your coworkers, friends, celebs, role models and other people you think have great body language and communicating skills. Watch what they do and what you don’t. However, don’t compare yourself to others.

Just because they have a better body language doesn’t mean they are better than you. You just need some time to develop your own body language.

At first, you might feel like you’re faking someone and something, but ‘fake it til you make it’ can actually help you to improve your body language and communication skills.

Don’t be afraid to play around a little, practice a lot and monitor yourself to find your comfortable balance.

This is the key to success!

Here are a few recommendations for improving your body language. Read on.

1. Eye contact

Make eye contact, but make sure you don’t stare. If you’re talking to a few people, give everyone some eye contact to make a better connection and ensure everyone is listening to you. If you don’t make eye contact, you might seem insecure, inattentive and confused. But, don’t give too much eye contact since people might think you are creepy. If you are shy, making eye contact will be a little tricky in the beginning, but when you will get used to it, it will feel much easier.

2. Arms, shoulders and legs

Never cross your arms and legs as it indicates that you are feeling defensive or guarded. You should also pay attention to your shoulders. When you feel nervous, you may notice that your shoulders are tight and tense. Try to relax your shoulders by shaking them a bit and moving them back and down slightly.

3. Head

When you want to feel confident or when you want to be taken seriously, keep your head level both vertically and horizontally. When you want to be friendly, nod once in a while to show that you are listening. Just don’t overdo it. You don’t want to nod every minute.

4. Mouth

Your mouth movements give away clues about you, too, and not only when you’re speaking. We purse the lips and twist them to one side when we are thinking or when we hold back some angry comments we don’t want to reveal. People might notice it and even though they won’t say anything, they’ll get a feeling that you don’t want to communicate with them.

5. Sit up straight

Learn to sit up straight but in a more comfortable and relaxed way. If you want to show that you are sincerely interested in what the person is talking about, lean toward them, but not too much. Lean back a bit to show that you are relaxed and confident in yourself. But don’t lean back too much because it can make you look distant and arrogant.

6. Take up some space

Feel free to take up some space when talking to someone. When you sit or stand with your legs slightly apart, it shows that you are self-confident and you feel comfortable around other people.

7. Smile and laugh

Stop taking yourself so seriously. Just relax. When someone says something funny, smile or even laugh. If you are a positive person, people will be more inclined to listen to you and be around you. However, don’t be the only person who laugh at your jokes, or it will make you appear nervous. When you’re introduced to someone, smile but don’t fake your smile. People may notice that your smile is fake.

8. Don’t fidget

Make sure you avoid doing fidgety movements and nervous ticks like tapping your fingers against the table or shaking your leg. When you try to get something across, fidgeting can distract others. Slow down, take a few deep breaths and relax. This is one of the most important steps to improving your body language.

9. Don’t touch your face

To tell the truth, touching the face (especially nose) when speaking with someone is one of my worst habits that I’m trying to break. It’s hard to break but I know I have to do it in order to improve my body language. Touching your face makes you seem nervous and it’s distracting to the people in the conversation.

10. Use your hands

Instead of scratching your face and fidgeting with your hands, learn to use them more confidently during a conversation. You can use your hands to describe something or explain your ideas. However, make sure you don’t use your hands too much, or it will be annoying and distracting.

11. Slow down

This actually goes for a lot of things. If you’ve got used to walking fast, try walking a bit slower. This will make you appear more relaxed and confident. If someone addresses you, turn your neck a little more slowly. When speaking to someone, don’t speak too fast. The thing is, speaking too fast indicates a lack of confidence and can increase the chances you will be misunderstood.

12. Keep your whole spine straight

Many of us stand and sit with a straight back in a great posture. But, many of us don’t understand that the spine ends in the back of the head, so we often crane the neck forward. Keep your entire spine straight to have a better posture and look more beautiful and confident.

13. Lower your drink

Keeping a drink close to your chest is a sure sign of insecurity. Don’t hold anything in front of your chest as it will make you seem distant and guarded. So lower your drink and hold it about belly button level a slightly out. This will make you look more confident.

14. Don’t stand too close or too far away

If you want to give off the right signals, pay close attention to the distance from others. If you stand or sit too close to the person when speaking, you might be marked as ‘in your face’ or ‘pushy.’ If you stand too far away, you might be marked as ‘offish.’ Observe how close all the other people are to one another and if you notice that someone back away when you move closer to them, pull back a little. Every person has their own personal space, which we should never invade.

15. Mirror

If you are trying to improve your body language, mirroring can help you. Sometimes when we get along with someone, we begin to mirror one another unconsciously. If your interlocutor leans forward, you might also lean forward. Or, if they hold their hands on their thighs, do the same. Just don’t overdo it. You don’t want to mirror each change in body language.

16. Keep a positive attitude

When you feel positive and confident, it comes through in your body language. That’s why it’s so important to keep a positive and relaxed attitude when speaking to someone. In fact, when it comes to body language and communication skills, your attitude can make a huge difference.

It may take a lot of time and patience to change your body language but it’s well worth it in the end.

One of the most difficult things to change is to keep you head up if you’ve got used to looking at your feet.

Eye contact is highly important in any situation. Work on these body language bits daily and you will definitely better your body language. If you don’t manage to change something, don’t just give up. You will reach your goal and improve your body language no matter how hard it will be and no matter what others will say.

Remember, I believe in you. Are you going to use these ways to change your body language?

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Source:amerikanki

Life Lessons from a 105-Year-Old

I recently decided that I need to spend a little extra time with the women in my life, so I started visiting my 105-year-old great-grandmother at her home.

This woman is extraordinarily special, and is capable of so much at her age. She continues to teach me new lessons, even unintentionally at times.

She was brought up and has raised all of her kids in a rural farming area in Eastern Ontario, Canada. There are two lessons that she has taught me thus far that I feel will benefit you just as much as they continue to benefit me. These are life lessons from a 105-year-old.

1. Treat your neighbor the way you’d like to be treated

We have all heard the sayings “treat others with respect” and “treat others how you would like to be treated.” Both of these phrases come across as the same, but describe two completely different actions. My grandmother explained the importance of keeping a strong bond between you and your neighbors. It wasn’t a matter of giving respect and getting back; you earned it, and in return you received it.

There are various ways in which relationships with our neighbors have changed over the years. I will give you a couple of examples of how we have grown more distant.

Meet and greet new neighbors

Rarely do I find myself approached by residents of an area I just moved into. In the past, as the “new family on the street” you would oftentimes find fellow neighbors casually bringing gifts to welcome you. Acts of kindness like these were a lot more frequent and random.

My grandmother emphasized the fact that if she ever made too many baked goods, the extras usually went to the neighbors. Though some neighborhoods still show tokens of gratitude and acceptance, they have faded out for the most part along with common courtesy.

Neighborly advice

When I am seeking instruction on how to complete a task, I usually use Google. Before the time of internet, our ancestors had to rely on the skills and assistance of others. If you were unable to build or fix something, you would oftentimes have to seek assistance from your neighbor. Payment wasn’t the main focus, either.

Time and time again, neighbors exchanged favors rather then money. You treated each other how you wanted to be treated because you never knew when you would find yourself seeking help. Word spread quickly because everyone was so tight-knit, so you never wanted to burn your bridges with anyone for fear of a bad name.

2. Don’t go to bed angry

Another one of my life lessons from a 105-year-old is “Don’t go to bed angry.” One of the main reasons is the fact that we are ignoring what is bothering us, and therefore not fixing the problem. When we ignore situations that bother us and attempt to “sleep it off,” we are setting ourselves up for the same results when we are re-exposed.

Example: When a wife does something that bothers her husband, the husband does not want to approach the situation due to fear of confrontation. This results in him bottling up his anger.

The fact that he is not voicing his opinion on the matter not only leaves the wife thinking she has done nothing wrong, but also sets the situation up to be the same or worse next time it arises. By not approaching the actions we dislike, we are not finding a resolution and can soon expect the same feelings to re arise.

This fact was actually scientifically proven to be true. A group of neuroscience students from UMass Amherst found that when we go to bed immediately, or ignore a problem, it remains “protected.” This means that when you are exposed again, your response will likely be just as negative as the last time.

Example: Someone witness to a gruesome accident that stays awake after the incident is less likely to have negative responses to crime scene images. You can read on the actual article here.

As you can see, there are various lessons that can be learned from someone who has experience. I continue to seek advice from my great-grandmother because I have learned that nothing teaches us more than personal experiences do. I will provide you with more life lessons from a 105-year-old as my visits progress.

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Source;Lifehack.org

7 Foods You Shouldn’t Eat While on Your Period

If you don’t want to feel down during your period, you should pay attention to what you are eating during that time of the month. Did you know that there are certain foods you should avoid eating while on your period?

When it comes to painful cramps, bloating and mood swings, food plays an important role. Although there is no magical cure for PMS, check out the list of the foods you shouldn’t eat while on your period to feel better.

1. Processed foods

Processed foods are a quick and easy choice, but they can make you feel even worse. For instance, canned foods and chips contain large amounts of sodium, which can cause discomfort and bloating. Choose wholesome foods and healthy snacks, such as a handful of unsalted nuts.

2. Fatty meats

Meats contain high amounts of saturated fat, which can cause inflammation and pain. Moreover, if you are suffering from menstrual cramps, these fats can worsen your pain. This is one of the reasons why you shouldn’t eat fatty meats while on your period. However, if you can’t live a day without meat, try eating lean meats or fish.

3. Commercial baked goods

I know, all those baked goods are so delicious, but unfortunately they contain great amounts of trans-fats, elevating the estrogen level. It can cause a pain in the uterus, when you are on your period. I suggest you to eat bread that is rich in fiber instead. If you stick to a healthy diet, opt for whole grain bread.

4. Sugary foods

Cakes, cookies, candies and other sugary foods are all unhealthy options and you should never eat these foods, especially if you want to stay healthy and slim. Sugary foods boost your mood for only a little while. During your period, sugary foods worsen menstrual cramps and can even make you feel miserable. If you are craving sugar, opt for some sweet fruits such as peach, melon, or mango.

5. Ice cream, cheese and cream

I don’t know about you, but I like dairy products, but they contain fats and have the same effects as most fatty meats. From personal experience, I can recommend you to avoid eating ice cream, cream and cheeses while on your period. Also, try to avoid creamy or cheesy dishes when cooking. If you crave ice cream, choose a non-dairy gelato with no added sugar.

6. Caffeine

Caffeine contributes to cramps and can cause irregular periods. Moreover, it can cause mood swings and sleep difficulties. It’s recommended to avoid drinking coffee during your period. You can drink teas instead, though many of them contain caffeine, but it has less caffeine than coffee. It’s also recommended to avoid drinking energy drinks.

7. Alcohol

Alcohol worsens PMS symptoms and cramps and it can also cause mood swings and lead to depression. The thing is, alcohol can act as a blood thinner, increasing your flow and causing more discomfort. Enjoy your cup of tea and stay away from alcohol and coffee.

Most women experience discomfort during their period. If you are one of them, avoiding consuming these foods and drinks may be the perfect solution for you. What’s your favorite food to eat while on your period?

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Source:amerikanki

10 Habits That Separate Successful And Unsuccessful People

There is no secret recipe to become a successful person. There is no manuscript or film you can watch to become successful. What are the things that recognize a person as successful or unsuccessful?

Some conventional habits and characteristics are the things that separate the strong from the weak.

Successful people set forth their habits to achieve excellence and unsuccessful people do not settle on their terrible habits and struggle. Here are the key differences in habits between the two types of people

1. Strong sense of self-awareness

With a strong sense of self-awareness you would be able to go out with confidence and you can face challenges and hold a faith in yourself that you can handle the ups and downs that come with living. Successful people have a strong sense of self-awareness: they know who they are and they are comfortable with themselves. They recognize themselves as unique individuals.
On the other hand, unsuccessful people have a narrow-minded vision of themselves and their character in the world. They might be extremely good at work and want to contribute towards changing the world or the environment they live in, but their effort is self-oriented and personally driven.

2. A desire to improve

The desire to improve generates challenges, experiments, which gives purpose and positive change. Even a failed attempt will create opportunities or challenges almost always more positive than total failure to act. Unsuccessful people generally don’t take risks and feel comfortable by staying on the “safer” side. They won’t feel happy going out of their comfort zone.
Successful people look forward to growing and take action to make positive changes in their careers. Irrespective of the desire of the attempt to improve, and regardless of the actual outcomes, this is an important difference between successful and unsuccessful people.

3. Expressed appreciation

You will hardly catch a successful person talking about his or her successes. In fact, a successful person rarely talks about him or herself. Successful people understand great success is the outcome of a team’s hard work. They give importance to the assistance they get from others.
Unsuccessful people find a wrong spot in everything and will display failures and hide others’ successes. They use a negative tone with other people around them and do not believe in anything.

4. Sense of ownership

Successful people look forward to learning from mistakes. They recognize their faults and take responsibility to make sure not to repeat mistakes again. They are accountable for their own actions.
On the other side, unsuccessful people are persistent; they think they are always right and they know it all, and consider themselves superior to everyone else.

5. Target and goal-oriented

Effective people have short-term and long-term goals which give them direction to meet success. That serves as a guideline and helps keep themselves motivated and on track. They set actual goals they can accomplish while unsuccessful people scramble to discover what they need to do next.

6. Confidence to face any problem

A truly successful person is never defeated by issues that appear in front of them any time. They put up a fight no matter how bad the situation. Successful people’s determined spirit gets stronger with problems. When they fall, they get back up.

7. Big-picture thinking ability

Big-picture thinking brings totality and maturity to an effective person’s thinking which broadens his or her outlook by striving to learn from every experience. While small thinking of unproductive people shortens their vision and leads them to become a follower, not the front-runner.

8. Approach towards work

Another commonality found in the successful is they find pleasure in their work. They focus on essential parts of their work that are quantifiable. That gives them the greatest sense of achievement and brings happiness at work. Unproductive people focus thinking on survival, and take all the good credit from others.

9. Value of time

Productive and effective people never waste time. Successful people endow a great value on their time. They understand time is the most treasured asset they possess, so they do everything they can to acquire supreme results.
Unsuccessful people cannot get ahead in life, because they don’t value time in their life. They look for any excuse to take a break from what they are doing. They get confused and they love putting things pending until the next day. They don’t complete work, responsibilities or projects on time.

10. Ability to delay gratification

Successful people possess higher patience, an aptitude to postpone the enjoyment of their work. They have an ability to work hard to accomplish a goal which is not achieved for a long time. It takes a lot of skills unsuccessful people lack or have not experienced. These comprise proper planning for the upcoming challenges, association, self-confidence and tolerance. These sorts of people by and large can’t see the forest through the trees.

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Source:lifehack.org