Pilates for Pink

I just read about one of the coolest new charities, Pilates for Pink. SHAPE magazine and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation have joined forces to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. The initiative includes custom-created Pilates for Pink products, an online charity auction, and Pilates for Pink classes at participating Pilates studios across the country. The project was kicked off by SHAPE’s Pilates for Pink Festival in Union Square, New York. 100% of proceeds from this event went to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Pilates is more than just the latest fitness fad. To me, it represents strength and empowerment for women. Women who respect and care for their bodies should realize the importance of breast cancer awareness.

According to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, there are three steps every woman should take improve your health and prevent breast cancer.

1. Participate in an hour of aerobic exercise three to four times a week. Research shows that incorporating exercise into your daily life can reduce your risk of breast cancer by as much as 40 percent. “Regular exercise reduces the amount of estrogen and progesterone you produce, and those hormones may fuel breast cancer,” says Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Prevention Center at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Follow the link to find the Pilates center near you participating in the Pilates for Pink initiative.

2. Start maintaining a healthy weight now. Studies show the extra pounds, especially around the midsection can increase your risk for breast cancer.

3. Don’t smoke. It’s not just for your lungs anymore. The carcinogens found in cigarette smoke are bad for your breast as well. Respect your body and ask those around you to snuff their butts too. Research shows that regular exposure to secondhand smoke may increase your risk for breast cancer by as much as 27 percent.

Respect yourself and the ones you love. Take steps to prevent breast cancer and help educate the women in your life that you love. Pink is powerful.

Holiday Health

I’m so ready for it.

It’s coming.

Holidays. I love ‘em.

As someone genuinely interested in staying healthy, I should probably fear and despise the holidays. The time of year when people eat too much of the wrong stuff, eat too little of the healthy stuff, get lazy about working out, relax their health habits…you know how it goes. Holidays are like a gateway drug into laziness and being unhealthy…once you start, you keep going. They can make all the New Year’s resolutions they want, but its hard to get back from the holiday mode, and very rarely happens. Despite all this, I will openly admit to loving Turkey Day and Christmas and New Year’s. I could encourage you to make conscious healthy choices about what you eat, because I will wholeheartedly admit that I won’t even attempt such a feat myself. And I can’t encourage early morning runs or workouts, because there’s no way I would leave my warm bed to get all sweaty and stuff either. So, how do I attempt healthy holidays?

While I will not discourage accepting the second helping of mashed potatoes or buttering that biscuit, I will encourage eating those peas and carrots. Everyone puts corn or green beans or some sort of vegetable on their holiday table every year, and every year, its virtually untouched at the end of the meal. Rather than joining in on the aunties’ card game after the meal, I recommend playing with the kid cousins or taking a walk. Keep candy out of the open. If there’s candy available, it will get eaten; if there’s candy available but only after exerting a little effort, it’s much less likely to get consumed as quickly.

Also, the best part of this time of year is that there’s plenty of stuff to do outside. Ice skating totally qualifies as a workout, and its tons of fun. If there’s snow, sledding is good too. If you live in a big city, walk around downtown one night. Exercise, and cities are always pretty during Christmas. Christmas caroling is fun with friends and family, even if they make you stand in the back because you can’t sing.

Most important is when you come back from the holidays. People naturally slip into lazy habits, and its hard to come back from there. My easiest way of dealing with it is to have a workout buddy before I go home for the holidays. If you’re only held accountable to yourself after the holidays, chances are that little voice in your head will let you off the hook if you don’t feel like working out. If there’s actually another physical being nagging you to get up and workout, you’re a thousand times more likely to listen to it. I know people who also put up a picture of their spring break dream-swimsuit in January to encourage working out.

So, I’m excited for Christmas with a clear conscience. I know that my health regime is going to suffer a little (and by “a little,” I really mean “a lot.”) But hey, it’s the holidays and I have some of these plans in mind to keep me somewhat on track for when I return to the real world in January, after the holidays.

Skinny Crazy

I read today about Brittney Spears’s latest addiction: LipoDissolve. It’s a process in which doctors inject soybean derivatives into the body’s fatty areas. The procedure is said dissolve fat cells in a matter of weeks. Spears’s sources have even been quoted as saying “It’s like a tummy tuck without surgery.” We all know about Brittney Spears’s laundry list of bizarre endeavors, and this is certainly not the weirdest of her weird. The scary part, however, is it’s not just Brittney Spears participating in Hollywood’s latest weight loss trend. The trendy Las Vegas spa Spears was caught entering is catering to the rich and famous daily. Walking in fat and flabby and walking out fit and fabulous without a bit of the work, sounds like a dream come true. But shooting needles full of unknown substances into my body sounds just a little scary to me. Reading about the disturbing lengths Hollywood’s hottest are willing to go to leaves me with little hope for the young girls who look up to the ever shrinking starlets.

I don’t necessarily blame them. It’s hard not to get sucked into thinking thin is in. I fight daily with the desire to be skinny and fast. Healthy is hard work. And just when I was feeling like there was no hope, I opened up the latest issue of Fitness magazine to hear Kelly Ripa, Hollywood’s sweetheart and mommy-next-door, talking candidly about her healthy slim down. Starting out slow, and working her way up to ass-kicking sculpting classes, Ripa can relate to every woman out there. She gave up smoking, lowered her cholesterol intake, and started working out at least four times a week. Even though she appears to be superwoman, Ripa is subjected to the same self conscious kryptonite all women are. She admits to wearing her “good butt jeans” on a bad day and needing the boost of a good compliment every once in a while. Kelly Ripa made having the Hollywood body human and most importantly attainable. But what impressed me most was her awareness that skinny isn’t everything. She said, “I like to think my daughter will never hear me say the words ‘Do I look fat in this?’” Maybe we should all take a lesson from Kelly, take a long run and throw on those perfect jeans to show off all our hard work to the world.

I'm Learning

Looking back at the last 10 weeks of my life and my search for the true meaning of health, I’ve realized that success is relative and progress is everything. I’ve only lost 4 pounds so far. However, the knowledge and the sense of self-worth I’ve gained in the process is irreplaceable. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve always felt, to be successful in anything, the first step is to become as educated as possible. Since I started this self challenge, I’ve learned so much about health and fitness, the way we view the world, and most of all myself.

My first piece of advice is read anything and be objective about everything. The world is full of doctors speculating about the true secret to weight loss. One thing everyone can agree on, however, is that every person is different. What works for me may not work for you. So, experiment until you find the diet and exercise routine that is right for you. But whatever you do, they must come hand in hand.

Here, lies my second piece of advice maintain a healthy diet while also exercising. If you only diet, or only exercise, the progress is slow and can easily become frustrating. Maintaining healthy eating habits provides you with more energy to exercise and better fuels your body for the rest of the day. Conversely, exercising gives you motivation to maintain those healthy eating habits. Who wants to eat a greasy cheeseburger after sweating it out in the gym? That’s a big waste of a lot of time and energy.

My most important piece of advice, however, is to love yourself enough never to give up. I had to learn to accept the body I had, before I could work to change it. I realized that, a change fueled by self-hatred will never be successful. 4 pounds in 10 weeks may not sound like a lot to you, but it’s a step in the right direction and a start that I’m very proud of.

Holiday Over-Eating

Thanksgiving = eating. Yeah, I already knew that, but this year, I’m pretty sure I out-did myself. For the first time in the history of my family, we had Thanksgiving at my house with just my immediate family and my grandma instead of my whole family at my grandparents house. I have to say, I don’t think I’ve had that much good food in one place EVER! It was amazing, and I definitely had my fill of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, corn, and rolls. Oh and the most important part, the pecan pie.

My mom is an amazing cook, and although I’m not far behind her, she still smokes me! There are those that can cook out of cook books and those that can cook by family recipes with some talent, and then there are those who I like to qualify as “dump cooks.” These are the cooks that have a general idea of what they desire to create and the head knowledge to make it fabulous by simply dumping in the ingredients. Unbelievable I know, but that’s what my mom is, and she is fantastic at it.

So now you understand my dilemma. When I come home, I don’t just sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. I sit down to a Thanksgiving feast. This makes it extremely difficult to keep the pounds off. I know that some of you can relate. There’s nothing’ like what momma makes, right?
I’ll admit, I didn’t hold back either. I kept telling myself I was going to finish the last tiny sliver of apple pie, mind you, I was taste testing pecan, pumpkin, and apple pie. I literally had to sleep off my meal because I was stuffed to the brim. Bad idea I know, but it was definitely worth it.

Unfortunately, the eating doesn’t stop there. Tomorrow is my cousin’s fiancé’s bridal shower….more cookies, cake, and the good stuff, white chocolate covered pretzels. So how do I plan on keeping my weight down? That’s the tough question, but I think I have the solution and some helpful tips.

-Next week, I will continue to run with my friend Mandi. We are up to three miles, by the way, and it gets easier every week! (It might be a little tougher this week with those extra pounds on though.)

-I will also eat more fruits and vegetables and less carbs such as bread, pasta, and potatoes.

-I will drink water or a fruit drink in place of my usual afternoon snack.

With these three tips, I’ll be on my way to the road to recovery. Just in time for Christmas, but we’ll see how that goes. Yay for self-control! Good luck to you this Christmas season, and if you have any tips on how to keep the pounds off, please share and let’s help each other and spread some Christmas cheer!

Random Facts

So, being home for Thanksgiving, I'm of course grateful to see my best friend at home again.  I'm also grateful for her wide range of random and almost completely useless, little-known facts about nutrition.  I don't know how she picks up on these things, but over the past few days, she's shared quite a few of these random facts.  Some gems of her wisdom:

- Canned vegetables, such as corn and peas, have more vitamins and are healthier for you than frozen vegetables.

-Dented cans rust; nondented cans don't.

-Most people who died on Arctic expeditions (north or south pole) died from lead poisoning in their canned rations, not because of any occurrence on their journey.

- The best snack is a rice krispie.  The sugar in the snack gives you energy quickly, but the rice cereal breaks down more slowly and gives you energy later on also.

-Onions only smell if they're going bad or rotting.  Good onions hardly smell at all.

-Iceberg lettuce has a lot less iron and other vitamins than any other sort of greener lettuce.  In general, the darker green the lettuce, the healthier.

Okuma's Chinese Wu-Long Tea

We always heard about green tea and its natural benefits by helping with cancer prevention, diabetes, liver disease, halitosis, and weight loss. It is also believed by some Chinese people to be the key to a longer life.

Recently, a new form of green tea has been introduced to the health world. It’s called Okuma’s Chinese Wu-Long Tea. The benefits? It evidently melts away pounds fast. A CNN news report, Rachael Ray, and other Hollywood celebrities are convinced of and are promoting this new tea. Not only are there personal testimonies about the effects of this tea, there are also 37 scientific studies that provide tangible evidence supporting the claims about it.

Personally, I don’t promote weight loss like this. I think that there are better ways to have a leaner figure; however, I do have a friend who really struggles with her weight and she works out everyday and eats lots of fruits and vegetables. Normally, I would also tell you not to take a supplement or drink that will help you lose weight. Surprisingly, in this case I have not seen a lot of negatives of Wu-Long Tea and since it is all natural and scientifically supported, I say go for it. If you are really struggling with your weight and you need a boost of energy, give this tea a try.

Not only does this tea burn calories for you, it also reduces the fattening effects of carbs, clears your face of acne and clarifies the skin, helps fight signs of aging, enhances teeth strength, boosts your immune system, and promotes brain activity.

If I weren’t a poor college student, I would give this tea a try and let you know what I thought. However, the price of the tea is not bad at all. This really good tea with amazing benefits is sold for only 37 dollars which provides a two month supply. That is fairly reasonable, and I don’t know about you guys, but I believe everything that Rachael Ray says. Ok, maybe not but there are a lot of good testimonies. Click here for more details.

At this site, you can also order the tea from China and explore some more information about it as well its scientific side.

Cranberry Craze

So last night, the dorms had our annual Thanksgiving dinner. This is something that I always look forward too! There’s such a variety of Thanksgiving goodies, of course the usual turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

I was looking at my plate of food with eyes bulging and my stomach told me to dig in. All of the wonderful holiday flavors delighted my taste buds and hit the spot. However, as I looked at my plate, I realized that there wasn’t a lot of healthful food. Vegetables yes, but not enough to balance out the buttery mashed potatoes. The pecan pie was wonderful but are there no sweets that even hint to a healthy diet.

But wait, there I saw it. Ah yes, that famed sauce that is now a tradition, cranberry sauce. Of course the dining court didn’t serve anything that tasted like grandma’s but it was good none-the-less, and I felt satisfaction in knowing that I was eating something that would benefit me.
In my willingness to justify all the high carb foods I had eaten that night, I looked to the benefits of cranberries. Luckily, I can now eat more cranberry sauce with my pecan pie and know that my body will thank me someday.

Cardio:Preliminary research shows that cranberries have the ability to decrease total cholesterol and LDL, or bad cholesterol, and increase blood flow.

Cancer:Cranberries are rich in flavonoids. These phytonutrients have been shown to inhibit certain types of cancer.

Ulcers:
New research suggests compounds found in Cranberries may inhibit ulcer-causing bacteria from sticking to the stomach wall.

Anti-Aging:Polyphenolic compounds found in Cranberry may help to protect against neurodegenerative diseases, and the memory and coordination losses often associated with aging.

Infection:The Proanothcyanidins found in Cranberries can prevent urinary tract infections by inhibiting E. coli bacteria from attaching to the urinary tract wall. The National Kidney Foundation recommends drinking at least one large glass of cranberry juice a day to help maintain urinary tract health.

Thanksgiving isn’t the only time that you should eat cranberries or drink cranberry juice and reap its benefits. There are many different flavors of juice and other cranberry products, such as craisins, that make eating cranberries enjoyable all year round. So take advantage of those opportunities and help your body reach a healthier level!

Why You Should Eat Bananas

Dreaming of something to eat; that is low in calories and fat, that is high in water content, which is full of nutrients to increase energy? Then you got to eat Bananas.

Bananas are one of the best fruits to eat when attempting to lose weight. They are full of nutrients for increased energy and vitality. Because Bananas have high content of potassium they are able to reduces the weight of water in a body. A banana contains three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose. These natural sugars combined with fiber in a banana give an instant, continuous and large boost of energy. According to research two bananas provide enough energy for an exhausting 90-minute workout.

But energy isn't the only thing we get out of eating a banana. It can also help prevent a number of illnesses and conditions.

Tired of being depressed, then you got to eat bananas. According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. The reason to that is because bananas contain a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

This got to make you want to eat Bananas; it has been proven that banana is a source of Brain Power. This research has shown that because banana is potassium-packed fruit it can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

I am sure no one likes mosquito bites. If you are the type of person who don’t appreciate rubbing a chemically formulated cream on you skin. Then you got to appreciate bananas; rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin can reduce swelling and irritation of mosquito bites.

Stress can cause our metabolic rate to rises by reducing our potassium levels. And as I said previously Bananas have high content of potassium; Potassium is a vital mineral, it helps normalize the heartbeat by sending oxygen to the brain. So to reduce stress it is advised to eat bananas.

I avoid candy and eat fruits and vegetables. I drink eight glasses of water a day and take a multivitamin. I live for hundred calorie snack packs and guzzle V8, but I’m not on a diet. You know why? Because diets don’t work. Sure you may have lost 10 pounds on the Zone. But as soon as your old eating habits return, so will your fat jeans. When it comes to weight loss, there is no easy button. You have to commit 100% to changing your lifestyle. Diets imply short terms of starvation and deprivation in search of the perfect waist line. Unless you make healthy eating a permanent part of your life, however, you’ll remain a prisoner to a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. It’s easy to look at celebrities and other women and think that it comes so easy for them. The truth is, however, most of these women work really hard to maintain the bodies you covet. I’m not going to lie to you and say that trading in my Reese’s for broccoli was easy, mainly because most of you would recognize my bull shit and stop reading this. Changing the way you eat, the choices you make, and your portion sizes is difficult. But trust me, its well worth it. Since changing I eat, I have more energy and feel better about myself. So here’s a few of my “healthy eating habits” tips.
Keep a few mini 3 musketeers bars on hand. With only 60 calories a piece, they’re just enough chocolate to satisfy any craving.
Redefine your definition of dessert. A slice of angel food cake topped with fresh strawberries and low fat whipped cream can be a sweet ending to a healthy meal.
Remember, no one is perfect. Everyone has days where eating healthy is just not an option. Move on and keep working hard. It will pay off; I promise.

Thanksgiving

Oh man! Thanksgiving is coming up. I know, it's not until next week, but that doesn't mean I can't think about it......dream about it........ahh.

There are so many great things about Thanksgiving. Family, friends, memories. And what better way to enjoy these things than bringing them together around a feast of fabulous food.

The feast at my house begins with my entire family sitting down around the table (big table), and everyone says what they are thankful for. This is a great time of reflection on the past year and the great things that people have done for us. Then my grandpa says a prayer, and the kids race to the kitchen and dig in.

There we all are stuffing our faces with the traditional foods like turkey, mashed potates, homemade crescent rolls, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, corn casserole, a veggie tray, and of course pumpkin pie with whippped cream and pecan pie. With all that food, how can I say no. Seriously, I could eat an entire pecan pie plus at least 5 crescent roles on top of everything else. It's times like these that I wish my stomach was a crater.

I could advise you to try eating lowfat pumpkin pie or go without the whipped cream. You could try using less butter in the mashed potatoes. Just skip over the crescent rolls or eat them without all that butter. However, I am a person that tries to not be hypocritical so I won't advise you because there is no way I'm sacrificing the smooth creamy taste of my mashed potatoes. But I can tell you to keep up your workout. Now that doesn't mean you can completely stuff yourself because you know you're going to workout later. Just remember, it's all about staying active whether it's playing with the cousins or power walking with your brother or sister.

Eating wonderful food that you wait for all year shouldn't make you feel guilty or sad after you eat it. Enjoy these times and use your head. Before the big meal, eat light, lots of fruits and vegetables. Don't stop working out hard and try doing a few more reps than normal. When you are eating Thanksgiving dinner, eat in moderation and eat slow so your stomach fills up faster and the food settles. That way, you will eat less. And most importantly, enjoy your food savoring each bite as a special burst of flavor. I know it sounds corny, but you'll get a lot more out of eating and a lot less extra weight afterwards.

Dieting vs. Healthy Eating: There is a Difference!

Dieting is a restrictive and selective form of choosing the foods one consumes…and it’s enough to drive a person mad!

The major problem with diets is that they are only temporary. Most people find that the weight shed from dieting is too easily gained back after their diet has been ended. As stated in a Honoluluadvertiser.com article, “Diets can be boring and there's always a temptation to return to old habits. People who lose too much too soon don't learn to make the overall lifestyle changes — eating healthier foods and exercising regularly — that are necessary to keep their weight stable.”

Sure, there are so many successful diets out there, but what’s the point of dieting if all that hard work doesn’t pay off in the end?

Since a diet can’t last for the rest of your life, the only solution to losing weight, and keeping it off, is to change eating patterns by making healthy eating a lifestyle—not a phase. This sort of eating shouldn’t involve obsessive calorie counting or too restrictive a food selection. It should, however, involve good judgment. Judge when you are hungry or full, and judge how often you feel you should be eating junk. Ask yourself, should I really be eating this cookie even though I went out to ice cream with my friends last night?

Here are some tips for incorporating healthy eating for everyday from the IFIC website:

1) Begin each day with a nutritious breakfast: This will provide you with energy from the very start of your day.

2) Choose smart snacks: look for pretzels, fruit, and celery with peanut butter for a quick fixer-upper. On occasion it’s OK to grab a cookie or chips if other meals have been smart.

3) Balance your selection of food: You don’t have to completely give up junk food, just be smart about the quantity of intake. Make sure you are getting all the sources of vitamins and minerals you need, then look for enjoyment in deserts once in a while.

4) Eat nutritiously with friends and family: It’s much easier to make eating a healthy habit if people around you are doing it, especially people close to you.

5) Eat more grains, fruits, and vegetables: These foods are loaded with energy from carbs, vitamins, minerals, and fiber to help with promoting an active lifestyle.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

All this pineapple talk is making me hungry. Honestly, I’m not a huge pineapple fan. It’s too sweet for me which is strange because I love all the other sweets like chocolate and jolly ranchers.

I know I should eat more pineapple though since it’s really good for me. So I tried a few recipes. I tried a pineapple pie and a pineapple upside-down cake. The pie was good, but it was really sweet. I recommend the upside-down cake. It tastes great, is fun to make and it’s pretty healthy. I actually made it for one of my classes when I gave a presentation on pineapple. It was a hit with everybody!

Click here for the recipe.

You can use the cake recipe they give you but I just used a yellow cake mix and poured it over the pineapple-brown sugar icing.

Pineapple: Grow Your Own!

Did you know YOU can grow a pineapple? That’s right. Anyone can grow one with a little patience and some love. The easiest way to grow a pineapple is to first buy one. Cut the crown or the leafy top part off the pineapple. Pull a few of the basal leaves off and turn the crown upside down to let it dry for about a week. Then plant it in an 8 inch pot and try not to get dirt in the leaves. It is best to use a light soil blend with 30% organic matter. Water the pineapple weekly and fertilize every few weeks.

During the summer, the plant can be placed outside, but during the winter, keep the pineapple warm too. It should never be exposed to temperatures below 28 degrees. Since I live in northern Indiana, I’m definitely going to take my plant inside for the winter. Luckily it makes a beautiful looking house plant. Also, it gives a tropical feel so when it’s snowing outside, I can look at me plant and think of all the places I would rather be.

It takes about two years to develop a beautiful fruit. I know, it seems like a really long time, but the benefits will be fantastic. There’s so much satisfaction in eating something you grow yourself. How much better is it going to be to take a bite of this sweet burst of flavor? So try it out and let me know what you think about pineapple. Happy growing!

Part of being healthy is your mental state. Dealing with emotional issues, relieving stress, all this is as important to your overall health as avoiding the wrong food and working out on a regular basis.

Now that my classes are kicking in their pre-thanksgiving exams and project deadlines, I'm beginning to feel the pressure. I finally understand the expression, "Buried in work," because every time I finish something, I think of how much more work I have yet to do. Ok, so yes, the pressure has been building up in my little world. I've been overwhelmed, tired, and rather grumpy. (OK, very grumpy.) I usually respond well to pressure and stress, but I couldn't find a vent for it anyway. Normally a long run helps and puts a smile on my face for a little while; I ran for 6 miles and didn't get the desired results. That's the first time in my life running hasn't helped.

Then God sent me a solution. I got a phone call from a girl I went to high school with. She's the happiest person I have ever known. She's always smiling, laughing, and seems like she's in a perpetual hypercaffeinated state. Just talking to her for an hour completely changed my attitude, and I couldn't stop laughing at everything. And I discovered something.

This friend is completely detached from anything happening at my college or in my classes...a conversation with her is a literal getting away without the physical getting away. I was in a completely different world from Purdue, and I think that made the difference. I wasn't talking to someone who had just as much homework as me, who was just as stressed. I was getting away.  

I've always heard that taking a break when stressed helps. Most people recommend working out when taking this break, so I assumed they felt better just because of the exercise and the happy endorphins and such. I usually ran to relieve stress, so I never saw how just taking a break and talking to friends helped also. There's something about removing yourself from the problem for a while and then re-approaching it later. It just clears your mind. So my advice to my fellow stressed student population: take a break, close the books, and forget about it all for a while. GET AWAY.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

As a health blog, we focus so much on the physical aspect of a healthy life. As important as it is to keep your body healthy, I believe it is just as important to focus on mental health. After experiencing a traumatic event this weekend myself, I realized that the physical bruises were not the only pain I felt after the accident. If you have read my most recent post, you know that I was recently involved in a car accident that could have cost me my life. Forgetting and moving on from a traumatic event is not an easy thing to do. I’m haunted daily by vivid memories of the crash and plagued by the guilt that it was all my fault. Luckily, I was the only one in my car and no one else was involved in the crash. However, if you’ve ever been involved in a traumatic event, you know that logical advice such as “It’s all over now” or “It could have been a lot worse” do not make the memories go away or overcoming the event any easier. Wednesday night I reached a breaking point and went home to see a counselor. She told me that I may be suffering from a mild case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, a natural reaction to any traumatic event. She suggested that I get back to my normal life and to try driving again, something I did not want to do. As scared as I was, facing my fear of driving made a big difference my being able to move on with my life.

PTSD is just one of many mental disorders that affect thousands of Americans. If you feel you may be suffering from a mental disorder, it’s important to get help. Visiting a counselor is a good place to start. In many situations, simply talking to someone can make enough of a difference. Remember that you do not have to suffer silently. For more information the website of the National Institute of Mental Health is a wonderful resource.

The Goods About Pineapple

When you think pineapple, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Hawaii, summer time, hula girls, smoothies. But who thinks of the health benefits?

Personally, I’m really not a huge pineapple fan but maybe I should eat it more. I had no idea that pineapple was so good for you. Check out these nutrition facts.

-Pineapples contain a significant source of magnesium to help build strong bones

-When you’re getting a sore throat, grab a cub of pineapple juice instead of orange juice. Pineapples contain just as much vitamin C as oranges and also contain Bromelain which helps suppress coughing

-Pineapple juice placed on warts can actually speed up the process of the warts going away

-Bromelain in pineapple is a natural anti-inflammatory and can be used to help bruises, sprains, and strains heal

-Pineapple juice can reduce the risk of gingivitis and gum disease

-Pineapple is a great source of antioxidants

For a great fruit to boost your health and treat yourself to a splash of flavor, pick up a pineapple!

Seasonal Suggestions

I just froze to death walking to class.

Ok, yes, maybe I do deserve a Nobel Prize for noticing that it does get colder in November. I’m a genius, I know. As the seasons transition from pretty fall to the holiday-filled winter, we're stuck in this cold, snowless, ugly, gray, pre-winter, post-fall weather. My few suggestions to keep healthy in the cold:

- A HAT. You lose most of your body heat through your head; a hat is essential to staying warm, especially on windy days.

- A WINDBREAKER. You can layer on the sweatshirt and coats, but unless they protect you from the wind, you’re still going to freeze. A windbreaker is a good investment that will go a long way to keeping you warm on those walks to class.

- THERMAL PANTS. I recommend Underarmor spandex leggings. Most people pile on sweatshirt, gloves, hats, and scarves on their upper body, but then stroll to class in just jeans to protect their legs from the cold. Last year I discovered that spandex leggings under my jeans provided extra warmth without looking ridiculous.

- ALTER WORKOUT HABITS. This really applies to those who work out outside, by playing basketball, running, or such. But here’s a shocker: it does get colder as the sun sets, which is evidently around 6:30pm-ish nowadays. Cold weather is fun, but working out hard in it on a regular basis is BAD. Labored breathing in open cold weather scrapes your throat and lungs, which is why most cases of sports-induced asthma are developed in the winter. So start working out inside some more, lift weights instead of playing ball, workout earlier when its warmer, etc.

Need Stress Relief?

Thank goodness for workouts. I don’t know about you guys, but working out is a great stress reliever for me and lately, that’s exactly what I needed. All the tests, studying, and social activities are finally getting to me. Last night I had a lot of energy with no outlet to anything other than studying so I decided to go work out and release some anxiety and tension. It wasn’t a hard workout, it was just normal. I ran a mile and then lifted to do a total body routine. It was fabulous and that stress energy I had was gone until I get slammed with more work to do, but I’m a lot happier when I work out on a regular basis.

Working out is my way of relieving stress when life gets a little overwhelming, but there are others to help you cope. Try to identify things in your life that cause stress like work, driving, or your significant other. Knowing the source can help you balance it out with positive things in your life. Don’t be afraid to share your feelings and set yourself up for personal success to beat the stress problems.

Here are some tips to boost your body and mind while dealing with stress.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

-Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
-Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
-Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary "highs" caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.
-Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
-Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally

For more healthy suggestions about stress relief, check out this site.

Don’t be afraid to help yourself out because when your body feels better, your mind feels better.

“Low –Fat” equal to “Eat more”

Scared of being fat, then stop reaching for thou low–fat snacks. Cornell University researchers found that people consume more calories when they eat Low – Fat snacks then they eat regular version.

You might be surprised as I am. The obvious truth bends this is that; we human tend to underestimate the amount of calories in Low- Fat snacks. Therefore we consume them with out no worry until we please. The research also found this to be true.

Snacks are generally designed to be portable, quick and satisfying. Which means that they are prepare to be more appealing. Also when they are made Low-Fat we get the illusion that we are entitled to eat more of them. Because we holed true every thing that is Low-Fat is healthy.

Sure, “The Low-Fat snacks had 59 percent less fat .But they only contain 15 percent fewer calories pre serving.”According to Janet Helm a dietitian and nutrition consultant. Well, this leads us to say “Low –Fat” is not equal to “Low–Calorie.”

According to abcNEWS, The study summarizes that low fat labels give people the mental permeation to eat more. In simple words when a food is made Low –Fat we feel less guilty and eat more. Here are some ways to avoid the Low-Fat trap given by Janet Helm.

· Do not let “low fat” dominate your decision about snacks.

· Resist the temptation to eat directly from a package. Always portion food out in to a plate or a bowl so you see exactly how much you are eating.

· Keep tempting treats out of sight and out of mind.

· Replace the cookie jar on your kitchen countertop with a bowl of fresh Fruit.

· Pour yourself a tall glass of water when the urge to snack strikes. You may find that you where really thirsty rather than Hungry.

· Skip the urge to nibble when you’re bored, frustrated or stressed. Instead of reaching into the fridge, go for a walk or call a friend

For more visit absnews.go.com

So Important

On this site, we talk a lot about ways to create a better healthier life for yourself. Today, however, I’m going to talk about something that can potentially save your life and the lives of those you love. I’m sure you’ve seen the ads preaching of the importance of wearing your seat belt. “Buckle up, it’s the law.” Or “Click it or ticket.” You pick the jazzy slogan. But wearing your seat belt is about a lot more than avoiding a run in with the law. This weekend I was in a bad accident that more than likely would have killed me had I not been wearing my seatbelt. I lost control of my car and rolled it four times. Because I was wearing my seatbelt I walked out of my wreck with nothing more than a sprained neck and a few bumps and bruises. Now, I know that God had some angels looking after me yesterday. But if I had not been strapped into my car there is no doubt in my mind that I would have been immediately ejected from the car, with consequences I don’t even want to consider. You may think it will never happen to you; I certainly didn’t. But it did, and I’ve been thanking God ever since that my mom and dad taught me the importance of buckling up every single time you get in a car.

At first, the image of the crash kept replaying over and over in my head and I just wished that I could forget. But now, I’m glad that I remember. I can tell you, and one day my kids, the importance of always wearing your seat belt. If just one person reads this and starts wearing their seat belt, I will be happy. Trust me, life starts to mean a whole lot more when you see it all flash before your eyes.

So here’s my advice, take time to appreciate the ones you love, don’t sweat the small stuff, and always, always buckle up.

Number One Reason Not to Become Overweight

A 33 year-old Michigan man was removed from his home Tuesday due to serious concern for his health. This man weighed a whopping 900 pounds and evidently had not left his home since 2003. Rescue workers were called in to help transport this man to the nearest hospital. Firefighters cut a hole in the side of the man’s house and used a forklift to transport him from his second-floor bedroom to a flatbed truck. He was then covered with a blue tarp to keep from seeing the many onlookers of this incredible operation.

This is insane! This poor man. Evidently, he suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi Syndrome, that creates a chronic hunger feeling that may lead to overeating and possibly life-threatening obesity. There are some people who may not have an excuse for their obesity however in which case, they are just disgustingly fat.
This is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t let your eating get the best of you. I can not imagine the embarrassment and sorrow this man must feel. If I had to be lifted by a forklift from my bed and was large enough to be covered by not just a blanket but a huge tarp, I don’t think I could recover from my shame.

I know that weight is a struggle and don’t get me wrong, I feel bad for this guy, but when you get that overweight, it is completely unnecessary and gross. I just hope he can recover and become a normal member of society again.

Just remember, keep your weight under control or the forklift could come to you!

For the original post, click here.

Need a Boost?

I’ve always been a little skeptical of energy drinks. Can they really be good for your body by giving you a shot of caffeine and sugar that sends your mind to a new planet. Well, probably not, but as a college student during midterm time, it’s important for me to be able to stay up late so I can complete my papers and study for exams. I don’t drink pop because it really isn’t good for your body. The carbonation has been shown to degrade muscle in research studies, and the sugary liquid is filled with empty calories that can only help build up those love handles that are hanging out on the hips.

Is an energy drink really the answer to an alternate energy source for my body? Well, I think I found an energy drink that will amaze you. It’s called Enviga. Put out by Nestle and Coca-Cola, Enviga claims to not only give you energy but it burns calories! In fact, it claims negative calories. A Swedish study proved that drinking three Envigas per day will burn anywhere from 50 to 100 calories a day. Another plus is that this drink it made from green tea which means that it contains antioxidants. It also comes in great flavors such as Peach and Berry. This is great, an energy boost, great flavor, and free calorie burning.

Thanks to Enviga, I can stay awake till the wee hours of the morning and feel good about what I’m putting into my body as I lose weight not trying. Sounds like a package deal to me. Enjoy!

What’s your favorite energy drink and why? Let me know in case I need to switch drinks but still have a healthy alternative.

Freshman Pounds

I can’t wait to see it.

As a college freshmen, I am anxious for next summer. Next summer, all my friends who went to various different colleges will come home, and we’ll be together again…and I can see who got fat and gained more than their freshman fifteen!

Health and fitness is all about habit; good habits make healthy people, bad habits make not-so-healthy people. When making a healthy change like a diet, you have a better chance of sticking to it if you make those healthy foods a habit, right? Well, I have a theory about habit and this freshman fifteen thing. I think that those people who were active in high school, like the athletes or those who worked out all the time, will gain less of the freshman poundage. Think about it…those who were active in high school habitually set aside time to be active. Their bodies were used to being in motion all the time. They weren’t used to being lazy all the time. I believe this body memory won’t let these ex-athletes sit around all the time and do nothing. I believe that this group of people will be more driven to keep some sort of fitness routine. I believe that their former habits will come back to haunt them.

I’m not saying that these people won’t gain any weight; there’s no way they’re going to come back nice and svelte like they were back in full training. But I think as an average, they’re going to gain less weight than those who weren’t active in high school.

An Apple A Day...

In my pursuit of discovering how to live a healthy lifestyle, I called upon the services of my aunt a trained nutritionist and dietician. Not only was I frustrated with the lack of healthy variety in the dining halls here at school but I consider myself generally uneducated about what’s truly healthy and what’s masquerading as health food while packing on tons of hidden calories. My aunt promised to look at the school menus online and send me a general guideline of healthier choices I can make.

She started by asking me general questions about my current eating habits. She told me that it’s important to analyze your current likes and dislikes before trying to create a diet. She pointed out that the most successful diets are not the ones with the best intentions, but the ones that you’ll actually follow through with. If you absolutely detest broccoli, don’t put it on your menu. Because no matter what you tell yourself, if you hate it, chances are you won’t eat it. Now, so concessions must be made. If you don’t like any vegetables at all (and I confess, I don’t like many) you may have to suck it up and eat some veggies. Try lots of different things, you may find that by expanding your tastes just a little you add a lot of new options to your diet plan. Also, eating six small meals a day will help speed up your metabolism and help you feel fuller longer. Finally, do not forbid any foods. I believe that the quickest way to put me on a chocolate rampage is to tell me I can’t ever have it again. My aunt suggested allowing yourself a small dessert three days a week will satisfy any sweet tooth just enough to overcome those cravings.

Quick tips:

• Stay open to new foods.
• Create a small list of things that are healthy to eat on a regular basis.
• Keep your diet plan realistic.
• Eat 5-6 small meals a day.
• Always eat breakfast.
• Eat lean meats and plenty of fiber.
• Stop thinking of it as a "diet". Your changes should be part of a new lifestyle.
• Allow yourself a “cheat day”