Bananas Are as Beneficial as Sports Drinks, Study Suggests
Research conducted at Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab in the Kannapolis-based North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) has revealed additional benefits.
“We wanted to see which was more beneficial when consumed during intense cycling — bananas or a carbohydrate sports drink,” said Dr. David C. Nieman, director of the human performance lab and a member of the College of Health Sciences faculty at Appalachian.
“We found that not only was performance the same whether bananas or sports drinks were consumed, there were several advantages to consuming bananas,” he said.
The bananas provided the cyclists with antioxidants not found in sports drinks as well as a greater nutritional boost, including fiber, potassium and Vitamin B6, the study showed. In addition, bananas have a healthier blend of sugars than sports drinks.
The study, funded by Dole Foods, has been published in the peer-reviewed online journal PLoS ONE published by the nonprofit Public Library of Science.
Nutrition tip: A healthy supermarket experience
Statistics show that most of us make an average of two trips to the supermarket per week, spending about 45 minutes each trip. With more than 48,000 foods available to buy in an average supermarket and new products introduced every day, shopping can become a daunting task. This is especially true if you are trying to eat healthier or have a special diet to follow. With a little help from these tips, soon you will be navigating the aisles with confidence that you are making the best choices.
Bread: The key to healthy bread is “whole grain.” You want those fiber rich whole grains in your diet to help maintain a healthy weight, lower cholesterol and a myriad of other benefits. But, how can you be sure you are buying whole grain bread? Don’t be fooled by the color of the bread — some refined breads have coloring added, and some of the white breads are now made with white whole wheat. Go straight to the ingredient list, and choose bread that lists 100 percent whole wheat or other whole grain as the first ingredient. Remember that “enriched wheat flour” is just a fancier word for white, refined flour. Still not sure? Look for at least 2 grams of fiber per slice.
Achieving a six-pack
So a lot of us see the six-pack as one of the ultimate signs of being physically fit.
But also for a lot of us, we see it as almost next to impossible to achieve.
I’m here with Gregg Cook of Equinox and he said you can do it and there’s actually a science behind it. So Gregg what do you mean by that?
“The science behind the six pack is ultimately about achieving a core or a musculature around your spine that not only supports and stabilizes the spine but also is mobile,” said Gregg Cook, a Personal Trainer.
Okay so you’ve boiled it down to obviously for the six pack, six pack, six moves, six principles and you are going to show us those right now.
Anyone can log onto q.equinox.com for free to check out Cook’s six-pack tutorial. Some of his tougher moves guaranteed for ripped abs once you’ve had some serious experience include flexion or bending moves like leg lifts on a pull-up bar, a headstand where you slowly move your legs from side-to-side for a lateral flexion move, and pull-ups with a Kung Fu Kick for a rotational ab move. Until you can work up to any of that, you might want to get started with an stability move called the star plank.
I actually lifted myself off the ground. Challenging, but almost doable. Then there’s the Roll Back, Jump Up” mobility move.
“This one is all about basically breaking your fall, rolling gracefully and getting right up again. So you are going to take most of your body weight on the back leg. Roll down, round the spine, tuck your chin. Roll it back up drive to that standing leg,” said Cook.
And you can try topping your six-pack workout off with an opposite leg, opposite arm extension exercise.
Spartacus: Blood and Sand Official Workout
(0:28)- Routine Sets & Reps
(1:03)- Goblet Squat
(2:07)- Mountain Climber
(2:46)- Single-Arm Dumbbell Swing
(3:20)- “T” Push-Up
(4:26)- Split Jump
(4:53)- Dumbbell Row
(5:37)- Dumbbell Side-Lunge & Touch
(6:20)- Push-Up Position Row
(6:55)- Dumbbell Lunge & Rotation
(7:42)- Dumbbell Push-Press
How to Exercise Without Going to the Gym
My family has started to take walks together in the evening. When I say “walks,” I really mean a slow-moving stroller that stops every several yards while my 3-year-old looks at every amazing thing along his path, like a lonely potato bug or puddle of water. While I recognize this is not serious exercise, it’s still exercise as my workout tracker on my phone reported we had walked 1.5 miles and burned 120 calories.
Nope, that’s not a lot, but at least it’s something. This got me thinking that we need to look more at our day and see where we can “count” exercise rather than avoiding it.
As I was doing research for this topic, I was drawn to an article on WebMD talking about workout routines. One of the first points in the article says, “You don’t need to run, sweat or grunt—any opportunity to partake in activity counts as exercise!” As a busy mom of three, sometimes I don’t get to the gym, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get in some exercise.
Here are some common ways you can get exercise without really knowing it: (Note: intensity, weight and gender change the amount of calories burned)
- One hour of general gardening burns 230 calories.
- Vigorous house cleaning burns 135 calories per hour.
- A 120 pound person burns 65 calories per mile walking.
- A 150 pound person burns 181 calories after 20 minutes of walking up stairs.
What the take-home message is from this research is that you can get your exercise in without having to have a formal plan in place. You can park your car in the back of the parking lot and walk into the store. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
I’m a huge fan of exploring new sports. For example, you can take up golf, tennis or raquetball. Even if you are a beginner, these sports will get you moving and increase your fitness level. If you are interested in developing a new skill or ready to break out of your comfort zone, try a type of karate or yoga. I have several friends who have taken up karate as adults and absolutely love it.
As I work with people on health and fitness, I often hear the excuses “I don’t like to go to the gym” or “I can’t afford a gym.” I understand both of these barriers, but there are so many other ways you can exercise without going to the gym. It just may take some creativity on your part to see where you can fit it in.
Exercise ‘crucial to older adult’s fitness and health’
Several people consider aging to be a time to slow down and take it easy.
However, a recent study suggests that the more we age, the more we need exercise to keep us independent and healthy.
Yet, sometimes it takes a prescription from the doctor to get adults up and moving.
“Exercise is important for almost everyone. There are very few medical conditions that exercise won’t benefit. In fact, I sometime write a prescription to get my patients to start taking this seriously and help them understand exercise can be just as helpful as medication,” said Keith Veselik, director of primary care at Loyola University Health System and associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
“Around age 35 is when our muscle mass and resting metabolism starts to decrease. When this happens our bodies require more, not less exercise to manage our caloric intake. When this starts to happen we can eat the same things, do the same things and may gain 3 pounds a year. That’s 30 pounds in a decade, “he said.
Though exercising is beneficial to nearly everyone, before starting a program he advises that people, especially those who have not been active, to consult a doctor to determine their baseline and to get guidance about what exercises would be most advantageous.
“In my own life I’ve seen the benefits of exercising. When that alarm goes off in the morning I want to just roll over, but I’ve seen such a positive change in so many ways. It can be difficult, especially at first, but the benefits truly out weigh the struggles,” said Veselik.
Some free general workout tips, for any kind of exercise
In our drive to get in shape and get healthy, Americans are hitting the track, the gym, the weight room with increasing regularity. We’re watching what we eat, when we eat, how much we eat. But for some of us the results are still slow in coming. It may just be a matter of pumping up your routine – everyone hits their individual plateau after a while. But for those still challenging themselves regularly, the attention may be in the details. Here are some free workout tips that will help keep your focus on fitness.
Allow some time to get your heart pumping. Even a little bit of cardio, such as a run around the block or a couple of laps around the track, will get more oxygen and blood flowing through your body. Not allowing your muscles proper time to be completely warmed up puts you on the fast track to injury, and remember to never, ever stretch out cold muscles.
Stretch thoroughly. This is one thing every athlete, physician, and trainer cannot stress more. Too many people completely ignore the need to stretch, or else they spend too little time and are completely inefficient in their technique. When stretching, be sure not to bounce, but to gradually stretch into your position, holding the required stretch for 15-30 seconds. Be thorough in your stretching! Preparation will reduce the risk for injury when exercising.
Boost your cardio routine by throwing in some different moves – try doing jumping jacks at the end of every ½ mile run! Pushups, and squat thrusts work, too – anything that will challenge your muscles in a new way will help burn calories and get your metabolism up.
How To Pick The Healthiest Frozen Treats
A warm-weather holiday weekend just wouldn’t feel complete without a sweet treat to top off that barbecue.
But if you’re not careful, those icy calories — not to mention the fat — can add up to more than just a refreshing snack.
To help you navigate the frozen treats you’re likely to encounter this Memorial Day weekend and beyond, we asked Elisa Zied R.D., C.D.N, author of “Nutrition At Your Fingertips” and Samantha Heller, R.D., C.D.N., author of “Get Smart,” to offer their tips for how to make that splurge a little smarter.
- Ice Cream
- Frozen Yogurt
- Frozen Kefir Or Greek Yogurt
- Frozen Fruit Bars
- Sorbet
- Fudge Pops
- Flavored Ice Pops
- Slush
- Ice Cream Sandwich
- Non-Dairy Frozen Treats
Soy supplement shows no blood pressure benefit
Soy-rich diets have been linked to lower rates of heart disease, but soy supplements alone may not do anything for older women’s blood pressure, according to a U.S. study.
The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, add to the mixed evidence on the health benefits of soy isoflavones – compounds that are thought to have weak estrogen-like effects in some body tissue.
Researchers have long known that Asian populations with soy-rich diets have lower rates of heart disease compared with people who eat “Western” diets, but it has not been clear whether soy isoflavone supplements have cardiovascular benefits, such as cutting blood pressure or cholesterol levels.
A number of studies have found that intravenous infusions of soy isoflavones may boost the body’s production of nitric oxide and help blood vessels dilate.
“But we don’t take soy by infusion,” said William Wong, a nutrition researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who led the study.
8 Min Abs Workout, how to have six pack
PROGRAM
Perform this workout every second day (e.g. Mon-Wed-Fri) for at least two weeks. Then you’ll be ready to perform the next level of this workout.
Good Luck to get six pack!
HOW THIS WORKOUT WORKS
1. Working aerobically on your abdominal muscles for over 7 minutes stimulates the capillaries in this area. These in turn increase the blood flow.
2. A greater blood flow means a greater flow of oxygen – and fat only burns in the presence of oxygen.
3. Toned muscles need more calories (kcal) to stay active. Our organism tends to release these calories from the area near the active muscles. So it burns fat in that area.
HOW TO USE THIS WORKOUT
1. The module is designed to work the abdominal area ‘aerobically’. Performing it straight after an aerobic workout (e.g.: running, spinning, swimming or other aerobic activities) will improve the positive effect.
2. Learn the instructions for each exercise of this workout. Ensure you perform exercises properly.
3. Pay attention on the correct breathing while performing the exercises. It is very important and will help you achieve the best results possible.
