Six hidden benefits of your daily exercise routine

We exercise for all the right reasons that everyone talks about - to lose weight, tone muscles and improve our overall health. But medical research studies show that there are additional benefits you might not be thinking about – and we all can use a little extra motivation to get up and move, right?

1. Better mobility – Daily long walks (or an hour or two of similar activity) can reduce the age-related deterioration of your motor abilities.
2. Improved memory – Twenty minutes of strength-training exercises can boost your long-term memory by ten percent.
3. Reduced anxiety – Exercise releases neurotransmitters that quiet your brain and improve your response to stressful situations.
4. Stronger immunity – You’ll beat a cold or the flu much faster if you exercise regularly, plus you’ll reduce your risk more more serious health conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
5. Deeper sleep – Fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and kick those sleeping pills to the curb.
6. Higher self-esteem – In addition to feeling better about your body, regular exercise will improve your stamina and your libido.

How to soothe chronic inflammation

The pain and swelling you experience with an injury is actually a good thing. That kind of temporary inflammation acts as your strongest ally by reminding you to rest so the injury can heal.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is one of your body’s stealthiest enemies. Medical research has found that chronic inflammation can be an underlying cause for many debilitating conditions, including allergies, depression, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Hundreds of illnesses that modern medicine has classified as “unique and unrelated” are actually products of the same underlying balances in our bodies.

Chronic inflammation can simmer for years, wreaking havoc on your body. It might manifest as chronic pain or it could be silently compromising your internal organs and other disease-fighting cells without you even knowing it. It occurs when your immune system is overworked and your white blood cells start accumulating beyond what your body can tolerate, because they can’t find a legitimate infection to fight off.

So what can cause your immune system to work overtime? Research shows that weight gain and poor food choices could very well be the main culprits. Not only does weight gain lead to inflammation, certain foods that we eat actually cause unnecessary inflammation – by avoiding these, we can help bring our immune system back into balance. And bonus! There are also plenty of wonderful foods you can easily add to your diet that reduce inflammation.

Our plant kingdom is filled with naturally anti-inflammatory nutrients - eat more of these foods:

• Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower 
• Tomatoes, beets and leafy greens
• Tuna, salmon and other fatty fish
• Olive oil, garlic, ginger, turmeric and parsley
• Almonds, walnuts and macadamias
• Seeds – pumpkin, hemp and flax
• Berries and citrus fruits
• Tea, red wine, cocoa

Eat less of these foods:

• Processed meats, red meats
• White flour - bread, pasta, pastries
• Fried foods, excess vegetable oils
• Margarine or lard
• Sugar, sodas, alcohol

There are several supplements that have been found to reduce inflammation, too.

• Omega 7 can lower CRP (a protein marker for systemic inflammation) by more than 40%
• Curcumin, which comes from turneric, reduces the low density lipoproteins found in cholesterol
• Magnesium can lower blood pressure and control blood sugar
• Resvertol (an ingredient in red wine) helps protect arteries and inhibits blood clots
• Cocoa flavonoids help the body synthesize nitric acid, which iscritical for healthy blood flow
• Boswella lowers inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis

The best way to permanently decrease chronic inflammation is to make better choices with your die, exercise routines and stress management. Now go enjoy a lovely salmon dinner with lots of veggies and a glass of red wine!

The Dos and Don'ts of Exercising Smart

We all know how important daily exercise is for our health and overall well-being. That doesn't mean you need to work out for hours and hours each day. But you do need to think about exercising smart.

Does your exercising enhance your life or cause you problems? The safest fitness plans begin slowly and build to a steady pace, so you can learn proper form, prevent injuries and gradually develop your endurance. As you gain strength and stamina, ramping up the intensity of your routines will come naturally.

Here are some important dos and don'ts for getting the most from your moves without hurting yourself:

• DO include time for warming up and cooling down to improve your performance
• DON’T stretch before exercising, save it for after you cool down to protect your muscles
• DO use the proper gear, from shoes to clothes to equipment, to ensure comfort and safety
• DON’T allow poor form – focus on aligning and moving your body properly to prevent injury
• DO drink water before, during and after exercise to avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion
• DON’T exercise the same way every day – variety is more interesting and much more beneficial
• DO keep your workout balanced between exercises that target the front and the back of your body
• DON’T boost your speed or resistance too soon – increase your length of time first
• DO give your muscles 48 hours to recover between any type of strength training sessions

Why Warming Up and Cooling Down is Vital to Your Daily Exercise Routine

Including time for warm-up and cool-down when you exercise can reduce your risk of injury and improve your overall performance. It’s well-worth adding the extra minutes to your routine for the sake of reducing stress on your heart and other muscles.

Be creative – for example, parking further away and walking to and from the gym can be your warm-up and cool-down time.

Warming up for 5-10 minutes gets your blood flowing so you muscles are well-supplied with oxygen. It increases your muscle temperature and makes you breathe a bit faster, which helps your body adjust to the demands of your exercise plan.

Do an activity that’s similar to your normal exercise (walking, running, swimming, etc.) but at a much slower pace - aim for a just little sweat without fatigue. Focus your warm-up on the larger muscle groups first, like in your legs, but save the stretching for after you exercise.

Cooling down for the last 5-10 minutes of your exercise means gradually decreasing your pace, which brings your breathing and heart rate back to normal. Stopping suddenly can make you light-headed as your heart rate and blood pressure are forced to drop too quickly. 

A few minutes of stretching after cool-down, while your muscles are still warm, can improve your joints’ range of motion and help you stay flexible. Stretch each muscle group slowly and gently, holding each stretch for up to 30 seconds without bouncing.

Warming up and cooling down helps you do better…faster…stronger!

Don’t just talk the talk...walk the walk!

Taking a brisk 30-minute walk every day will do you a world of good. Whether you’re hoofing it to work or around a park trail, walking is one of the easiest ways to exercise and it can help you live longer. You can even benefit from a few shorter 10-15 minute walks if carving a half-hour out of your busy day feels prohibitive.

In addition to burning calories, walking strengthens your muscles, bones and joints, improves your blood pressure, and helps manage chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, insomnia and arthritis - plus it can even boost your mood for a couple hours.

Good posture is key to getting the most from your walk. Walk with your head up, looking forward. As you move, relax your neck and shoulders, keep your back straight, and tighten your stomach muscles slightly. Let your arms swing freely with your elbows bent a little, or you can pump them a bit for a more aerobic walk. Roll your feet from heel to toe with each step.

Be sure to choose shoes with good arch support and flexible, shock-absorbent soles. Begin your walk with 5 minutes at a slower pace to warm up your muscles, then end your walk the same way to help your muscles cool down.

A few gentle stretches AFTER you’re done (not before you start) will decrease your risk of injury or cramps, as well as make your walks easier and more productive over time.

If you haven't been moving or exercising much, you should start your new commitment to daily brisk walks slowly with just 5-10 minutes per day, then increase your time each week by 5 minutes. Once you have a half-hour mastered – go ahead and work towards an hour, you can do it!

Juicing without a juicer

You don’t need to spend a ton of money on a fancy juicing machine that just takes up more counter space. With a regular kitchen blender, you can easily and quickly enjoy all the nutritional benefits of juicing your fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also use a fine-mesh strainer to remove any residual pulp after blending, but keeping that fiber in your drink is much more nutritious. Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut for a healthier colon.

Here’s a recipe for a great-tasting green juice that packs a delicious dose of iron, magnesium and potassium, as well as vitamins A, B6, C, D and K.

• 1 handful each spinach and kale (stems and all!)
• 2-3 stalks celery 
• 2 small peeled and chopped carrots
• 1/2 unpeeled, cored and chopped apple 
• Several thin slices of ginger
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup water

Add the water to the blender, then add your fresh, organic vegetables and fruits in any order. Pulse and blend with each addition until liquified. Pour into a glass, pulp and all, and enjoy immediately to get the most nutrition. If you prefer, you can pour it through a fine mesh strainer first, but don’t pass up the important health benefits of all that great fiber! Your juice will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Juicing can give you a whole day’s worth of fruit and vegetable servings in just one 12-ounce glass. You’re also more likely to enjoy a wider variety of fresh produce that you might not otherwise have in your diet. The variety is important for ensuring you get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to repair damaged cells, prevent disease…plus it helps you look and feel younger!

Drinking juice gives you plenty of energy, too – with its abundance of live enzymes, vitamins and minerals, juice is like a natural (and much healthier) version of Red Bull.

Has fat gotten a bad rap?

For the past 30 years, the fats in our foods have been demonized as a leading cause of high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity.

Our fear of fats started with Ancel Keys, PhD. in the 1950s. Keys chose to report only certain data which he felt supported his own theory that fat consumption led to cardiovascular disease, and the media ran with his story in 1961. This resulted in the launch of the low/no-fat diet and the American Heart Association issued its first anti-fat guidelines.

Now we have new scientific research which has uncovered flaws in Keys’ early data – as it turns out, most of the fats in your diet are actually beneficial.

There are three types of fats:

• Unsaturated fats are found in healthy foods like avocados, olive oil, nuts, flaxseeds, soybeans, eggs, fish and chicken (white meat).
• Saturated fats become solid at room temperature and include butter, coconut oil, palm oil, cheese and dark chocolate. These fats are better for cooking at high heat.
• Trans fats are mostly artificially produced through partial hydrogenation (part of the process for converting liquid oil to solid) and are used to increase the shelf life of processed foods.

One study of more than 357,000 people found that eating saturated fats raises the good HDL levels in your blood and has no relationship to heart disease. Another study of Pacific Islanders, whose diet is derived largely from coconut oil, found remarkably few incidents of heart disease.

In his book, Grain Brain, Dr. David Perlmutter compares our ancestors’ diet (75% fat, 20% protein, 5% carbs) with our diet today (60% carbs, 20% protein, 20% fat). Dr. Perlmutter explains that conditions like Alzheimer's, ADHD, depression and anxiety are linked to inflammation in the brain and body, which is triggered by eating too many carbohydrates – not fats.

Other studies conclude that our obesity epidemic, which has doubled in the last 50 years, is not due to eating too much fat, but is a result of our over-consumption of sugar and carbohydrates.

Turns out Julia Child had it right from the beginning - “Enjoy eating fats - they are good for you!"