That's Fit

I stopped at the farmer's market this morning and several booths had beets for sale. I debated about buying some to make a borscht. (Which I love, but I was quite certain it would be a complete miss with my son.) According to Planet Green, I should have just tried juicing beets.

Researchers have found that drinking 500ml of beet root juice daily can have a positive impact on blood pressure. Not only is beet root high in antioxidants, it also contains dietary nitrates which benefit blood pressure. Researchers found that the blood pressure of study subjects dropped just one hour after drinking beet root juice, with the most benefit showing three to four hours after drinking the juice.

Want another idea on what to do with beets? Debra has some ideas for cooking beets with the greens.

I would rather throw up than have a sore throat. I know, TMI. But it's true. Having a sore throat, for me, is worse than just about every other minor ailment you can think of.

I've finally discovered something -- actually, two -- that work for me to calm the soreness without numbing my whole mouth. (I hate that, too.) And they are both herbal remedies. (I love those.) Slippery elm and licorice root. The former comes in lozenge form. The latter, usually in tea. They are among the remedies mentioned in this article.

So, I'm certainly not the first to discover these. But if this is news to you, give them a try. If you like them, great. You don't have to sing. Just spread the word.

As your loving online fitness trainer, I'm constantly searching for fun new products to help you achieve ultimate fitness with the most ease and enjoyment. Thomas Kemper Low Calorie Root Beer, with only 20 calories per 12 ounce bottle, is one of those products. Look. We all know that plain old water is the best beverage in the world health wise. But...I'm a big fan of the no and low calorie drinks as well. I find that a diet soda satisfies my sweet tooth and keeps me from hunting down muffins throughout my day. It keeps me in the teeny jeans I like to wear as well.

Thomas Kemper did a great job creating the perfect low calorie version of their Original Root Beer. It tastes delicious and my die hard root beer loving neighbor guzzled it down to rave reviews, without even knowing it was a low calorie drink! He almost fell off of his chair when I told him it was a 'diet' drink. Having said that, I think his new addiction to Thomas Kemper Low Cal Root Beer is going to help him get rid of his 'regular beer belly'. Such an easy way to lose weight!

Not only is the Low Calorie Root Beer a yummy treat, the bottle will make you feel fancy. It's brown and beige with a cutie logo, and will make you feel like you're sitting on a farm with Wilford Brimley and Huck Finn. Not that those two characters were known to hang out together, but Thomas Kemper will make you feel like they did. It will make you feel like you're all three together on the farm throwing rocks....or something else sweet and old fashioned like that!

It has long been argued that echinacea can help reduce the effects and duration of the common cold. As of this writing, there doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence one way or the other. But as that debate rages on, scientists from Northwestern State University are busy trying to determine if this flower's root is beneficial for athletic performance.

In a recent study, the NSU researchers had 24 male volunteers take 8,000mg of echinacea every day for a month. Subsequent blood tests revealed a significant increase in the volunteers' capacity for aerobic activity.

With all the talk these days about HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs, it stands to reason that, if further researcher into echinacea's purported endurance-increasing properties support these early findings, we may soon be hearing reports of this substance also being banned from athletic competitions.

There is nothing worse than that horrible stinging piercing grating nerve pain that comes right when you bite into something hot, or cold, or sweet, or sour...you get the idea. Sensitive teeth stink.

There are some things you can do to make them less bothersome, though, like simply switching to a softer toothbrush and using toothpaste and mouthwash specifically designed for sensitive teeth. Other than that you'll probably have to ask your dentist for advice, and learn what's causing your sensitivity in the first place. Usually it's receding gums exposing roots, in which case working to prevent that from getting any worse becomes a priority. There's no easy fix, so maybe finding and avoiding problematic foods could help? Any ideas that work for you?