Women can be quick to complain about the shape and size of their derrieres, and if you fall on the side of wanting a fuller, shapelier bottom, then it's time to step up your strength-training routine. Just like hiking and running hills, these seven moves will build and sculpt your glutes in no time!
— Additional reporting by Emily Bibb
If ice cream is what you crave in the heat, then skip the hundreds of calories and cholesterol you find in that cup or cone and make smudgies instead.
This dessert is completely dairy-free, contains no added sugar, and tastes like an ice cream sandwich. It's soon to become your new favorite healthy treat — and all for under 100 calories.
Best of all, they couldn't be easier to whip up and contain only three ingredients: organic graham crackers, ripe bananas, and crunchy all-natural peanut butter. Once the creamy filling is frozen, it takes on the consistency of ice cream.
Keep reading to learn how to make this banana and peanut butter dessert.
Skip basic crunches, and try this fun move that targets the entire ab section. Similar to the ball-pass exercise, you'll use a block instead, and it only takes a few reps before you'll start to feel the burn. Not only will you work your abs, but squeezing the block between your feet also tones your inner thighs.
Gently pull off the lid of a yogurt and add a topping, and you've got yourself an easy healthy breakfast. The protein in yogurt helps sustain energy throughout the morning, but if you're not careful that good-for-you bowl can turn out to be bad for your waistline. Here are some ways to save calories on this popular breakfast.
As if pimples, emotional outbursts, cramps, exhaustion, and feeling bloated aren't enough, the PMS demons have to throw uncomfortable back pain your way too.
Lower back pain during your period, or primary dysmenorrhea, is caused by contractions in the uterus. Every month your body build ups a thick uterine lining (called endometrium) in preparation for a fertilized egg. If you don't become pregnant, estrogen and progesterone levels drop and cue your body to break down and detach the lining, and it does that by contracting. If your uterus contracts too strongly, it can press on nearby blood vessels, cutting off the supply of oxygen to the nearby muscles, which is the reason pain occurs in the abdomen and radiates to the lower back and even to the thighs.
Chances are if you've always had similar menstrual discomfort, it's nothing to worry about. But see a doctor if you're incapacitated for more than a few days a month or if you've noticed a sudden change in your symptoms. Meanwhile, you can ease the back pain with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, or with a warm bath or a heating pad. Avoiding foods that contain caffeine and salt can also help. And even though you have about as much energy as it takes to plop onto the couch, women who exercise regularly often experience less menstrual pain so keep up with your routine by doing some light cardio or these cramp-relieving yoga poses.
If you're a longtime vegan, then you've probably read most labels and know which products to stay away from. Cakes and cookies usually contain butter or eggs, many soups contain cream, and some sauces can have hidden beef broth. A few companies are tricky, though, by putting animal ingredients in items you wouldn't expect. Here are some products to avoid if you're trying to follow a plant-based diet.
Stretching the hip flexors is a must if you run or ride a bike; not only will it make these sports feel easier, flexible hips can also prevent lower back pain. If you're a fan of the low-lunge yoga pose Open Lizard, then you'll love this variation — it's an even more intense thigh stretch.
If you crave decadent desserts whenever you're on your period, here are some sweet, low-calorie, options made for indulging.
Once you start snacking, it's hard not to stop — you can't just eat one! Not a good thing if you're trying to lose or maintain your weight since mindless munching can add up to hundreds of extra calories a week. Here are some ways to break bad snacking habits.
Keep reading for more ways to prevent mindless snacking.
Squat challenges are all the rage now, and while it certainly is an accomplishment to work your way up to 200, 500, or even 1,000 squats (yikes!), doing the same kind only works certain muscles. Here's a new challenge for you to try. It involves five different squat variations that you repeat and eventually work up to 200 reps in 30 days.
Here are instructions for the five different variations followed by a 30-day plan to get you all the way to 200. It's not advised to skip right to day 30 if you want to be able to walk the next day, so follow the plan and adjust it slightly according to your schedule and ability level.
Number 1: Narrow Squat
Number 2: Narrow Squat With Booty Kick
Keep reading to see the other three squat variations and the 30-Day Squat Challenge Plan.
Yoga calms your mind and increases your flexibility, but it can also strengthen your core and give you the tight and toned tummy you need to feel confident in your tiny two-piece. Try these five yoga poses that target your abs and back muscles.
We could all use a little more fiber — did you know women should aim for 25 to 30 grams each day? Getting your fill of fiber not only keeps your tummy happy and prevents a bloated belly, but also reduces your risk of breast cancer and keeps you full longer, encouraging weight loss. Although fruit smoothies are already a great source of fiber, toss these five ingredients into your blender to get even more.
When your hour-long runs are part of your routine, it's important to fuel your body in order to kick some butt during your workout. While exercising on an empty stomach is a big mistake, fueling up the wrong way before a run can cause stomach cramps, dizziness, and headaches. Check out the chart below to learn some good choices for noshing before you head out.
| Time | Food Ideas | Foods to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours before | 300- to 400-calorie meal containing carbs, protein, and healthy fats:
|
Tons of fibrous veggies:
High-fat foods that are hard to digest:
|
| 1 hour before | 150-calorie snack containing easily digestible carbs and a little protein:
|
Gas-producing fruits:
|
| 15 to 30 minutes before | Small serving of easily digestible carbs:
|
Large serving of protein and carbs, and high-saturated fat and high-fiber foods:
|
Hydrating is also essential, so drink about 15 to 20 ounces of water one to two hours before working out. Sip another eight ounces 15 minutes before.
You made it to the weekend! Aside from a break from the daily grind, it means a lighter schedule to do what you want when you want. With no meetings to run off to or deadlines to meet, you have more time to devote to your sweat sessions, so here are some ways to get more out of your weekend workouts.
Keep reading for more ways to burn more calories and get more out of your weekend workouts.
If you're craving a cool, refreshing sweet treat and thinking of heading to your local Starbucks for a creamy drink, then consider your choices first. These stats will help shave calories off your order.
Caramel
| Instead of | 16-oz. Caramel Frappuccino Blended Beverage: Coffee blended with caramel sauce, milk, and ice, topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce: 410 calories |
| Go For | 16-oz. Caramel Frappuccino Light Blended Beverage: Coffee blended with caramel sauce, milk, and ice: 140 calories |
| Calories Saved | 270 |
Mocha
| Instead of | 16-oz. Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha: Espresso, milk, white chocolate flavored sauce, and peppermint flavored syrup on ice, topped with sweetened whipped cream: 500 calories |
| Go For | 16-oz. Iced Skinny Mocha: Bittersweet skinny mocha sauce, espresso, and nonfat milk served over ice: 100 calories |
| Calories Saved | 400 |
Keep reading for more lower-calorie options at Starbucks.
Summertime is vacation time! If you're heading to the airport anytime soon, then along with your bikini and flip-flops, be sure to pack some snacks. Since airport food is notoriously pricey and unhealthy, bringing food along will save you money and unwanted calories.
Eating before and during your flight will maintain your metabolism and can help prevent the dizziness and headaches sometimes associated with flying. Snacking will also keep your energy levels up (and your crankiness levels down) so you won't have to dose up on caffeine, which tends to make jet-lag symptoms worse.
Grab some Ziploc baggies and make these 100-calorie snack packs prior to boarding the plane:
What kind of snacks do you bring when you fly?
Confused about the whole GMO topic? Here are some answers to your burning questions.
What Exactly Is GMO?
GMO stands for "genetically modified organism," and it can refer to a plant, animal, or microorganism that has been genetically changed in a lab through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). Different species are crossed to produce animals and plants not found in nature, so they take on new traits meant to make them grow faster, resist insects and weed killers, and stay fresh longer. Insect-protected cotton and herbicide-tolerant soybeans are two examples.
GMO foods are different than those that are cross-bred. Crossbreeding has been going on for centuries by farmers and by nature, to produce a stronger plant. Plants that are cross-bred are within the same species, or between closely related species. With GMO foods, on the other hand, bioengineers splice specific genes into the DNA of a dissimilar species, disrupting its natural sequence, and creating a new species that has never existed before.
Are GMOs Safe?
About 80 percent of processed foods in the US contain genetically modified ingredients including corn, soy, sugar beets, and canola, so of course people are asking whether GMOs are safe. Aside from nutrients being altered that may make these foods less nutritious, it may also introduce harmful substances, and since little human testing has been done, the long-term health effects of GMOs are unknown. It's worth noting that 64 countries around the world including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union have strict restrictions or bans against GMOs, while the US doesn't even have set rules about labeling them on products. These countries won't even accept imported products from the US such as wheat if they are known to be genetically modified.
Keep reading to learn about Monsanto and how to find foods that are non-GMO.
Source: Flickr user diekatrin
You've been eating right and exercising for a while, but that stubborn belly fat just won't budge! Along with including these foods that fight fat in your diet, here are some ways to burn that pooch away while you are out on a run. 
