So, probably everyone knows that being overweight or obese puts you at much higher risk for all sorts of diseases and conditions, like stroke, heart disease, heart attack, and diabetes. But did you know that weight gain could increase your risk of getting Alzheimer's disease?
In the journal "Human Brain Mapping", brain scans showed that overweight folks had an average of 4% less brain tissue than normal-weight adults. Obese folks had 8% less.
We're talking about physical brain tissue here, folks! Like the gray & white matter of your brain!
The study showed that the most depleted area of brain tissue was in the frontal lobe, which is the area of your brain responsible for your "higher thinking & reasoning" skills, like problem solving. This area is where dementia happens.
Why?
A high-fat diet clogs arteries, including arteries going to the brain, so oxygen cannot reach brain cells and they die, says lead study author Paul Thompson, Ph.D.
So what can you do?
Get moving! Exercise! Be active! While weight & resistance training has been proven to make you a leaner, healthier, longer-living person, aerobic exercise is the key to this problem. Aerobic exercise helps preserve brain tissues by increasing blood flow to your brain.
January 26, 2010
Check Your Iron Levels
Active women are less likely to have healthy, "normal" levels of iron than sedentary women. Usually active women have more healthy levels of nutrients than sedentary women, so what's the deal with the iron deficiency?
Well, here's what happens: high-impact exercises (like running, for example) ruptures some of your red blood cells (where iron is stored). The iron is then swept out of your body when you urinate. So over time, this small amount adds up.
To help keep your iron levels in the normal range, aim for about 18 milligrams of iron daily. Eat more beans, lean meat, and iron-fortified cereal.
(of course, talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program or adding supplements to your diet)
Well, here's what happens: high-impact exercises (like running, for example) ruptures some of your red blood cells (where iron is stored). The iron is then swept out of your body when you urinate. So over time, this small amount adds up.
To help keep your iron levels in the normal range, aim for about 18 milligrams of iron daily. Eat more beans, lean meat, and iron-fortified cereal.
(of course, talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program or adding supplements to your diet)
Getting Back into the Swing of Things
Hey y'all! I apologize for not posting in awhile; the time has certainly flown by!
I was in Seattle, WA for 2 entire weeks for the Christmas & New Year's Holidays, which was completely wonderful! My husband is from Seattle, and every time we visit, it is more difficult to return to dreary, flat Cincinnati.
Then, my favorite and super-convenient local coffee shop closed for almost 2 months so the store could move into a vacant spot across the street.
So I have been without regular internet access for some time now!
But, the coffee shop is open once again (yay!) so hopefully I will be able to resume posting about healthy, wholesome living!
Give me a shout out if there's something I have not covered that you'd like to learn more about and we can learn together!
I was in Seattle, WA for 2 entire weeks for the Christmas & New Year's Holidays, which was completely wonderful! My husband is from Seattle, and every time we visit, it is more difficult to return to dreary, flat Cincinnati.
Then, my favorite and super-convenient local coffee shop closed for almost 2 months so the store could move into a vacant spot across the street.
So I have been without regular internet access for some time now!
But, the coffee shop is open once again (yay!) so hopefully I will be able to resume posting about healthy, wholesome living!
Give me a shout out if there's something I have not covered that you'd like to learn more about and we can learn together!
November 23, 2009
Fend off the Flu!
Guess what? The flu virus thrives in dry air, which could explain why it runs rampant during the winter season! We all have the heat on in our houses (which is dry), and it's already super-dry outside, so these combine to create the ideal environment for flu viruses to thrive.
What to do? For starters, get a humidifier for your home and put it in your bedroom, so you can breathe in the benefits of the moist air while you sleep.
To avoid getting sick this season: wash hands frequently, get plenty of sleep, get exercise (moderate-intensity exercise is shown to boost your immune system), get vaccinated (especially if you're younger than 25 or older than 60), and load up on your vitamins, especially Vitamin D and C!
To help other folks not get sick: get yourself vaccinated, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow, and PLEASE do not send your child to school or group activities if they are still contagious!
What to do? For starters, get a humidifier for your home and put it in your bedroom, so you can breathe in the benefits of the moist air while you sleep.
To avoid getting sick this season: wash hands frequently, get plenty of sleep, get exercise (moderate-intensity exercise is shown to boost your immune system), get vaccinated (especially if you're younger than 25 or older than 60), and load up on your vitamins, especially Vitamin D and C!
To help other folks not get sick: get yourself vaccinated, cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow, and PLEASE do not send your child to school or group activities if they are still contagious!
November 13, 2009
An Attitude of Gratitude
Research has shown that people who practice the art of being grateful for the good things in their lives are generally healthier (mentally, emotionally, and physically) than those who only focus on the negatives.
Folks who continually thank God for both the big & small things suffer less from stress, depression, and heart problems like high blood pressure.
These benefits happen because those who live grateful lives are usually optimistic, and more likely to help other people, which produces the extremely positive feelings of happiness and fulfillment.
All these combine to enable those with an "attitude of gratitude" to live positive, meaningful, healthy, and longer lives!
Folks who continually thank God for both the big & small things suffer less from stress, depression, and heart problems like high blood pressure.
These benefits happen because those who live grateful lives are usually optimistic, and more likely to help other people, which produces the extremely positive feelings of happiness and fulfillment.
All these combine to enable those with an "attitude of gratitude" to live positive, meaningful, healthy, and longer lives!
November 6, 2009
The "Chicken Skin" Condition & Treatment
I have tiny red bumps on my biceps & forearms, on the front & back of my thighs, and sometimes even on my bum! Sometimes these bumps are simply the result of sweating from exercising, and then bacteria gets trapped in the skin pore, creating inflammation & acne.
My skin condition has a name, a long, complicated name: Keratosis Pilaris, also known as "KP", and "Chicken Skin." These bumps are caused simply by the body producing an over-abundance of skin cells, which build up, causing these bumps.
Can you guess what the remedy is? Exfoliating! You know, using those cute, round, plastic web-like bath sponges and gently rubbing your body with it!
They also make bath scrub & body lotion called "KP Duty" by DermaDoctor, which aid in the exfoliating and moisturizing process. These are sold at Sephora, or at www.dermadoctor.com.
I have simply been scrubbing myself down every time I shower, and I have seen SUCH an improvement! The redness and the appearance of bumps is greatly reduced, and I no longer feel the need to "pick" at them, like I used to do.
So, if you have this skin condition (dermatologists say that half of all living people have this condition to some degree) try exfoliating for several weeks, and if you're still not seeing results, try the lotion & bath scrub mentioned above. If all that does not significantly reduce the bumps, then go to a dermatologist for prescribed medication.
But don't worry; you're not alone if you have this skin condition! Millions of people have it and don't even realize it. But, for those of us with more extreme cases, a little extra work is required to reduce the bumps. But you can do it!
My skin condition has a name, a long, complicated name: Keratosis Pilaris, also known as "KP", and "Chicken Skin." These bumps are caused simply by the body producing an over-abundance of skin cells, which build up, causing these bumps.
Can you guess what the remedy is? Exfoliating! You know, using those cute, round, plastic web-like bath sponges and gently rubbing your body with it!
They also make bath scrub & body lotion called "KP Duty" by DermaDoctor, which aid in the exfoliating and moisturizing process. These are sold at Sephora, or at www.dermadoctor.com.
I have simply been scrubbing myself down every time I shower, and I have seen SUCH an improvement! The redness and the appearance of bumps is greatly reduced, and I no longer feel the need to "pick" at them, like I used to do.
So, if you have this skin condition (dermatologists say that half of all living people have this condition to some degree) try exfoliating for several weeks, and if you're still not seeing results, try the lotion & bath scrub mentioned above. If all that does not significantly reduce the bumps, then go to a dermatologist for prescribed medication.
But don't worry; you're not alone if you have this skin condition! Millions of people have it and don't even realize it. But, for those of us with more extreme cases, a little extra work is required to reduce the bumps. But you can do it!
September 25, 2009
Vote For My Hubby's T-Shirt Design!
Hey, all you wonderful people!
Please go to the link below and give my hubby's "Party Fowl" t-shirt design a "5" vote! If he gets enough positive votes, it'll get made into a t-shirt and he'll get money for it!
(note: you'll have to create a username for the site, but it's painless)
Thanks, and enjoy!
http://www.threadless.com/submission/232255/Party_Fowl
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)