Seat Belt Safety

For my last blog I decided to share why I think seat belts are so important. Out of all the causes of death, I feel like car accidents is the most controllable. Our country can decrease our death rate also by eating healthier and getting more exercise, but for most lazy people who just don’t care, that’s hard. Putting on a seat belt takes 3 seconds and it saves lives. I’m sure everyone is linked somehow to someone who died in a car accident but would be here today if they had a seat belt on. A study showed that only 68% of people buckle up. If that number went up to 90% we would prevent more than 5,500 deaths and 132,000 injuries. By increasing that percentage our country would also save $8.8 billion because we pay for the car crashes in our higher taxes, health care, and insurance costs. A hospital bill for someone not buckled is 50% higher than someone who is buckled. There shouldn’t be any excuse to not buckle up, some of the most common excuses are it is too tight, only going a short distance, I forgot, I’m in a rush, and many more. Well, a lot of car accidents happen close to home you can loosen a seat belt, your stupid if you actually forgot, and it takes 3 seconds so being in a rush is no excuse. Sometimes I hear people say they don’t wear their seat belt because they or someone they know got in a car accident and would of died if they were in a seat belt and stuck in their car, that is a one in a million chance that that happens. So every time you get in your car, think of the people that would be with us today if they took 3 seconds to buckle up and do it for them.

The "Healthy" Salad

Most people, especially people who are dieting, tend to think ordering a salad is diet friendly. The truth? It isn’t typically the best decision. Most restaurants use iceberg lettuce for their salads which just consists of fiber and water; it does not have much nutritional value. This lettuce turns into a gross slime once it enters your digestive track that your body needs to break down. Fiber and water doesn’t taste too appealing, which is why people drench their salads with dressings that are high in fat and sugars. A healthier choice is spinach with a small amount of oil and vinegar, which is my favorite way to make a salad. Croutons and bacon bits are a very popular and tasty topping but they have no nutritional value and just add on calories. If you need a crunch in your salad try some type of nut or seed. Adding some grilled chicken is a healthy choice, avoid fried chicken or processed sandwich meats. Also, do not over do the shredded cheese. Some other healthy toppings for salad are dried cranberries, almonds, a piece of salmon, beans, green vegetables, fruits, egg whites, the list goes on. Here is a great salad recipe to try out:

Salad ingredients:

• 4 cups baby spinach


• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts


• 1/2 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half lengthwise


• 2 chopped scallions (include ~4 inches of the green part)


• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries


• salt


• medium coarse black pepper


• 4-oz mild goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing ingredients:

· 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

· sea salt

· medium coarse black pepper

Dressing instructions:

1. Whisk olive oil into cider vinegar.

2. Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk again to dissolve salt.

Salad Instructions:

1. Put all salad ingredients except goat cheese into large bowl.

2. Add desired amount of dressing and toss thoroughly.

3. Sprinkle goat cheese over entire salad and toss again lightly.

Hit the Slopes!

Sick of the same cardiovascular workout? Now that winters getting closer try hitting the slopes. Never tried it before? Just take a quick lesson; it’s not as hard as it looks. My parents are die hard skiers who started me and my sister on the slopes at age 2. Skiing helps develop core strength, coordination, and balance. Skiing is a great source of cardio that can be compared to swimming or running. This is because it pushes people to exert a lot of physical effort and use a lot of oxygen to keep moving. It tones your entire body while strengthening your heart muscle and improving the delivery of oxygen to your muscles. Skiing can also improve your circulatory system which increases alertness. This will make it easier for you to respond to anything or perform normal duties with minimal effort. For older people, like my dad, staying in shape from skiing delays signs of aging. I know that my dad will be skiing until he can’t walk anymore, and that will help his metabolism stay somewhat high, it’ll help his muscular mass, and help with flexibility. Skiing helps your blood stay flowing and tissues functioning properly which will decrease your chances for different heart diseases.

Aside from keeping you physically healthy I feel that it helps mentally also. It can boost self esteem and confidence and decrease depression. Being up on the mountains skiing down fresh powder is a great feeling. You get a chance to be out on your own and clear your mind. It is also something to do rather than being snowed in your house all winter.

I hope this article gives you something to do in the winter rather than the same everyday workout. I would suggest my two favorite mountains, Killington or Mt. Snow. If you do decide to try it out always remember to get trained first, dress properly including protection, and to stretch first!

Don't forget about Dental Health!

Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas we tend to throw the rule book out the window when it comes to sweets. Working as a receptionist at a dentist office and having a mom that is a dental hygienist I definitely see the effects sweets have on people during the holidays. So after a few pieces of candy, a piece of pie, a candy cane, or whatever you crave at desert time don’t forget to take care of your teeth. Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes preferably with an electric tooth brush if you have one. Electric toothbrushes are therapeutic and stimulating to the gum tissue. As far as mouthwash I wouldn’t suggest using Listerine which some people use because it has a 17% alcohol content. Chronic use of alcohol (even in mouth wash) can cause precancerous tissue changes. I would suggest using Crest Pro Health mouthwash because it has no alcohol. Floss once a day, morning or night time are both fine, which ever you prefer. Flossing removes harmful bacterial plaque in between teeth. It has been clinically proven that people that floss everyday live two years longer because you keep your heart healthier by decreasing the systemic bacteria. I also have found that when I do have time to thoroughly clean my teeth, including whitening them with my trays, it helps my self esteem. If flossing is a pain in the butt or you don’t have time in the day you can buy something called Flossers or Floss Picks, they’re little tools with a piece of floss attached that makes it much easier. For an effective tooth paste I would suggest Prevident 5000, especially for people that have a high decay rate or sensitivity, you need a prescription for it so ask your dentist. I use it and I swear by it. Usually toothpastes that are recommended by a dentist don’t taste as good as Crest Vanilla mint, Cinnamon, or other fun sounding toothpastes but this toothpaste tastes awesome. By following these rules you will avoid cavities, plaque build up, decay, rotting teeth, cracked teeth, gingivitis, oral cancer, and much more. So don’t forget about dental health and pick up your tooth brush!

Don't Forget your Water!

Something that always boosts my self esteem for the day is getting the recommended amount of water. No matter what, I always have a bottle of water with me and I’m constantly filling up my Brita filter. Water is good for you in so many ways, getting the recommended amount of water always makes me feel extra good about myself. But why is water so important? Your body is made of 55%-75% of water. In order to be considered dehydrated you need to loose 10% of your body weight in fluids. Loosing only 2% can still cause tiredness, dull critical thinking abilities, and effect athletic performance. Some symptoms of being dehydrated are being extra thirsty, feeling extra tired, headaches, a dry mouth, little or no urination, muscle weakness, dizziness, and being light headed.

The amount of fluids we loose through out the day may be more than you think. If you go to the bathroom 6 times a day we loose 6 cups of fluids, sweating through out the day without exercise you loose two cups, when you breathe normally your lungs expel 2-4 cups of water, and when your feet sweat you loose 1 cup. That is why it is important to drink a lot of water to make up for the fluids you loose. There are many approaches to getting the enough water. The recommended amount is 64 oz. My favorite way to drink the full 64 oz is carrying a 16 oz water bottle and filling it up 4 times. They also make 64 oz water bottles to make it easier for people. You should also concentrate on eating foods that have high water content like fruits and veggies. Oranges and cucumbers contain the most water out of all fruits and veggies. Depending on your lifestyle you may need more water than other people. If you exercise or engage in activities that cause you to sweat it is important to drink more water, 2 cups of water before a run and drinking water throughout your work out is important. If you live somewhere that is usually always humid you should drink extra water to make up for the water you perspire and to lower your body temperature. When you are sick some symptoms cause you to loose water so you should always be hydrating while sick. And also when you are pregnant or breast feeding you should drink a lot of fluids because of the loss of fluid.

When it comes down to it, water is good for everything; it is a major part of every system in our bodies. It helps with sleep, gives you energy, helps you concentrate, prevents cancer, prevents osteoporosis, gives you healthier skin, helps you eliminate body wastes, improves eye health, helps you loose weight, maintains muscle tone, regulates body temperature; the benefits are endless. So next time you leave the house or dorm don’t forget your water bottle!

Don't let Antioxidants go to Waste!

Do you usually keep a jug of orange juice in your fridge? I think we all do and it usually stays in there for about 2-3 weeks. If I have one it lasts longer because I’m not a huge orange juice drinker. Well, this may get you drinking your OJ a little faster. I recently read online that certain liquids lose their antioxidant benefits after a certain amount of time. These liquids include orange juice, honey, olive oil, and green tea. They lose their benefits when exposed to oxygen, heat, or light.

· Orange Juice- When you open your bottle of OJ keep in mind that only one week later all the antioxidant benefits are lost. A way to avoid this happening is not only drinking the juice but researching some recipes using OJ such as an orange chicken or there are many deserts that use orange juice. Frozen concentrate is exposed to less light and air which will have the most vitamin C.

· Olive Oil- We are definitely crazy about olive oil in my house. We use olive oil in everything as a healthier choice than butter. After 6 months of storage the oxygen bubbles destroy 40% of the 45 heart-healthy antioxidants. My family goes through a Costco size jug of olive oil in less than 6 months, so we’re safe. For people that don’t use it as often, I would consider buying the smallest size bottle as possible and try using it more often. Some healthy and easy ways to use olive oil are sprinkling salad with it or making your own dressing, dipping whole wheat bread in it, sprinkling vegetables with it, or making pesto sauce.

· Green Tea- I love drinking tea, I’m usually a coffee drinker but I try and switch to tea because it’s a much healthier choice. They have so many different flavors of tea that every time I’m at the grocery store I’m sucked into the huge tea section and I buy a new flavor. Because of this I always have a ton of tea sitting in my cabinets. Tea is full of an antioxidant called catechins that are linked to reducing some types of cancer. After 6 months of storage the catechins decrease 32%. To avoid this I would suggest buying tea that is naturally caffeinated and drinking one in the mornings. They also have “Sleepy Time” teas that are naturally non caffeinated. They have soothing aromas and contain zero calories. One of these before bed is a good idea, especially on a cold winter night!

· Honey- If your like my family and I, you have a jar of honey that someone gave you for a Christmas present and it’s been sitting in the cabinet for years. Once in a great while I’ll make a recipe that calls for honey or I’ll see my dad throw some in his tea or coffee. Cleary my honey has lost its antioxidants. After 6 months honey looses 50% of its antioxidants. A smart choice for honey lovers is buckwheat honey because it has more antioxidants to begin with.

650 lb Virgin

So I should have been in bed earlier last night, but I was hooked on watching TLC. There was a show on called “650 lb Virgin”. I was absolutely in shock throughout the entire show. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s about a guy named David Smith who weighed 650 pounds. He sat on the couch every day shoveling down high calorie junk food. He never left his house, he couldn’t walk more than 500 feet and he couldn’t fit in a car. He had no friends and suffered from depression and loneliness He admitted that the reason he was big was not only part genetics, but he was molested by his best friend when he was 7 years old. After that he looked to food for comfort and never left his house. It was downhill from then on. Kids bullied him at school throwing whatever they could at him; he couldn’t make even one friend. He ended up dropping out of high school at age 17 because he couldn’t take it anymore. His mother then died from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
A personal trainer heard about his struggles with weight and life as a whole and decided to help him. He started by holding his hands and helping him use the couch to do squats, simply standing up and sitting down. After a lot of practicing with his help he had him use two gallons of water, one in each hand and he would sit up and press the jugs above his head then sit down again. After that he had him crawling upstairs on his own. He weighed so much that he burned calories at a very fast pace. He started eating healthier and in smaller portions. Within 26 months, the 32 year old lost 410 lbs, an average of 15 lbs a month. What amazed me the most about this story is he did it naturally, with out any surgeries. After he lost all the weight however, a plastic surgeon’s attention was caught by his story. He offered him free surgery to remove the skin, which added up to 30 lbs. He was then offered more free dental surgery to fix his teeth, which were stained from soda; and free facial surgery.
His personal trainer Chris Powell is now his best friend and roommate; he really turned his life around. David is now a personal trainer, his dream is to help obese people like he used to be to turn their lives around. David is now a healthy and toned guy, he looks very attractive! He still has fears of rejection and still suffers from severe shyness around girls. The show concentrates on how he turned his life around and how he is in search of his first girlfriend and possible wife, hence the name of the show. I suggest that you watch this show if you get a chance, it’s on TLC it should be airing a lot through out the month. It’s amazing!

Sleepy Time Snacks!

Can’t fall asleep at night? I recently found an article about the effects different foods have on our sleeping habits. Some nights I find myself tossing and turning for hours, even on days when I’m exhausted. When I go to sleep knowing that I need sleep, it’s even harder. I will lay awake thinking about how I need sleep and watch the clock, it’s very frustrating. I thought this was very odd until I read an article by an expert nutritionist, David Zinczenko. The article stated “Nothing makes it harder to fall asleep then knowing how important it is to sleep”. That explains my problem perfectly!
Before it’s time to go to bed stay away from foods containing protein or fat. The protein increase’s your alertness making you more awake and the fat slows your digestion process which makes sleep more restless. These foods and drinks they suggest you eat before bed will relax your body by inducing feel good relaxation chemicals. These chemicals slow your brain and relax your nerves. So give one of these a try before bed and get a good nights rest.

• Nonfat popcorn
  The carbs in popcorn will help your body relax. Skip any butter, the fat will slow your digestion.
  
• Oatmeal with sliced banana
  Sleep is tough when you are stressed or excited, oatmeal will warm and relax your body.
  
• A cup of plain yogurt with mixed nuts
  Yogurt contains lysine and nuts contain arginine, both of these contain alertness inducing protein. These will both reduce stress and stop you from thinking about a million things at once. Eat this a couple hours before bed or even before a presentation to reduce stress.
  
• A pile of sesame seeds
  Sesame seeds contain the same thing that turkey contains that makes you want to sleep for days after Thanksgiving. This is called tryptophan, a sleep inducing amino acid. Forget about the night time turkey, the protein in it will cancel the benefits.
  
• A handful of pretzels
  The carbs in pretzels will help you feel sleepy before bed time. Pretzels are also a good any time snack. They are low calorie and a low fat course of carbs.
  
• 1 glass of wine
  I’ve always known people indulge in a glass of wine before they doze off, but I never understood why. One alcoholic drink relaxes your blood vessels which lowers your blood pressure, slows your heart rate, and increases your ability to relax. More than one drink reverses the effects, so be careful!
  
• One glass of unsweetened cherry juice
  This juice has serotonin inducing carbs which helps to relax you.
  
• Red bell peppers
  Cortisol is a hormone released in your body when it is stressed. Vitamin C stops the secretion of this hormone. Peppers have more vitamin C than any other fruit or vegetable.

Check out the article! http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/38272/8-perfect-sleep-better-foods/

Keeping America in Shape!

As we all know, our country definitely doesn’t have the greatest reputation when it comes to weight. I learned this was true when I went to Europe in 2005. I went on a Cruise through Italy, Spain, and France. When I say this I really mean it, the only person I saw slightly overweight or overweight was on the ship (except for a few Italian men who had a little too much spaghetti). All the Europeans that lived there were all in great shape, some were almost too skinny. My dad had a friend who is on the larger side go to Europe, when he was walking around a European approached him, tapped his stomach, and said “Ohh, American!”. Ok America, that’s embarrassing.
When I thought about why the weight difference is so huge I thought it was most likely because of their food portions and their transportation. When my friends, family, and myself would sit down at a restaurant to eat a meal we were always shocked to see how much food they gave us. It was a very small portion compared to what we get in America. Not too small however, I though it was just right. Here in American restaurants we have all you can eat buffets for $5, supersized meals, 6 different courses, and just all around HUGE portions that always leave us feeling like we’re in a coma or like we want to explode. Eating smaller portioned meals will keep you feeling motivated, which brings me to my next point. In Europe it seems like 80% of people use walking or biking as their main transportation. The other 20% use mopeds or a small percentage use cars.
So I was convinced that these must be the reasons why we can’t keep up with their perfect figures. Until I came across an article called “4 Ways French Women Stay Thin (Without the Gym)”. These French women have the perfect solution to the people who dread going to the gym. After an 8 hour day at work, errands to run, food to cook, and kids to come home to; it can be a pain. The gym is NOT the only place to get that work out you need. Throughout your day there are plenty of things you can do. During my busy days I come up with little exercises that take just a couple minutes. This article about French women covered a few of them, so I guess we think alike! Something me and my family have always done is rather than circling parking lots looking for the closest spot, park at a farther spot and get that extra walk in. This burns a few extra calories and it isn’t hard, burning an extra 50 calories ends up being a loss of 5 pounds each year! Anytime you drive somewhere that is walking distance, walk instead if you have the time. I think its funny when I see people stopping their car on the way in the drive way to get the mail. Why? Walk down the drive way and get the mail, maybe even walk around the block once while your down their. Rollerblading is one of my favorite things to do; its fun, gets you places fast, and it’s a great workout. French women also incorporate isometric exercise into their day, using their body weight as resistance. You can contract and hold muscles, or what I like to do in class or library is sit straight up and discreetly lift my knees to work my abs. French women also take care of their core, keeping good posture and doing a small session of sit ups before work. They also use small weights and do quick and simple resistance training.
These are just some of the quick and easy exercises there are to keep in shape. A few others I have used are just stretching in front of the TV during your favorite show, calf raises in the shower, doing yard or house work in ankle weights, walking on your toes (unless it looks weird), washing your own car during the summer rather than driving through one, walking to lunch, and sitting up from your chair often. The ideas are endless. So save some money and some time and find ways to work out while you’re studying, relaxing by the TV, or commuting!

If you want to check out the article, here's the link-

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/autumninnewjeans/4-ways-french-women-stay-thin-without-the-gym-515174/

Kiss the Flu Goodbye!

During the season change, the rate of illness shoots through the roof. These illnesses include the common cold, the flu, sinus infections, and allergies. It is important to stay energized and healthy, especially during the school year. There are many precautions we can take to avoid catching these nasty sicknesses.
The most important is washing your hands, not only after you use the bathroom but all the time; wash them for 20 seconds with warm soapy water. A great idea is to carry around a small hand sanitizer to use on the go when you don’t have soap. Disinfect your surroundings, have disinfecting wipes handy in your room or apartment and disinfect often. Everything you touch is covered in germs; your health book, your computer mouse, and anything else you touch. Therefore it is important to refrain from touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. Sleep is important; 7-8 hours of sleep every night is recommended for people our age in order to stay healthy. After living in a dorm for two years I understand how hard it is to get this much sleep every night. Drink plenty of fluids; 4 16 oz bottles of water a day is a good goal. I carry a water bottle with me at all times and usually get the recommended amount. Fluids are especially important before, during, and after a work out. This brings me to my next tip, exercise frequently and eat a well balanced diet. Keeping in shape will boost your immune system and fight away infections. Exercising and eating well will also keep you away from gaining that dreaded “freshman 15”. There are many vaccinations important for college students to get, so keep yourself updated with vaccinations. When you move away from home for the first time depressions is very common; leaving your friends and family is a huge change. It may take a while to make new friends and adjust to the new environment. Along with this school work can create a lot of extra stress. If this occurs it is important to get help or see a counselor.
All of these tips will help you to staying healthier and happier during college!