Nutrition & Fitness

Exercise Makes you Smarter

exercise_2190595b

Science now believes exercise is not just good for your heart it can also make you smarter and that means it can make you better at what you do. It works fast too…stimulating your nervous system is one of the best ways to perform at a higher level within a short period of time. Doctor John Tatey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School says, “I like to say that exercise is like taking a little Prozac or Ritalin at just the right moment…it affects mood, vitality, alertness and feelings of well-being.”

Medical science has now concluded that as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day is enough for “Brain Training” for most adults. More is better if you want to enhance the other health benefits we all know exercise provides. If you’re looking for motivation to help you get started perhaps focusing on the mental clarity it provides will get you going. Here are some of the ways exercise can make you smarter…

The “Mind Body Connection” is cutting edge science today. It may have been the ancient Greeks that discovered the the mind body connection, but today we know areobic exercise not only pumps more blood to your muscles it helps your heart send more blood to the rest of your body as well, including your Brain. More blood means more oxygen and more oxygen means healthier brain cells. Better nourished brain cells improve cognition which fuels higher levels of thought.

The endorphins exercise produces also improves your ability to Concentrate, which assists you in blocking out distractions and improves your ability to set priorities. When you are less impulsive it sharpens your focus which enhances your memory. Improved recall makes your thinking more accurate, giving you greater access to your most important skills. “High Levels of Productive Thought” require lots of energy…especially when you need a boost in creativity. Serious creativity is more than a jolt from out of the blue. It’s hard work and you have to stay with it which means you need mental and physical endurance. Several studies indicate you are better able to use both sides of your brain when it is well nourished which leads to more balanced thinking.

Sometimes we all need incentives to perform well and unlike the physical benefits exercise provides which build up over time, “The Mental Rewards Are Immediate.” Even as little as 10 minutes of vigorous exercise can trigger the release of pleasure chemicals within our nervous system that calm us down, make us think more clearly, perform better and even make us happier. If you exercise today your Brain will reward you today…and if you lack patience just knowing a fast solution is out there can be very comforting.

EXERCISE MAY ENCOURAGE THE USE OF BOTH SIDES OF YOUR BRAIN

Experiments show that most children rank highly creative (right brain) before entering school. Because our educational systems place a higher value on left brain skills such as mathematics, logic and language than they do on drawing or using our imagination, only ten percent of these same children will rank “highly creative” by age 7. By the time we are adults, high creativity remains in only 2 percent of the population. New studies indicate that exercising consistently stimulates the whole brain which may increase your access to more skills. And since most of us aren’t as creative as we would like to be an extra “Jolt” from time to time could be very valuable indeed.

Source: world life expectancy

People in desk jobs gain weight for sure

desk job

If you have gained extra waistline, do not get enough sunlight for your bones and strain your eyes in front of a computer screen, you have all reasons to complain about your desk job.

Over 50 per cent of employees who are deskbound said in a latest survey that they do not get enough physical activity.

Also, staring at a computer screen for most of the day and being stuck inside are the biggest disadvantages of having a desk job. Nearly half of employees surveyed gained weight in their current position compared to 30 per cent of workers in non-desk jobs.

“Overall, 58 per cent of workers in desk jobs categorise themselves as overweight compared to 51 per cent of their peers in non-desk jobs,” said the survey from a leading job portal CareerBuilder.

The study was based on a survey of 2,095 employees who typically work behind a desk and 1,102 people who do not work behind a desk. Additionally, 24 per cent said they do not like working at a desk because there is not enough variety in their work.

While 23 percent said there are too many distractions like disruptions from co-workers. There are some positive sides too.

Employees who work in desk jobs reported earning higher salaries. Desk employees also have access to technology and opportunity to communicate with bosses easily, the survey added.

For someone in non-desk job, not being informed about new company developments, having less chance for upward mobility and fewer face-to-face interactions with company leaders and peers are the disadvantages.

Source: Times of India

Weight loss at any age great for your heart!

weight loss

It’s never too late to lose weight because doing so improves the health of your heart – no matter how old you are.
Researchers found weight loss at any age in adulthood is worthwhile because it gives long-term heart and vascular benefits.

In contrast, the longer an individual is overweight, the more likely they are to have cardiovascular problems in later life, including high blood pressure and greater risk of diabetes.

Adults who went from being obese to overweight, or from overweight to normal on the BMI scale reduced the strain on their cardiovascular system, says the research published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Experts recommend lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and more exercise, to lose weight while stressing that preventing weight gain in the first place is still the best strategy.

The research examined the impact of lifelong patterns of weight change on cardiovascular risk factors in a group of 1,273 British men and women, followed since their birth in March 1946.

It showed that the longer the exposure to excess body fat, known as adiposity, in adulthood the greater the chances of cardiovascular problems in later life.

These problems included thicker arteries, raised blood pressure and increased risk of diabetes.

But heart health markers improved for each drop in BMI, for example from the obese category to simply overweight, even if the weight loss was not sustained.

Lead author Professor John Deanfield, from University College London, said: ‘Our study is unique because it followed individuals for such a long time, more than 60 years, and allowed us to assess the effect of modest, real-life changes in adiposity.

‘Our findings suggest that losing weight at any age can result in long-term cardiovascular health benefits, and support public health strategies and lifestyle modifications that help individuals who are overweight or obese to lose weight at all ages.’

He added: ‘Weight loss at any age in adulthood is worthwhile because it might result in long-term cardiovascular benefit.’
In a commentary with the research, Elizabeth Cespedes and Frank Hu from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, US, said it was ‘encouraging’ that even transitory weight loss has benefits.
They said: ‘The results of this study affirm a continued emphasis on public health policies that enable lifestyle changes to achieve and to maintain a healthy BMI.’

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council and the British Heart Foundation.

People are most likely to gain weight in middle age, a survey has found. The danger year is 38 for women and 44 for men, according to diet firm Forza Supplements.

Source: daily mail

5 Smoothies That Will Help You to Lose Belly Fats

5-best-smoothies-1

To lose belly fats it is very important to consume food that is great source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and food that is great cholesterol free protein source such as nuts and seeds. Berries are great source of these nutrients.

Blueberries for example contain: vitamins K, C, manganese, fiber, coumaric acid, quercetin, resveratrol, etc.

Strawberries are rich source of: anthocyanins, vitamin B complex, niacin, vitamins C, A, E, antioxidants such as: lutein, zea-xanthin, manganese, etc.

-Preparation of strawberries-peach smoothie:

1 peach

1 cup strawberries

2 tsp. flax seeds

Glass of water

Put these ingredients into blender and get irresistible smoothie.peach-cherries-smoothie5

Preparation of apricot-orange smoothie:

1 cup apricots

1 orange

1 peach

Glass of water

Put these ingredients into blender and blend it.apricot-orange-banana-smoothie3

Preparation of blackberries-raspberries smoothie:

½ cup blackberries

½ cup raspberries

½ cup strawberries

2 tsp. flax seeds

Blend these ingredients and the final result is incredible smoothie.blackberries-raspberries-4
Preparation of peach-cherries smoothie:

1 peach

1/3 cup cherries

1 banana

¼ cup crushed almonds

300 ml water

Put these ingredients into blender and you will get incredible smoothie.
Preparation of blackberries-blueberries smoothie:

½ cup blackberries

½ cup blueberries

Handful of spinach

¼ cup crushed hazelnuts

300 ml water

Put these ingredients into blender and blend it.

Source: healthy food base

Weight-loss tamarind and anti-depressants a deadly mix

health-weight-loss-tamarind-and-anti-depressants-deadly-mix

Are you taking weight-loss supplements while on anti-depressants? Take caution because the popular weight-loss supplement garcinia cambogia — famously known as Malabar tamarind — could lead to toxicity in the body.

Previous studies have shown that garcinia cambogia may, in fact, increase the levels of serotonin — a neurotransmitter.

New research found that taking the supplement in combination with anti-depressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — which also cause serotonin levels to rise — could lead to serotonin toxicity.

“People who are taking SSRIs should not use garcinia cambogia at least until further research is done,” said D. Robert Hendrickson, a toxicologist at Oregon Health and Sciences University.

In India, garcinia cambogia is better known as Malabar tamarind.

This fruit originated in Indonesia, but is grown and cultivated along the western ghats of Kerala. Sri Lanka and Malaysia are also well acquainted with the garcinia cambogia.

The hydroxycitric acid (HCA) compound in the fruit is touted as a fat-burning, metabolism-boosting, appetite-suppressing weight-loss product.

“If I had a family member or a patient who was considering starting Garcinia and they were on an SSRI, I would recommend that they do not do it for now,” a Live Science report quoted Hendrickson as saying.

The study appeared in the Journal of Medical Toxicrotonin toxicity, Serotonin, Toxic food

Water exercise leads to fitter frame: Expert

Aqua-aerobics-22-4-2014

Cristiana Pipoli, aqua aerobics trainer at Jaypee Vasant Continental, feels that aqua aerobics can work wonders for those who do not believe in “working out” in the conventional way.

“This water workout reduces the weight of a person by up to 90 percent, thus reducing the stress burden on your body’s joints. The water also provides a natural resistance to your movements, making your aerobatics workout intense without you realising it. Aqua Aerobics also provides you with cardiovascular and strength training,” Pipoli said in a statement.

“Another great advantage of Aqua Aerobics is that water makes you less prone to the exercise injuries. It does not matter what age you are, or at what level of fitness you are, it is suitable for all and is an enjoyable method of exercise, that can be altered to your specific needs and or fitness levels to ensure a safe and effective workout,” Pipoli said in a statement.

Some of the water exercises suggested by the expert:

* Cross Country Sky – excellent for lifting the heart rate. Movement of both arms and legs.
* Back Curl – great exercise for glute.
* Straight Leg Lift Forward – Excellent to raise heart beat.
* Side Leg Left – for legs and inner thighs
* Frog Lift – inner thighs one can do this thing only in water
* Knees to Elbow Twist – for waist and for strong core.

Source: Post

5 kitchen essentials for dieters

If you are hoping to shed some weight before summer these kitchen basics can help:

Non-stick pan

Cooking with a non-stick pan makes it easy to cut excess calories and fat because you don’t have to grease it with oil or butter.

Measuring tools

Measure out a one-cup serving of cereal and you may realize you’ve been filling your usual cereal bowl with about three cups! Using a measuring cup and measuring spoons makes portion control simple.

Food scale

A kitchen scale lets you gauge the proper portion of foods such as meats, poultry and fish based on their weight.

Spritzer bottle

Though olive oil is heart-healthy, the fact remains that one tablespoon contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat. Instead of pouring oil directly on your food give it a spritz or two. You’ll still enjoy plenty of flavor while using a lot less oil at only 5 calories per spritz.

Tall glasses

Studies have shown that people tend to pour less into a tall, slender glass than they do using a short wide glass. A tall drink is apt to be more satisfying too, simply because it seems big.

Source: Pick news

 

Regular Aerobic Exercise May Prevent Dementia

Take up regular aerobic exercise to slow down the advance of dementia and other signs of cognitive decline, a study suggests.

Such exercise seems to boost the size of the area of the brain (hippocampus) involved in verbal memory and learning among women whose intellectual capacity has been affected by age.

For the study, the researchers tested the impact of different types of exercise on the hippocampal volume of 86 women who said they had mild memory problems, known as mild cognitive impairment – and a common risk factor for dementia.

All the women were aged between 70 and 80 years old and were living independently at home.

Roughly equal numbers of them were assigned to either twice weekly hour long sessions of aerobic training (brisk walking); or resistance training, such as squats, and weights; or balance and muscle toning exercises, for a period of six months.

The size of their hippocampus was assessed at the start and the end of the six month period by means of an MRI scan, and their verbal memory and learning capacity was assessed before and afterward using a validated test (RAVLT).

Only 29 of the women had before and after MRI scans, but the results showed that the total volume of the hippocampus in the group who had completed the full six months of aerobic training was significantly larger than that of those who had lasted the course doing balance and muscle toning exercises.

The study appeared in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Source: Zee news

5 Ways to Use Breathing Techniques to Get a Better Workout

“Don’t hold your breath!” It’s something we’ve all heard before while working out…and for good reason. “When you hold you breath, the energy in your cells plunges and you feel fatigued during your workout way before you should,” says Belisa Vranich, Psy.D., creator of the OXYGEN breathing class at WILLSPACE in NYC.

But that doesn’t mean your regular ol’ breathing pattern will do. You actually need to think about and control your breath during your workout for peak performance. And when it comes to breathing, one method does not fit all workouts. So check out these expert tips on how to breathe during your favorite workouts:

During Weight Lifting
“Inhale on the less strenuous phase of the exercise, and exhale on the more demanding phase of the exercise,” says personal trainer Mike Donavanik, C.S.C.S. If you’re hitting heavy weights, though, Donavanik recommends the Valsalva maneuver: You inhale on the easy part, hold you breath for just a short second as you approach the hardest part of the exercise (commonly called the “sticking point”), and once you’ve completed it, you exhale per usual. The maneuver helps you tighten your core muscles and maintain proper form. However, it does briefly increase blood pressure. So if you have any cardiovascular problems, the move isn’t for you.

During Cardio
“Continuous breathing will help you to increase nitric oxide, an important gas that relaxes the arteries and keeps the blood flow that you need to sustain your rhythmic activity,” says exercise physiologist Marta Montenegro, C.S.C.S. Instead of breathing in an even pattern, though, try inhaling for three seconds and then exhaling for two, suggests Budd Coates, M.S., author of Running on Air: The Revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter. While it takes some serious concentration at first, research shows that the greatest running impact occurs when your foot strike coincides with the beginning of your exhale. So by keeping a 3:2 breath tempo, you’ll minimize your chance of injury.

During Plyometrics
Like we learned with the Valsalva, briefly holding your breath helps stabilize your body, which comes in handy during explosive moves. “Imagine that you are doing a jump to box,” says Montenegro. “Hold your breath when you make contact with the floor so that your body is more rigid, which will help with the rebound.”

During Stretching
Stretching is all about loosening up—so focus on inhaling deeply. It relaxes your muscles so you can get a better stretch and lower your risk of pulling anything, says Montenegro. The exhale will follow naturally.

During Recovery
Ever finished a set of squats, thought “that wasn’t so bad,” and then started huffing and puffing? That’s because your body needs oxygen to replete its energy stores. So in between sets of exercises, practice diaphragmatic breathing, says Donavanik. Diaphragmatic breathing allows you to get more oxygen into your lungs—and to your muscles—per breath so you can hit your next exercise hard. To do it, focus on filling and emptying your abdomen with each breath rather than raising and lowering your chest.

Source: Women’s health

11 Fitness Foods to Help You Get in Shape Faster

Beet juice for stamina

Recent research shows that this ruby red root veggie may be more effective at boosting energy than caffeine, or nearly anything you’ll find in the supplement aisle. When UK researchers asked male athletes to down either 16 ounces of organic beetroot juice or a placebo, those who gulped the real thing cycled for up to 16% longer, an effect scientists say isn’t achievable by any other known means, including training. To bolster your performance, invest in a juicer and grab some fresh beets, which are in season year-round. Or look for bottled beet juice, which can be sipped straight or blended into a pre-workout smoothie.

Honey for endurance
Research conducted at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory found that consuming honey before exercise provides “time-released” fuel to give athletes steady blood sugar and insulin levels over a longer duration. This natural sweetener also boosted power, speed, and endurance in competitive cyclists who downed it prior to and at 10-mile intervals throughout a 40-mile race. For quality and purity, I recommend USDA Certified Organic raw honey. Enjoy it straight off a spoon, or mix it into a pre-workout snack like oatmeal.

Pea protein to delay muscle fatigue
Pea protein powder has been generating serious buzz in the sports nutrition community for some time now. The reason: it’s rich in branched chain amino acids, compounds that have been shown to delay fatigue during exercise. The arginine in this powder (which is made from yellow peas) has also been shown to enhance immunity, while the lysine boosts calcium absorption and decreases calcium losses to help maintain strong bones. One scoop can pack more than 25 grams of lean protein, which can be whipped into a smoothie along with almond milk, a dollop of almond butter, cinnamon, and frozen cherries or berries.

Blueberries to reduce inflammation
To test the anti-inflammatory and recovery effects of blueberries, researchers at Appalachian State University recruited well-trained athletes and fed them about 9 ounces of blueberries daily for six weeks, plus another 13 ounces an hour before a two-and a-half-hour run. The results were impressive. In addition to a reduction in inflammation, blueberry eaters experienced a boost in natural killer cells, a type of white blood cell that plays a vital role in immunity. When fresh blueberries aren’t practical, reach for dried or freeze dried options to stash in your gym bag.

Tart cherries to fight pain and regain strength
At the University of Vermont’s Human Performance Laboratory, researchers asked men to drink either 12 ounces of a tart cherry juice blend or a placebo twice daily for eight days. On the fourth day of the study, the athletes completed a strenuous strength-training routine. Two weeks later, the opposite beverage was provided, and the training was repeated. Scientists found that the cherry juice had a significant effect on pain reduction. In addition, strength loss averaged 22% in the placebo group compared to just 4% in the cherry group. Fresh tart cherries are only in season in late summer, but frozen and dried options are becoming easier to find, as is 100% tart cherry juice.

Salmon to build muscle
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish like salmon have been linked to a laundry list of benefits, from fighting heart disease to staving off type 2 diabetes. But animal research shows it may also be a potent muscle booster. Compared to steers fed cottonseed and olive oils, those that consumed fish oil showed improved muscle development: their bodies used twice the amount of amino acids to build new protein tissues, especially skeletal muscles. Include wild salmon in meals a few times a week, or try salmon jerky as a portable snack. If you can’t or don’t eat seafood, look for an algae-based source of omega-3s.

Watermelon to reduce muscle soreness
Recently, Spanish sports medicine scientists discovered that watermelon juice helped relieve muscle soreness when about 16 ounces were consumed an hour before exercise. The effect is likely due to citrulline, a natural substance found in watermelon that’s been tied to improved artery function and lowered blood pressure (it’s even been dubbed “nature’s Viagra”). I’m starting to see bottled watermelon juice popping up all over the place. And when you eat it fresh, be sure to bite into the white rind a bit—that’s where citrulline is found in higher concentrations.

Pomegranate for muscle strength recovery
The antioxidants in pomegranate have been linked to enhanced memory and brain activity, and now researchers at the University of Texas at Austin report that pomegranate juice helps improve muscle recovery. Researchers recruited volunteers who were randomly assigned to maintain their normal diets and add 4 ounces of either pomegranate juice or a placebo twice a day. Both groups performed resistance-training exercises, but those who gulped pom experienced significantly less muscle soreness and reduced muscle weakness for up to 7 days. Pomegranate is a winter fruit, but you can find frozen options year-round. Just thaw and add to oatmeal, parfaits, or garden salads. Small shots of 100% juice are also a good option.

Coffee for next-day energy
A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that glycogen, the body’s storage form of carbohydrates, is replenished more rapidly when athletes consume both carbs and caffeine following exhaustive exercise. Compared to carbs alone, the combo resulted in a 66% increase in muscle glycogen 4 hours after intense exercise. That’s significant because packing more fuel into the energy “piggy banks” within your muscles means that the next time you train or perform, you’ve upped your ability to exercise harder or longer.

Watercress to reduce DNA damage
A recent study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that watercress, a peppery green from the mustard family, effectively countered the “wear and tear” effects of exercise. Healthy young men were given about 3 ounces of watercress daily for eight weeks, and asked to participate in treadmill workouts that included short bursts of intense exercise. Another exercise group did the workouts without watercress as a control. The men who missed out on watercress experienced more exercise-induced DNA damage, and the benefits were seen after just one dose. In other words, those who ate the green for the first time just two hours before hitting the treadmill experienced the same benefits as those who had munched on it daily for two months. Watercress makes a wonderful salad base and, like spinach and kale, it can be whipped into a smoothie.

Dark chocolate to curb exercise-induced stress
Numerous studies support the myriad benefits of dark chocolate and new research published in the European Journal of Nutrition adds exercise protection to the list. In the study, healthy men were asked to eat 3.5 ounces of 70% dark chocolate two hours before a two-and-a-half-hour bout of cycling. Compared to a control group, the chocolate eaters experienced higher blood antioxidant levels and reduced markers of exercise-induced cell stress. Enjoy a few individually wrapped squares of dark chocolate daily, melt and drizzle it over fresh fruit, or mix it into oatmeal, smoothies, or parfaits.

Source: health