That's Fit

If there's one downside to resistance training, it's the soreness typically experienced a day or two after the most recent workout. Fortunately, our bodies becomes more and more adjusted to the workload over time and soreness becomes less and less of a problem. Still, those days after starting a new workout can be brutal. That's why some new research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research may be the physical reprieve some newbies are looking for.

Women's Health magazine highlights this study in their current issue, citing the discovery that performing quick bursts of cardio between strength training sets reduces post-workout soreness. Because cardio pushes more blood to muscles when done at elevated intensity, the quick delivery helps prevent further muscle damage and also begins a rapid repair. This, as stated, leaves you feeling less sore in the days to come.

For optimal results, the article suggests 30- to 45-second bursts of intense cardio between your resistance training sets. A very easy way of doing this (and a method that does not require you to occupy too many pieces of gym equipment at once -- a big no-no in some circles) is to bring a jump rope with you and get that thing spinning in overdrive in between sets!!

How old are you? How old is your body? The answers to these questions should be the same, but a great many factors can contribute to a noticeable disparity. Women's Health magazine points to the significant role fitness level plays in determining your body's age.

In terms of genetics, people who exercise regularly are 10 years younger than inactive people of the same chronological age. Researchers from King's College in London found that in twins, those who exercised had the longest telomeres -- genetic markers that shorten with age, oxidative stress, and inflammation. And, because exercise has been linked to a reduction in stress and inflammation, researchers posit that it therefore affects telomere length.

For other methods of finding out your "Real Age," visit (where else?) RealAge.com and complete their online physical assessment.

Did you have fun at the Memorial Day party you attended? I hope so. And what about the food - how was it? I hope great. Did you try any of the chips and salsa dip? If so, I'm sure they were delicious. All that crunchiness, the flavor of the salsa, and the 10,000 microscopic bacteria ... yummy.

Not that I'm pointing fingers at you necessarily, but chances are someone double-dipped at your Memorial Day party. And, more likely than not, someone will do it again at the Fourth of July party you attend, too. While double-dipping may seem more like a fairly innocuous, Seinfeldian faux pas, an article in the most recent issue of Women's Health demonstrates otherwise. Pointing to a recent study in the Journal of Food Safety, the article states that as many as 10,000 bacteria are transfered from a mouth to a bowl of dip when someone dips their chip too many times.

As for sharing beers, I can only imagine how many germs are swapped. Oh well, good thing you're usually with family and friends at these sort of events!!

Pilates is a mind-body exercise that promotes posture, balance, and core strength. Beyond the physical benefits, pilates is a relaxing activity that is soothing to your spirit. When you pair this great activity with the natural resistance of water, you have a real winner. So the next time you feel like trying pilates ... take it to the pool! Women's Health Magazine gives us five pilates moves that are perfect for the shallow end:

• The 50:50 works your chest, abs, waist, shoulders, triceps, back, hamstrings, and thighs.
  
• The Poolates Squat is great for your abs, back, glutes, and quads.
• The Step Star strengthens your arms, abs, waist, back, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
• The Living Dead works your abs, waist, back, and inner thighs as well as stretching your arms and hamstrings.
• The Frog is great for your abs, waist, back, glutes, and legs.

A gluten-free diet is a must for people with celiac disease or an allergy to products containing wheat. It's not so easy being gluten free. Not only is gluten found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye, it's also added to many foods as a thickening agent. For example, some ice creams and even ketchup contain gluten.

The latest issue of Women's Health gives us a list of some of the tastiest gluten-free products on the market. Even if you don't require a gluten-free diet, give some gluten-free foods a chance. They're often made from different grains -- like quinoa -- and it's a good idea to incorporate new whole grains into your diet.

Check out the gallery for the Women's Health top gluten-free picks.

For many people, visiting a doctor can be intimidating. There's the whole authority issue, plus the anxiety that comes with having to deal with a physical exam or possible bad news about a health condition. But according to CNN, women especially can be at risk for a less-than-helpful doctor's visit if they aren't careful.

Some helpful tips:

• Ask questions, or bring someone with you who will.
• Go ahead and research your condition, but don't become overwhelmed by it.
• Recognize gender bias when it happens, and choose a different physician.
• Just the facts, ma'am! Don't interpret your symptoms for you doc, just describe them factually.
• Always trust your intuition.

I've found that if I have specific issues I want to discuss, I must write them down. Otherwise, I nearly always forget to bring them up during the five to 10 minutes I'm actually with the doctor. How do you get the most out of your doctor's appointments?

When I eat a kiwi, I do everything in my power to remove every bit of the skin. Frankly, I'm disgusted by the texture of it, I don't know why. However, an article in the most recent issue of Women's Health magazine suggests that when we don't eat the skin of a kiwi -- as well as many other fruits -- we're squandering a great deal of their antioxidants and healthy compounds.

Here is a quick breakdown of what we''re missing by removing the skin from our produce:

Apples - A Cornell University study revealed that 87 percent of an apple's cancer-fighting phytochemicals are found in the skin, not the crunchy white flesh inside

Eggplant - Remove the skin of this favorite vegetable of many Italian grandmothers (mine notwithstanding) and you remove 300 milligrams of brain-cell preserving antioxidants in the process

Germs are all around us all the time. Try as you might to keep yourself free from them, save for living in a plastic bubble, there's really not much you can do to provide 100 percent protection. Wear rubber gloves? Wear a face mask? Wear an entire Haz-Mat suit? Go for it if it makes you feel "cleaner." Truth be told, however, measures of this kind are no more effective at preventing the spread of germs than much simpler methods.

For starters, keep your fingernails clean. Germs are found in the most abundance underneath your fingernails, so you'd be wise to thoroughly wash your hands throughout the day. And, as you'd probably expect, don't bite your fingernails, either. One would assume that everyone washes their hands, but it's actually not the case. Women's Health recently reported that a 2006 international survey found that two-thirds of American adults admit to not washing their hands properly (falling right behind the appropriately-named Germany). Another simple way to help keep as germ free as possible is to not shake hands with someone who you just heard coughing up a lung. Germs can hang around on human skin for two hours, so when Coughy McCo-Worker extends his or her hand, you may want to tactfully and respectfully decline.

Look, it's almost impossible to stay completely germ free. But, there are steps you can take to at least minimize your exposure, such as those mentioned. Feel free to add more suggestions of your own in the comments section below.

How long does it take McDonald's to make a hamburger? My guess is around 30 or 40 seconds. How long does it take to make a healthy meal at home? Much longer, right? Not quite, says Keri Glassman, registered dietitian and part of the Women's Health magazine team. Glassman suggests the following ten easy food flips to help you prepare healthier meals in a jiffy.

1. SWAP THE MAYO (or the sour cream). Instead use nonfat Greek yogurt as a much healthier, low-fat substitution. In addition to being much lighter in the calorie department, nonfat Greek yogurt is high in protein, calcium, and also contains digestion-aiding probiotics.

2. PUREE. Freeze your favorite fruits and vegetables and then days or even months later you can puree them in large batches. In a matter of seconds you can have a healthy and tasty snack. For kids, Glassman suggests purchasing the containers that ice cream manufacturers usually use to make push-pops and filling it with a fruit puree.

3. INCREASE VOLUME. Make your meals bigger without adding any calories. Trust me, it's easier than it sounds. For some easy ways to do this, click here.

4. GO FOR CHICKEN STOCK. Using the low-sodium version, add chicken stock to mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower instead of butter or cream. You can also use chicken stock when you steam vegetables for added flavor rather than using butter or oil.

5. CONDIMENTS. Steer clear of those high in fat and sugar and instead opt for herbs, spices, and even low-sodium soy sauce, lemon juice, brown mustard, vinegars, and salsa.

Revolution Health has a new interactive tool, momScore, that ranks states based on the accessibility and quality of maternal health care. To determine the score, a team of health experts compared state-to-state criteria including:

• Access to prenatal care
• Maternal mortality
• Risk of pregnancy complications
• Childcare availability per capita
• Infant mortality
• Air quality
• Violent crime rate
• Access to health insurance
• Affordability of children's health insurance
• Mandatory paid leave policy
  

You can check your state's score overall or by specific health topic. My state ranked roughly in the middle, which was what I expected to see. Where does your state rank?

When we hear about our core muscles, a number of fairly specific exercises come to mind. Chances are, your mind is shuffling through at least four or five of them right now. Well, if you really want to work your core, you might be better off skipping those exercises and instead focusing on two traditional weightlifting exercises: weighted squats and deadlifts.

Just in case you were wondering, no, the source of this information was not some musclehead magazine. In fact, it was actually Women's Health that pulled information from a recent study published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

According to the article, weighted squats and deadlifts strengthen the core muscles 50 to 70 percent more than Swiss ball exercises. So, rather than always concerning yourself with "working your abs" -- as is if they were a separate entity, try working your entire body with these compound lifting movements.

Did you know Eva Longoria drinks up to three liters of water per day? She may be upset by the recent study that said drinking eight glasses of water or 2 liters a day has no scientifically proven benefit of improving your health.

Well, after all these years of trying to knock back the recommended eight glasses a day, some doctors claim it simply is an urban myth "lacking in scientific basis."

I still think it's important to get up to eight glasses a day because our body can lose up to 2.5 liters of liters of water a day so it's important to replenish our water supply. Water is beneficial for a number of reasons. It flushes toxins out of your organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for your tissues. Without water your body will become dehydrated. So if you're just as confused as I am as to the "right" amount of water to drink per day. Here are two simple tips I came across. But make sure you take the environment, your exercise routine and any health conditions into account before you modify your fluid intake.

• First take the pee test: the lighter the color of your pee the more bile is broken down by our bodies. So if you're drinking the right amount of water for your body, your pee will be clear.
• Second: to determine how much water your body needs here's a tip from nutritionist Sophie Pachella. Sophie says you should drink about "half your body weight in ounces each day." This means if you weigh 130 pounds you should drink 65 ounces of water a day.

How much water do you drink during a day?

I'm leaving for Seattle in a few hours, prepped and ready to shoot a corporate bit for Pepsi. At any rate, part of the travel arrangements involve sharing a room with a guy that I've been forewarned about: He Snores. Great. There goes the possibility of getting any sleep. But, inasmuch as his snoring may be a single-night sleep disruption for me, it may signal a bigger health problem for him (and, no, I don't mean that it may cause me to kill him in his sleep).

According to an article published in the current issue of Women's Health, snoring may lead to chronic bronchitis for a good number of people. The article references a study featured in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, which found that snoring places a great deal of stress on the airways, thus increasing inflammation. In fact, researchers discovered that people who reported snoring six or seven nights per week were 68-percent more likely to develop chronic bronchitis than silent sleepers.

The article also presents a potential solution: Placing nasal strips on a snorer's nose. This may help widen the nasal passage and reduce the nighttime ruckus. Note to self: Buy a pack of nasal strips at the airport and offer them as a "gift" to my traveling companion.

Colds, flues, and even stomach bugs have been known to cause absenteeism at work, but a study in The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reports that obesity-related health problems also play a part.

The findings of this study are highlighted in this month's edition of Women's Health magazine, showing that as BMI (body mass index) rises, so did survey respondents'' number of sick days. Conditions associated with obesity (BMI of 30 or greater), such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea appear to have a direct effect on calling in sick to work.

According to study, per its summary in Women's Health, people with a BMI of 30 - 34.9 missed two more days per year; 35 - 39.9 missed three or more days; and 40 or more missed five or more days.

One of the biggest challenges in the fight against breast cancer is getting women in the doctor's office for regular mammograms. Safeway is hoping to help out with this issue by creating an $800,000 digital mobile mammography unit (a van) that will make it easier for women to access screenings. The van can do up to 30 mammograms a day and will begin traveling around the Puget Sound area next month.

This digital "mammogram-obile" isn't the first of its kind -- they're growing more and more popular as a means of encouraging women to comply with one of the best known breast cancer treatment options we have: early detection.