10 Great Reasons to Exercise and stay SANE!

This is from the movie Legally Blonde

"Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people don't go around shooting their husbands."

I don't think it is word for word - but you get the idea. We need to stay sane!!!

The 10 Best Reasons to Exercise

1. Clear skin. Regular physical activity promotes circulation and sends nutrients to your skin, making breakouts of acne less frequent. Plus, acne breakouts will clear up faster if you’re regularly sending oxygen to your skin. Healthy skin is one of the best reasons to exercise.

2. Better sleep. As long as you don’t exercise two hours before bed, you’ll get better, deeper sleep if you exercise regularly. A good night's sleep is a great reason to exercise.

3. Less stress. The more you exercise, the better you’ll cope with anxiety, stress and depression. You’ll enjoy more naturally induced happy, positive feelings (endorphins). That alone is a great reason to exercise.

4. Delicious food. If you exercise regularly, you can indulge in your favorite gourmet chocolates without feeling guilty. Healthy weight loss will happen if you exercise regularly – and you can enjoy yourself at the same time!

5. More brain cells. Exercise drives more oxygen to feed your brain, making you think quickly and clearly. Learning new physical activities such as dance or jazzercise builds new connections between your brain cells and helps clear environmental toxins.

6. More confidence. Not only will you have more confidence in yourself if you exercise regularly, you’ll be perceived as kinder, smarter and more confident. Feeling good about yourself is one of the best reasons to exercise.

7. Toned, defined muscles. The more you exercise, the stronger and healthier your muscles will become - and the better they'll serve you. It's not all about healthy weight loss: building healthy mass is also an exercise benefit. Feeling toned is a great reason to exercise.

8. Better sex. Physical activity sends more blood to all parts of your body, making you respond more quickly to sexual activity. You’ll enjoy sex more not only because you’re chasing healthy weight loss – you’re also more confident about your body. Getting satisfied sexually is one of the best reasons to exercise.

9. Stronger immune system. Regular exercise helps combat free radicals, and you sweat out the toxins that trigger disease and infections. The health benefits of exercise include lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol levels, and a lower heart rate.

10. More energy. Physical activity is not only an effective weight loss method, it’s also a great way to increase your energy levels. Having energy to enjoy life is probably the best reason to exercise!

Happy Weekend to all you Happy Moms out there!

10 weight-loss tips

1. Burn weight with carbohydrates
When you eat complex carbohydrates like vegetables, beans, legumes, fresh fruit, whole grains and nuts, your body uses so much energy metabolizing and digesting, you expend 250 calories daily "by the simple thermic effect of converting carbohydrates into energy," says Dr. Stutman.

2. Bulk up with fibre
Like complex carbohydrates, fibre gives your intestines a workout, so eating just 30 grams a day will burn off the equivalent of a slice of pepperoni pizza. Fibre also slows down digestion and sugar uptake so much, eating just one apple creates the same satiety as eating three cupcakes, says Dr. Stutman.

3. Sip apple cider vinegar
It's been used as a health tonic throughout history, but science now knows why apple cider vinegar is so good for you. It contains malic and tartaric acid, which help digest carbohydrates and slow their absorption into the bloodstream. Down one tablespoon before eating, or add it to a salad.

4. Nibble protein at night
Eating junk food after hours is a major hurdle many dieters face. Those tasty snacks might help you to fall asleep, but they will also wake you up as soon as your blood sugar falls. Instead of salty or sugary treats, try slow-digesting, appetite-suppressing foods like almonds, skim-milk yogurt or low-fat cheese.

5. Drink water
You've heard it before -- water transports nutrients, removes toxins and rehydrates the body. But it can also help you to lose weight. Nutritionists believe that dehydration, not hunger, causes some overeating. Start every meal with water and sip eight glasses through the day.

6. Pop some nuts
Dieters love snacks, and two of the best are unbuttered popcorn and nuts. The former has two grams of fibre per cup, while the latter contain protein, folic acid, vitamin D, copper, magnesium and monounsaturated fats. Just a handful of almonds and walnuts also triggers the release of cholecystokinin, a hormone that shuts down your appetite.

7. Walk before and after you eat
Just before a meal, take a brisk stroll around the block -- it'll help switch off your appetite. Then, 45 minutes after eating, take another hike. The thermic dynamic action of digesting your dinner along with the exercise will help you burn off 10 to 15 per cent more calories.

8. Don't yo-yo
According to the 40-year-long Framingham Heart Study, going on and off diets messes up your metabolism and your health. When dieters lost 10 per cent of their body weight, they reduced their risk of heart disease by 20 per cent; when they gained it back, they increased their risk by 30 per cent.

9. Pick the best of the worst
Every dieter has been confused about where to indulge every now and then -- it's the unavoidable choice between pizza and a hot dog. Best advice? Grab a slice of plain pizza. Despite its calories, it also has protein and calcium from cheese and lycopene from tomatoes.

10. Cook with garlic and onions
"Garlic and onions contain phytonutrients that break down fat globules from food in the intestinal tract," says Dr. Stutman, "preventing this fat from being absorbed into the body."