Perception is not reality
It's no wonder we're always hearing horror stories about young women starving themselves in efforts to look like so many emaciated celebrities -- our minds seem to actually be complicit in that health crime.
A new study in the American Journal of Public Health sheds some interesting light on self-image and how our perceived health plays a role in our actual health. Researchers surveyed over 150,000 adults to answer questions about their current weight, their ideal weight, and how often they felt unhealthy. Researchers found that the less happy people were with their size, the less healthy they felt -- irrespective of how much they actually weighed.
So, it would seem that thinking you're out of shape can actually play a role in feeling out of shape, even if you're weight tells a different tale. You may not look like this person or that person, but that doesn't mean that you're too fat or too skinny or too anything. Listen to the people around you -- and not the glamorized, celebrity-obsessed media -- when they tell you that you look great, because chances are you do.

I'm sure you've heard plenty of times that push-ups are
Overall fitness is about more than just your body, and although being physically fit will certainly help you do better at work (more energy, more confidence) focusing on your mental fitness will give you an even bigger boost. Better yet, why not strive for both? Here are some easy ideas for sharpening your mind (and body):
Our brains hold a lot of secrets that not everyone totally understands. But that's the exciting thing about some of its mysteries! Here's a list of
As the end of the year quickly approaches us, many of us will be resolving to work on our bodies in 2008. But working our mind is just as important--after all, can you imagine what life would be like if you lost it? The key to aging well not only lies in your physical state--it lies in your mental capacity too. So make sure you work your mind too.
Yogis seem to a separate group of people -- calm, sensitive, new-agey vegetarian types who wear hemp and shop at health food stores and rescue bugs rather than killing them. But yoga takes all types, and it can benefit you.
FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.
FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.
FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.
Yesterday, I published a
FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.
The world is a big place and it seems like we get news items and magazine articles all the time about which nations are the healthiest or most-fulfilled. If you've ever wondered about how people in different locations around the globe stay fit and happy,
Carbs might be bad for your waistline, but it's thought that they might be good for you're brain, or at least that's what 
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