Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Healthy eating and drinking habits
• Part 2 of 3: Exercises for more muscle definition
• Part 3 of 3: Detoxification methods that keep you fit
• Tips

Do you want a stronger, faster and healthier body? Toning your body is about more than just losing weight. When your body is toned, you have more energy, you are clearer, and you gain the confidence that comes with the knowledge of being in top shape. Get started now!

To step

Part 1 of 3: Healthy eating and drinking habits

1. Eat more vegetables than you think you need. You may have heard that you should eat vegetables, but now is the time to take that advice to heart! Vegetables provide your body with essential vitamins, aid digestion, provide extra moisture and provide nutrients without too many calories. Taking vegetables as a basis will make you look toned faster.
   • Make lettuce or cooked green vegetables the main part of any meal. Eating lots of green leafy vegetables such as dandelion leaves, spinach, kale, endive, broccoli and Brussels sprouts will make you feel full and nourish your body with vitamins A, C, K and other essential nutrients.
   • Eat a variety of vegetables on a regular basis, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, squash, green beans, cabbage, onions, and so on. Try to eat seasonal vegetables, which is the time of year when they are richest in nutrition.
   • Start your day and have breakfast with a green smoothie. Forget the pancakes and bacon and put almond milk, a handful of spinach or cabbage and a kiwi or banana in the blender for a powerful green smoothie to get your day off to a good start. Replace the daily snacks with raw carrots, broccoli, or another green smoothie.
2. Feed your body with fruits. Eating whole fruits is another great way to get the nutrients, water and fiber your body needs to look toned. Eat multiple meals a day, choosing seasonal and local fruit whenever possible.
   • Eat whole fruits, such as berries, bananas, apples, pears, oranges, melons, and so on, instead of buying fruit juice. Whole fruits give you the benefit of the fiber; without fiber it can happen that you consume too much fructose (fruit sugars).
   • Replace your typical desserts with a fruit salad, or try making other healthy fruit-based desserts. For a delicious, light variation on ice cream, try this amazingly simple dish: freeze a banana well, put it in the food processor or blender and beat until creamy. It will have the consistency of ice cream or custard.
3. Opt for lean protein. To get better muscle definition, you will need to feed your body with a lot of lean protein. Protein can be obtained from meat, but you can also find it in vegetables, legumes and nuts.
   • Eat a lot of fish. Fish contains all the protein you need, in addition to essential fatty acids that help make your body strong and lean.
   • Eat beans and tofu. If you're a vegetarian, try chickpeas, black beans, fava beans, and other legumes to get the protein you need. Tofu is also a healthy choice.
   • Eat red meat sparingly. Steak, burgers, bacon and other beef and pork are fine at times, but shouldn't make up the lion's share of your daily diet if you're trying to get toned.
4. Don't forget the fats and grains. A balanced diet also contains healthy fats that promote organ and skin health, in addition to grains to provide your body with the fiber and minerals it needs.
   • Choose whole grains like oats, barley, buckwheat and quinoa and no flour.
   • Nuts, avocados, olive oil, grape seed oil and other healthy oils are important additions to a healthy diet.
5. Especially drink water. Drinking water helps the body flush out toxins and get enough fluids. Both lead to a sleeker, healthier look. Try to drink 8 or more glasses of water a day, and more if you exercise.
   • Don't drink too much alcohol. It keeps your body in water retention and has other harmful effects that make you look bloated rather than tighter.
   • Choose water and not soda, juice, or milk. Pure water has no calories and is healthier for your body than any other drink.

Part 2 of 3: Exercises for more muscle definition

1. Increase your heart rate with cardio. The best workout routine for toning your body is a combination of cardio to increase your heart rate and improve your physical condition, and weight training to strengthen your muscles. Do cardio three times a week, alternating between different workouts, such as:
   • Power walk or run for 30 - 40 minutes. It's important to make sure your heart rate stays high all the time. If you breathe heavily and sweat, you will probably get a good enough workout. You can buy a heart rate monitor to measure your heart rate and keep it elevated.
   • Go swimming, cycling, walking or team sports. All these exercises keep you moving for a long time. By alternating this, you will not find training boring.
2. Start strength training. Cardio alone won't help tighten your body as much as it can be. By training with weights you will see results much faster. After a few weeks, the contours of your muscles will be much more defined, and you will have more energy than ever.
   • Pay attention to all muscle groups. Do strength training targeting your arms, back, shoulders, legs, and torso.
   • Lift the heaviest weight you can handle, making sure to use the correct technique. For example, choose 5, 7.5 or even 10 kilos dumbbells instead of 2.5 or 4 kilos. You will see faster results if you work with heavier weights.
   • Do not exercise with weights more than 2 or 3 times a week. You can overstretch your muscles if you don't give them time to heal between workouts.

Part 3 of 3: Detoxification methods that keep you fit

1. Ask your doctor how to maintain healthy liver and kidney function. Your liver and kidneys are your body's first line of defense against toxins. Talk to your doctor about what types of dietary and lifestyle changes you may need to make to keep your liver and kidneys in good shape, especially as you get older.
2. Go fast. No matter how healthy your diet, over time, toxins from your environment will build up in your body and cause health problems. Fasting is an excellent way to excrete toxins and clean your digestive system. This results in more energy and muscle tone.
   • Skipping the last meal of the day is an easy way to give fasting a place in your life. Eat the last meal between 2 and 4 p.m. and skip dinner to give your body a rest. The fasting period then lasts until breakfast the next morning.
   • Intermittent fasting is the practice of fasting for 36 consecutive hours to get your body completely clean. Consult a doctor first if you want to try this form of fasting.
   • Juice-only fasting is another popular form of fasting. Again, consult a doctor before drastically changing your diet for any length of time.
3. Detoxifies the brain. When you are tense, your body produces hormones that make you gain weight and look less toned. Do your best to ease the tension in your life by taking the following measures:
   • Get plenty of sleep. Your body and mind need time to recover after a few busy days. Lack of sleep has been found to lead to weight gain.
   • Slow it down. Trying to cram training sessions into an already busy schedule will make it more difficult to achieve the muscle tone you desire. Try to limit your activities a bit so you have more time to focus on your health.
   • Spend more time outside. Instead of relaxing in front of the TV, go for a walk and get some fresh air. Being outside is as good for your mind as it is for your body.

Tips

• Do push-ups, jumping squats, and crunches to give your body a toned look.
• Don't take too much of yourself. Take a break if necessary, but try to keep your heart rate high.