Posts tagged health

Tick, tick….

Found two ticks on me last night after my camping trip last weekend. One wasn’t attached and the other I pulled out without knowing it was a tick. I thought it was dirt or something. I was going to the doctor anyways today to prepare for my Asia trip so the doctor is having some tests done since one of the little ticks did leave a little red mark. Just to be safe. - Alexander Kwapis

I’m killing it at the gym today. Gotta make up for not working out in Sunday. - Alexander Kwapis

What’s your fav high cal burn workout?

The Health Menaces of 2011

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Every December, you see lists of the year’s standout films, books, and songs. Here’s ours: The most notable film is bacterial. The must-read? Your text messages, but only if you aren’t driving. And the top song is an instrumental: the sound of your bell being rung on the field.

Click here to read the full article:

10 Natural, Organic Oils With Huge Health Benefits

This is a very timely article I saw on treehugger today since I have a bit of congestion. Luckily I also have some peppermint essential oil somewhere in the house and will have to use some to clear my passages up. I do like to suck on peppermint candies when my stomach is upset and I have some around. 

Sounds like I can huff peppermint in the afternoon instead of drinking a cup of coffee to then be able to concentrate better. BONUS! -AK

peppermint essential oil photo

Peppermint The bright scent of peppermint does more than freshen your breath: It is also used to soothe nausea and other stomach issues, help stop itching, and cool overworked muscles (thanks to the menthol). Add drops of peppermint oil to a bowl of hot water and breathe in the steam to fight congestion, or rub diluted oil into sore muscles. And that’s not all: Peppermint is a key ingredient in oil mixtures that fight PMS, act as an all-natural alternative to VapoRub, cool sore throats, and quiet headaches — and it’s often credited with increasing concentration, so ideal for a mid-afternoon alternative to coffee pick-me-up. Photo: wonderferret/Creative Commons By Blythe Copeland, Great Neck, New York on January 27, 2011


Check out more natural, organic oils here.

18 Winter Power-Food Recipes Power Up In cold weather, you may be tempted to give up on the farmers’ market and head straight to the tropical-fruit aisle of your grocery store. But don’t turn away so quickly. Those durable, sturdy veggies that last long after the peaches and blueberries have come and gone are secret stores of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more; plus, they all have a proven track record of fighting disease and promoting good health.Don’t let their pesky peels or unwieldy tops intimidate you: These seasonal superstars are all fairly easy to prepare using the following tips. And once your appetite’s whetted, check out “Power Foods,” the new book from Whole Living — our first! Read more at Wholeliving.com: Power Foods 

18 Winter Power-Food Recipes

Power Up

In cold weather, you may be tempted to give up on the farmers’ market and head straight to the tropical-fruit aisle of your grocery store. But don’t turn away so quickly. Those durable, sturdy veggies that last long after the peaches and blueberries have come and gone are secret stores of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more; plus, they all have a proven track record of fighting disease and promoting good health.

Don’t let their pesky peels or unwieldy tops intimidate you: These seasonal superstars are all fairly easy to prepare using the following tips. And once your appetite’s whetted, check out “Power Foods,” the new book from Whole Living — our first!



Read more at Wholeliving.com: Power Foods 

Food Crisis Solution: Reconsider How We Farm

If we shift just some of our attention away from production to consumption issues and reducing food waste, we might actually get quite a big bang for our buck, because that ground has been neglected. The majority of incentives that governments give to farmers are still tied to the production mindset. The farmers are rewarded for sheer production quantity, with very little guidance for the quality they produce and the impact of their farming practices on the environment and on human health and nutritio

Workin’ It.

A couple months ago I purchased the book Abs Diet which isn’t just about your abs nor is it about “dieting” but instead its about building your core and about your diet as in what you should be eating on a regular basis not just a temporary diet to loose weight.

Anyways I have slowly been incorporating some of the food aspects of the book such as less red meat and more spinach, eggs, berries, oats and other goodness. Below is a list of the 12 POWER FOODS they suggest you partaking in.

1) Almonds and Other Nuts eaten with skins intact. 
2) Beans and Other Legumes
3) Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
4) Dairy: Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese
5) Instant Oatmeal: Unsweetened, unflavored
6) Eggs 
7) Turkey and other lean meats. Lean steak, chicken, fish 
8) Peanut Butter - All-natural, sugar-free.
9) Olive Oil 
10) Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals 
11) Extra-Protein (Whey) Powder 
12) Raspberries and Other Berries

 

Admittedly I need to work on eating these things better and less going out to eat but it’s a process. Beyond just the food aspect Amy and I are trying to workout more and also take advantage of the gym that is in our apt complex. Todays workout I will be following the Ads Diet’s Saturday routine. -AK

Abs Workout Plus Interval Workout

Complete one set of each ab exercise, then choose one interval workout from our selection.

 Exercise  Repetitions Rest Sets Traditional Crunch  12–15 None 1 Bent-Leg Knee Raise 12 None 1 Oblique V-Up 6–10 each side      None 1 Bridge 1–2  None 1 Back Extension  12–15 None 1

 

ABS EXERCISES

Traditional Crunch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your ears. Slowly crunch up, bringing your shoulder blades off the ground. 12 - 15 repetitions, 1 set

Bent-Leg Knee Raise

Lie on your back with your head and neck relaxed and your hands on the floor near your butt. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Use your lower abdominal muscles to raise your knees up toward your rib cage, then slowly lower your feet back to the starting position. As your feet lightly touch the floor, repeat. 12 reps, 1 set

Oblique V-Up

Lie on your side with your body in a straight line. Fold your arms across your chest. Keeping your legs together, lift them off the floor as you raise your top elbow toward your hip. The range of motion is short, but you should feel an intense contraction in your obliques. 10 reps each side, 1 set

Bridge

Back Extension

Position yourself in a back extension station, and hook your feet under the leg anchor. Hold your arms straight out in front of you. Your body should form a straight line from your hands to your hips. Lower your torso, allowing your lower back to round, until it’s just short of perpendicular to the floor. Raise your upper body until it’s slightly above parallel to the floor. At this point, you should have a slight arch in your back, and your shoulder blades should be pulled together. Pause for a second, then repeat. 12 - 15 reps, 1 set

Interval Variation I: Standard

The following is a typical interval workout. You alternate the same period of low intensity with the same period of higher intensity.

1. 3 - 5 minutes warmup (light jog, low intensity, gradually increasing at the end of the warmup period)

2. 1 minute moderate or high intensity followed by 1 minute low intensity (repeat 6 - 8 times)

3. 3 - 5 minutes cooldown (light jog, low intensity, gradually decreasing by the end of the cooldown period)

Workout plan and photos via: Men’s Health

Check out this article about NUTS you will find some interesting information regarding the good and bad points of these little guys. -AK Top 5 Healthiest Nuts All nuts are considered a beneficial and healthy addition to the everyday diet. Each variety is loaded with healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and filling protein. Packed with all these nutrients, it’s no wonder that nuts have been shown to provide tons of amazing health benefits such as lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and thus, decreasing your risk for heart disease! The only problem with these tiny bits of pleasure? They are addicting and that can be troublesome to your waistline. (Why does there always have to be a catch??) Ya know that old chip commercial slogan, “Betcha can’t eat just one?” With nuts it’s, “Betcha can’t eat just 50!”   Now, before you swear off nuts forever with the alarmingly high calorie count, please know that you CAN and SHOULD relish over a few little nuts a day in order to reap the benefits and still satisfy your taste buds. Just substitute a 100-200 calorie portion of nuts for one of your other daily snacks. Then, put the container or bag away and promise those nuts you will be back tomorrow!  Below are the Healthy Aprons top 5 picks for the healthiest nuts! Almonds   One serving of almonds consists of 24 nuts, 160 calories, 14 grams of fat (0 grams saturated fat!!), 6 grams of protein, and 3 grams of filling fiber! Besides all the heart healthy benefits, almonds are also beneficial to bone health because they contain nutrients such as calcium and magnesium. Walnuts One serving of walnuts consists of 14 halves (1 oz) 185 calories, 18 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.  As one of the highest plant sources of protein, walnuts also contain more omega 3 fats than other nut varieties. Walnuts have been shown to not only play a crucial role in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also in reducing levels of CRP (C-reactive protein, which is an independent marker of heart disease) by improving the elasticity of your blood vessels and reducing plaque accumulation. Eat a couple of these nuts after a meal high in saturated fat and you just might save your arteries!! (I always make Brandon crunch on some walnuts after he eats french fries). In March 2004 the FDA even approved the following health claim: “Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 oz of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.” Pistachios One serving consists of 49 kernels, 157 calories, 13 g Fat (2 g sat), 8 g carbohydrate, 3 g Fiber, 6 g protein. Not only are they loaded with 30 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, pistachios also contain a high amount of filling fiber! Their tiny shell packaging also makes binging a lot more labor intensive! Pecans One serving consists of 19 halves (1 oz), 20 g fat (2 g saturated), 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g Fiber, 3 g Protein. Pecans contain more antioxidants than any other variety of nuts. This is great news when it comes to fighting diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s! Brazil Nuts One serving consists of 8 nuts (1 oz), 190 calories, 19 g Fat (4 grams saturated), 3 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. I had to add Brazil nuts to my list because they are a favorite! Brazil nuts are high in a nutrient called Selenium, which works with proteins in the body to form antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals (free radicals = damaging to the body)! Photo and Article Via: FoodBuzz

Check out this article about NUTS you will find some interesting information regarding the good and bad points of these little guys. -AK

Top 5 Healthiest Nuts

All nuts are considered a beneficial and healthy addition to the everyday diet. Each variety is loaded with healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and filling protein. Packed with all these nutrients, it’s no wonder that nuts have been shown to provide tons of amazing health benefits such as lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and thus, decreasing your risk for heart disease!

The only problem with these tiny bits of pleasure? They are addicting and that can be troublesome to your waistline. (Why does there always have to be a catch??) Ya know that old chip commercial slogan, “Betcha can’t eat just one?” With nuts it’s, “Betcha can’t eat just 50!”  

Now, before you swear off nuts forever with the alarmingly high calorie count, please know that you CAN and SHOULD relish over a few little nuts a day in order to reap the benefits and still satisfy your taste buds. Just substitute a 100-200 calorie portion of nuts for one of your other daily snacks. Then, put the container or bag away and promise those nuts you will be back tomorrow! 

Below are the Healthy Aprons top 5 picks for the healthiest nuts!

Almonds

  One serving of almonds consists of 24 nuts, 160 calories, 14 grams of fat (0 grams saturated fat!!), 6 grams of protein, and 3 grams of filling fiber! Besides all the heart healthy benefits, almonds are also beneficial to bone health because they contain nutrients such as calcium and magnesium.

Walnuts

One serving of walnuts consists of 14 halves (1 oz) 185 calories, 18 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.  As one of the highest plant sources of protein, walnuts also contain more omega 3 fats than other nut varieties. Walnuts have been shown to not only play a crucial role in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also in reducing levels of CRP (C-reactive protein, which is an independent marker of heart disease) by improving the elasticity of your blood vessels and reducing plaque accumulation. Eat a couple of these nuts after a meal high in saturated fat and you just might save your arteries!! (I always make Brandon crunch on some walnuts after he eats french fries).

In March 2004 the FDA even approved the following health claim:

“Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 oz of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

Pistachios

One serving consists of 49 kernels, 157 calories, 13 g Fat (2 g sat), 8 g carbohydrate, 3 g Fiber, 6 g protein. Not only are they loaded with 30 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, pistachios also contain a high amount of filling fiber! Their tiny shell packaging also makes binging a lot more labor intensive!

Pecans

One serving consists of 19 halves (1 oz), 20 g fat (2 g saturated), 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g Fiber, 3 g Protein. Pecans contain more antioxidants than any other variety of nuts. This is great news when it comes to fighting diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s!

Brazil Nuts

One serving consists of 8 nuts (1 oz), 190 calories, 19 g Fat (4 grams saturated), 3 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. I had to add Brazil nuts to my list because they are a favorite! Brazil nuts are high in a nutrient called Selenium, which works with proteins in the body to form antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals (free radicals = damaging to the body)!

Photo and Article Via: FoodBuzz

Eat Seasonally!!

Eat Seasonally!!