Dark Chocolate May Prevent Heart Attacks
It’s no surprise that scientific experts love to study chocolate. Of course, this cocoa-flavored candy has also been shown time and again to be incredibly healthy for your heart. To determine the reason, a research team gave people either two ounces of dark chocolate (which contains high levels of antioxidant compounds called flavanols) or white chocolate (which doesn’t have any flavanols) every day for a week. They discovered that those in the dark chocolate group had lower blood sugar levels and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind) and higher HDL cholesterols (the good kind) than people who got the white chocolate. The higher the levels of cocoa in the chocolate, the better it is for you, researchers believe, so be sure to grab a bar thats contains at least 70 percent. Remember, of course, that chocolate of any kind still contains fat and calories, so do your heart—and your midsection—a favour and stick to no more than an ounce or two per day.
Source: mensfitness.com
Fitness Gadgets That Actually Work
From the infamous Thighmaster to the downright peculiar Shake Weight, the fitness industry is saturated with products promising big results with little effort. Six-Pack abs in sixty seconds? Only in your dreams. Shoes that tone your legs and butt? Better keep on walking. That’s not to say all gadgets are a waste of your time (and money). There are products out there that actually work, whether by helping you target specific muscle groups or offering a mental boost to push you past physical thresholds. If you’re seeking a little extra motivation, or just itching for something new to play with, we’ve rounded up some gear—from high-tech toys to gym staples that will actually help you get in shape.
BOSU Ball
Short for “both sides up,” the BOSU Ball provides two types of workouts from one piece of gear. Use either side to make upper body exercises such as pushups, planks, or other abs movements more difficult by adding instability and forcing your muscles to work harder.
Reebok inTouch Heart Rate Monitor
Strap on the Reebok inTouch Heart Rate Monitor to keep track of just how hard you’re working while you go the distance. All you have to do is touch the screen to get an update on your heart rate and calories burned, while the Fit Zone Indicator feature keeps you on a perfect pace.
Just Dance 3
Who said video games are for couch potatoes? Shake your groove thang-and shake off the fat with Just Dance 3, available for the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation3. Manufacturers claim that 30 minutes of playing Just Dance can burn 190 calories.
Stability Ball
These gigantic playground balls have bounced their way to gyms around the world as tools for doing everything from improving your balance to whittling your waistline. An easy way to target trouble spots, exercises with a stability ball can work the muscles in your legs, core and upper body.
iPod Nano
Now equipped with a “wearable” spring-loaded clip, it stays secure on your shorts or shirt while you workout. And with fitness-tracking software and accessories, you can get immediate feedback on your workout without having to stop.
Foam Roller
Styrofoam isn’t just for packing peanuts . Those long, foam logs you’ve probably noticed laying around the gym are the ticket to preventing muscle soreness and potentially sidelining injuries. By simply rolling over sore and stiff spots, like your hamstrings, quads and middle back, you’ll break up muscle knots with your body weight. This improves bloodflow, aids flexibility, and can provide serious relief from aches and pains.
Source: livestrong.com
Ladies’ Corner
5 WAYS TO NURTURE A FITNESS HABIT
Find Your Exercise “Zen”
When you’re starting out, you need to be primarily concerned with adhering to this new fitness regimen, and you can’t stick to something you hate long term. It’s all about feeling the love, and love starts with homework.
Set Goals
Long-term goals are important. It’s good to have an idea of what you want to achieve, whether it is a visual idea, improved physical performance, inches lost, etc.
Go Public
Tell everyone you know, plus the people on Twitter and Facebook, that you’ve signed up for some kind of event and that your training starts now. This creates a powerful external motivator and support structure to push you along.
Commit to Another Person (Or People)
It can be a friend or a spouse or a group class. Those who get out of the house with other people, conversely, are the ones most likely to stick with it, and there are lots of options for doing so.
Do It First Thing In The Morning
First thing in the morning is when your will is strongest, and if you’ve got the routine of doing it right after brushing your teeth, you’re far more likely to follow through than if the plan is to exercise after a brutal day at the office.
Source: chatelaine.com
Men’s Corner
5 WAYS TO HAVE LASTING WEIGHT LOSS
Be Accountable
Put a calendar on your refrigerator with a red and green marker. Everyday that you work out and eat well cross it off with a green line. If you have a bad day, red line. Every time you go to the refrigerator, that calendar’s looking at you. You’ll want to be seeing more green lines than red ones.
Set Short-Term Goals
When people set specific, manageable goals or challenges, they will succeed and that success builds momentum.
Go On The Attack
Roll out of bed and hit the floor. Seven crunches. Thirty push-ups. Thirty squats. That’s a quick explosion of muscle development. And then go brush your teeth.
Work Out While You Work
Make a point to be active in the course of your day. Instead of going for a smoke, go for a walk. Instead of driving to lunch, walk to lunch, and then walk back.
Do It Right
Form is everything. Many people use momentum instead of specific strength development, so their form is off. Ask around your club for some pointers.
Source: menshealth.com
Eat Your Colours
Fill your plate with a vibrant array of fruits and veggies to keep your brain and body at their peak.
Crack the Colour Code
When it comes to selecting produce, there’s no one tint that rises above the rest. We need the full spectrum. That’s why we’re omnivore. Here’s what each hue brings you.
Green
These foods contain cancer-protecting phytochemicals, like isothiocyanates. They also have lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that may reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.
Yellow
Sun-coloured produce is full of vitamin C, which helps heal wounds and also blocks some skin damage caused by free radicals. Chances are you’re not hitting your color quota.
Orange
These have beta-carotene, which may help boost immune function and protect against free-radical damage. Nutrients in citrus fruits also improve oral health.
Red
Tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, pink grapefruit. These foods contain lycopene, which studies have shown reduces the risk of several types of cancer. Apricots and pink guavas are also sources of lycopene.
Source: womenshealthmag.com
Making Your Workouts Work for Your Schedule
Don’t paint yourself into a corner when it comes to scheduling your workouts. A night owl should not schedule 5 a.m. workouts nor should an early bird exercise at night. Although there are many benefits to exercising in the morning, you can reap the rewards of exercise no matter what time of the day, so schedule a time that works for you.
Are You Eating Enough Carbs?
To maintain your energy and health as an athlete, you need to eat a carbohydrate-rich meal plan every day. Depending on your sport and workout routine, you should consume anywhere from 3 to 5 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight. Approximately 55 to 65 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are key for maximum energy, speed, stamina, concentration, recovery and better fluid balance. They are vital for athletes and active individuals because they are the primary fuel for your body.
Think of carbohydrates as the gas needed to fuel a car. Without gas, a car won’t run. Likewise, without carbohydrates, your body will not have the fuel it requires to support your daily mental and physical activities.
Nutrient-rich carbohydrates are foods that have been minimally processed or are not processed at all. Therefore, they contain greater amounts of their naturally present nutrients. A wide variety of foods fit into the nutrient-rich carbohydrate category such as:
- Whole Grains
- Fruits
- Yogurt
- Beans & Legumes
- Starchy vegetables
- Milk
Source: active.com
The Key to Finally Finding Time to Exercise
Learn How to Prioritize Your Time
When it comes to time management, nothing is more important than prioritization. You must make the decision that exercise is important to you and you will put it before many other things. Find an activity that you can learn to love, rather than just focusing on the best butt-sculpter or calorie-burner. If you love something, you’ll find time for it. If you put a high enough priority on exercise, you will find the time. You will find those things you can place a lower priority on.
Plan
You know your life and schedule better than anyone, so you need to do a bit of figuring your stuff out. What time of day works best for you to exercise? Figure out your running or cycling routes. How are you going to fit in breakfast? Which gym has the most convenient location for you? Figure out your exercise partners. Do this, then make a schedule and effort to stick to it. Also, consider sticking it to the fridge and ticking each one off as “done”. This is a proven motivator.
Adapt
Things don’t always work out the way you plan, so don’t give up on the fundamental goals, just change the plan and try again.
Be Efficient
Thirty minutes of going hard with the weights is far better than an hour of messing around in the gym. Running hard for 30 minutes burns more calories than walking for an hour. It’s also better for your heart, lungs, and cholesterol, plus improves your ability to train harder with weights.
Efficiency doesn’t just apply to exercise. You can pack an entire week’s worth of gym clothes and take them to the office on Monday so you never have to worry about missing a workout because you don’t have fresh attire. If you get creative, you can think of other ways in your life to be efficient, providing more time to exercise.
Think!
A lot of people forget that the brain is the most important tool when it comes to improving fitness. The brain is what makes things happen. If you sit in a quiet room with a notebook and just start jotting ideas down about how you can make fitness fit into your busy schedule, the ideas will come.
Source: chatelaine.com
Healthy Living Tip!
Each month check for healthy living tips. These tips will help you with your workout, eating healthy and living well.
Make some substitutes.
Look through your cabinets or fridge and pick 3 foods you eat every day. Write down the nutritional content and, the next time you’re at the store, find lower-calorie substitutes for just those 3 items.
