Poor diet during pregnancy can cause long-term damage
It isn't surprising that pregnant women are supposed to eat healthfully. Good nutrition will help a baby develop properly. But did you know that poor nutrition can not only negatively effect a baby's development, but it can also cause long-term damage?A study by the Royal Veterinary College and London's Wellcome Trust, shows that when pregnant rats are fed fatty, processed foods during pregnancy, their offspring have high levels of fat in their bloodstream and around major organs -- even into their teenage years.
Fat gathered around internal organs has been linked to development of type II diabetes. Male rats tended to have higher insulin levels and normal blood sugar, while female offspring tended to have low insulin, high blood sugar, and tended to be more overweight.
While further research is obviously necessary, this is just one more link between healthy diet and a healthy life.
What do you do after your workout? If you're like me you gulp down the last of your water, head home for a shower and prepare a meal. Not the most thoughtful set of steps when it comes to your muscles.
Did you eat breakfast today? How about yesterday? If you answered "No," you may be interested to learn that starting the day off with a substantive meal can help
A recent Japanese study, published in the Kobe Journal Medical Sciences and most recently highlighted in
Last week, Diabetes Alert Day was celebrated on March 25th. According to popular diabetes website
Researchers have found that, in patients with type 2 diabetes who require insulin treatment, a new formulation that only has to be
When researchers asked a group of healthy, active men to cut their activity levels down considerably,
So far only worms are seeing the benefit, but in a recent study worms who had their insulin levels adjusted lived longer than their counterparts. Researchers found that added insulin reduces the activity of a gene-regulating protein called SKN-1. So, by lowering the levels of insulin in the worms researchers subsequently boosted the protein -- resulting in an increased lifespan. The SKN-1 protein essentially acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage.
Insulin, as incredible as it is in terms of its ability to help regulate blood sugar levels, may be worthy of even greater praise. That's because scientists (A.K.A. those smart people who went to a better college than I did) have discovered that applying insulin directly to wounds my actually help them heal more quickly.
I remember taking a supplement called Rocket Fuel when I was a stupid teenager. It came in a medicine dropper bottle, touting itself as a workout energy booster that would surely make you the next Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like I said, I was a stupid teenager. In reality, all the stuff did was burn the hell out of your mouth, making you want to workout as fast as possible so you could bury your mouth under the kitchen sink. Not that I know for sure -- or really feel like taking the time to look it up to find out -- but, I'm guessing that Rocket Fuel had some sort of chili pepper extract in it. However, the crazy thing is that there is plenty of evidence suggesting that eating foods that contain chili peppers and chili powders can help reduce fat. Granted, the last thing my 130 pound teenage body needed at the time was to lose weight, but it's still pretty funny to think that there may have been something to that foolish Rocket Fuel after all.
The number of new benefits related to strength training never ceases to amaze me. Once considered to be a workout relegated for the guy who no longer wanted to get sand kicked in his face at the beach, weight lifting has grown to become a doctor recommended way to maintain health. Serving as a testament to this is the discovery that strength training improves insulin sensitivity.
Having spent time as a fitness trainer, added with the time I have spent in the gym over the years for my own personal workouts, I can safely say that I have seen people of all shapes and sizes. I've worked out at gyms ranging from Gold's Gym, Bally Total Fitness, World Gym and Powerhouse Gym, down to YMCAs and independent gym chains. Hell, I've worked out in a gym that looked like a prison yard. And in the course of my workout travels, I've come across
Who knew that Hewlett-Packard was such a versatile company? Not only are they busy making computer printers (some of which, when they don't work properly, drive me to the point of lunacy), but apparently have their hand in advanced medical technology, as well.
According to a recent Swedish study, people with 











