Archive for the ‘General’ Category:
Why is alcohol bad for you?
You’ve probably heard about how red wine is good for you but also about how drinking alcohol is bad for you, right? If you’re curious like me, then you’ve wondered how wine could be good for you when it contains alcohol, which is bad… very very confusing. Today, we’ll take a look at why alcohol is bad for you in the hopes that we can put this contradiction to rest.
When you drink alcohol, your body has to work fairly hard to break it down in your body. One of the products created is acetaldehyde (ethanol is oxidized by alcohol dehydrogenase into acetaldehyde, which is then oxidized into acetic acid). Acetaldehyde has the potential to bind to proteins and form adducts, which can lead to organ disease.
As for processing alcohol, if you drink a lot, you can develop cirrhosis of the liver as it works overtime to process the alcohol. In addition, alcohol contains calories and the additional caloric intake can increase your weight. Finally, there are the effects of alcohol on decision making, motor function, and other core body functions that can lead to disaster.
Alcohol in moderation is generally acceptable but binge drinking can have a very bad effect on your body.
Subscribe to the comments for this postTop 8 Food Allergies
The Food and Drug Administration requires food manufacturers to list common food allergens on food labels and that includes the top 8 food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.), fish, shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.), soy, and wheat.
If a product contains one of those products or is processed in a facility that also processes those products, it has to be clearly labeled on the product. I think that this type of requirement makes sense though it does get a little silly when you look at a package of peanuts and it says “This product may have been processed in a facility that processes peanuts.” (duh)
Lose Weight With 15 Minute Walks
The best way to change your behavior is by making small changes in your life.
If you’re a smoker, quitting cold turkey is very hard. It’s much easier to make small changes, like cutting back how many cigarettes you smoke, than it is to stop smoking entirely.
If you’re finding it difficult to find the time to exercise, try walking for 15 minutes a day. Nothing fancy or strenuous, just take a stroll around the office or the neighborhood, and add 15 minutes of extra exercise into your day. Walking and running burn the same number of calories, so you’re burning as many calories as a 15 minute jog (the difference is in the cardiovascular benefits, running strengthens your heart, lungs, etc.).
If a 15 minute walk isn’t in the cards, do something even simpler. Skip the elevator and use the stairs!
How to Make Dentist Trips Less Painful
This morning I went to the dentist for a routine cleaning. For years, I dreaded going to the dentist. On routine cleanings I would have to endure the painful process of the scraping, the grinding of the water pick, and the grating whir of the polisher. My gums would bleed, my teeth would be sore for days, and I would feel helpless, waiting for the next time the dental assistant would inadvertently jam the pick into my gums. For those of you who cringed when I explained all that, you know exactly how I feel.
It wasn’t until the last year or two did I really stop fearing going to the dentist. The reason is because I started to take better care of my teeth. It sounds silly but regular and routine maintenance really did take what was a dreadful experience and turn it to a moderately uncomfortable experience. 
I don’t like lying backwards and having someone mess around in my mouth, but at least it was quicker and less painful.
What steps did I take?
- Brush properly – There are a million places you can go to read about brushing your teeth but the biggest lesson I learned was that you should brush and rinse until every tooth feels slick. If it feels slick and you’ve brushed it, you’re good to go.
- Floss regularly – This was the number one reason why my dentist trips are now less horrible. Floss removes the junk between your teeth and reduces the plaque buildup, which in turn reduces how many times the assistant needs to scrape away at it (and poke you!) to clean it out.
- Visit every six months – This is the number two reason. My insurance covers two visits a year, yours probably does too, and that means the amount of pain is lessened each time. It also means how much time you spend there is cut down too. I started going twice a year two years ago and in the last three trips, they’ve never had to use the water pick (that’s the water drill that has the ridiculously high whine when they use it, I hated it!).
The steps sounds so simple it’s stupid but they work. It takes only a minute to floss and a few minutes to brush properly, but it’ll save you years off your life in the pain it saves you from when you visit the dentist.
(Photo: Ammar Abd Rabbo)
Weekly Roundup: Childhood Obesity, Breastmilk & Book Reviews
Lazy Man has some good tips for dealing with childhood obesity, here’s one: “Introduce your children to a wide variety of foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables. Consuming lots of fresh produce is a great way to promote healthy eating, and giving your kids variety increases the chances of them finding produce that they truly enjoy eating. A varied diet also has the benefit of a wide variety of nutrients, which is essential to healthy development.”
Thankfully, Ben and Jerry said no to breast milk in ice cream. PETA is craaaazy.
Thinking about getting a copy of Foods That Help You Lose Weight By Neal Barnard, Weight Ladder does a good review of the book.
Don’t Focus on the Scale
Israel recently posted that he would be ditching the scale and weekly weigh-ins because seeing only a one pound drop on Monday really threw his head in for a loop. He’s a smart guy, he knows that it’s just a number and that he’s not a failure, but he’s also human. I personally don’t focus on the scale because I’m human too and your health cannot be boiled down into a single number.
Since I’ve started biking and working out more, I’ve noticed that my weight hasn’t really changed too much but my athleticism has increased. Running is easier and I run faster. I feel healthier and more active, two things that mean more to me than seeing the number on the scale.
Hiking Is Fun But Dangerous
This weekend, my wife and I visited some friends who live in the Poughkeepsie, NY area and, among other things, hiking a little trail Saturday afternoon. It was labeled a “moderately difficult” trail that had an estimated three hours round-trip completion time so we headed up there around 2 pm. My wife and I, and our friends, were pretty ill prepared for the trail as we just thought it was some little path through the woods that would be fairly easy to complete. What we discovered was a trail that required us to get one some hands and knees, climbing over rocks, and looking for hand hand holds; not really difficult but hardly a walk around our local lake. We had no maps, a bottle of water, and our trust of the trail marking system of one white dash or two (and some park service tags). It wasn’t a big deal but when we did get mildly lost, it did give us a little warning that hiking is fun but can be dangerous if you’re ill prepared.
There are three things we should’ve brought that we didn’t:
- A Map: Before you slap yourself and say “Duh!” I have to warn that we thought the trail was just a little walk that could be finished in short order. The trail itself was clearly marked but we weren’t 100% where each trail went. The trail also ended up being far easier to go up than it was to go down, because of the rocks, so our original plan of just back-tracking was adjusted. Regardless, it was a mistake not to have a map (the trail head didn’t have maps either, something we assumed).
- Food: We only ate breakfast at noon and I was starving by the time we made it halfway through. That’s bad… we needed some trail mix!
- Water: We had enough water for our needs but you never know. If we really got lost, we wouldn’t have had enough water.
Even if you think it’s a short hike, be armed with a map and water and food. Don’t be a fool like me.
Why 8 Hours Of Sleep Matters
I’ve always heard that eight hours of sleep is the optimal amount of sleep every person needs, but I honestly get around 6-7 hours each night. After about that long, I start waking up and my brain starts thinking… and then I can’t get it to stop. After a while, it’s really just me lying in bed thinking about “stuff.” I don’t think it’s stress, I just think that I get enough sleep and my brain and body are just ready to get on with the day. After a certain point, I guess my body is tired of sleeping.
New scientific research shows that going without enough sleep for more than an occasional day or two can wreak havoc on your health, memory, concentration, mood, and ability to make decisions – even if you think you’re doing fine.
I can recognize the signs of being tired. My brain gets a little duller, I have a harder time understanding and following what I read, and I start getting hungry when I know I’ve just eaten (it’s my body starving for energy because I’m tired I think). When I recognize that, I usually don’t try to fight through it, I do something else or I take a quick nap. Even if I don’t actually fall asleep, the break helps me power through rather than just drinking coffee or soda.
Anyway, it seems like the experts are now confident that 7-8 hours a night is the optimal amount. Sleep more and your waking hours will be more effective.
Make sleep work for you [Fortune Small Business]
Roundup: Welcome Mr. Low Body Fat & Other Goodies
Mr. Low Body Fat, the newest addition to the Fitness Health Network, has posted the newest inspirational post about Dr. Kal Chinyere (Lost 130+ Pounds!).
JD of Get Fit Slowly wonders if increasing portion sizes are affecting our health, I think they are. As portion sizes increase, mostly for competition reasons (store A has more than store B, store A must be better!), our own minds start to adjust to eating that much. As we eat more, our stomachs expand and we end up needing more food to get “full.” As proof positive, competitive eaters (think Kobayashi or Joey Chestnuts from the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest) will “prepare” for contests by drinking a ton of water so their stomachs expand.
Kevin of Weight Ladder has some good tips for keeping fit while injured.
I agree with Lazy Man, the cookie diet is ridiculous.
Israel of Fat Man Unleashed has lost 4.5 lbs. since last weigh in and his total weight loss since starting the 30-day Isagenix challenge is at 12 lbs.
Welcome Mr. Low Body Fat!
Today I’m proud to introduce a new addition to the Fitness Health Network, Mr. Low Body Fat!
The story of a 310 lb. college English professor transformed into a lean inspirational health machine is one that’s graced the pages of CNN. If you want to read Muata’s journey, he’s chronicled it for all to read and it’s very inspiring.
I also recommend subscribing to his RSS feed, I especially appreciate how honest he is with both himself and his reader and his level of candor is quite refreshing.
