Grab the recipe for this super summery Roasted Pepper Panzanella with fresh mozzarella cheese, tons of roasted peppers and some slices soppressata!

Source: Roasted Pepper Panzanella – What’s Gaby Cooking

“I want to lose my belly fat.” How many times have you said that to the mirror in the morning? It’s important to remember that you can’t just lose fat around your belly. Exercise can help you lose fat all over your whole body. But you won’t just lose it around your belly.

The only way to target your belly area is with exercises that tone muscles. These exercises will tighten and make your muscles in your belly area smaller. So when you do lose fat over your whole body, the fat loss will look more dramatic in your belly even though it will be about the same as everywhere else.

So there’s no magic bullet when it comes to belly fat. If you just do the right things for losing fat overall, you’ll lose fat around your belly. It’s the same formula people have been giving for years about losing weight and getting in shape. Aerobic exercise and healthy eating will help you lose that belly fat.

Aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, swimming and aerobic dancing are good for this. Any exercise that helps you get your heart rate up and helps you burn calories will help you lose fat everywhere including your belly fat. 

And exercises that aren’t necessarily aerobic can really make a dramatic difference in your belly, too. Yoga, for instance, is usually not an aerobic exercise because it’s done with slow and steady movements. But if you do it and you focus on your core muscles that are in your abdomen in your back, you’ll see a dramatic difference in your belly pretty quickly as long as you’re eating correctly and burning fat.

Pilates is another good one for losing belly fat. These are pretty controlled movements like yoga that focus in that area. It’s believed that if you strengthen your core muscles which are in your abdomen and your back, you can more easily get the rest of your body in shape. So they focus on this area.

If you do these in addition to your regular aerobic exercise you’ll see a very dramatic difference in your stomach. And as long as you’re burning fat as well it will look like you’ve lost a lot of belly fat. In fact, if you do nothing different and just take up yoga and Pilates, your stomach area will get smaller.

Exercises that target the stomach muscles that can be aerobic too, can really speed up the appearance of fat loss. Crunches and side to side crunches that really work those muscles in addition to all the other things you’re doing can help. 

Do them a few times a week for best results. And don’t give up on your aerobic exercise like walking, jogging or whatever exercise you’re doing to get your heart rate up 4 to 5 times a week. 

So next time you’re thinking, “I want to lose my belly fat,” just do the healthy thing and you will. Eat right, get aerobic exercise and target the stomach muscles.

You may have heard of acupuncture but are still not sure of what it is and how it can help you. This article will help you finally understand this. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese art that involves the stimulation of points within your body with the use of needles. It is basically a holistic approach to curing a number of illnesses and ailments.

When looking for an acupuncture professional to treat your aches, pains and ailments, be sure to ask if they are nationally certified. Although this will not guarantee that your sessions are perfect and painless, it will guarantee that the specialist you visit has had a lot of formal education and is well qualified to perform the service. You should see the certificates on the wall.

Your acupuncturist will need to know your medical history. Start by making a list of your current medications and any serious treatments you may have, or have had in the past. Include things such as surgery, giving birthday, any broken bones or other injuries. 

Some people actually prefer to have acupuncture performed while in a group setting. This is an option that is usually available in larger cities, but they do exist. 

When going for treatment be aware that the acupuncturist’s needles may end up all over your body, so wear loose fitting clothes which can be easily moved out of the way. Our advice is to dress as if you plan to attend a luxurious beach vacation but you don’t want to take a dip in the water.

Do not overeat prior to your appointment with an acupuncturist. You should also avoid going to the appointment without any food in your stomach. Being too hungry could cause you to feel dizzy or even nauseous. A light meal or snack is all that you need to have an enjoyable experience.

If you’d like to get more out of your acupuncture sessions, start cleansing. A good cleanse will free your body of toxins, which means acupuncture will be more effective. During this time, you may also want to detox from substances like alcohol. Ask your acupuncturist to recommend a good detox diet.

Before your appointment it is important to stay relaxed. So if you happen to be running late, don’t get flustered, as this could affect your treatment. If necessary, you can always reschedule your appointment. 

View your acupuncture treatments as a welcome break from the outside world. Let your friends know that you need a few hours to yourself and turn your cellphone off. Isolating yourself for a few hours will help you focus on your different sensations and replenish your energy.

Get into the habit of arriving a little early for your appointment, about 15 minutes ahead of time is good. This way you know you will not be late, and if provides you with the opportunity to relax and reduce your stress levels. 

Many people are a little cautious about trying acupuncture, simply because they believe the myths that surround it. Contrary to what you might believe, acupuncture does not cause you any pain, leave scars and it is not any type of voo-doo. It is an Asian method of healing that is effective and has been around for thousands of years.

As soon as you arrive at the clinic, make sure you turn off your cell phone to avoid any distractions. Don’t turn it to vibrate either, as this will just become a distraction and affect your treatment and the practitioner. Just turn off your phone and forget about it for a while. 

By now you should have a more comprehensive overview regarding this traditional approach to Chinese medicine, perhaps there is a way that acupuncture can be used to help you or a loved one. As with any medical procedure it is important to do your homework first. However, keep an open mind to non-Western approaches to healing, you may be surprised what it can do for you.

Learn when it’s appropriate to use OK vs. okay vs. O.K. with Grammar Rules from the Writer’s Digest editors, including a few examples of correct and incorrect usages.

Source: OK vs. Okay (vs. O.K.) | Writer’s Digest

YA author Rayne Lacko tells how falling in love with the colorful speech patterns of the American Southwest helped her shape her novel A Song for the Road.

Source: Colorful Language: Falling in Love with the Speech Rhythms of the American Southwest | Writer’s Digest

Every Wednesday, Robert Lee Brewer shares a prompt and an example poem to get things started on the Poetic Asides blog. This week, write a ‘For (blank)’ poem.

Source: Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 495 | Writer’s Digest