Few things feel more terrifying and random than a stroke, which can strike without warning. And fear of stroke -- when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot, starving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients -- is well founded. After all, stroke is the number-three killer in the U.S., affecting more than 700,000 people each year. Here are five foods that cause the damage that leads to stroke. More...Yahoo Health
Friday, September 23, 2011
Warm Up: Walking Lunge
Do this routine twice pre-WOD to prime muscles. Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms overhead. Lunge forward with left foot so left thigh is parallel to floor, knee over ankle, right knee touching floor (as shown). Return to standing for 1 rep; repeat on opposite side, traveling forward. Continue, alternating sides. Do 20 reps. * works abs, butt, thighs, hamstrings
More from SELF
Sourced By: Yahoo Health
Get Going!
The Expert
Denise Thomas, CrossFit Level 2 (the highest!) coach at Reebok CrossFit One in Canton, Massachusetts
You'll Need
A timer (our favorite: the free GymBoss app), a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell and a hand towel
Your Plan
After completing the warm-up described in this slideshow two times through, do workouts of the day (WODs) 1, 2 and 3 once each week on separate days. Track your progress for one month, then marvel at your improvement. Three, two, one...go! That's how CrossFitters start each WOD.
How to Talk CrossFit
Box: What CrossFitters call the gym. They hit the box!
WOD: Pronounced like "wad" (as in gum), it stands for Workout of the Day. You'll get three fast, effective WODs here.
Task Priority: Some WODs tell you exactly how many reps to do (e.g., three rounds of 10). Your goal is to race the clock—complete them as fast as you can with good form.
Time Priority: Other WODs (like WODs 1 and 3) tell you precisely how many minutes you have to perform AMRAP (as many rounds or reps as possible). Hustle, hustle! Sourced By: Yahoo heath
Denise Thomas, CrossFit Level 2 (the highest!) coach at Reebok CrossFit One in Canton, Massachusetts
You'll Need
A timer (our favorite: the free GymBoss app), a 5- to 15-pound dumbbell and a hand towel
Your Plan
After completing the warm-up described in this slideshow two times through, do workouts of the day (WODs) 1, 2 and 3 once each week on separate days. Track your progress for one month, then marvel at your improvement. Three, two, one...go! That's how CrossFitters start each WOD.
How to Talk CrossFit
Box: What CrossFitters call the gym. They hit the box!
WOD: Pronounced like "wad" (as in gum), it stands for Workout of the Day. You'll get three fast, effective WODs here.
Task Priority: Some WODs tell you exactly how many reps to do (e.g., three rounds of 10). Your goal is to race the clock—complete them as fast as you can with good form.
Time Priority: Other WODs (like WODs 1 and 3) tell you precisely how many minutes you have to perform AMRAP (as many rounds or reps as possible). Hustle, hustle! Sourced By: Yahoo heath
Formulating functional fitness for everyday people
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A mother-to-be hoists a rubber cylinder overhead. A 70-year-old balances on a wobble board and a firefighter grips a medicine ball while lunging across the gym floor.
Called functional training, workouts mirroring the activities of daily life have become a cornerstone of personal training sessions and group fitness classes, even if daily life can encompass anything from lifting a baby to scaling a burning building.
"Functional fitness has moved beyond the trend stage, and is simply one of the driving forces for many of the 50 million health club members," said Meredith Poppler of IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association).
It's basically exercise aimed at improving the quality of life and movement.
"Functional fitness is exercise that mimics everyday tasks," explained Frank Salzone, a trainer with the Equinox chain of fitness centers. "I always put my personal clients through functional training." More....Yahoo Health
Called functional training, workouts mirroring the activities of daily life have become a cornerstone of personal training sessions and group fitness classes, even if daily life can encompass anything from lifting a baby to scaling a burning building.
"Functional fitness has moved beyond the trend stage, and is simply one of the driving forces for many of the 50 million health club members," said Meredith Poppler of IHRSA (International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association).
It's basically exercise aimed at improving the quality of life and movement.
"Functional fitness is exercise that mimics everyday tasks," explained Frank Salzone, a trainer with the Equinox chain of fitness centers. "I always put my personal clients through functional training." More....Yahoo Health
4 Fitness Secrets from the NFL
Aaron Rodgers. Drew Brees. LaDainian Tomlinson. Reggie Bush. Besides being NFL Pro Bowlers, what do these guys have in common?
They're all trained by Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, a contributor to Men's Health, and author of The Impact! Body Plan.
Durkin makes his living training elite athletes, but he also helps average men (and women) achieve their ideal bodies too. And he does so with the very same strategies, exercises, and workout plans he gives top athletes. Walk into his gym, in fact, and you may very well see a grandmother training next to an NFL superstar. That's pretty cool.
We recently asked Durkin to how top NFL athletes get and stay in peak physical condition—and how you can do it, too. Here's what he told us.
Secret #1: Work Your Weaknesses
Durkin: The average guy avoids exercises he's not good that. Oftentimes, these should be his focus.
I do the same thing with my athletes. When I first started working with LaDainian in 2002, he had room for improvement on his balance. He since has become so much better. When I started working with Brees (pictured here training at Durkin's gym) that same year, his core wasn't as strong as it should be. So with an emphasis on joint integrity and core strength, he was able to really improve his game. More...Yahoo Health
They're all trained by Todd Durkin, C.S.C.S., owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, a contributor to Men's Health, and author of The Impact! Body Plan.
Durkin makes his living training elite athletes, but he also helps average men (and women) achieve their ideal bodies too. And he does so with the very same strategies, exercises, and workout plans he gives top athletes. Walk into his gym, in fact, and you may very well see a grandmother training next to an NFL superstar. That's pretty cool.
We recently asked Durkin to how top NFL athletes get and stay in peak physical condition—and how you can do it, too. Here's what he told us.
Secret #1: Work Your WeaknessesDurkin: The average guy avoids exercises he's not good that. Oftentimes, these should be his focus.
I do the same thing with my athletes. When I first started working with LaDainian in 2002, he had room for improvement on his balance. He since has become so much better. When I started working with Brees (pictured here training at Durkin's gym) that same year, his core wasn't as strong as it should be. So with an emphasis on joint integrity and core strength, he was able to really improve his game. More...Yahoo Health
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
WORLD CLASS NUTRITION
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10 nutrition powerhouses for kids
In addition to protecting against heart disease and diabetes and improving brain function, blueberries may also help reduce visceral "toxic" belly fat.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Foods like blueberries and salmon are top picks of true bite-for-bite nutritional powerhouses
- Even cinnamon and cocoa have great nutritional value for kids
- Pizza and pasta are actually a good way to incorporate lycopene into a child's diet
RELATED TOPICS
It's a fact of life: Chips, cupcakes, and lots of other not-so-nutritionally noble foods are going to find their way into your child's mouth. Heck, if left to their own devices, a lot of kids wouldn't eat anything that didn't come out of a pizza or pasta box. But that's all the more reason to make sure the meals you serve up are packed with as much good stuff as possible. Parenting went to Rachel Beller, R.D., founder of the Beller Nutritional Institute in Beverly Hills, California, a mom of four, and an expert in eating for disease prevention, to get her top picks of true bite-for-bite nutritional powerhouses. Most important, they're also foods kids might actually eat. Add them to this week's shopping list!
For weight-loss help, faithfuls turn to God
Women at a gospel aerobics class in Camp Springs, Maryland, blend praise and exercise.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Churches open fitness centers, start healthy living courses; new God-themed DVDs are released
- People are searching for meaning in their workouts and enhanced church experience
- Using faith in workouts adds extra motivation and boost, say supporters
Using the Lord's name (not in vain), fitness and diet enthusiasts are injecting the Almighty into nutrition programs, exercise DVDs, martial arts and healthy living courses.
In a DVD released in June, a gospel choir in full-length gowns sways back and forth while a fitness personality, Donna Richardson Joyner, sashays to her aerobic exercises. Her smiling, spandex-clad entourage echoes her movements. All lift their hands to praise the Lord.
"Give him some love!" she shouts. "Honor him!"
Exercise DVDs with religious themes, such as this one, have streamed into the market. More churches have opened fitness centers and started healthy living groups.
"People are wanting more out of what they're currently getting," said Brad Bloom, publisher of the Faith & Fitness magazine. "They're tired of going to a church, to a routine show on Sunday morning. Then they're also frustrated with the gym experience. People need something where they can get a comprehensive experience from it." More.....Cnn.com
Health-Care basics: spend or save?
Although prices may be steep, consumers should consider spending more on their health-care products to save in the long run.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Modernizing basic health tools will help save money and promote safety
- Consider purchasing two humidifiers for personal and environmental benefits
- Spending more money on health care products is more beneficial in the long run
(RealSimple.com) -- When to spend and when to save on eight essentials that affect your health every day.
Thermometers
Old-school mercury versions, which are hard to read and can break, have gone the way of the Walkman. An inexpensive digital thermometer (about $6) is the new classic and more than adequate for the average person.
Two things to look for: a big, backlit display that's easy to see in a dark room, and a fast reading time of about 15 seconds, says Caroline Dorsen, a board-certified family nurse practitioner in New York City. Go for an under-the-tongue variety, as ear (or tympanic) thermometers are less reliable. A study done at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, found that parents using home tympanic models failed to detect a fever 25 percent of the time. If you have to check someone's temperature hourly, invest in a temporal artery (forehead) thermometer. It's even easier to use but a bit more expensive (about $35).
More....Cnn.com
Why eating a lot feels so darn good
The brain rewards eating salt, fat and sugars by releasing feel-good chemical substances.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Food can induce feel-good chemicals in the same way as drugs and alcohol
- Evolution, competition and ingestion analgesia are factors in pleasure of eating
- Being full feels satisfying compared with gnawing, rumbling hunger pains
RELATED TOPICS
Having a belly stuffed with comforting food can feel like a warm hug from the inside.
Evolution has given us the instinct to eat a lot every time we can, preparing for hard times. It's the drive to survive, like puffy-cheeked squirrels storing up for the winter. It's also fueled by competition: beating the others to the food.
More....Cnn.com
Is your diet good for your skin?
The food you eat, like wrinkle-fighting antioxidants in fruits, may matter to your skin almost as much as it does to your waistline.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Omega-3 fatty acids in fish help keep skin-cell membranes strong and elastic
- Beans contain zit-battling zinc and decrease inflammation
- Fat helps your body absorb complexion-friendly antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins
RELATED TOPICS
The food you eat -- from wrinkle-fighting antioxidants in fruits and vegetables to hydrating healthy fats in fish -- may matter to your skin almost as much as it does to your waistline.
Is your way of noshing helping or hurting your complexion? We asked top docs for their take on the face-friendliness of six popular diets.
Read on to see if yours passes the beauty test, and find out how you can alter what you eat for A-plus skin.
Health.com: 8 steps to healthy skin at every age
More...Cnn.com
Half of Americans sip sugary drinks daily
Americans get 8% of daily calories from sugary drinks, a study from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics says.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Half of U.S. population over age 2 consumes sugary drinks daily, CDC says
- Report says the drinks have been linked to weight gain, obesity and diabetes
- Beverage makers say their products have not fueled obesity and diabetes
- Male teens are most frequent consumers of sugary drinks, report says
Now it's a daily fixture in American life -- in bright containers glowing inside vending machines, chugged from 32-ounce bucket-like containers at self-service stations and served as the default beverage in fast-food meals.
In today's carbonation nation, half of the U.S. population over age 2 consumes sugary drinks daily, according to a report released by National Center for Health Statistics.
The sugary drinks include sodas, sweetened waters, and energy, sports and fruit beverages. Not included in the total were diet drinks, 100% fruit juices, sweetened teas and flavored milk. The report states that sugary drinks have been linked to "poor diet quality, weight gain, obesity, and in adults, type 2 diabetes."More....Cnn.com
Plate icon to guide Americans to healthier eating
(CNN) -- The food pyramid has been dismantled in favor of a simple plate icon that urges Americans to eat a more plant-based diet.
One half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, with whole grains and lean protein on the other half, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Low-fat dairy on the side, such as a cup of skim milk or yogurt, is also suggested.
The new icon, MyPlate is designed to remind Americans to adopt healthier eating habits, in a time when more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.
What's your ideal MyPlate? Show us!
"It's an opportunity for Americans to understand quickly how to have a balanced and nutritious meal," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "It's a constant reminder as you look at your own plate whether your portion sizes are right, whether you've got enough fruits and vegetables on that plate."
Vilsack, first lady Michelle Obama and Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin spoke at a Thursday press conference to unveil the new plate icon.
Obama has led a national campaign for healthier diets and more physical exercise, called Let's Move, which aims to reduce childhood obesity in the United States within a generation.
The goal of MyPlate is to simplify nutritional information, Obama said.
"When it comes to eating, what's more useful than a plate?" she asked. "It's a quick simple way for all of us to be mindful of the foods we're eating."
She warned that the new icon won't end the obesity epidemic alone.
"It can't ensure our communities have access to affordable fruits and vegetables," Obama said. "That's still work we need to do."
She said kids still need to be active and that parents still need to be vigilant on making good food choices.
One half of your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, with whole grains and lean protein on the other half, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Low-fat dairy on the side, such as a cup of skim milk or yogurt, is also suggested.
The new icon, MyPlate is designed to remind Americans to adopt healthier eating habits, in a time when more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.
What's your ideal MyPlate? Show us!
"It's an opportunity for Americans to understand quickly how to have a balanced and nutritious meal," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "It's a constant reminder as you look at your own plate whether your portion sizes are right, whether you've got enough fruits and vegetables on that plate."
Vilsack, first lady Michelle Obama and Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin spoke at a Thursday press conference to unveil the new plate icon.
Obama has led a national campaign for healthier diets and more physical exercise, called Let's Move, which aims to reduce childhood obesity in the United States within a generation.
The goal of MyPlate is to simplify nutritional information, Obama said.
"When it comes to eating, what's more useful than a plate?" she asked. "It's a quick simple way for all of us to be mindful of the foods we're eating."
She warned that the new icon won't end the obesity epidemic alone.
"It can't ensure our communities have access to affordable fruits and vegetables," Obama said. "That's still work we need to do."
She said kids still need to be active and that parents still need to be vigilant on making good food choices.
Monday, September 19, 2011
17 million US households lack proper diet: report
A shelf in the food pantry at the Bridgeport Rescue Mission is seen nearly empty …
Over 17 million US households -- or 14.5 percent -- were unable to eat properly in 2010, either due to small portions, or chronically unhealthy diets, a government report said Wednesday.
Households living near or below the poverty line, single-parent households, and black or Hispanic households, were mostly affected, said the report from the Department of Agriculture.
Among those affected, some 6.4 million homes (5.4 percent) were particularly affected by food insecurity, said the report, facing smaller portions, unhealthy diets, hunger and weight loss.
Some 9.8 percent of households with children faced similar food insecurity, down slightly from 10.6 percent of the same demographic in 2009, the report said.
The "study underscores what we know, that the food security remains a serious problem," said USDA under secretary Kevin Concannon in a conference call with reporters.
The USDA last month noted that nearly 46 million people, or one-in-six Americans, were in April this year living with government-issued food stamps. Sourced By: Yahoo news
Saturday, September 10, 2011
3 Nutrients to Accelerate Muscle Recovery
By: StacyAtZeel Allowing your muscles to recover between workouts is as important as the exercise itself. After all, there’s a reason why you’re achy for a day or two following back-to-back Read More »Weight Loss Secrets from The Biggest Loser's Olivia Ward and Hannah Curlee
5 Ways To Help Your Parents Lose Weight
Eveyone I know is on a diet. They are trying to fit into a pair of jeans, a new dress, or a suit they have had in their closet for six years. Some of them buy a pair of True Religion Jeans in a smaller size and hang them up in a noticeable area as an incentive (the incentive is no doubt the price… Read More »25 simple ways to get more steps in your day
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5 Health Slip-Ups—Remedied
We’ve all taken one pain reliever too many or not finished a round of antibiotics. But how bad are these mistakes, really? The answers, and what you should know for next…
Read More »
The diet that science says is twice as likely to work as seeing a doctor
Researchers recruited 772 men from the UK, Germany, and Australia from doctor's check-up appointments. All of the participants fell in a body mass index range of 27 to 35 and showed at least one marker for obesity-related disease risk. In a random selection, half were given a complimentary 12-month membership to Weight Watchers and half were asked to visit their doctor for monthly appointments on weight loss. More...Shine from Yahoo
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