Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 27)

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan Week 27. I’ve added some of my family’s favorite Mexican inspired dishes for Cinco De Mayo. Don’t forget that Sunday is Mother’s Day! Everyone is going to my mom’s for Mother’s Day and as my aunt can’t tolerate gluten or dairy, I am bringing a simple 5 ingredient almond cake that is light, easy and gluten free. I’m also hosting a twitter party Monday with 1800Flowers at 1pm EST where they will be giving away over $1000 in prizes! #AllABoutMom

Pictured below is The Skinnytaste Meal Planner where I plan my dinners for the week (you can of course use any meal planner). Meal planning is a great way to get organized before heading to the supermarket to get ready for the week! My breakfast is usually something quick like eggs with fruit, a smoothie or avocado toast. We’re a family of four, so if a recipe serves more, it’s either packed up for everyone’s lunch or eaten the next day as leftovers. If you would like to see some of the previous week’s dinner plans, click here

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 27)

Monday: Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday: Skinny Chicken Enchiladas with Mexican Brown Rice
Wednesday: Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Black Bean Taco Salad
Thursday: Grilled Flank Steaks with Tomato, Red Onion and Balsamic
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Dinner Out
Sunday: 5 Ingredient Almond Cake with Berries
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Powerlifting For Women, Why Not?

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Gone are the days when powerlifting is reserved only for men and men alone, as women nowadays have come to embrace powerlifting as not just a way to gain super strength, but also help promote lean mass and firm muscles.

Many people may not be aware about the stresses and pressures that puts a  powerlifter to the test. When we say ‘power’ it means really that, strength and determination. The demands are intense and the not many can excel at it.

Women, on the other hand, can benefit a lot from powerlifting. A lot of women doing it said it helps boost their confidence, gives them a sense of purpose and helps give them build strength of character as well.

It is more than just mental conditioning, rather it is a psychological behavior that lets them feel they are in control with their being that helps improve their self-esteem and is a good exercise to help them stay fit.

A lot of women also believe that they find it to be challenging, most especially when they feel they need to do more from that each weight level they are working on. It helps boost their sense of accomplishment every time they hurdle a challenge for every weight level.

Today’s powerlifting community promotes a very supportive environment for powerlifters, including women, where they find a mechanism where they could get help, updates and information.

Women today are more independent and are immersing themselves on ways to stay fit and healthy like men and powerlifting allows them to challenge their capabilities on strength and endurance.

It also keeps them heart and bone healthy, since powerlifting enhances the body’s absorption of nutrients that are essential for the body, especially the heart and bones.

Powerlifitng has also been proven effective in weight loss and is a good workout for women, who have the less capacity for weight loss than men. It has something to do with their metabolism that makes them lose weight longer and more difficult than men.

Powerlifting also allows women to feel the sense of competition, as many powerlifting events and contests now include women. This allows them to prove their competitive edge with the rest of the women competitors.

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Science May Soon Unlock The Tool Against Obesity

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The quest to promote better health is now more prominent with findings that the battle to fight the bulge may go deep into the cellular level as the microbiome linked to a healthier body may be the key to finding out ways to further improve methods to fight obesity.

This was recently revealed after published in the journal Science, may have succeeded in breaking through the mystery of the human microbiome and how it plays a role in health and could someday hold the promise of curbing the global problem of obesity.

The researchers conducted the tests by drawing out bacteria from the intestinal tract of almost 4000 combined participants from across the Netherlands and Belgium, leading to evidence that lifestyle habits and diet significantly affect bacterial development and growth, thus, have its profound impact on health.

Stool samples were gathered from the participants through a uniform process of home-sampling and freezing which were then analyzed in order to determine how intestinal microbes interact with human health and general behaviour.

Although the researchers pointed out that up until this point they are still unable to provide a specific definition of a healthy microbiome, however, the studies indeed confirmed the hypothesis that the presence of a diverse microbiome population is somewhat correlated with improved health.

One of the findings also showed that there is a link, albeit small, of a less diverse microbiome population and a high body mass index (BMI), which measures if a person is overweight or not.

Also, the study found a positive link of a diverse microbiome and a diet high in vegetables and fruits.

Some medical experts, however, believe that additional tests needs to be conducted to validate these findings, as they pointed out that the results of these studies just scratched the surface of studies into the microbiome.

They pointed out that it still was not able to determine the link between microbiome density among persons and there is still no definite value that could serve as baseline data to support the findings.

In the United States, more than two thirds of adults are considered overweight, while 35.7 percent are categorized as obese, which means that a total of 3 in every 4 men are on the level of obese and overweight.

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Does Your Child Develop Early Through Proper Attention?

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You may be able to tell if your husband or wife is not carefully paying attention when taking turns watching over the baby, as there is a way that this can be found out, according to studies.

If you are taking your turn watching over your baby, then better pay full attention and make every effort to set aside your smartphone, gadget or your favourite game show, after studies revealed that getting distracted or doing something else during playtime with your kids would rub off your impatient behavior on them and cause them to lose focus and shorten their attention spans.

This, after a recent study by a group of psychologists from Indiana University was published in the journal Current Biology, where the researchers were able to determine a direct link between how long a caregiver focuses on an object and how long a baby stays focused on the same object.

Study author Chen Yu said that a child’s ability to sustain attention becomes a strong indicator for future success in their cognitive development milestones, problem solving and language acquisition.

Yu, a professor of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences of the Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences of Indiana University,  pointed out that caregivers who appear distracted or whose eyes wander most of the time during playtime with their children appeared to have negative impacts on an infant’s attention span while in the early years of physical and mental development.

The study’s co-author Linda Smith, a Distinguished Professor and Chancellor’s Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, pointed out that it has been a long believed hypothesis that attention is a property of individual development and that their study showed that attention is in fact affected by social interaction.

“It really appears to be an activity performed by two social partners where it showed one’s attention significantly influence another’s,” Smith said.

The test was conducted by mounting cameras on the heads of both caregivers and infants in the study where it provided a view on children and parents playing together in a carefully designed environment that resembled a play area.

As both children and parents played with physical toys, the eye –tracking software integrated in the camera showed and simulated several scenarios where the parent leads the play, then the babies guided to play and the children being allowed to ‘lead’ the play.

The children that were able to focus intently and lengthily on their parents were those given the role to lead the play, where they developed a more intimate attention with both parties.

The researchers also added that this could help develop more scientific approaches to developing young minds for growth and progress.

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Is It Safe To Say That Oats Are Gluten Free?

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Many people rely on oats or oatmeal to provide them with a better and healthier alternative to cereals for breakfast, but does it really stand on its claim to fame as a gluten-free substitute?

Nutritionists and dietitians believe that the oats in itself is naturally gluten-free, however, it is the combination of other grains that make up ‘health food’ formulations where it gets its gluten.

But to shed light on what gluten is and what it can do for the body, gluten is a group of proteins that is found in grains such as rye, wheat and barley, which gives breads and pastries their flexibility when formed into a dough and gives it its chewy texture.

However, studies have shown that it is considered as one of the few harmful proteins that could be damaging to the body and is a culprit behind celiac disease. Gluten contains a unique amino acid structure that makes it difficult for the enzymes in the digestive tract to break down.

The effects of gluten is more pronounced in people with celiac disease where it is responsible for triggering an autoimmune response to the protein, with symptoms ranging from  severe stomach pain, excessive bruising/bleeding, diarrhea, bloating, anemia, fatigue and flatulence, among others. Failure to seek medical attention for celiac disease could be deadly.

Studies have shown that oats in its pure form is gluten-free and people with celiac disease or wheat allergy have consumed 50 to 100 grams of oats without any negative effects.

Another study also reported findings where no adverse effects were seen among 106 celiac patients for eight years when they were provided with a daily diet of oats.

The only time when oats are believed to contain gluten is when it is harvested along with other grain crops like wheat and barley that are rich in gluten and gets mixed with oats.

Gluten contamination on oats can be as simple as a few grains of wheat or barley getting mixed up with oats or when they are processed together in a milling facility, which is often the result of people with celiac disease wondering how they experienced symptoms when eating oats.

Researchers pointed out that people with celiac disease are highly sensitive to gluten since a minute 20 parts per million is enough to cause a negative reaction.

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Ups and Downs of My First 5K

Just tuning in? Check out Part 1 of this article!   BANG! The race began and the whole pack slowly moved forward, like a casual Black Friday crowd (if there was such a thing). The faster people weaved around the slower people making their way towards the front, while the slower people began to fall back. I felt pretty good at first. But it wasn’t long before I felt my body say “Whoa, girl, what are we doing?!” I told myself to keep moving! Pretend you’re in the Hunger Games and if you stop you’re toast! So my legs kept trudging forward. …

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From Fitness Obsession to Body Acceptance

Read on for nine inspiring links and resources to get you fired up to be your healthiest (and happiest) RIGHT NOW. From fitness obsession to body acceptance. —Superfit Hero Free inspiring internet series? Oh, yeah! (And we’re a speaker!) —Naturally Fit As a Fiddle Two awesome new podcasts for runners. —Runner’s World Now these dogs know how to work out. Dang! —Purina Pro Plan Hey, that’s our girl, Kristen! —Pasta Fits Janae tells her honest and brave story. —Hungry Runner Girl Get fit and do good for pets everywhere! —ResQwalk Why working out more isn’t always the answer. —Refinery 29 Ten minutes a day is all it takes. —The Wall …

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Rosemary Chicken Salad with Avocado and Bacon

This hearty Rosemary Chicken Salad with Avocado and Bacon is HUGE – perfect when you want a low-carb meal that will fill you up! I actually split this between three people, and felt completely satisfied.

This delicious recipe is from Heather Christo’s first cookbook Pure Delicious. A cookbook filled with 150 Allergen-Free recipes including gluten, dairy, soy, nut, shellfish and cane sugar. But don’t be fooled, the recipes are amazing and her photography is stunning!

For this recipe, I modified the ingredients slightly to lower the calories buy reducing the olive oil a bit, and using skinless thighs instead of using the skin. If you want to further reduce the calories you can use chicken breast instead and use ½ of an avocado. This recipe was a keeper, also great for the summer if you want to make the chicken on the grill.

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Lose Weight The Stress-Free Way

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It may sound easy, however, getting the right amount of nutrients for nourishment and sustenance needs a little more time and effort than you think, most especially if you are into mass building or just want to stay physically fit and healthy.

Diet is key to having a good bill of health, since it is important to eat healthy food otherwise the efforts you put in with exercise and rest will be for naught.

Metabolism is responsible for the chemical reactions in the body, especially the process by which the body converts food consumed into energy.

It is a fact that metabolism is also linked to weight, however, it should be understood that slow metabolism is not the cause of weight gain, rather it is the amount of food you take and the amount of physical activity your body makes that determine your weight.

But don’t let that deter you from staying and keeping in shape and start planning your day with worry and stress free tips on how you can best have fun out of managing your meals and maintaining good health.

Eating breakfast works like a charm

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it is the meal that keeps you up all day. Having a hearty and nutritious breakfast ensures that you keep your energy levels high all day long.

Studies have shown that people shown that people who tend to skip breakfast have increased risks of being obese and in fact, have adverse effects on your metabolism.

Never eat less than enough

It is a misconception that in order to lose weight, you have to eat less. In fact, dietitians and nutritionists believe that having enough of every food group is the ideal way to a more effective diet, not the amount of food that you consume.

The body needs enough fuel that comes from food to produce energy and having one short of fuel gets the body to react by affecting metabolism and cause abnormal food cravings.

Go organic

Organic foods are more nutritious and contribute highly to improve metabolism. Foods grown organically develop more resistance from natural elements and convert it into nutrients beneficial for the body.

Eat healthy snacks

Always maintain a schedule for meals and never skip it, same with snacks. It should be taken in controlled amounts and should be healthy ones instead of junk or processed food.

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Why You Should Keep Away From Fast Food

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Just when you think convenience is a friend and fast food is its tool, then it would be safe to say that you may think twice before grabbing that piece of battered chicken drumstick or plate of French fries as studies have shown that aside from gaining weight you get an extra dose of hormone-disrupting chemicals into your system.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on recent research findings, revealed that people who spend more time dining on drive-through burgers, pizzas and fries were found to have high levels of phthalates in their system.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist’s recently released a report back in 2013 where they tested that high level phthalates exposure could cause adverse effects on a female’s reproductive system, as well as infertility, low IQ and behavioural problems among children   

The CDC consolidated data from 2003 to 2009 from almost 8,900 Americans from all age groups based on nationwide surveys on nutrition and health, asking them disclose anything that they ate for the past 4 hours and provide their urine samples.

Phthalates are chemical compounds commonly used to increase flexibility of plastic, as well as vinyl products. It also has have many uses in various industries like cosmetics, insecticides, plastic packaging and plastic wrap, among others.

The study was intended to show a perspective on the possibility of how fast food fare may expose the consumers to chemicals that are not usual ingredients for edible food products.

The Center for Disease Control, on the other hand, released a separate report supporting the previous research where people are exposed to phthalates for consuming food that come in contact with containers made with the chemical.

While adults usually get the chemical into their system either through food or breathing it in when surrounded by phthalate-rich materials, children are more likely to have increased levels into their system due to the frequency of hand-to-mouth activity, especially during playtime.

Furthermore, females have a higher risk of having phthalates in their system through the use of cosmetics like hair, skin and other beauty products.

Once it enters into the body, the chemicals are then converted to broken-down products called metabolites that pass out with urine from the system.

The extent of effects of phthalates on humans are still being worked on by science, but animal testing have shown that certain types of phthalates adversely affected their reproductive systems.

Evidence of these impacts have been tested positive for humans as well. Studies conducted by the American Chemistry Council revealed that while phthalates pose no health risk within tolerable levels, however, several quarters that with the current increase in consumption of foods exposed to these chemicals, further research needs to be conducted to determine its effects.  

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Young Girl Runs Marathon By Mistake And Finishes

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It would seem like we are raising a younger generation of fitness buffs and up and coming athletes from among children today, as a 12-year old accidentally ran a half-marathon and decided to finish it after realizing it should have been a shorter one.

Twelve year old LeeAdianez Rodriguez Espada was excited to start running after taking off late from home for the Wegmans Family 5K run in Rochester, New York with her mom at the wheel to drop her off at the starting line.

In an effort to make it in time for the starting shot, Lee- as she is fondly called- was told by her mom Brendalee to get off close to the starting line as she finds space to park their car. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lee rushed off to the starting line which she saw already started.

She was told to just take off with the rest of the runners and caught pace with the other runners.

As she darted past through the 4- mile line, she noticed she was missing any sight of the finish line or her mother and decided to ask one of the runners how much further they had to run.

It was when she was informed that she was in another event which is a 13.1-mile half marathon rather than the 5-mile run she was supposed to be joining and instead of stopping, decided to finish the race- almost three times the distance she was supposed to finish.

Authorities were initially concerned because they could not trace Lee’s whereabouts after her mom realized she was not at the finish line. Lee was later found by one of the responding policemen at the Flower City Half Marathon and although she thought her parents would be worried, continued to finish the race.

She was reunited with her teary-eyed mom after the race and Lee said she did not regret ending up in the wrong race as it gave her a new sense of pride.

Last month, Milla Bizzotto, a nine-year old third grader from Miami, Florida finished a gruelling 24-hour obstacle race designed by Navy SEALS to test physical and mental strength and endurance, often participated by many serious competitors, triathletes and fitness experts.

Milla joined the Battlefrog  Xtreme last March 4 to 5, where she completed dozens of physically demanding obstacles and a 36-mile run  – all the time having fun while doing it.

In fact, some of her classmates have already started joining her doing exercise activities at gym after school.

A lot of younger children have already started to get motivated to stay fit at an early age and hopefully encourage others to follow the lead.

Image Credit: Girl, 12, accidentally runs half marathon – CNN News

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Sugar May Be Hiding In Your Favourite Breakfast

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Sugar has recently been recognized as one of the purveyors of disease that should ideally be consumed only in moderation or within prescribed tolerable levels.

One of the most popular and widely accepted food that contains a lot of sugar in it are cereals and while it was initially made to cater to nutrition needs for the most important meal of the day which is breakfast, its high sugar content may be more than enough than the body needs.

Cereals are common breakfast meals since it is relatively easy to prepare and requires no cooking, can be stored for days with no need for refrigeration, but studies have recently shown that sugar should not be the primary sustenance that one needs and instead, opt for a more balanced meal containing the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

Consuming too much sugar could results in the following conditions;

• Increase in blood sugar levels that will then cause a sudden drop, which over time could end up to insulin resistance.
• Feeling hungry too often, especially when you start to crave despite of having a meal not too long ago.
• Mood swings, feeling down
• Headaches
• Weight gain
• Lack of concentration
• Short term energy and getting too tired very easily

But despite the warning, most families keep their pantries and cupboards stocked with cereals since it is very convenient and have ignored the common findings about the effects and dangers of having too much sugar in the body.

Coloured jellies and candies are also one of the biggest culprits of non-healthy food. In fact, they do not contain any nutritional value at all, causing the body more harm and no good at all.

Made mostly, if not totally, of processed sugar that is known to cause high glucose levels in the blood and trigger obesity, they are also mostly made with colouring agents and flavours from chemical additives that have been known to cause certain allergies or even behavioural issues.

Jellies, on the other hand are also made of sugar and gelatin, which may be sources from questionable products.

Good alternatives dried fruits or edible flowers, or look for organic jellies and candies that are made with consideration to regulated amounts of nutrients for the body as well as made with organic additives and ingredients.

Soda drinks are also among those that contain large amounts of sugar and could also be harmful to the body and yes…even the ‘diet’ varieties.

While diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners, too much of these additives in the system can result to kidney or even brain issues- disadvantages that far outweigh the benefits.

You can opt for a more natural beverage with natural fruit juices or a  slice of lemon on a glass of iced water, of if you want a soda-like feel, get as little organic sarsaparilla cordial and mix with purified or mineral water on ice.

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4 Hilarious Types of Yogis in Every Class

We got to check out a Yoga Six class recently and LOVED it. It was just the right mix of relaxed zen and strength work, with smiling worked in. The whole vibe of the class was to do your own thing, embrace your strengths and just be YOU. So the below post from Laurenn Cutshaw, VP of marketing and branding for Yoga Six and yoga instructor herself, about the four hilarious types of yogis you see in every class and know and love? Well, you know we had to share that … A Wellness Public Service Announcement Remember Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham? That …

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Can You Tap Dance Your Way Fit? A TAPfit Review

I love to tap dance. Tap dancing is my favorite. Don’t believe me? Allow me to present a bit of semi-ancient proof (circa 1985, maybe?) of my tap dance obsession: I can’t say that I ever thought of tap dancing as exercise or a workout back in my tappin’ days — it was just the best dance class ever (sorry ballet) and one of the greatest ways to spend time I could imagine. And while it’s true that I haven’t done any official tap dancing in … well, a lot of years, I still remember bits and pieces of old routines, and it’s …

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Ways To Burn Off Unwanted Back Fat

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Effective fat-burning workouts are often associated with high intensity workouts that focus on the core and ab muscles. Do you need specific gym equipment to get the desired results? Do you have to always follow a strict workout routine to help burn those unwanted back fat?

These are often the questions that hound people who want to lose weight or would like to burn of unsightly body fat.

Fat burning workouts are often known to be an all-in-one solution to fitness, especially since many of the routines involve full-body movement like strength training, cardio, stretching and more.

Consistency and discipline are key elements to help make your fat-burning workout yield optimum results.

Start using cardio exercises

Not only is it good for the heart, cardiovascular exercises and workouts guarantee fat-burning results. Interval training – which incorporates high intensity interval training and burst fit routines provide both cardio and strength exercises that pushes the body with the high intensity activity and  short recovery, which allows for continuing fat-burning processes even while at rest.

Other cardio exercises that greatly help in the fat-burning quest is running, cycling, elliptical workout, rowing and swimming.

Do at least 30 minutes of cardio workouts five times a week to help you get your desired results.

Tone those muscles and keep tabs on your diet.

Incorporate muscle toning activities to your workouts to help your body work and multiply the effects of your fat-burning quest. Working your muscles allow you to burn calories and help you burn fat along the way.

This is where diet also comes in, your workouts need to be supported with the right diet plan to speed up the process and allows you to see the effects of your efforts sooner.

Good examples are consuming organic vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins and whole grains.

Supplementing on food s or products rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is also effective as an anti-obesity agent that helps you lose fat quickly.

Bodyweight exercises you can do at home

To avoid having that excuse that you must need to go to a gym to do your workouts, all you have to do is sometimes turn on your TV and prepare for your yoga or pilates session to keep you going.

You continue to work up a lot of sweat and burn fat right at the comforts of your own home with some carefully-selected TV-guided exercises if in case you need to stay indoors.

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Have They Finally Found The Fountain Of Youth?

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In a classic display of lending credence to the saying “walk the talk” biotech company BioViva announced that they have taken strides in reversing the aging process and to take it a step further, their test subject is their very CEO.

Parrish was reportedly subjected to the gene therapy process to lengthen the caps on the telomeres – the end of the DNA molecules- which serves to protect the DNA from what they claim to be the answer to the aging process in experimental treatments where it involved their very CEO.

Although a lot of skeptics expressed doubt over the process, it has gained attention as to the plausibility of the theory behind it.

The tests were conducted on Parrish over a year ago which was initially intended to be used against stem cell depletion and the loss of muscle mass, which they found to be successful in increasing the length of the telomeres in Parrish’s while blood cells.

The telomeres are located at the ends of each chromosome that contain all the genetic information that provides the code for the organism and protects the DNA from wear and tear.

As a cell divides and chromosomes multiply, a small part of the telomeres gets cut off and as a person ages, the telomeres gets thinner until it reaches a critical size then the cell stops dividing and dies.

The company claimed that they have been successful with reversing the process by being able to find a way to lengthen the telomeres, thus prolong life through staying young longer.

One team from the Stanford Medical Center , in a different study, conducted a somewhat similar experiment involving the RNA in the lengthening of the telomeres, where they successfully managed to reverse the shortening of telomeres in the skin cells and gave them the ability to divide more than 40 times the rate compared to untreated cells.

This process, however, was limited only to tests within a controlled laboratory and the protective properties wear off after a few days, whereas the recent discovery announced by BioViva has taken it to another level by way of human testing.

The findings have not yet been scientifically published which further led to the slew of skepticism that it continues to encounter from the medical community.

BioViva has announced that it will continue to monitor and conduct more tests on Parrish, much debate is still expected whether this is actually true or not, but surely it will be a matter of time before this is ironed out.

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Nokia Ventures Into Digital Health

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They are doing it again. In their bid to once again lay claim to fame, tech giant Nokia has announced that it will be acquiring health tech company Withings – an up and coming company that specializes in tech health products like health watches, fitness monitors, scales, thermometers and sleep trackers.

The acquisition of the French start-up company is believed to be worth $192 million and is expected to be added to Nokia Technologies, one of the primary core divisions of the Finnish tech company that started the novelty mobile revolution back in the 90’s.

Nokia just recently developed two core divisions to help spur their comeback into the tech picture with Nokia Technologies which has been targetted to promote and strengthen the brand to consumers with its innovative products and offerings, and Nokia Networks which is focused towards the broadband network infrastructure model.

In a press release from Nokia CEO and President Rajeev Suri said that the acquisition is set to strengthen the company “in its position in the Internet of Things where it is expected to leverage the power of our trusted brand, as well as fit with the company’s purpose of ‘expanding human possibilities of the connected world and puts us at the heart of a very large addressable market where we can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

“We have said consistently that digital health was an area of strategic interest to Nokia and we are now taking concrete action to tap the opportunity in this large and important market,“ Suri said

Only very recently, Nokia also announced its deal with Disney’s venture into virtual reality, highlighting the capability of the revolutionary Ozo virtual reality camera.

Withings was founded in 2008 and has raised a little over $30 million in equity fundings, manned by a 200-strong workforce across Hong Kong and Paris, Cambridge in the United States.

In a statement released to the media, Withings CEO Cedric Hutchings said that they are looking forward to the deal, of which the cash acquisition is set to be completed by the 3^rd quarter of 2016.

“We’ve been impressed with the plans the Nokia team has shared with us both for preventive health and patient care and as soon as we close the deal, we can start working together to determine our way forward,” Hutchings said, allaying fears that their ‘applications and products will continue to work in the same way.”

 

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Doctors Mental Health: A Rising Concern

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Depression can happen to anybody- even with doctors and mental health professionals, as revealed by a recent survey that showed the more than half of British doctors involved in the survey claimed they have experienced mental and psychological problems at some point in their medical career.

Worse, is that majority failed to seek professional help to try and address their concerns, regardless of the extreme mentally stressful conditions that they are subjected to and none the more dangerous with medical practitioners specializing on mental and psychological conditions.

In a study conducted by the Cardiff University, researchers surveyed 2,000 physicians of various key medical fields and is currently pushing the government and the several private groups to try and address this disturbing concern.

Debbie Cohen, one of the lead researchers, pointed out that the study was conducted at different stages of the doctor’s careers where she said even the doctors themselves did not see it coming.

During the conduct of the survey, most of the practitioners who did not experience any mental health issues claim they would likely disclose any or such problem that may arise, but in fact, it may change based on the results of the study.

The findings and statistics vary according to their career stage, where junior doctors and interns were less likely to disclose any or all signs leading to a mental concern based on the perception that it could pose a risk to their career futures.

Among the general practitioners, only 39 percent disclosed signs of mental issues, out of the 84 percent that initially claimed they would do so. Same with the interns who claimed they would but are more inclined to consider that they don’t.

The reasons for not disclosing mental concerns vary, with the belief that there is a lack of understanding about any available support for those in their profession, as well as other concerns about confidentially and profile scrutiny.

The British Psychological Society and New Savoy also reported findings of a 2015 survey on staff well-being which showed that almost half of their psychology specialists reports cases of depression, along with the admission that it stoked feelings of failure and guilt on their part.

Experts believe that this is a risk that needs to be addressed and must not be addressed since the situation calls for immediate help to those that offer help.

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Tabata Workout from Next Fitness Star Nikki Metzger

We love a good Tabata workout because you can really torch some calories in a short amount of time. So imagine our excitement when we heard from Women’s Health magazine that its 2016 “Next Fitness Star” Nikki Metzger wanted to give us her favorite Tabata routine. Nikki hails from Chicago and now runs her BODI fitness studio in Scottsdale, Ariz. She is passionate about helping everyone get healthy and this Tabata workout is guaranteed to get your heart pumping while working multiple muscle groups. Get ready to be sweaty! For this workout you will work out hard for 20 seconds and then rest …

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What to Do If You’re Out Running and a Loose Dog Approaches You

I remember my grandfather telling stories of how he’d be out running and a loose dog would approach him and chase him — I believe he even got bit once. Thankfully, I’ve never been in a situation like that when out by myself running, but my dog has actually been approached and even attacked by an off-leash dog before. And let me just say, it is a freakin’ scary situation. And if you aren’t sure how to deal with a loose dog appropriately, things can escalate in a really scary (and fast) way. Which is exactly why we wanted to get …

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Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula

This grilled balsamic flank steak with tomatoes and arugula salad is an easy weeknight dinner solution –marinate the steak overnight with balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs, then fire up the grill and serve with a simple tossed arugula-tomato salad, on the table in less than 20 minutes!

This recipe was adapted from the Malibu Farm Cookbook, a beautiful book that totally gave me farm envy! After reading this book I wanted to pick up, move to Malibu, get some chickens, goats and honey bees and grow all my own food. But since that’s not a reality (and I’m sure it’s a lot more work than I can even imagine) thumbing through this beautiful book gave me a small taste of life on the Malibu Farm.

The original recipe in the book was made with skirt steaks, but to lighten it up I used leaner flank steaks instead which are perfect for cooking on the grill.

(more…)

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Taking Your Protein Shakes Before Bed

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In a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers from the Netherlands were finally able to support the long-standing theory on the importance of proteins in the development of bigger muscle mass and how nutrients are responsible for playing key roles in its development.

Consuming protein-rich drink formulas before going to sleep does not only provide nutrients to help boost body metabolism, it also allows for the muscles to develop greater muscle mass and strength gains resulting from the resistance exercises that is being done.

The researchers tested 44 young male volunteers and divided them into two groups, with one provided 27.5 grams of the protein casein hydrolysate each night before sleeping during the 12-week test period.

This also included regular resistance –focused workouts to see if the supplemented ones get the desired results.

The second group was also provided a placebo and followed the same regular workout routines.

After the testing period, the results showed that the group that was provided with the protein supplements achieved greater gains in their skeletal muscle strength, particularly with leg extensions and presses, compared to the placebo-supplemented group.

Protein plays a critical and essential role in building and maintaining a healthy body and  is responsible for growing muscle mass and bones. Two of the most common protein products in the body are the hair and fingernails.

Most of the proteins that we fuel for our bodies are dietary proteins that we source from protein-rich food where most of the proteins that the body needs are those sourced from vegetables.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are essential nutrients present in every cell and are precursors to nucleic acids, hormones, co-enzymes, immune response, repair and other molecules needed for life.

Proteins make up the outer membrane of all cells in the body and act to strengthen all the organ and tissue structures in the body.

Proteins play a lot of roles in the body and functions as a nutrient that promote the following;

• It helps repair and maintain body tissues, which include the skin, hair, eyes, organs and muscles- which are all made from protein.
• Provides energy. The more you take in proteins, the more energy you get for the muscles and tissues.
• It is responsible for the creation of some essential hormones in the body like insulin and secretin, among others.
• Helps in the production of enzymes that play key roles in the body’s chemical reactions, for example an enzyme that aids in digesting large proteins and fat molecules into smaller ones to help create DNA.
• It helps transport and store nutrient-rich molecules throughout the body.
• It helps form antibodies that aid in strengthening the immune system for protection from sickness and diseases.

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A Close Look At Your Mouth Bacteria

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You may think that microscopic organisms may be limited in other parts of the body, in  fact, you might be surprised that there are in fact a lot of bacteria types and strains that line the mouth and are in fact more helpful to use instead of causing us harm.

Maintaining good oral hygiene is a good idea, but not all bacteria are bad for you. Steve Gschmeissner/SPL

This was recently shown by innovative British photographer Steve Gschmeissner who recently showcased his work by showing another world through the lens of his camera. Gschmeissner used his expertise in electron microscopy to capture images of microscopic life that line the teeth, mouth and tongue.

Our mouths are essentially comfortable, resource-rich forests for these little critters. Steve Gschmeissner/SPL

He took the stunning photos using the inside of his mouth to study the different bacterial ecosystems that allow and sustain bacteria to thrive, where most of them are regarded as harmless and even play a crucial role in aiding digestion.

Image Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/SPL

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Are You Getting Enough Water Each Day?

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According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the body needs to be adequately hydrated and needs to maintain the adequate amount of water it needs to maintain its levels in the body.

Although people are having difficulty trying to determine the actual amount of water the body needs daily, researchers from the University of New Hampshire who conducted the study, pointed out that the body’s need for water is dependent on the changes in temperature, weight and the amount of activity the body goes through.

The need is also dictated upon by diet, as well as the duration and intensity of exercise activities, where the body loses water and needs to be replenished.

Dehydration can have serious complications and health risks that can be dangerous to the body, where some of the common effects are potential heat strokes and cramps as a result of too much perspiration leaving the body or worse, swelling of t back into the the brain known as cerebral edema, where the body is forced to pull too much water back into the cells that could potentially cause the brain to take in too much water and rupture or damage brain cells.

The lack of rehydration in the system also causes the body to lack electrolytes like sodium and potassium which are responsible for carrying electrical signals between cells and are responsible for letting the organs like heart, kidneys and liver to function normally.

Losing enough electrolytes may cause one to experience seizures and the body getting a misfire of electrical signals causing involuntary muscle spasms and contractions and loss of consciousness that could fatally lead to hypovolemic shock. This leads to low blood volume and trigger blood pressure to plummet and lose oxygen in the blood which cause kidney failure, coma or even death.

However, too much water can also have dire consequences as well, which is called fatal water intoxication. This happens when electrolytes are not properly balanced, similar to what happens when the body lacks electrolytes when dehydrated.

When a person drinks too much water in a short period of time, the kidneys will not have enough energy or capacity to keep up and results to the improper sifting of the blood and flushing the liquids back out, causing the blood to get waterlogged.

Just make sure to have enough water to hydrate the body and not take in too much. 

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Bedbugs Have Favourite Colours, Study Says

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You may need to change the colours or your bed sheets and pillowcases as a recent study finds that bed bugs are drawn by certain colour types that let them populate our favourite sleeping spots.

Researchers from the University of Florida Urban Entomology Research Science Institute were able to isolate the colours that attract bedbugs and the colours that likely shoos them away.

Urban Entomology Scientist Roberto Pereira, whose study was published recently in the Journal of Medical Entomology, said that the pesky bugs find dark red and black attractive and draws them, while they stay away from bright yellow and dazzling white.

The researchers created bug-sized tents in made of paper in assorted colours in Petri dishes and placed bedbugs in them. Immediately the little critters approached the mini shelters as expected from these types of insects that spend almost all their lives hiding on cracks and dark cavities.

Most, if not all, of the bugs chose the dark red and black tents and stayed away from the light-coloured green, yellow and white mini-tents.

“We joked about buying bright yellow luggage bags as the bedbugs did not seem to particularly like them, moreso, lay eggs in them,” Pereira said.

One of the most common places where you could catch bedbugs are in hotels or transient rooms for rent where there have been numerous reports of infestations due to improper or hasty cleaning practices.

The bedbugs could even be spread around if one gets to stay in a bedbug-infested room where a bug could hitch a ride or lay eggs in your things or luggage.

Having brightly-coloured suitcases may help prevent this, however, there might be some that could find dark folds or crevices in your suitcase that they may be able to crawl in to.

Associate professor of urban entomology from the University of Arizona Dawn Gouge, although not linked to the research, said that there are better ways to get rid of bedbugs instead of just changing to new bright-coloured suitcases.

Using hard exterior suitcases would be a big help and make sure to not place travel luggage inside the bedroom or place it on top of the couch or any other fabric-covered furniture inside the house, also not stow suitcases under the bed or couch when not in use.

Another good way to monitor for any infestation is to use store-bought traps or monitors to see if your house is infested with bedbugs and although not very efficient in eliminating them, it will give you an idea if there is an infestation so you can have it addressed as early as possible.

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Alison Sweeney’s Healthy, Family Focused Goals

It hurts my heart when I hear people talk about not making a healthy choice for themselves because they feel like it’s a selfish option. I understand where they’re coming from — there are times when I feel like taking 30 minutes to go get sweaty is nearly impossible because I have so much to do for other people … but at the end of the day, me taking that bit of time for myself means I can do so, SO much more for others. And, as it turns out, doing things for others — like helping friends and family members …

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How I Got My Workout Mojo Back

My workout mojo had gone missing and I didn’t even know it. In retrospect, I knew something was off. I blogged about it; I journaled about it; but for the life of me I just couldn’t see it. That was until I talked to Luke Hudgins, a personal trainer. He acknowledged that the basics were all there: commitment to a healthy lifestyle, fitness knowledge and discipline, but what he said next blew my mind. He said, “It sounds like you don’t love it anymore.” My mouth fell open to object, but nothing came out. He was right! Bare in mind, …

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Is A CrossFit Class Right For You?

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When you’re upgrading your workout regiment to prepare for a major race, the common wisdom is that it’s time to work on your miles instead of your weightlifting. Is the common wisdom really right for you, though? There’s a new form of exercise out there that might turn the common wisdom on its head: CrossFit Endurance, or CFE. Specifically designed to help athletes train for distance running, CFE replicates the endurance-building effects of extended running without undue strains by relying on short, high-intensity interval training sessions.

We learned more about CFE from Heidi Jones, a coach who teaches CrossFit endurance classes at CrossFit NYC. According to Jones, traditional race training has been rooted firmly in the belief that more mileage equals better performance when you’re prepping for a challenge like a half or full marathon. CrossFit Endurance subscribes to a more evolved training methodology, though. CFE race prep focuses primarily on loading your week with multiple 60-minute interval workouts. As with other forms of CrossFit, CFE concentrates on a rotating variety of workouts of the day (WODs).

Sample WODs For A CrossFit Endurance Class

Separate intervals of 10 100-meter sprints with sequences of 10 pushups.

Follow this rotation as quickly as possible for 15 minutes:

* sprinting, 50m

* 10 pushups

* 10 situps

* 10 air squats

Tempo Workout (AKA Equal Rest, Equal Work)

As suggested by the alternate name, this workout involves running at a fast pace and then spending an equal amount of time recovering. Start with 30-second intervals, increase up to 90-second intervals, and then decrease back down to 30 with the same number of steps. Most practitioners go from 30 seconds to 45 to 60 to 90 before coming back down in the same fashion. The workout can be extended by spacing out the steps even further.

High-Intensity Interval Training (AKA HIIT)

The driving purpose behind HIIT workouts is to push your body to such an extreme that you’ll be spending the remainder of your day in recovery. That translates into significant calorie burns not only while you’re working out but also for several hours afterward. This makes HIIT exercise excellent for managing your weight in the run-up to a competitive endurance event.

Most HIIT workouts involve gradually increasing rest intervals to compensate for maximum effort during the high-intensity portion of the workout. For example, a sprinter’s HIIT session might involve a regular set of flat-out sprints that are each only 10 seconds long. The resting intervals in between, though, would start at 10 seconds and increase in 10-second increments.

Even though CrossFit Endurance class was first developed to help long-distance runners, you don’t have to be a marathoner or a trail runner to derive significant benefits from these classes. Anyone who’s already familiar with the principles of CrossFit can use CFE training to improve his or her stamina and develop more explosive short-duration strength. For the best results, CFE needs to be combined with regular CrossFit WODs. A weekly schedule that matches up two or three CFE days with three or four regular CrossFit days will deliver endurance results much more rapidly than a vanilla CrossFit regimen on its own.

If you’re specifically training for a competitive race, you should try to get three or four CFE WODs done during the course of the working week. Make sure you get one long run in over the weekend.

As with standard CrossFit, CFE has some benchmark exercises you should look at to measure your progress. These are the 1-mile time trial, the 5K time trial, sprints at 100m and 400m, and the 1,000m row.

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