Category — Tuesday Tidbits

Did you hear?  A recent study found a 30% increase in heart attack risk for older people taking calcium supplements of 500 mg. or more a day.  That means that at that amount, the supplements are likely to cause more heart-related problems than the number of bone fractures they prevent.  Yikes!

What to do?  Talk to your doctor, but it might be prudent to limit your high-dose supplementation for now – try getting your 1,000 mg./day from dietary sources, and if you need to make up a bit, ask your doc about taking a low dose in supplement form (300 to 500 mg.).  That’s my plan.  We’ll watch this one!

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Want more reasons to exercise?  Studies have shown that exercise can:

1. Give you better craving control: New research shoes that the brain chemicals that signal the body to stop eating rise after exercise, so you eat less.
2. Raise your IQ: All exercise helps your brain’s ability to absorb new info. more quickly.  One study showed that people who memorized vocabulary while riding a stationary bike had greater retention.
3. Better organizational skills:  Inactive adults who walked for 2 hours/week improved the connections in their brains that help with strategizing.

Stronger . . . faster . . . smarter?  Could be you!  Find something active you like to do (Wii Just Dance, anyone?) and get your body moving today.

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So it’s the new year . . . and maybe you’re sportin’ a few extra lbs. from all that holiday hoopla . . . muffin tops are great for eating, not so much for wearing.  Time to get serious and get back on the health bandwagon, folks.  And we know that small changes can equal big results over time.  Try these quick ‘n’ easy tips for shaving 100 calories off your eats and start watching the needle move left on the scale.  Slow but steady wins this race – enjoy your food, just stop stuffing your face!

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Just another reason to stock up on those hearty leafy greens you see in the market these days: People who eat about 1/1/4 c. daily (that’s a little more than 1 serving) have a 14% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Eaten raw or cooked, leafies like spinach, bok choy and kale contain antioxidants (possible anti-inflammatories), magnesium (linked to lower diabetes risk) and alpha linoleic acid (may cut insulin resistance). A one-two-three punch in your favor!

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Icky. Poo.  They can be nasty, or they can be not-so-bad, but most of us would agree that the away-game is not ideal.  Here’re some ways to minimize your contact with all those germies.

1. Avoid the middle stall.  It’s used the most, believe it or not, and so it accumulates the most bacteria.  Hot tip – the first stall tends to be the cleanest.
2. Don’t put your purse on the floor.  If there’s not hook or shelf, keep it on your shoulder . . . one study found that 1/3 of pocketbooks placed on restroom floors had fecal matter on the bottom.  You don’t want to bring that home with you, do you?
3. Flush-n-go.  That forceful public bathroom flush can aerosolize germs in the toilet bowl . . . so get out before they land on you!
4. It may go without saying, but for goodness sakes, wash up when you’re done – that stall door latch you must handle to get out is one of the germiest places evah.

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Maybe you’re working out regularly, and that’s awesome . . . but don’t you get bored?  If your routine feels dull, chances are your body’s gotten used to it too, and that’ll impact your fitness level.

Keep it fresh with a jar full of “workout wildcards.”  Write down 20 different routines on slips of paper (get ideas from magazines if you like) and put ‘em in a jar.  Pull one from the jar anytime things are getting, shall we say . . . too routine!

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Yowza.  Did you know that the average American is eating 5 times as much food dye as s/he did in 1955?  It’s in flippin’ everything – yogurts, cereal, ice cream, you name it.  [Read more →]

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It’s good to have a few little sauces up your sleeve . . . for those times when you’re staring at a piece of fish, or a chicken breast, and you’re uninspired (or unable) to make something special out of it.  Just sauce it up.  You’ll feel better. [Read more →]

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