Healthful Bites

    9 Apr 2011

    Your Healthful Hints (April 9)

    It’s been far too long since I shared some breaking research-related tips, so today, I’ve brought along three simple pointers to make your life healthier in a hurry!

    1. Watch your salt intake when stressed. Higher concentrations of salt in the body lower stress hormones and raise levels of the “love hormone” oxytocin, says research in the Journal of Neuroscience. So we naturally seek out foods high in the seasoning to ease our anxiety. Feeling frazzled? It’s OK to indulge in a serving of a salty treat (Pop Chips are a favorite of mine), but try to stick with a single serving bag!

    2. Add some high-intensity bursts. A new study published in the American Journal of Human Biology provides even more evidence about why interval training is good for us. Although the calorie burn was larger for study participants who sustained moderate exercise for a longer period (63 minutes of challenging exercise really can’t compare to 420 minutes of moderate activity in terms of caloric expenditure), the high-intensity participants improved their body composition, heart and lung function, blood pressure and insulin resistance at a similar level.

      The take-home message? When you’re crunched for time, completing several challenging intervals can be a great way to keep your ticker and body healthy and is definitely better than skipping your workout! Fit in longer, more moderate sessions as much as possible. It’s all about balance :)

    3. Make today “Fat Talk Free.” I struggle with this as much as any other girl—it’s not easy to be confident and feel comfortable in your skin everyday! But Psychology of Women Quarterly found that fat talk is surprisingly common: some 93 percent of college women do it. The study discovered that this bad habit, not surprisingly, doesn’t improve self-esteem and makes women more dissatisfied with their current shapes. “Women appear to believe that complaining about one’s body size with peers can relieve distress associated with body dissatisfaction. However, our findings suggest that such talk is associated with greater body dissatisfaction and thin-ideal internalization,” the authors say. Can you make it through today without saying—or thinking—something negative about your body? My 24-hour fat talk free stint starts now!

    (Image from Taste of Home)

    Leave your body a love note in the comments. What are you proud of?

    8 Oct 2009

    Walk Wisely

    The Grass is Always Greener…

    On the other side of the street! It’s wise to be conscious of the side of the street you walk or run on when working out around your town. Why you ask? Pollution apparently congregates on one side of the street (at least in areas with buildings around), according to research done at the University of Leeds, UK. Steer clear of the side that is downwind.

    Streets that are very close together can have drastically different amounts of carbon monoxide, this also study found. Save your lungs by simply switching to a side road off of a main thoroughfare. Even though these streets are relatively close together, this small “step” will give you air that has four times less pollution.

    I’ve never considered the pollution much when planning an outdoor route; I usually focus more on making turns with the least traffic and missing the lights. How about you? Do you plan your route to breathe cleaner air? Do you find your workout is harmed by breathing in too much dirty O2?

    (courtesy of The Williamsburg Nerd)


    Stand (or Sit) Up for Yourself

    Did you know that simply adjusting your posture can increase your confidence?Researchers at Ohio State University found that sitting with your shoulders back and chest open makes you feel more assured of your answers to questions than those who slouch.

    I find myself with rounded shoulders all the time after spending hours (sadly) in front of the computer. This poor posture usually manifests itself in neck and shoulder tension, but I never knew that it could make me less confident! In the past, it seemed as if poor posture was an effect of a lack of confidence, not a cause. This study found that participants weren’t aware that they were more confident than usual. Interesting!

    My freshman high school English teacher kept a sticky note on his computer monitor that simply said “POSTURE!” I might need to do something similar, both for my mental and physical health.

    How’s your posture?

    Peanuts posture1 2601.jpg

    (courtesy of Noel Kingsley London)

    Water cooler conversation starter: daily caloric consumption in America has obviously gone up since the 1970s, but by how much you ask? Here’s a multiple choice question for you: Calories from what food group have increased the most in the past 40 years?

    A. Added sugars
    B. Dairy products
    C. Protein
    D. Added fats
    E. Flour and cereal grains

    I don’t want to spoil the guesses, so leave your comment then check this out for the answer! (The food group with the greatest caloric increase is listed first in the chart.)