Healthful Bites

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!

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!
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 :)
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?

I’m a Big Kid Now!

Well folks, I’m taking today off from the regular “Good for you news” post, as I am going to soon be en route to school to get my diploma! How strange is that? College seemed to fly by in retrospect.

(Image from Campus Solutions, Inc.)

I’m excited yet nervous, happy yet a tiny bit hesitant. I feel very fortunate to have a job that begins in early June (not to mention it’s my dream job…) so that’s very positive news! But moving halfway across the country and starting life as a “grown up” is a bit scary.

Did you know that new college graduates occasionally struggle with depression-like symptoms? Hopefully I can sidestep those with a good amount of physical activity and plenty of fun and relaxation time!

Wishing you all a great few days. I’ll be back on Sunday for the regularly scheduled “Good for you eats” post!

10 Dec 2009

Stress: Take a Chocolate Chill Pill

Whether you’re a student with semester exams looming or someone who is feeling the full effect of the hectic holidays, stress can build up quickly this time of year (I know I’ve been feeling a bit)! Well, a few recent health findings can help to put your stress into perspective, as well as give you tips for how to alleviate some!

Makes me Want to Pull my Hair Out!

After examining hair samples of ancient Peruvians, scientists have discovered that humans have experienced significant amounts of stress for years and years—and our species lived to tell the story. Anytime we encounter a threat, our body releases cortisol all around our bodies: the bloodstream, saliva, and yes, hair. (This is the same stress hormone that has been linked to belly fat. Certain weight loss drugs even target cortisol receptors).

While a large amount of stress was detected near death, these ancient people felt rather stressed at many points during their lives. So when you’re feeling “Under Pressure,” take comfort in the fact that generation upon generation of our ancestors have experienced the same phenomenon, and we turned out OK, right? (Although I do admit, the stress was probably a bit different. I can’t imagine a Peruvian from 550 A.D. worrying about grabbing the last Nintendo Wii for their kids ;) ).

(Image from Say No to Crack)

Best that Test

College students can greatly reduce stress in a method that involves one word that we all love: “FREE!” For a simple solution, try the no-cost activity of meditation. Twenty minutes of “restful alertness” each day can ease all kinds of ailments: anxiety, depression and distress, according to Maharishi University researchers. If you can clear your mind during the practice, yoga could be a wonderful example of this. As a bonus, blood pressure decreases and stress coping ability (like during exams) increases with meditation!

Meditation: an idea for a future college course?

(Image from The Joy of Tech)

Life is Like a Box of ‘Em

Saving the best news for last (or dessert if you will), did you know that chocolate can ease feelings of stress? Eating 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate each day for two weeks lowers the levels of stress hormones coursing throughout your body. To quantify that, about nine Hershey’s dark kisses, or one Hershey’s dark chocolate bar, equal one and a half ounces.

Be sure to save room in your overall daily calorie goal or make this your main splurge for the day to avoid weight creeping in with the joy!

(Image from I Used to Have Hair)

Water cooler conversation starter: TIME magazine has compiled a list highlighting the “year that was” in health. Just in case you’re still feeling a bit stressed, check out this heartening news about smiling!