Trying to sort through the overwhelming amount of healthy eating advice out there can leave you feeling frustrated and confused…and possibly just reaching for any old thing to satisfy your hunger. Although the experts can’t seem to agree on the best diets to stick to (go Mediterranean! Avoid Atkins!), which foods to avoid (Eat eggs! Don’t eat eggs!), there does seem to be an agreement on foods that you can add to your diet that are good for you and provide health benefits such as disease prevention, reducing the signs of aging, or giving your body a good dose of nutrients and antioxidants. Pile these foods on your plate today for a longer, healthier life!
Berries. It’s the perfect time of year to indulge in the berry harvest. These little nutrition superstars, such as blueberries, blackberries, cherries, strawberries and raspberries, are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. They can satisfy your sweet tooth without added sugar or added ingredients, too.
Avocadoes. You may only hear about avocadoes being high in fat, but don’t let that deter you from enjoying a snack made with these little gems, because they are full of healthy fats. Avocadoes also help your body hold on to the nutrients it takes in, so pairing them with other healthy choices really packs a nutritional punch.
Greek Yogurt. Once this yogurt burst onto the nutrition scene, there was no going back. It’s packed with protein, but light on the sugar. Plus, it has healthy “probiotics” that can help boost your immune system. People who are lactose intolerant will appreciate that it has low levels of lactose so you can enjoy it without worry.
Cinnamon. This spice makes food taste so delicious; you may forget that cinnamon itself offers a host of health benefits. Eating a little bit every day can help your body keep blood sugar in check. Also, cinnamon can help suppress your appetite, so try adding a little to your meals where appropriate if you are losing or trying to maintain your weight.
Nuts. They have a mixed reputation because they contain fat, but this is one of those cases where the good outweighs the bad. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews…no matter which variety is your favorite, enjoying a handful as a snack gives your body necessary antioxidants, vitamins and protein. Plus, nuts help you feel full, so you won’t be reaching for another snack when your stomach starts rumbling.
Healthy Foods to Add to Your Plate Today
June 13th, 2013 
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Bonus Benefits of Being Healthy
June 10th, 2013 admin Being at your optimal peak of health is important for longevity and quality of life. You may take all the necessary steps to good health like not smoking, drinking plenty of water or brushing your teeth after each meal. However, you may not know that some of the basic habits you do every day have hidden benefits that can boost your overall health even further. Check out some of the surprising ways your healthy habits work to keep you feeling younger and healthier.
Smoking is damaging for many reasons: they way it can make your skin, teeth and lips look old, the way it can cause lung, throat, mouth and other types of cancer, and the effect it can have on people around a smoker who inhale the secondhand smoke. However, it causes hidden damage, too…to your brain! Smoking may limit the amount of blood that goes to the brain, leaving smokers open for memory problems. Quitting smoking starts to reverse the damage quickly, and people who have quit have seen a measured increase in their memory in studies.
Brushing your teeth is important for many reasons: preventing gum disease, keeping your teeth white and your breath fresh, and . . . preventing heart attacks? Brushing your teeth regularly and seeing the dentist twice a year, especially if you are a woman, have been shown to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack. Why is this? People who have gum disease are more at risk for cardiovascular issues because the bacteria from the mouth travels to the bloodstream, where it can wreak havoc on arteries. A dentist will be able to monitor your risk during your dental visits, so visiting the dentist might help save your life!
Eat carrots for eye health, right? How about seafood? The omega-3′s in fish, nuts and oil can help save your eyes as you age. We all have heard of people who say they had perfect vision in their 20′s, but needed glasses by the time they were in their 50′s. This is because the muscles in the eyes weaken with age, making it hard for older people to focus. Eating fish can help protect against the decline in the eye as people age, and as a bonus, the omega-3′s in fish like salmon also help your heart and memory.
Working out regularly is beneficial, no matter how you look at it. But certain types of workouts have added benefits. Making sure you have strong core muscles, with a workout such as Pilates, using an exercise ball, or doing strength training exercises that work the back, stomach and surrounding muscles, can actually help you perform other workouts better. Strengthening core muscles gives you better stability and helps keep you from injuring yourself when you engage the wrong muscles to compensate for a weak core. This is particularly important for people who run, and can help runners go faster. Another workout with a side benefit is yoga. The poses you do in your yoga class improve your balance, which is very important as you age and your sense of balance starts to go. In fact, one of the leading causes of death in older adults is falls! That Tree pose can help improve your life in more ways than one!
Sticking to the healthy habits you’ve already put in place in your life is not only important for good health and longevity, it can also provide you with other healthy benefits that can help you prevent disease and increase the quality of your life as you age!
Anti-Aging Summer Fruits
June 7th, 2013 admin Nothing says summer quite like a delicious, ripe berry, or a juicy piece of fruit. Luckily, those sweet summer treats are also healthy and have the potential to provide important anti-aging benefits. Go ahead, indulge in these fruits of summer. Your body will thank you!
Blackberries. Since fruits and vegetables with deep color are more beneficial, you should already know that these dark purple treats are loaded with good-for-you cred. In fact, they are in the top ten list of antioxidant-rich foods! The specific antioxidants in blackberries can help with memory, urinary tract health, and preventing certain cancers. The compounds in this tart berry can also help protect skin from sun damage.
Watermelon. You know bananas are loaded with potassium, but did you know that watermelon is also loaded with this nutrient that can help control blood pressure and prevent strokes? The potassium in watermelons also helps control heart disease and cancer.
Strawberries. These berries are the fruit with one of the highest amount of antioxidants. The benefits of strawberries include reversing skin damage that occurs with age, and protecting your skin from the ravages of everyday exposure to the sun and other environmental concerns. Also, strawberries can help you have younger teeth! The acid in the berries help combat staining, making your teeth look clean and younger.
Coconut. Coconuts come from the palm tree, also known as the Tree of Life. This is good news for those of us who like delicious foods and want to look and feel younger. There are a whole collection of characteristics that make coconuts special: they are antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial. Also, coconuts contain calcium, potassium, magnesium and electrolytes. You can also use coconut oil as a skincare product. Rubbing it on your skin can help slow down aging, and protect you from free radicals.
These are just a few examples of fruits that provide lasting anti-aging benefits. Getting them when they are in-season and at the peak of freshness is better for you and better for the farmers who grow them, too. Plus, great treats like fresh cherries (which reduce inflammation), sweet pineapple (which help prevent the spread of cancer cells), or blueberries (which help prevent memory problems) are a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Burn Fat the Right Way For Good Health
June 4th, 2013 admin When it comes to losing fat, it seems the prevailing advice is either too hard (eat a perfect diet and work out all the time) or too easy (take a pill that melts away fat!) In truth, the real solution is somewhere in between those two extremes, and can be different for each individual depending on age, weight, fitness level, etc. If you are aiming to specifically target fat and help speed up the process of losing it for a leaner, healthier look, there are proven and effective ways to do that.
Drink plenty of water. People who reach for water as opposed to soda, juice, wine, or other drinks are doing their body a big favor, and potentially burning more fat, too. While most drinks give you added sugar or calories, water actually helps increase your metabolism when you drink about 2 glasses. A recent study found that 10 minutes after subjects drank water, their metabolism increased by 30%!
Lift weights. More muscle equals better fat burning, since muscle can actually burn nine times more calories than fat can. When you lift weights regularly, your body is better able to burn fat, even when sitting still! Plus, when you weight train, the benefits last for a few hours afterward, so your body is still working to burn off fat even after the workout has ended.
Go fishing. People who eat fish often – about four servings a week – have lower levels of leptin, a hormone, than people who don’t. Leptin is actually associated with obesity and a slow metabolism, so reduceing your levels is good for your health, and fish like salmon and tuna helps you do this.
Milk really does your body good. Dairy products may get a bad rap every now and then – and really do cause problems for people who are lactose intolerant – but eating low-fat dairy has actually been proven to help people lose fat. Having yogurt, cheese and milk (of the low-fat variety, of course) is one trick that can help you lose those few pounds that are hanging on.
There’s no magic solution to having a lean, toned, healthy body at any age. It does take work and discipline. The rewards are well worth it though, when you know you’re going to be living a longer, healthier life. It doesn’t have to be all hard work, however, with a few easy fat burning tricks up your sleeve!
More Football Players Using HGH as Proposed Mandatory Testing Remains Stalled
May 31st, 2013 admin HGH is making another appearance in mainstream media this month, this time in the NFL, closely following the news of legal proceedings from golfer Vijay Singh against the PGA Tour over their treatment of him after his admission that he used Deer-Antler Spray. Even though a testing program isn’t yet in place, it seems players in the National Football League are using HGH to boost their performance. This news comes on the tail end of months of back and forth debate about the drug testing program the NFL was supposed to have in place. Instead, the player’s union and the league are at a deadlock on the issue of HGH testing due to the perceived fairness of the testing procedure. An article recently published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel asserts that HGH use among football players is very common, despite the fact that an HGH drug test could be looming.
One anonymous player talked to the paper, and told the reporter that as many as 10-15 players per team use HGH to help them enhance their game. HGH can increase lean muscle in an athlete, plus it has been used by many injured athletes to help them recover faster, allowing them to quickly get back in the game. NFL players, who rely on strong muscles to train hard and play even harder, take advantage of HGH’s ability to help them increase their muscle mass. Doctors and surgeons who work with athletes agree that HGH has been proven to give people increased muscle mass and help regulate the growth of muscles. Athletes look to HGH to help them enhance their performance through physical changes in the body.
Especially for athletes whose livelihood relies on their physical performance on the field, or on their ability to recover quickly from injuries so they can return to their sport, HGH is a way to ensure careers keep moving forward, paychecks are received and games are played well. And as the standoff between the NFL and the NFL Player’s Association continues over the issue of testing for HGH, athletes are continuing to use it in growing numbers. The issue at hand seems to be the validity of the proposed testing procedure, although scientists and agencies like the World Anti-Doping Agency stand behind the test’s validity.
So what is the true reason for the delay in the implementation of testing procedures? Many feel that because so many athletes use HGH, once testing was in place, so many would test positive for the substance that it would cast a negative light on the sport, the testing, and HGH itself. Clearly, athletes are taking HGH because they believe it works. Athletes in other sports, like cycling, baseball and golf, have taken HGH for the same reason. And many feel that because HGH is something that is produced naturally in the body, taking an HGH supplement isn’t a bad thing, it’s just giving the body a boost of what it already has.
The Power of Pilates
May 29th, 2013 admin It’s a word that’s tossed around in the fitness world quite a bit, but could be intimidating if you’ve never tried it before: Pilates. The choice of top athletes and celebrities for achieving a strong, fit and toned body-it’s one workout that has stood the test of time and helped countless people get the body they’ve always dreamed of. What is Pilates, and how can it benefit you?
What is Pilates?
Pilates was created in the 1920’s by founder Joseph Pilates. It’s a series of movements designed build strength, improve flexibility and help people recover from injuries. Some of the movements are designed to be done with a special apparatus and some can be done using the body’s own resistance on a floor mat. Pilates instructors are specially trained to be able to help students through the movements using proper form and technique.
What Are the Benefits?
When done correctly and consistently, Pilates offers a host of benefits. Your body will appear leaner and longer, and your muscles will have noticeable tone and definition without looking bulky. Many athletes in other sports find Pilates to be a useful tool in helping them enhance their performance in their sport. Adding Pilates to a training regimen helps athletes build up weaker muscles, improve breathing techniques, and increase balance and coordination.
Another benefit of Pilates is that it offers a challenge, whether you’ve been doing it for a few weeks or a few years. The movements build on themselves, so as you get stronger and more knowledgeable, you are able to do more. Once you’ve mastered the skills at your level, you can move on to the next, so you will never be bored or feel stagnant.
A big focus of Pilates moves is strengthening the core. You will find that you have stronger, more defined abdominals, and a stronger back. Anyone with chronic back pain may find that Pilates helps by improving muscle strength and relieving pain and pressure on the spine and in the shoulders.
Many people who do Pilates also find that it helps their mental outlook as well. It’s a great stress reliever, plus it can help you feel more balanced and centered. Many Pilates enthusiasts also feel it helps improve their confidence, gives them a sense of power, and helps them feel a greater sense of inner peace.
How Do I Get Started?
The best way to get going in Pilates is to find a class taught by a reputable instructor, or to join a gym or studio that offers Pilates. There are some DVD’s that will take you through the basics of Pilates in your own home. The advantages of taking a class is that you get to experience the support of a group of people with similar goals: a healthier, stronger, more toned body that looks younger and feels better from head to toe.
Sun Protection News You Can Use
May 25th, 2013 admin Summer is fast approaching, and naturally most people start thinking about how to best protect themselves from the damaging rays of the sun. There’s plenty of research and news in the medical community showing how the UVA and UVB rays from the sun can cause premature aging of the skin, unsightly spots and discoloration, and skin cancer. In order to make sure you protect your skin and your health, it helps to be up on the latest information about how best to keep your skin and your body healthy and protected during the summer and all year long.
Eat foods with sun protection benefits. There are many incredible (and delicious) foods that provide sun protection as well as nutrition. You might already know about foods with Vitamins A, C and E such as oranges, spinach, broccoli, peanut butter and nuts. But other foods that provide sun protecting benefits include those with omega-3′s like fatty fish, walnuts and flax seeds. Seasonings are also a great source of antioxidants that can help protect you from the sun. Cloves contin the highest antioxidant amount when compared to a variety of other herbs and spices. Turmeric is a great anti-ager, plus it helps promote healthier skin cells.
Protect your skin the right way. If you walk in to any store this time of year, chances are you’ll see a display of sun lotions and sprays in several different brands and SPF’s. However, more information has come to light lately that many popular sun protection brands and products are not as effective or as safe as their advertisements claim. In fact, some brands of sunscreen may do more harm than good! Some things to watch out for include oxybenzone, which disrupts hormones; fragrances, which are mostly comprised of chemicals; and spray sunscreens which can be inhaled and provide lung damage. Try to find sunscreen products that contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are fragrance free, and do not contain a higher SPF that 50. (Any higher SPF haven’t been shown to have any additional protective benefits.)
Shield your skin. What you wear can provide great protection benefits. A hat that covers your hair and shields most of your face should be worn when you plan to be out in the sun for an extended period of time. Clothes that offer sun protection, such as those that contain SPF protection or that have a close weave that doesn’t allow the sun’s rays to penetrate them, should be worn when you plan to be out in the sun.
There’s no reason to avoid the sun if you don’t have to. Taking the proper precautions can protect you from those painful sunburns, and can prevent bigger problems down the road, like skin cancer and skin damage. The good news is, you can take your own sun protection into your hands by using the right protective products and eating healthy foods with sun protection benefits.
A Natural Guide to Anti-Aging
May 22nd, 2013 admin Sometimes it’s the most natural ingredients that provide the best benefits when it comes to anti-aging. You don’t need fancy or expensive chemical ingredients to look and feel your best. There’s a reason people have been using botanicals, plant oils, and extracts for hundreds of years. These ingredients are healthy, safe and effective when it comes to helping your skin look glowing, younger and clear. Look for the following ingredients to find your way to the natural Fountain of Youth!
Honey. Bees have known it for years…honey is amazing. It is also a great ingredient for keeping skin looking youthful and healthy. Honey also has some special qualities that make it a top pick for anti-aging. It reduces inflammation, has antioxidants and is anti-microbial, and also helps pull moisture into the skin.
Olive Oil. Cooking with olive oil is healthy for your body, but did you know that it is also healthy for your skin if you apply it topically? There’s a reason Italian women always have great skin…their secret is olive oil! Extra virgin olive oil contains vitamins, linoleic acid, and oleic acid. It is great for reducing the appearance of wrinkles, restoring moisture, and fighting against free radicals.
Lemon. The peel of a lemon is your friend if you are worried about the effects of sun exposure on your skin. The vitamin C in the peel helps reduce your risk of skin cancer due to sun exposure.
Cocoa Butter. Applying a product that contains cocoa butter helps prevent the signs of aging. The mix of antioxidants it contains actually help combat the free radicals that cause damage to skin cells. Cocoa butter is also a great source of Vitamin E, which helps boost collagen and makes skin look smoother and younger.
Chamomile. You may look forward to relaxing with a calming cup of chamomile tea, but you can also count on chamomile in skin care products to provide healthy anti-aging benefits. This botanical is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and it helps promote regeneration of skin tissue.
You can have younger-looking, healthy skin as you age by taking care to only apply safe, natural products to your body’s largest organ. Your wallet will be happier, too, since you can fight aging without spending money on expensive treatments, creams, or serums!
Deer Antler Spray Has a History With Pro Golf
May 19th, 2013 admin In the wake of Vijay Singh’s deer antler spay controversy, which has been heavily reported in sports news media thanks to the WADA’s removal of the substance on the banned list, the decision not to suspend Singh, and the recently announced lawsuit Singh is pursuing against the PGA Tour, many may be surprised to learn that deer antler spray has made an appearance in pro golf before. The circumstances of this previous story are very different from the controversy surrounding Singh’s deer antler spray usage.
The golfer is Ken Green, a 20 year veteran of pro golf, and a five-time PGA Tour winner. The circumstances surrounding his decision to use deer antler spray can only be classified as a terrible tragedy. Green is an amputee, following a 2009 accident that claimed the lives of his brother and girlfriend, and resulted in the loss of his lower right leg. As with most amputation injuries, Green experienced near intolerable levels of pain following the accident and during recovery, compounded by the emotional pain he must have been feeling dealing with the loss of two loved ones. In late 2009, Green was contacted by Mitch Ross, the founder of a company that has supplied deer antler spray to other pro sports figures, including Ray Lewis.
Ross encouraged Green to try using deer antler spray to help alleviate his physical pain. Although Green was skeptical that something he sprayed into his mouth would help, he was willing to try it. After using deer antler spray for several months, Green noticed an improvement in his pain levels, especially in his left ankle, which was shattered in the accident. In fact, there was enough of an improvement that he stopped using the treatment all together. In the years since the accident, Green has competed in seven Tour events with the use of a prosthetic lower leg, encouraged fellow golfer Mark Calcavecchia to try the product for treatment of his chronic pain, and undergone surgeries to alleviate nerve pain in his right leg.
Vijay Singh actually cited Calcavecchia’s six-week usage of deer antler spray in his lawsuit against the PGA Tour, to show that the Tour simply asked Calcavecchia to stop using the substance, which at the time was on the banned list. The lawsuit accuses the Tour of treating Singh unfairly and attempting to suspend him without good reason, after he discussed his usage of deer antler spray in a magazine article earlier this year. Some wonder why Singh chose to sue the PGA Tour, while others wonder if his decision was spurred by knowledge of penalties issued to other athletes on the Tour. It remains to be seen whether Singh’s move will hurt or help him professionally. In the meantime, Ken Green is still on the road to recovery, and deer antler spray was a welcome rest stop along the way.
Does Your Diet Enhance Your Performance?
May 17th, 2013 admin We’ve all heard how important proper diet and exercise is, but have you ever looked at how what you eat affects your athletic performance? The truth is, maintaining a good, healthy diet can help you increase your fitness benefits, while improving your fitness can help you digest and use food better. It’s not only what you eat, but what your body is able to do with it that is also important. Here are some tips to help you give your body the right fuel for your best performance.
1. Don’t skimp on the fats. Yes, that’s right, no matter how the media and diet gurus love to advertise the benefits of “low fat,” your body actually requires some good, healthy fat in order to operate at optimal performance.Fat gives you energy for any type of endurance exercise, from running to cycling. In fact, if you’re not consuming enough healthy fats, your athletic performance will actually decrease.
2. Calories count! Your body needs calories in order to compensate for the energy you use up, specially during workouts, races, and other fitness activities. Without calories, your body wouldn’t have the energy itneed to perform even small tasks. However, the amount of calories you take in and the source of your calories is what counts, and it truly is a personal amount based on your physical makeup, the type and frequency of exercise and your food preerences.
3. Your daily value helps your daily workout. You may not get energy from them, but vitamins and minerals help your body perform the important functions necessary for you to be able to work out. For example, calcium gives you healthy bones to bear the load and help you perform the movements that are part of your workout.
4. Knowing what to avoid is also important. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but eating foods that are loaded with fat, calories, sugar or salt will not only make you feel physically less than your best, but they can also derail your workouts. It may seem like sugar will give your energy a boost, but the high doesn’t last and you’ll end up crashing too early. The wrong kinds of fat can leave you feeling too tired to work out because your body takes extra time and energy to digest them. Even some good-for-you foods aren’t a good choice if you plan to work out right away. Foods high in fiber before a workout can give your stomach a painful workout and leave you doubled over instead of doing reps.
You can have a great workout by not only paying attention to your performance during practice or workout routine, but also by paying attention to what you are eating before a workout and throughout the day. Performing, looking and feeling your best go hand in hand with fueling your body with the best…it’s a win-win!
