Posts Tagged ‘exercise’

Do you ever find yourself unhappy, dwelling on the fact that you don’t own a Bentley or a house on Lake Como?  It’s natural to feel mildly envious of others’ good fortunes, but it’s important to keep that envy in check.

One of the secrets to happiness is to remind yourself of what you do have.  You may not jet off to Brazil every year for Carnival, but that annual camping trip you go on with friends or family is just as wonderful in its way.  And one thing we can all be thankful for is good health.

Encourage your body to be as healthy as it can be by eating well, exercising as much as possible, cutting down on stress, and allowing yourself to enjoy a little R & R when warranted.

At Solanova, we have many ways to help you ensure continued good health.  Take a look at our health concern articles, with subjects ranging from back pain to heart health, and everything in between.  And our highly absorbable, quality vitamins and nutritional supplements will help keep your health humming.

So the next time you feel a little jealous that you don’t have that 3- karat diamond ring or house in the Hamptons, put it in perspective.  You have your friends, family and hopefully very good health to be thankful for-and therefore already possess the best things in life.  Enjoy these last weeks of summer!

Ever heard that expression, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”?  I want to tweak that slightly: “the more things stay the same, the less chance they will EVER change.”

The cold, hard fact is this: If we want to change our less-than-stellar health habits, the time is now.  We all have to actually make some sort of concerted effort to do things differently in order to expect different results.

This idea is elementary, I know, but it’s amazing how many of us (myself included) don’t practice what we preach.  Here’s an example:

Last year I noticed that my favorite jeans were becoming harder and harder to button.  I blamed the dryer and the hot water I accidently washed them in one time (months before). Because I didn’t own a scale, I was in relative denial about my gradual weight gain.  I continued to eat my-ahem-nightly bowl of ice cream.  I didn’t have a lot of energy, which lead to me skipping the gym most days.  The less I exercised, the more lethargic I felt and the more I ate (to keep my energy up).  This became a classic vicious cycle.

One day I could no longer deny it and my favorite jeans were banished to the back of my closet, along with the other clothes I couldn’t squeeze into anymore.  That day was my breaking point, my “moment of clarity” if you will.  I forced myself to the gym that afternoon, and most evenings after work.  I stopped eating my beloved ice cream (except on weekends), and tried my best to get enough sleep so I didn’t need to rely on food to enhance my energy.

Everyone has their breaking point, their moment of clarity.  Find yours and then act upon it.  It may take a little while to see some results, but you absolutely will.  Changing your bad habits can ultimately change the course of your health-and life-for the better.  Good luck!

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If you’re still struggling to shed some of those unwanted winter pounds, you’re not alone.  It can be very trying to get rid of excess weight, especially if you aren’t an enthusiastic dieter-and let’s face it-who is?  But now there is some evidence that Omega-3 fatty acid can help lower your triglyceride levels and make you healthier.  Too good to be true?  Better health is just a nutritional supplement away!

It turns out that Omega-3 fatty acids can lower triglyceride levels, increase HDL “good” cholesterol and reduce joint inflammation and some symptoms of Arthritis.  It can also help to reduce the risk of stroke and lessen the symptoms of hypertension as well as decrease the chance of other cardiac complications.

As you’re weaving in good eating and exercise habits into your daily, healthy lifestyle, couple these positive efforts with a quality Omega-3 fatty acid nutritional supplement.  Taking a safe, filtered, high quality supplement will ensure that you are deriving the most health benefits from fish oil, but without the potential dangers from mercury in fish.

A fish fry is fine once in a while, but it’s also smart to seek out other foods that are rich in Omega-3’s.  Cantaloupe, broccoli, nuts and cauliflower are but a few excellent sources of Omega-3’s.  Hit that bike or treadmill and grab a healthy source of Omega-3 fatty acid.  Your heart will thank you!

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Reference:  http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38955“Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid dose-dependently reduce fasting serum triglycerides,” Musa-Veloso K, Binns MA, et all, Nutr Rev, 2010; 68(3): 155-67. (Address: Cantox Health Sciences International, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. E-mail: kmusa-veloso@cantox.com ).

If you’re anything like me, your day may go like this:  Get up early (acute torture for we non-morning persons), check email, make coffee/breakfast/lunch/kid’s breakfasts etc. Jump in your car with seconds to spare, fight your way through ungodly traffic to get to work, school, or both, squeeze in errands in between meetings, stay late, commute home, try to get to the gym for 40 minutes, come back home, cook dinner, clean up the dishes, throw a load of laundry haphazardly into the machine, and read to the kids and/or pass out in front of the TV.  Get up the next day and start the whole chaotic process again.

This strikes me as no way to live.

So last week I took one day and experimented; I only did the things I absolutely HAD to do.  I did get up, made coffee and went to work, fighting the commute and arriving (basically) on time.  But I forced myself to eat a sandwich somewhere other than my desk, and eschewed all non-essential errands.  I found that I had time to take a walk in a nearby park, allowing myself to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, if only for my lunch hour.  When I got back to my desk, instead of feeling harried and frenzied, I felt centered and somewhat relaxed.  I continued with this idea throughout the day.  I drove home, changed into casual clothes and took the dog for a walk around the neighborhood.  I did not go to the gym.  With that extra hour, I spent some quality time with my pooch and actually had a chance to talk to a couple of neighbors who were also out and about.  When the rest of the family came home, we all cooked together and turned our collective noses up at the laundry piling high in the utility room.  It felt great.

The point is this: give yourself permission to kick around the dust bunnies.  It’s very noble to try to do it all day after day after day, but it doesn’t make for a particularly happy or enriched life.  So let yourself have a day or two off from the gym, the cooking, the laundry, and anything else non-essential.  You will feel more relaxed, centered and ultimately more productive.  And if all else fails, send the laundry out once a month.  Let someone else do your dirty work.  After all, you have a life!

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As we grow older, it can become increasingly more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.  Our metabolism is slower, and we tend to lose muscle mass, if not motivation.  But recent research has shown that something as simple as taking quality vitamins and supplements can help battle obesity.

In two studies, one a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 45 obese non-consumers of supplements participating in a 15-week weight-reducing program, and the second a cross-sectional study involving consumers and non-consumers of vitamin and/or dietary supplements, results indicate that use of dietary and/or vitamin supplements may be associated with lower body weight and reduced appetite. In the cross-sectional study, male consumers of vitamins and/or minerals had lower body weight, fat mass, body mass index, and a tendency for greater resting energy expenditure, compared to men in the placebo group. The results were similar in women, although statistical significance was not reached. In the placebo-controlled study, the participants received an energy-restricted diet along with a placebo (placebo group) or multivitamin and mineral supplement (active group) for 15 weeks. Fasting and postprandial appetite ratings were significantly reduced among women in the active group, compared with the placebo group. Thus, the results of this study suggest that intake of vitamins and/or dietary supplements may play a role in weight reduction and inhibition of appetite.

If we can encourage each other to commit to healthier lifestyle choices like exercising regularly, eating properly, and taking healthy supplements, we can fight back against the hands of time and the extra pounds that can accumulate too!

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Discover a healthier you!  Try some of our powerful nutritional supplements and antioxidant vitamins for better overall health and improved weight control.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/36960, “Multivitamin and dietary supplements, body weight and appetite: results from a cross-sectional and a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study,” Major GC, Tremblay A, et al, Br J Nutr, 2007 Nov 1; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Division of Kinesiology, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, G1K 7P4, Canada).

You already bought the Costco sized supply of carrot sticks.  You’ve thrown out all of the chocolate in the house.  You have eschewed your newspaper subscription in favor of walking three blocks to the corner store and back in order to purchase one.  You are trying desperately to eat right, to integrate exercise into your normal daily routine, and you are seeing some weight loss results.  Slowly.  Painfully slowly.

What you need is some sort of leg up.  According to creepy legend or Urban Myth, back in the old days you might garner weight loss aid from a tapeworm purchased from an overzealous magazine ad.  But now there is something much easier and infinitely safer for you to swallow.  It is an Amino Acid called L-Carnitine and it has natural fat burning and energy producing elements.

Many studies have been conducted on the positive effects of L-Carnitine on weight loss.  One such study found that while a balanced diet can deliver 100-300mg of L-Carnitine, supplementing with up to 2 g of L-Carnitine could produce far more favorable weight loss results.  This study took 18 obese adolescent subjects and followed them for 3 months.  The adolescents who supplemented with L-Carnitine experienced a 25% greater loss in body weight, their body mass index dropped by 1.5%, and their total cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels were significantly reduced.  It was also observed that the subjects had fewer sugar cravings, were less hungry, and had markedly more energy than their control group counterparts.

L-Carnitine supports optimal fat oxidation, which can result in body weight reduction.  It can also play a key role in cardiovascular function, improved neurotransmitter function, energy production and fat metabolism. Coupled with a healthy diet and exercise regimen, you could be ready for beach season early this year.  Grab your bikini, and L-Carnitine supplements.  Spring is almost here!

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We have great information about heart healthy supplements, including ones with fat burning L-Carnitine!  Click here for articles about how to increase your energy levels.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/28430, “L-Carnitine Supplementation-A Natural Approach for Weight Management,” Schaffhauser AO, Gaynor PT, Ann Nutr Metab, 2000;44:94-95.

We’ve all seen the magazine covers or talk shows featuring lithe starlets who quip that the only exercise they ever need to sculpt their perfect bodies is yoga.  At first I was incredulous, but then again-I hadn’t taken a yoga class in years until recently.  I have since rediscovered yoga.  Yoga is a challenging practice and wonderful for the body, mind, and spirit.  Anyone who has held a “Revolved Half Moon Pose” for any length of time will understand what I mean.  Among myriad physical benefits, research has also concluded that yoga practice can help mitigate stress and anxiety and can be just as beneficial to our health as good old fashion relaxation.

In a randomized comparative trial involving 131 subjects experiencing mild to moderate stress, participating in hatha yoga for one hour, once a week, for 10 weeks, was found to be as effective as relaxation in terms of reducing stress and anxiety. Subjects were randomized to either receive 10 weekly one-hour sessions of yoga or relaxation. Various questionnaires were used to assess the outcomes. After the 10 weeks, yoga was found to be as effective as relaxation in reducing stress, anxiety, and improving health status on several aspects outlined on the Short Form-36. Yoga was found to be more effective than relaxation at improving mental health. After a six-week follow-up period, while subjects in the relaxation group were found to have higher scores in terms of vitality, social function, and mental health, subjects in both groups were found to have similar levels of stress and anxiety. Furthermore, no significant differences between the groups were found for five aspects of health status outlined on the SF-36. The results of this study suggest that the practice of yoga may be considered as an alternative to relaxation for reducing stress and anxiety. Additional research is warranted.

So grab your yoga mat and sign up for a series of classes.  Yoga can help soothe the stress in your life and just may help you fit into your favorite skinny jeans too!

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For natural stress reduction, try our anti-stress supplement Relora®. Read more about stress reduction and best practices for a calmer lifestyle in our health article archives.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/36431, “A randomised comparative trial of yoga and relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety,” Smith C, Hancock H, et al, Complement Ther Med, 2007; 15(2): 77-83. (Address: Caroline Smith, Centre for Allied Health Evidence, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. E-mail: caroline.smith@acnhw.com.au ).

Depression can sneak up on even the happiest among us.  But some groups seem to be more susceptible than others.  A recent study involving a group of older Japanese men and women who live in communities discovered that drinking green tea several times a day can significantly decrease incidence of depression in the group.  Green tea is also heavy on antioxidant properties and light on caffeine and is thought to be very good for overall health.  And now it can add “natural anti-depressant” to its roster of good attributes.

Of course choosing to live a healthy lifestyle can also make you happy, just as experiencing health problems can precipitate depression in many people.  Exercise can help release endorphins into your body, causing feelings of wellbeing and calm.  And seeking out feel good foods can also contribute to feeling happy (and healthy too).  Foods like wild salmon (rich in omega-3’s and vitamin D), lowfat or nonfat milk, (high in vitamin D and B12), blueberries and strawberries (high in antioxidants/great source of vitamin C) can all help fight free radicals that can cause cell damage and in turn compromise health.

Ideally we’d all eat healthy, vitamin and antioxidant rich food every day of our lives.  We’d train for marathons regularly, bicycle to and from work, and enjoy the requisite eight hours of sleep a night.  But most of us don’t live in this kind of world.  So do the best you can.  Take a walk after dinner.  Eat organically whenever possible.  And take your vitamins and supplements that help to fill in the nutritional gaps from your less-than-ideal-lifestyle.

And at the end of a particularly stressful or bad day, unwrap a little bit of dark chocolate (full of antioxidants), make yourself a cup of green tea, and end your day on a happy note.

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Learn health tips including how to achieve better cardiovascular health.  Read our health articles here.  We also carry natural stress relief solutions.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38595, “Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly,” Niu K, Hozawa A, et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 2009 Oct 14; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Division of Biomedical Engineering for Health and Welfare, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Sendai, Japan).

We spend the majority of our lives enduring other people telling us what to do.  Teachers, bosses, and parents have filled our lives with no-no’s, admonishments, and well-meaning advice.  But here’s a radical idea-just do what you want.  If you want a chocolate bar, have one.  If you want to take a nap, go ahead.  If you feel like skipping down the street…you get the idea.

Something occurred to me after many sweaty hours at the gym, rifling through health magazines and reading countless advice columns.  Maybe obsessively counting calories and other deprivations work for some people, but they certainly don’t work for me.  In fact, it seems to have the opposite effect.  When I tell myself I can’t have something, I want it all the more.

Such is the human condition.

So I’m trying a different approach.  If one afternoon all I can think about is eating a hamburger with fries, I actually allow myself to go and get one.  Two things are accomplished.  Once I give into my craving, I am thereby sated.   Instead of eating everything else in its place and then still wanting the burger, I just have what my body wants and in the end I am convinced that I consume fewer calories overall.  After I’ve indulged in the “treat”, I don’t feel deprived and therefore will eat healthier over the next few days (or weeks in some cases).

I am absolutely not advocating a burger-large fries-pitcher-of-beer-a-day existence.  But I think cutting ourselves some slack once in a while is mentally healthy and can go a long way.  At the very least it can help us to manage our stress.  Because deep down, we all know what the healthy choices are.

Remember, eat as healthy as possible, get plenty of exercise, and catch up on as much sleep as time permits.  It’s your healthy life.  Now go enjoy it!

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To learn more daily health tips, please read our health archives.  Some of our favorites supplements that can boost your immune system, improve sleep patterns, and can promote heart health are found on our products page.

“The sugar rush.”  Sometimes nothing else will do.  When I’m face to face with a box of candy, or a malted milk, I am truly powerless to resist.  And with a certain chocolate-centric holiday just around the corner, I have to tread lightly, or else I will fall into a different category, “the sugar coma.”

All joking aside, sugar is delicious and wonderful to enjoy, especially on holidays and birthdays.  But it is also full of empty calories.  For example, the average soda these days contains up to 10 teaspoons of sugar.  10!  Even though I’m a sugar fanatic, I can’t bring myself to drink much soda anymore.  And that’s a great thing.  Instead I substitute milk, mineral water with a little lime, or even a small glass of wine and I save myself 100’s of calories a day.

Diabetes is on the rise.  It’s sad but true.  Some hypothesize that everything we eat nowadays is laden with sugar, and perhaps these ideas are not far off.  Be sure to check your food labels for hidden sugars, even in items like crackers, soups, and tomato sauces.  Awareness can make the difference in your health and also in your waistline.

Reward yourself properly.  As a society, we tend to reward a promotion, good grades, or any other success or special occasion with a big meal and lots of treats.  Choose wisely.  Now I love cake as much as the next person, but maybe it’s a better (and certainly healthier) idea to splurge on a massage, a night at the theater, or even a new outfit.  You will ultimately feel better, weigh less, and perhaps even spend a little quality time appreciating something you wouldn’t normally do.

Keep up the exercise, and work in lots of vegetables and fruits into your diet.  Take vitamins and supplements like Calcium, CoQ10, and Omega-3.  Get a proper night’s sleep as much as possible, and then, if all else fails, have that chocolate chip cookie with extra walnuts.  But just a couple.  Wash them down with a nice, cold glass of nonfat milk.  You’ve earned it!

Happy Valentine’s Day