Hiking takes you out of your usual routine, fills your lungs with fresh air, and lifts your spirits with the sights and sounds of nature. You might even forget that you’re giving your body a powerful workout that has many health benefits.
A regular trek on the trail is aerobic exercise that is good for the heart and lungs. A weight-bearing exercise, hiking strengthens bones and joints, which helps to prevent osteoporosis. Trails with varied terrain build strength in the hip and leg muscles. You’ll also strengthen your abdominal and back muscles, and improve balance and coordination. Hiking a few times a week, not just once a season, can help you maintain a healthy body weight. Hiking is also good for the mind and spirit. Studies...
Most men know the basic health drill: eat more fresh, mostly organic foods; don't smoke; exercise; and get an annual health exam. But there's more to being a healthy, sexy man than choosing organic beef and hitting the gym a few days a week. Follow some of the "secrets" we list here and, in just a couple of weeks, you'll see a boost in your vitality--and you might just live longer, too.
Take a time out
Getting into the Zen of the present moment reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, increases energy, and improves memory and immunity. A relaxed man also has better sex. Slow down for just 10-20 minutes a few days a week: try deep, belly breathing; getting outdoors for a walk (without your headphones); taking...
Summer is finally approaching and the weather is definitely getting warm! Now is the perfect time of year to spend time outdoors with our family and friends, but it's also the time of year to take extra precaution to protect ourselves from sun, insects, and irritants. There has been an increase in awareness of the harmful effects of sun damage as well as a strong new desire to find a skin protectant that will protect our skin effectively without harmful side effects.
Sunscreen
Applying sunscreen on a sunny day may seem like a no-brainer, but there’s a lot to know about how, when, and what type of sunscreen to apply. It’s also important to know your risk factors for sunburn and skin diseases. Fair, pale skin is much...
Heart-Healthy
Foods labeled as "heart-healthy" have been deemed to be low in sodium, low in saturated fat, and contain no trans fats. Heart healthy foods contain very little fat in general.
The heart healthy check: You've seen this check mark on food labels in the grocery store, but you may have not known what it was for. What exactly does heart healthy food need to have before it can be labeled so? Foods have to meet a specific set of qualifications in order to be packaged with the Heart Healthy Check on their label. The FDA inspects each product to make sure it meets the standars. You can read more about the qualifications at heart.org:
Total Fat: Less than 6.5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g or less and 15% or...
Fad diets and crash diets come and go, but there are a few diets that have stood strong throughout the years. We will be talking about a few of the most popular and long-standing diets that have come around, emphasizing both the positive and negative aspects of each. Diets don’t work for everybody, and diets are definitely not one-size-fits-all. We are all looking for a balance of food groups, essential vitamins and minerals, and living a healthy and active lifestyle. Steer clear of diets that promote rapid weight loss or have very strict guidelines. A diet is about a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix, and strict guidelines make it difficult for new dieters to stick to their plan!
Paleo
Description
The idea behind the paleo diet is...
Years ago, a physician who suspected a patient had heart disease would probably not refer him to a gum specialist. The same holds true for diabetes and arthritis. Times have changed. The past 5 to 10 years have seen a growing body of research linking the health of your mouth to the overall health of your body. According to the American Dental Association, 40 percent of people with gum disease also have a chronic health condition. What’s feeding the link? Not taking proper care of your mouth results in bacterial growth, which causes inflammation that not only spurs diseases of the teeth and gums, but can cause problems for other body systems if left unchecked. Oral problems can also be a symptom of other diseases...
Secret ingredients?
We are beginning to understand how important it is to read the labels on our food and know exactly what we are eating. As you scan through the list of ingredients, what you’re not seeing is a lot of hidden ingredients. Hidden ingredients are things that remain undisclosed on the label. Most of the time they are harmless, but if a person has certain food sensitivities, these hidden ingredients could cause trouble. How do we know what we are reading really means what it says?
Artificial colors
What does this mean? We see this listed on ingredients everywhere! Artificial colors are simply food dyes that are added to foods where the color is not appealing, healthy-looking, or when the product will change colors with age. Some...
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With a lot of new research about food products in our supermarkets, there are many people who are choosing to buy organic products for themselves and their families. It wasn't long before people started to realize how hard it was to decipher what was made or grown organically and what was not. With debates about labels and government regulations, identifying certified organic foods is not always a simple task. Here, we discuss two ways to read the labels on your food for when you're thinking to yourself, "is this organic?"
Organic Labels
These categories are set up by the USDA and all products sold in stores are required to follow them. Not all organic foods need to use the USDA Organic label...
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Why all fats are not the enemy
The first thing that comes to many people’s minds when talking about fat in our food is a myriad of unhealthy foods such as chocolate cake or cheese fries. Fatty foods have a bad reputation because we know that when we eat a lot of unhealthy foods, it makes us gain weight. In fact, we get so used to eating fatty foods that it makes it easy for us to overeat as well as make us crave fatty foods when we are hungry. What we sometimes don’t realize is that there are more than one type of fat, and the right amount of good fats in our diet can actually help us shed some...
We get energy and nutrition from what we put into our body. Our health can be a direct result of the diet we consume. If you are trying to improve or sustain your heart health, try swapping out certain foods with a heart-healthy alternative. Here we have constructed a heart healthy shopping list with some guidelines on food groups to keep your ticker going strong!
Main focus areas:
1. Less saturated and trans fats
2. Less sodium
3. More fiber
Fruits & Vegetables
Eating enough fruits and vegetables can be a challenge for some people. But it’s not only about forgetting to eat your vegetables, it’s making sure you are eating them in a way that is good for your heart’s health and not loaded with extra salt and sugar.
Fresh fruits and...
