An Easy Way To Curb Chocolate Cravings.

Exercise has long been known to have positive effects on mood and energy levels. Exercise is also known to potentially manage addictions. According to research done at the University of Exeter, a 15 minute walk at work can cut chocolate cravings in half. Even in stressful situations, workers only ate half of what the normally would.

In this study that was published in the journal Appetite, a group of 78 regular chocolate eaters were observed. The participants were divided into four groups. Two groups did a 15 minute walk on the treadmill and then were asked to do work at their desk. For one of these groups, the work was a low stress task. While the other group was given a demanding job. The remaining two groups just rested before completing their tasks.

Chocolate was available at the participants desks as they completed their tasks. It was found that those who did the 15 minute walk before consumed half the amount of chocolate as those who did not walk. There was not a difference between the stress of the tasks and the amount of chocolate that was eaten. So this suggests that stress does not contribute to cravings for sweets.

We can often snack on sweets without realizing how much we are eating. Over time this leads to weight gain. Many people turn to snacks to deal with boredom, stress or to get an energy boost. So when you find yourself craving chocolate or other sweet snacks, take a quick walk instead of parking yourself on the couch in front of the TV. While you are walking, not only will you be curbing your cravings, but also getting the benefits of exercise.

Journal Reference:

1. Hwajung Oh, Adrian H. Taylor. Brisk walking reduces ad libitum snacking in regular chocolate eaters during a workplace simulation. Appetite, 2011; DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.11.006

Arnold Classic 2012

The Arnold Classic was in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend. Named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Arnold Sports Festival is the largest multi-sport event in the nation. There are over 175,000 people that attend the event every year. There are more than 45 sports and events as well as over 700 booths in the expo area. Some of the events include boxing, fencing, CrossFit, armwrestling and amateur bodybuilding. Also, there are many celebrities that attend the event. Without the lack of muscles.

When I attend the event it was very crowded, but a lot of fun. I wish I could have visited more of the booths in the expo center than I was able to, but due to the crowd it was a little difficult. There was every vendor there you could ever imagine. There was also the strongman and powerlifting competition I was able to watch, which is astonishing to me. I also watched the gymnastics and cheerleading competitions. It was at the cheerleading competition that Arnold made an appearance.

The Arnold is great for the Columbus economy as well as shedding a light on the health and fitness industry. Columbus has some steps to take in becoming on of the nations top healthiest cities and the Arnold helps bring some attention to that. Hopefully, those that attended the event were encouraged or continued to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Tips For Healthy Skin

Do you want head turning beautiful skin? Follow these tips for the radiant skin that your have been wanting.

No smoking! Smoking wreaks havoc on many parts of your body, including your skin. A team of experts led by Bahman Guyuron, MD analyzed photographs of 186 sets of identical twins faces. The subjects had also filled out a questionnaire about themselves and daily habits. As predicted, the siblings that smoked looked years older than their twin brother or sister. The study showed that "they had more fine lines, deeper and more plentiful wrinkles, and their skin was more mottled." Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels that are in the outer layer of your skin which restricts blood flow. Without blood flow, oxygen and nutrients are depleted which are essential to healthy skin. Smoking damages elastin and collagen which give your skin strength and elasticity. Pursing your lips while smoking also causes many wrinkles around the mouth.

Avoid sun exposure. The same study by Guyuron was used to compare those who had prolonged sun exposure. Those who spent lots of time outdoors had rough, dull skin with an uneven tone. To protect your skin, you should wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen and apply it every couple hours. Sunscreen needs to be SPF 30 or higher and protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

Use retinoids. Retinoids contain vitamin A and they unclog pores, reduce fine lines, lighten dark spots, increase collagen production, and improve skin texture. It is recommended that retinoid use starts in your 20s.

Keep it simple. Overloading your skin with products can do more harm than good. All of these products can be irritating and some ingredients in one may cancel out the benefits of the ingredients in another.

Switching products frequently. Give your products time to work. Switching products every couple of weeks is not enough time to see results.

Diet. Your diet definitely effects how your skin looks. A Healthy diet = Healthy skin. Beauty comes from the inside out. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will get you healthy, glowing skin. Water is also essential, it helps move nutrients in and toxins out.

Exercise. Help reduce stress for healthier skin.

Your bath routine. Avoid prolonged exposure to hot water. Use warm water instead that is gentle on your skin. Strong soaps can strip your skin of essential oils. So instead, opt for a mild one. Also, pat dry instead of scrubbing to save moisture on your skin.

It's never too late!

Exercise Mistakes You Didn't Know You Were Making

We go to the gym to see improvements, but it is hard to see progress if common mistakes are being made. These mistakes may hinder or prevent you from reaching your goals or even worse, cause injuries. Are you guilty of any of these?

Skipping the warm up - Many of us are under time constraints and skip doing a warm up, or we do not think it is necessary. Do a couple minutes of light cardio exercise to prepare your body for more vigorous activity. A warm up will increase your heart rate to get your blood pumping, warm up muscles and ligaments which will significantly reduce your risk of injury and will also make your workout more effective.

Not stretching - Flexible muscles are less likely to be pulled as opposed to tight ones. You should start off your workout with a dynamic stretch. This is a "movement stretch" with motions that mimic your workout routine. A static stretch is when you hold a stretch for a certain amount of time, this should never be done on a cold muscle. Stretching after a workout is best as a a cool down.

Waiting until you are thirsty to get a drink - By the time your body quenches thirst, you are already dehydrated. You need to be drinking water before, during and after your workout.

You do the same exercises every time - Eventually your body gets used to the demands that is placed on it and your body is no longer challenged. You need to vary your workout to "keep your muscles on their toes." If you do the same exercises with the same amount of weight, your results will plateau. You will reduce calorie burn and muscle gain. Make changes every 6-8 weeks.

You have the wrong pre-workout snack - Many people prep for the gym with a snack, like an energy bar. However, these bars may be doing the exact opposite. A lot of energy bars are packed with fiber, which is usually a good thing, but not before a workout. Fiber takes a long time to digest which requires energy, energy that your muscles could be using during your workout. You will start to feel lethargic during your workout and have trouble pushing yourself. Instead try foods that are quickly digested, such as a banana if you really need something.

Skipping your workout - Many people think that they need to spend an hour or so at the gym to make a difference. False! Every little bit counts. Even if it's just 10 minutes of yoga at home, it is making a positive difference

Working out to your max every single day - You body needs to rest and recover. This time is used to rebuild muscle and relieve soreness.

You overindulge post workout - While it is recommended that you eat some sort of carbohydrate 30-60 after your workout, eating too much can "undo" all of the hard work that you just did. People tend to overestimate the amount of calories that they burned at the gym. At the end of the day you need to have burned more calories than you have consumed to lose weight.

Skipping body parts - We've all seen the people walking around with disproportionate bodies. An overly muscular upper body and the scrawny legs because they were the body part that was ignored. Not only does this look funny, but it creates muscle imbalances that can lead to injuries. For example if you work your quads (the front of your legs), your hamstrings (the back of your legs) need to be worked also or you could get lower back pain.

Training smaller muscles before your larger muscles - It is important to work you larger (target) muscle groups before your smaller (supporting) muscle groups. If your supporting muscles fatigue first, you will not be able to effectively workout your target muscles. Ex. you want to workout your back muscles before your biceps. Your supporting muscles will be worked as you are working your target muscles.

Motivation!

Metabolism Myths Busted!

We all know a girl that can eat whatever she wants without gaining a pound and that guy eats a large pizza with a 6 pack and his waist doesn't grow. While we may be envious of how "lucky" they are, is this because of genetics, luck or some sort of secret we don't know about? Many people blame their metabolism on their body size large, thin, round, bony, etc. However, here are some metabolism myths that have been busted!

Thinner people have faster metabolisms -
False! Actually thinner people have slower metabolisms since it takes less calories to maintain their weight. The more muscle that you have the more calorie you will burn. Add weight training to your exercise routine to give your metabolism a boost!

The more I sweat, the faster my metabolism is -
False! There are many other reasons to explain your excessive perspiration such as it is too hot in the gym, your clothes are not breatheable or you were just really working hard!

Men and women's metabolisms are the same -
False! Men have a higher basal metabolic rate which means at rest they burn more calories than women. This is because men have more lean muscle and larger organs. Women also have a layer of subcutaneous fat around their waist which burns less calories than muscle does.

As I get older my metabolism slows down -
False! Kind of. It isn't necessarily because of the number of your age. As we age muscle mass begins to decrease due to lack of exercise and deterioration. However, a woman's metabolism will decrease several years before a man's.

Spicy foods boost my metabolism -
False! There are not any foods that boost your metabolism. However, VERY spicy foods and green tea may give a temporary spike in your metabolism. This spike lasts about 30 minutes, is not permanent and will not speed up enough to promote weight loss.