fitness

Fitness
1. Exercise is very useful for minimizing the 'plateau' effect of dieting, which occurs within a few weeks of starting a diet, as the body 'adjusts' to a lower calorie-intake.

2. Medical research shows that disease attributed to obesity is in many cases caused by inactivity rather than just being overweight. Enjoy life better at any weight by maintaining your active lifestyle.

3. Studies show that those who successfully lose and keep weight off don't do it just by dieting. Most typically burn about 500 calories a day with exercise rather than cutting more calories from their diet.

4. Approximately 60% of runners start running to manage their weight. With the exception of cross country skiing, running burns more calories per minute than any other form of cardiovascular exercise.

5. Running has been prescribed to patients by doctors who are at high risk, or early stages, of osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. Running regularly also has been proven to help fight the aging process.

6. Athletes who workout regularly have resting heart rates between 40-60 beats per minute while the average couch potato can be as high as 70-80 beats per minute. The more fit you get, the more efficient your body becomes and your resting heart rate can decrease.

7. Believe it or not, cold water is absorbed faster by your body than room temperature or body temperature water. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that water and other drinks be chilled when used for exercise.

8. Just 20 to 30 minutes a day of exercise and movement can make a difference in breaking those anxious or depressed mood cycles.

9. Exercise is one of the biggest anti-aging tools available and contributes to our health, physical appearance, functional ability, mental ability and emotional well being.

10. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's okay to exercise if you're sick and your symptoms are  "above the neck." Take it easy if your symptoms are "below the neck" (i.e. chest congestion or a hacking cough).

11. Start sprinting and increase your endurance. Just six workouts of 30-second sprints might be more effective at building endurance than an hour of daily moderate activity.

12. Use a buddy system when working out or starting a new exercise program. This will increase your motivation and confidence to push yourself to new limits.

13. Heart attack patients who exercise regularly had a 40% lower risk of death as well as a 50% reduction in succumbing to cardiovascular disease after five years, compared to those who didn't, according to the American Heart Association.

14. Research shows that physical activity is essential for heart health. In one study of over 5000 previously inactive men and women who began exercising on a regular basis and who were studied over a 16 year period after they began, reduced their risk factors by 40% versus the control group of non-active people.

15. Inline skating is a great aerobic workout that everyone can do to stay in shape. Taking a long leisurely skate, intense cardiovascular training or transportation on city streets, this sport builds strength in the upper leg, buttocks, hip and lower back.

16. Inhaling through our nose when we exercise warms the air we breathe. Cold air constricts our smaller passges and can mean less air and oxygen delivered to our cells.

17. Tired? Get up and move! Research shows that regular exercise plays a significant role in increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue. This also helps prevent or improve symptoms of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Nutrition
1. Preparing for the arrival of the avian flu, the U.S. government provided advice for making chicken safe to eat: Cook it to 74 C.

2. Sweating lots? Blame it on alcohol, spicy foods, garlic, cumin, caffeine, meats and hot drinks. Overactive thyroids, some cancers, obesity, menopause and some severe psychiatric conditions may also contribute to excessive sweating.

3. Think chicken is all healthy? Only if you say no to fried chicken patties, chicken fingers, nuggets and franks. Reserve chicken choices to broiling, roasting, baking or steaming.

4. Eggs, milk, fish, beef, peanuts, oats, rice, whole wheat products, corn products, soybean products, sesame seeds, peas, and beans are all good sources of protein.

5. Heal ulcers with fresh cabbage juice, lots of water and fiber. Cabbage, carrot, potatoes, bananas, and papayas are excellent in lowering acidity. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, chocolates, fats, fried foods, tobacco and cigarettes.

6. Stir-fry your vegetables. The short cooking time will maintain the nutritional value of the vegetables better than boiling or microwaving them.

7. According to the Mayo Clinic, it's okay to exercise if you're sick and your symptoms are  "above the neck." Take it easy if your symptoms are "below the neck" (i.e. chest congestion or a hacking cough).

8. Nothing quells the appetite like lots of water. Yes, you will have to make more frequent trips to the bathroom, but it is worth it. Drink your 64 ounces of water before dinner, if possible, so you're not up half the night going to the bathroom.

9. Prepare a list and shop on a full stomach before heading to the grocery store. Shop with the season and avoid packaged and processed foods.

10. Studies indicate less wrinkling on subjects who consume mostly vegetables, olive oil, fish, legumes, fruits, whole grains, low-fat milk products, water, and tea. Those who prefer red meat, sugar, soft drinks and full-fat milk show more wrinkling and skin damage.

11. Egg yolk color is determined by the type of feed a hen eats. A wheat-based diet produces a pale yellow yolk, while a corn or alfalfa-based diet yields a darker yellow yolk. Yolk color does not indicate egg quality, freshness or nutritional value.

12. Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed. Commercial sprays and washes sold for cleaning vegetables aren't any better than cleaning thoroughly with plain water, so save your money.

13. Fruit and protein smoothies are a fun and delicious way to get great nutrition from something that tastes more like a treat. The simplest smoothies blend chunks of fruit with a bit of milk or yogurt and protein powder.

14. Hot, spicy foods containing chillies or cayenne pepper trigger endorphins, the feel-good hormones. Endorphins have a powerful, almost narcotic, effect and bring a feeling of well-being after exercising.

15. Although any food can potentially trigger an allergy, 90 percent of life-threatening reactions are caused by peanuts, eggs, milk, wheat, nuts, soy, fish and shellfish. In highly allergic people, even minute amounts can prompt an allergic reaction.

16. Your 10,000 (5,000 if you're over 40) taste buds have a memory and are replaced every 21 days. If you are trying to change your food preferences, hopefully to a healthier choice, keep in mind that it may take up to 3 weeks to adjust.

17. One of the main reasons we crave carbs is to compensate for a reduction in serotonin levels. Carbs elevate serotonin by stimulating insulin levels which ultimately drive the amino acid tryptophan, the building block of serotonin, into the brain.

18. Garlic, onions and chives contain allylic sulphides that prevent excessive clotting. Since many scientists now assume infection causes hardening of the arteries and heart disease, the antimicrobial effects of garlic may prevent infection.

19. Drinking one or two glasses of red wine each day with dinner will provide you with a potent preventive compound called resveratrol. Drinking more than this amount will not give additional benefits and could be detrimental to heart health.

20. A recent study of 40,000 Japanese participants found that those who consumed more than 5 cups of green tea a day had a 26% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who consumed less than one cup per day.

21. Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water. All tea (including black, red and green tea) contains polyphenol catechins. Green tea, in particular, has been touted heavily for its potential role in preventing cancer and heart disease.

22. Empty calories describe foods high in calories but low in nutritional values such as deep fried foods, sweetened packaged foods, alcoholic beverages, refined grains such as crackers, cookies, white rice and white bread.

23. Campbell's Chunky, Select, and red-and-white-label condensed soups are brimming with salt; half a can averages more than half of a person's daily quota of salt. Switch to Healthy Choice and Campbell's Healthy Request, which have less than half as much sodium.

24. Spices, especially turmeric and rosemary, contain powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients that help neutralize cancer risk.

25. Studies show that eating more vegetables and less meat significantly reduces your risk of cancer. If you're a big meat eater, start small and try going vegetarian one day a week.

26. Turmeric has been valued for thousands of years in India, China and Southeast Asia as a cleansing herb for the whole body and as a remedy for minor wounds, poor digestion, arthritis, jaundice, inflammation, and pain.

27. Pomegranate juice is higher in free-radical fighting antioxidants than blueberry, cranberry or orange juices, green tea and even red wine.

28. New research suggests that the Mediterranean diet, which traditionally contains higher levels of fresh fruit and vegetables, may reduce children's risk of asthma by up to 80 percent. This benefit is thought to be linked to the vitamins and antioxidants which they contain.

29. A new study suggests salt could be to blame for 25% or more of heart attacks, strokes and coronary artery disease. People who ate a salt-reduced diet were 25-30% less likely to develop cardiovascular problems after 10-15 years follow-up. They also had a 20-per-cent lower risk of dying in the follow-up period.

30. The humble blackberry may be the best cancer-fighting food source in the world, according to 2 new studies on the subject. Blackberries ranked at the top of a long list of antioxidant-rich foods, including walnuts, strawberries, blueberries, artichokes, cranberries, coffee, raspberries, pecans and ground cloves.

31. A traditional home remedy for colds is to eat two cloves of raw garlic at the onset of symptoms. If you swallow chopped garlic but don't chew it, it's said the garlic odour won't stay on your breath. 

Weight Loss
1. The best time to begin a diet program is when you have the time, attention and the right attitude to devote to the new diet. A positive outlook about the outcome of your new diet will keep you focused and help you stick to it.

2. In a recent 15-year study, those who ate fast food twice a week or more weighed 10 pounds more over those who ate fast food less than once a week. The same people had more than double the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

3. Take before and after photos and write down everything you eat and drink for at least 21 days so you learn your current eating habits.

4. Super-size filling foods like fruits and vegetables which contain a lot of water and fiber and can quickly fill you up. Try a variety to keep your diet interesting.

5. People who eat more protein tend to be satisfied with less food.  A peptide called PYY that governs satiety in our bodies released in the intestines is turned on with protein, especially for the overweight.

6. Excess weight is often due to fluid retention. To eliminate excess fluid, restrict your salt intake, drink more water, exercise, and eat more fruit, especially cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, and bananas, which contain water-eliminating potassium.

7. 12. Multi-task your muscles and burn calories with compound exercises that require more than one muscle and joint to move. Push-ups fall into this category because the chest, the back of your arms, front of your shoulders, and abs get a good workout by playing an assisting role.  

8. To burn off the calories in a McDonald's double cheeseburger (460 calories), a 150-pound person would have to do moderate-intensity aerobics for one hour! Would you like fries and a shake with that? 

9. Eating every 3-4 hours keeps our blood sugar levels steady which helps to avoid sugar cravings and overeating. It's also healthier to eat often which benefits us by making us feel more satisfied at the end of the day.

10. Inline skating at a comfortable pace for a steady 30 minute period burns 285 calories. Interval skating, 1 minute of hard skating in a tuck position and 1 minute of easy skating upright burns more than 450 calories in the same 30 minutes.

11. Eating the right low-calorie breakfast helps keep calorie and fat consumption in check during the day. Researchers found that those who ate a scrambled egg and toast with fruit spread for breakfast ate 22% fewer calories and 15% less fat than those who ate a bagel with cream cheese and yogurt.

12. Using Nordic poles when walking burns up to 40% more calories than normal walking. Nordic walking stimulates the chest, triceps, biceps, shoulders, abdominals, while applying less stress on the shins, knees, hips and back.

13. Take up incline walking to burn calories. A modes 3%-8% incline can increase calorie burn by 20%. Walking up a 15% slope uses about 1/3 more energy than walking on a flat surface.

General Well-Being
1. Don't forget your sunblock! Ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging. UVA and UVB radiation can cause wrinkles, lowered immunity against infection, aging skin disorders, and cancer.

2. A recent study found that listening to music daily reduced chronic pain, made people feel more in control of their pain, reduced depression, and made people feel less disabled by their condition.

3. If your work involves gazing at a computer monitor for long hours, remember to blink your eyes often to relieve strain. Look out into the distance for a few seconds every 20-30 minutes.

4. Having a good sob is reputed to be good for you. So is laughter, which has been shown to help heal bodies, as well as broken hearts. Studies in Japan indicate that laughter boosts the immune system and helps the body shake off allergic reactions.

5. An inexpensive way of adding humidity to the air is to place pans of water around your living space or keep some water in your sinks and bathtubs. As the water evaporates, it will add moisture to the air in the dry, winter months.

6. Not only is the immune system boosted when we laugh, but natural killer cells - which fight some cancers - are increased when we laugh. Laughter helps with the dilation of blood vessels, specifically the cardiovascular system.

7. Acupuncture is an ancient healing technique that originated in China over 2000 years ago. It's used to treat many conditions such as pain, digestive disorders, insomnia, anxiety, and nausea, depression, addiction, etc.

8. Colorectal cancer is the 2nd most common cause of cancer-related death in the US. This cancer can often be prevented, but only a third of these newly diagnosed cancers are caught early, suggesting more people over 50 should see their doctors for a colonoscopy.

9. What you focus on determines your reality. Try not to let a few bad events determine how you feel about your whole day. Often, good events go unnoticed. Focus on those positive things about the day you may have taken for granted.

10. Instead of focusing on your problems, volunteer your time to help a friend, family member or neighbour. You'll feel better about making a difference in someone else's life and it will get you out of your self-focused thinking.

11. Don't dwell on all the things that went wrong. Train your brain to think about solutions. What can you do about the problems you encountered? What actions can you take, starting today?

12. Several studies show that pets may be the best stress reliever and can add up to 2 years to our lives! Pets help improve the environment (working or living), mental health and mood.