Fighting the Cellulite Battle…

First and foremost…please keep in mind that during the course of this article, I will not be speaking about how to get rid of cellulite, rather I will be talking about how to diminish its appearance.

Secondly, please keep in mind that cellulite doesn’t only happen to “bigger” people, cellulite can develop on the thinnest of thin people.

That being said, let’s move on to the topic at hand shall we?..

Cellulite has been called many names, cottage cheese, stubborn ugly stuff, and orange peel to name a few. But here’s the thing, cellulite doesn’t need to be your ugly friend. You can fight this battle…but only if you’re willing to of course. The following are some tips that have worked for some women (and men) that I have worked with in the past, and so I’m passing the tips and tricks on to you, right here on TRIMM.

1) Drink tons of water (8-10 glasses)

The more water you drink, the more you have to go to the bathroom. The more you go the bathroom, the more toxins and fats you rid your body of, which is what we’re trying to aim for:)

2) Exercise

I have a certain saying when it comes to losing fat, “the more it jiggles, the better”. If you’re running and you don’t like the way your butt jiggles, it’s okay, because remember, the more it jiggles, the less cellulite you’ll see at the end of the day.

3) Lift weights

Cellulite usually forms in areas where there is lack of muscle development. So if you have cellulite in your arms, you may want to consider lifting heavier weights (higher reps for you women out there that aren’t looking to bulk up), if you have cellulite in the backs of your thighs, try doing deadlifts or various hamstring exercises.

4) Rub/massage your problem spots.

This works very well for those of you that lather up after a shower. Alot of treatments that treat cellulite out there nowadays use a massage technique that simply does the same thing you can do at home. By massaging, you are breaking apart the clustered fat cells in your problem areas. And combined with drinking water and exercising, your making it that much easier for that fat to exit your body:)

Remember if you ever have any questions or comments, any concerns, you can always visit me at www.myspace.com/sonya_gill, or email myself at sonya@gettrimm.com.

Cheers!

10 ‘Rules’ of thumb

Yes, that’s right, not one rule of thumb, but 10 of them.

When it comes to dieting (although I have to say I hate using that word, as you will come to see) and working out, and just pretty much trying to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle, let’s face it, in today’s world its hard to keep up with it all.

Don’t eat this, don’t work out like that, make sure to do this and incorporate that…see it all gets confusing right? Well after sifting and sorting through numerous pages on the world wide web, and through personal experiences, I have for you the following ‘rules of thumb’. Hope you enjoy.

1) When “dieting”, do it in accordance with the season.

Just like bears hibernate during the winter, we as humans also have an internal clock that tells us, “no, please dont wake up right now, I’m not ready just yet”. So here’s my advice…as much as I like to drill the fact that its great to start your days off nice and early, wake up in accordance with natural sunlight hours (unless of course you have a job that demands you wake up before the sun rises). So wake up earlier in the summer and later in the winter, trust me, your body will love you.

2) Dont eat late at night, or dont eat too early in the morning.

The latter makes sense, dont eat before going to bed. You’re last meal of the day should be at least 3 hours before going to bed. Your body begins to prepare for sleep as the day progresses into the evening, so as a general rule, dinner time should be at 7, and should be digested just before you hit the hay.

When waking up on the other hand, for the avid fitness individual, we usually wake up starving right? This is  because overnight your body repairs itself while sleeping, and your body naturally burns fat when its resting, especially during sleep. So one thing to keep in mind is when you wake up first thing in the morning, dont go rushing to the fridge or the cupboard to hoard down your high fibre cereal or your cottage cheese with fruit, why you ask? Well because you’re body is just waking up, and is not just ready to function just yet. So give your body time to wake up before you start putting food into your system.

It’s kind of like starting a car during a cold winter’s day. You wouldn’t just drive off without warming up your car first right? So why do it when it comes to your body;)

3) Always stay hydrated – enough said.

4) Shake things up – always.

If you’ve hit a plateau, this is the best time to switch things up, with your diet and your everyday fitness routine. People who constantly eat the same thing over and over again, are just going to keep seeing the same results, so just like you would change up your fitness routine to break through a plateau, you need to do the same with your diet. Don’t restrict more calories, just find new kinds of foods to replace the older version of your diet.

5) Stay off the scale!

If you’re weighing yourself all day, everyday…step away from the scale. Now.

It’s completely counterproductive to your diet. Because you have to keep in mind your body composition is made up of water, muscle, fat, salts, and so on and so forth. So if your just adapting to a new lifestyle and starting to eat healthier and workout more, I can guarantee you that the numbers on your scale probably wont budge for a good week. So do yourself a favor and only weigh yourself once or twice a week, first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach. And then, put the scale away before you become discouraged with the fact that the numbers aren’t budging – cause trust me, they have!

6) Cut down on alcohol.

I dont care if your drinking gin and tonics, or red wine, or vodka waters. Drinking alcohol is drinking alcohol is drinking alcohol. You’re still drinking calories. And for those of you that sometimes head straight to happy hour without having a proper meal, well you’re doing more harm to your body then if you were to eat a meal from McDonalds. Honestly. If you drink on an empty stomach your decreasing the seratonin levels in your brain, and when you do this, the decreased seratonin levels send fat directly into your stomach, which is why some of you out there may see a layer of fat creep up on your stomach after years of drinking on an empty stomach – so note to self – DONT DO IT!

7) Do not yo-yo diet.

Not only is this bad for your health, but this is so bad for your skin and for women, this is what causes cellulite, and a lot of it.

Dont deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Pick one day a week that you allow yourself to eat that one meal you were craving all week long, this way you wont cave one day and eat everything in site. Keep your diet balanced, keep your life balanced, and you’ll learn to naturally adjust to change:)

Eat Nuts!

I cannot emphasize how important this rule is. A handful of almonds or pistachios offer an amazing dose of antioxidants, essential fats and are cholesterol free. What more could you ask for. Usually try to aim for two small handfuls a day. And as a bonus, they fill you up!

9) Cut back on salt

Steer clear of adding salt to your meals when your either eating out or cooking. You don’t need all that salt. Not only is it really bad for your health and heart and arteries, but salt retains ALOT of water, and that is something a successful dieter doesn’t want.

And Finally…

10) Banish the “D” word!!!

DIET.

You are not on a diet. You are simply changing your eating habits, your fitness habits and your overall lifestyle. Everytime you use the word diet, you automatically think about when the diet will be over. As soon as you begin to think this way, well you may as well quit now, because chances are, you’ll probably gain all those pounds that you worked off with such dedication…back. So do yourself a favor and start changing your vocabulary as well as the way you view this new, healthier and improved YOU:)

Remember if you ever have any questions you can always email myself at sonya@gettrimm.com or you can always tune into my show daily at www.worldbandmedia.com

Cheers!

New Running Shoes

Alright everyone, its the beginning of the year. Well not really the beginning, but its only february, who’s counting?!

The beginning of the year is when individuals make huge commitments to themselves, and set aside massive resolves in the hopes that THIS will be there year to be better, look better, live better. However, my rule of thumb has always been, take little baby steps everyday of your life, and you’ll never miss a day to “be” better.

So speaking of baby steps, this article is for those of you that have resolved to run more this year. And whether its on the treadmill or outside, I wanted to bring up a very important topic that is often overlooked when it comes to running. Running Shoes. Enough said.

If you, like myself, are an avid runner, you need to make sure you are changing your running shoes after at least, 300-400 miles. So put it this way, if your running 3-4 miles 3 days a week, well you’re going to need to change up your running shoes every 6-8 months.

However, buying running shoes, especially the right type of running shoe can often run up a nice bill. So here are a few tips and tricks on how to keep your running shoes in the best possible shape:

1) Buy two pairs of running shoes that you alternate.

This will allow for you to keep your running shoes for a longer period of time.

2) Air dry your running shoes after a run outdoors

If you dry your running shoes by directly putting them over heat, you will ruin the material and leather of your shoe. So this is a BIG faux pas – Dont Do It!

3) Never, EVER wash your running shoes.

You may as well take your running shoes and give them to your dog as a toy.

And finally..

4) Buy cleaning products if you must for your shoes, just to keep up the maintenance on them and just so your treating them well:)

If you ever have any questions, dont hesitate to email myself at sonya@gettrimm.com OR you can visit me at  www.myspace.com/sonya_gill

Stay fit:)

Frequently asked questions…

Sonya Gill

1) “Wont weights make me big?”

If you’re a man asking this question, you may as well skip this question – Go lift some weights in the meantime.

However, if you’re a woman asking this question, unless your lifting like your training for a body building competition, the answer is NO!

Women are not genetically pre-disposed to balloon out like men, they just don’t have enough testosterone (you have about 10% of the testosterone of the average male to be exact). And even when men try to put on muscle, look how much they struggle to put it on, it takes them SO long!

I’m sure the reason you’re even asking this question is because you saw some woman with thick thighs doing lunges at your gym or a woman with big arms and came to conclude that it’s because they lift weights. That is a very bad assumption. The truth is, that even if you worked out your muscles to extreme fatigue, woman are genetically incapable of creating large, bulky muscles, because they lack sufficient hormones or even the body structure to support that type of muscle tissue. Unless your injecting yourself with testosterone (hey, to each their own, however, I don’t personally suggest it!), resistance training will only create stronger, denser, shapelier muscles.

I also want you to keep in mind, that every time you gain a pound of muscle, (before you begin to freak out), it has been estimated that the “space” of a pound of muscle is about twenty percent less than a pound of fat. That means adding five pounds of muscle and losing five pounds of fat would actually make you look smaller. And I would say that would be a fair trade, wouldn’t you? Enough said.

Next up:

2) “Can I burn fat from a specific area by doing specific exercises?”

– STAY TUNED…

How to Spice Up Your Routine

By Sonya Gill           

            Every person that works out goes through it, when your body hits a point in which it stops responding to your everyday workout regimen – it’s called a plateau. At some point in your fitness/dieting career, your body will stop listening to you and stop producing the results you were once so fascinated with. And yes people, you will try everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Trust me, I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen women starve themselves, and I’ve seen men try to drink more protein shakes than plants need water! However, I hate to be the bearer of bad news; these tricks will only take you down the road of self destruction. So here I am to fill you in on what it is you can do to start seeing those results again, and get into even better shape than you were in before.            

            If you are one of those people that approach the gym like your approaching a 9-5 desk job, than you may as well start asking the receptionist at the front desk if you can start clocking in! The idea of going to the gym is to make it fun, to add some jazz so that a) you don’t become bored of a routine workout and b) so your body doesn’t hit the ever so anticipated plateau. Here are a few examples of what you can do:

1) If you are a treadmill nut and run like your training for a marathon 5-6 days a week, at the same pace, for the same amount of time, then it’s likely that rumors at the gym have it: your trend is out of style! If you continue to do this, not only is your body going to stop responding to results, but you’re probably doing a lot of damage to your joints. The best way to counteract the two is to: 

• Mix up your run with intervals. Intervals are when you cut up your run into short bouts of running and walking. So for example, in a half an hour workout on the treadmill, you would run for two minutes and then walk for two minutes. And according to the fitness level you are at (beginner to intermediate) you can increase the speed and time at which you run and walk. Doing this will not only allow your body to respond to change, but will also boost your metabolism. 
• You can also mix up your run by jumping rope in between 5 minute intervals. For example, you can run for 5 minutes, get off the treadmill and jump rope for 5 minutes, and then repeat. This is a great way to work out major leg muscles and to put your heart rate into its ideal target, fat burning zone.

2) Now if you are an individual that has specific days on which you work out particular muscle groups, and have particular weights that you lift in certain ways. Then you also need to spice up your routine.

• If you’re working out your shoulders, try to do push ups in between each set of weights that you lift. Not only will this produce MAJOR results, shock your body and help you become leaner, but it will target a lot of key muscles in your shoulders that we otherwise tend to ignore.
• (This second one is best fit for secondary to intermediate gym goers, so please proceed at your own caution). I swear by boxing. I honestly believe that it is the best form of cardio exercise when it comes to leaning out your upper body. You can mix your weight lifting workouts with boxing any day of the week and KNOW that you are going to see results. Remember, no pain, no gain right? Inquire about boxing classes or about boxing schools or gyms and try it out at least once to twice a week. Remember, it’s all about shocking the body and getting it to respond to change once it hits a plateau, so if you’re lifting weights and you add boxing into your daily routine, your muscles will respond like a cat to a mouse!

            The above examples are only a treat as to what is coming in our up and coming additions. So stay tuned and I’ll have plenty of more examples of ways to spice up your fitness routine that will help you proceed to progress!

Happy New Year!

Editors Corner:

Sonya Gill

There are three types of people within the fitness world:

• 1) Those who complain about not being in shape
• 2) Those who exercise and get in shape
• 3) And, finally, those who exercise yet still complain about not being in shape

Do you know how many people fall into category three? There are far too many of them, and if you happen to be that person, don’t worry, Trimm is here to help!

If you are the woman that spends endless hours on the treadmill or stairmaster, only to end up eating like haven’t seen food in years afterwards, or the guy who’s been hitting the gym and weights regularly, yet doesn’t seem to be seeing his muscles grow and get stronger anymore, than have no fear, we are here to help. How you approach exercise and your eating habits is as important as how you teach your child to walk and talk, and as important as how you make every day decisions. Thus, in other words, in order to see results, you have to be smarter and wiser about what it is that you are doing if you want to continue to see progress.

So ladies and gentlemen, strap on your workout gear and raise your protein shakes, lets make a toast to the up and coming New Year, and say “Sianara” to the old you and welcome the new and improved you with and open mind and  toned arms! Trimm is here to help you reach your goals and help answer your every question with an answer!

Editors Corner

By Sonya Gill

There are three types of people within the fitness world:

1)      Those who complain about not being in shape

2)      Those who exercise and get in shape

3)      And, finally, those who exercise yet still complain about not being in shape

Do you know how many people fall into category three? There are far too many of them and if you happen to be that person, don’t worry, Trimm is here to help!

If you are the woman that spends endless hours on the treadmill or stairmaster, only to end up eating like haven’t seen food in years afterwards, or the guy who’s been hitting the gym and weights regularly, yet doesn’t seem to be seeing his muscles grow and get stronger anymore, than have no fear, we are here to help. How you approach exercise and your eating habits is as important as how you teach your child to walk and talk, and as important as how you make every day decisions. Thus, in other words, in order to see results, you have to be smarter and wiser about what it is that you are doing if you want to continue to see progress.

So ladies and gentlemen, strap on your workout gear and raise your protein shakes, lets make a toast to the up and coming New Year, and say “Sianara” to the old you and welcome the new and improved you with and open mind and toned arms! Trimm is here to help you reach your goals and help answer your every question with an answer!

More Than Just Your Weight! The Effects of Body Composition

By Karam Bains

Alright, is it just me, or is our nation fatter than ever before?  In recent studies, statistics have shown that over 60% of the adult population is overweight and over 25% are considered obese. And if this is not bad enough, one in four children, and adolescents, are considered to be overweight and run the risk of life threatening chronic diseases. But wait, here’s the scariest thing, the numbers only continue to rise! Without the necessary awareness amongst many individuals in today’s day and age, numerous people believe that they are within their normal weight range because they “appear” to be.  However, despite looking thin and being within a normal weight range, it is very common that these individuals have an altered or unhealthy body composition. Hence, this is a good example that goes to show why the numbers on the chronic disease scale only continue to rise! Thus folks, this brings me to the topic at hand, “What is body composition”?

Body composition is the measure of body fat and lean tissue (i.e. muscles).  An unhealthy body composition refers to having too much fat compared to lean tissue.  It is important to our health that we achieve a healthy body composition, and the only way to achieve this is to first look into what constitutes an unhealthy body composition.

Consequences of Unhealthy body Composition

Unhealthy body composition and excess body weight leads to obesity, which is associated with the following conditions:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Metabolic syndrome
• Back pain
• Certain types of cancer
• Estrogen related problems (PMS, Fertility)
• Excess fatigue
• Sleep apnea
• Stroke
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Respiratory problems
• Kidney disorders
• Gallbladder disorders
• Osteoarthritis

Your Weight

So lets break the news together: what the scale says is not the correct way to assess your body composition. This is because a scale fails to recognize it. Even after losing weight you might still be considered over-fat. Over-fat you ask? This usually occurs when you follow a diet that is too low in calories and results in a loss of lean tissue (muscle mass) and not fat mass.  This results in unhealthy body composition.  Having an excess of fat inside the body and appearing thin can have the same consequences of someone who appears overweight.

Where fat accumulates also has a factor in your health. Fat that accumulates near the waist; a condition referred to as central adiposity or an “apple” shape greatly increases the risk of disease. Remember, just because you look thin doesn’t mean you are healthy.

Lets look at assessing your body composition. There are several non-invasive methods that can be used to assess your body composition. 

• Waist-to-hip ratio
• Skin fold thickness
• Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)

What is BIA and why you need one?

Bioelectrical impedance analysis or bioimpedance analysis is one of the best and accurate ways of assessing your body composition.  BIA is more sophisticated than your bathroom scale but just as painless.  It is a simple procedure that takes only a minute.  An electrical current passes through pads placed on one hand and one foot and before you know it your results are ready.

Factors that affect your body composition 

There is no one single factor that can change or affect your body composition.  Excess accumulation of fat can result from an imbalance of caloric intake, excess of calories taken in and not enough calories burned; lack of physical activity; lifestyle influences such as a high-fat, high sugar diet; overeating; excess alcohol intake; chronic use of corticosteroids; hormone imbalance; and other metabolic factors.

How to achieve a healthy body composition

A healthy body composition program helps a person lose fat while maintaining their muscle mass.  This is in contrast to most programs that are designed to help a person lose weight, but results in a significant amount of muscle loss.

You may have family or friends that have been on a program, lost weight in a short period of time, gained the weight back and eventually gained even more weight.  This is a result of a lower muscle-to-fat-ratio.  Fat or adipose tissue is metabolically inactive tissue (it does not burn or require calories) while muscle tissue is highly metabolically active (requires calories to function).  By preserving lean muscle mass, a healthy body composition program reduces the risk of disease and may decrease the likelihood that fat mass will return after the program is complete.  This is because a higher muscle-to-fat ratio may increase your body’s metabolic rate.  Having a higher metabolic rate enables the body to effectively burn calories each day.  You are more likely to keep the weight off with this approach. To improve body composition:

• Exercise
• Reduce caloric intake
• Eat frequent small meals
• Include protein in your diet
• Nutritional supplementation

You have the power to shape your body for better health.  Take the first step to achieving health.  Alter your body composition!

AB Corner

By Anju Bhandari

Alright ladies and gents, listen up. For those of you that are fussing over what to do with that part of your stomach that most of us would call a gut, consider integrating a well-conditioned ab exercise into your daily workouts. The following is a glimpse at what your ab workout may look like:

Day 1 

a) Ball crunches:  15 reps (in a couple of weeks, can start doing crunches with dumbbells)

b) Ball extensions: 15 reps

c) Leg raises: 15 reps 

A- C equals 1 set. Do 3 sets in total.   

Day 2           

a) Start with a warm up set of regular crunches- 15 reps           

b) Cable pull downs on a bench- 15 reps

c) Bridge- hold for 20-30 seconds A- C equals 1 set.

Do 3 sets in total. 

Day 3 

a) Side crunches- 10 reps on each side

b) Bicycle crunches- 10 reps on each side

c)  Standing side crunches with a 10 pound weight

This is a tough exercise but definitely worth it. Goodluck!

A Day In A Life Of A Student

By Sonya Gill 

Amidst the demands and deadlines that we as students already struggle between, many of us are faced with the struggle of maintaining a well balanced diet, if not a diet at all. And especially with the convenience of the nearest fast food chain, vending machines and hot dog vendors, you can’t really blame yourself for eating badly when you’re on a low budget and your stomach is screaming, “feed me!”. That being said, after personally having accomplished a degree and going through the ups and downs of a typical student life, I’m going to let you all in on the secrets that can keep you fit and healthy during your years at school:

1)      Try to fit in at least 4-5 workouts in a week. And try to fit them in before your first class in the morning or afternoon, at least this way you a) don’t have to worry about your workout after school and b) are energized for the rest of your day.

2)      If you choose to work out in the morning, try to workout on an empty stomach (or near an empty stomach ie. Eat a banana or an apple a half an hour before your workout), the reason for this is because your body burns 300% more calories on an empty stomach as opposed to working out later on in the day.

a)      Running is the best form of exercise for your body, and if you can run at least 3 times a week, you can be sure that your body will be a fat burning temple. The reason being is because you are able to target your ideal heart rate at which your body burns fat faster than the other machines (ie. Bike, Stairmaster, Cross-Trainer). However, any exercise that you choose to do will most likely yield the same results just as long as you reach your target heart rate.

b)      The Cross-Trainer, in my opinion, is my second favorite machine to get the ultimate workout on. Its almost like running on a treadmill, but the strides you take are easier on your joints and ligaments. So on the days that you may get sick of running, you can alternate your workouts with the cross-trainer.

c)      Keep in mind that whatever cardiovascular workout you choose to do, the longer you do it, the more calories you will burn throughout your day. Or, on the other hand, the more intense your workout (for a shorter duration of time), the more calories you will burn throughout your day as well.

3)      Lift weights. The more muscle you have on your body as opposed to fat, the more fat and calories you will burn. Get someone who is experienced with weights to show you the ropes if you are a beginner. If your far more advanced, try something different to shock your muscles like boxing or kickboxing. Or try different methods when it comes to lifting weights. There are thousands of different muscle fibers in our bodies that we don’t use on a day to day basis, so the more different exercises you do, the more toned you become. Girls, don’t forget to do those lunges, they’re excellent to tone our targeted problem areas! Especially after sitting all day during school, you don’t want to have to worry about a flat (or fat) butt.

4)      Don’t forget to work out those abs during your workouts! We as students consume far too many calories from eating and drinking these days, and thus as a result get carried away and begin to carry unneeded weight around our waists. You can help your waist to hip ratio by working on those abs, but don’t forget your going to need to combine cardio as well to see the results you want.

5)      After your workout your probably going to be thinking at this point in time, “what am I going to eat?” Again, with the convenience of every kind of food around us accept for the healthy food that we should be eating regularly, you need to take a plan of action:

a)      First things first, if your heading straight to class after an early morning workout, make sure your carrying a bottle of water with you! I cannot emphasize to you enough how important water is. Water is your fuel and will help you get through your day, I promise you this. I also promise you that it will aid you in memory, thinking, and alertness. However, I also promise you that you will be going to the bathroom every half an hour if your not use to this routine. You should, at the least, be able to finish off a 1.5 liter of water throughout the course of your day, and may I suggest if your anything like me and the taste of water makes you gag, try adding some crystal light to give it some flavor.

b)      During my university years, usually after my workouts (or even on the days I didn’t have time to fit in a workout) I would always pack a light lunch which would include at least one of the following: apples, grapes, whole wheat crackers, bagel with light cream cheese, a sandwich with chicken breast or tuna, vegetables and dip (also low fat), and pretty much anything that I could find that emphasized “healthy”. However, I remember that I was only ever able to pack a lunch once or twice a week maximum because I never had enough time. So for those that have this problem, here’s what you can do: if your on your way to class, or running between classes, try to pass by a convenience store or a vending machine and pick up a pack of nuts or almonds. They’re an excellent source of omega 3 and will help you from feeling lethargic, and they also have the ability of keeping you full and will hold you down until your next meal. If almonds are not your choice of snack, grab a fruit bowl (which majority of school stores now carry), or a snack bar (ie. Oatmeal to go, vector, protein bar, Kellog’s bar, Nature Valley etc.). If you pair any of the above with one another, you will have just enough of a meal to hold you down until your feeling hungry again.

c)      Meal time. There are over a hundred different choices we have, but the problem is that these choices either contain too much salt, too much fat, too many calories, and not enough nutrients. The key to staying fit during your time at school, and the key to a healthy brain, is avoiding the former. Keep in mind that wherever you eat understand what you are putting into your system. If you think that it has too many calories, it probably does. And if you think its got too many carbohydrates, again, it probably does. You especially want to stay away from meals that contain too much of the above two because this is what will determine if you become tired and non-functional during the rest of your day, or if you remain alert.

6)      Try to walk as much as you can throughout your day. Considering that we spend most of our time sitting in class, walk as much as possible. That means, take the stairs, walk the longest route to get back to your car and pretty much avoid sitting when you don’t have to.

7)      Try to limit your alcohol consumption over the weekends. I know, I know, the weekends are the only time we get as students to let loose and forget about school. But if you can limit the amount of alcohol you take in, trust me your doing yourself a favor, and your doing your brain a favor. However, if you refuse to listen to this part of my article, at least do me this much of a favor: choose the type of alcohol you drink carefully. For example, try to use diet soda instead of regular soda as a mix, or try to use cranberry juice instead of regular fruit juices, for by doing this you are a) avoiding over consuming the amount of sugar you put into your system, and b) by drinking cranberry juice you are consuming a source of an anti oxidant.

8 )      And last but not least, try not to eat two hours prior to going to bed. We as students are notorious for eating right before we go to sleep. Especially after studying all night, or a hectic day at school and/or work, it’s the only time we usually find the time to eat. However, if you follow the above tips on how to eat right, and you do this throughout your day, be sure to eat 6 or 7 small meals and you shouldn’t feel the need to eat before you go to sleep. However, if you do feel the need to eat, keep it small, and keep it healthy so your not allowing your body to deposit it in all the wrong areas.