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eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Don’t think of your workout as work and you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Maybe you love the water. Well, swimming can be great exercise. Remember, exercise comes in many forms: yoga, line dancing, hiking, belly-dancing, spinning, step aerobics, volleyball, skiing. If you enjoy the activity, you’ll be apt to make exercise a regular part of your schedule. Fitness Bad back and weak abs, try Pilates! This workout will help to strengthen the muscles of the core which include every muscle below the neck and above the hips. Pilates exercises develop pelvic stability, abdominal control and help to reduce back pain. Added benefits include flexibility and joint mobility as well as enhanced total body muscle endurance."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet The %DVs (percent daily values) are based on recommendations for a 2,000-calorie diet. For labeling purposes, the FDA sets 2,000 calories as the reference amount for calculating %DVs. When you read a food label, the %DV shows you the percent (or how much) of the recommended daily amount of a nutrient is in a serving of food. By using the %DV, you can tell if this amount is high or low in total fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, carbs, protein, etc. Fitness Pay special attention to tight areas. Often the shoulders, chest, hamstrings and hips are particularly tight, but you may also hold tension in other areas, depending on your history of injuries and the existing imbalances in your muscle groups. Unless you tailor your flexibility training to your strengths and weaknesses, you may stretch already overstretched muscles and miss areas that need training."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Only 1% of all adults have true food allergies. A food allergy occurs when a person’s immune system has an adverse reaction to a certain food. For example, a person with a milk allergy must avoid all milk products. Even the smallest amount of milk found in a baked item may cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms can range from a tingling sensation in the mouth to difficulty breathing! Fitness Get on the ball! Fitness balls are a great way to get an effective strength workout while having fun. Fitness balls require the core muscles of the body (abs, obliques, and lower back) to work in order to stabilize the body. There are 4 sizes to choose from depending on your height. Inflate properly and a fit ball can be used for an endless number of exercises."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Adequate rest is an important part of the equation for good health. Most adults need 8 hours of sleep to perform quality work, handle everyday stress, and rejuvenate for the next day. Follow a similar sleep schedule every day. Go to bed and wake up around the same time on a daily basis. Use your bed for sleeping, not reading or watching television. Avoid eating a heavy meal just before bedtime. Fitness Train like a boxer! Jumping rope is a great cardio choice when time and space are limited, and it doesn’t take much to get started. By jumping rope at a moderate pace, you can burn as much as 200 calories in 15 minutes. All you need is a good pair of supportive sneakers and a jump rope. Once you have mastered the basic jumping movements, you can get creative. Turn on some music and go for it!"
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "“Natural” vitamins are not necessarily superior to generic vitamins. The body recognizes the vitamin and uses as needed, regardless of whether it’s synthetic or made from “natural” ingredients. The letters “USP” on a supplement shows that the supplement meets voluntary standards of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. Major vitamin brands can cost more than generic brands even if they have identical content. Fitness Listen to your body. Stretching is an individual thing. Pay attention to your body’s signals and don’t push too far. Avoid bouncy stretching and jerking movements to gain momentum; this approach can be dangerous. Instead, slowly stretch your muscles to the end point of movement and hold the stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Older adults, pregnant women and people with injuries may need to take special precautions."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Read the nutrition label on all packaged foods. The most important information is the serving size. Remember, if you eat double the serving size listed, you’re consuming double the calories, fat and nutrients. If you eat half the size shown, you’re consuming half the calories and nutrients. Just because it looks like one serving doesn’t mean it is. Fitness Yoga improves performance. Yoga is great way to relax but it also can help you improve your ability to carry out activities of daily living. The regular practice of yoga will enhance agility, balance and coordination as well as core strength and total body flexibility. Coaches have caught on and yoga is now implemented with athletes of all levels."
Butter vs. Margarine
Margarine or butter? From Agora Lifestyle Limited's Health Sciences Institute e-Alert If you answered "butter," I've got some information that will make you glad you did. Last week an me-Alert reader sent me an e-mail that had been forwarded multiple times, but appears to have originated from Dr L. Eugene Arnold; a Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Ohio State University in the US. Here's what Dr. Arnold writes: "Do you know the difference between margarine and butter? * Both have the same amount of calories. * Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams. * Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. * Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods. * Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added! * For most people, butter tastes better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods. (The best flavour claim margarine can make in ads is that it tastes the same as butter.) * Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years. "And now, for Margarine... * Very high in trans fatty acids. * Triple risk of coronary heart disease. * Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) * Lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol). * Increases the risk of cancers by up to five fold. * Lowers quality of breast milk. * Decreases immune response. * Decreases insulin response. "And here is the part that is very interesting! Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC. This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance). "You can try this yourself: purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things: no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something). It does not rot or smell differently. Nothing will grow on it - not even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast? "Share This With Your Friends - (Butter them up.) "Additional info: Children who eat butter or drink whole milk with butterfat have better resistance to infection. "P.S. This was not sponsored by the dairy industry." I've heard some of these facts before, but some of them were new to me, so I asked HSI Panelist Dr Allan Spreen for his take on the list, and he didn't hesitate: "Absolutely true. The guy's read my book. In it, I call margarine 'plastic butter.' It's very, very bad stuff. I cheat and have to drink city water sometimes. But I try never to do that with margarine."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Sugar comes in many forms so read nutritional labels carefully. The first ingredient listed will be the largest amount. These terms are all the same as sugar: sucrose, dextrose, maltose, brown sugar, honey, malt, fruit juice, fruit juice concentrate, maple syrup, rice syrup, and brown rice syrup. Fitness Use free weights all the time? Change up your program by using machines. They will help you regain proper form and technique that's usually lost over time. And you can be like Arnold because with machines you get to lift more weight."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Be a smart consumer. USDA language can be tricky – so you need to be knowledgeable. Reduced fat doesn’t necessarily mean low fat. Products labeled “low fat” contain three grams or less of fat per serving. “Reduced fat” means a serving will contain 25% less fat than the original. If the original has 10 grams of fat per serving, the reduced fat version has 7.5 grams of fat. Fitness Guys can get cramps too! To avoid stomach cramps during exercise, avoid caffeine, limit dairy foods and wait at least one hour after eating to workout. Being nervous while jumping around in a high impact activity can also upset your stomach, so chill out. Try deep breathing to relax and do intervals of high and low impact activities."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Be a smart consumer. USDA language can be tricky – so you need to be knowledgeable. Reduced fat doesn’t necessarily mean low fat. Products labeled “low fat” contain three grams or less of fat per serving. “Reduced fat” means a serving will contain 25% less fat than the original. If the original has 10 grams of fat per serving, the reduced fat version has 7.5 grams of fat. Fitness Guys can get cramps too! To avoid stomach cramps during exercise, avoid caffeine, limit dairy foods and wait at least one hour after eating to workout. Being nervous while jumping around in a high impact activity can also upset your stomach, so chill out. Try deep breathing to relax and do intervals of high and low impact activities."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet You can go too low. Diets with too few calories set you up for failure in two ways. First, your metabolism will respond to too few calories by sending your body into starvation mode. Second, you cannot maintain starvation for very long. You may lose weight, but you’ll feel weak, suffer from headaches and have difficulty concentrating. The pain is not worth the gain. Fitness If you get shin splints, you can usually take care of them yourself. Apply ice for 20 minutes twice a day. Reduce your walking, jogging or any impact activities then gradually increase your time each week. Cross train with non- and low- impact exercises like swimming, rowing and cycling. Healing time can take 3 to 6 weeks. If your symptoms don’t go away, consult your docto Publishr as it could be something more serious."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Drink your milk. If you prefer nonfat milk, but find it somewhat watery, make it creamier by adding one cup of nonfat dried milk to one quart of nonfat liquid milk. This will improve the texture and increase the protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamins A and D. If you’re lactose-intolerant, try lactase-fortified milk or soy milk. Yogurt and soy yogurt are also good sources of bone-healthy minerals. Fitness It’s not a good idea to save all your exercise and activity for the weekend. Being a slug during the weekdays and then playing a vigorous game like basketball or doing a strenuous day of yard work on the weekend can increase your risk of heart attack. This is especially true if you have other risk factors for heart disease. It’s a much better strategy to exercise moderately throughout the week. And more fun too."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Set realistic goals. Successful weight loss achievers don’t fit society's definition of thin. When you make goals that are impossible, you set yourself up for failure and disappointment. That’s because even if you do reach that goal, it won’t be permanent. Successful losers set a goal for a weight that's both realistic and maintainable. Fitness It’s like a drug, man. And you need it. Studies show there is a significant DECREASE in self-esteem when people stop exercising. Doing cardiovascular activities or strengthening combined with stretching produce equal INCREASES in self-esteem. And best of all, it’s legal."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet February is National Cherry Month. Cherries are a great source of vitamin A, potassium and fiber. They also contain relatively few calories when they are unsweetened. One ½-cup serving contains about 30 calories, 1 gram of fiber, 85 milligrams of potassium and 6 grams of carbohydrate. A serving also counts toward your “5-a-day” servings of fruits and veggies. Fitness Were you born a travelin’ man? If you’re spending the night on the road and want to get the blood pumping, try the following moves in your room: one leg lunges, wall sits, chair dips, crunches, push-ups and back extensions. They’ll stimulate the major muscle groups and give you a quick burst. And it’s cheaper than turning on the vibrating bed."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Make this year’s Valentine’s Day gift heart-healthy. If you give chocolate, make it dark chocolate, not milk chocolate. Dutch researchers indicate that dark chocolate contains four times the amount of catechin antioxidants as black tea (which is thought to be protective against heart disease and possibly cancer due to its antioxidant properties). So, indulge occasionally, but make it dark chocolate. Fitness A little sweat is a good thing, but you don’t want to keel over from heat exhaustion when you’re exercising outdoors in warm weather. Keep the heavy sweats in the drawer. Wear light colored, loose fitting clothing made of absorbent fabrics that wick away sweat. Wear UVA and UVB protection sunscreen with a factor of 15 or higher. Wear a breathable hat. Freeze a plastic bottle half full with water and top it up with water for the workout. And stop if you feel dizzy."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet When dining out, make sure you’re not eating two servings. It's easy to consume a meal’s worth of calories before your entrée ever arrives. Eat a small healthy snack before you get to the restaurant to keep you from getting hungry. Ask the waiter to serve the salad before you even order. If no one at the table objects, ask the server not to bring bread to the table until he serves the food. Fitness What’s happening between your legs? You may think that inner thigh work is for girls, but surprisingly the inner thighs are one of the largest and longest muscle groups. Having strong inner thighs will give you more balance in your legs and make them appear larger. Sometimes, size matters."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Recent studies indicate soy protein helps lower LDL or bad cholesterol. Soy protein can be a great substitute for people trying to cut back on animal protein. Several studies point to compounds in soy called isoflavones as the real heart-savers. Buy soy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D for best nutrition. Enjoy roasted soy nuts, tempeh, and tofu, soymilk and soy yogurt. Fitness Like you need reasons to take up road cycling! Here are some anyway. You burn about 475 calories per hour. It tightens your butt and leg muscles. It sounds impressive when you say you did 20 miles this morning. Not to mention, you have an excuse to wear Lycra in public."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Manage your food cravings by being proactive. Your body produces endorphins when you do aerobic exercise -- which means getting your heart rate up. Aerobic exercise produces endorphins, body chemicals that induce euphoric and pleasurable feelings. These are the same chemicals produced in response to eating fat/sweet foods. Choose exercise instead of chocolate. Fitness Swimming is no fun if you keep getting water in your goggles. Look for a pair that creates a little bit of suction when you press the eye pieces around your eyes. Then adjust the nose piece so that it fits comfortably. Adjustable capabilities in the nose piece and straps are the best way to go."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Health experts recommend incorporating activities that strengthen your muscles, tendons and bones. Known as resistance training, this type of exercise is equally important for maintaining good health. Your metabolism functions more efficiently when your body has more lean muscle. Ward off potential osteoporosis by doing weight-bearing exercises like push-ups, pull-ups and wall presses at least 3-4 times a week. Fitness Remember the five food groups? Well, fitness has 5 groups too: muscle strength, muscle endurance, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility and body composition. To get a balanced athletic body, you need to have a balanced “diet” of exercise. But in this case, it’s ok to stretch between meals."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet An expert panel from the Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend that every U.S. adult burn approximately 200 calories daily (which translates to approximately 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity). It is interesting to realize the recommendation includes short bouts of activity as long as the total equals 30 minutes. The benefits of 30 minutes of physical activity daily include a lower risk of chronic disease and increases in fitness. Fitness Try before you buy. The best piece of exercise equipment to buy is the one you’re going to use. Consider renting something for a month from a store that sells reconditioned equipment so you can test it out. When you ARE ready to buy, check out our company store for some specially priced items for eFitness members."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Portion size counts! Foreign visitors are amazed at the amount of food served in American homes and eateries. Foods adopted from foreign countries like croissants and bagels have grown to double or triple their original size, and the native muffin has ballooned from a standard ounce-and-half to as much as eight ounces today. Read nutritional labels to make sure you’re only consuming one serving. Fitness It’s the meat AND the motion. To lose fat, you need to do more than exercise. With exercise alone, it’s going to be a very long, slow process. It takes about 3,500 calories to lose a pound. You’d have to walk about 44 miles to lose that one pound. So eat less too. Combining exercise with decreasing your caloric intake is going to get you results a lot quicker."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Your metabolism is genetically programmed. However, you can change your metabolism by changing your body composition. Build lean muscle mass through light weight training, and make your body more metabolically active. Muscular people burn more calories sitting still than those with less muscle mass and more body fat. Fitness In this case it’s all about pace. Doing too much too quickly is why weekend warriors become couch potatoes during the week. Start out your exercise program slowly. Walking is one of the easiest ways, but any activity you enjoy will do. Start out with 10 – 15 minutes each day and after a week or two, gradually increase the duration, then the intensity."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet High-fiber diets reduce health risks, including the incidence of certain cancers, obesity and possibly high blood cholesterol. The American Dietetic Association recommends a daily dose of 20 to 35 grams of fiber. Most Americans are eating only 12 to 17 grams of fiber each day. Choose high-fiber whole grains, whole grain breads and legumes, and whole fruit and vegetables. Fitness Are you effectively hydrating yourself after a workout? You retain 100% of the water you drink from fruit juice, herbal tea and decaffeinated coffee or tea. You retain 50% of the water from caffeinated drinks like coffee and sodas. But 0% of water is retained from alcohol. So forget the post-game beer."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet All carbohydrates aren’t created equal. Simple carbohydrates or simple sugars are absorbed into your blood quickly and provide instant energy. They usually contain little fiber or important nutrients. Making simple sugars a regular part of your diet can have health consequences, including weight gain. Go for complex carbs in whole fruit, whole grains and legumes, vegetables and salads. Fitness Wash it down with water. 8 glasses each day will help prevent urinary track infections, kidney stones, reduce your risk of bladder and colon cancer by 50%, and help prevent constipation. And if all that weren’t enough, it may even help you pass up on snacks because it gives you a full feeling."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet All carbohydrates aren’t created equal. Simple carbohydrates or simple sugars are absorbed into your blood quickly and provide instant energy. They usually contain little fiber or important nutrients. Making simple sugars a regular part of your diet can have health consequences, including weight gain. Go for complex carbs in whole fruit, whole grains and legumes, vegetables and salads. Fitness Wash it down with water. 8 glasses each day will help prevent urinary track infections, kidney stones, reduce your risk of bladder and colon cancer by 50%, and help prevent constipation. And if all that weren’t enough, it may even help you pass up on snacks because it gives you a full feeling."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet The best advice for air travel is to pack your lunch. Airport food is unreliable, and you may not be able to find food that fits into your plan. By bringing your own grab bag of goodies, you’ll have a healthy and nutritious meal to tide you over until you get to your destination. Pack a sandwich for starters. Whole fruit and baggies of nuts also travel well. Fitness If you have arthritis, here are some tips for relief. Maintain good posture to equally distribute stress throughout the joints. Don’t overdo it. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition and overuse can cause flare-ups. Use proper muscle groups when lifting, store things at a comfortable level and exercise frequently to prevent muscles and joints from getting stiff. But don’t forget to rest too."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet The best advice for air travel is to pack your lunch. Airport food is unreliable, and you may not be able to find food that fits into your plan. By bringing your own grab bag of goodies, you’ll have a healthy and nutritious meal to tide you over until you get to your destination. Pack a sandwich for starters. Whole fruit and baggies of nuts also travel well. Fitness If you have arthritis, here are some tips for relief. Maintain good posture to equally distribute stress throughout the joints. Don’t overdo it. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition and overuse can cause flare-ups. Use proper muscle groups when lifting, store things at a comfortable level and exercise frequently to prevent muscles and joints from getting stiff. But don’t forget to rest too."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet Enjoy fresh or frozen vegetables, depending on your preferences, lifestyle and budget. The nutrient content of raw and cooked veggies is similar, but cooking some vegetables increases the nutrient content over raw. When vegetables are cooked, the body uses minute phytochemicals called antioxidants to repair cell damage caused by “free radicals,” toxic byproducts of normal metabolism and the environment. Fitness Persist at a steady pace and be patient. If you are trying a new activity and are unfamiliar with the skill, take some time to practice. Your body isn’t used to the new movement patterns and needs to adapt neurologically, physiologically and mentally. Getting a good night's sleep and reviewing the new skills in your mind will help the coordination between your mind and body."
eDiets.com - News - tip of the day: "Health and Diet The American Heart Association says you can take steps to lower your risk for heart disease. Reduce high blood cholesterol levels. Follow a healthy diet, especially one that is low in total fat, saturated fat and calories. Quit smoking. Lose excess weight, especially around the abdomen. Increase physical activity. Control high blood pressure. Fitness Stop heartburn before it stops you. To avoid heartburn (also known as acid reflux) make sure you workout before dinner and try to eat light meals throughout the day. Don’t eat within 3 hours of bedtime and avoid fatty greasy foods. Well, to be honest, you shouldn’t be eating that junk at ANY time of the day."
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