Eating For Health

Have you heard people say, “I need to get in shape.” But then nothing happens.   Oh, they mean to join a gym someday or they join a gym and then don’t go.   Going to the gym is great but so is just going for a walk.   My sister sent me some interesting articles this week about the many ways simply going for a walk benefits your health.      What if you only have a few minutes to walk.   Are there benefits to walking a mere 10 minutes a day ?   Self-confidence – Research has found that a short walk , say 12 minutes (yes, a little more than 10 minutes), can lead to better attentiveness, a more positive mood, and greater self-confidence.   Reduce Your Risk of Death by 15% - a short, 10- minute walk a day, can reduce your risk of an early death by 15%.   A physician , Muir Gray, in the UK states, “I’d advise anyone of any age and activity level to start to fit in at least one 10-minute brisk walk a day as a simple way to get more active, e...

Summer is here and so is hot weather.   What is the best way to stay hydrated?   Some would think drinking 8 glasses of water a day is all one has to do.   But is water really the best way to hydrate?   Are there other ways to stay hydrated like eating a slice of watermelon?   What are the best liquids for hydration?   Kids aren’t always the best at drinking water so what else can parents do to help keep their kids hydrated in hot weather? What is the fist sign that you need more fluids/water?   Believe it or not the first sign that your body needs more water or fluids is thirst.   Another sign is the color of your urine – the darker the color, the more dehydrated you are.   Here are some early warning signs that you are getting dehydrated: Thirst and then feeling lightheaded Your mouth feels dry You feel tired Urine is darker How much water/fluids do you need? From my post, Is water the best for hydration? , I noted the Institute...

When you hear someone giving you nutrition advice – how do you know if it is good advice or some myth?   There is so much information on nutrition and some is reliable and some is not.   Here are 5 Nutrition Myths you may have heard of.     “Sugar is Addictive” – Most people know sugar isn’t healthy.   I was talking with a relative about sugar and she stated that we all need some sugar each day – some white table sugar.   Out of respect, I didn’t argue with her but no, we don’t need any white table sugar.   In fact, our bodies easily make sugar (glucose) out of the carbs we eat each day.   Some people think that if you eat foods with white table sugar or other added sugar, you will be addicted to “sugar”.   Food Addicts Anonymous recommends abstinence from sugar (along with flour and wheat which makes no nutrition sense.)   Science doesn’t back up the claim that sugar is addictive.   An article in the European Journal of Nutri...