The Best Fruits to Eat on a Low-Carb Diet

When we think about “health food,” one of the first things that comes to mind is fresh fruit. Not only does fruit taste delicious, but it can be extremely beneficial to our health, as well. Each and every fruit is loaded with different concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. That said, some options are surprisingly high in carbohydrates from their natural sugar content. Obviously, this can spell bad news for low-carb dieters. If your goal is to limit your carbohydrate intake, there are certain fruits that you’ll want to stay away from. Below, you will find a list of some of the best fruits to eat on a low-carb diet.

It’s important to note that every fruit contains at least a few carbohydrates. If you are on an extremely low-carb diet like keto, it’s crucial to pay close attention to how much fruit you are consuming. Moderation is definitely key when it comes to eating fruit on a low-carb diet.

The Best Fruits to Eat on a Low-Carb Diet

 

Berries

Not only do berries contain very few carbohydrates, but they’re also loaded with antioxidants and fiber. Raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are some of the lowest-carb options when it comes to fruit. Blueberries contain slightly higher amounts of carbohydrates, but they’re still technically considered a low-carb food. Just remember, as with anything else, they should be eaten in moderation if you’re trying to maintain a low-carb diet.

Coconut

The meat of a coconut is delicious and loaded with nutrients, including iron and potassium. It is an excellent fruit for keto dieters because it’s packed with healthy fats and fiber. It’s also very low in carbohydrates. 

Melons

Melons, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, make an excellent healthy snack any time of day! This fruit is slightly higher in carbs than berries and coconut, yet it is still considered a low-carb option. Melons are good for reducing blood pressure and may be able to improve immune function and manage blood sugar levels, too. 

Avocado

Did you know that avocados are a fruit? They have a single seed and a fleshy pulp, which technically ties them to the berry family. This fruit is loaded with nutrient-dense fat that is great for improving heart health. Low-carb dieters love the versatility of avocado: They can add tons of flavor without tacking on a bunch of carbs!

Peaches

This one may surprise some of you, but peaches are actually another relatively low-carb fruit option. They make an excellent snack, and they’re great for dessert, too! They’re loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that can boost your immune system and even improve heart health.

Citrus

The last type of fruit on our list is citrus. This includes fruits like lemons, oranges, and clementines. Not only are these fruits low in calories but, you guessed it—they’re low in carbs, too! Citrus is an excellent source of vitamin C, which will help to improve overall health. 

Which of these low-carb fruits is your favorite? Remember, whether you’re following a low-carb diet or are just trying to get healthy, it is recommended that you consume at least three servings of fruit per day. Trust us, your health and your taste buds will thank you!

How to Get Fit with the Best At-Home Workout

If you don’t have the time or the interest to go to the gym, it’s time to create some space at home. It’s easy to learn how to get fit with the best at-home workout. We’ll show you how! What makes this workout the best? To start, you can do it in the comfort of your home at any time of day. Most importantly, everything you need to succeed should already be available to you. How great is that?
Full body workouts are the key to changing your body. This workout targets the groups that truly define the body: arms, abs, and legs. Then, you just need hard work with minimal resting to push your body over walls that may be limiting your change. It’s easy to accomplish using this at-home workout.

You’ll start with arm exercises, jump into ab work, and jump right back into an arm exercise. Then, switch to lower body, combine arm and abs, and close out with another lower body workout. Although you’re getting to rest muscle groups briefly, you’re also working another group while they rest. Then, you go back into them to keep the burn and benefits rolling. This guarantees your body is burning fat while keeping your muscles engaged to promote toning and building.

How to Get Fit with the Best At-Home Workout

What You’ll Need: a yoga mat or soft surface, interval timer (available on most phones)
What to Do: Perform this routine 4 times a week.
Beginner Workout: Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, resting 15 seconds in between each exercise. Complete 4 rounds, resting 1 minute in between each round.
Intermediate Workout: Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, resting 20 seconds in between each exercise. Complete 4 rounds, resting 30 seconds in between each round.
Advanced Workout: Perform each exercise for 1 minute with no rest in between. Complete 4 rounds, resting 30 seconds in between each round.
Meal planning makes a difference to your success. Get better results with this How to Get Fit with the Best At-Home Workout by coupling it with healthy eating choices. Our 14 Quick Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights offers a delicious variety of meals to help you refuel and relax after your workout. If you eat right and work out on a regular basis, you will definitely notice positive changes in your body.

Exercises

1. Pushups (Modified or Regular)
2. Bicycle (Slow)
3. Tricep Dips
4. Side Leg Squat (Perform on each leg)
5. Plank (Forearm or Straight Arm)
6. Bulgarian Split Squat (Perform on each leg)

The Best Beginner’s Home Workout for Women

For many women, the toughest part of beginning a fitness plan is working up the nerve to step into the gym for the first time. We certainly understand the intimidation factor, but remember that the vast majority of gym-goers are there to focus on their own health, so you should focus on yours. With that in mind, our Beginner’s Home Workout is the perfect way to familiarize yourself with basic moves to get you feeling ready from the comfort of your own home!
A common fear when heading to the gym is being unsure how to do the exercises the right way. Over the course of 6 weeks, this bodyweight workout will help you build a basic foundation of strength and understanding of proper movement patterns. After the 6 weeks have passed, you can decide if you want to join your local gym, or perhaps you’ll be ready to take part in one of our more advanced challenges!

The Best Beginner’s Home Workout for Women

What you need: an Interval Timer / a Yoga Mat or towel
What to do: Perform each move for the designated number of reps. We’ve included instructional videos for each move below. 
Week 1 and 2: Set your interval timer for 10 minutes. Cycle through the moves for as many rounds as possible during that time period. Rest for 30 seconds in between rounds. Complete the routine three times each week.
Week 3 and 4: Set your interval timer for 15 minutes and cycle through the moves for as many rounds as possible. Rest for 20 seconds in between rounds. Complete this routine four times per week.
Week 5 and 6: Set your interval timer for 20 minutes and perform the moves for as many rounds as possible within that time frame. Rest for 10 seconds in between rounds. Aim to perform this routine five times each week.

The Exercises

1. Squats – 10 reps
2. Jumping Jacks – 10 reps
3. Push-ups – 10 reps
4. Reach Through Crunches – 10 reps
5. Walking Lunges – 10 reps (5 per leg)
6. High Knees – 20 reps (10 per leg)
7. Alternating Curtsy Lunges – 10 reps (5 per leg)
8. Reverse Crunches – 10 reps
9. Hip Bridges – 10 reps

This Beginner’s Home Workout is the perfect way to begin your fitness journey. When combined with a healthy diet, you will begin seeing results in no time. Remember, consistency is key to weight loss success! Put in the effort and the results will come.
If you’ve stuck to the plan, you’re probably ready for a more advanced program. As stated above, you may feel ready to join a gym! If this is the case, try one of these easy-to-follow gym programs:

Getting Fit At Home

No money for a gym membership? No gym nearby? Or as in my case, just too cold to go to the gym? No worries – you don’t need to belong to a gym to get a great workout. Here are some tips for getting a great workout at home.






Workout Videos and DVDs – Check out You Tube, iTunes, your local library or DVD swap websites (such as Swap A DVD or Swap.com) for workout videos or DVDs to try out. This is your chance to try out different types of workouts such has Yoga, Pilates, Ballet and Zumba for free or little cost. My favorite is Hula for an escape to the islands on a cold day.
Exercise Bands – For around $10, you can get an exercise band. Exercise bands are great for adding some resistance training to your workout without investing in weights. You can use it for numerous exercises such as squats, chest presses, tricep extensions and bicep curls. Also, exercise bands are completely portable so it’s great for exercising while traveling or at the office.
Stairs – If you have stairs in your house or building, climbing stairs can provide a great cardio and leg toning workout. Put some music on and start with just a few flights at first and build up to more and more flights. If you don’t have access to stairs, try doing some steps ups on a sturdy box for few minutes.
By working out at home you can work out when it’s convenient for you. Do you have any tips for working out at home?

Whether you work out at the gym or at home, having a plan to follow can make all the difference, in most part because it takes a lot of the decision-making – and therefore opportunities to procrastinate – out of your hands. Here are three options to get you started.
Goal: Lose weight The inimitable Joe Wicks shared this plan, which is four sessions a week for four weeks. You don’t need any equipment to do these 20-minute high-intensity circuits, although give yourself at least five minutes either side to warm up and down and catch your breath.
Goal: Get strong If you have (or don’t mind investing in) a set of dumbbells, use this four-week plan to build strength and power throughout your entire body. The three workouts are intended to be done on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so you have the weekend free to recover.
Goal: Build muscle This is a muscle-building workout plan with a difference – it uses just your bodyweight to stimulate muscle growth. That means there are some tricky moves in here so beginners should start elsewhere or substitute in easier variations. You’ll need to set aside three one-hour slots a week and find yourself a pull-up bar and a bench (or any sturdy platform).

The Benefit Of Yoga

Yoga, and the benefit of yoga, is generically defined as a Hindu discipline that helps unite the body and mind. Aimed at achieving a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility, it is practiced in the West most commonly as physical exercise practiced as part of the discipline.

The benefit of yoga practice is nothing new. It has been recognized for many years as the perfect discipline to help one achieve tranquility, better health, and longer life.

Many people view the benefit of yoga as some weird discipline that involves yogi’s contorted in unnatural positions, doing strange acts of the body, and living on a mountaintop somewhere in India. I personally remember a television documentary many years ago featuring a yogi that had his tongue split, using it to clean his sinus cavities! Anyone interested in yoga has probably also seen images of yogi’s supporting great weight with their genitals.

In this modern age, much has been learned about the benefit of yoga. Yoga practitioners achieve greater mobility, longer life, and internal happiness through their practice of the art. Yoga as we know it today is aimed at uniting the mind, body,and spirit. The mysticism of the Hindu discipline is no longer a myth, and is reachable by all willing to learn.

Yoga practice is roughly grouped into three categories – the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama) and Meditation. These categories embrace physiological, psychological, and biochemical effects. In addition, clinicians have compared these results against the Western practices of jogging, aerobic exercise, and weight training, and find results comparable.

The most popular style of Yoga in the West today is Hatha Yoga. It is designed to focuses on the physical well-being of a person and believers in the practice consider the body as the vehicle of the spirit.

Ananda Yoga, a classical style of Hatha Yoga, uses Asana and Pranayama to awaken, experience, and take control of the subtle energies within the body, and focuses on the energies of the seven Chakras.

Anusara (a-nu-SAR-a)yoga is defined as “stepping into the current of Divine Will”, “following your heart”, and “moving with the current of divine will.” This new style, which was developed by John Friend, is defined as “yoga positions that flow from the heart.” It is heart-oriented, spiritually inspiring, and is based on a deep knowledge of outer and inner body alignment. It is based on the principles of Hatha Yoga and biochemical practices. Students of this discipline base their practice on attitude, action, and alignment.

Ashtanga yoga could possibly be the perfect Yoga for those looking for a serious workout. Ashtanga was developed by K. Pattabhi Jois, and is very physically demanding. A series of flows, moving quickly from one posture to another, is utilized to build strength, flexibility and stamina. This style is not good for the beginning practitioner, as it requires 6 series of difficulty. The physical demands of Ashtanga are not for the casual practitioner beginning the journey of yoga fitness.

Bikram Yoga, named for its founder Bikram Choudhury, is practiced in a room with a temperature of up to 100 degrees. Twenty six Asanas are performed in a typical session, and focus is on warming and stretching muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Each pose is accompanied by Kapalabhati Breath, the “breath of fire.” Practice of this style promotes cleansing of the body, the release of toxins, and ultimate flexibility. One must be in very good physical shape to practice Bikram Yoga.