15 Foods To Keep Your Waist Tamed Forever

Salad:
Use a high-nutrient spinach as the base of a salad and top with cherry tomatoes, beans and nuts. Transform this side dish into a meal by adding grilled chicken breast, cooked shrimp or any of your faves!



Whole Wheat Pita Pocket Or Tortilla:
These are associated with a variety of health benefits including weight control. You can pack the pita or wrap with all of your healthy faves and eat it on the go. Everything that you like on your salad–wrap it up!



Dairy products:
The options here can be yogurt or cottage cheese which provide both calcium and protein. Dairy products are also great for snacks or used within meals. These products stretch and can keep you healthy for multiple meals and multiple days.



Prepared Pesto Made With Olive Oil:
Olive oil has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties and this pesto is a great way to work it into your diet. But don’t just stop at pesto; use on snacks or main dishes too!



Almond butter:
Almond butter is considered a “smart fat,” which helps in lowering cholesterol and enhances the immune system. While almond butter has many great properties, make sure you follow the portion size, as it’s still high in fat, even though it is the healthy kind. You can use this yummy treat as a snack or you can get creative with it in your main dishes.


Hummus:
Hummus is an easy protein-rich snack that fights hunger and balances blood sugar levels. Yummy on it’s own, with your fave veggies or on a pita, hummus is a savory snack worth keeping in your fridge.


Salsa:
Salsa actually low in calories, when you skip the tortilla chips. Use the healthy snack on brown rice, flax or sesame seed crackers instead of the chips and you’ll find yourself snacking without the guilt. In the morning try it on your eggs or put it on your salads at lunch or dinner. It’s a great condiment no matter what time of day it is!



Eggs:
Some believe that while dieting, eating only the egg whites is best, but it’s not; you to leave out all the protein, which is found in the yolk. The yolk protein helps stimulate the release of glucagon, which aids in fat-burning specially belly fat.



Chia seeds:
Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and iron, all which are great for weight loss. You can put these in smoothies, on your salad or use them to bread your chicken or thicken your soup.



Quinoa:
This is a gluten-free grain, which can be savory or sweet, depending on what it is mixed with. As a complete protein source, quinoa is packed with amino acids and vitamin B. Hello health! Cook this up as a side or add some texture to your salad, either way, you’re packing in a lot of benefits with one little ingredient.



Lean Protein:
Having lean protein in your fridge is important because it helps keep you full. Excellent sources of this include skinless poultry, edamame, crab, fish fillets and pork tenderloin.



Bananas:
Bananas are packed with potassium and fiber and can be added to other nutritious foods that aid in dieting, like oatmeal and almond butter. This is one of the best snacks to always have on-hand.



Mushrooms:
Mushrooms are is often overlooked when dieting, but these “fun guys” help to tide you over in between meals. They also can act as a side or even the full meal, especially if you like portobello mushrooms.



Blueberries:
Blueberries are on the top of the list for the fruits with the most health benefits. They have 40% more antioxidant capacity than strawberries, are high in vitamin C and strengthen the immune system! Keep these around to put in your yogurt, on your salad or just to have as a snack.



Bell Pepper:
Red, yellow or green, bell peppers help in improving the looks of hair and skin, as well as eases aches and pains. Also, due to the high water content, this low-calorie food assists in weight loss. Keep these around for snacks, or cook them up in your meals.








#hellobeautiful

Finding The Right Jeans For Your Body Type

Buying a flattering pair of jeans can seem an almost impossible task. Six in ten women admit to struggling to find the right pair and four in ten squeeze into jeans that are too tight.
But according to denim boutique owner Donna Ida Thornton, known as London's 'jeanius', buying jeans doesn't have to be a nightmare.
Here, Donna helps five writers of very different shapes and sizes prove every woman can find the perfect pair.

PEAR SHAPE

Lauren Libbert, 43, is a size 12

 

Blue kick-flare jeans, £154, mih-jeans.com

 

PETITE

Caroline Chiu, 34, is a size 10

 

Navy boot-cut jeans, £230, J Brand at trilogystores.co.uk

Donna says: Pick a high waistband, which will draw attention to your tiny midriff.
A flare balances you out at  the bottom, takes the eye away from your thighs and streamlines the silhouette.  

Lauren says: For me, wearing jeans is about damage control. What will make my bum shrink, or shave inches off my hips?
I've tried bootcut, boyfriend, even the horror show that was super-skinny. When Donna suggested that a high-waisted flare would look great, I thought she'd gone mad. But she's proved me wrong.
These jeans sucked in my lumps and bumps, flattened my tummy and smoothed out my hips. An unexpected success.
 

Donna says: Petite people are usually well-proportioned, just smaller. A high-rise waist will give you the illusion of longer legs and a slim boot-cut adds shape. Just don't choose an all-out flare, which will dwarf those will smaller proportions.

Caroline says: My tiny 5ft 3in frame means I've always been envious of how jeans look on women with long legs.
I usually have to buy straight-leg jeans and then get them shortened. These high waist, slim boot-cut jeans that Donna recommended may be expensive, but they are miraculous, creating the illusion that my legs are longer. I even had the confidence to stand up a little taller.

BOYISH

Alice Smellie, 40, is a size 8

 

Blue boyfriend jeans, £125, Current Elliott at donnaida.com

Donna says: Boyish figures have slim hips, an undefined waist and a flattish bottom. Being on the slim side, they can get away with most jean shapes, but bulky boyfriend styles are the most flattering, as they add more shape - with rolled-up legs to show off slim ankles.

Alice says: As a mother-of-three on what feels like a permanent school run, I have favoured the same boot-cut style since the mid-Eighties. I own 20 pairs, all virtually identical!
To my astonishment, the boyfriend roll-ups made my legs look elegant rather than stumpy - I love the flash of ankle! And although I'm hardly curvy, my waist looks more defined. I look, dare I say it, almost sexy.

APPLE SHAPE

Claudia Connell, 47, is a size 14

 

Black skinny jeans, £145, beautyincurves.com

 

 

LONG LEGS

Kate Battersby, 49, is a size 10
 

 

Kate Battersby in light blue skinny jeans, £44.95, Gap.com

Donna says: Apples have slim legs but carry weight around their middle - classic 'mum tum' shape. It sounds strange, but the best shape is a stretchy skinny jean that shows off slim pins. Make sure you have a mid to high waist to hold in the tummy.  

Claudia says: Any jeans big enough to fit around the waist are baggy on the legs and bottom. When Donna suggested I try skinny, high-waisted jeans, I panicked. 'Skinny' is a style I associate with teenagers, while high waists make me think of Simon Cowell.
But these fitted like a second skin, the high waist flattening my stomach so I could do up the button on the first go. Result!
 

Donna says: Long-legged ladies are tall and lean and, therefore, may not have much of a waist.
Pick a straight jean to show off your pins, but watch out for any high-rise waists that could lengthen your legs and shorten the torso. Stick to mid or low-rise styles. Experimenting with shaded denim will add extra shape to twiggy limbs.

Kate says: Having long legs isn't the worst of burdens, but it's often futile searching for jeans with a 32in leg that flatter everywhere else, too. I tend to carry any weight around my middle, so high-waisted jeans make me look like a badly wrapped parcel. Donna was right - both the mid-rise and shading were flattering.

#dailymail.co.uk

Michelle Obama parties for her 50th birthday

The White House kept a pretty tight public lid on Michelle Obama's 50th birthday party Saturday night, but some details are starting to leak out.

Beyonce did indeed sing some of the first lady's favorite songs, and the party lasted until at least 2 a.m.

The soiree also featured such stars — and Obama supporters — as actor Samuel L. Jackson, singer Smokey Robinson and basketball legend Magic Johnson, reports CNN.

Presumably Beyonce's spouse — musician and businessman Jay Z — also attended. He held a concert in Washington on Thursday.

President Obama himself also held court.

While the first lady actually turned 50 on Friday, the White House held the party on Saturday night.

During the week, Mrs. Obama joked about the milestone, at one point holding up her brand new AARP card.

Also reports CNN:

"Michelle Obama's invitations caused a little controversy last week when it was revealed they said only drinks and light snacks would be served.

"The food choices didn't appear to bother any of those who went. They mostly wanted to talk about how great the 50-year-old first lady looked, and how much in love President Obama is with his wife.

"Guests said Michelle Obama wore red and black, and looked stunning."


#cnn
#usatoday

Kim Kardashian reveals new photos of North West on Ellen show

North West is looking more and more like a combination of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian every time a new picture is released of her. As of late, her mother has not been shy about sharing pictures of her daughter. While on the "Ellen DeGeneres" show Thursday, the new mother showed off new snapshots of the 7-month-old, though fiancé Kanye West is believed not to want his daughter in the public eye too much due to his desire to control his own private image.

Kim Kardashian: Kanye West’s No Fan Of Diaper Changes For Daughter North West

Kim explained that Kanye’s “not a diaper kind of guy, and that’s okay” with her.

Ellen joked back at her claim, explaining that she never thought Kanye was a fan of diapers. “No, I don’t mean does he wear them. Does he change them?’ Ellen joked, to which Kim maintained: “No he’s not a diaper-changing kind of guy.”

#internationalbusinesstimes
#hollywoodlife

50 and Fabulous! Happy birthday Michelle Obama!

Michelle Obama's not just embracing her half-century milestone, she's enjoying every bit of it!

Describing herself as "50 and fabulous," Michelle is getting ready to show off some dance moves with a big birthday celebration coming up on Saturday at the White House.

 

"I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman," the first lady told Parade magazine last summer when asked about approaching the big 5-0.

 

That confidence was on full display when she recently took on the topic of aging and whether she'd ever consider plastic surgery.

 

"Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves," Obama said in an interview with People magazine set to release today, her birthday. "Right now, I don't imagine that I would go that route, but I've also learned to never say never."

 

#cnn

#parademagazine