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Article from guest author Jennifer McGregor
If you’re a busy working parent, you spend much of your time devoted to others. However, when it is time to take care of yourself, you are probably falling behind. Don’t let time or money keep you from prioritizing self-care. Not catering to your own needs can leave you physically and mentally depleted, and this can affect your job performance. Fuelyourgainz.com offers some great ideas to help you take control of your self-care practice without straining your bank account.
Article from guest author Anya Willis
Protecting the health of your family is probably at the forefront of your mind right now. But keeping everyone shielded from illness isn’t the only way to support their well-being. Regular exercise, which can include a dedicated yoga practice, is important for combating stress and helping your kids release their pent-up energy. Check out the following activity ideas to keep your family healthy and happy as you ride out the pandemic.
(more…)In honor of Men’s Health Month (June), let’s focus on a hot topic that is discussed on a regular basis in the health space. Many of us have the goal of losing fat or building muscle. Either way, calories run the show! In this article, we’ll dive into how calories are manipulated inside and outside of our bodies to direct us towards or away from our health goals!
Is a Calorie a Calorie?
In a chemical sense, yes. A calorie is a standard unit of energy.
According to the law of thermodynamics, if you expend more calories than you metabolize, you will expend the extra stored energy as fuel (commonly known as burning fat).
However, this process of “calories in vs. calories out” is extremely complex! Each of these two variables, and the precise balance between them, depend significantly on a range of factors. We’ll start with the first variable, “calories in”.
(more…)When people face difficulties trying to change their body composition, the metabolism is one of the most common scapegoats. Is this blame warranted?
Maybe a “slow metabolism” is scrutinized for challenges with weight loss or maybe a “fast metabolism” is blamed when it seems impossible to gain weight. It all starts with how we define the word “metabolism.”
These claims are often misguided, and I’ll explain why in this article. Then we’ll explore what you can actually control to change your body composition to reach your goals.
What is the human metabolism?
(more…)In my last article, I’d like to think that the concerns about red meat being harmful to your health have been addressed. The scientific literature just doesn’t establish a clear connection.
Health is a primary driver that causes people to exclude animal-based foods from their diet, but environmental concerns are also substantially motivating. Are these concerns warranted?
As you’ll soon see, the environmental impact of red meat (compared to agriculture) is more complicated than it may seem. The intent of this article is to clear up some of this confusion and present an evidence-based case that addresses all the major variables at play, balancing the entire equation.
(more…)Is Red Meat Bad For Us?
There’s a lot of conflicting information these days on what’s good or bad for us. The federal recommendations keep changing, health gurus from one side say one thing, others say the opposite. Health documentaries, newspaper and research headlines, top-searched websites on Google… Many will give you conflicting information!
Health and nutrition are still emerging fields in the scientific literature and components of these fields are not exact science. Individual differences do exist, which makes the data even harder to process and analyze.
The purpose of this article is to try to dispel any myths that are still paramount and offer a science-based resolution (with a relatively high degree of certainty) with logic and reason to this complex question.
(more…)Quick Background
*As a disclaimer, artificial sweeteners and their impact on the human body are not completely understood. They’ve been around for a few decades, but their long-term impacts are still being evaluated. This article is using the currently available evidence as its basis.
Artificial sweeteners are those that are made synthetically (by humans) and are not found in nature. Common artificial sweeteners are sucralose (i.e. Splenda), aspartame (i.e. Equal), or saccharin (i.e. Sweet ‘N Low).
Natural sweeteners are those found in their natural form and then processed by humans to isolate and concentrate their sweetness. Common examples are stevia leaf extract or monk fruit.
Are They Safe?
We’ve all heard the expression “the dose makes the poison”. This can be applied to just about anything. If you drink too much water, breathe in too much oxygen, eat too much broccoli, or exercise too much… It can literally be fatal!
(more…)Should Lifters Do Cardio?
The days of doing endless crunches to train your core are over!
The core is extremely complex and needs to be engaged and trained in a variety of ways. It should be stable, be able to rotate and resist rotation, and flex at the belly button. And then there’s the obliques! We’ll review a few exercises to cover our bases.
We can simplify core training, and break it down into 2 parts:
- Spinal flexion – Think of the chest-to-belly-button movement, like the crunch
- Spinal stability – Think of bracing and resisting rotation
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Recent Posts
- 7 Hacks to Improve Your Sleep and Your Life
- Clever (And Affordable) Ways To Care For Yourself
- Top Exercise Tips To Keep Your Family Active, Healthy And Strong During COVID-19
- Calories In vs. Calories Out: Why The Simple Equation Isn’t So Simple (UPDATED)
- Metabolism and Weight Loss: What You Need to Know