Fit Kids May Dodge Fractures in Old Age

Back in the earlier days kids would go outside and play till dark, or until their parents threatened them with everything under the sun to come in for dinner. Now, it’s more common for kids to sit inside and play video games or to sit in front of a computer or their cell phone sending text messages to their friends. A study done in Sweden showed that regular daily exercise can improve children’s health now and in the future.

The study’s lead author stated that “Exercise interventions in childhood may be associated with lower fracture risks as people age due to the increase in peak bone mass that occurs in growing children who perform regular physical activity.” 2,300 children living in Sweden were involved in the study, ages ranging from 7-9 years old. The researchers assigned 362 girls and 446 boys to receive 40 minutes of daily physical activity at school. The other 800 girls and 800 boys in a control group received the standard 60 minutes of physical activity per week.

The study’s authors followed all of the children, monitoring their skeletal development, recording any incidents involving broken bones. Throughout the study, the researchers found that a similar percentage of children had fractures in each group. The study also showed that the boys and girls in the daily exercise group had greater bone density than the children in the control group.

The study also looked at rates of fractures and bone density loss of about 700 former male athletes who were an average of 69 years old with those of nearly 1,400 non-athletes who were an average of 70. So, do your kid a favor and get him/her moving! The exercise your kid gets now could help keep injuries that are so common in today’s population away.

Lose Weight While Sleeping

Is it possible to lose weight while you’re asleep? According to a new diet plan, this just might be possible! People have tried all kinds of diets that don’t last for the long haul, like low-carb, low-calorie and even liquid diets. This new diet comes in the form of a book titled “The Overnight Diet:  The Proven Plan for Fast, Permanent Weight Loss” and has really sparked the interest of many.

This diet plan was written by an obesity doctor who has extensive experience in the healthcare industry dealing with managing obesity, Dr. Caroline Apovian. She is an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and also the director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at the Boston Medical Center, along with being the director of Clinical Research at the Obesity Research Center. Needless to say, this woman’s background in the health industry is beyond impressive, so how could this diet not be effective and long lasting?

The Overnight Diet basically helps people to lose weight while they are sleeping. Who wouldn’t want to try that!? The basic plan is to eat a high protein diet for six says plus one day of a liquid diet. According to Apovian, followers of the diet will lose up to two pounds overnight once they complete the One Day Power Up jumpstart program, and up to nine pounds in the first week! The trick is to strictly follow the eating plan and to get enough sleep.

This diet is said to keep the dieter’s body in fat-burning and weight-loss mode without putting limits on what they can eat. Things like hamburgers, peanut butter and chocolate are on the list of things to eat with this diet! The best part about this high protein diet is that the dieter can eat all the fruits and veggies they want, unlike many other high protein diets.

The idea of the Overnight Diet sounds amazing to those who have tried all those different types of diets before, but is causing skepticism in the minds of other nutritionists. Sounds like the only way to know if this really works or not is just to try it for yourself. What do you have to lose? Maybe just a few pounds while you’re snoozing away!

Source:

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/weight-loss/new-diet-claims-it-can-help-you-lose-weight-while-sleeping

Germs and the Gym

The gym is a place where we go to exercise and to improve our bodies to make sure they are healthy, but can going to the gym make you sick? The answer is yes! The gym is filled with thousands of germs and contaminated surfaces, such as door handles, shower floors, the check-in desk and water fountains. The most common germs that were found in gyms are the norovirus, which is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis and the life threatening superbug MRSA (which can cause extremely hard to treat infections).

Stay away from the water fountains while visiting the gym. Typically, the handles can become extremely contaminated by a several different types of germs, including norovirus. The norovirus can survive up to 4 weeks on the infected surface. It is a good idea to bring alcohol wipes to sanitize the spout and the handle before you drink, or just bring your own water bottle with water from home and avoid the water fountain all together. Always clean your water bottle with hot soapy water daily to avoid germs.

If you’re a fan of the fitness balls at the gym know that they contain several germs. Any high-contact surface is a risk of highly infectious germs. Fitness balls are infested with germs, like staphylococcus aureus, which causes staph infections. The good news here is that you can only be affected by this if you have an open cut and stay away from touching your face. The cycling bikes also have the same soft material that contains germs ranging from MRSA to strep to E. coli, yuck! Again, bring those antibacterial wipes with you and wipe down everything before you use it!

Steam rooms are also a cesspool for germs. The hot, steamy air in the room is likely to be the best place for germs to grow, but putting your feet on the floor should be the biggest concern. You don’t know what fungus is growing on other people’s feet and when they are walking around barefoot on these floors they are contaminating the floor. If you have any cuts on your feet you could be at risk for infection. Also, never sit naked on the benches in a steam room because by doing so you can contract a series of viruses, including human papillomavirus (HPV). Sit on a towel and always wear flip flops to protect yourself from unwanted infections!

Have fun this weekend!

Many of us plan our weekends around doing all of the things we don’t have time to do during the week, like cleaning the house, going grocery shopping and catching up on TV shows we missed during the week. Half the time the chores get thrown out the window because you’re too tired to get anything done after a long week, but either way the weekend is a bust. If you really want to feel refreshed on Monday morning and ready to take on the world, take into consideration the findings of a study showing that in addition to eating and relaxing there are 6 categories of things everyone should be doing to get the most out of their weekend. Be sure to get in one activity for each category and let these ways help you to de-stress!

Social Networking: Being out with a friend or friends is one of the biggest causes of happiness. If you have plans over the weekend bring a friend or 2 along, even if you prefer alone time. Studies show that spending your time and money on experiences rather than material things makes us happier. Material things sit on the shelf while you get used to them very quickly! Take a cooking class or head out to the local comedy club, you’ll enjoy it and feel like you did something fun and exciting.

Feed Your Soul: A 2008 study in the Journal of Economic Psychology says that faith and prayer, regardless of religion, satisfy the need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Volunteering has the same effect if you aren’t into the religion thing. People really get a lot of pleasure from helping others. Meditation or restorative yoga can change brain structure in a way that promotes a sense of well-being. Doing any of these things will lift your spirit and have you feeling good!

Break a Sweat: Exercising, especially outside, has more benefits than you can imagine. Exercising encourages the release of feel-good endorphins and helps you feel like you’re doing something great for yourself. People who exercise feel more energetic and are more inclined to keep at it. The more you exercise the more clear your mind will be, so schedule a nice long walk or a bike ride and get those healthy endorphins moving!

Compress Your Chores: If you have a super long “to-do” list ready for the weekend, cut out 2-3 hours to get some of the things done. Don’t overwhelm yourself with chores and stress out over getting them done, it’s not worth it. Prioritize your list and get the things that can’t be put off done and leave the rest for later. Enjoy your time off!

Uplug: Sociologists from the University of Maryland have found that unhappy people watch 30% more TV than very happy people. Limiting web surfing helps too, since that includes checking work email for so many people and no one likes the stress of work during their time off.

Rethink Sunday Night: Plan one of the above activities for Sunday night before you get into the slump of dreading things that may go on during the week. Many people suffer from Sunday night depression thinking about the week ahead, but if you do something fun or something to clear your mind you won’t have time to worry your mind with negative things!

Back Exercises

Did you know that slouching causes 80% of spinal problems? This is true! Many of us slouch all day long not even thinking about it, but what we also don’t realize that it could be causing long term effects to the spine and causing back pain. The spine is part of the central nervous system, along with the brain, so an unhealthy spine can interfere with your entire body causing unwanted health problems. The good news is that this can be cured with just a few daily preventative steps.

Having good posture is so important. The best way to get good posture is to align your ears with your shoulders and shoulder blades when they are retracted. When these are properly aligned, the spinal stress is eliminated. Some studies even show that having good posture can get rid of heart burn, migraines, anxiety and some respiratory conditions. Another way to improve your posture is to do deep belly breathing. You can do this by placing your hands on your abdominal area and feel your belly moving as your inhale and exhale. This lets the spinal nerves to move within the spinal channels, eliminating the pain and giving you a sense of well-being.

A few simple exercises for 10 minutes a day will strengthen your spine. Stretching your neck, bending and extending range of motion exercises and a series of simple side to side and up and down stretches can extensively improve the health of your spine. You can also use light weights to improve your posture and doing yoga will help immensely. If you already work on your upper body strength, doing extra push-ups will help to strengthen your spine and posture muscles.

Eating a healthy diet consisting of lean proteins, healthy fats and lots of fresh fruits and veggies is ideal for building a lean body and muscles for spine support. Taking multi-vitamins with B-complex and Omega-3s have been known to decrease pain in the nerves and in the spine. Spending some time in sun can also improve your overall health. It wakes up your body making it feel happy and alive, which in turn will give you better posture. 10-20 minutes in the sun every day can do wonders for your body.

Stop back pain before it starts by taking the proper precautions to improve your posture. Back problems can start at any age, but the most common is around age 29, so it’s never too early to start!

Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/01/health/hansraj-spine/index.html?hpt=he_c2

Smells Make You Thinner

Smell can play an extremely powerful role in stimulating a craving, as we all know, but did you know that smelling certain scents can help you lose weight? A new study done by the German Research Center for Food Chemistry found that just smelling extra virgin olive oil can lead to feeling fuller. Study participants consumed fewer calories when eating yogurt that had an aromatic extract and had a better blood sugar response compared to participants who were given plain yogurt with no added extracts. These same participants also had higher increases in serotonin, a hormone associated with satiety. EVOO is a potent substance that is loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids, the same fats that help blast belly fat!

There are other scents besides EVOO that can lead to feeling fuller and cutting pig-out sessions in half, garlic is one. Generally, strong aromas cause you to take smaller bites of food. If you want to lose weight, look for spicy foods with bold flavors like chilies or onions, or even red chili pepper. Green apples and bananas can suppress hunger just by taking a whiff. A study done at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation showed that when overweight people smelled bananas or green apples when they were hungry lost more weight than those who didn’t. Smells that are considered “neutral” can curb appetite, so you can also try sniffing vanilla or peppermint.

Grapefruit is a vitamin C and lycopene-loaded citrus fruit that is a favorite of dieters. It has the qualities to boost weight loss efforts if you sniff it before you dig in to eat it. Research done at Osaka University in Japan found that exposing rats to the smell of grapefruit oil for 15-minute intervals helped to lower their appetite and weight. Researchers believe that it could have something to do with how the smell interacts with liver enzymes.

Who knew that a few common smells could be a step towards weight loss? With the summer months just around the corner, these tips are great to have under your belt. Add a little sniffing to your diet and exercise routine and get to losing weight!

Source:

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/losingitwithliz/can-smelling-olive-oil-make-you-slimmer

Home Exercise

Many Americans plan their days around a morning run or a trip to the gym, but the other Americans who don’t have the motivation to do those things, or just simply don’t have the time, usually lack the necessary exercise to keep healthy. The good news is, you don’t need to go far to get the exercise you need, you can do it all in the privacy of your own home without all the fancy equipment. Get yourself motivated when you have some time during your day by pumping some music and get ready for a great at home workout.

Walking is an effective and easy way to get some great exercise to work and tone your muscles. If the weather is nice, take a stroll outside, but if not you can do it in the house. If you have stairs, go up and down them a few times, maybe even grab a load of laundry while you’re doing so. You will be toning your legs and your butt while getting some low impact aerobic exercise. If you don’t have stairs, just walk around the house a few times, it may not be the most exciting thing, but at least you’ll be moving!

Jumping jax and pushups are 2 exercises you can do right in your home and both of them have tremendous value in toning up your body. Jumping jax may bring back memories of gym class back in the day, and they’re also great cardio exercises. Pushups are tough sometimes, but there are a few different ways you can do them. If you have a stronger upper body regular pushups won’t be a problem for you, but for those who don’t have superman upper body strength you can do them on your knees instead of keeping your legs straight. You can also do them while standing up against a wall, you’ll be building arm strength and working your chest muscles.

Crunches are the best exercise for building abdominal muscles and you can do them as you’re watching tv! Whenever a commercial comes on during your favorite show, get some crunches in. While you’re doing your crunches, make sure you’re feeling the stretching of your muscles and you will definitely begin to see the benefit. Squats are great exercises for your legs and butt. Grab a regular chair and sit down and stand up, you don’t have to do too many repetitions, just a few will do the trick. Have a baby? Stick the baby in your favorite carrier (Moby wrap, or baby backpack) and add some weight to your squats!

Last, but not least, is dancing and/or jogging in place. Dancing is a wonderful exercise that is great for your heart. It’s fun and can really bring you from a bad mood right into a good one. Turn up the music and dance your heart out! Jogging in place is another great exercise for your heart and you can do it while you’re watching tv or listening to music. All you need is a good pair of sneakers to eliminate any stress to your legs. Get moving today and build your home exercises into your every day schedule!

Crave Healthy Food

Weight is a constant struggle for many people across the nation, especially with all the pressures of society on our shoulders. So many of us eat when we are bored or to relieve stress, and of course we don’t turn to carrots and apples. We want junk food. Things like added sugar, salt, fat and other chemicals are designed to make us crave more, so naturally those are the things we reach for when we are looking to snack. Well folks, this can be avoided if you train your brain to crave healthy food instead of the usual junk food. Here are a few tips on how to do so:

First, only eat when you are actually hungry. Realize that food is not a replacement for thirst or to take your mind off something that is bothering you. If you are really hungry and looking for a snack, practice the five-ingredient rule; if there are more than five ingredients on a food label, that’s considered to be a red flag, don’t buy it. Also, aim for three colors. Studies show that people prefer three food items of three different colors on their plate compared to more or less of each. So fill your plate with fruit slices and a small square of dark chocolate, this way you will mix a variety of colors, textures and nutrients.

If you have a favorite time of day when you usually go for that unhealthy snack, try and change your routine. If your guilty pleasure is visiting the vending machine at your 3pm break, go for a 10 minute walk around the building instead. This will leave you feeling better about yourself and you will have added some extra exercise to your day, a win-win situation! If you do like to snack, choose a healthy one, like red grapes or clementines. These are sweet fruits that may kill off your cravings. Put all the healthier items you have in your fridge near the front, this way when you are going to grab something to eat you will grab the healthy stuff.

Everyone has what is referred to as a “trigger” food, the one thing you just cannot pass up if it’s put in front of you. If you can identify what this is for you, you’re already headed down the road to success. For some its chocolate, for others is a big juicy burger from a fast food joint. Whatever your trigger food is, stay away from it. Don’t buy it, don’t go down the aisle where it lives in the grocery store, avoid it at all costs. Another tactic for avoiding the junk food you love most is to investigate where it comes from and what it’s made of – you may just gross yourself out and be better able to avoid it! Here’s one that may make you cringe:  the vitamin D added to many yogurts is actually manufactured from sheep’s grease. Gross, right? Try it, you never know what you may find.

And one last simple little tip to take with you today is to chew your food more than you need to. If you chew more, you will find yourself eating less overall. The slower you eat the better because you will get fuller on smaller amounts of food rather than scarfing down what 2 people would normally eat. Remember:  it takes the stomach 20 minutes to tell the brain it’s full!

Take all of these tips with you over the next few days and see how you do. Hopefully you will kick those junk food cravings, start moving more and begin eating colorful, healthy snacks. Good luck!

Orthaheel Walkabout Campaign

In honor of Foot Health Awareness Month, Orthaheel and Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear, have joined together to create the Walkabout campaign. The Walkabout campaign asks participants to agree to walk 30 minutes a day to attain physical and emotional health and wellbeing. The campaign lasts 28 days, starting April 3, and participants will receive bi-weekly email encouragement, foot care tips and the chance to win prizes.

The Walkabout campaign encourages Americans to get out and walk to or from work, take a leisurely stroll down your local path, talk the dog to the park or getting together with friends to walk and chat. Research shows that walking for just thirty minutes a day can help manage weight, lower blood pressure and improve circulation, all of which can prevent chronic health problems, like obesity and diabetes. Even though it’s too late to sign up as a participant, you can take it upon yourself to get healthy and walk for 30 minutes a day. If you need encouragement, get a group of friends together to walk with you and keep encouraging you to get healthy!

While you’re doing your 30 minute walk-a-day here are some tips on keeping your feet pain and problem free:

Wash regularly and use lukewarm, mild soapy solution to wash your feet and dry them with a clean towel.

Make sure your toes are dry too! When you are drying your feet, make sure to dry in between your toes to prevent the growth of unwanted bacteria.

Scrub your feet regularly, especially your heels, because it removes unwanted dead skin cells. After soaking feet in warm water, use a pumice stone or foot file to smooth calluses and rough patches.

Trim your toenails once a week and always cut the nails straight across to eliminate the chance of ingrown toe nails forming.

Moisturize with deep penetrating properties to help keep the skin agile and the soles soft.

Stretch to keep your blood circulating by taking the time to periodically point and flex your toes. Also stretch your calves, this will help keep the Achilles tendons and plantar fascia from tightening.

Keep your feet healthy and celebrate Foot Health Awareness Month by taking the time to walk 30 minutes a day, all while taking the necessary steps to make your feet the healthiest they’ve ever been! Good luck and get walkin’!

Source:

http://www.sfgate.com/business/prweb/article/Orthaheel-and-Dr-Andrew-Weil-Integrative-4405991.php

Natural Remedies for Anxiety

Anxiety is a huge problem today with all of the pressures everyday life puts on us. You’re upset about money, your job, your health, family, love, weight and whatever else may be weighing on your mind. Anxiety can play some serious mind games and cause more damage to our bodies than one could ever imagine. Just know that freaking out over these things is not uncommon. However, there are some natural remedies for anxiety that lessen the condition over time and some that can start working right away.

Once you start feeling the jitters something as simple and easy as a cup of chamomile tea can help calm you down. Some of the compounds in chamomile, like Matricaria recutita, bind to the brain receptors just like the drug Valium does. A study done at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia showed that people who took Chamomile supplements for 8 weeks had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to patients taking placebo.

Exercise is amazing for people with anxiety. It’s good for the brain and a powerful antidote to both depression and anxiety. The effects are immediate and last long term. Studies show that if you exercise on a daily basis you’ll have more self esteem and feel healthier. One of the leading causes of anxiety is worrying about illness and health, but that dissipates when you’re fit and feeling good. For those of you who aren’t big on exercise, the good news for you is that it only takes 21 minutes of exercise to reliably reduce anxiety, give or take a minute or 2.

Hop on a treadmill, elliptical or even take a brisk walk, then go home and drink some chamomile tea and you’ll feel like a new person. There are a plenty of other natural remedies that you can get a local health food or supplement store, all you have to do is a little research. Happy calming!

Source:

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/anxiety/photos/19-natural-remedies-anxiety#8