Archive for the 'Fitness' Category
March 1st, 2010 -- Posted in Fitness |
Various studies have shown that it is important to stay fit despite your age. If you are like so many women who had tried many diets and really don’t eat that much now but still don’t loose weight, the problem might be your age.
The fact is that if women wait to focus on fitness until they approach their 50s, they add another degree of difficulty to the process: menopause!
Estrogen is a so-called catabolic hormone, which means that one of its functions is to help us burn and use energy stores.
As estrogen walks out the door as women enter menopause, we are left with an intact storage function and less burning function.
It takes less energy for daily maintenance and therefore less food intake. Unless we burn more energy through smart activity, we are not likely to make progress on getting control of our bodies. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: estrogen, pedometer, stay fit
February 17th, 2010 -- Posted in Fitness, Green Living, Healthy Eating, Natural Beauty |
You can get in shape with the right post-exercise meal. Eating after exercise is important. Why? Because your muscles need the raw materials to recuperate after your work out.
Failure to eat the right food after exercise — or worse — skipping the post-exercise meal altogether can harm your body.
“You never think that you can just continue to ride your car without ever going to the gas station. We can’t expect to be able to continue to exercise our bodies without refueling them,” said Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist of the American Council on Exercise.
What you eat after exercise has different effects on your body’s metabolism. Many of the improvements that arise from exercise come largely from the most recent session, rather than from accumulated fitness from exercise you did months ago.
This study found that exercise enhances insulin sensitivity but especially if the meal you eat after the session is low in carbohydrate. Enhanced insulin sensitivity means that it is easier or your body to take up sugar from the blood into muscles where it can be stored or used as fuel. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: get in shape, whey protein powder, workout nutrition
February 14th, 2010 -- Posted in Fitness, Green Living, Healthy Eating |
Health threat linked to thyroid disease comes from nonstick cookware and stain-resistant carpets.
Recent research has found links between perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, and female infertility, low sperm count, and even high cholesterol.
The substance, used to make nonstick cookware, stain-resistant furnishings and greaseproof wrappers, is believed to get into the body through contaminated food or household dust. Once in the body it accumulates in organs and other tissues.
People with high levels of the chemical in their blood were found to be twice as likely to have thyroid problems as those with the lowest levels, according to a survey of medical records of nearly 4,000 otherwise healthy US adults.
The thyroid gland produces hormones that control the body’s metabolism and are vital for regulating heart rate and temperature.
Thyroid disease can make the gland produce too much or too little hormone. An underactive thyroid can cause exhaustion, depression and weight gain. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: infertility, nonstick cookware, thyroid disease
February 5th, 2010 -- Posted in Fitness |
You could give me 10 or more reasons for exercising. The problem is not that people don’t know that exercising is the key to aging well.
The problem is that only a third of us do 30 minutes of exercise a day. Here are some amazing reasons for exercising which you may not know:
- Brain function. Exercise makes a type of Miracle-Gro for the brain. When exercising, your brain makes a substance called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. It is a type of brain food.
Studies have found that active people are more likely to be better adjusted and perform better on tests of cognitive function. And scientists believe this exercise-induced “ brain food” is the reason.
- Mood. After a stressful day, exercise can calm and improve your mood. According to researchers at the University of Missouri, thirty minutes of moderate- to – intense exercise can leave you still feeling on top of the world ninety minutes later. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: brain function, cancer, exercising, mood
February 2nd, 2010 -- Posted in Fitness |
There is one thing you can do right now to reduce breast cancer risk that is easy, inexpensive, and will offer numerous health benefits across the board: exercise.
A sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for different forms of cancer, and breast cancer is no exception. Conversely, physically active people have been shown to have a reduced rate of all-cancer mortality.
Considerable research supports this concept, such as a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute , which showed that women who exercised four hours a week regularly reduced their risk of breast cancer by up to 60%. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: breast cancer risk, exercise, Healthy Eating
January 23rd, 2010 -- Posted in Fitness, Natural Remedies |
The benefits of winter exercise are enormous, and evidence continues to mount that exercise is a powerful natural drug in the treatment of depression.
As we enter the coldest months of winter and the promise of spring seems far off, I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to create a workout plan to keep your body and mood in good shape as you look forward to warmer weather.
In other words, the exercise you do in warmer months won’t help you stay optimally healthy if you spend your winter sitting around the house.
If you don’t regularly exercise, just getting going is key. It’s fine to start small, say with a short daily walk. Build from there by developing your own exercise strategy.
The colder months can take a toll on both your physical and mental well-being. It’s estimated that at least a quarter of a million Americans suffer from the winter blues.
A case of the winter blues can include some or all of the following symptoms:
- Boredom, restlessness
- Lethargy, feelings of fatigue
- Irritability and a feeling of being cooped up or “stir crazy”
- Trouble concentrating
- Sweet cravings, overeating
- Loss of interest in sex
And,
continue reading »
Technorati Tags: exercise, skiing, walk
January 14th, 2010 -- Posted in Fitness |
Many doctors agree that Nordic Walking is one of the most effective cardiovascular workouts because it works all major muscle groups in the body.
Recent studies by the Cooper Institute, Dallas, showed that Nordic walking burned more calories, increased oxygen consumption, and can be up to 46% more efficient than normal walking.
It has twice the benefit of normal walking and can burn over 500 calories in one hour. The benefits are equivalent to jogging but without the damage to the joints because of the added support from the sticks.
Nordic walking uses two specially designed poles to work the upper body while walking. Like cross country skiing, the poles are used by the arms to match each step the person takes.
All that’s required is a pair of inexpensive, lightweight walking poles. Holding these in your hands aids balance, which is great if you’re older or if you’re on a slippery terrain.
Even better: Because they make you use muscles in your shoulders, arms, and torso, the poles transform walking into a total-body workout that burns 20 percent more calories, according to a study at the Cooper Institute in Dallas.
Winter or summer, it’s a simple way to derive more fat-reducing benefit from your regular walk. Nordic Walking engages the upper body muscles as well as the legs. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: exercises, Nordic Walking, walking poles
December 30th, 2009 -- Posted in Fitness, Green Living, Healthy Eating |
It’s quite amazing what a simple potato can contain. Misinformation regarding the nutritional value of the potato is plentiful. In fact, an average (~5.3 oz) potato with the skin contains:
- 45% of the daily value for vitamin C
- 620 mg potassium, comparable to bananas, spinach and broccoli
- trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc
- all for only 163 calories and no fat.
As you can see, potatoes are highly nutritious and are a very good source of potassium and vitamin C, as well as fiber, magnesium, copper, manganese, niacin, vitamin B6 and folate.
And potatoes with the skin on are an excellent source of fiber. In fact, with 2 grams of fiber per serving, a potato equals or exceeds that of many “whole” grain products-whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta and many cereals.
Despite the popular notion, the majority of nutrients are not found in the skin, but in the potato itself. Nonetheless, leaving the skin on the potatoes retains all the nutrients, the fiber in the skin and makes potatoes easier to prepare.
The other good news is that a medium potato has only 163 calories and 0 grams of fat. The potato’s cousin, the sweet potato, is even more nutritious. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: GI, nutritious, potato
December 9th, 2009 -- Posted in Fitness |
Everybody should exercise for the health benefits – there is no doubt about it- exercise is good for you. When it comes to exercise, it’s easy to fall victim to the “should” phenomenon.
As in, we should do an exercise because it’s supposed to be the most effective for weight loss. Or exercise should be difficult or perhaps we’re not doing it right. That kind of thinking can prevent us starting or sticking to an exercise program. And it shouldn’t.
In reality, the consistency is more important than the intensity of an exercise. Some health professionals recommend 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. But most people can not do that. They usually start with 20 minutes or more at least 3 times per week.
The 20 minutes is best if it is done all at one time, so that it makes your heart beat a little faster, makes you sweat a little bit, and it makes you breathe a little harder!
At least 20 minutes all at one time, 3-4 times per week. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: exercise, heart, swim
December 7th, 2009 -- Posted in Fitness, Healthy Eating |
Eating right is not just about losing weight. It’s about gaining health and lowering your risks of for heart disease, stroke and cancer — risks that increase as you age.
The earlier you start, the better off you’ll be. But it’s never too late to make positive changes in your diet.
Your 20s: Never Too Early To Start
If you’re in the third decade of your life, you can probably eat a bag of chips and burn off the calories in the gym. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
This is the time to build good habits. If you need inspiration, think of an old guy on the beach wearing a Speedo with his gut hanging out. He once had a speedy metabolism, too. And, continue reading »
Technorati Tags: eating right, exercise, salmon
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