Earlobe Crease

On Dr.Oz today he had 7 signs your body is aging too fast.
One that i thought was important to share with everyone was the earlobe crease.

the linear crease on the earlobe starting near the head and angling out is a predictor of heart disease.

it is a good indication that the elastin in the body is starting to harden. you arteries need to be elasticy to expand and contract when the heart pumps blood.

keep an eye on your earlobes and those of the people you love. if you notice the crease talk to your doctor about the implications.

Fight Fatige continued...

Make a sandwich or salad with these 5 ingredients and you will be getting all of the 7 nutrients mentioned in the previous post

Spinach ( potassium, magnesium, iron, complex carbs)
Avocados (potassium, complex carbs)
Carrots (beta-carotene, complex carbs)
Red Pepper (vitamin C, complex carbs)
Chicken/Cheese/Beans/Egg (protein)

Add a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing

Fight Fatigue

Here are 7 Nutrients that Fight Fatigue
1. Protein:  eat protein at breakfast to maintain energy throughout the day.  People who skip protein at breakfast are more likely to be depressed, stressed and less physically fit.

2. Iron:  deficiency is a common cause of anemia which leads to a decreased volume of red blood cells causing you to feel tired. Iron is most easily absorbed from meat sources, but you can boost how much is absorbed from your dark leafy greens by combining it with vitamin C

3. Complex carbs (vs. simple sugars):  They are found in fruit and vegetables and break down much slower than simple sugars (ie white sugar, white bread, ect) They break down slower leading to a steadier source of energy that is released into your blood stream over a longer period of time.  Sources of complex carbs are also a good source of fibre and B vitamins which help with energy.

4. Vitamin C: Helps with adrenal health. The adrenal glands release cortisol (stress hormone). So if you increase your vitamin C intake, you can decrease fatigue caused by physical and emotional stress

5. Magnesium:  essential for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - the molecule that is used in the body for energy. Magnesium also relaxes muscles and aid in sleep.

6. Beta Carotene: Vitamin A precursor. This helps boost depressed immune system and with chronic fatigue. It also helps promote healthy cell membrane, protecting against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and allergies. Its necessary for healthy red blood cells.

7. Potasssium. Deficiency causes muscle weakness and exhaustion. Helps transport nutrients to the muscles, regulates muscle contractions and maintains a healthy nervous system and heart rate.

Sodium

Most people are getting somewhere between 2 and 3 times the recommended daily intake of sodium.
For people ages 9-50 the RDA for sodium is 1500mg. However - the average Canadian man gets  4,100mg and women are consuming 2,900mg.
This is BAD. While some sodium is needed for normal cell function, and it needs to be replaced because sodium is lost through urine and sweat, Canadians are getting way too much.

Most of the sodium comes from processed packaged foods. Even things such as milk, and pop has sodium. Make sure you are checking the labels when buying processed foods - and the labels can be deceiving because of the serving size  -so read carefully.

This huge amount of sodium can cause a huge amount of health problems. Sodium causes water retention, which no only leads to bloating but also causes high blood pressure. High blood pressure is hard on your kidneys, your heart  and your blood vessels.

Try to reduce your sodium intake by taking the salt shaker off the table, not adding much or any when preparing food. And always read the labels!

read an article from CBC news here

Quick Tip

Think onions hurt your eyes?  Eatting them might actually be good for your eyes.

Red Onions contain more quercetin than yellow onions. This anti-oxidant is thought to prevent cataracts.

Stressed?

Visit or call your mom.

A study at the University of Wisconsin showed that after a stressful event, talking to or seeing your mom will lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels faster. And even raise Oxytocin which is linked to emotional bonding.

Boost Your Brain Power

Listen to music or play an instrument. 

A study recently published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience found that children with musical training had better vocabularies and reading abilities.
Adults who are musical have more Neuroplasticity - which is the brains ability to adapt and change ie. learn.

So grab your ukulele or your ipod and exercise your brain today

FITT

When thinking about starting an exercise program or wanting to change your current program there are a few things you need to think about. FITT
Frequency
Intensity
Time
Type

Depending on whether you are looking for Health and Wellness Benefits, Fitness Benefits or Performance benefits those four things should be different.  Here are some guidelines.
                   Health & Wellness                 
Frequency    3-5 days Moderate intensity
Intensity      50-60% MHR                 
Time            30-60min @ 50-60mhr                    
Type            Steady and continuous. low intensity                
                 Fitness Benefits
                  5-7days Moderate intensity.
                  70-85% MHR
                 20-60min @ 70-85mhr
                 Steady continuous
                 Performance Benefits
                  5-6 days moderate-high intensity
                  90% MHR
                 20min-2hrs depend on intensity

                 Steady, continuous
- for health & wellness, fitness and performance you should incorporate as much large muscle mass as you can i.e. legs and hip muscles, core (ab and back). Incorporating small muscle groups (such as arm and shoulders) at the same time will burn more calories.

(MHR = max heart rate calculated using the formula  220-age )

circuit training

here is the circuit i have been doing recently at home.  all you need is a step or bench, a mat, and some weights - 3 - 7.5 lbs weights (whatever you can lift 10-12 times and gives you a good workout)

Warm up:

Jog in place 1 minute

Arm swings 30 sec

Jumping Jacks -30

Legs:

Step Up (I use my coffee table)

Plie squat

45 Degree Lunge

Chair Pose

Cardio:  30 sec each

Jumping Jacks, Jogging on spot, Skipping on spot

Abs 15 each

Crunches w/ legs lifted

Reverse Crunch

V -Sit

Side Plank (30 sec each side)

Cardio (same as above)

Arms: 10-12 reps each

Push ups

Bent Over Row

Bicep curl

Tricep Curl

Chest Fly

Cardio +Cool down

Jumping Jacks, Skipping on spot

Walk on spot

Stretch