Fitness Friday

Don't Have Time for a Long Workout?

Participation in higher intensity exercise in a shorter amount of time has similar cell benefits to longer workouts.

     When asked what is stopping you from working out more, most people will answer they don't feel that they have enough time in the day. If you find yourself answering this question the same way then I have some good news for you. While I can't create more hours or take responsibilities off your plate I can tell you that finding time for a high-intensity workout could have the same benefits as a longer session, without the huge time commitment.

     The American Physiological Society studied mitochondrial function to determine if a shorter higher intensity workout was as beneficial as a longer less intense workout. They chose to look at mitochondria based on findings from prior studies showing the development of new cells during a workout. They took 8 participants had them workout at various intensities and compared the mitochondrial changes before and after each exercise, they found changes in the cells that would indicate conditions in which cell growth can occur, they also found that less time and more intense workouts elicited similar responses stating that just 2 minutes of a sprint can compare to 30 minutes of a continuous exercise. There needs to be more studies done, with a great deal more people to accurately represent the population, but this information could be good in helping people realize a few minutes is better than none, and if you work hard enough in the time you have your body could benefit just as much as it would if you had more time.

Wellness Wednesday

Your Mood is Altered When You're Hungry

There is evidence that links hunger to how a person feels.

     There is a new term going around to explain the grouchy mood people get into when they haven't eaten recently, Hangry, it combines the word hungry with the word angry. Some people seem more susceptible to this than others but there is evidence that suggests their blood sugar levels could greatly affect their mood. Maybe those Snickers commercials are right, "you're just not yourself when you're hungry".

     Researchers from the University of Guelph tested rats to see if their moods were affected by their blood sugar levels by inducing hypoglycemia. They gave a glucose blocker to rats and placed them in a special container, later they allowed the rats to choose between two containment units one being the one used when they were experiencing low blood sugar and they found the rats would actively avoid that unit. Researchers concluded that their avoidance was in response to the stress they felt in that area and their desire to not repeat that feeling. They also noted the rats appearing sluggish a sign of depression they determined was also a result of low blood sugar giving scientists insight into eating disorders and depression. In conclusion, missing a meal might make you "hangry", but chronicly missing meals could change your mental state more long-term and create a vicous cycle of missing meals because you feel bad and feeling bad because you're missing meals.

Motivational Monday

"The past cannot be changed.
The future is yet in your power. "

-Unknown

Link

Fitness Tip of the Week:

• Which is more beneficial, Foam Rolling or Stretching?  Well, they both have their advantages and disadvantages.  But Foam Rolling is more beneficial during pre-workout compared to stretching alone.  Static stretching before a workout can actually decrease power and performance.  Foam Rolling relieves muscle tension and increases blood flow which can help increase exercise performance and decrease the risk of injury.
• Now there are two kinds of stretching exercises, dynamic and static.  Dynamic stretching is most ideal for pre-workout because it increases your heart rate, blood flow and takes your joints and muscles through a full range of motion, making you warmed up for your workout.  Static stretching does the opposite and is proven to decrease muscle strength, muscle endurance and decrease speed performing pre-workout.  Here is a link that explains the difference between stretching and foam rolling, the benefits and disadvantages!

Smoothie Recipe of the Week:

• Kale-Ginger Smoothie
• 1 cup roughly torn lacinato kale
• 1 medium-size frozen banana
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 1/2 teaspoon sliced peeled fresh ginger

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Lunch Recipe of the Week:

• Vegetarian Chickpea Sandwich Filling
• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Dinner Recipe of the Week:

• Zucchini with Chickpea and Mushroom Stuffing
• 4 zucchini, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to tastes
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Sea salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe
               

Exercise of the Week:

Lunge Jumps (3 sets of 30 seconds):

Stretch of the Week:

   Foam Rolling Quad Stretch (15-30 second hold):

Wellness Wednesday

Why Do Some People Get Sick More Than Others

Researchers set out to find out how cells in the nasal passage compare to the throat when dealing with the common cold virus.

     We all have that friend who always seems to get sick it seems like if they even hear about someone having a cold they too start to experience symptoms, but why is that? Turns out the different cells in different parts of our airway react differently to the common cold virus. Another interesting thing they found during this study was when the body is protecting itself against other stressors i.e smoke and allergins it leaves itself more susceptible to the rhinovirus.

     Scientists from Yale University set out to find out why some people get sick when exposed to the common cold or rhinovirus and some don't. Researchers took epithelial cells from healthy human donors from both the nasal cavity and lungs and exposed them to the rhinovirus. They noticed the cells from the nasal cavity had a more robust antiviral response. Using these results they wondered how the cells responded when they were exposed to another irritant such as smoke, and found that when introduced to one at a time the airway defended the body well, but when in combination the cells could protect against the irritant but were much less effective against the virus. Finding which cells protected the body better against the rhinovirus, and concluding that the cells are less effective when placed against another stressor could help scientists find ways to combat this virus in the future.

Motivational Monday

"Change your life today.
Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay. "

-Simone de Beauvoir

Link

Fitness Tip of the Week:

• To help add more protein in your daily meals, start adding protein powder in your smoothie, oatmeal, cereal etc!

Smoothie Recipe of the Week:

• PB & J Smoothie
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup peanut butter, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh strawberries, chopped

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Lunch Recipe of the Week:

• Shrimp Cobb Salad
• 3 cups chopped hearts of romaine
• 5 grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced cucumber
• 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
• 5 cooked peeled shrimp, (31-40 per pound)
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons light blue cheese dressing

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Dinner Recipe of the Week:

• Low-Carb Beef Stew
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound beef stew meat (such as chuck), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 medium white turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe
               

Exercise of the Week:

Plank Raises (3 sets of 30 seconds):

Stretch of the Week:

  Hip Flexor Stretch (15-30 second hold):

Fitness Friday

Should You Eat Breakfast Before Your Morning Workout?

A new study finds those who ate breakfast before working out burned more carbs and metabolized their following meals quicker.

       If you are the type of person who likes to get up in the morning and head to the gym you may have had to face the question of having enough time to eat before your morning workout, and how does that choice affect the way you feel while working out. Some people enjoy exercising on an empty stomach and some prefer to have some fuel before doing anything strenuous, but which is better for your metabolism and could affect the way your body digests food?

     A study out of the University of Bath set out to find the effects of eating vs fasting before a morning workout and their results may surprise you. They took 12 healthy males and tested their blood glucose and muscle glycogen post-workout both on an empty stomach and one where they ate breakfast. They found that when the men worked out after eating breakfast their bodies increased the rate at which they burned, metabolized, and absorbed carbohydrates. This could be good news for those who are at risk for type 2 diabetes, but more studies need to be done to compare these results with the general public.

Wellness Wednesday

Lifestyle Changes Before Pregnancy Reduce Complications

Researchers have concluded that to reduce complications that can occur during pregnancy changes must be made prior or at the very beginning of pregnancy.

     We have all heard the term "eating for two", which because of how often medical advice has changed through the decades, was at one point in time the advice given to women to increase birth weight. Today we experience quite a different problem where the majority of women in the reproductive age group are overweight, and studies show overweight mothers tend to have children who suffer from childhood obesity. Many women who are already overweight before pregnancy tend to gain too much weight during pregnancy and thus increase their already high risk of certain complications such as diabetes, preeclampsia, and hypertension. 

     A new study out of Northwestern University has done a large study to see if making lifestyle changes at different points of pregnancy can change the level of risk to these mothers. 1150 participants were recruited for this study, 579 of these women participated in lifestyle intervention while the rest were provided with standard care from the second trimester until birth. The lifestyle intervention varied but aimed to improve nutrition, reduce calories, and increase physical activity. They concluded that even though women were able to control their weight gain and only gain the recommended amount of weight, their risks for complications didn't change. While there still needs to be more studies, researchers have concluded that to make a change in your risk factors during pregnancy, you need to start before conception, or at least before your second trimester.

Motivational Monday

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop "

- Confucious

Link

Fitness Tip of the Week:

• How can you relieve neck pain?  Slow range-of-motion exercises up and down, side to side help expand the range of motion and elasticity in the neck joints.  Many problems with neck pain are due to tension build up.  Sleeping without a pillow is beneficial for the neck and helps to extend the back.  Your pillow choice is very important because using too soft of a pillow can strain your neck muscles and decrease the blood flow to your head!

Smoothie Recipe of the Week:

• Raspberry-Avocado Smoothie
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cup raspberry juice
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, (not thawed)

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Lunch Recipe of the Week:

• Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 (15) ounce cans black-eyed peas with liquid
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Dinner Recipe of the Week:

• Greek Stuffed Chicken
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill, plus more for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced into half moons
• 2 lemons, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 1 cup crumbled mozzarella

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe
               

Exercise of the Week:

Squat to overhead raise (3 sets of 10 reps each foot):

Stretch of the Week:

  Upper back stretch (15-30 second hold):

Fitness Friday

Obesity Doesn't Always Equal an Increase in Mortality

Research suggests that people who suffer from metabolic obesity but have no other metabolic risk factors do not necessarily have an increased risk of death.

     It's hard to argue the evidence that shows an increase in obesity in this country, it's a condition that affects people of all nationalities, genders, and ages. Unfortunately even with all the cases of obesity, there is a stigma attached to it, and many are unfairly judged as being unhealthy solely based on their weight. Research now suggests that might not actually be the case, people who don't possess other risk factors aren't always unhealthy.

     A study out of York University's Facility of Health followed 54,089 men and women and split them into different groups including obesity by itself, and obesity combined with other metabolic risk factors.They then compared the times of their deaths with people who were determined to have "normal weight". Currently anyone who has a BMI over 30 should lose weight, but there isn't a whole lot of research that shows their risk of dying is any greater or sooner than their "normal weight" counterparts. People should lose weight if it's impacting their life or health, and should be between themselves and their doctor. This study could help the stigma behind being overweight, and allow people to continue to be happy and healthy without people judging them differently.

Wellness Wednesday

Reduce Body Fat by Implementing an Eating Window

A study shows people who ate their meals in a certain time frame lost twice as much on average.

     It seems like every time we turn around there is another fad diet everyone is following. There has been the Adkins diet, keto diet, caveman diet, and even more extreme options such as the potato or celery diet, although I don't think those lasted very long. Lately, the diet that has created quite a stir is intermittent fasting. Intermittent Fasting allows participants to eat as they normally would but do so in a particular time frame, a common time frame being 16:8. That means you would fast or not eat for 16 hours and then get all your daily calories in during your 8 hour "eating window". The million dollar question that arises anytime a new fad diet does is, "does it work?"

     Researchers from the University of Surrey set out to see what if any are the effects of eating your daily calories in an eating window. They split their participants into two groups, one group ate breakfast 90 minutes later than normal, and dinner 90 minutes earlier than normal, and the other group ate as they normally would. Both groups were not asked to change what they ate, simply when they ate. Both groups kept a food log before and during the study and had blood samples taken throughout the process. They found that the group who changed their eating window lost twice as much weight on average when compared to those who didn't change their eating times. The biggest problem with this diet is the restriction affecting their family and social lives, but many felt it was easy enough to sustain. More research needs to be done to determine if there are more health benefits or changes, but if we can reduce the fat content of more people we can reduce the risk for heart disease and other lifestyle diseases creating a healthier population.

Motivational Monday

"A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others "

-Ayn Rand

Link

Fitness Tip of the Week:

• Sleep helps your body rejuvenate.  Having six to eight hours of sleep a day will help keep your body moving.  After an eight hour day at work, you might be tired and it's okay to take a nap! As hard as it might be, you should only take a 30 minute nap so you will be able to sleep during the night!

Smoothie Recipe of the Week:

• Spinach and Kale Smoothie
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
• 1 leaf kale
• 1 sliced frozen banana

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Lunch Recipe of the Week:

• Orzo Chicken Salad with Avocado-Lime Dressing
• Salad:
• 2/3 cup dried whole wheat or regular orzo pasta
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
• Dressing:
• 1 small avocado, seeded, peeled and cut up
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Dinner Recipe of the Week:

• Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 2 cups cooked wheat berries
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe
               

Exercise of the Week:

 Dead Bug (3 sets of 10 reps each foot):

Stretch of the Week:

 Calf Stretch (15-30 second hold):