Water is one of the elements on this planet that is great for the Earth and your body.  Water is a necessity to the human body’s survival.  A person can live a month without food but only about a week without water.  That just goes to show how important water is for everyone.  Plus, just taking in sips of water a day will ensure a healthy body for life, and you can try delicious flavored water recipes here!

Image via: Val Socal

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Your Body will be More Comfortable

Drinking more water will help to keep your body warm in the winter and cool in the summer.Your body’s temperature-regulating system is controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain which constantly collects information that allows it to make adjustments to maintain a fairly steady core temperature. Your internal thermostat works better when you are well hydrated.

Your Skin Will Glow

Water naturally moisturizes skin to ensure proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.

You will Keep Healthier

Hydration keeps your mucus membrane in top working condition—they are known as the gatekeepers to the natural defense system that helps keep out the germs such as the cold and flu virus.  When these tissues dry out, the germs can become more easily to penetrate where the nasal passages and mouth meet.  The severity of an illness you catch can be a lot lower if you drink plenty of water.

Image via: Mighty Nest

Help you to Lose Weight

Water is a filler, so when you drink the minimum amount of water you will feel full and will eat less.  Studies have shown that those who drink water before meals consume an average of 75 fewer calories per meal.  Plus when your body is working closer to maximum efficiency it enhances the digestion, muscle function and exercise.

Helps to De-Stress your Body

Just by sipping water throughout the day you can help to soothe stress-induced symptoms like headaches, tense muscles, fuzzy thinking, a pounding heart and low energy.  That’s because stress pulls all of your basic body systems—and when you’re not hydrated, the effects are intensified.  So keep a battle of water on you to be reminded to drink your water.

For more wellness tips on Stagetecture, click here.

A lot of people are getting more health conscious these days, especially at the holidays. This is a good sign that more people are now aware of the benefits of being in good physical shape. One of the essential things a person must consider to have a healthy lifestyle is eating a balanced diet. But with the holiday season, you can’t just sit around and forget about the sumptuous desserts. You can still enjoy the festivity of the season by choosing a low-fat holiday dessert.

All images and recipe via

Thanks Bon Appetit for the great ideas!

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Here are some low-fat holiday dessert recipes that you can enjoy:

Concord Grape Cornmeal Cake

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8x8x2-inch baking dish. Whisk 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl to combine. Add oil and 2 tablespoons melted butter; whisk to blend. Whisk in flour mixture, then buttermilk. Stir in honey, being careful not to fully incorporate.
• Pour batter into prepared dish. Toss half of grapes with a large pinch of flour in a medium bowl until well coated. Scatter over cake batter.
• Bake until cake turns light golden brown around the edges and starts to set, 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter remaining grapes over cake. Continue to bake until top is golden brown and cake springs back when pressed, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool slightly in pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Poached Apples with Vanilla Yogurt

Preparation

• Combine wine, sugar, orange juice, orange peel, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, star anise, and 2 cups water in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add apples; reduce heat to low and simmer, occasionally rotating apples, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 25–30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a plate and set aside. Strain poaching liquid in pan into a small saucepan, discarding solids in strainer. Set saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until poaching liquid is syrupy and reduced to about 3/4 cup, 10–15 minutes (syrup will thicken as it cools).
• Combine yogurt and honey in a small bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk until the yogurt sauce is smooth and well blended.
• Divide yogurt sauce among plates. Place warm apples on top. Drizzle syrup over.

Holiday desserts can be very tempting. However, you can’t just give in to your cravings and ruin your diet. It is very important to be selective and have self-discipline all throughout the holiday. You can still indulge yourself with a healthy treat but see to it that it’s low-fat and nutritious.

For more recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

After Thanksgiving, the official holiday season is here and thoughts turn towards home entertaining, holiday parties, and cooking delicious dishes. After yesterday’s delicious Thanksgiving meal, I realized I needed to hit the gym this morning, to get back on track and not let my healthy living plan go out the door!

Here’s a great article from the archives….

 Original Guest Blog Entry #34, Entry #349, December 6, 2010

I can not lie, the holidays are my favorite time of year for several reasons. I love giving, decorating, seeing everyone in a good mood, and oh yes.. the house smelling like warm sweet potato pie, bubbly macaroni and cheese, and buttery warm crescent rolls. O.k. so you are probably seeing the conclusion I am getting ready to get to? Yes, the holidays are perfect for putting on unwanted pounds!

Today, my guest blogger is Alexandra Williams, MA. She is the co-owner (with her twin sister) of Fun & Fit, a humorous fitness advice blog. I’m so excited to have Alexandra guest blog as she gives some great info. we a great sense of humor that I adore!

Using her charm, wit and lovely smile, Ronique convinced me to write a guest post about that dreaded topic – staying fit over the holidays! And why do I say it’s dreaded? Because most people (yes, I mean You!) make resolutions, vows, promises and pinky swears about all the food they’re going to avoid, followed by all the walks they’re going to take. When this doesn’t happen 100%, guess what? Y’all berate yourselves. Now how is feeling bad about your so-called “failure” going to make you feel all warm and glowy about being fit and healthy?

So…here is my take on how to successfully help yourself over the holidays:

• 2. On the days that aren’t a food-laden holiday, but might be more of a stress, busy, leading-up-to more stress and lots of chores kind of day, there are still ways to help yourself. If you’re going shopping, take each purchase to the car, then go back to the next shop, rather than holding on to all the bags. That little bit of extra walking counts as exercise! And as you walk to the car, do a little bicep curl holding those bags. Dorky? Maybe. But having toned arms is pretty cool. I am not advocating buying more stuff just to have more to pump, although…..

• 5. Subscribe to our site, funandfit.org because we’ll be posting realistic, achievable, time-saving exercise tips and ideas throughout the holiday season. Here’s to your holiday health!

If you’re like most people, the New Year will bring with it yet another resolution to A) lose weight, B) get in shape, or C) both.  And yet, you rarely use the gym membership that you purchased years ago (you just don’t have time and the machines are always full, right?) and the exercise bike you’ve been storing in the garage has a layer of dust that tells you it’s been out of use for longer than you’d like to admit.  So instead of paying lip-service to your health this year, why not take the steps necessary to follow through by turning your unused basement into a home gym?  Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Image via: Solar Novo

Make space for your new gym

For one thing, you’ll need to clear a space.  If your basement is currently being used as a catchall for your clutter, it’s time to devote a weekend to clearing out the space; keep what you can use immediately, throw out items that are unusable, and donate the rest.  Once the space is clear, you should assess what assets you have and what you’ll need to improve or fill in.  Has the space been dry walled or are you looking at exposed studs?  Is there adequate lighting?  Is the floor carpeted or are you standing on concrete?  The answers to these questions can help you to determine the cost and effort needed to turn this into a usable space.

Finishing the space

You’ll want to start by finishing the room.  This means installing drywall and flooring, both of which you can probably do on your own, although it will certainly be easier to hire a contractor for the walls.  If the walls are already finished, you can turn to the issue of flooring.  At the very least you should consider putting in subflooring for the purpose of insulation (basements can get pretty chilly).  From there you could lay carpet, wood flooring, laminate, or even interlocking rubber tiles (that spongy flooring found in most gym facilities).  The latter will almost certainly be the easiest to tackle on your own.

Image via: Shelterness

Lighting

Next you’ll want to ensure that there is adequate lighting, and as long as there is a light fixture, this shouldn’t be a problem (since you can install whatever type of lighting you prefer).  Then it’s just a matter of considering what you want in your space.  If you have the money, you can certainly purchase professional machinery.  If you go this route, consider a machine that will be easy on your joints, like an elliptical or an exercise bike.  Then get yourself some basic hand weights (or a more complete set if bulking is your goal).  You may also want to include equipment for cross-training, like a punching bag or a Pilates ball.  And since you’re probably going to want a TV, think about getting a Wii or an Xbox with the Kinect.  Both provide programming that will let you have fun while you work out.

Image via: HGTV

Of course, exercise is only part of the equation.  If you don’t tailor your diet to work with your workouts, you’ll have a much harder time reaching your goals.  So consider counting calories, joining a diet program, and/or adding weight loss supplements to your regimen if you’re looking to shed unwanted pounds.  You can even look into substitutions; the best meal replacement shakes will help you to get the nutrients you need with far less caloric intake.  Or if you’re looking to bulk, consider adding protein shakes to your daily diet as a way to get the fuel you need without simultaneously increasing your fat or sugar consumption.  A joint concentration on diet and exercise will help you to reach your fitness goals more quickly, and a home gym could be the first step to a new you.

For more home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

I can not lie, the holidays are my favorite time of year for several reasons. I love giving, decorating, seeing everyone in a good mood, and oh yes.. the house smelling like warm sweet potato pie, bubbly macaroni and cheese, and buttery warm crescent rolls. O.k. so you are probably seeing the conclusion I am getting ready to get to? Yes, the holidays are perfect for putting on unwanted pounds!

Today, my guest blogger is  Alexandra Williams, MA. She is the co-owner (with her twin sister) of Fun & Fit, a humorous fitness advice blog. I’m so excited to have Alexandra guest blog as she gives some great info. we a great sense of humor that I adore!

Using her charm, wit and lovely smile, Ronique convinced me to write a guest post about that dreaded topic – staying fit over the holidays! And why do I say it’s dreaded? Because most people (yes, I mean You!) make resolutions, vows, promises and pinky swears about all the food they’re going to avoid, followed by all the walks they’re going to take. When this doesn’t happen 100%, guess what? Y’all berate yourselves. Now how is feeling bad about your so-called “failure” going to make you feel all warm and glowy about being fit and healthy?

So…here is my take on how to successfully help yourself over the holidays:

• 2. On the days that aren’t a food-laden holiday, but might be more of a stress, busy, leading-up-to more stress and lots of chores kind of day, there are still ways to help yourself. If you’re going shopping, take each purchase to the car, then go back to the next shop, rather than holding on to all the bags. That little bit of extra walking counts as exercise! And as you walk to the car, do a little bicep curl holding those bags. Dorky? Maybe. But having toned arms is pretty cool. I am not advocating buying more stuff just to have more to pump, although…..

• 5. Subscribe to our site, funandfit.org because we’ll be posting realistic, achievable, time-saving exercise tips and ideas throughout the holiday season. Here’s to your holiday health!