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Most of us workout to get a flat stomach, and dream of six-pack abs. And we think that the only plausible way to achieve that elusive muscle tone is by crunching, crunching and more crunching. Payal Banka, the Lead Nutritionist at LifeMojo, helps us throw some light on the much debated issue of how to get abdominal muscles and where they hide.

Here’s what Payal Banka had to say:

For six-pack abs one needs to strengthen the abdominal muscles and lose body fat. Unfortunately there is no escaping cardiovascular exercise and weight (or resistance) training to lose weight in a healthy way. That aside, in order to strengthen your abs you will have to follow exercises related to both, the abdomen and the back. There are different types of crunches and other abdominal exercises that focus on the entire abdomen, from the upper to the lower sections. These exercises are ideal to strengthen your abdominal muscles.

However, training your abs without training your back creates an imbalance in the musculature that supports your spine. And these muscles are not just for show! Therefore,the best exercises for your abdominal muscles are the ones that force your entire core to go into overdrive to support your spine as well. Some exercises that do this are squats and lifts.

Some more exercises, other than crunches, squats and lifts, that will help strengthen both the back and abdominal muscles: Sit ups, jack-knife sit ups , leg lifts, static holds and side statics.

So, while crunches, squats and other abdominal exercises will strengthen your core, overall fat loss will make this strengthened core visible.

Being healthy begins by eating healthy. Most of us begin our day by having breakfast that is high in fat and calories, for eg. butter jam toast, cheese sandwiches, omelettes, sheera, vadas, dosas, etc. which is bad for the heart. You need to begin your day with a non-oily nutritious breakfast, for example, having oats. It's quick and easy to prepare, so you can't complain about not having the time to prepare breakfast. Here are some of the benefits of oats:

- Oats contain soluble fibre called beta glucan, which is known to help in reducing cholesterol by the blocking of re-absorption of cholesterol when it passes through the digestive system. Regularly having oats lowers the cholesterol levels in the body.

- Oats contains low levels of sodium. This reduces the risk of contracting high blood pressure and hypertension.

- The soluble fibre present in oats tends to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, thereby reducing the spikes in the blood sugar levels, which in turn do not lead to unwanted urges to eat.

- Eating oats leaves one much fuller, therefore you tend to eat less. This is especially good for those trying to lose weight.

- Oats contains very less amount of fat and lesser calories. This makes it good for overall health.

- Being a good source of natural dietary fibre, oats are beneficial in curbing the problem of constipation.

- Oats are also known to contain compounds called phytochemicals that can reduce one's risk of cancer.

Not only does Twitter help you communicate with others with similar goals, it also lets you interact with your favourite health brands, health websites, and health professionals like trainers and nutritionists. Add to that the immediacy of responses and conversations. Tweet about your 'fresh cup of coffee,' and something like a CuppaHealth will start following you in a nanosecond. Within minutes you would be aware of how one cup of freshly brewed coffee a day can decrease liver damage. Unsolicited advice aside, if you use twitter wisely, it could be your fitness friend that helps you stay the course. Here's how you can use Twitter to your greatest health benefit...

Create Twitter lists: When Twitter first introduced lists, a lot of people called them pointless, and some even called these lists popularity contests. But suddenly we see relevant twitter lists that are helpful, that cut the clutter, that you can follow on your timeline based on how you're feeling, what you're doing, what you want to know more of at any given point in time. Using Twitter lists for fitness is a sure shot way of staying motivated and in the health and fitness loop. So go ahead and make lists for healthy cooking, fitness trainers, motivators, peers trying to get healthy, weight loss, etc.

Tweet about your diet and fitness workout: Twitter is a place where most people are eager to help one another. If you tweet asking for a tried and tested home remedy for a cold, you'll be flooded with responses in seconds. Use this not-so-common helpful streak in people and tweet about what you're eating, and when you're exercising. As this becomes a regular habit you'll find it starts motivating you to eat better and exercise more. You might even get scold tweets from peers when you say that you've missed a workout and it'll help you stay focused on your fitness targets.

Use a fitness hashtag within a peer group of motivators: Despite wanting to interact with everyone on Twitter, we usually end up interacting a lot with one or two groups of like-minded people. Use this to your advantage by letting them in on your fitness goals. Chances are they'll want to join the journey. So add a hashtag like #NewBody or #SexySoon and see how quickly you create this high performance group that helps you stay in the game of using Twitter for fitness.

You use Twitter to stay in the tech loop, the entrepreneur loop, the breaking news loop...go one further and use it to stay in the fitness loop. After all, when was the last time you had a conscience that stayed switched on for more than an hour?

If Brad Pitt is asked to take the 9.55 am local every day, attend back to back meetings, skip lunch owing to work pressure and run errands in the monsoon, there's all likelihood of his six-pack metamorphosing into a sluggish guy-next-door physique.

Each one of us may be a sex God at heart, but very often, looks (we feel) play spoilsport and even before the tricks are out, the (partner's) mood goes for a toss. High time you take charge and get the oomph score running with these simple tricks.

The rule of thumb says, 'The better dressed you are, the easier it is to have your woman undress you.' To be the alpha male in bed, dress like one out of it. Think about it. If the competition is between a suave sharply dressed, suited man and a dullard who wears an ill-fitted T-shirt and baggy jeans, who do you think will win? Labour (hard) on your fashion quotient and you wouldn't need to work on the buttons. She will be more than happy to oblige. And that 'polished' image will linger on even after you have undressed.

There's a reason why photographers say 'You look beautiful when the light is right'. The wrong light can make a to-die-for six-pack look positively ghastly, so make sure you use it well. The power-saver white neon bulbs are great. Really. They help conserve energy and we highly respect your 'Go Green' attitude. But sadly, they don't do much to flatter that naked look. For once, switch to gentler yellow lights. Putting them up under lampshades will soften their glow and the flattering light will turn on the heat on your so-so physique.

When you are gearing up for some action, the last thing you want is a spineless partner crawling around with a disinterested, fallen look on his/ her face. Stand straight, throw back your shoulders and walk like you mean business. Nothing is as strong a turn-on as confidence. Also, the slouched look only accentuates your flat tyres. The correct posture can go a long way to camouflage the series of fat faux pas that are sometimes inevitable. So do yourself a favour and compensate the lack of physical finesse with a dash of attitude.

Research claims that a man's sweat is the most potent turn-on for a woman. While one wouldn't want to discount that learning, such studies do not exactly hold true in the bedroom. A sweaty stinking you can never be a turn on, no matter what the chemicals say. The Diors and Diesels can give you a hand, but it's no hard and fast rule. Just make sure you have a shower before you try to get intimate with your partner. A man who smells good, feels good!

Ask the marketing guys, and they'll tell you how crucial packaging is. Point being, do NOT take the easy way out. Make your innerwear work. This is one department where you can have the maximum fun. Get those jock straps out and experiment with cuts and colours. If you are experimental, thongs aren't that bad an idea (provided you can carry them off). If not, there are boxers — Simpsons, Batman, Popeye, you name it. Knowing what exactly your girl likes helps a great deal. Women have it a lot easier. Knowing the sheer variety of lace and nets out there, there's enough for every occasion.

A clean groomed look is far more presentable vis-à-vis the hairy disaster men often come with. Yes, some women like their men with hair, but that cannot justify the Amazon on your body. Get bullish in the grooming department and put that trimmer to good use. You are bound to get good dividends after dropping the shirt.

And for your facial hair, either opt for a complete shave, or a two-day stubble at the most. The prickly evening shadow stubble can spell disaster for her skin. Get a flattering haircut to ensure you don't look sloppy. After all, women (unlike men) like to work their way from the top.

Are you also worried about your 'jelly' belly like millions of others around you? Have flat-abs diet failed you too often? We share some easy tips to drastically reduce belly fat. We are not suggesting exercises, only some quick lifestyle changes...

By default when you haunch, your belly pooches out. This is a simple posture correction that helps your tummy to stay in. This posture also makes you look slimmest.

Yes, you read it right. You don't have to go through the painful process of crunches and simply pull up your abs and then push them up.

"Keep your butt tucked in"

Many of you must have heard this trick somewhere but never took it seriously. It's time you start doing it!

Don't stress your back when you bend. When you pick up stuff ensure you bend 90 degrees. Do it few times a day and it will help push the belly fat in.

Every buddy have one common health problem and that is Deabetes. Diabetes affects over 23 million Americans, nearly 8 percent of the population, and these numbers are on the rise. Diabetes prevalence increased 13 percent in the two years between 2005 and 2007. Add to this the 24 percent of people who are believed to be undiagnosed and you can see the picture of the epidemic rise of diabetes in recent years. Adult onset diabetes, the most common form, can lead to complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. Here we have some Steps for Diabetes to safe distance and naturally remove.

Is-he thinking-of-someone-else or he-doesn't-find-me-sexually-attractive-anymore kind of thoughts cloud your mind instantly. Mostly women are able to sense this sudden change in their spouse's body language while in the act. For them, it is an excruciatingly frustrating experience which leads them to see sexologists, make amends to their lifestyle, and read up on how to be desirable again.

But what exactly triggers sexual fantasies while having sex? Does it spell doom for a relationship? Is dissatisfaction a plausible reason or another myth? Here are some interesting finding...

'As dirty as can get' maybe the way your guy wants it, but is apprehensive to spell it out to you. He wants basic sex similar to that in porn flicks and thinks he would put a dampener by even suggesting the idea. Your partner may harbour fantasies about having steamy romp while doing the physical act with you. Says Dr. S.K Sharma, clinical psychologist and lifestyle advisor, "For some it is to add thrill, while for others it adds novelty value." Though he feels that lack of fulfillment in a relationship or partner's attractiveness may play a role, but mostly it is a person's own desire to feel stimulated.

"I have often fantasized about having sex with Marilyn Monroe and Pamela Anderson," reveals Prateek (name changed), a banker. But he maintains that such thoughts are only restricted to masturbation, and not while making out with his girlfriend. Agrees Dr. Sharma, "It is but natural for some to fantasize about celebrities, though there are others who fantasize about someone known." Scantily clad models or the girl from the last porn movie could be on his mind while making love to you; it excites him to perform better and feel fully aroused. "If taken in a positive sense it can enhance your sex life and the relationship as well. In fact, it is a safe way of sexual release and even emotional satisfaction," he adds.

Foreplay may not top the chart of many. It is possible that your partner is too tired for foreplay and just wants an orgasm before retiring for the day. This happens to couples with kids or the ones running a very stressful routine at work. In such a scenario, the more active sex partner finds a vent to his suppressed desires by way of fantasies. Lust for a bigger orgasm also drives one to indulge in sexual fantasies. Believes Dr. Rajendra Barve, psychologist, "A person resorts to fantasies when he is trying to satisfy his partner, and the partner is not sufficiently enthused. This can bring about a disconnect in their most intimate moment. However, there is no harm in fantasizing about people at random. Only when the fantasies revolve around a certain, known person is there a reason to worry."

Dr. Barve shares with us a very curious case he'd handled many years back. It was about a married lady who suspected something amiss in her sexual companionship with her husband. "And one day he cried out a name while having sex with her. It turned out to be the name of her sister, and as fate would have it her husband was having a secret liaison with the sister-in-law," says he.

Often when couples have been together for a longish period, they get used to each other's sexual needs and habits. And 'experimentation' becomes a dreaded word. They follow a routine without even sparing a thought towards a revamped sex life. Some think the easiest way out is to succumb to sexual fantasies while engaged in a physical act with their partners. But Dr. Madhumati Singh, senior psychologist, thinks fantasizing is the sign of a healthy, creative mind. "A lot of them fantasize about having sex with a virgin. It is apparently a great turn on. A lot of happy couples find bliss in fantasizing," she shares. So much so, she even feels that harbouring thoughts of another person while having sex doesn't in any way strain a relationship. She is, however, quick to add, "Thoughts take you where horses can't fly, but after that it is again back to the real world."

A woman's way of dressing up plays a huge role in giving men an arousal. No matter how traditional his outlook, he'd want his partner to look hot and sexy in bed. Tease him by donning sensual reveal-all, black lace lingerie, and he will not be able to keep his hands off you. It is a truly erotic, and of course, pragmatic way of getting your man's attention and not letting it waver! But there are few who take this obsession for a sexy-looking partner to a new level. Explains Dr. Barve, "I once heard from a married couple who were not able to sexually satisfy each other. Her husband was completely taken in by yesteryear dancing queen, Helen, and wanted a piece of her in his wife. He even went to the extent of dressing her up in feathery, revealing outfits before seducing her to bed. Unfortunately, such an arrangement didn't work for very long, and the wife eventually got tired of the role play."

Those who think they don't have time for exercise, it is said, will sooner or later have to find time for illness. For men today, piling on the kilos without squeezing in any exercise routine in a hectic work schedule has meant indiscriminate weight gain and growing obese, which heightens the risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer among other fatal ailments.

So why not follow the example of once-tubby male celebrities such as Sidhartha Mallya, who fought their fat and toned their body. In fact, when it comes to losing weight, men have a clear head start over women because of men's higher testosterone levels that help burn more calories and build more muscle — even when resting. Here is how to get started and target some of the key male body blackspots:

A chubby jaw and jowls is a sign you are carrying too much weight overall. Plus the chin is where fat tends to settle more as we age.

Losing fat from all over will help shed flabby jowls, as will toning the neck and under-chin muscles. Try using a personal fitness app on your mobile phone to get motivated, to get moving. Your own pocket 'trainer' is cheaper than a real one. It can also tell you how often you need to work out, based on your calorie intake that day.

With your head straight, simply open and close your mouth like a goldfish. Then, tip your head back as far as is comfortable for your neck, open and close your mouth. You will feel the tension beneath your chin. Repeat 10 times daily.

It is not only women who get bingo wings. As men age, the skin can lose some elasticity and fat can collect on the underarms.

A new kind of free-weight, kettlebells can be used to upgrade any workout. They have their centre of gravity in the middle, which means they not only tone arm muscles, they also force the 'core' stomach and back muscles to work harder.

You can use any arm weights for these — even a two-litre bottle of water will do. Hold your weights down by your sides with your palms facing upwards. Without moving the upper part of your arms, slowly bend your arm and bring the weights up to your shoulders. Repeat 12 times, doing three sets.

The chest area is another man-fat magnet, so it's no surprise that men have problems with this portion once they pass 35 and sport what is popularly known as 'man boobs'.

Yoga done in a heated room is not just for girls. In fact, this hardcore style of yoga gives your body a proper workout.

Top move: Press ups

Lie face down on the floor with your hands by your chest. Your elbows should be bent with your palms completely flat and facing forwards. Raise your body off the floor by straightening your arms, keeping your body straight. Hold for a second, lower your back down, keeping abs tensed. Repeat 12 times.

Beer belly gets its name for good reason — booze is packed with calories. But male muscle structure means all men have a readydefined six-pack — even if it is currently hiding under several layers of fat.

Skipping for 10 minutes can burn a good deal of calories. It uses nearly every muscle and will shift hardto-reach belly fat in no time.

Lie flat on your back and lift your legs into the air so they are as close to 90 degrees from the floor as possible, pulling in your ab muscles as you go. Lower your legs a little and hold for a count of 10, then lower a bit more and hold again for 10. Then lower them till they are almost touching the floor and hold again. Finally, bring your legs up to your chest and rest. Repeat three times.

That stubborn spare tyre is all thanks to a man's higher levels of testosterone, which causes fat to be stored around his middle.

Similar to Wii Fit, but also available on the Xbox 360 and PS3, this home workout set features real sports, including basketball and boxing. It uses leg and arm motion sensors to wirelessly track your training.

Top move: Alternating sit-ups

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears and sit up, aiming your left elbow at your right knee. Next, sit up again but this time aim your right elbow to your left knee. Continue switching sides like this 15 times.

Unlike women, men don't tend to carry a lot of fat on their legs, but being unfit can lead to the dreaded 'chicken leg' syndrome.

There's nothing better than football for strengthening and shaping legs. A recent study found middleaged men who still played regular football had a lower risk of heart disease and depression.

Stand with your feet apart and knees bent. Step forward so your front leg is one-stride from the back foot. As you do so, lower your body, then spring back to your starting position, pushing through the heel of your foot. Then repeat on the other side. Do 30 repetitions.

One afternoon in 2008, as Glenda Hey, 61, was going about her business as a receptionist with the Oklahoma City Police Department, she noticed a faxed offer she couldn't refuse. "I just happened to pick it up," says Hey, who at the time was struggling to afford $545 a month in health insurance premiums. "The price jumped out at me." Health insurance for hundreds less—a deal that was about to expire. After filling out a brief application that asked for her bank account details, Hey was told her policy would start on Jan. 1, 2009.

But later that spring, when Hey experienced chest pain so severe that she was rushed to the hospital for five test-filled days, her finances took a devastating hit as she recovered. Even though $314 was being withdrawn from her account each month for premiums, she says, the company was refusing to pay the bill—which, at more than $31,000, totaled almost what she and her husband earn together in a year. After complaining to the state's insurance department, Hey heard some unsettling news. Nearly 70 other Oklahomans were in the same boat, one man with nearly $100,000 in unpaid claims. And the outfit they'd enrolled with appeared not to be licensed to sell insurance anywhere in the country.

Regulators now accuse the Tennessee-based entity, the American Trade Association, and affiliated firms of selling fake health insurance to at least 26,000 households in all 50 states; they raked in upwards of $14 million in premiums over a span of 16 months, according to court documents. More than a few of those dollars appear to have been spent on personal items such as cars, real estate, and loan payments, says Leslie Newman, Tennessee's insurance commissioner. At least 12 other states have taken action to stop the entities from operating. Although a Tennessee judge has ordered the liquidation of the companies, whose unpaid claims are estimated at more than $5 million, regulators aren't optimistic there will be much money left for victims like Hey, some of whose care has been covered by her hospital.

"They were using the money for their own personal benefit," contends Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland, who has been collaborating with other states to shut the firms down. Small claims were paid to maintain the appearance of legitimacy, she says, but when people developed serious health issues, like cancer, they were left with the bills. "As far as my clients are concerned, the facts that I have seen do not support that conclusion," says Nader Baydoun, an attorney who has been representing ATA and another company, Smart Data Solutions, throughout Tennessee's liquidation proceedings.

Hey's story is just one example of what regulators warn is a ballooning problem: health insurance scams. Given the economic slump, an unemployment rate around 10 percent with the attendant loss of health coverage, and rocketing monthly premiums, people desperate for protection are more likely to be baited by tantalizing offers through blast faxes, E-mails, or telemarketing calls. Indeed, bogus health plans are the biggest consumer insurance fraud to emerge from the recession, says James Quiggle, spokesperson for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, who cites a November survey his nonprofit conducted of 37 state fraud bureaus. "It's very dangerous out there," he says.

The recession isn't the only driver. Many Americans don't fully grasp the provisions of health reform, a vulnerability that scam artists are hurrying to exploit. Complaints in Missouri and elsewhere have described people going door to door posing as federal agents and peddling "ObamaCare" or other insurance policies supposedly made possible by the new law. In Illinois and Nevada, similar solicitations have been made by phone. "We hear of scammers saying, 'You got to buy now,' " or that everyone must be covered immediately lest they be fined, a requirement that won't take hold until 2014, says Scott Kipper, Nevada's immediate past insurance commissioner. Swindlers may even be using the threat of imprisonment for "noncompliance" as a scare tactic, some regulators warn.

"Unfortunately, this may just be the beginning of what may be a much more robust effort to take advantage of a comprehensive new piece of legislation," says Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "A lot of people are eager to get some benefits and are not quite sure how to do that, [which] opens the door, I think, for some unscrupulous folks to—under the guise of 'I'm here to help you'—do all sorts of things." Soon after the bill's passage, Sebelius sent letters to all the state insurance commissioners and attorneys general to put everyone on high alert. "This is something that we're going to take very, very seriously," she says.