Lead a Fit and Healthy Life
News to Note
News to Note
Jul 7th
A few items to share:
Today’s PSA: Exercise with caution in today’s inferno
It’s been so darn hot the past week or so in the DC area and East Coast. Make sure you are paying attention to tips and advice about exercising in this sort of heat. It tends to sneak up on you and by then you are screwed…
DC Schools to Discontinue Flavored Milk
This is Great news. If more schools and other places that cater to our children make changes like this, think of the impact we could have!
Some experts argue that the empty calories from sugar cause behavorial problems in school and prime children for health problems ranging from tooth decay to obesity and early onset of diabetes. Flavored milks also cause a drain on school food budgets because they are more expensive than plain milk. But the dairy industry has fought hard to keep flavored milk in school, fearing that children would drink less milk if it did not contain the added sugar.
Notable News
Jun 22nd
Phys Ed: A Workout for Your Bloodstream – Well Blog – NYTimes.com.
Another great reason to add exercise into your daily routine. This study says that it has metabolic effects and that being fit helps your body run more efficiently. Who can argue with that?
But a new study that gauged the metabolic effects of exercise may significantly advance our understanding of what’s going on inside a body in motion. During the experiment, scientists actually saw how much being fit changes your ability to incinerate fat, moderate blood sugar and otherwise function well. They also uncovered proof, at once inspiring and cautionary, of just how complicated and pervasive exercise’s consequences are.
Boston launches Soda-Free Summer Challenge.
Soda is bad period. Parents should try to limit the soda consumption of their families. It is not a common drink in our house since I gave it up over a year ago. There is no health benefit to it whatsoever!
Soda from a marketing perspective: “It’s bubbly, sweet and drinking it makes your life like a non-stop party!” The reality of excessive soda consumption: sugar-heavy sodas have been linked to America’s growing rates of obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease and depression.
Coconut Water. Have you tried it?
Jun 14th
Coconut Water. Have you tried it?
There are a ton of benefits to Coconut Water. It is high in potassium, contains natural sugars and has a lot less sodium that sports drinks, It’s a natural way to hydrate instead of drinking sports drinks like Gatorade. It’s got a bit different texture and consistency than water but it really does the job of hydration. I don’t replace water with this – I just drink it before and after a long run outside – especially in this heat. You can get unflavored coconut water and now there are a ton of flavors like passionfruit,, peach and mango. Give it a try – you may find a new favorite fitness drink.
Even Madonna - who is known for her dedication and commitment to health and fitness has become a fan of it and has reportedly invested in Vita Coco, a maker of coconut water. Other celebs have also been seen drinking it as well. Whether a marketing ploy or not – it definitely is a trend that is taking off.
You can buy coconut water at many main stream stores like Wegmans in the health food section. If you do try it, let me know what you think!
Here is some overall information about Coconut Water:
“It’s a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It’s the fluid of life, so to speak.” In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water – siphoned directly from the nut – to give emergency plasma trasfusions to wounded soldiers.
Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas – once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.
- Coconut Water is More Nutritious than whole milk – Less fat and NO cholesterol!
- Coconut Water is More Healthy than Orange Juice – Much lower calories
- Coconut Water is Better than processed baby milk- It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother’s milk
- Coconut water is naturally sterile — Water permeates though the filtering husk!
- Coconut water is a universal donor– Its identical to human blook plasma
- Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage – The same level we have in our blood.
- Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries thru Coconut IV.
“Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically Pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue… and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural!”, according to Mortin Satin, Chielf of the United Nation’s Food & Agriculture Organization.
Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.
Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg!
Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.
Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg.
Notable News
Apr 20th
FDA plans to limit amount of salt allowed in processed foods for health reasons.
I have never been one to pay attention to the salt content in things. My blood pressure isn’t high, my heart is healthy. I am not known to add salt to my food on a regular basis. But if you stop and really look at the sodium content of some so called healthier foods, it really is quite shocking.
The Food and Drug Administration is planning an unprecedented effort to gradually reduce the salt consumed each day by Americans, saying that less sodium in everything from soup to nuts would prevent thousands of deaths from hypertension and heart disease. The initiative, to be launched this year, would eventually lead to the first legal limits on the amount of salt allowed in food products.
I have lately been trying to ask myself when I feel like munching on something – could I Just be thirsty. I am not saying the answer is always yes, but it has helped. That and drinking herbal teas — I pee forever now because of all the water/tea I drink, but I do think it has helped curb my snacking.
If you exercise a lot, drink alcohol regularly, live in a hot country or keep your home heated to a high temperature you may not always be as well hydrated as you need to be for optimum health. In addition, as people age their thirst reflex becomes weaker. You cannot entirely rely on thirst to tell you when you need to drink more water.
Parents’ obesity, especially mom’s, tied to kids’ risk
Another thing to blame moms for, right?? Can we just have a few things that we can definitively say are from the dad? Please? I do think that at least in my mind, most front line parenting is done by the Mom – so it’s normal to assume that what they eat and their relationship with food plays a big part in their kids present and future relationship with food and living a healthy and fit life. Hence, lead by example and make small changes consistently over time and you will see a change in your family too.
UK researchers found that among more than 7,000 2- to 15-year-olds in a national study, those who had two obese parents were 12 times more likely to be obese than children with two normal-weight parents. That was with factors such as socioeconomics — gauged by parents’ jobs — and ethnicity taken into account.Mothers’ weight showed a particularly strong association with children’s weight, the study found.
Don’t Stretch Before Exercising | Fitness Health Zone.com.
I have read articles that said make sure you loosen up/stretch and then read articles where it says don’t do static stretching. Not sure who to believe – I always find personally a little stretching feels good before I do lifting. For running, I do a few hamstring stretches and then I am off. What do you think?
Working at home: Family-friendly? – USATODAY.com.
I thought this was an interesting article. Blurring the lines between work and home is really the core discussion point. A friend of mine was telling me today that she doesn’t have a blackberry and had to do some work travel recently. She does have a cell phone. She was out of touch via email during the day because of the project work she was doing and her boss said you need to get a Blackberry so you can keep up on emails. Her company won’t pay for one because of budget issues, so she said – well then I will not be able to check mail regularly. She has no personal need for one, so pay for it or no go. I was thinking about that and how rare it is now a days to find anyone that isn’t almost completely wired and reachable anytime of the day. It’s quite astounding if you think about it.
