Check out some of these surprising health regimens followed by no other than the VS Angels.
There are a lot of misconceptions about what a woman has to do to get into great shape. Unfortunately, some of these misconceptions have caused thousands to avoid some of the most beneficial ingredients in achieving the physique they’ve always dreamed of. To that end, we looked at the Victoria’s Secret Angels in an attempt to find common threads that were present in many of their health and fitness regimens. We left out the obvious ones (avoiding sugars and saturated fats, doing cardio, drinking plenty of water and getting enough sleep) to focus on some of the more surprising. Incorporating some of the below in your daily life may help you achieve that next milestone along your own personal path to wellness.
1. They Embrace Strength Training (and Lifting Heavy)
Strength training is an important component of the Angels workout regimen, if not the most important. While many women eschew strength training due to the misperception that it will cause them to become bulky, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Given that muscle takes up much less space than fat and in fact burns more calories whilst at rest, strength training will result in an overall slimmer profile. Compound exercises are a favorite of the Angels. Alessandra Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel and Chanel Iman incorporate squats and lunges in their regimens to help sculpt the thighs and butt. These compound exercises — which also include movements like push ups, kettlebell swings and deadlifts — are great for full body toning. And they don’t just rely on body weight exercises — they understand the need to lift heavier weight to stimulate the body’s natural toning process.
2. They Make Protein Smoothies
Smoothies — with protein, greens and superfoods are another favorite of many of the Angels. Uniformly the Angels understand that diets heavy in protein are most conducive to building and maintaining a healthy, toned figure. For instance, Miranda Kerr starts the day with a green juice alongside a smoothie with protein powder, chia seeds, maca powder, raw cacao, bee pollen, goji berries, noni juice and coconut water. Adriana Lima, Lindsay Ellingson and Candice Swanepoel use protein shakes in lieu of having other snacks during the day. Why do they rely on smoothies as opposed to whole food sources? For one, there is the convenience factor. But to really understand the benefits of high quality protein, we need to understand that all proteins are not created equal. Proteins are ranked according to their biological value (BV) which signifies the ease with which your body is able to absorb a given protein. Certain proteins with a very high BV are able to be utilized by your body very effectively whereas those with a low BV are absorbed in much lower ratios. Not surprisingly, most protein powders are made with very high BV protein sources, with whey protein isolate — derived from milk but highly filtered — having the highest possible BV of 157. To complement the rigorous training the Angels put themselves through it only makes sense that they understand the advantages of supplementing their diet with high quality, easily absorbed proteins and nutrients.
Need smoothie ideas? Here are five protein smoothie recipes.
3. They Embrace the Egg
Eggs are a key part of many Angels’ diets. And not just egg whites, but the whole egg. Why? A handful of reasons. First, the protein in whole eggs has a BV of 100 — outside of the filtered sort of proteins you get in supplements this is the highest you’ll find. Second, the yolk in eggs is nature’s multivitamin — it is loaded with Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2, Phosphorous, Selenium, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Choline, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Zinc. Lastly, the cholesterol in eggs has increasingly been shown to be helpful at promoting the production of hormones that help the body maintain lean muscle.
Originally published at www.gowellpath.com.
