…get up, and make it happen! Thanks for the intro, Gloria!
Sitting is something a lot of us do most of the day. In fact, I would guess you are sitting while reading this. So go ahead and stand up to make yourself feel better after reading this.
You’ve probably heard that sitting has been seen to lead to health problems. In an article I recently read it said this:
“numerous studies show rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity are doubled and even tripled in people who sit a lot. Part of the problem with sitting is that it stops the circulation of lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats. So instead of being burned by your muscles, when you’re sitting fat recirculates in your bloodstream where it may end up stored as body fat, clogging arteries or contributing to disease.
In fact, simply standing up as opposed to sitting engages muscles and helps your body process fat and cholesterol in a positive way, regardless of the amount of exercise you do.”
Pretty crazy, right? But it is also something we can do something about. Like standing up NOW.
A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine even found that the longer a person sits at a desk at work, the greater their chances are of being or becoming overweight. Sitting for long hours also puts you at risk of back pain, particularly if you sit with poor posture, leg cramps, tense muscles and, of course, out of sheer boredom.
So here are some tips for sitting less and getting healthy:
- the average person can burn 60 extra calories each hour just by standing instead of sitting
- take the opportunity to stand rather than sit as often as you can. Stand while watching your kids play at the park, stand while you talk on the phone or watching TV, etc.
- Your body can only tolerate being in one position for about 20 minutes before it starts to feel uncomfortable, according to the Mayo Clinic. So about every 15 minutes, stand, stretch, walk around or change your position for at least 30 seconds.
Get on your feet!
And while you’re at it, here are some recipes you might want to try out this weekend. Have a good one!
When I was younger, I’m pretty sure I either didn’t know what an avocado was or I thought it would be gross…because I didn’t try one til just a few years ago. And I feel like I should apologize to the avocado for not giving it a chance for so many years.
The nice thing is, avocados both taste good AND are good for you. And they are pretty dang versatile. Here are some of the impressive stats:
- Despite it’s dark green skin, avocado is known to contain a spectacular array of carotenoids. Researchers believe that avocado's amazing carotenoid diversity is a key factor in the anti-inflammatory properties of this vegetable.
- While it is true that avocado is a high-fat food (about 85% of its calories come from fat), the fat contained in avocado is unusual and provides research-based health benefits
- Some of the health benefits include: anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular health, promotes blood sugar regulation, digestive health, and anti-cancer properties
Here are some tips on how to pick an avocado and store it:
A ripe, ready-to-eat avocado is slightly soft but should have no dark sunken spots or cracks. If the avocado has a slight neck, rather than being rounded on top, it was probably tree ripened and will have better flavor. A firmer, less mature fruit can be ripened at home and will be less likely to have bruises.
A firm avocado will ripen in a paper bag or in a fruit basket at room temperature within a few days. As the fruit ripens, the skin will turn darker. Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are ripe. Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. If you are refrigerating a whole avocado, it is best to keep it whole and not slice it in order to avoid browning that occurs when the flesh is exposed to air.
If you have used a portion of a ripe avocado, it is best to store the remainder in the refrigerator. Store in a plastic bag, wrap with plastic wrap, or place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Sprinkling the exposed surface(s) with lemon juice will help to prevent the browning that can occur when the flesh comes in contact with oxygen in the air.
Want some recipes?!
Southwesten Salmon and Black Beans
Now go eat some avocado goodness!
Ever looking for a way to make a quick yet delicious dish? I have some great news for you. Just try adding OOPS.
Oh, you don’t know what OOPS is?
Olive Oil, Pepper & Salt (sea salt, please).
Seriously, it is all you need.
Put it on spaghetti squash, sliced red potatoes, some fresh salmon, sweet potatoes, kale chips, asparagus…you name it. It is a simple and healthy way to add flavor to your food.
As far as cooking method, you can even mix that up. Toss your potatoes in a little olive oil, spread them on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with pepper and salt and roast for 20-30 minutes.
You can grill your fish or asparagus after applying OOPS.
You can microwave your sweet potato and flavor with OOPS.
The possibilities are endless! Add some OOPS to your life :)
I would guess most of you have heard that chocolate is good for you, right? That all this time we have worried about it being too fattening and sugary, we should have just been eating it? Well…that isn’t 100% true.
Truth: Scientists reported preliminary evidence recently that cocoa may keep high blood pressure down, your blood flowing and your heart healthy.
Truth: The reasoning behind chocolate having health benefits is that the cocoa bean is rich in a class of plant nutrients called flavonoids.
Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. Flavanols act as antioxidants, which protect the body from aging caused by free radicals which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). In addition to having antioxidant qualities, research shows that flavanols have other potential influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that dark chocolate helps to lower blood pressure.
The problem? Not all chocolate is equal. A lot of chocolate doesn’t have high levels of flavanols. If you’ve ever tasted cocoa straight, it has a pretty strong, bitter taste. A taste most people don’t enjoy chomping down on. In order to fix that, most companies process and add sugar and other things to make it so you DO chomp down on it.
The other day I was watching the news and they had a guy from a local chocolate shop talking about their store. They sell high end chocolates (that sounds weird) and he actually said most people aren’t “chocolate lovers” but just plain old “sugar lovers” and they realize that when they go into their shop and taste real chocolate. They don’t like the cocoa, just the sugar and milk and fat added to the cocoa. Interesting, eh?
Typically, dark chocolate has the highest levels of flavanols.
Obviously, that doesn’t mean you should go eat all the dark chocolate you want. First, be careful about the type of dark chocolate you choose: chewy caramel-marshmallow-nut-covered dark chocolate is by no means a heart-healthy food option. Watch out for those extra ingredients that can add lots of extra fat and calories. Second, there is currently no established serving size of chocolate to help you reap the cardiovascular benefits it may offer, and more research is needed in this area. However, we do know that you no longer need to feel guilty if you enjoy a small piece of dark chocolate once in a while.
Hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and enjoy a little chocolate with someone you love!
Ever heard of Meatless Mondays? I have a few times and always thought it sounded like a great idea. But the revolution usually started there, with the thinking. So now I’d like to take that thinking in to action, and challenge you to do the same!
It really all started back during World War I. The U.S. Food Administration urged families to reduce consumption of key staples to aid the war effort. “Food Will Win the War,” the government proclaimed, and “Meatless Monday” and “Wheatless Wednesday” were introduced to encourage Americans to do their part.
The idea would come and go in the coming years. According to a 1929 Saturday Evening Post article, “Americans began to look seriously into the question of what and how much they were eating. Lots of people discovered for the first time that they could eat less and feel no worse – frequently for the better”. The campaign came back again during World War II.
Meatless Monday was revived in 2003 by former ad man turned health advocate Sid Lerner, who saw the prevalence of preventable illnesses associated with excessive meat consumption and decided to introduce Meatless Monday as a public health awareness campaign. The initiative was backed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for a Livable Future and endorsed by 30 schools of public health.
Why go meatless? Check out this video:
(If you’re a subscriber and get my posts through e-mail, you’ll have to click out of the e-mail and onto the blog to see the video, I think)
The benefits really are endless. And what better way to start the week than with some clean eating that helps our bodies?!
The website has a great resource full of recipe ideas for all meals and snacks. Check ‘em out!
~What’s your favorite meatless meal or snack?
For me, it would be nuts and some good ol’ black beans.
Photo Credit iStockphoto.com
