Archive for May 2012
M&M&M: Maca, Matcha and Mate—Teas to Please
While black tea symbolizes British culture and coffee represents American get-up-and-go, these mainstays of English-speaking nations are seeing a lot more competition lately. As health-minded people set aside sugary drinks, many take up Asian teas and South American beverages that are natural and calorie-free.
Read MoreAsk the RD
Answer:Postexercise fuel is all about recovery. First priority is hydrating to replace any fluid lost; next step is consuming carbohydrate combined with protein for greater glycogen storage. After endurance exercise, the recommended carb-to-protein ratio is 3–4:1 (3–4 grams of carbohydrate for every gram of protein). Depending on timing, this may be a small snack or your next meal.
Read MoreBEER: The New Postexercise Recovery Elixir?
The New Postexercise Recovery Elixir? The welcome sight of the beer tent at the end of many endurance events just got a scientific credibility boost. A new study reported in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (44 [1], 18–26) shows that consumption of nonalcoholic wheat beer (NAB) for 3 weeks before and 2 weeks…
Read MorePopcorn Has Been Hiding Something
A preliminary study on popcorn by University of Scranton (Pennsylvania) chemistry professor Joe Vinson, PhD, reported that this classic snacking grain packs a potent secret inside its shiny, protective kernel.
Read Moreappetizers: Here’s a taste of what’s cooking in the nutrition world:
Have you heard about or tried the Green Polka Dot Box™ (GPDB) yet? Think of it as a cyber Costco® model for natural and organic foods and products. This online store—at www.greenpolkadotbox.com—is one of the first retailers to take a non-GMO pledge for all the products it sells to its paid-membership audience. The company advertises…
Read MoreGood Food Reads for Vacation or Beach
Do you consider yourself a nutrition nerd? If so, you might want to add a few books to your summer reading list.
Read MoreHot Flashes? Try Soy Isoflavones for Relief
Perhaps you’ve awakened from a dead sleep “on fire” and drenched in sweat. Or maybe in the middle of an important meeting you’ve suddenly felt your face flushing and the room closing in. No matter where or how you’ve experienced a menopausal “hot flash,” the sensations are not pleasant.
Read MoreBuild a Better Breakfast: A Global Sampling
American breakfast is not traditionally the healthiest meal of the day.
Read MoreRecipe for Great Summer Skin
Longer days and warmer temperatures are a sure sign that summer is just around the corner. As millions perform the seasonal ritual of swapping bulky winter togs for skin-revealing summer shorts, many will notice that their skin looks and feels more like alligator hide than a smooth, hydrated surface. The cold, dry months of winter…
Read MoreWorksite Chair Yoga and Meditation Reduce Stress
Kid Pointzsm for Healthy Habits
Use Kid Pointz behavior charts to help instill healthy behaviors in kids. The charts are created by Martin Goodman, father of four, who struggled to help his own kids develop good habits and improve their behavior. Parents print the free charts from the Kid Pointz website and encourage their children to log daily physical activity levels. There are also charts designed specifically for nutrition.
Read MoreActive Video Games Not as Beneficial as Previously Thought
Scientists and fitness
professionals have spent plenty of time looking
for ways to encourage improved activity levels among children. To appeal to tech-minded youth, one possible
means for improving
fitness is active video gaming. However, a study published recently in Pediatrics (March 1, 2012; 129 [3], 636–42) suggests that this may not be as effective as previously thought.
Industry Veterans Inducted Into National Fitness Hall of Fame
On April 29, industry veterans and IDEA faculty members Sara Kooperman (CEO of SCW Fitness Education and Les Mills Midwest) and Dave Parise (owner of Results Plus™ Personal Training & Nutrition Center) were inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame. Previous inductees include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Simmons, Jacki Sorensen and IDEA’s Peter and Kathie Davis.
Read MoreOlder Adults Log More Physical Activity
When comparing physical activity levels of younger people to those of older people, it’s often assumed that the younger group wins out. This belief turns out to be incorrect, at least according to a recent survey by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)—a research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in London.
Read MoreSimple Solutions for Overstressed Clients
Most personal trainers have come across a client who arrives at each session in a state of stress and disarray. If this is not dealt with appropriately, it can derail your programming plans. Here are some stress reduction strategies from fellow fitness professionals, courtesy of IDEA Answers on IDEA FitnessConnect.
Read MorePhysical Activity, Diet and Cancer
Researchers from the Cancer Council Queensland and the Cancer Council Victoria estimate that in 2025 about 170,000 Australians will be diagnosed with cancer. This is an increase of 60% from 2007.
Read MoreExercise Harder to Live Longer?
Lately, lots of studies have focused on short-duration, high-intensity exercise. A recent contribution claims that the training type may help you live longer. Researchers from Copenhagen, Denmark, wanted to examine the association of exercise intensity and/or duration with mortality rates. To do this they analyzed 18 years of self-reported data from 5,106 male and female…
Read MorePTSD & Exercise: What Every Exercise Professional Should Know
Pranayama Breathing
Pranayama (abdominal or diaphragmatic) breathing has been shown to improve immune function, hypertension, asthma, autonomic nervous system imbalances and psychological or stress-related disorders (Jerath et al. 2006).
Maca, Matcha and Mate—Teas to Please
Perhaps you’ve noticed a tea merchant at a stall in the farmers’ market giving samples of something wonderfully fruity, or maybe an inviting teashop has opened in your neighborhood. Could you have walked by a store in the mall dedicated to distributing seemingly endless varieties of tea, with a window of teapots and cups in an assortment from lovely to wild? And what about all those accoutrements to enhance tea’s preparation and enjoyment?
Read MoreThe Perfect Picnic
Higher gas prices have many seeking fun in the sun close to home, and what better way to take advantage of spring’s bright sunny days and soft fragrant breezes than to picnic under nature’s canopy? Picnics have been around for as long as humans have eaten leisurely meals outdoors, but the contemporary form arose from the 19th century “Picnic Society,” a group of Londoners who shared refreshments in lush park settings.
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