slow-related stories
Food Boredom - Banish It by Counting to 10
I can remember when the speed limit was 55. Even back then, though I drove a pokey 4-cylinder Chevette, it seemed slow. We're accustomed to doing everything fast -- driving, working, running errands; everything is a race for time. When it comes to eating, you're better off taking your time. Not only will eating slower give your brain time to get the message that your stomach is full, it also helps you enjoy your food more.
Shape Magazine recommends counting to 10 between bites. It gives you a chance to appreciate the aroma and sight of your food. Then chew slowly and enjoy the flavor fully. When you retrain yourself to enjoy food -- instead of shoveling it down as if the first one finished wins a blue ribbon -- you won't grow bored of healthy fare.
Keep Off the Weight in the Off-Season
It's not just the cold weather that causes some of us to be a bit more sedentary during the winter months -- for some folks, it's the lack of goals. I have to admit -- I run a lot harder when I have a race coming up, but in most areas, there aren't many races going on this time of year.Of course, not training as hard means I should eat less ... but that doesn't always happen. And that, my dears, is one reason why so many of us pack on pounds during the winter. However, Active.com has a list of 10 ways to manage your weight in the off-season.
For example, talking to a nutritionist can help you determine your energy needs during this slower time of year, and keeping a food diary will help you keep track of exactly how much you're eating. And, one of my favorite suggestions is to mix up your workout -- try a new class at the gym, take up your friend's offer of playing flag football or hit the (indoor) pool. You just might find a brand new love!
Dinner - Make it Longer
Eating fast triples chance of getting fat
Don't gobble down your food. It'll make you fat if you do. Just eat slowly and modestly and you'll slash your chances of being overweight by, like, three times.Blame the fast food industry on the fact that we scarf our meals, says a new Japanese study, and then ban those fast meals on the spot. Here's why: Researchers found that half of the men and just more than half of the women studied ate until they were full. Just under half the men and more than a third of the women ate quickly. The consequences? Men and women who ate until they were full were twice as likely to be overweight. And those who ate both quickly and to fullness were three times more likely to be heavy.
An interesting fact: Seems humans are hardwired to overconsume energy when it is available. Make that energy fast and cheap, and we're all over it. And because of this, we're getting fatter and fatter. We must learn, then, these two tactics: (1) Steer clear of fast food and (2) Slow down.
Daily Fit Tip: Slow and steady wins the race
Be a tortoise, not a hare next time you work out because slow and steady wins the race -- and burns more calories too.
Daily Fit Tip: Chew on this ... slowly
Slim down by savoring your food
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
We always tell 5-year-old Danny to slow down and chew his food -- he's a pro at stuffing loads of grub in his mouth and then struggling to swallow it down. Our only real goal for this young boy is that he doesn't choke or heave his hearty helpings back onto his dinner plate. It seems we might also be teaching him how to to stay slim and trim.
Longer meal times and thorough chewing tend to decrease the amount of food eaten and lead to greater fullness and satisfaction for the older-than-Danny healthy female population. This, from a first-ever study on the topic of slower eating, concluding that smaller bites, pausing between bites, and chewing thoroughly is a key slim-down strategy.
So, what qualifies as slow? While I don't have a definite time frame to share, I do know that the meals during study were 21 minutes longer than quick meals. I also know that the female participants ate about 67 fewer calories and reported feeling much more satiated after eating slowly. Great news, which hopefully will transfer to other populations, like men and obese folks.
Stress Less: Running for mental health
Stress Reduction, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
That hasn't been a bad thing, necessarily. But I realized a while back how much I missed the mental benefits of running. It may be hard on your knees, but it's sure great for your head. All exercise is supposed to be. But I've never experienced anything like the clarity, absence of depression and pure elation that running induces.
And for those of you out there that think running isn't for you or have tried to run a mile and given up, please reconsider. Save for those dreaded laps in junior high gym class, I had never incorporated running into my active life before training for that marathon. In my experience, the payoff is well worth the painful beginnings. Pretty soon, you'll hit your stride. And it doesn't matter if it's a slow one, either. Habitual marathoners are a whole lot thinner and faster than I am, but I've got a head that's every bit as healthy as theirs.
Slow then fast is the way to go
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Men's Health
There are many fitness ideologies, some that are well-researched and extremely valid, some that are time-tested and approved by the fitness pundits, and some that are plain garbage. I'd rather not get into the negative stuff at the moment, so I'll stick to what people say works -- and actually does.
For years, people have argued about the speed at which weight lifting repetitions should be performed. Many firmly believe that a slow, deliberate pace creates the greatest amount of muscle tension, thus leading to the best results. Others feel that a faster and less structured pace is better, as it works to create an immediate "pump." There are enough extremely fit people, who go by the aforementioned methods, to conclude that their respective assertions have merit. But, there is new research that suggests a different approach may be best of all.
According to a study conducted at Anderson University in Indiana, short, quick bursts of effort on the positive (or concentric) portion of an exercise burn as much as 20 percent more calories than any other method. By lowering the weight for a count of two seconds, pausing for onesecond, and then exploding upward, activates fast-twitch muscle fibers, which require a great deal of energy to move.
6 Benefits from eating at a slower pace
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
It's the holidays: time spent with family, friends, and... food! As suggested by this article entitled "6 Reasons to Slow Down while Eating," cooks can see their delicious creations devoured in a fraction of the time it actually took to create them.But if you click through, you'll learn half a dozen benefits you can get from changing the pace. After all, it's not a race, so savor it! Leading the pack is #1: Slowing down can prevent overeating. It has been proven that your brain needs a bit of time before it can tell the rest of your body it's full after eating. If people would take it slower, they could realize they're full before they overeat.
Easier digestion is another benefit. The whole process begins with the mouth, so if someone is rushing through a meal and only half-chewing their food, that makes it harder on the rest of the body. And of course gastroesophageal reflux can be a result of eating too quickly as well. That's heartburn for everyone else, but those of you familiar with it are probably already aware of how important slow meals can be. Check out the other reasons here!
Help Wanted: Shin splints running the show
Rest is one treatment plan. I don't mean giving up on exercise altogether, but switching to a low-impact program is certainly wise. I could try swimming, biking, walking, and weight training, for example, while my legs heal. I can ice the affected area for 15 to 20-minute intervals, four times per day, for several days. I can elevate my shins above my heart, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, make sure my shoes fit my foot, my stride, and my sport, look into arch supports to disperse stress on my shinbones, strengthen the area with exercises such as toe raises, and then gradually resume running. I can also broaden my running horizons -- which I plan to do starting this week.
A free series is being offered here in town to prep area runners for a local marathon in February. I don't have any big plans to run 26.2 miles anytime soon, but there's no doubt I can learn a thing or two about proper running. So I'm headed to the first seminar on Tuesday. The topic: Core Strengthening, Form Running, and Dynamic Flexibility. I'll be back to report on what I learn. In the meantime, tell me what you do about shin splints. Any words of wisdom about how you prevent or treat this irritating injury?
Ward off cancer with these 3 salads
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
So I imagine you've heard why antioxidants are such a big deal? The molecule, which is found in fruits and veggies, is thought to help prevent cancer -- and lower your risk of heart disease and slow down aging -- by stopping free radicals from damaging healthy cells. To find out a bit more about the process ,as well as some foods highest in antioxidants, take a look at Martha Edwards' Daily Fit Tip post on adding items that contain the molecule into your diet.
If you've already begun to eat these healthy fruits and vegetables but are looking for new ways to prepare them, try out one of the three salad recipes listed here. The Power Packed Pomegranate Salad contains spinach and seeds of the tropical fruit, both of which have loads of antioxidants, while the blueberries in Blueberry Chicken Salad and the black beans in the Black Bean and tomato salad pack a healthy antioxidant punch.
Have you got any antioxidant-loaded recipe favorites to share?
Can calcium and vitamin D fight weight gain?
Apparently they can, in post-menopausal women anyway. In an enormous study that looked at over 36,000 women over 7 years, calcium and vitamin D specifically were shown to reduce the pounds gained in the years following menopause. Not by a lot, but every little bit helps. And of course calcium and vitamin D are also known for helping maintain or even improve bone health.Whether women choose to get their calcium and vitamin D from their diets or from pill supplements is up to them, but experts are warning that is isn't a magic weight loss trick. Women will of course still need to watch what they eat and exercise to keep that "muffin top" in check.
