November often signals cold and flu season. Here is a comfy, cosy chicken soup recipe to warm your bones and help you through the season.
Don’t Shortchange Your Workouts. Stretch!
Exercise is one of the cornerstones of good health. But do most people begin and end their workout regime to get its optimum benefit? Exercising is known to cause muscle shortening. Routine stretching counteracts this process, promoting flexibility in the muscles and joints, helping them move through their full range of motion.
When I first started going to the gym, I wanted to get my workout over and done with as quickly as possible. Little did I know that I was short changing all of my efforts by skipping both pre and post workout stretching. Doing a pre-workout stretch warms up the muscles and enables the them to control the stress placed on them. It also allows for increased flexibility. As an added bonus, it gets the juices flowing and sets the tone for your workout!
Here is an interesting tidbit. What you eat may be able to improve your flexibility. According to a post by Brenda Barron leafy greens such as kale, spinach, swiss chard and watercress may help to increase flexibility because of their high water content as well as their ability to purge acid from the body. And of course hydration is an important part of a flexibility diet.
As mentioned earlier, exercising causes muscles to shorten. You may be in a world of pain the next day if you don’t add a post-workout stretch to your routine. While your muscles are warm, stretching will allow for an increase of blood circulation and will subsequently enable your muscles to recover faster. It will also reduce muscle fatigue.
All this being said, it is equally important to maintain proper technique; stretching should not be a painful process – its main goal is to reduce the risk of injury. So strap on those running shoes, warm up that body, work hard and finish strong with a solid cool down.
This Week on TheHealthHub… Acclaimed Author Lydia Denworth
Every Tuesday from 11am -12pm I host The Health Hub, an interactive, forward thinking talk show on Radio Maria Canada. Call, tweet or email your questions as together we explore health issues that are relevant to you from new and innovative points of view.
This Week on TheHealthHub
Lydia Denworth
Lydia Denworth is a New York-based author, journalist and speaker who writes about how we think, learn and connect. She is the author of two acclaimed books of popular science, and is at work on a third about the biology and evolution of friendship. She is a regular contributor to Scientific American and writes the Brain Waves blog for Psychology Today. Her work has also appeared in a wide range of national publications including Newsweek, Time, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Parents.
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Fruit Kabobs
Here is a fun way to get more fiber in to your diet and to promote a good night’s sleep. Plus the kids love them!
Enjoy!
Sleeping…A Cancer Fighting Powerhouse
The science of sleep is fascinating.
Sleep is, or at least should, be a part of our daily lives yet we’re just beginning to understand all of the ways it affects our health.
Lack of sleep can effect our mind and our body. People who get less sleep tend to be at higher risk for health issues like diabetes and heart disease not to mention effects like slower metabolism, weight gain, hormone imbalance and inflammation. Lack of sleep can effect our mood, our memory and decision-making skills.
And how well we sleep may also have a vital role in how well our body fights certain cancers. Studies have shown that sleeping irregularities may suppress our immune system decreasing our ability to fight cancer. As well, inadequate or irregular sleep can result in a deficiency of melatonin. Melatonin has been shown to have anti-proliferative effects in certain cancers like breast and colorectal cancers.
It is clear that getting a good night’s sleep needs to be a priority. As adults we should strive to get 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night.
Tips for better sleep
- The biggest tip is definitely to try to get yourself into a consistent sleep schedule. Make it a priority and you’re more likely to achieve it. Go to bed at the same time each evening. Get a routine going. It signals to your body that it’s sleep time.
- Balance your blood sugar throughout the day. Eat less refined and processed foods and more whole foods full of blood-sugar-balancing fiber. Make sure you’re getting some protein every time you eat.
- During the day get some sunshine and exercise. These things tell your body it’s daytime; time for being productive, active and alert. By doing this during the day it will help you wind down more easily in the evening.
- Sleep in a dark, cool room and keep your electronics out of the bedroom!
Make your bedroom a sanctuary. A place of peace and calm where you can retreat and sleep for your better health.
Additional References
http://www.thepaleomom.com/gotobed/
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/hacking-sleep