Greetings to each of you!   Once again we have had our share of snow for the year, let's hope there isn't much more to come!   February is National Heart month; and, we know that we ought to protect & maintain a healthy heart.  
 But how many of us are doing so??    Usually there is a lot of room for improvement in what we do day-to-day.  There are 5 harmful habits that herald the coming of heart disease.   They are: smoking, inactivity, excess weight, poor eating habits, and excessive alcohol intake.   These 5 set the stage for artery damage, & further changes in how cells & tissues work.   They also affect blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.   The end result is often heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease, valve problems, aortic aneurysm, or heart failure.   The damage can extend to the kidneys, bones, and brain.   So, let's look at some of the areas where a few changes can make a difference.
 
Here are some Belly Blasters!!!:
At the Gym -
*Hit the gym & watch calorie intake.   Those who do are more successful at tummy trimming.
*Do the bicycle to target the ab muscles.   Lie with your hands behind your head; alternate touching each elbow to opposite knee.
*Work in Intervals.   Do 20 minutes of interval training 3x/week & lose more belly fat than those who do 40 minutes of cardio 3x/week.
 
At Home -
*Wine - Light to moderate wine drinking can protect against belly bulge, but make sure to limit yourself to just one daily glass.
*Avoid Carbonation.  Fizzy drinks are full of gas ---and you will be, too, if you drink them.   The result? A not-so-svelte profile.
*Don't sip through a straw.   You'll swallow extra air which will show up on your middle.
*Nix broccoli.  It contains raffinose, an indigestible carbohydrate  that'll puff you up like a parade float.   The same goes for cauliflower, cabbage, and brusssel sprouts.
*Up your calcium.   Dieters who add 1200 to 1300 milligrams of calcium to their diet can see 3x the belly trimming!
 
In Your Life -
*Stop smoking.  Among its other harmful effects, nicotine keeps abs from burning fat, so smokers often have more deep-tissue belly fat.
* Get More Sleep.   Those who get only 5 hours of shut-eye a night are almost twice as likely to be obese as those who get 7 hours

Now for Some Slim Down Strategies!! 
 Lose weight the natural way.   Just add these 4 surprising fat burners to the shopping cart the next time you hit the supermarket.
*Pears- They are rich in fiber, help you feel full and keep you from overeating.   Eat an unpeeled pear before a meal to help curb your hunger.  
*Grapefruit - Eating half a grapefruit before each meal may help you lose weight.   A compound in grapefruit helps regulate insulin, a  fat-storage hormone.   Peel & segment, try cutting them into chunks & add to spinach salad.  Also great with shrimp!
*Almonds - Eating a handful of almonds a day, along with a healthy diet, might help you zap fat.   Dieters who ate almonds daily for  6  months lost up to 18% of their body fat.  A great snack -- 22 almonds add up to one serving.   or add chopped almonds to cereal
 or yogurt.
*Chocolate - Dark chocolate -- and other foods high in antioxidants -- may help prevent the accumulation of fat cells in the body.  
 Melt 1/2 oz dark chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, spread on half a graham cracker; it is just 98 calories!