The Best No-Cost Fat-Burning Formula

This article originally published in SparkPeople:
The Best Fat-Burning AdviceThe Best Fat-Burning Advice
Get the Facts to Burn the Fat
-- By Dean Anderson, Fitness & Behavior Expert

Wouldn’t it be great if all the fat-burning secrets you see in magazine ads and TV infomercials actually worked? If sauna suits, cellulite-shrinking creams, herbal wraps, and pills designed to “boost metabolism and melt fat away” did what they claim to, obesity would be a thing of the past.
But they don’t work. And neither do any of those exercise gadgets that promise to reduce the fat in your fill-in-the-blank problem area (i.e. belly, hips or thighs). That’s just not how your body operates. You probably know by now that the only healthy way to lose fat (and keep it from finding you again) is to spend more energy on physical activity than you take in from food. That takes a combination of moderate calorie restriction and increased physical activity–a healthy lifestyle, not a crash weight loss program or other magic gimmick.
But what about some of the less outrageous claims and advice about fat burning that are floating around? Can you burn more fat by exercising early in the morning, or on an empty stomach? Does building up a lot of muscle really make you burn a lot more calories even when you’re sitting still, making strength training more important than cardio? Will you lose more fat if you exercise at a lower intensity for a longer time?
We’ll take a look at each of these claims, and see how they stack up against the evidence that is currently available. Then we’ll put all this information together into an effective fat-burning strategy that will really work for you.

Exercising Early in the Morning

Fat-burning claim: Exercising first thing in the morning will force your body to use fat as fuel. Proponents of this claim say that while you’re sleeping overnight, your body is in a state of fasting that uses up most of the carbohydrates (stored as glycogen) that you ate during the day. Therefore, working out in the morning burns fat because fat is the only fuel available.
Fat-burning fact: Not true! Your body stores glycogen in two places: in your liver and muscle cells. When you sleep, your body turns to glycogen in the liver to keep your brain, nervous system, and other essential operations going while you’re not eating. Therefore, the stored carbohydrates in your liver will become depleted overnight. But remember how your muscles also store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen? This muscle glycogen can only be used by those muscle cells. So, unless you run a 10K race in your sleep, your overnight "fast" will not noticeably affect on your muscle glycogen. This is a good thing, because you’d never make it through the first few minutes of your morning exercise routine if you didn't have any muscle glycogen.

Fat-burning tip: Exercise will burn fat stores at any time of day or night. There are several good reasons to exercise early in the morning, if you can manage it. You’ll get it done before other things have a chance to get in the way of your workout. And for many people, an a.m. fitness routine offers a psychological boost that can make the rest of the day much easier.

Exercising on an Empty Stomach

Fat-burning claim: Exercising on an empty stomach will burn fat as fuel. Perpetrators of this theory refer to the body's insulin response, which goes like this:

• When you eat a meal or snack, your body releases insulin into your blood stream.
• Insulin's role is to help carbohydrates (glucose) move from your blood stream into your cells, where it is used to make energy.
• In the process, insulin partially inhibits the release of fat from fat cells, so that it can carry more glucose to your cells.

According to this theory, when you exercise before eating, the insulin response won’t happen; then the body's ability to burn fat as fuel won’t be inhibited; and you’ll end up burning more fat during your exercise.
Fat-burning fact: It's true that insulin inhibits release of fat from fat cells, but not true that exercising on an empty stomach makes you burn more fat overall. Anytime you are burning more fat during a workout, you are almost always burning fewer total calories, which basically defeats the purpose if your goals are weight loss and improved fitness. What really determines whether your body will turn to stored fat or carbohydrates (glucose) for fuel? The intensity and duration of your exercise. In a nutshell, you’ll burn more fat and more total calories when you exercise at high intensity levels. When you exercise at 70% to 90% of your max heart rate, your body can’t turn stored fat into fuel fast enough to meet the demands of your active muscles. But the more intense your exercise, the more total calories you'll burn during your workout and during the recovery phase afterward. When it comes to weight loss, total calorie expenditure is more important than where the calories are coming from (glucose or stored fat).
Fat-burning tip: Real fat-burning takes place during low-intensity, daily activities—not during exercise itself. The more calories (glycogen) you burn during exercise and recovery, the more your body will rely on fat stores to fuel the rest of your day. So instead of trying to figure out whether (or what) to eat before you exercise, choose whatever will help you put the most effort and time into your workout session. Everyone is different. Don't eat if it upsets your stomach to exercise soon afterward, but if you feel lightheaded or fatigued when exercising on an empty stomach, then you should eat a pre-workout snack or meal.

Exercising at Lower Intensity Levels for Longer Durations

Fat-burning claim: Exercising at lower intensity levels and for a longer duration burns more fat than moderate- to high-intensity exercise. People who subscribe to this theory use some of the same facts above regarding the source of fuel for various levels of exercise intensity. Further adding "credibility" to these claims, many cardio machines have "fat burning" workouts or programs, which have you exercising at lower heart rates.
Fat-burning fact: While it is a fact that low-intensity activities use more fat as fuel, this theory doesn’t hold up unless you can devote several hours every day to exercise. It’s important not to confuse percentage of fat burned with total amount of fat burned. Let's look at three examples of fuel usage, at three different intensity levels, and see which actually burns the most fat:

• High-intensity exercise (about 70% max heart rate): 33% of the energy you use comes from fat and 66% comes from glucose. You're burning about 600 calories per hour (200 calories from fat).
• Low-intensity exercise (about 50-60% max heart rate): Your ratio of fat to glucose usage is about 50-50. You're burning about 350 calories per hour (175 calories from fat).
• Sitting still (resting heart rate): 66% of the energy you use comes from fat and 33% comes from glucose. You're burning about 90 calories per hour (60 calories from fat).

Fat-burning tip: Most of us can only manage about one hour of high-intensity exercise, but could handle several hours of low-intensity exercise like walking. Exercising at lower intensity levels for longer durations only burns more fat IF you have at least two hours to spend on that activity. However, low-intensity exercise also offers fewer general health benefits and won't help you improve your cardiovascular fitness level. If you’ve got two hours to spend on cardio your best bet is to get the best of both worlds by doing an hour each of higher and lower intensity exercise.

Making Strength Training More Important than Cardio

Fat-burning claim: You’ve heard it a million times—muscle burns more calories than fat, even while you’re sitting still. So when it comes to losing weight, strength training is more important than cardio.
Fat-burning fact: Part of this is true. A pound of muscle, at rest, burns about three times as many calories as a pound of fat, which by nature is pretty much always “at rest.” But whether or not strength training should be the only (or main) focus of your fitness program depends on what the numbers really say.

At rest, one pound of fat burns about two calories per day, while one pound of muscle burns about six calories. Simply having more muscle is not going to make that much of a difference all by itself. Building five pounds of extra muscle is only going to add about 30 calories per day to your resting metabolic rate, but while you are cutting calories to lose weight, it's very difficult (if not impossible) to add five pounds of muscle to your body.
Muscle does burn more calories at rest and at work. But losing weight always involves losing some muscle along the way. If you don't strength train, as much as 30% of the weight you lose could be muscle weight, which works out to about 15 pounds of muscle loss for your 50-pound weight loss. Losing 15 pounds muscle could cost an active person several hundred calories per day in lost calorie burning capacity since active muscles (as opposed to resting) burn 30 times more calories than fat. This is one of the big reasons why people who lose weight rapidly on crash diets (without exercise) almost always put that weight back on later. However, an effective strength training program can reduce that 30% muscle loss figure to 3-5%. That's much better for your fat burning goals and your metabolism.
Fat-burning tip: Even if you're short on time, you shouldn't give up the cardio and concentrate on strength training if you want to burn fat. You'll burn more fat by doing 30 minutes of cardio than you will in a whole day sitting around with five extra pounds of muscle. But don’t make the opposite mistake of thinking you don’t need strength training, either. Both are very important for fat burning and overall health.

Putting It All Together Into A Working Formula…Success Still Depends On You.

When you put all this information together, the picture you see is very familiar. There aren’t any gimmicks or shortcuts. To burn fat, the variables are simple. You need to:

• Be as active as possible
• Exercise at a moderate (60% MHR) to high (>70% MHR) intensity level when doing cardio
• Include strength training two to three times per week
• Keep your total calorie intake below your total energy expenditure (without exceeding a 1,000 calorie deficit per day)
• Provide your body with plenty of quality fuel from healthy foods

When planning and timing your meals along with your fitness program, find what works best for you in terms of providing the right fuel at the right times, using your Nutrition Tracker and Meal Plans as a guide. Your energy and performance levels will tell you whether you need to eat before exercise, whether you need more or fewer calories, and what ratio of fat, carbs, and protein is best for the demands of your lifestyle. Now that you have the facts, don't let another fat-burning theorist steer you wrong ever again!

About The Author

Dean Anderson
Dean Anderson has master's degrees in human services (behavioral psychology/stress management) and liberal studies. His interest in healthy living began at the age of 50 when he confronted his own morbid obesity and health issues. He joined SparkPeople and lost 150 pounds and regained his health. Dean has earned a personal training certification from ACE and received training as a lifestyle and weight management consultant. See all of Dean's articles.

 

LiveJournal Tags: Health,HealthyDiet,Fitness,ShotoYogaDharrma,Exercise,Motivation,Workout,Weight-Loss,Fat-Burning

Maple Water Wins Super-Drink Supremacy Naturally

This article originally published as:
Maple water about to challenge coconut water for super-drink surpremacy
By Nadine Kalinauskas | Shine On – May 1, 2014

Move over, coconut water, there's a new super-drink in town: maple water.

The Boston Globe reports that businesses and entrepreneurs are scrambling to cash in on the very hot "natural beverages" market. Coconut water is already a $150-million-a-year sensation. Now attention is turning to maple water, the next big thing in thirst-quenching.

With just 5 grams of sugar per cup — and only 20 calories, about half of coconut water's calorie count — maple water is pure maple sap, naturally filtered and infused with minerals and nutrients. The sap contains between 95 to 98 per cent water.

"It's really the same sap that you'd find in the tree — the only thing we do is sterilize it," says Caroline Cyr, promotion and communication officer at the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.

"The minerals occurring in highest concentrations include calcium, potassium and magnesium, and [the sap] is also an excellent source of manganese," says Michael Farrell, director of Cornell University's Uihlein Forest in Lake Placid.

In taste tests conducted at Cornell's sensory laboratory, participants preferred the maple water over coconut water.

"Maple sap itself, it could go as big as coconut water quite easily. The potential is there and maybe even bigger," Keith Harris, CEO of KiKi Maple Sweet Water, tells BEVNET.

With only about 1 per cent of maple trees in New York State alone currently being tapped, the success of maple water could help boost industry in rural communities.

"Maple water is local, tastes better and has less sugar. It's a no-brainer," says Farrell.

Maple water is also more hydrating than coconut water. Coconut water, however, does have more nutrients than its sappy counterpart.

According to the Cornell Chronicle, the maple water set to hit American shelves this spring from companies Seva, Vertical Water and Drink Maple is pasteurized so that its shelf life can be extended up to a year.

Maple water is already available in some Canadian provinces. (Expect to see more of the drink as it hits the mass market this year.)

TIME reports that drinking maple sap has long been used as a tonic among native Americans and some East Asians. The drink was even considered the "wholesomest drink in the world" over 300 years ago by North American explorers, writes the Boston Globe's Taryn Luna.

Drinking maple water is a long-standing tradition in Canada, too.
"The old method of collecting maple sap is to put a bucket on each tree; people go in the woods and they sometimes drink from the bucket," Cyr says. "There's a long tradition of that here in Quebec."

 

LiveJournal Tags: Water,Health,HealthyDiet,Nutrition

Sex is the Ultimate Reason for Dudes to Practice a V Diet

This Article was originally posted in Care2 
5 Reasons I’d Still Be Vegan If I Were a Dude
Eat Drink Better April 16, 2014 6:01 pm

As the vegan movement grows, statistics say it resonates most strongly with women — at least so far. Of the 2.5 million or so Americans who identify themselves as part of Team Vegan, about 79% are female. Society sends some screwy messages about “acceptable” gender-based behaviour; in this case, those messages may be doing men a disservice. Vegan eating isn’t “a girl thing” — especially if you’re a fellow who values strength, health, environmentalism, and sex!

Real Men Don’t What?

We all absorb gender stereotyping from the world around us. Sometimes it’s overtly and obviously planted in our brains, by people within our social environment:

• “Boys don’t play with dolls!”
• “Pink is for girls!”
• “Real men don’t (fill in the blank)!”

But often it’s far more subtle, based on norms and nonverbal cues that paint our social landscapes in subtle but pervasive ways. When we integrate these gender-specific cultural concepts into our behaviour without reflection, it limits personal choice and (sometimes) good, sound, reason-based decision making.

So step outside what you’ve been told about what “real men” do or don’t eat. Demand the right to define that for yourself! Then consider, reflect, and respond, based on your own values and best judgment rather than those choice-limiting gendered STTD’s (socially-transmitted thought dictums).

Men & Veganism: A Perfect Match! Because…

1. Sex

Yep: let’s be bold and start in the bedroom! Common diet-mediated health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure literally devastate sexual function among men.

Male sexual response depends on circulation, so anything that benefits heart health (vegan eating, for example!) confers similar positive effects downstream. Not only does coronary disease itself cause problems, by limiting blood flow to the (ahem) extremities; but many medications used to treat high blood pressure and cardiac problems also suppress male sexual response. So dietary changes that prevent or reduce heart disease can greatly impact your date-night vavavoom, in more than one way.

Men who suffer from diabetes experience a high rate of erectile dysfunction and other urological problems. By embracing a plant-based paradigm, men can reduce diabetes risk and in some cases actually reverse symptoms of the condition — which translates to a more robust love life! You’ll also increase your odds of having more vigorous years in which to enjoy it, as you grow older without romance-killing chronic health problems getting in your way.

Excess weight also puts gentlemen at higher risk for sexual dysfunction. Because of plant foods’ higher fiber and lower fat content, many herbivores find that maintaining or achieving a healthy body weight while eating vegan is easier than they expected, averting many obesity-related urological (and other) health problems before they start.

If you’re planning to start a family, there’s even better news: cutting animal products from your diet may make you more able to do so! Research has linked some meat products (especially those “manly” processed meats like ball-park ‘dogs) to male reproductive problems, in terms of both sperm quality and quantity.

What would you pay for a miracle pill that offered all these sexytime benefits?! Whatever that amount is, I bet it’s more than the cost of kale and lentils — and eating plants won’t raise your health insurance premiums, either.

If you’re still a single man, I’ll also tell you a nice little secret: because of the gender skew within the vegan community, vegan boys are very popular!

 

2. Health

Sex is great and all; but not dying is awesome too!

Study after study after study links animal product consumption to increased risk of early debility and premature mortality. On the other hand, research links plant-food consumption to reduced risk for the chronic diseases that disable or kill (or first one then the other) so many American adults.

Men are already at higher risk for heart disease and stroke than women; they already have shorter life expectancy than women. Why would you voluntarily take on extra risk? Why not instead take the reins of the risk factors that you CAN control? A healthy vegan diet isn’t a magic bullet, and it won’t make you immortal. But research suggests that your heart health will benefit, your stroke risk will decline, and your risk of developing type 2 diabetes will plummet.

Those disease clusters kill people, early and painfully! You can’t change ALL your risk factors, but this is one area where you can seize the wheel. Your family needs you to stick around a while! So why not do everything you can to oblige them, and opt out of some diet-mediated death risk?

 

3. Memory & Cognition

The potential benefits of plant-based eating extend beyond the walls of the bedroom or the cardiology clinic. If you want to keep your competitive edge in the workplace as you grow older, it just makes sense to take care of your brain. The Alzheimer’s Association offers this advice:

According to the most current research, a brain-healthy diet is one that reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, encourages good blood flow to the brain, and is low in fat and cholesterol.

Sounds familiar, right?

To a large degree, heart health is brain health. An omega-3 enriched vegan diet, in concert with physical exercise and regular engagement in mentally challenging activities, facilitates heart health and sets the stage for keeping your mind sharp as you age. Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias pose complex questions, and don’t lend themselves to one-step solutions; but evidence suggests that diet can make a huge difference in either mediating or exacerbating your risk.

Cognitive decline decimates a person’s ability to work, meet family obligations, maintain relationships, and enjoy recreational pursuits. Like erectile dysfunction, early stroke, or diabetic amputations: why go there if you can opt out (at least to some degree) by just changing how you eat?!

 

4. Environmentalism

When it comes to sustainability, women aren’t the only ones with a vested interest in not trashing the place! With the exception of a handful of cosmonauts, we’re all stuck on this planet together to an equal degree; so there’s no need for a gender gap when it comes to embracing veganism for environmental reasons.

Animal agriculture tears the place right up for men and women alike, with grim consequences for both daughters and sons; if you’re a fellow who recycles, bikes to work, and turns off lights in empty rooms… why turn off your environmental ethics at mealtime?

5. Character

It takes strength and confidence to choose your own path, rather than going where you’re pushed. Our culture tends to glamorize and sanction violence, especially among men. But socially sanctioned optional violence is still optional violence: there’s a strength of character that comes from calling it by its name, and choosing compassion instead. Choosing to walk where your conscience dictates, even when doing the right thing means not doing the easy thing, makes for a well-lived life — no matter whether you sit or stand in the restroom.

Gentlemen Welcome!

Habit can be a powerful force, especially when it’s reinforced by pervasive cultural narratives about how men and women “should” behave.

But masculinity doesn’t depend on bacon! And veganism offers some tremendous benefits — with a hefty side-order of life satisfaction — regardless of gender. So there’s just no good reason for that (sexy healthy smart sustainable compassionate) door to be marked ‘Ladies Only.’ Don’t be scared, guys: come on in!

 

LiveJournal Tags: FoodNDrink,HealthyHeartFlatBelly,Vegetarian,HealthyDiet,V

Turmeric, The Superfood of Superfoods

Spice that whitens your teeth, fights dandruff and wards off cancer 

By Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) | Healthy Living – Mon, 14 Apr, 2014 11:17 AM EDT

 

One of the most fetching culinary spices, turmeric has an intense golden hue. The major ingredient in Indian curries, turmeric is the component responsible for curry's dizzying color; it's also commonly used to imbue mustard with its radiant glow.

We're commonly reminded to eat colorful plant foods because their pigments, which are associated with antioxidants - the wonder nutrients that experts believe protect and repair cells from damage caused by free radicals and that also have important anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric's intense color makes it a front-runner in this group of foods; curcumin, a compound found only in turmeric, appears to be the magic ingredient.

A cousin of ginger, this rhizome has a long history of use in herbal remedies, particularly in China, India and Indonesia. Many current studies are looking into turmeric to treat a whole host of health problems, and turmeric has ample other uses as well, as evidenced in the following applications.

Also see: 10 home remedies that really work

1. Brighten your pearly whites. Former Miss USA Susie Castillo swears by her recipe for homemade toothpaste, which includes turmeric powder. Although turmeric is known for its staining prowess, it is commonly (if not counter-intuitively) used to whiten teeth - presumably it's not in contact with the enamel long enough to change the color. Here's how to make your own version, and you can also sprinkle some on your commercial or other homemade toothpaste and brush as usual.

2. Customize foundation. Ashy makeup makes a bad match for luminous skin. Actor Thandie Newton tackles the problem by adding turmeric to tinted moisturizer to achieve a perfect glow that matches her skin tone. And in fact, women in India often use turmeric in face creams and body scrubs to boost the glow factor; sprinkle in a bit at a time until you have the proper tone.

3. Spice up your soap. If you make homemade soap, adding several teaspoons of turmeric to it will not only dial up its color, but will boost its skin-friendly benefits as well.

4. Save your scalp. Many swear by a combination of olive oil and turmeric to deter dandruff and to improve the overall condition of the scalp. Make a mix of turmeric and the oil of your choice (jojoba or coconut oil would be nice), massage into your scalp and leave on for 15 minutes, then shampoo and style as usual.

Also see: 5 simple, cost-saving ways to use coconut oil in your beauty routine

5. Embellish temporary tattoos. Use turmeric to create golden Mehndi, the temporary tattoos made with henna, or to add a pretty second color to an extant henna tattoo.

6. Diminish sprain strain. A traditional homeopathic sprain treatment involves making a paste using one part salt and two parts turmeric and enough water to make it spreadable. Apply to the affected joint and wrap in an old cloth that you don't mind staining. Leave on for 20 minutes to an hour, once a day. (Don't do this on body parts that can be seen; you don't want a temporary yellow tinge!) Also of note: the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests taking turmeric to help reduce sprain swelling and makes the effect of bromelain (an anti-inflammatory derived from pineapple enzymes) stronger. Take 250 to 500 milligrams (mg) each of turmeric and bromelain, three times a day between meals.

7. Help tame swimmer's ear. Natural remedy aficionados recommend using warmed garlic oil to help push the water out of ears affected by swimming; adding turmeric to the mix is said to help as well. See home remedies for swimmer's ear for more.

8. Soothe a sick stomach. Turmeric has long used to quell bellies that aren't behaving properly. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends 500 mg of turmeric four times daily to treat an upset stomach.

9. Ease achy arthritis. For osteoarthritis, NIH recommends 500 mg twice daily of a specific turmeric extract (like Meriva, Indena); 500 mg four times daily of a non-commercial product has also been used. For rheumatoid arthritis, they note that 500mg twice daily of a specific formulation of curcumin (like BCM-95, Arjuna Natural Extracts, India) can be used.

Also see: Natural remedies for arthritis

10. Love your liver. According to early experimental research at the Medical University Graz in Austria, the curcumin in turmeric may delay liver damage that can eventually lead to cirrhosis.

11. Inhibit skin cancer. Turmeric seems to hold much promise for skin treatments, as well as possibly inhibiting certain forms of cancer. Among other studies, researchers at the University of Texas note that curcumin inhibits the growth of melanoma and may also impede the spread of breast cancer to the lungs.

12. Battle other forms of cancer. The American Cancer Society says that laboratory studies have shown that curcumin interferes with several important molecular pathways involved in cancer development, growth and spread. Researchers have reported that curcumin can kill cancer cells in laboratory dishes and also slows the growth of the surviving cells. Human studies of curcumin in cancer prevention and treatment are in the early stages.

13. Minimize Alzheimer's symptoms. A clinical trial using curcumin extract published in the Journal of Neurochemistry found a 30 percent decrease in the size of Alzheimer's-associated brain plaque in treated mice - in only one week.

Also see: 12 health benefits of apple cider vinegar

14. Make longevity tea. Dr. Andrew Weil notes that people in Okinawa, the Japanese island nation with the world's longest average life span, drink turmeric tea daily. To make your own, boil four cups of water, add one teaspoon of ground turmeric, allow to simmer for 10 minutes, strain, and add ginger and/or honey to taste.

15. Use as dye for spicy tie-dyed tees. Yes, turmeric stains fabric … which means that it's an awesome fabric dye. Add three tablespoons of turmeric to a pot of boiling water, let it simmer for a while, and your dye bath is ready. (See more at this photo tutorial.)

16. Make marigold-colored play dough. Homemade play dough is as much fun to make as it is to play with once it's made. And coloring it is especially fun. This recipe instructs on how to make it from scratch, and also how to turn it into a rainbow of colors using, among other natural ingredients, turmeric. (Bonus tip: You can scent homemade play dough with vanilla or peppermint extract.)

17. Naturally dye Easter eggs. There's something magical about mashing up natural dyestuffs in bowls and watching hard-boiled eggs transform into the jewel-like colors found in nature rather than in the lab. Beet juice, onion skin, blueberries, and of course, turmeric all do a bang-up job of the task. Get the how-to here: Eco Easter eggs.

Also see: Use baking soda for easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs

18. Make meat safer. Kansas State University researchers discovered that adding turmeric to meat can reduce the levels of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) by up to 40 percent. HCAs form on chicken and meat when cooked over high heat, like in grilling. Consumption of HCAs is linked to higher rates of cancer.

19. Enliven bland food. While Frito-Lay may rely on Yellow 6 and Red 40 to enhance its preternaturally vivid snacks like Cheetos and Nacho Cheese Doritos, you can skip the nasty artificial colors and add a dash of turmeric to brighten up otherwise insipid-looking food. Whimsical cooks and moms alike can benefit from adding it to eggs, mashed potatoes, soups, cauliflower, or anywhere else a bit of vibrancy is desired.

20. Blend your own curry powder. If there's one thing turmeric is famous for, it's the starring role in Indian curry. (There comes a point in every young Western cook's life when they realize that curry isn't one single spice, but a blend of many.) Making your own curry blend is simple and tastes remarkably bright and fresh; and you can customize it to reflect your personal taste. A good place to start is here.

21. Make delicious dishes. No "uses for turmeric" article would be complete without reminding the reader of all the wonderful food that can be made with turmeric, even if it may not be the most surprising use on the list. Therefore, see: 5 dishes infused with curry.

22. And last but not least, bake a cake! Turmeric cake? Indeed. This Lebanese dessert is not too sweet and has an odd little earthy kick to it compliments of the turmeric. Find a basic recipe here and a vegan recipe here.

Note: Turmeric can be taken in powder or pill form, but use with caution and consult with your doctor first. It's strong stuff. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is unsafe during pregnancy, can make gallbladder problems worse, can make stomach problems such as GERD (or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) worse, and can slow blood clotting and might cause extra bleeding during and after surgery.

 

LiveJournal Tags: HealthyDiet,FoodNDrink,Spices,Superfood

How Red Meat Changes Your Gut Bacteria to Cause Heart Disease

by Piper Hoffman February 8, 2014 5:30 pm
This article was originally published in Care2 

 

It isn’t news that eating red meat can cause heart disease, but this part is new: if a vegetarian or vegan were to eat red meat, the meal would not trigger the process that causes disease because their bodies are different than meat-eaters’ bodies, according to a 2013 study. It turns out that it isn’t the fat or salt in red meat that kill; it’s the way meat changes the human body’s composition, resulting in hardened arteries. Let’s call it Revenge of the Cow.
The Revenge begins with L-carnitine, a chemical found in red meat. When a meat-eater’s gut microbes get hold of it, they work together to produce trimethylamine N-oxide, which, mercifully, is known by its initials: TMAO. It is TMAO that hardens arteries. High levels of it are “a solid warning sign of a potential heart attack or stroke,” says Advocate Health Care.

Long-established vegetarians and vegans’ microbes didn’t produce much TMAO at all when they ate red meat. The researchers concluded that non-meat eaters have a different mix of intestinal bacteria than meat-eaters do, and they are short on the one that makes TMAO. That is because L-carnitine changes the human gut’s demographics by increasing the number of bacteria that like it and partner with it to make TMAO. Without L-carnitine, those troublesome microbes don’t thrive.

It’s ironic. Meat-eaters warn me that my vegan diet will change my body in dangerous ways: They claim that my bones will get weaker, I’ll have less energy, I won’t be able to build muscle mass, and on and on. It turns out that all the while meat is changing their bodies for the worse — for one thing, besides the heart disease, processed and fatty meats are aging their bodies prematurely. In the meantime studies show that my diet is only boosting my health. Besides the oft-touted ease of weight loss on a healthy vegan diet and the resistance to many terminal illnesses, it makes me happier because it contains less arachidonic acid than animal products do, and arachidonic acid brings people down.

The study that revealed the Revenge of the Cows yielded a tool that will help doctors. They can measure patients’ TMAO levels to determine their risk of heart disease and make recommendations accordingly. That benefit got the study a spot on the American Heart Association’s 2013 list of top 10 advances in heart disease and stroke science.

And yet the AHA still won’t recommend not eating meat. It recommends cutting back on foods that are high in cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean cutting all animal products out of the diet. To the contrary, the AHA’s advice is to keep cholesterol to 300 mg a day — not zero. Only animal products contain cholesterol — there is none in vegan food — so this is a recommendation to continue eating meat, dairy and eggs.

The AHA specifically recommends eating lean meat, but, as LiveStrong contends, that doesn’t exclude red meat. It just means choosing to eat bisons’, ostriches’, or deers’ bodies over those of cows.

Are ostrich burgers really worth risking a heart attack for?

 

LiveJournal Tags: Red Meat,Heart Disease

High Well-Being Could Make You More Altruistic

Posted: 01/30/2014 8:16 am EST  |  Updated: 01/30/2014 8:59 am EST
This article was originally posted in the Huffpost Healthy Living

High levels of well-being in a city or region aren't just good for the health and happiness of the residents. A new Psychological Science study suggests it could also promote altruistic acts -- at least in the form of kidney donations.

To evaluate the link between altruism and well-being, researchers from Georgetown University looked at non-directed kidney donation -- donating a kidney to someone you aren't related to and don't even know -- which they considered to be the epitome of an altruistic act.

The researchers looked at data on this kind of kidney donation from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, and compared that with data on well-being in the United States from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The researchers found that states that had higher per capita kidney donation rates were also the states with higher well-being.

Plus, the researchers found that the association held true even when looking at broader regions (and not just specific states), and when looking at just one specific year (2010).

"You'd be amazed by the responses some donors get from those who learn about their donation -- people who see them as weird or even 'crazy' for doing something so far outside the norm as giving away an internal organ to a stranger," study researcher Abigail Marsh said in a statement. "These data help to show that there are understandable, normal psychological mechanisms that lead to this kind of behavior, uncommon as it is."

Altruism doesn't just help others -- research shows that it can also benefit the person who is giving back. Benefits include decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, greater happiness at work and even a lower risk of premature death.

LiveJournal Tags: Altuism,kindness,kind acts,helping,ShotoYoga Dharrma

The Challenge of Change: Are You the River or the Rock?

Dennis Merritt Jones 
Award-winning author, keynote speaker, spiritual mentor
This article was originally published in the Huffpost Healthy Living on 01/29/2014 8:38 am

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." -- Lao Tzu

With the new year well under way, it's interesting to see how many people are intentionally trying to initiate change in some area(s) their life while, at the same time, resisting it in others. Right now, many people are flocking to the gym with a desire (resolution) to get fit -- and that sort of change is a wonderful thing. Yet, at the same time, change may be happening in some other area of their life where they don't really welcome it, such as a job or lifestyle change, which may be perceived as a bad thing. It is a paradox with which we have all danced. The point is, if we learn to work proactively with the energy of change, we'll enjoy the dance far more.

Do you perceive change as friend or foe? Of course, the answer depends on the change. From a universal perspective, change is the only constant; it is manifesting 24/7 whether we like it or not. Whether welcome or unwelcome, we can harness the energy of change and use it to our advantage by shifting our perspective. It seems that we suffer when change happens where we don't really want it to, or, conversely, doesn't happen where we really want it to occur. What if we could reframe our understanding of the dynamic energy of change? What if we could welcome it as a gift the Universe is bestowing upon us, trusting change happens when it is supposed to? What if we could surrender to this universal impulse to expand and go with its flow rather than trying to resist or manipulate it?

The key is to understand that regardless of whether we are consciously invoking change in our lives or resisting it, we are dealing with the same dynamic universal principle and it is an energy which is totally impartial to our wants, needs and desires. We can choose to see change as an ally or an enemy and it will respond accordingly. We can learn how the dynamic of change works and align with it in a manner which serves us in healthy, life-affirming ways or we can stay stuck... pushing against it. The downside to resisting change is that it will have its way; it will eventually wear us out. It has been said that in a contest between a river and a rock the river always wins. Why? Because the river is willing to follow the natural call of gravity, going over, under, around or, eventually, through the rock, to its destiny which, as with all water, is to ultimately merge with the ocean. The rock is stuck where it is, relentlessly pushing against the river, resisting the natural flow of water until, over a long enough period of time, it's worn down to a pebble. If you ever visit the Grand Canyon you'll see that this is true.

The metaphor of the rock and the river is delightfully obvious: The river represents "us" when we are conscious of our oneness with the Universe and willing to trust the call of gravity, "going with the flow" of life without trying to force or manipulate it. From a spiritual perspective, gravity represents the silent call of the Beloved One wooing us to come closer -- to surrender to the journey that is ours to take, the unfolding of who we have come here to be... and to do it with grace and ease. The rock represents the past and our attachment to it; the rock symbolizes our resistance to change and fear of the unknown. The ocean to which the river flows represents a life fulfilled in our oneness with something larger than us; it's our merging with the Source from which we came. Surrendering to, and going with, the natural flow of the river called "change" is how we reach the fulfillment of a life worth living.

The power in this metaphor is that, if we are fully awake, every day when we get out of bed, we can choose whether we will be the rock or the river. I spent many years being the rock -- resisting or trying to manipulate change in just about every area of my life -- most likely because I didn't trust life or the unknown. Over the years I have studied change and made it my friend; I have learned how trust and surrender to the flow of life. Why? Because it brings with it what I value so much; a deep sense of inner peace. I still have work to do, but nowadays I am the river more often than the rock. When I release my need to control and trust the flow I sleep more soundly, I think more clearly, and I love my life more fully, including those in it.

The question I leave you to ponder is: Are you the river or the rock? And if you find you are being a rock today, what might you be clinging to? Where in your life might you be resisting change or trying to force it to happen before its time? The practice is to take a deeeeeep breath, trusting and knowing that the river knows where it is going and let go. You'll be amazed how embracing change will "change" your life.

LiveJournal Tags: heakth,happiness,changes,adapting,learning

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The Art of Uncertainty: How to Live in the Mystery of Life and Love It
by Dennis Merritt Jones

The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life
by Dennis Merritt Jones

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Six unexpected places salt is hiding in your diet

By Natasha Turner, ND | Chatelaine – Fri, 24 Jan, 2014 8:00 AM EST
This article was originally published in Yahoo Shine 

Not only do cold cuts have high sodium content, whole wheat bread can also be alarmingly high. (Photo, Istock.)

With more than 75 percent of adults consuming almost twice the recommended amount of sodium per day (Health Canada reported the average Canadian adult consumed 3,400 mg of sodium per day in 2012), the effort by government agencies and health care professionals to promote awareness of the health risks associated with excess salt intake is no surprise. In Canada it’s recommended that adults 14 to 50 years old consume 1,500 mg per day. At age 51 that number drops to 1,300 mg per day.

Despite this info I must confess that this flavour-enhancing seasoning is a true love of mine. I readily add it to my meals without tasting one bite. But even I, a self-admitted salt-aholic, was astonished after looking deeper into the matter as unexpected foods and products lurking with ladles of hidden sodium were uncovered. Here are the top five ways to skip sneaky sources of salt that may be sabotaging your health.

1. Medication
Yes, it's true. This study from the University of Dundee in Scotland explains that taking the maximum daily dose of some medicines would exceed the recommended daily limits for sodium, without changing anything in your diet. The study compared 1.2 million patients taking sodium-based medication with those who took non-sodium medication, resulting in over 61,000 incidents of cardiovascular events. Overall, the researchers found that patients, “. . . taking the sodium-containing effervescent, dispersible and soluble medications had a 16-percent-increased risk of a heart attack, stroke or vascular death compared with other patients taking the non-sodium versions of those exact medications.”

Bottom line: Ask your doctor if the sodium levels in your medication will affect your health. If you are prescribed a high-sodium medication, ensure that you're being carefully monitored during the process.

2. Cottage cheese
You've probably heard that cottage cheese is a healthier protein option, and the rumours are true! However, some versions of this dieters’ dream protein can contain more than 900 mg of sodium per cup. Yikes!

Bottom line: If cottage cheese is your protein of choice, opt for the low-sodium options to slash the sodium in half. You can also try swapping the curds for natural, plain zero-percent Greek yogurt for only 70 mg of sodium per 3/4 cup or ricotta cheese that contains very little sodium per serving.

3. Breakfast foods
Nothing is better than morning energy! Reaching for your favourite box of cereal paired with low-fat milk and berries can offer you a fibre-rich, nutritious meal. However, many cereal brands can also lend an overdose in sodium. With a common range of 170 to 300 mg of sodium per serving, it's worth taking a better look at each label. A 2013 study looking at Kellogg and General Mills showed these companies have made efforts to reduce sodium levels in their cereals, but there’s a long way to go before all brands jump on-board.

Not a cereal person? Don't jump to frozen alternatives just yet. Four frozen pancakes can pack up to 740 mg of sodium, putting up some good competition for home fries.

Bottom line: If you can't get out of the cereal habit look for low-sodium options such as shredded wheat brands or plain oats. Add some high-antioxidant fruit such as blueberries with low-fat milk to reap great additional benefits and keep your insulin levels low.

4. Sports drinks
You've probably heard that sports drinks can pump unnecessary amounts of sugar into your bloodstream, but that's not the only ingredient that overwhelms our bodies. When we sweat our bodies naturally get dehydrated by losing electrolytes (salt). This explains the large portions of fuel professional athletes guzzle during a game - it quickly replenishes their fluids to give them more energy. Unfortunately, shopping for shoes doesn't add up to the same expenditure for us everyday people. Most of us don’t even sweat enough during a half-hour workout to justify these high-sugar, high-salt drinks.

Bottom line: If your body doesn't need to replenish its electrolyte count, you're consuming additional calories and close to 450 mg of sodium per litre. Try to rehydrate your body with water throughout the day to keep your body quenched.

5. Vegetable juice
Why eat your vegetables, when you could drink them, right? Before you swear off broccoli forever, check the label before you chug. One-hundred-percent vegetable juices can still contain upwards of 500 mg of sodium, making any of the benefits not worth the liquid option. This 2013 study proves that salt levels in food are higher than ever, so it is up to us to make the smart decision.

Bottom line: Believe it or not, raw vegetables contain sodium too. The good news is, it's not a harmful amount, so you can always count on the real deal to be the healthiest option. The benefit of pressing your own juice means absorbing all the nutrients, with no added chemicals like potassium chloride. If vegetable juice is the only option, grab the low-sodium version.

6. Whole wheat bread
Whole wheat bread is a staple for many health-conscious people because its high fibre, helps to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Whether you're making toast, sandwiches or getting crafty with croutons, its benefits trump the white stuff. Unfortunately, sodium is finding its way into a lot of whole wheat bread brands in amounts that average 240 to 400 mg per slice. If your serving usually contains two slices, the sodium can add up quickly.

Bottom line: Take the extra time to read labels, and aim for 100 percent whole wheat breads that contain 170 mg of sodium or less per slice. This will allow your body to benefit from the nutrition while keeping your sodium levels down. As a tip, check to make sure whole wheat flour or whole grain is the first ingredient on the nutrition label, and other ingredients such as sugar or salt aren't sneaking in.

Not feeling so hot? Here are some signs that you've had too much sodium:

1. Bloating
Excessive salt can cause uncomfortable bloating. When the body is retaining salt it tries to break it down by holding onto water. The most efficient way to solve this problem is to drink even more water! This will help flush out the salt as fast as possible, which will help your belly and stress go down.

2. Thirst
One of the largest signs of high sodium levels is chronic dehydration in the body. Excessive sweating in combination with small fluid intake will lead to dehydration very quickly, which can lead to larger issues. The thirst you're feeling represents your body trying to balance your sodium and fluids in the body.

3. Dizziness
Changes in your blood pressure will occur when high levels of sodium are lurking in your body. This is especially obvious when you stand up and feel dizzy or experience "blacking out." Continue to take it easy, and pound the H20.

4. Gastrointestinal symptoms
When sodium levels increase, you may experience some uncomfortable symptoms. Unfortunately, our bodies don't react well to imbalanced fluids resulting in nausea, vomiting and severe sweating. The more dehydrated your body gets, the greater the chances of this happening. To ensure you stay well hydrated, drink eight to 10 glasses of water per day, even when you don't feel thirsty.

LiveJournal Tags: Healthy Diet,Salt,health,foods

Natasha Turner, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor, Chatelaine magazine columnist and author of the bestselling books The Hormone Diet, The Supercharged Hormone Diet and The Carb Sensitivity Program. She's also the founder of the Toronto-based Clear Medicine Wellness Boutique and a regular guest on The Dr. Oz Show and The Marilyn Denis Show. For more wellness advice from Natasha Turner, click here.

It's the new year, and you know what that means: no more excuses. It's easier than ever to get back on track with our new Do Diet ebook. Our dietitian-approved meal plan, great weight-loss tips and easy-to-do-anywhere workouts will help you drop a dress size in just a few short weeks and get you swimsuit ready by spring.

Available on the iBookstore, Kobo and Amazon.

More from Chatelaine:

• Could you ever give up sugar completely?
• The common ingredient that may be making you overeat
• The link between junk food and Alzheimer's
• Four easy exercises to rev up your metabolism
• Four reasons to take a break from booze

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3 Surprisingly Easy Things You Can Do to Live Longer

By David B. Agus, MD, author, "A Short Guide to a Long Life" | Healthy Living 
Fri, 24 Jan, 2014 5:04 PM EST
This article was originally published in Yahoo Shine

One way to live longer? Keep a regular schedule (and that means all the time.)
Image: Corbis

Most of us have only a general sense of what we can do to live a good, long life, and eating well, exercising, and getting a good night's sleep are the go-to, standard health tips we all know. But beyond these universal wisdoms, I believe we can all further increase our odds of an even longer and higher-quality life with few other strategies most of us rarely think about.

Keep a Regular Schedule
Admittedly, this is a hard one to actually follow, but I know first-hand the value of maintaining a predictable schedule on a daily basis. I go to bed and get up at the same time every day (and yes, that means weekends too), eat meals at approximately the same time every day, take any prescribed medication on cue every day, and plan my workouts at roughly the same time.
Some days I'm better than others. Lately, I've been traveling across different time zones for work, in addition to doing the "CBS This Morning" show once a week. The program is shot live in New York, so I have to be at the studio in Los Angeles, where I live, by 4 a.m. on those mornings. It's hard to keep a regular schedule with these kinds of responsibilities, but I do the best I can. When I travel for two or more days, for example, I switch my schedule to the time zone of my destination, but try to stay on Pacific Daylight Time for very short trips.

More on Yahoo Shine: 5 Ways to Stop Feeling so Hungry

Why does a regular schedule make such a big difference? Your body loves predictability. It's one of the best ways to reduce stress and maintain a balanced state of being. Take, for instance, the mundane habit of eating lunch. If you consistently eat at high noon, and one day an unexpected phone call or obligation has you postponing your lunch until much later, your body won’t just show physiological signs of hunger in that waiting period. It will also experience a surge in cortisol, the stress hormone that tells our bodies to hold tightly to fat and to conserve energy. The body, in essence, goes into survival mode because it’s suddenly unable to predict when it will get its next meal. And that increased cortisol further adds to your lifetime risk for numerous health problems, from weight gain and sleep problems to depression, heart disease, and memory and concentration impairment. So if you keep a consistent routine every single day, especially with regard to your body's natural rhythms, you'll feel the difference: more energy, enhanced sense of well-being and (bonus!) weight loss will become easier, too.
Make a goal in 2014 to stick to a very regular routine daily. And don't beat yourself up if you fall of the proverbial wagon. Just get back on it again as soon as possible.

Get off Your Butt More (in Addition to Formal Exercise)
Regardless of your exercise routine, you have increase the amount of time you move each day. Our bodies were designed to move. In fact, movement makes our bodies work. It's how virtually every system and organ in the body stays nourished, refreshed, and ready to tackle any challenges.
Here's the bad news: Sitting for five hours a day (as so many of us do thanks to computer-focused desk jobs) is equivalent on a health basis of smoking a pack of cigarettes daily, and, sorry, this is true even if you sweat it out for an hour at the gym. The sad truth is that we have designed our lives to be immobile, as certain technologies make us more automatically sedentary for much of the day.

Related: Why You Need a Flu Shot Right Now (an excerpt from Dr. Agus' new book)

Early last year I wore Nike Fuel Band on my wrist for the first time and was shocked to discover just how much I was on my derriere. I bought a hands-free headset that day, which allows me to walk around my office while I talk on the phone (I may look like an air traffic controller, but I have significantly reduced the amount of time I sit). I also got a treadmill desk for my office. Within a week I had mastered the skill of checking email while walking slowly. Now I walk on it one to two hours on it a day while responding to emails. I also focus on my accelerometer to make sure I get enough movement over time each day.
Of course, if you can't swing a treadmill desk at your workplace, there's plenty you can do without one: Get up every hour and walk around for five minutes; park farther away from your destination; call certain people back throughout the day when you don’t have to be at a desk and can take a walk while using your cell phone or a wireless headset. Simply put: Don't spend the whole workday sitting.

Mobilize Your Medical Data
Focus on being in charge of your own health and collecting data about your body. I've personally tackled this one head on, checking my blood pressure on a regular basis and sending the information to my doctor. I also have uploaded all of my medical information to an online cloud. That way if I get sick, or God forbid, land in the emergency room, I can access all of my medical information at the touch of a keyboard. You keep tabs on plenty of other important information via computer, why not your medical records too? Since any of us can fall ill while on vacation or at midnight on a weekend when the doctor's office isn't open, we need to be in charge of our own data and make sure it's there when we need it.

More on Yahoo Shine: How Gratitude Can Improve Your Life

Changes like these, while relatively simple, may not be the easiest to implement, but there's compelling scientific proof behind them that we can't ignore. And we shouldn't forget that positive changes to our health, however small, ultimately impact all of us as a collective society. As the former Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart once said, "There is a big difference between what we have the right to do and what is right to do." Health changes should, at long last, focus on the latter.  The good news is that if we make them we actually can feel better and enjoy the remarkable life we have.

David B. Agus, MD, is a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California and heads USC's Westside Cancer Center and the Center for Applied Molecular Medicine. He's also the author of A Short Guide to a Long Life. Author of "A Short Guide to a Long Life." He lives in Beverly Hills, California.

LiveJournal Tags: Health,Longevity,Healthy Diet,Fitness

100 Reasons You Should Work Out Today

By: Nicole Nichols, SparkPeople Blogger
4/8/2013 6:00 AM
This post originally published at SparlPeople.com

LiveJournal Tags: Fitness,health

 

We all have those days that we don't want to work out even though we know we should.
When you need a little motivation, look no further.
Here are 100 reasons you shouldn't skip your workout today.
Print, save, pin or "like" this post so you'll have easy access to it on the days you need it most.
100 Reasons to Exercise Now

1. Because it makes you feel confident
2. Because it helps you get stronger
3. Because exercise helps combat depression
4. Because you'll feel proud of yourself
5. Because you have goals you want to reach
6. Because you'll feel bad if you don't
7. Because you want to move forward, not backward
8. Because it burns more calories than not working out
9. Because it improves your heart health
10. Because you want a great butt
11. Because it prevents diabetes
12. Because you want to be a good example to your kids
13. Because you want to feel good in your clothes
14. Because it reduces your risk of cancer
15. Because your body was made to move
16. Because you want to be an athlete
17. Because you want to look better
18. Because it lifts your mood
19. Because you want to stand taller
20. Because it reduces back pain
21. Because it feels good
22. Because it makes you feel accomplished
23. Because you spend most of your day on your butt
24. Because swimsuit season is always coming
25. Because strong is the new skinny
26. Because dieting only works so much
27. Because it strengthens your bones, too
28. Because it helps you lose weight
29. Because it allows you to eat more food
30. Because it's the best way to spend "me" time
31. Because it helps you de-stress
32. Because it's cheaper than therapy
33. Because you want a strong core
34. Because you want to take care for yourself
35. Because you take pride in your body
36. Because it strengthens your legs
37. Because it helps your clothes fit better
38. Because you want to push yourself
39. Because you are capable of more than you ever imagined
40. Because moving your body feels good
41. Because it keeps your mind sharp
42. Because it helps you beat belly bloat
43. Because it helps you sleep better at night
44. Because it gives you energy
45. Because you want to stay healthy as you age
46. Because you want to look younger
47. Because you want toned arms
48. Because it improves your balance
49. Because it burns off last night's dessert
50. Because it boosts your immune system
51. Because sweat is sexy
52. Because you want to live longer
53. Because you want to get better at your game
54. Because you want to catch someone's eye
55. Because exercisers earn more money
56. Because you're more likely to eat better when you exercise
57. Because you want to shave time off your running pace
58. Because you want to breathe easier
59. Because you want to see the scale drop
60. Because exercise improves your sex life
61. Because you are worth it
62. Because being fit makes everything in life better
63. Because you promised yourself that you would
64. Because you deserve a better life
65. Because it'll help you drink more water
66. Because you want to do real push-ups
67. Because it reduces your health care costs
68. Because you'll miss fewer days of work
69. Because you want to create a new future for yourself
70. Because it'll help you like what you see in the mirror
71. Because it makes clothing shopping more fun
72. Because you want to look and feel incredible
73. Because exercising can be fun
74. Because it'll give your skin a glow
75. Because it's a good way to spend time with your friends
76. Because it'll help you prevent the middle-age spread
77. Because it reduces your blood pressure
78. Because you don't want to let yourself go
79. Because you don't want to squeeze into an airplane or rollercoaster seat
80. Because it strengthens your spirit
81. Because it's a cheap way to entertain yourself
82. Because you'll be able to reward yourself
83. Because you need a reason to wear those new workout clothes
84. Because you're tired of being tired
85. Because not working out is not going to get you very far
86. Because it's a great way to spend time outside
87. Because you made a commitment to yourself
88. Because you're tired of starting over
89. Because there will always be another wedding, vacation or reunion
90. Because you're not a quitter
91. Because it improves your cholesterol
92. Because it boosts your metabolism
93. Because it prevents age-related muscle loss
94. Because if you can do this, you can do anything
95. Because a fit body is a healthy body
96. Because it beats sitting on the couch
97. Because  everyone has at least 10 minutes to spare
98. Because you want to be stronger than your excuses
99. Because not working out isn't working out for you
100. Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip