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What You Need To Know Wednesday: Tired All the Time? 6 Energy Zappers That Could Be Making You Totally Exhausted
Tired of being tired? If it seems impossible to wake up feeling refreshed or energized throughout your day, it could be because you are (or are not) doing some very common things. If you want to feel refreshed again, these six reasons may be contributing to your constant tiredness: 1. You Skipped the Gym…Again It seems counter-intuitive: Exercising because you are tired will give you more energy. Yet, healthy adults who participated in a University of Georgia study reported feeling less fatigue after doing just 20 minutes of low-to-moderate aerobic exercise three days a week for six consecutive weeks. Further, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion says, that…
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What You Need To Know Wednesday: Is Stevia A Healthy Sweetener Alternative?
Pick up any health magazine, and you will likely see an article about sugar in one form or another. From glucose and evaporated cane juice to pure maple syrup and honey, good old added sugar goes by lots of fancy names these days. One of the newer players in the sugar game is stevia, a zero-calorie “natural” sweetener. There’s no debating that stevia has stolen the spotlight from its artificial cousins, Splenda (sucralose), Sweet ’N Low (saccharin) or Equal (aspartame). It may taste like sugar, but is it more natural? Better yet, is it healthier? The answer may surprise you! What is Stevia? Stevia is a small shrub in the…
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Workout Wednesday: When Is the Best Time to Exercise?
If you are following a healthy lifestyle, you know that regular exercise will help rev up your metabolism, so you lose weight faster and avoid weight loss plateaus. But does the time of day you choose to exercise make a difference in how much fat you burn? The answer is not as black and white as you might think. Current research suggests that slightly more fat is burned when you exercise right after waking up in the morning. However, most people can work out at a higher intensity later in the afternoon when their body temperature and hormone levels peak and their muscles are more flexible. The kind of exercise…
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What’s Up Wednesday: 10 Great Greens For Better Health
If you are following a healthy lifestyle, you already know the importance of eating dark greens, which are rich in beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C, E, and K, as often as possible. Research shows that consuming dark leafy greens can promote good health by fighting the inflammation caused by free radicals, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease. In addition, dark greens in the Cruciferae family (a.k.a. cruciferous vegetables) have been found to help protect against macular degeneration and possibly help reduce age-related memory loss. So, for better health, make a point to include these 10 dark green powerhouses in your diet: Arugula Arugula, also…
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Workout Wednesday: Common Walking Injuries & How to Avoid Them
Despite its reputation as being an ideal low-impact exercise, walking can also lay you up if you are not careful. Injuries ranging from blisters to tendinitis happen to walkers, but that certainly doesn’t mean you should hang up your walking shoes. Here are a few of the most common walking injuries and tips on how to manage, or avoid them altogether: Blisters Blisters are caused by friction from ill-fitting shoes and sweaty socks. Even though they are usually small, these fluid-filled sacs can derail a walk, hike, or run. No matter how tempting it might be, do not pop blisters. When you puncture the skin, you open up the potential…
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5 Foods With More Protein Than Chicken
For many people, the phrase “healthy meal” brings up visions of dry chicken and steamed broccoli. For some reason, chicken has become regarded as the quintessential healthy protein, and while we love us some good chicken, we also think variety is the spice of life. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends including lean protein in every meal to keep you satisfied and control your weight. That’s probably because research has shown that adequate protein intake is beneficial for overall health, performance, and body composition, but if you ate chicken at every meal, you would probably go crazy. Luckily, there are many other options that contain protein. In fact, there…
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Lemon, Cucumber & Mint Detox Water
Have you spent the winter eating lots of wintertime comfort foods and now you are feeling weighed down? It may be time to consider detoxifying your digestive system and this detox water recipe is full of goodness! It’s a natural detoxifier, an immune booster, it improves your digestive health and is hydrating and refreshing! Lemons are a natural detoxifier. They help to cleanse the body by flushing out toxins, while also boosting your immune system and aiding better digestion. Mint is good for digestion and provides a touch of sweetness without the sugar and cucumbers are 96% water, so they provide a subtle flavor and extra hydration. I make this…
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How To Start A Fitness Walking Routine
Spring is here and what better time is there to start a fitness walking routine! Walking is fuss-free, there’s no cost, and it’s easy to schedule and if you do it regularly, it reduces the risk of heart disease and can help you burn fat and lose weight. Uphill walks work your calf muscles, hamstrings, and buttocks. Downhill walks are great for your thighs and walking on level ground works your abdominal muscles and lower back. Where to Walk Walk anywhere you like, whether it’s indoors on a treadmill or outside at the park, by the sea or around your local neighborhood. Experiment with different routes that will challenge you…
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How To Stay Healthy While On Vacation
It’s the start of vacation season with spring break going on now and summer travel is just around the corner, and a lot of people struggle with staying healthy on vacation. You worked hard to maintain your healthy ways in the days leading up to your trip, but then have trouble keeping them in mind once you are actually there. It’s so tempting to literally eat your way through your adventures, but you will most likely feel bad later, so I have come up with a few tips for avoiding that groggy, full feeling that you have experienced while on vacation (myself included), and they aren’t actually that difficult to…
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Money Saving March: Great Gear for At-Home Workouts
“Money Saving March” continues with this question: “Who says you need an expensive gym membership to get and stay in shape?” You can reap many of the same fat-burning, body-toning benefits by working out in your own home, especially if you have some inexpensive exercise equipment at the ready. Here are some great gear ideas for starting or enhancing your at-home workouts: Yoga Mats A yoga mat is handy for floor-based exercises because it provides support for your body and offers better traction than a towel. Learn some basic moves from a yoga or Pilates video, then (weather permitting) take your mat outside for a workout on your deck or…