Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly

We’ve all been told that we are supposed to exercise on a regular basis, since it’s healthy for us. But why should you and I exercise on a regular basis? Is the effort worth the sacrifice?

I am challenging each of you to make exercise a part of your life, and I suggest you check out some of the benefits that are associated with regular exercise.

Define “Regular Exercise”

In order to benefit from regular exercise, you need to start somewhere. What’s considered “regular exercise”? In general, adults need to exercise for about three to five times a week, for 20 – 40 minutes.

Health Benefits of Regular Exercise

There are plenty of reasons why you should take on this challenge of making exercise a part of your life. I will list some of the top benefits of exercise, just to give you some encouragement and to help you get started.

•Increased Energy

Do you notice that you are lethargic and too tired to exercise? If you are already tired, I don’t blame you for dreading exercise. Interestingly enough, if you just push through that first workout,  you will notice an amazing boost of energy!

•Muscle Strength

If you want to burn more fat in any given moment, you need to gain lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn which leads to less body fat.

•Live Longer

According to a 20 year study, regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of dying prematurely. This isn’t a surprise considering all of the health benefits associated with exercise.

•Reduce The Risk of Breast Cancer

Studies show that when women exercise, two ovarian hormone (Progesterone and Estradiol) levels are lowered in the body. This is a very good thing, since an excess of these hormones have been linked to breast cancer tumor production. This means that by regular exercise, you can reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 60% – if this isn’t a reason to exercise, I don’t know what is!

•Lose Excess Fat, and Keep it Off

Exercise increases your metabolism which helps you burn more calories throughout the day – long after your morning run (or whatever you decide to do). Exercise will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

•Clears Skin

Exercise is a great way to remove toxins from your body, which occurs when you sweat during exercise. Exercise is a natural detox for your skin, which helps you get rid of acne. Your skin increases the natural production of collagen, which is an all natural anti-aging benefit!

•Increase Cardiovascular Efficiency 

The stronger your heart is, the more blood can be pumped through your heart with less effort.  This is a very good thing since strengthening your heart with regular exercise will decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in the process.

•Lower Blood Pressure

If you need to reduce your blood pressure, you need to start an exercise program (which this challenge should be the perfect opportunity to start, right?). All forms of exercise has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure.

•Strengthens Bones

Increase your bone density by choosing an active lifestyle! If you include cardiovascular exercises and weight training (nothing too intense, mind you…), it will help promote bone formation which will delay bone loss. Increase bone mass has been shown to protect against osteoporosis, which is bone loss associated with aging. As you get older, keep on moving!

•Prevent (or cure) Depression

You don’t need (in my opinion) antidepressants to help with your depression. First of all, they don’t fix the problem. Second of all, they are actually harmful to you and your mental health. Thirdly, study after study has proven that exercise reduces the symptoms of depression and promotes mental health. Exercise for 30 minutes just three to five times a week to experience significant improvements. This is something the drug companies don’t want you to know…since we all know how exercise can be cheap or even free.

•Reduce Stress Hormones

Is stress affecting your health? Sounds like you need to exercise (and perhaps resolve the issues causing the stress!) . Sometimes we can’t easily resolve the cause of the stress, but it’s good to know that regular exercise has been prove to reduce the amount of stress hormones in your body. Less stress hormones means lower blood pressure and a healthier you.

• Prevents Illness

Are you sick all of the time? Maybe you need to jump start your immune system, which will help reduce the amount of illness you will have to experience. Regular exercise is a great way to rev up your immune system

•Reduce the Risk of a Stroke

Exercise may reduce the risk of total, hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes – according to research data.

•Better Night’s Rest

Exercise has been shown to help you get to sleep at night. So long sleep apnea!

•Increase New Brain Cells

Did you know that exercise actually stimulates the formation of new brain cells? Research has shown that the area of the brain that forms the new cells is responsible for learning and memory development.

•Lower Cholesterol Levels

Do you have high cholesterol, and need to lower it? Exercise has shown to have a direct effect with influencing blood cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.

•Prevent Diabetes

Studies have shown that exercise, combined with a healthy diet, can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to 60%! Considering how dangerous diabetes can be, exercise and a healthy lifestyle should be a no brainer.

Ok everyone – it’s time for you to take this challenge seriously. Do this for you. Do this for your own health, and take charge of your life. Make the choice today to make exercise a habit…you won’t regret it.

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Tags: blood pressure, cancer, cholesterol, Depression, Diabetes, energy, exercise, Fitness, immune system, muscle, prevention, strength, Twinkie's Challenge, Weight Loss

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that has been used in India for over 2500 years, and once you learn about some of the health benefits of Turmeric, you won’t be too surprised it’s been used for so long!

Benefits

• May increase metabolism and aide in fat loss or weight management

• Naturally detoxifies the liver, which helps boost liver function

• The active ingredient in Turmeric is curcumin. A study in 2009 showed that the combination of curcumin and vitamin D helped the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which is a substance that forms the brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

• Natural Antiseptic and Antibacterial agent.

• A study done in 1992 has showed that Turmeric may be able to help reduce cholesterol level and fight atherosclerosis (which is when the artery wall thickens).

• Natural pain killer

• May help prevent Melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer.

• Natural anti-inflammatory that works just as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs on the market – with less or no the side effects. Because of this, it can be used as a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

• Early studies show promise that Turmeric can help slow the progression of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Intake

Dried – You can find Turmeric in a dried powder form to use in a variety of recipes. I typically find this spice used in Indian dishes, but you can be creative and use this however you want! Test it out, and have some fun!

If you prefer, you can usually find Turmeric in a pill at your local health food store. Just follow the suggestions on the bottle for use.

Precautions

If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your doctor first (by the way – I am pretty sure every spice and herb says this!).

Turmeric should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction.

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Image Credit: FotoosVanRobin on Flickr®

Tags: Alzheimer's disease, Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, Antiseptic, cholesterol, culinary, curcumin, immune system, liver, melanoma, metabolism, Multiple Sclerosis, pain killer, spice, Turmeric, Vitamin D, Weight Loss

Never forget this Important Habit!

Working out on a regular basis is more than a way to lose or maintain weight. It’s a way of life.

Regular Exercise

Working out on a regular basis helps with many things. I will briefly discuss some of the many health benefits of working out on a regular basis:

•Drops  Insulin levels -High Insulin levels are dangerous since it is the root cause of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc. Cardiovascular Exercise is a natural way to lower your Insulin levels.

•Treats Type 2 Diabetes - A couple of the possible side-effects of Diabetes is Heart Disease and Kidney Disease. Both are very serious conditions, and exercising on a regular basis (including a healthy diet) can greatly reduce the chances of having Diabetes.

•Lowers Blood Pressure – If you have High Blood Pressure, you are at risk for Heart Attacks, Strokes and even Kidney failure. High Blood Pressure can be caused by poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and abundant amounts of stress. To help lower your Blood Pressure, it is important to eat healthy (every day, not temporary!) and Exercise on a regular basis. I have personally found that when I am stressed, I need to have a good work out or else it will negatively effect my health.

•Lowers Cholesterol – High Cholesterol is dangerous because it is something that is seen after many years of poor eating and the effects can be quite serious. High Cholesterol causes a plaque buildup in your arteries which can lead to Heart Disease, Heart Attack, and Stroke. It was once believed that only those who were overweight suffered from High Cholesterol levels, but you can be “skinny” and still have high cholesterol. Like I have said many times before…the whole point of eating healthy and exercising is to be Healthy, not necessarily “Skinny”, because “Skinny” doesn’t always mean “Healthy”. Focus on what’s important here!

•Prevents Obesity – Being overweight and obese causes some serious health concerns. Many people suffer from Impaired Immune Systems, Liver Disease, Arthritis, Heart Disease, Back or Shoulder Pain, Stroke, Sleep Apnea, High Cholesterol, Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, and the list goes on. These are all very serious issues that are all very preventable. Eat well and Exercise on a Regular basis!

•Treats Depression – You would be amazed how much exercising can help prevent and treat Depression! When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are a natural feel-good hormone. Ever heard of a “Runner’s High”? Go out for a run (or walk!) and notice how much better you feel! Bottom line: If you want to be Happy, go Exercise!

“I don’t necessarily believe that you need to take expensive medications to solve many health issues.  The root of the problems are usually because your body is lacking proper nutrition and exercise. Your body needs regular exercise, and most people don’t make the time to exercise as often as their body needs it. ”

~Twinkie

Where to Start?

You may not be able to run, but what about walking? If you can’t walk,  what about clapping your hands or moving your feet? You have got to start somewhere.  Stay consistent, and you will notice the results!

The best way to maximize your exercise regime is to have healthy, well-balanced meals. Your body doesn’t want or need processed sugars, fattening or fried foods- no matter how much you are craving them!

Now it’s time to go out and exercise!

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Tags: Anti-Depressant, arthritis, cancer, cholesterol, Depression, exercise, Fitness, Healthy, heart attack, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, Medication, natural, obesity, running, Skinny, Stroke, Type 2 Diabetes, walking, Weight Loss

Spinach Pancakes by Dr. Praeger’s

These aren’t just any pancakes…these are perfect for Lunch and Dinner for someone who wants something fast and easy, healthy, and tastes good.

Nutrition

There are very few ingredients to this wonderful pancake, which is Spinach (of course!), Potatoes, Onions, Egg Whites, Oat Bran, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Arrowroot, Salt, All Natural Vegetable  Gum, Garlic, and Black Pepper. So what are these pancakes missing? They are “missing” all of the bad stuff! These pancakes are not only low calorie, but they don’t have Saturated Fat,  Cholesterol, Trans Fats, processed Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners.

Taste

I have good news, and possibly bad news. Good news…if you don’t like the taste of Spinach, you will love these pancakes because they really don’t taste like Spinach. Bad news…if you were hoping these Spinach Pancakes actually tasted like Spinach. They don’t taste like Spinach, sorry.

Either way, these pancakes taste Amazing. I was a little reluctant at first because I just didnt know what to expect from them. Yes, they are green, but they don’t taste like they should be. I ended up cooking more just because they tasted so great!

Preparation

The Spinach Pancakes come in a box, and they are each individually wrapped for freshness. The cooking part couldn’t be easier. Preheat your oven to broil, then cook at broil for about 8 minutes. That’s it.

Serving Size: 1 Pancake

Calories: 80

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Tags: all natural, arrowroot, artificial sweetener, black pepper, canola oil, cholesterol, dinner, Dr. Praeger's, easy meal, Egg Whites, garlic, Healthy, less than 100 calories, low calorie, lunch, no sugar, Nutrition, onion, pancakes, potatoe, salt, saturated fat, Spinach, Spinach Pancakes, sugar, taste great, trans fats, vegetable gum