Let’s get ready for summer by firming the stomach with abdominal exercises and a healthy Detox & Go smoothie.

Many of us do not know that, in the belly, there is a second brain called the “abdominal” which is almost a copy of what we have in our head and it produces psychoactive substances that affect our moods, such as serotonin or dopamine. In practice, it independently sends stress signals to our body and affects our well-being. Anger, stress, tensions at work, in the family accumulate right in the abdomen, which tends to swell like a balloon or tighten up. According to Chinese medicine, a swollen belly indicates an accumulation of anxiety.

The exercises that I will describe to you this month help us to achieve:

• Toning of the abdominal muscles;
• The elimination of swelling and the alleviation of anxiety and stress, if they are carried out with correct breathing.

You can perform them comfortably at home, lying on an exercise mat or on the carpet.

EXERCISES TO TONE THE ABDOMINALS AND RELIEVE STRESS

Remember that, when the muscles are strong and toned, they support the spine, make the routine movements more efficient and they won’t disappoint you when you wear your swimsuit, since summer is coming!

First exercise

1. 1. Lie on your back (belly up) with your legs bent and your hands behind your head;
   2. Lift your torso a few centimeters and extend your arms forward until your hands touch your knees, hold this position for 10 seconds (breathing);
   3. Return to the initial position Fig. 1 (inhaling) and repeat the exercise.

Repeat for 3 times.

Second exercise

1. 1. Lie on your back (belly up) with your legs bent and your hands crossed behind your head;
   2. Lift up your torso while alternately touching the left knee with the right hand and the right arm with the left hand (exhaling);
   3. Return to the initial position Fig. 1 (inhaling) and repeat the exercise.

Repeat for 10 times.
For 3 sets.

Mistakes to avoid

1. 1. Do not pull your neck: many people who train the abdominals begin the movement at the neck, creating unnecessary and harmful tension;
   2. Do not make fast movements, but always controlled and starting at the core (i.e. the navel): it is the rectus abdominal muscle that must be trained, not the sternocleidomastoid one;
   3. Don’t hold your breath, but inhale and exhale in a fluid and controlled way;
   4. Do not release tension on your back.

This happens when the muscles are not yet ready to do all the repetitions, so, if you feel that you are having a hard time following my directions, I recommend that you decrease them and do more sets, approaching the work gradually.

And now let’s think about nutrition to give our body the right balance.

Detox & Go Smoothie

Start your day with this simple smoothie that I recommend enjoying in the middle of the morning as a snack to give your gut a boost of well-being.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 apple
• 1 glass of fennel tea *
• 1 tablespoon of flax seeds **

PREPARATION

Cut the apple into small pieces, then blend them together with the fennel tea and flax seeds.
*You can also boil some fennel that you have for lunch or dinner and use the cooking water in the smoothie.
** Attention: the flax seeds must be coarsely ground (better in a coffee grinder or pestle), in this way, the fibers break down and do their job; if they are not ground, they may cause irritation.

Enjoy the smoothie without filtering it.

TIPS FOR AN HEALTHY ACTIVITY OF YOUR GUTS

• Drink at least 2 glasses of warm water before breakfast.
• Choose foods rich in fiber, fruit and cooked vegetables.
• Take the main vitamins for the proper functioning of the whole body by asking for the support of either your GP or your nutritionist.

It is said that the only way to start doing something is to stop talking and start doing.
What do you think about this?

Let me know how it went!
By Michela Minozzi

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