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Think 'how' not 'why' when it comes to exercising more

 Sample Image Ease & Enjoyment Trump Health Benefits as Most Effective Motivation

We've been expounding on the health benefits of exercise for years, but new research shows that this may not be the most effective way to motivate people to exercise more. Focusing on how -- not why -- to exercise appears to yield greater practical results in terms of increasing workout time. 
Researchers from the Texas Christian University took 51 sedentary college students and let them choose a target exercise to practice for 8 weeks: brisk walking, running/jogging, elliptical training, group exercise or bicycling. Participants were then assigned to a "reasons," "actions" or control group.

The "reasons" group was told to write down why they should exercise more, and the "actions" group was told to journal how to meet their exercise goals -- e.g., workout with a friend, join a gym, keep sneakers in the car, exercise to music or at a favorite location (the control group did not journal).

At the end of two months, the "actions" group was exercising a full 36 minutes a week longer than the control group, while the "reasons" group only 12 minutes more -- in other words the "actions" group was exercising about 230% longer than the "reasons" group.

So, while it may not be motivating, it's still nice to know exercise lengthens life, curbs appetite (especially sweet tooth), lowers Parkinson's, breast cancer and Alzheimer's risk, speeds healing, enhances immunity, improves productivity and even boosts sexual self-esteem.

Nov 2010

Taste Fat = Less Fat

 00-fatfood2 Some people are extremely sensitive to touch; others have acute hearing, or possess an extraordinary ability to distinguish colors and detail. Turns out there's another "super power": The ability to detect the presence of fat in food. What's more, having a fat-sensitive tongue translates into having a fat-resistant body.

Australian researchers compared the Body Mass Index (BMI) of 54 healthy men and women, ages 26-30, with their oral sensitivity to fat in their diets. Of these, the 12 who were determined to be hypersensitive to fatty acids consumed an average of 17% fewer total calories throughout the day, and nearly 30% less fat. The super fat-tasters also weighed significantly less than those less able to taste fat.

While it's possible that the fat-sensitive eat less of what they perceive as "overly rich" foods, it's more likely that the over-consumption of fat eventually desensitizes the tongue. We see a similar dynamic with drugs, alcohol and sugar -- over time, the body requires more and more of the addictive substance to deliver the same "high." Eating more fat means tasting it less and ultimately weighing more.

Saturated fat is even harder to burn off than other types of calories, and trans fat makes a beeline for your belly. Excess fat intake also clogs the arteries and even invades heart muscle. A high-fat diet during pregnancy can prompt genetic changes that make it more likely for offspring to grow up overweight. Start weaning yourself off your fat addiction by filling up on fruit and vegetables while substituting healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts and healthy oils.
 

Shed pounds, cool down


Weight loss improves Menopause symptoms

Middle-aged women coping with menopause symptoms have just received a powerful incentive to drop a few pounds: New research suggests diet and exercise can significantly reduce hot flashes and night sweats. The University of California, San Francisco researchers put 226 overweight, menopausal women on an intense weight-loss program, monitoring how bothered they were by various aspects of hot flashes, which happen when fluctuating estrogen levels confuse the body, setting off cooling mechanisms, which include profuse perspiration. Hot flashes and night sweats plague 85% of all menopausal women.

Over the course of six months, weight loss and reductions in waist circumference produced significant improvements in self-reported hot flashes, when compared to a control group. Even for those slightly bothered by such episodes, close to half were 223% more likely to show improvement. Those not on the weight-loss wagon were twice as likely to have symptoms worsen!

Another UCSF research team previously found that regular yoga practice curbed hot flash symptoms by 31%. Other research found that meditative breathing reduced such symptoms by 44%. In addition to exercise and stress management, filling up on more fruit and vegetables can help women keep excess pounds at bay, thus improving hormonal balance.

Dole Nutrition News
Sept 10

Peas help Pressure Drop!

 Sample Image 20% drop in blood pressure with pea protein
 When striving to meet the recommended three cups of legumes/beans a week, put peas on your list. New research suggests protein-rich peas may help reduce hypertension risk while supporting kidney health.
 
Canadian chemists fed protein extracted from yellow peas to rats suffering from chronic kidney disease. After eight weeks, the pea-protein diet produced a 20% drop in blood pressure. What's more, the pea protein appeared to counter some of the symptoms of the kidney disease, increasing urine production by 30%, restoring it to normal range, thus bolstering the kidney's detoxifying function.

While this yet-to-be-published study remains under peer review, ample previous evidence links consumption of vegetable protein to lower blood pressure rates. In addition to supplying 9 grams of protein, a cup of cooked peas also provides 36% of your daily fiber, as well as an impressive 50% vitamin K and 40% of both vitamin C and manganese. Peas also boast significant quantities of the eye-healthy antioxidants beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.   

For added blood pressure advantage, limit meat consumption. A 10-year study of 29,000 women found a 35% increased risk of hypertension among those who ate the most red meat.
 

How to make your own supplement company

  If you saw the documentary "Bigger Stronger Faster" then you'll probably know about the way the movie looked into the supplement industry in the U.S.  If you missed it, this short 3min video gives you a quirky insight into the industry in America which is well worth watching. Click pic to watch.

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