Health Foods Blog

Submitted by Café Physique

Why Exercise?

Appetizer
Exercise can be a powerful way to improve your life.

Main Course
Sometimes I’m asked, “Why work out?” To these people, a healthy lifestyle seems like all work and no benefit, a constant struggle for nothing. But of course, nothing could be further from the truth.

So what do you have to gain by working up a sweat?

You Will Be Happier – Exercise will decrease you body’s supply of cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” and increase your amount of dopamine, which helps increase your sense of well-being. In fact, some studies have shown that working out just three times a week for half an hour can be just as effective as anti-depressants for relieving the symptoms of depression.

You Will Be Smarter – Scientists used to think that we lose brain cells as we get older, and nothing can be done about it. New research, however, shows that regular exercise can actually grow new brain cells, helping improve memory, concentration, and even intelligence. That sort of puts a new spin on the idea of a “scholar athlete.”

You Will Sleep Better – People who work out spend more time in deep sleep, which allows them to concentrate better throughout the day. Sleeping well can also have a positive effect on stress, making your everyday problems feel that much more manageable.

You Will Have More Energy - You will be able to approach every task at your job with zest, getting more done in less time, and still having plenty of energy to have fun and take care of your responsibilities at home. If you have never experienced it, trust me, it’s a great feeling.

Dessert
You might be wondering why I didn’t include “You Will Be Happier With Your Body.” Well, pretty much everyone knows this reason, and let’s be honest, this is the reason most people decide to start working out at all. But it’s important to remember that hopping on the treadmill doesn’t have to be all about slimming your waistline. Fitness can be a major part of improving your life in every way - physically, mentally, and emotionally.
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Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Gaming to replace exercise?

Trying to fight against claims that they might be to fault for child obesity, video game systems are wasting no time trying to alter games to encourage kids to get moving.

Systems like Nintendo’s Wii and the game Dance Dance Revolution have transformed the old way of gaming into virtual activity. Cranky Fitness posted a great article with a link to a Science Daily article on the replacement of activity based gaming as exercise for children.

The recent change in gaming to an interactive, athletically inspired gaming have temporarily given gaming companies like Playstation and Nintendo a break from the dog house. Their response to child obesity and new habits of idle behavior is nice to see. However, as the Science Daily article concludes, these games should not be thought of as a replacement for exercise.

In a time where obesity trends are threatening the health and well being our society, modifications for healthy living should not substitute traditional habits of healthy eating and physical exercise. Games including activity do not practice full ranges of motion. Also, most games do not meet cardio fitness characteristics. More so, these games continue to hinder social interaction with others, and promote a lifestyle of staying indoors.

The idea that gaming may replace activity is ultimately another sign of the changes in our society. One aspect of society that stays uniform however, is a child’s admiration of older children, adults and role models. Encourage your children, siblings or younger friends to engage in an active lifestyle by demonstration. Video games should remain seen as toys, not alternatives for social skills or healthy behavior.

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Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Gaming to replace exercise?

Trying to fight against claims that they might be to fault for child obesity, video game systems are wasting no time trying to alter games to encourage kids to get moving.

Systems like Nintendo’s Wii and the game Dance Dance Revolution have transformed the old way of gaming into virtual activity. Cranky Fitness posted a great article with a link to a Science Daily article on the replacement of activity based gaming as exercise for children.

The recent change in gaming to an interactive, athletically inspired gaming have temporarily given gaming companies like Playstation and Nintendo a break from the dog house. Their response to child obesity and new habits of idle behavior is nice to see. However, as the Science Daily article concludes, these games should not be thought of as a replacement for exercise.

In a time where obesity trends are threatening the health and well being our society, modifications for healthy living should not substitute traditional habits of healthy eating and physical exercise. Games including activity do not practice full ranges of motion. Also, most games do not meet cardio fitness characteristics. More so, these games continue to hinder social interaction with others, and promote a lifestyle of staying indoors.

The idea that gaming may replace activity is ultimately another sign of the changes in our society. One aspect of society that stays uniform however, is a child’s admiration of older children, adults and role models. Encourage your children, siblings or younger friends to engage in an active lifestyle by demonstration. Video games should remain seen as toys, not alternatives for social skills or healthy behavior.

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Submitted by Café Physique

Appetizer
Be wary of the advice you hear on the internet.

Main Course
Bad fitness advice abounds, especially on the internet. While this is not the only advice you should ignore, these things are particularly frustrating for me to hear coming from fitness “experts.”

Cardio Before Breakfast – The idea behind “fasted cardio,” or doing your cardio first thing in the morning before you’ve had anything to eat, is that the exercise will work directly towards burning fat, rather than burning the calories in the meal you just ate. There are a couple problems with this. Firstly, most people don’t have much energy to exercise before eating anything, so it might make the exercise difficult or even painful. Second, doing this might cause you to metabolize muscle, which will slow down your metabolism.

Take This Supplement – Not all supplements are bad. But for every nutritional supplement that might actually be useful, there are a thousand that are total garbage. Besides, who has the money to spend on all those pills and powders? Despite what ads on the internet or television might have you believe, they have yet to invent anything that will help you lose weight and get lean as quickly, safely, and effectively as a smart diet and exercise plan.

Drink A Gallon of Water a Day - Most people need to drink more water, but the actual amount you should be drinking for optimal hydration depends upon your body weight, the amount of physical activity you get, your altitude, and a few other factors. While it’s very difficult to drink too much water, you shouldn’t really be drinking so much that you feel the need to go to the bathroom every fifteen minutes. A good hydration measurement is the color of your urine: if it’s clear, you are drinking enough.

Dessert
If you ever hear fitness advice that sounds a bit off or just too good to be true, try to seek out a second opinion. There is nothing worse than spending months or years trying something to lose weight, only to discover it is totally ineffective. I certainly don’t like to waste my time like that, and I know my clients don’t either, so I always double check the sources and data on every piece of fitness or diet advice I hear.

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Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Instant Gratification- our addiction to the promise for fast results

In our fast pace world, the wait for weight loss is a hard concept to grasp. Despite what late night infomercials may want you to believe, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy figure is not something that can be bought, or accomplished within a week.

The truth is that our bodies don’t respond to the impatient lifestyles. Jumping on to quick body altering methods can be more harmful to the balance of our systems than good.

Despite understanding that natural weight loss is hard work, I’m constantly surprised by the reoccurring advertisements for weight loss supplements. Even magazines with the best fitness and exercise reputation still print bold promises of ‘easy ways to fab abs’ and ‘200 tips to looking great instantly’.

I find it disheartening that of all places to advertise these false promises, exercise magazines are jumping on the bandwagon as well. Where do health publications stand with loyalty to readers, verses sales? Instead of trying to lure in subscriptions with flashy instant gratification promises, maybe these publications can show more dedication to readers.
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Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Athletics- All natural or technologically enhanced?

Which do you prefer? Getting your exercise in the great outdoors, or treading on the treadmill, popping in DVDs or plugging into your headphones?

A decade ago, technology was found red handed as the reasoning behind the child obesity epidemic. Television, video games and iPods kept kids indoors and plugged in, stationary on the couch.

Now, a slew of electronics have come forward to shatter that idea. Nike’s recent partnership with Apple can do everything from keep record of your running distance, to change tracks on your iPod to fit the rhythm of your run.

A new Nike ad in the March 2008 edition of Women’s Health Magazine boasts how the Apple partnership can sense your speed and distance, showing them instantly on your iPod. After knowing your stats, the ad states “Boom. Now you’re being coached, pushed and encouraged”.

Technology’s transformation to the health field, which had previously been an anti-technology, personal driven field, has changed things. Nike claims their product can be your new drive, keep you encouraged, and produce the feedback of a coach.

Where do you stand with technology aiding in your workout routine? Do you rely on the stats from electronics to keep you going, or do you thrive on breathing in fresh air when you’re able to run outside?

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