Healthy 4th of July Recipes

Are you gearing up for a fun filled 4th of July weekend? Just because holidays like the 4th of July are typically centered around get togethers a cookouts, does not mean that you have to throw in the towel with healthy eating. There are a TON of healthy, cookout recipes that are just as delicious as the more, non-healthy options. 

Here are some great, healthy recipes that will definitely be a crowd please at your 4th of July cookout this year!

Healthy Deviled Eggs
While deviled eggs are a go-to for a cookout menu, by making a small change to the filling, you can make them healthier without anyone knowing the difference! Simply add some cottage cheese to the filling in place of some egg yolk, and you have a protein-packed, delicious appetizer!

Grilled Pepper Salad
Simply throw some colorful pepper onto the grill with some balsamic, and you have a healthy, veggie-packed side dish for your cookout. This salad will be a great addition to some grilled chicken!

Red, White & Blue Popsicle
4th of July is the perfect time to make this healthy dessert due to all of the fresh berries that are in season! These will be sure to cool you off during the hot holiday, while still being fresh and healthy!

Wellness Wednesday

The Sobering Facts of Alcohol Consumption
Sometimes "Just One More" is Too Much

Summer time is finally upon us, and the heat can make us thirst for something more than water at times, especially when lounging by the pool. While a margarita pool side or a beer or two at a ball game isn't bad, could repeated binge drinking at summer parties start to have a toll on your body? Here's some ways that alcohol affects the aging process in order to keep you looking young for years to come:

1.   Moderation is Everything: Liver damage, dementia and skin aging are all side effects of repeated binge drinking. This is only true for drinking more than a glass or two during the entire day, however, as moderate drinking can have positive effects on such potential side effects of binge drinking. 
2.  Pack on the Fat: As you age the proportion of body fat to muscle becomes disproportionate, leaving you with less tone and more flab. The sugar introduced through alcohol consumption can speed this process if too much is consumed. According to the National Institute of Aging, a healthy person over the age of 65 should not drink more than seven drinks a week or three drinks a day. This would include 3 8oz beers or wine coolers or 3 1.5oz shots of 80 proof or under liquor.
3. You are What You Drink: Drinking accelerates the skin aging process. Wrinkles, puffiness, red cheeks, dryness, and purple capillaries are all signs of too much alcohol consumption over a lifetime. Alcohol also dehydrates the skin, and jaundice is a sign of liver failure.
4. Drinking Isn't Always the Best Medicine: Chronic conditions such as diabetes can be worsened by drinking. Alcohol can cause dangerously low blood sugar up to 24 hours after drinking. It may also raise blood pressure and create/prevent ulcers from healing. Drinking may also negatively interfere with prescribed medications you are taking as well. Heavy drinking also speeds up shrinking of the brain, leading to cognitive impairment and acceleration of of degenerative diseases. 

Remember, a glass a day isn't bad. However, massive binge drinking will only accelerate and worsen the aging process and any preexisting medical conditions.

Coordination Exercises for Aging

If you have read any of our blog, you may have noticed that we have talked a lot about the importance continuing to exercise as we age to avoid falls, breaking bones, lack of balance and the chance of chronic diseases. But what is also very important for older adults to engage in is coordination exercises to work on balance and agility.

Balance and agility helps to improve motor coordination and memory. As we age, our memory decreases, so it is important to train our bodies for the activities of daily living. Motor coordination is necessary for simple and complex tasks such as walking, cleaning and go up and down the stairs. Below you will find some simple exercises that work on coordination that do not require much equipment, so they can easily be done at home. 

Common Coordination Exercises to Work On:

• Hand and eye coordination
• Hand and foot coordination
• Eye and foot coordination
• Reaction to cue
• Combination of all of the above

Coordination Exercises

• Standing balance with ball toss: hand eye coordination
• Beginners, keep both feet on the floor and intermediate balance on one leg 

• Use a tennis ball, and toss the ball into each hand. The eyes should follow the ball. If performing a balance exercise, complete a set with each leg balancing.

• Walk, toss and catch: hand eye coordination and hand foot coordination

• Walk back and forth while bouncing a tennis ball or something similar back and forth. If the ball is bounced too far in front,you must react with more effort in order to catch the ball. 

• Squats with focal point challenges: hand eye coordination
• Start in an upright standing position with feet hip distance apart. Lift arms to shoulder height and extend the wrists with fingers facing the ceiling. 

• Find a focal point on the wall or the floor in front of you. Perform a squat as your right arm moves to the side of your body (rotating the torso) while focusing on the focal point. Return the torso and arm to the center standing position. 

• Next, perform the same movement on the left side. Alternate moving the right and left arms as you squat. 

Energy Boost

One of the most common health problems we hear from people is a lack of energy during the day, especially in the afternoon as the day wears on. You may have also heard that exercising can help increase energy levels, which is true, but there are also a number of others things you can change in your daily routine to give yourself a boost of energy.

• Deep Breathing and Mind-Body Exercises
• Exercise and focusing on your breath helps to circulate oxygen throughout the body
• Mind-body exercises such as yoga, pilates and tai-chi increase energy levels and relax the mind and body
• Eat Fresh Food
• Fill your body with produce and fresh foods that contain essential nutrients
• Stay away from foods high in sugar, sodium and simple carbohydrates. These foods will strip you of energy and make you crash in the afternoons
• Reduce Technological Stress
• Sitting in front of a computer screen from morning until night can be terrible for your health. Get up and take a walk or get outside as much as you can throughout the day
• Reducing technology before you go to bed can also lead to better sleep
• The light from technological devices tricks the brain into thinking it is daytime and can lead to poor sleep
• Sit less, Move more
• Get in small bursts of movement throughout the day
• Reduce Caffeine Consumption
• Yes, less caffeine=more energy!
• This is not say that caffeine should be cut out completely, but should be consumed in moderation
• Too much caffeine leads to poor sleep, which leads to low levels of energy
• One should not consume more than 250 mg of caffeine per day, which is about 2.5 cups of regular coffee

Emotional Eating

I'm sure we can all relate to feeling down and drowning our emotions with food. It is the first thing that can comfort us and initially make us feel better. However, even though food might make us feel better and give us immediate relief, it does not get to the root of our problems and actually deal with the issue at hand. Instead of addressing the issue, we eat, and then get mad at ourselves for overeating. This then causes a vicious cycle of bad feelings and our bad feelings never end. More often then not, the feelings that often cause us to emotionally eat are sadness, anxiety or anger. But there are alternative things you can do when feeling these emotions rather than eating. It is just a matter of knowing what they are and actually doing them!

• When feeling sad:
• Talk with a friend. Let your feelings out to someone you are close to. Talk about the situation at hand before trying to fix it with food
• Exercise. Getting in a good workout boosts chemicals in the brain that produce good feelings
• Cry it out. Get into bed and let yourself cry until you can't cry anymore. Letting out all those emotions will help you feel much better.
• When feeling anxious:
• Take a nap. People who are well rested are less anxious and less stressed. Aim for at least 8 hours a night and if you can, take a short nap during the day.
• Do something relaxing. This could be different from person to person. Find an activity you enjoy and do it when you start to feel anxious.
• When feeling angry:
• Delay eating. Instead, sit down and take a couple of deep breaths. Think about why you are angry and how you can solve it. Eating comfort foods right away can just bury the issue and it ends up returning and causing more bad emotions.

Staying on Track Through Summer Events and Vacations

Sometimes the summer can be the hardest time of year to stay on track with healthy eating, exercising and maintaining weight loss. There seems to be a cookout, family get together or vacation almost every weekend with endless options of unhealthy food choices. It is up to us to make the healthy decisions to stay on track with our health goals and not let the summer events get the best of us. Although you should always enjoy yourself, going to too many of these events and always indulging, can put a damper on your goals and weight loss. Never lose sight of your goals and what you want to accomplish. Here are some simple tips to follow when you know you will be at an event, on a vacation or at a cookout where there will be desserts, alcohol, burgers and hot dogs. 

• Eat before you go
• If you show up to a party with a full stomach, you are less likely to overindulge and eat unhealthy foods
• Try eating a full, healthy meal before attending a cookout or party
• Bring snacks and meals with you
• Although many people may be against this, it is your body and you can choose what to put in it. Don't be afraid to bring your own, healthy food
• This is especially important for vacations, pack nutritious snacks that you can have throughout the day so you are not consistently eating poorly while you are away
• Choose the healthiest options
• At most cookouts and gatherings, there is almost always a meat and fruit and vegetable option. Try to choose these rather than going for fried, unhealthy sides and dishes
• Avoid desserts and alcohol
• Yes, this is usually the best part of a cookout, but desserts and alcohol can also be the most detrimental to your healthy and weight loss goals
• Alcohol and desserts too often can lead to increased cravings
• Also, alcohol and desserts greatly affect your hormones, metabolism and muscle growth

Benefits of Swimming for Exercise

Now that the temperatures are rising and local and residential pools are beginning to open, it may be time to add swimming to your workout routine! Including your family in this workout is a great option, too, since it is an activity that all can enjoy! Check out this awesome list of  benefits swimming can add to you and your family's lives!

• Good for all ages
• Starting with babies, to 100 years old, swimming is great for all people
• Promotes fitness and teaches children to strive for physical achievement
• Helps children gain strength and coordination that can be used in other team sports
• Swimming can be a great team and individual sport
• Healthy "lifetime" activity
• Generally an injury-free sport due to it being low impact and non-contact
• Helps to have a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem
• Prevents drowning by learning how to how to swim at a young age
• Drowning is the leading killer of American children, which can be prevented by swimming lessons at a young age
• Is both a strength and cardio workout due to the fact that your muscles are under constant resistance 
• Easy impact exercise
• You can work at higher intensities without the risk of getting injured
• Is a great workout for people that are injured and cannot do other forms of exercise
• Makes you a better runner
• Teaches your body how to effectively use oxygen
• Increases endurance capacity
• Trains your glutes, hamstrings and core muscles
• Utilizes under-worked muscles
• Your arms are all over the place, which results in using your deltoids, lats and traps
• Stabilizes the muscles in your core and lower back
• Promotes unique and fun experiences
• Things such as snorkeling, boating and playing games in the pool are all more fun when being a good and comfortable swimmer

June Week 4

June Week 4 Exercise and Stretch

Exercise
Forward raises

• Start by standing with the feet shoulder width apart and the torso in an upright position, with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Turn the dumbbells so that the palms are facing your thighs and slightly bend at the elbows.
• Keeping your arm relatively straight, raise your right arm in front of you until the dumbbell is directly in front of your shoulder.
• Pause and slowly lower to the starting position.
• Repeat the movement with the left arm, and continue alternating arms until all repetitions are complete.

**keep the abdominals tight and the lower back in a neutral position**

Stretch
Foam Roller Rotator Cuff Release: improve the flexibility of the rotator cuff muscles

• Place the foam roller under your shoulder blade (rotator cuff)
• Using your legs, slowly move your body forwards and backwards allowing the roller to massage the shoulder blade region and back of the shoulder. 
• Breathe normally keeping your muscles relaxed. 
• Repeat this process for 15 – 90 seconds provided it is comfortable and does not cause pain. This exercise can also be performed with your hands behind your head or your arms across your chest.

Beach Vacation Workouts

Going on a beach vacation this summer? This is the perfect time to not only give yourself some rest, but change up your workouts and introduce your body to something to something new and different. It is good to get your vacation day started with a quick 20- minute workout to break a sweat and feel energized the rest of the day. However, vacation is also a good time to rest and sleep in, so just try to squeeze in one or two workouts while you are away. You'll get the perfect mix of rest and movement! Also, although this workout is a great one, playing some beach volleyball or other games on the beach are great ways to get in some movement while on vacation.

Take this workout right to the beach and get it done in the sand! Working out in the sand is a great way to add resistance to your workout without equipment, and build cardiovascular endurance at the same time as building muscle. You are also more likely to burn more calories than doing just a steady state cardio workout. So, give this one a try!

• Set up a 20 yard spot with  2 towels
• Perform 10 reps of each exercise, 3 rounds, resting 30 seconds between each round
• Lateral Lunges
• Step the right leg out into a lateral lunge with the left leg straight
• Drag the left leg back to standing using sand as resistance
• Repeat on the other side

• 180 degree jump squats
• Squat and touch the ground
• Jump 180 degrees clockwise and touch the ground again

• Down Dog Push Up
• Start in the downward dog position
• Walk out to a full plank position, perform a push-up and walk back to the downward dog position

• Shuttle Sprints (5 times down and back)

Get out on the beach first thing in the morning before it gets  too crowded and hot and give this workout a try! It's a quick one and will get your day started on an active and sweaty note!

Summer Produce Guide

With all of the summer farmers stands and markets popping up, it is good to know what items are in season this summer and how to pick them out to create those healthy, veggie and fruit-packed meals!

• Peaches
• Should be soft but not squishy
• To ripen, place in a paper bag for about 2 days
• Try slicing them and serving with yogurt for a healthy snack
• Cantaloupes
• Buy when they have a sweet fragrance and are slightly soft
• Mix with lime juice and cilantro for a fresh, flavorful salsa
• Summer Squash
• The smaller the better, and should be firm when bought
• Cook as soon as possible after buying to avoid going bad
• Add them to past or a veggie omelet
• Green Beans
• Bright and firm are the best
• Add to a stir fry or cook them up for a quick side dish
• Corn
• Look for bright green husks and moist stem ends
• Make into a salsa, pasta and salads, or simply eat plain
• Tomatoes
• Should feel heavy and have a shiny, un-bruised skin
• Dress with salt, extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs
• Cucumbers
• Choose cucumbers that are not soft or wrinkly
• Small and thin cucumbers are more sweet
• Dice and toss with yogurt, garlic and dill or just place on a salad
• Blueberries
• Taste while at the produce stand to ensure they are flavorful and juicy
• Sprinkle on top of hot or cold cereal
• Eggplant
• Look for shiny and firm
• Great for simply slicing and grilling 

Check out our blog post from last week to see where your closest farmers markets are located throughout the summer!

Wellness Wednesday

"Text Neck" & "Grip Slip" are a Problem for Millennials

Your Body is not Twitterpated with your Tweeting 

http://www.centeredspine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/neck-pain-chattanooga.jpg

A recent study conducted by Elizabeth Fain and published in the Journal of Hand Therapy found that hand strength has drastically decreased in the millennial generation. The study collected data from 237 volunteers, and excluded those with preexisting thumb injuries. The study found that men under 30 had lost a collective average hand strength of 26 pounds in the right hand and 19 pounds in the left since 1985, while women had lost a collective average of 10 pounds in each hand. The reasoning for this collective loss in grip strength in millennials can be found in the change of the workforce as more jobs become less involved in agriculture and manufacturing, and more involved in computer and IT related areas.

In a similarly themed study, researchers looked at possible reasons for an exponential increase in chronic neck pain. The reason, they found was what you're reading this article on. For every inch that we move our head forward, we put an extra ten pounds of pressure on our neck. To understand how much strain this puts on your neck, bend your finger backwards for an hour and then see how it feels. It probably feels awful right? Well according to the Kaiser Family Foundation 8-18 year olds spend and average of 7.5 hours on their phone hunched over in such a position. Strained neck muscles can cause nerve damage and metabolic issues due to poor breathing techniques.

Both grip and neck muscles can be improved through working out and stretching regularly. No only will this improve your muscle strength, but it will give you a much needed rest from your phone as well. If your working out is too difficult for you due to the pain, remember that physical therapy is another option that can help get you back to where you were.

  

Maintaining Weight Loss

Losing a significant amount of weight is a great accomplishment for many people! However, maintaining that weight loss for the long run is another task in itself. If we learn how to stay consistent and continue to improve our weight loss habits, maintain the weight can be easy. Here is a great list of things to remember once we hit that weight loss goal and are moving on to the maintenance phase.

• Consistent activity and eating plan
• Re-calculate your calorie and nutrient needs and make adjustments as needed
• Build those muscles
• Having more muscle mass increasing your resting metabolic rate
• You can building muscle by adding a strength and resistance program to your exercise routine
• When getting to the maintenance phase, sometimes strength training is more important than aerobic training
• Set goals
• Make long-term, realistic goals
• Goals can either be based on nutrition, exercise or training for an event- or a combination of them all!
• Set some goals for some fun, exciting events to increase your motivation level
• Practice mindful/intuitive eating
• Be present while eating. Try to avoid watching TV, answering emails and surfing the internet while eating a meal
• Listen to your body's hungry signals; eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full
• Have a plan
• At the beginning of each week, plan out all of your workouts and meals so yo are more likely to stick with them when times get busy
• Practice non-food coping strategies
• When feeling stressed and emotional, find a non-food way to deal with it
• Try calling a friend or taking a short walk when you want to indulge is food when stressed
• Find a support system
• Find people who will suppport you and join in your healthy lifestyle habits
• Eat real, whole, clean food
• Remember how you lost the weight and the foods you ate to do so, and stick with it
• Ditch the proessed and refined foods that are in your kitchen
• Stay within 3 pounds of your maintenance weight
• Weight yourself once a week only to stay updated with your maintenance
• If you exceed 3 pounds gained, check-in with yourself to see where you can make adjustments
• Setbacks happen
• This is reality and it will happen- how you respond to it will make the difference
• Have a plan for events that may cause setbacks such as vacations, holidays and family gatherings
• Stay hydrated
• Stress management
• Stress can play a major role in weight re-gain
• Try deep breathing and taking 1 minute breaks throughout the day
• Sleep 7-9 hours each night
• Sleeping keeps hormones at proper levels which gets hunger and fullness feelings back to normal as well

June Week 3

June Week 3 Exercise and Stretch

Exercise
Scaption: increase strength, stability and function in the shoulder and rotator cuff muscles. Often used in prevention and rehabilitation of rotator cuff-related injuries.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides with palms facing inward. This is your starting position.
• Brace core and raise the dumbbells in front of your chest in a wide V. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the start position and repeat.
• Stop the lift when the dumbbells reach the top of your shoulders
• Make sure to choose the right weight for your skill level. A lighter weight is recommended for this exercise.

Stretch

Subscapularis and Pectoral Stretch

• Begin standing tall with your forearm against a wall and your elbow bent to 90 degrees. 
• Gently turn your body away from the wall until you feel a mild to moderate stretch across your chest and front of your shoulder without pain.
•  Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 4 times on each arm provided the exercise is pain free.

Clean out the Cabinets

If you are trying to get in shape and eat healthier for this summer, the first place to check out is your cabinets! Some of those snacks and drinks you keep on hand for when hunger strikes, may be contributing to weight gain, or lack of weight loss. Often times, the foods we are snacking on are high-salt, high fat and high calories processed foods. By throwing out those healthy foods and re-stocking with healthier options, you can help yourself reach those goals that you have made.

Packaged snack foods account for, on average, 586 calories per day in men and 421 calories per day in women. Instead of consuming our days with snack foods such as chips, cookies and crackers, we should be eating more fruits and vegetables and snacks with nutritional value. 

• Instead of chips, popcorn, crackers and cookies, eat unsalted nuts, dried fruit, vegetables and hummus, peanut butter with whole wheat bread and hard boiled eggs
• Believe it or not, flavored yogurt can also be detrimental to our weight loss goals
• Most brands include a lot of sugar and other added ingredients
• Looks for brands that only include milk and live active cultures in the ingredient list
• Try buying plain yogurt and adding fresh fruit for flavor
• Calorie laden beverages are another item found in our cabinets that pack a lot of empty calories and sugar into our daily diets
• Water is your best bet to drink throughout the day. Not only is it calorie and sugar-free, but it keeps you hydrated as well
• Check labels of all the beverages you are drinking to be sure there are no added sugars
• If you need caffeine, black coffee and tea are the best options
• Eat fresh fruit rather than drinking juice. Juice just contains the sugar of the fruit and wipes out the fiber

Wellness Wednesday

Five Biggest Reasons You're Not Losing Weight While Running

Run, Run As Fast As You Can, You Can't Catch Me I'm The Carbohydrate Man!

Warmer weather makes those New Years resolutions we made in January, a little bit more enjoyable to take on. U.S. News recently came out with an article that discusses why those of us who are running in the warmer weather, aren't necessarily losing weight. Here are the summarized five reasons that K. Aleisha Fetters came up with to explain why you're not losing weight despite racking up those miles on the asphalt or trails:

1. You're Carbing Up Too Much:

You're body is similar to a car in that it has its limits for the amount of fuel it can take at a time. You should keep your carbohydrate limit during activity to about 30-45g per hour. Try to limit those sport drinks and gels as you exercise.

      2. Watch Your Calories

As you exercise you will notice an increase in your appetite, which can lead to overeating. While its true that you are burning calories on your run, you may have a larger caloric intake than what you burned during your run. Try and keep your appetite in check by drinking water and eating more protein and fiber filled meals. Be sure to track your meals and count your calories throughout the day.

      3. Just Because You Run for 30 Minutes, Doesn't Mean You can Relax for the Rest of the Day...

Yes, that run you just took is tiring, but that doesn't mean you can lounge around for the rest of the day. Be sure to remain active throughout the rest of the day; take the stairs, park in the back of the parking lot, or take a couple walks.

       4. You're Not Hitting the Weights

Training your aerobic system through running is great, but you're not necessarily building muscle mass that way, or training you anaerobic system. Switching it up not only allows you to rest different body parts, but allows you to keep your body on edge and boost your metabolic activity.

       5. No Days Off

Stress hormones that are released due to not taking any days off for recovery, can lead to muscle degradation and fat storage. Take a day or two off, but be sure to stay moderately active during those days!

The Guide to Macronutrients

Macro nutrients are the key to having a balanced, nourishing diet. However, how do we really know what macro nutrients are, and what foods to eat in order to have them in our balanced diet to keep a healthy body and mind? Macro nutrients include protein, carbohydrates and fat and each play a different role in the body, and we should aim to have a perfect combination of all three in all of our meals and snacks each day.
 

Protein: makes up every tissue in the body including hair, skin, bones, muscles and organs

• Protein can come from both animal and plant-based sources
• Animal sources include fish, poultry, eggs and dairy
• Plant-based sources can come from beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains and vegetables
• In order to get enough protein from all plant-based sources, you must eat a wide variety of foods in these categories
• Most of the plant-based sources of protein include other macro nutrients and may even be higher in protein or fat, so be careful of this if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet
• A protein-rich food contains at least 7g of protein per ounce

Carbohydrates: made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules

• Carbs are the main source of fuel for the body coming from the production of glucose
• Refined carbohydrates come from more processed foods while unrefined carbohydrates come from more whole foods that remain in their natural, intact form
• When carbohydrates are digested, they get broken down into glucose molecules
• The glucose molecules are used by the cells for energy
• Excess glucose molecules are stored in the body as fat

Fat: makes up most of brain composition, so is a necessity to stay healthy and keep the brain functioning properly

• Fat takes longer to digest, therefore it increases satiety and slows the rise in blood sugar
• Fat is the source of fuel that makes meals more satisfying
• Saturated fat: foods that are solid at room temperature such as coconut oil
• Unsaturated fat: foods that are liquid at room temperature
• Polyunsaturated fat: fat from foods such as fatty fish, chia seeds and walnuts
• Have very strong anti-inflammatory properties
• Monounsaturated fat: fats such as avovado, olive oil, almonds, cashews and flax seed
• Have anti-infammatory and heart health benefits
• Trans fat: comes from store-bought baked goods and processed foods
• Trans fats are damaging to the heart and increase LDL levels, so should be eliminated from your diet entirely

In order to properly balance the proteins, fats and carbohydrates in your diet, it is best to choose the highest quality of real, whole and unprocessed foods. With optimal nutrient intake, you are decreasing your risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. 

June Week 2

June Week 2 Exercise and Stretch

Exercise
Internal Rotation: strengthens the rotator cuff muscles which helps to improve shoulder stability (very similar to week 1's exercise- external rotation)

• Lay on your side on a bench with the knees bent and a dumbbell in the lower hand.  
• Bend the elbow to a right angle and keep the upper arm supported on the bench with the lower arm unsupported.
• Rotate the shoulder to pull the dumbbell up to your other shoulder.  
• Slowly return to the starting position.

Stretch

Pendulum: increase mobility in the shoulder joint.

• Gently swing the in a circular motion whilst lying on your front or leaning forwards.
• Gradually increase the size of the circle to increase the range of motion.
• Try to relax the arm and use the momentum of the swing.

If you have any questions regarding these exercises, feel free to ask a MOG staff member!

Summer Farmer's Markets

Now that spring is almost gone and summer is approaching, local farmer's markets are starting to pop-up and offer fresh, seasonal produce and foods in your community. This is a great time to visit your local farmers markets and support your local farmers and small businesses. By strolling through a weekend farmer's market, you are more apt to try new, fresh foods and explore new and healthy recipes for you and your family.

Some more reasons to shop and explore farmer's markets:

• Buying local
• Often the highest quality of freshness and taste
• Likely free of preservatives and hormones
• Beneficial to the local economy and keeping small operations thriving
• Can often times be cheaper than buying produce fro the grocery store
• Talking to local vendors about unusual or new-to-you items
• You are able to try and learn about new things you otherwise wouldn't choose to try 
• Free samples help you try new flavors, nutrients and recipes
• Family and kid friendly
• There are often fun activities and booths for kids
• You can also let your kids help you pick out new items to try and cook with

Local Farmer's Markets in Your Area:

• Bel Air Farmers Market
• Every Saturday 7:00 AM- 11:00 AM
• 2 S Bond St, Bel Air, MD 21014
• Pratt Street Farmers Market
• Thursdays May through October 11:00 AM- 2:00 PM
• Corner of Pratt and Light Streets
• Fells Point Farmers Market
• Saturdays May through November 7:30 AM- 12:30 PM
• Broadway and Thames Streets

Wellness Wednesday

Fitness Linked to Cancer Prevention

Regular fitness has been linked to a reduction in carcinoma prevalence.

A long-term research study that involved over 1.4 million participants has successfully linked a higher participation rate in fitness to a reduction of rate in 13 cancer types. The strongest link was to esophageal cancer at 42%, liver cancer at 27%, lung cancer at 26%, leukemia at 20%, breast cancer at 10%, and 7% for any remaining type of cancer. While it has already been established that exercise had reduced the chance of cardiovascular disease, the reduced risk of cancer had never really been established.
12 research groups followed the previously mentioned 1.4 million participants from 1987-2004, and looked at the prevalence of 12 cancer types over the course of the studies they conducted. Walking an average of 150 minutes a week was considered the average fitness standard, and other factors like diet and age were included in the study as reported by those participating in the study.

The study also found a link between active men and a 5% increase in non-advanced prostate cancer, however this is most likely due to the demographic being more diligent in getting screened. Active participants living in sunny areas were also found to have a 27% greater chance of developing skin cancer due to being out in the sun during activity.
The Take: The long awaited confirmation that regular fitness activity is linked to a reduction in carcinoma has finally been confirmed. The recommended 150 minutes a week is a little less than 25 minutes a day, which is shorter than a Netflix episode!!! Here at the M.O.G. we take the pain out of designing a fitness program for you, and ensure you get the maximum results out of your time spent at the Gym! Visit us today!

Upcoming Gold Medal Events and Classes

Check out Gold Medal Physical Therapy's latest events and classes that YOU can join, too!

Women's Circuit Classes: women's circuit training classes have now begun! 

• These classes take place at the Bel Air MOG on Wednesdays at 9:00 AM and Thursdays at 6:00 PM
• First class is always FREE!
• Please call at least 24 hours in advance to sign up for the class

Bel Air Town Run: Gold Medal is a sponsor of this run and we would love for you to join us and our 5K training team!

• June 5 at 8:00 AM located in downtown Bel Air

Catch a Pig 5K: Gold Medal is also a sponsor of this fun run that is family friendly! Come join us!

• Sunday, July 10 at 8:00am at the Ma and Pa trail on Williams Street.

Friday for Life Event September 9, 5:00-9:00 PM- Save the Date!!

• Gold Medal's Second Annual Friday for Life event held right in our parking lot! Come enjoy food, drinks and fun! More details to come!