Healthful Bites

When I stepped outside early this morning to head to the park for the FITNESS Mind, Body, Spirit Games, the crisp air made it very evident that summer is over and the cooler, less outdoorsy and more indulgent months are on the way! So while it may be time to retire your swimsuit for the season in most parts of the country, it doesn’t mean that it’s time to put your healthy habits on hold.

Keep reading for four fun facts from September’s wellness-focused magazines that can help this fall be your healthiest yet!

• A little greenery can make a big difference in your workplace. Leafy or flowery plants around the office increase your productivity and ability to concentrate, according to new research mentioned in SHAPE. Bamboo shoots, like those seen at right, are pretty hearty and can lend a zen vibe.
• You know it’s more challenging to walk uphill, but how much more effective does it make your workout? FITNESS reports that you can burn 15 percent more calories by cranking it up to a six percent incline during your 3.5 MPH walk. If you’re ready for an even bigger challenge, take a serious hike at a 15 percent incline and 2.5 MPH to burn 75 percent more calories than walking on a flat surface.
• That brown sugar hiding in the back of your refrigerator is better for more than sweetening cookies, Health says. It can stand in for antiseptics when you have a small cut: Just clean the area, cover the cut with brown sugar and top it off with a Band-Aid for a few hours. (Re-wash, sugar and bandage again once or twice over the next two days.) Apparently, brown sugar can act as an anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory, although I’ll save the sugar for baking and stick with Neosporin unless the situation becomes dire!
• Fitness fiends may compensate for all of that hard work by easing the intensity of their other daily activities. On days that women worked out hard, they burned 70 fewer calories during the remainder of the day compared to when they skipped the gym, a study noted in Women’s Health found. Researchers claim your body may slow down your metabolism to avoid losing too many calories, or you may talk yourself out of walking from that distant parking space to the store since you already took a bunch of steps that day. Don’t forget the health powers of making your regular activities a little more active! Plus some walking or stretching on your hard training days can ease muscle soreness later on.

Do you find that you look for movement shortcuts throughout the more challenging days on your workout calendar?

Can You Can Cravings?

Your brain may be the most powerful tool you have to fight temptation. Recently, a review of past craving-related research was published in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science. 

Some people create mental pictures of the foods they crave when they desire it. These fantasies are sometimes strong enough to interfere with regularly scheduled brain tasks! While study participants were bombarded with chocolate scents, their ability to perform math problems slowed compared to those who had non-food objects nearby.

So can the opposite be true: if your brain is busy, will it distract you from cravings? Distractions involving smell and sight do decrease desire, but sound-related distractions have no effect. Apparently, this can be used in real life by downloading a “visual noise display” on your smart phone, iPod, etc. Or in more “traditional” methods, you may be able to ease cravings by watching and listening to a sporting event on TV or going to a movie. A stroll with your music player can also help: grab some tunes and enjoy the scenery!

And, of course, if you have a craving, it is perfectly normal to allow yourself a treat now and again (especially if you can control portions). But if you’ve indulged recently and would rather not do so again right now or have trouble keeping treat portions in check, some of these tips may be useful for you!

Do you ever struggle with cravings? If so, how do you deal with them?

 (Image from 3 Steps ADD)

 

A Soft Push in the Active Direction

Social support has been scientifically proven many times to be a useful tool in the wellness world. The latest finding? A phone call inquiring about your physical activity from a friend, personal trainer or even an automated voice can increase your exercise amounts.

Considering that currently less than half (48 percent) of all Americans meet the government recommendations for physical activity (30 minutes or more most days), simple phone calls could greatly improve health. While many claim that physical activity alone does not usually lead to weight loss, exercise is essential to heart health.

Stanford researchers found that emails or short calls from other humans make individuals about 78 percent more physically active over the course of a week than their non-supported peers—even after just bimonthly or monthly contact. And the weekly activity levels for participants receiving computerized contact nearly doubled!

The communication involved discussing the amount of activity the participant performed in the past week. Later in the call or email correspondence, the participant was congratulated for their accrued activity and asked how they may possibly incorporate even more activity in the next week. Perhaps explaining this out loud forced the exercisers to consciously consider and commit to a plan? 

One important factor: the tone of the communication. The researchers focused on encouragement rather than criticism. So try to stay positive when talking to friends or family members about their exercise plans—you may be able to subtly push them in the active direction!

The researchers noted that after just eight weeks, the new higher activity levels may become a great new habit. Besides just vocal support, many people hit the road (or treadmill or gym class) more consistently when they meet a buddy or group there. 

Do you like working out with others, or are you a solo sweater? Have you found anything that works to make you stick to your exercise plans? If so, please share in the comments!

My trick: act as if exercise is non-negotiable. If you’re not ill and it is a day you have scheduled to exercise, it’s an appointment like any other! I’ve also found that working out in the morning is better for me if I can swing it.

  (Image from Everyday People Cartoons)
 

Water cooler conversation starter: This one goes out to my pal Zach who will be shining at the “Sex and the City 2” premiere in NYC on Monday! There is actually a workout class inspired by the movie being offered at Extreme Fitness, a Canadian gym. “High Heel Boot Camp” is divided into four sections—one each for all the Carries, Mirandas, Samanthas and Charlottes out there. Promotional materials say the class will leave you feeling empowered, strong and ready to shop (?) and you’ll be awarded with SATC swag as you leave the class. 

Are you inspired by celebrities to be fit or do you find more motivation to be healthy by the in shape “average” person on the street?