Are Microwaves Bad For You?

I remember when microwaves were being launched into every home. They were the hottest new devices on the market. My parents debated getting one, but they were so expensive. A year later, when the prices came down some, they bought one. It sat in our kitchen and we hardly ever used it. They said you could heat water in it (but we liked our water boiled in a kettle). Still, we owned it and my parents bought some microwavable food because we could. But we never really used the microwave that much and over the years, as I’ve grown up, … Continue reading →

Salt Does a Body Good

We’ve talked about our body’s need for water before, during and after exercise. But during the hot months of summer, regular outdoor exercise can cause fatigue related to a lack of sugar, calories and salt. The loss of salt is not one many of us pay attention to, however. Sports drinks have sodium in them (did you know that?) and studies have found that athletes who drink salty drinks before they compete did better. Salt Does a Body Good Salty drinks help athletes have larger blood volumes. Salty drinks also make you thirstier and you will drink more water and … Continue reading →

Let’s Review Hydration Rules

Last summer I wrote an article on hydration and it’s time to review those rules especially after the radio show tragedy that occurred when a mom died from drinking so much water during a radio contest to win a Nintendo Wii for her children. Hydration is really important for your health and your fitness goals. So as the days are getting ready to heat up and we’re going to want to do our best to promote good health through the hotter months of the year, let’s talk about hydration and what we need to do to maintain our summertime fitness. … Continue reading →

Living in a Potluck & Barbecue Society

Despite the attempts to make society healthier, we still live in a potluck and barbecue society. Potluck has a lot to do with being too busy to fix balanced meals every night and always being in a rush. Part of fitness is keeping your body and mind on a healthy track. Sit down dinners are a healthy choice because you have to think about what you are preparing, put some time into the preparation and then you increase the benefits because you sit down together, share dinner conversation and strengthen the bonds of family. Splurge Free In our world of … Continue reading →

Summer Heat: Remember to Take Care

Summer is almost here and with summer comes the heat, the sun and the outdoor activities. Many of us enjoy being outdoors in the summer time whether we are traveling, working on our gardens, riding our bikes or swimming. Whatever it is you enjoy about summer, it’s the freedom to be outside and getting active. I love summer for those reasons, but there are precautions that you need to take where summer is concerned. Precautions The summer heat is wonderful, but heat means sweat and sweat means dehydration. You need to remember to hydrate on the best of days, but … Continue reading →

Fitness Tips: Too Few Calories Can Be a Problem

I hate Catch-22s and when it comes to fitness and weight loss, you find a lot of catch-22s. One of these catch-22s is that while eating less may seem to constitute a result of weight loss – too few calories can actually be a problem for anyone who is looking to shape up or lose weight. When you cut back on calories too much, your body is biologically programmed to protect itself from various environmental conditions including starvation. So when you don’t eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode. When your body does this, it begins hording every calorie … Continue reading →

There Went My Reason

You know the moment I typed that title, I actually looked to the right as though I could honestly see my reason trotting off into the sunset with a snicker, a giggle and a guffaw. What has me doing this? Well, if you caught the Early Show the other day, you’d know that there’s a new line of thinking out there – diet sodas, the ones we can drink because they have 0 calories – are actually helping people to gain weight rather than helping them to lose weight. Excuse Me, I Need to Bang My Head on the Wall … Continue reading →

Holiday Diet Bombs – Be Aware

It’s important to remember when you are out there hustling to through the Christmas shopping, getting stuck in traffic and skipping meals in your hurry to get from Point A to Point B that it’s not very healthy for your diet to forgo eating only to make it up by grabbing a fast bite somewhere. This is part of the holiday trade off – you should take advantage of your opportunities to eat – but you also have to be careful that you aren’t ingesting a bomb of calories, fat and saturated fats that not only fills your stomach, but … Continue reading →

New York Steps Up to the Plate

New Yorkers are known for being an independent bunch and they are by their very nature survivors. This week, New York steps up to the plate in the area of fitness as the New York City’s health department announced that restaurants in New York City have to phase out artificial fats that are widely used in frying, baked goods and other food products. Trans fats, as they are known as, raise the bad LDL cholesterol levels and lower the HDL cholesterol. This can increase inflammation of the internal organs and is considered a major contributor to heart disease. The chairman … Continue reading →

How to Fight the Belly Bulge

It’s Christmas time and while we are all especially fond of the image of the jolly Santa Claus with his bowl full of jelly image – it’s not one that we may want for ourselves. Luckily, there seems to be new research out there that indicates you may just need to eat a few more oranges in order to bring your belly back under control. People who carry a lot of extra weight around their midsection are usually at a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and obesity. These different conditions can actually sap your body’s vitamin C resources. Vitamin … Continue reading →