5 Must-Try Summer Fitness Crazes

• by Elle, on Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:00am PDT

 

Holistic Fitness

Beach season has arrived—and with it comes the fresh yearning to tone areas that were, until recently, comfortably covered. While terms like “fat blasting” and “calorie counting” used to typify an industry starving forfast results, experts say a holistic view of fitness is gaining ground and that many clients want a serving of inspiration alongside their cardio. “Everyone continues to get busier and busier, and our minds and bodies need to unload and decompress,” says Lashaun Dale, creative manager of group fitness at Equinox. “Workouts that combine movement with meditation are growing.”

Another trend: becoming a connoisseur of a handful of methods carefully chosen to target your goals. A new Manhattan-based site, FITiST, even offers a solution for the inconvenience of having to buy and maintain multiple memberships by selling a collection of classes that vary from cycling to yoga to boxing and are geared toward a specific end result, like “slim,” “body and soul,” or “bride.”

Looking to change things up and tango with an exciting new method (or two, or three)? These standout concepts are currently leading the zeitgeist of what it means to be fit.

1. CAPONYASA 360
A fusion of two of the fitness industry’s most popular international trends of the moment, Caponyasa combines the full body breathing principles of traditional Indian vinyasa yoga with the fierce cardio pacing of the Brazilian martial-arts form capoeira. The name takes its cue from the class’s basic vinyasa form, which often requires 360-degree movement. Moves designed by founder Carlos Rodriguez engage the core and open the hips with wide squat stances and lunges that combine a tempo of inhales and exhales with elements of modern dance and combat technique. While the workout doesn’t claim to teach self-defense, it’s inevitable that the Bruce Lee–like strikes and flexes will do more than just condition your mind and body; they’ll encourage confidence in your personal strength, too.

Workout focus:  Core-induced motion and strengthening work target the abs and love handles, while squats home in on the butt and thighs. Sustained cardio keeps the heart rate high.  Unique quality:  “The mental benefit is simple, as there is basically no time to think. For at least an hour, you are out of your mind and just moving to the beat of your heart and breath,” says Rodriguez.  Commitment:  Rodriguez suggests adding the 60-minute class as a burst of mind-clearing cardio conditioning two to three times a week.  Equipment:  None.  Availability:  Classes are offered at Equinox gyms nationwide and Pure Yoga in New York

2. WILLPOWER & GRACE
A leading expert in barefoot training, Reiki follower Stacey Lei Krauss combines a high-energy cardiovascular workout with soulful mind-body practice. “I created the program in NYC, where the 9:30 ladies had one hour to get it all done—look better in their skinny jeans, move with efficiency, and feel more inspired and alive,” says Lei Krauss. After warming up barefoot, about 20 minutes of flexibility and strength movement is followed by a half hour of intense sweat-inducing cardio work. Repetition is integral, with 98 percent of the class containing the same choreography week after week; this is intended to make the movements part of your reflexive motor pattern, increasing your agility in everyday life.

Workout focus:  In addition to full-body cardio health, the barefoot method strengthens your feet for a stronger and more stable stance. It also retrains your lower-body kinetic chain to progressively correct imbalances in your ankles, knees, and hips.  Unique quality:  “I teach my instructors to create a unique willpower experience that positively influences people for hours and days after class. Willpower is your ability to make change, beginning with your power of thought. Grace is elegance of movement; it’s how we land on our feet,” says Lei.  Commitment:  At the beginning, doing the workout two to three times a week for two months is the prescription. “You want the sequence to settle into your body so that you’re always ending up sore after class,” says Lei. After that, once to twice a week as part of a balanced workout routine is suggested.  Equipment:  Just bare feet.  Availability:  Classes are available at 24-Hour Fitness, Equinox, The Sports Club/LA, select YMCAs, and private studios across the country

3. GRACE SOMATOMORPHIC TECHNIQUE (GST)
When’s the last time you hit the gym to work out your fascia? The Saran Wrap–esque connective tissue that holds together the body’s muscles, nerve endings, and blood vessels, fascia is responsible for creating the size and shape of the body. Founder Anna Rahe began to work with the still-under-the-radar tissue after years of dance left her in pain and in desperate search for a therapeutic fitness option. By harnessing the power of force through movement and spring equipment, she found that the fascia could be targeted and reshaped into alignment that is not only more attractive but rehabilitative, too. “People notice an immediate improvement tochronic aches and pains,” says Rahe. Unlike traditional fitness that dictates weekly upkeep in order to maintain toning results, Rahe claims that dramatic aesthetic changes like muscle definition and tone that come as a result of GST method are permanent, since the supporting structure of the body has changed.

Workout focus:  Reshaping and realigning the body by manipulating the fascia, its complex connective tissue system. Unique quality:  “Our proprietary technique eliminates excess ‘energy’ congestion inside muscle tissue that is responsible for thickness, bulk, and under- or overdeveloped muscle tissue related to cellulite,” says Rahe. Commitment:  Rahe says regular class attendance three to four times a week should be supplemented with a more intensive private session once a month and a GST Bodywork class every six weeks. Equipment:  Choose from two methods: an apparatus-free movement class or one that uses various types of equipment to exert the mechanical forces of spring, traction, and friction.  Availability:  Currently, there is one studio location in Hollywood, though GST DVDs and home equipment will be available for purchase by the end of summer

4. THE BAR METHOD
The firmly toned yet effortlessly elegant bodies of ballerinas have long been the envy of many, and this ballet bar–based method aims to increase flexibility, elongate your figure, and firm up muscles without adding bulk. Founder Burr Leonard created the regimen after teaching the similar-in-concept dance workout by Lotte Berk, but student complaints of knee, back, and shoulder discomfort—all common obstacles faced by dancers—inspired Leonard to collaborate with physical therapist Rick Stebbins to design a ballet-inspired workout that would be safe for joints and other injury-prone areas. At the core of the strength training is isometrics, which is the practice of toning muscles by holding a static position.

Workout focus:  The sculpted arms, flat abs, lifted seat, and svelte yet firm thighs of the classic dancer’s body.  Unique quality:  “One of the less talked-about highlights of the Bar Method is its focus on teaching good posture and better muscle control. These skills contribute greatly to the distinctive beauty and grace in the bodies it produces,” says Leonard.  Commitment:  Leonard suggests sessions three to five times a week for transformative results yet notes that most students of the method tend to work out at least four times a week.  Equipment:  Light two- to three-pound weights, a stretching strap, and a portable ballet bar (which you can substitute with a sturdy chair). Availability:  There are currently 39 studio locations across North America with 20 more scheduled to open this year. Seven workout DVDs are also available for at-home us

5. METAMORPHOSIS BY TRACY ANDERSON
A-list gal pals like Gwyneth Paltrow have extolled the body-morphing virtues of Anderson’s method, helping to make her Hollywood’s trainer du jour. (Her latest celebrity client is Venus spokeswoman Jennifer Lopez, whose sculpted legs came courtesy of Anderson’s technique.) The petite blond claims that—like her signature method—her new DVD workout program, Metamorphosis, “fights genetics” by engaging rarely worked small muscle groups to redefine and change the shape of the body. The 90-day plan includes dance-based cardio with an upbeat soundtrack. “I’m very musically motivated,” says Anderson, who posts her own mix-of-the-moment on her homepage. “If you need that extra push to work-out, a great playlist can get you through it.”

Workout focus:  Choose from four series that are choreographed based on where your body stores fat: omnicentric (all over), hipcentric (hips and thighs), abcentric (stomach and waist), and glutecentric (butt and cellulite). Unique quality:  “Unlike running, cycling, or the elliptical, which work the same muscles over and over again, my exercises empower and strengthen the smaller supporting muscles in your body to give you a long, lean appearance,” says Anderson. Commitment:  If you truly want to transform your body, Anderson recommends doing the DVD workouts six days a week at an hour each day, for the full 90-day period. There’s also a recommended nutritional component to follow, with menus for the entire three-month period that suggest lean choices like turkey kale soup and grilled salmon.  Equipment:  A yoga mat and weights that are no more than three pounds each.  Availability:  DVDs are available for purchase on Anderson’s website. Studios are open in New York and Los Angeles for live instructor-led training, as well as in the Hamptons during the summer season. Private trainers are also available in London.

ACSM Issues New Guidelines on Quantity and Quality of Exercise   (6/28/2011) The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has just released new recommendations on the quantity and quality of exercise for adults, definitively answering the age-old question of how much exercise is actually enough. The position stand, titled "Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults: Guidance for Prescribing Exercise," reflects current scientific evidence on physical activity and includes recommendations on aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility. Consistent with the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, ACSM’s overall recommendation is for most adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. “The scientific evidence we reviewed is indisputable,” said Carol Ewing Garber, Ph.D., FAHA, FACSM, chair of the writing committee. “When it comes to exercise, the benefits far outweigh the risks. A program of regular exercise – beyond activities of daily living – is essential for most adults.” The basic recommendations – categorized by cardiorespiratory exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility exercise and neuromotor exercise – are as follows: Cardiorespiratory Exercise * Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. * Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week). * One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise. * Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk. * People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity. Resistance Exercise * Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment. * Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise. * Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power. * For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance. * Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions. Flexibility Exercise * Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion. * Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort. * Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch. * Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective. * Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching. Neuromotor Exercise * Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week. * Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults. * 20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise. In addition to outlining basic recommendations and their scientific reasoning, the position stand also clarifies these new points: * Pedometers, step-counting devices used to measure physical activity, are not an accurate measure of exercise quality and should not be used as the sole measure of physical activity. * Though exercise protects against heart disease, it is still possible for active adults to develop heart problems. All adults must be able to recognize the warning signs of heart disease, and all health care providers should ask patients about these symptoms. * Sedentary behavior – sitting for long periods of time – is distinct from physical activity and has been shown to be a health risk in itself. Meeting the guidelines for physical activity does not make up for a sedentary lifestyle. “It is no longer enough to consider whether an individual engages in adequate amounts of weekly exercise,” said Garber, who is an associate professor of movement sciences at the Teachers College of Columbia University. “We also need to determine how much time a person spends in sedentary pursuits, like watching television or working on a computer. Health-and-fitness professionals must be concerned with these activities as well.” The position stand’s purpose is to offer health-and-fitness professionals scientific, evidence-based recommendations that help them customize exercise prescriptions for healthy adults. The position stand is published in the July 2011 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of ACSM. To access this position stand, visit http://www.acsm-msse.org/. ### The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 40,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise is the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine and is available from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins at 1-800-638-6423. To speak with a leading sports medicine expert on the topic, contact the department of communications and public information at 317-637-9200, ext. 133 or 127. Visit ACSM online at http://www.acsm.org.

How Health Care Costs Lower With Healthy Diet & Exercise

Overview  

With proper diet and regular exercise you can reduce the costs of health insurance premiums, the amount you spend on medicines and the number of co-pays for doctor visits. Doctors regularly prescribe specific exercise and diet regimens to combat diseases and conditions such as osteoporosis, high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. You can work with your physician or a dietitian to find ways to lower your out-of-pocket medical costs and improve your long-term health.

Considerations

Health care costs include insurance premiums paid by individuals and employers, payments for medicines and co-pays for physician and hospital visits, including checkups, tests, surgeries and other treatments. Fewer insurance claims may lower your premiums. Fewer bouts of cold and flu, better blood cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure require you to buy less medicine. Less long-term abuse of your body, such as eating a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol and living a sedentary lifestyle, will result in fewer medical treatments and expenses.

Diet

A poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of high blood pressure, blood fats and blood sugar. Approximately half of adults age 40 to 60 have metabolic syndrome, according to the website of the UCLA Health System. It leads to coronary heart disease and stroke, cancer and type 2 diabetes. You'll have higher out-of-pocket costs to treat these conditions, your health insurance premiums may rise if you get diabetes, and you may have to pay for a portion of surgeries, such as a coronary artery bypass.

Reducing your risk for disease by adding certain foods to your diet and eliminating excess saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium can reduce your need for doctor visits and medicines. Eating more dietary fiber and less cholesterol can reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke. Dietary fiber may also combat the onset of cancer. Adding more calcium to your diet can improve bone density and reduce the effects of osteoporosis. Eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna and salmon, can improve cholesterol numbers. You can reduce hypertension by decreasing sodium in your diet. Adding iron-rich foods, such as black beans, spinach or red meat, decreases your risk of anemia.

Exercise

Exercise helps prevent and treat a number of health problems. For example, performing weight-bearing exercise improves bone density and reduces your risk for fractures. Regular aerobic exercise can increase your "good" cholesterol numbers, helping you reduce your risk for heart disease and decrease your need to purchase medicines like statins. 

American workers miss more than 100 million workdays each year because of lower back pain, according to the Wellness Council of America. Lower back pain often results from excess weight and the stress it places on the spine and back muscles. Exercising can decrease your weight and strengthen your lower back muscles and abdominal muscles, which help stabilize your back. 

Treatments for osteoporosis, high cholesterol and lower back pain increase your health care costs if you must pay some or all of the costs of doctor visits and medicines.

Diabetes Prevention

More than half of the diabetes cases caused by obesity are preventable with proper nutrition, according to Dr. David Heber, professor of medicine and director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Just a 5 percent reduction in your weight can help you reduce your risk for diabetes, the treatment of which requires you to spend money on on insulin, testing equipment and doctor visits.

Wellness Programs

Many companies provide employee wellness programs to help workers stay healthy and decrease health care costs. This results in lower insurance premiums for employers, and less spending on drugs and treatments for employees. Wellness programs include adding a fitness center on company property, giving employees rebates for exercise equipment or gym memberships they purchase, offering nutrition lectures and serving healthy foods in the cafeteria.

References

• UCLA Health System: How Nutrition and Exercise Can Increase Productivity and Lower Health Care Costs
• Wellness Council of America: Building a Well Workplace
• Mercer University School of Medicine: Promote Health Through Diet and Exercise
• MayoClinic.com: HDL Cholesterol: How to Boost Your 'Good' Cholesterol

About this Author

Sam Ellyn has been writing since 1983 for national and regional sports, fitness, business and parenting magazines. He writes and lectures on fitness, nutrition, sports, business, cooking, beauty and home and garden, and works in magazine consulting and association management. He worked in commercial kitchens for more than 20 years, and holds two journalism degrees.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/302080-how-health-care-costs-lower-with-healthy-diet-exercise/#ixzz1QlMJ1hDL

What’s the Single Best Exercise?

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

Published: April 15, 2011

Let’s consider the butterfly. One of the most taxing movements in sports, the butterfly requires greater energy than bicycling at 14 miles per hour, running a 10-minute mile, playing competitive basketball or carrying furniture upstairs. It burns more calories, demands larger doses of oxygen and elicits more fatigue than those other activities, meaning that over time it should increase a swimmer’s endurance and contribute to weight control.

Enlarge This Image

Jonathan De Villiers for The New York Time

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ENERGY WELL SPENT In METs (metabolic equivalent to task), a measure of energy exerted for a given activity.

So is the butterfly the best singleexercise that there is? Well, no. The butterfly “would probably get my vote for the worst” exercise, said Greg Whyte, a professor of sport and exercise science at Liverpool John Moores University in England and a past Olympian in the modern pentathlon, known for his swimming. The butterfly, he said, is “miserable, isolating, painful.” It requires a coach, a pool and ideally supplemental weight and flexibility training to reduce the high risk of injury.

Ask a dozen physiologists which exercise is best, and you’ll get a dozen wildly divergent replies. “Trying to choose” a single best exercise is “like trying to condense the entire field” of exercise science, said Martin Gibala, the chairman of the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

But when pressed, he suggested one of the foundations of old-fashioned calisthenics: the burpee, in which you drop to the ground, kick your feet out behind you, pull your feet back in and leap up as high as you can. “It builds muscles. It builds endurance.” He paused. “But it’s hard to imagine most people enjoying” an all-burpees program, “or sticking with it for long.”

And sticking with an exercise is key, even if you don’t spend a lot of time working out. The health benefits of activity follow a breathtakingly steep curve. “The majority of the mortality-related benefits” from exercising are due to the first 30 minutes of exercise, said Timothy Church, M.D., who holds the John S. McIlhenny endowed chair in health wisdom at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. A recent meta-analysis of studies about exercise and mortality showed that, in general, a sedentary person’s risk of dying prematurely from any cause plummeted by nearly 20 percent if he or she began brisk walking (or the equivalent) for 30 minutes five times a week. If he or she tripled that amount, for instance, to 90 minutes of exercise four or five times a week, his or her risk of premature death dropped by only another 4 percent. So the one indisputable aspect of the single best exercise is that it be sustainable. From there, though, the debate grows heated.

“I personally think that brisk walking is far and away the single best exercise,” said Michael Joyner, M.D., a professor of anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a leading researcher in the field of endurance exercise.

As proof, he points to the work of Hiroshi Nose, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of sports medical sciences at Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, who has enrolled thousands of older Japanese citizens in an innovative, five-month-long program of brisk, interval-style walking (three minutes of fast walking, followed by three minutes of slower walking, repeated 10 times). The results have been striking. “Physical fitness — maximal aerobic power and thigh muscle strength — increased by about 20 percent,” Dr. Nose wrote in an e-mail, “which is sure to make you feel about 10 years younger than before training.” The walkers’ “symptoms of lifestyle-related diseases (hypertension, hyperglycemia and obesity) decreased by about 20 percent,” he added, while their depression scores dropped by half.

Walking has also been shown by other researchers to aid materially in weight control. A 15-year study found that middle-aged women who walked for at least an hour a day maintained their weight over the decades. Those who didn’t gained weight. In addition, a recent seminal study found that when older people started a regular program of brisk walking, the volume of their hippocampus, a portion of the brain involved in memory, increased significantly.

But let’s face it, walking holds little appeal — or physiological benefit — for anyone who already exercises. “I nominate the squat,” said Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University and an expert on the effects of resistance training on the human body. The squat “activates the body’s biggest muscles, those in the buttocks, back and legs.” It’s simple. “Just fold your arms across your chest,” he said, “bend your knees and lower your trunk until your thighs are about parallel with the floor. Do that 25 times. It’s a very potent exercise.” Use a barbell once the body-weight squats grow easy.

The squat, and weight training in general, are particularly good at combating sarcopenia, he said, or the inevitable and debilitating loss of muscle mass that accompanies advancing age. “Each of us is experiencing sarcopenia right this minute,” he said. “We just don’t realize it.” Endurance exercise, he added, unlike resistance training, does little to slow the condition.

Page 2 continued next week!

Alright already!

Once again, it's all a game, right?

Not exercise..really but since he was in the gym!

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity

You know exercise is good for you — but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life.

By Mayo Clinic staff

The merits of regular physical activity — from preventing chronic health conditions to promoting weight loss and better sleep — are hard to ignore. And the benefits are yours for the taking, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing? Check out seven specific ways exercise can improve your life.

1. Exercise improves your mood.

Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.

Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.

Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Physical activity might be the ticket.

Regular physical activity can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular physical activity boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.

And there's more. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.

Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.

This one's a no-brainer. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn — and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don't even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but physical activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories, too.

4. Exercise boosts your energy level.

Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don't throw in the towel. Regular physical activity can leave you breathing easier.

Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular physical activity helps your entire cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently. Big deal? You bet! When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.

Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your physical activity during the day.

A good night's sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. And you guessed it — physical activity is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. There's a caveat, however. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you may be too energized to fall asleep. If you're having trouble sleeping, you might want to exercise earlier in the day.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.

Are you too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Physical activity to the rescue.

Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there's more to it than that. Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women, and men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don't exercise — especially as they get older.

7. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!

Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical!

Physical activity doesn't have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you're moving, it counts!

Are you convinced? Good. Start reaping the benefits of regular physical activity today!

Critters for the Cure! Until we Lick Cancer!

I'll be doing the race tomorrow morning! Wish me luck! It's been really hot but hopefully it will cool off for tomorrow race! This is for Susan and Liz! Let's Lick Cancer!

Best and Worst: Top 10 Most Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Foods!

Best and Worst: Top 10 Most Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Foods!

Inflammation: A localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection. 

We all know when something is inflamed. But, what about inflammation on the inside of our bodies? Internal inflammation can happen for a host of different reasons: high temperatures when cooking food, eating processed foods, sugar, trans fats, etc. A high level of inflammation within the body can cause many health problems. An easy way to combat this? Eat more anti-inflammatory foods and eliminate the inflammatory ones. 

But, what is an anti-inflammatory food? More importantly, what is an inflammatory food? While you know healthy, whole foods from processed foods, none of us can see the true effect they have on our bodies (sometimes, until it's too late).

Often diseases such as diabetes, PCOS, excess weight gain, coronary heart disease and countless other illnesses can be contributed to the inflammation from various foods. Here is a list of some of the most anti-inflammatory foods. 

TOP 10 ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS

1. Wild Alaskan Salmon: Salmon contains anti-inflammatory omega-3s (wild is better than farmed) and has been known to help numerous ailments. Try and incorporate oily fish into your diet twice weekly. If you don't like fish, try a high quality fish supplement.

2. Kelp: High in fiber, this brown algae extract helps control liver and lung cancer, douses inflammation, and is anti-tumor and anti-oxidative. Kombu, wakame and arame are good sources.  

3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The secret to longevity in Mediterranean culture, this oil provides a healthy dose of fats that fights inflammation, can help lower risks of asthma and arthritis, as well as protect the heart and blood vessels. 

4. Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale and cauliflower are all loaded with antioxidants. Naturally detoxifying, they can help rid the body of possible harmful compounds.

  

5. Blueberries: Blueberries not only reduce inflammation, but they can protect the brain from aging and prevent diseases, such as cancer and dementia. Aim for organic berries, as pesticides are hard to wash away due to their size. 

6. Turmeric: This powerful Asian spice contains a natural anti-inflammatory compound, curcumin, which is often found in curry blends. It is said to have the same effect as over-the counter pain relievers (but without their side effects). 

7. Ginger: Ginger contains a host of health benefits. Among them, it helps reduce inflammation and control blood sugar. Ginger tea is a great addition to any diet.

8. Garlic: Though a little more inconsistent (in terms of research), garlic can help reduce inflammation, regulate glucose and help your body fight infection. 

9. Green Tea: Like produce, this tea contains anti-inflammatory flavonoids that may even help reduce the risks of certain cancers. 

10. Sweet Potato: A great source of complex carbs, fiber, beta-carotene, manganese and vitamin B6 and C, these potatoes actually help heal inflammation in the body. 

TOP 10 INFLAMMATORY FOODS

These foods have been linked to obesity, increased risks of numerous diseases and even death in some cases.

1. Sugar: Sugar is everywhere. Try and limit processed foods, desserts and snacks with excess sugar. Opt for fruit instead. 

2. Common Cooking Oils: Safflower, soy, sunflower, corn, and cottonseed. These oils promote inflammation and are made with cheaper ingredients. 

3. Trans Fats: Trans fats increase bad cholesterol, promote inflammation, obesity and resistance to insulin. They are in fried foods, fast foods, commercially baked goods, such as peanut butter and items prepared with partially hydrogenated oil, margarine and vegetable oil.

4. Dairy: While kefir and some yogurts are acceptable, dairy is hard on the body. Milk is a common allergen that can trigger inflammation, stomach problems, skin rashes, hives and even breathing difficulties. 

5. Feedlot-Raised Meat: Animals who are fed with grains like soy and corn contain high inflammation. These animals also gain excess fat and are injected with hormones and antibiotics. Always opt for organic, free-range meats who have been fed natural diets. 

6. Red and Processed Meat: Red meat contains a molecule that humans don't naturally produce called Neu5GC. Once you ingest this compound, your body develops antibodies which may trigger constant inflammatory responses. Reduce red meat consumption and replace with poultry, fish and learn cuts of red meat, once a week at most. 

7. Alcohol: Regular consumption of alcohol causes irritation and inflammation to numerous organs, which can lead to cancer. 

8. Refined Grains: "Refined" products have no fiber and have a high glycemic index. They are everywhere: white rice, white flour, white bread, pasta, pastries... Try and replace with minimally processed grains.

9. Artificial Food Additives: Aspartame and MSG are two common food additives that can trigger inflammation responses. Try and omit completely from the diet.

10. Fill in the Blank: Do you constantly have headaches or feel tired? Sometimes, you may develop an allergy to a food and not even know it. Coffee, certain vegetables, cheese... there might be a trigger you aren't even aware of. Try and take a few foods out to see how you feel and slowly incorporate them back in to see if there might be a hidden culprit lurking in your diet!