Straw into Gold

You have probably heard the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin, by the Brothers Grimm. The story of the little man that helps the miller’s daughter spin straw into gold. Spinning straw into gold is no more possible than turning fat into muscle. Muscle and fat are separate types of tissue and they are not interchangeable. You may have more or less, of …

Is your phone making you fat?

Many people use their smartphones to track calories, or exercise, but they could also be limiting your ability to reach your goals. Think of that person in the gym that is always on their phone. Sitting on the equipment. Not doing as much exercise as texting or surfing. That is an obvious way that smartphones interfere with your progress, but …

Power to Move

Power is the ability to generate force with speed in coordinated movements. More power means that you can do the same amount of work in less time. Climbing stairs requires power. Jumping, running, or cycling uphill, are all examples of power in sport. We also require power in daily activities when lifting or pushing. Power training is popular (think Cross-Fit …

5 New Food Facts

Five studies published this week provide more evidence that eating well (and vegan) is the best way to stay healthy. 1. Probiotics may be harmful to your health. Taking probiotics may interfere with your immune system. The results of this small study, show that probiotics, like many other supplements, may be more harmful than helpful. Taking probiotics changes the balance …

Exercise makes you happy

In a new American study published in The Lancet, researchers followed over 1 million Americans from 2011-2015. They found something that won’t come as a surprise to anyone who exercises regularly. Being active makes you happier than money. Researchers found that physically active people felt as good as people who weren’t active but earned $25,000 more annually. You would need …

Ask Your Doctor

Ask your doctor if eating better is right for you. How does your doctor talk to you about your health? Do they believe that disease prevention is important? The recent study published in The Lancet proves that our diet is killing us and 20% of all deaths worldwide, or approximately 11 million per year, are due to poor diet. That …

Stress

Next on the list of The Top 12 Worst Thing we do to our Health Stress. We have all had times of too much stress. Stress can be emotional, psychological or physical and when we are too stressed we don’t manage it well. Unhealthy coping mechanisms like overeating, alcohol, and withdrawing socially can be temporary solutions which often compound the …

Are you responsible?

A little secret When it comes to our health we do some things that aren’t really helping. This is the next instalment in the list of The Top 12 Worst Things We are Doing to Our Health. One of the things that struck me about the discussion on the 12 Worst Things from the conference I attended was that this …

How to Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

Three daily habits that change your health Research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session wanted to show how lifestyle factors are important and often overlooked factors (in research) when it comes to preventing heart disease.  Researchers from Greece studied two lifestyle factors, television watching and eating breakfast. This is what they found about breakfast, screen …

7 habits that can prevent stroke.

You can prevent having a stroke. The number of people having strokes is going up and the age of having a stroke is going down. Actor Luke Perry who died this week was only 52 and he looked fine. According to the CDC 87% of strokes are ischemic strokes which are caused by clots that stop the blood flow in …