While flavor-of-the-month fads fire our imaginations before they flame out, genuine trends reflect changes in our eating patterns that can influence just about every facet of a health and fitness program.
A panel discussion at 2013 IDEA World Fitness dived into some of the hot-button dietary topics that are on Americans’ minds at the moment. Panelists delved into the protein craze, GMOs, plant-driven diets, cooking for kids, and the eating habits of Millennials, to name a few.
Panelists
by Ryan Halvorson
That’s precisely the question that researchers from North Carolina wanted to investigate.
by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
Pilates continues to grow in popularity, and its practice is now familiar to people around the world, with studios throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Enthusiastic marketers may claim that Pilates can solve everything from weight issues to problems in the bed- room, but we serve our clients well when we educate them about benefits of Pilates training that are validated by scientific consensus.
by Len Kravitz, PhD
hr.clear {
visibility:hidden;
clear:both;
}
img.IFJImgs {
float:left;
padding:0 10px 20px 0;
}
p.italicStyle {
font-style:italic;
}
span.redTxt {
color:#8e221d;
}
ul.articleList li {
padding:0 0 5px 0;
}
by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
For the treatment of depression in adults, exercise is as effective as medications or therapy, but not more so, according to a research review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2013; 9; doi: 10.1002/ 14651858.CD004366.pub6).
Scientists from five universities in the United Kingdom reviewed 39 studies with a total of 2,326 participants in order to update a 2010 review. The earlier review had suggested exercise could reduce depression symptoms, but had found the effect was small and seemed to end if participants stopped exercising.
by Sandy Todd Webster
If you believe a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, this research might give you pause. Researchers from Loma Linda University Health System
in Loma Linda, California, recently published a study showing that despite similar caloric intake, vegetarians tend to have lower body mass index than nonvegetarians, with vegans being the most slender of all.
by Ryan Halvorson
According to the International Diabetes Federation, current diabetes data and future projections look grim.
The umbrella organization, which comprises more than 200 national diabetes associations in more than 160 countries,
estimates that the number of people living with the disease worldwide will reach 592 million by 2035—or 1 in 10 of the world’s population. The IDF states that there are currently 382 million diabetics worldwide. This information was published in the sixth edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas.
by Ryan Halvorson
According to the official Zumba website (www.zumba.com), 12 million people from 110,000 locations in 125 countries participate in the Latin-inspired dance fitness classes. Despite this popularity, does Zumba really offer a solid workout?
by Ryan Halvorson
New research from the University of Navarra in Spain shows that exercise can have a significant positive impact on older seniors.
Scientists recruited 24 adults aged 91–96 and divided them into a nonexercise control group and a “multicomponent” exercise group. The primary focus was to learn how exercise would impact “muscle power output, muscle mass, and muscle tissue attenuation; the risk of falls; and functional outcomes in frail nonagenarians.”
by Colin Carriker, MS, Len Kravitz, PhD
The heart is an incredible organ, not only delivering a constant, reliable stream of life-giving oxygen and nutrients, but also responding instantly to challenges like stress, cardiovascular workouts and high-intensity bursts of energy.
