New Years Eve Guide To Drinking

One of my favorite blogs posted a great guide to smart alcohol consumption for the new year. Many health professionals persuade alcohol abstinence. While this may be no sweat for some, its good to figure in some of your regular behavior when considering healthy choices.

It is possible to indulge from time to time and you shouldn't have to skip out on traditions or social events all together because you're looking to get fit. This guide I found does a good job at reminding us about the most important rule while drinking, to be smart and responsible.

Having a good healthy meal before you go out for the evening will act as a good base to protect your organs against alcohol damage. Avoid mixed drinks and dark beers as both can pack on the calories. In addition, don't be afraid to ask for water between drinks. It can lessen the amount of alcohol you actually take in if you slow your night down and play it smart.

In addition, remember that other drinks can be heavy in calories as well. Juices, soft drinks, and coffee drinks (with additives) all pack a mean calorie punch to your diet.

Importance of stretching and flexability

The importance of stretching and flexibility has been talked about for years. However its often over looked or not done properly.

And while there has been a long debate over if stretching before or after exercise is better. Stretching before exercise is recommended for vigorous activity, to prepare your muscles to move. You'll find a better range of motion or movement if you stretch before hard, because your body is more prepared and has been warmed up for activity.

Afterwards stretching is also recommended to help work as a warm down, and to move the lactic acid you build during activity out of the muscles.

An article from the department of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University says that age in particular effects your range of motion the most. Daily activities are influenced by our flexability. Regularly stretching can help lengthen and restore muscles back to their younger form. The GSU article says stretching can help

relax your mind and tune up your body,
preserve range of motion
maintain flexibility
prevent injury during exercise
prepare muscles for vigorous activity
develop body awareness
promote circulation

The GSU article, including a list with pictures and descriptions of some helpful daily stretches is available here.

For length of stretching, this Q&A on the Runners World website has a good response to the amount of time you should promote to working your muscle flexibility. In general, about 30 seconds holding for each stretch is best.

Slowly moving forward to a steady hold is ok, but try not to bounce or move around too much while stretching as you could do more damage to your muscles than good.

For more information on stretching and flexibility, here is a great videojug video on stretches to improve flexibility.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a serious problem that affects millions of women. The calcium deficiency disease can damages your bones significantly.

Video-jug has a great osteoporosis library that I couldn't pass up sharing. They have clips from a certified doctor about everything from the definition and cause of the disease to treatments and prevention.

I highly suggest checking out what the library has to offer even if you aren't currently experiencing symptoms.

Winter Sports

I love being home with my friends and family for the holidays. The best part about spending time at home is the time we spend packed on the couch playing cards, watching tv and catching up. In addition, when on topic, my siblings and parents are quick to spout out new ideas for A Sizable Apple posts, and always tell me about the newest recipes and workout tips they've tried.

Recently, my sister had the idea to highlight some of the best ways to exercise during the winter season. I know not all my readers get to experience cooler climates, but living in Michigan all my life, I can't help but do a little research on how to make half the year a little more enjoyable outside.

My mother is an avid runner and the winter months don't stop her. She'll be out while the sun is rising getting her miles in for the day. She uses YakTrax every morning to add a little support on her running shoes in the different conditions.

Years ago, me and my dad use to go cross country skiing around town, and while we don't have the equipment anymore, it's a great activity, along with snow shoeing for a crowd and to get children involved with. I've even seen families trek through neighborhoods on snowy winter days. New equipment of any sort can get expensive, but if you look through local garage sales, re-selling sports shops and online you may be able to find a decently priced set.

Ice skating, skiing, snowboarding and sledding are all great calorie burners as well, and since moving in snow or sand is more difficult, even snow ball fights can be a great way to get a workout and enjoy the weather.

For all your winter outdoor activities, its important to remember that hypothermia can be a very dangerous problem. Here is a great link to a site I found which discusses winter sport safety.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my readers!

I hope you take today to spend time with your family and friends and take a break from your quest for a healthy lifestyle.

Check out more of this comic here.

Cardio Craze

The best means of healthy weight loss have been proven to be a balance of healthy eating habits and regular exercise. Specifically, women should strive to meet the daily calorie intake (check out my article on the personal calorie counter), as well as the recommended daily activity (at least 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity 3-5 days of the week). For women looking to lose weight, shape up, or keep fit, continuous cardio workouts are the best route. Cardio work is beneficial for more than fitness results as well.

* It's one way to burn calories and help you lose weight
* It makes your heart strong so that it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood
* It increases your lung capacity
* It helps reduce risks of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
* It makes you feel good
* It helps you sleep better
* It helps reduce stress

From About.com As for best means of cardio work, it all depends on what you're favorite is, and what activity you are able to raise your heart rate doing. Suggested routine for cardio work is a solid warm up to prepare your muscles, then picking a comfortable pace to workout at, monitoring your heart rate manually or with an electronic heart rate monitor. Some recommended cardio activity include step aerobic, running, walking, biking, swimming, elliptical and rowing. For more cardio information, check out the following About sites for some more detail- intensity, top cardio exercise, cardio for beginners.

Holiday Coffee Drinks

Picking up a coffee to keep you going throughout the day is more a regular activity than it ever use to be. Especially for those on the go, Starbucks is just as necessary to have in hand as is your briefcase. I've been doing a lot of reading lately about our favorite coffee drinks. Most favorites are as much calorie wise as a full meal!

This article takes a good look at just how taxing some quick drinks are. As the winter months come upon us, trips to the coffee shop to warm up will most certainly increase. It's important to keep in mind how taxing these drinks can be, and to think about alternatives.

Video: Alternative medicine

The interest in alternative medicine in America has risen significantly from a few decades ago. Techniques from Asian countries have moved their way to the west and proven that different methods of healing can help in cases of pain or suffering.

Alternative methods like meditation have brought many peace and serenity. The spreading of eastern medical ideas was proven by Oprah's acceptance of acupuncture a few weeks ago.

While there are few doctors in the states that can supply alternative means of medicine, there are several at home practices as well. The surge of yoga and pilates believers is a great example of the American embrace of eastern practices.

This video jug library of alternative medicine has great information on a few of the most common practices. Although not all of them are eastern related, the library offers great video chapters on chiropractic medicine, hypnosis, yoga, pilates and massage.

Here is another link to videojug looking at acupuncture treatment individually. I'd highly suggest checking it out if you have any curiosity in any of those fields, or if you are currently practicing, as videojug does a great job of incorporating basic introductions and additional in depth information.

Wheat-grass

Just recently I came across the idea of drinking a blend of wheat grass for health benefits. I've heard that the grass, which is usually blended and drank like a shot, has some of the same incredible vitamins that dark vegetables provide.

So is it worth it? This article from Stanford writes wheat grass off as a marketing gimic, while this site provides 40 reasons to wheat grass benefits.

While some sites boast the extreme levels of nutrients and other benefits, the old fashion approach to meeting nutritional guidelines will stand strong as my favorite method. After all, sticking to a recommended diet with a multi-vitamin will help you satisfy multiple aspects of your diet. What's your take on wheat grass?

Favorite Links

Key to Aerobic Success
Here is a great article on continuing with aerobic exercising. (Check out my earlier post on the differences between aerobic and anaerobic workouts.)

Eat to Beat Stress
Women's Health Magazine had a great feature on 9 foods that can help combat stress. Definitely worth the read, and great ideas for snacks to keep on hand when times get tough instead of ice cream and candy bars.

Eat This Not That
Kelly has a great review of the book over at her blog Basil and Spice. The author, a Men's Health Magazine writer has written a few books already but this one looks promising with its every day usable information.

Fact or Crap? Choosing A Personal Trainer
Here is a great feature on things to look for when looking for a personal trainer. Making sure you're getting quality information from a knowledgeable source before you take any of their guidance to hear.

Make It Your Way
Here's a great feature on recipes to make on your own that mimic the great taste of fast food places at a much healthier cost. (Check out my post on Fast Food Attacks.)

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Lunch Box Diet

I found this interesting diet, called the Lunch Box Diet, on a new diet blog I've been peaking around at. It's called the Lunch Box Diet, and the concept is to fill a plastic lunch box 60% full with fruits and vegetables, 30% lean proteins and 10% dressings.

Although the creator, Simon Lovell a personal trainer from England, dislikes calling the concept a diet, although it's been covered by Elle Magazine as so. The idea is to munch on the contents in the lunch box for lunch and dinner, every hour throughout the afternoon.

Personally, I think the idea is valid, but question its practability. For those constant snackers, sticking to the 60/30/10 idea and only relying on the box may be a helpful way to get through the day. The boxed multi-meals will definitely combat over eating. In addition, pre-packing meals for the day is a good way to insure you make all your fruits and veggies in for the day.

However, many women are on hectic schedules that end with coming home and fixing dinner for some hungry little ones. Creating dinner out of your box may be a problem then.

Ideally, I think the lunch box plan is great for a single woman with a hectic work life. If you're on the go, in the office past 5, or find yourself looking for a quick solution to dinner solo; a lunch box meal plan could be a good solution to your munching habits.

Here's a link to the Elle Magazine review, and another to Simon's diet site. What's your take? How do you keep from snacking throughout the day? Would the lunch box diet work for you?

Pulse Rate

Monitoring your pulse rate during activity is key to your health. Over working your heart can lead to bodily harm including feeling faint and dizzy, actually fainting or falling unconscious, heart attack, or death.

On the opposite spectrum, working out at a low pulse rate will not benefit you as much as working in your target heart rate zone.

There are two simple ways to check your pulse. One is manually. This site does a very nice job of describing ways to check your pulse using your fingers.

Another way to monitor your heart rate is with an electronic heart rate monitor. These usually consist of a band that straps around your chest (females, under your breasts) and a coordinating wrist watch that reads from the monitor on your chest.

Heart rate monitors can get pricey, so unless you have heart problems, or exercise frequently, usually checking your pulse rate manually will do. My favorite most trusted brand of heart rate monitors are from the Polar line, but here is another link of monitors for under $100.

Favorite Links

Body Philosophy
Here is a very disturbing but well written article taking a look at body image issues in young girls ages 6-12. Interesting to hear what some of these girls have to say about their looks, and why they feel that way.

Winter Foods
Real Simple Magazine has a great guide to cooking and storing the best of winter produce. From squash, to lemons check this link out to get the best out of fresh produce in the colder months.

Fake Bacon
Real Age had a great feature on a few different types of bacon substitutes, all lower in calories and fat. Definitely worth checking out for any bacon lovers!

Daily health mistakes & fixes
One of my new favorite blogs to check out does a great job at analyzing a couple typical mistakes we make everyday like skipping breakfast, and making dinner out of the drive through. After addressing the mistakes, the site goes into detail about damage control and what to do next time.

Winter Sports
This post does a good job of highlighting ways to stay active during the colder months. This would not only be a good read, but something to tape up in the hot chocolate cabinet to remind you of your options to stay active!

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Diet Review- 10 pound melt-down

Shape Magazine has a new feature on losing 10 pounds fast. Although I hear most women talking about wanting to lose more than 10 pounds, this day by day break down guide.

What I like most about Shape's 10 pound melt-down feature, is how simple the magazine makes it sound. The magazine breaks down a weeks worth of meals into 3 snacks and 3 meals.

They make dropping the weight within a week or two seem simple. Taking weight loss goals in smaller increments like 10 pound steps has been shown to be more successful.

What I'm not so keen about is their fitness recommendations. Shape says to meet your 10 pound loss, you'll need to fit in 300 minutes of cardio during the week. Assuming you flock to the gym for all the days of the week, this breaks down to about 40 minutes of cardio a day, which is well over the 30 minutes of cardio work for 3-5 days a week recommended by the US health department.

Most likely, if you're doing 40 minutes a day of cardio work, you're not looking for Shape Magazine to tell you how to drop 10 pounds. Jumping into a new fitness program as intense as Shape recommends could leave participants injured or set up for failure.

My suggestion to those interested in the 10 pound melt-down would be to implement some of Shape's ideas into your normal routine. Odds are, if you are able to slowly incorporate some new habits like a positive change in nutrition or extra time in the gym, you'll stay on a healthy track longer than someone crash dieting.

Shape's week long meal plans are all helpful and nutritious. Calories for the day are already set so following each day will keep you on a good routine. If you're looking at a quick weight loss, increasing your cardio activity will help more so than any other exercising.

For extended results, I'd recommend setting up a one time evaluation with a doctor or physical trainer for personalized workouts that can specifically benefit your goals.

Healthy eating for holiday parties

'Tis the season to bring out that holiday cocktail dress, party hop and enjoy time indoors with family and friends. But, for all the party hopping you do this holiday season, how do you keep your figure and enjoy the best munchies at the bash?

Real Simple Magazine posted a great guide to choosing between red and white wine to simple appetizers. Here are my favorites from their guide:

Red or white wine?
Red wine wins this one for its cholesterol healthy and anti-blood clotting benefits. But, if you're prone to headaches, stick with white over red instead.

Hard vs. soft cheeses
When going in for the dairy, it's best to stick to soft cheeses which can be up to 40 calories less than its harder counterparts. On the other hand, you will get a more powerful punch of calcium from harder cheeses, offering up to 200 mg more.

Pigs in a blanket or mini quiche?
Although both options won't work wonders for your figure, quiche will score you some nutritional benefits like calcium and protein.

Ham vs. roast beef Both are great sources of protein, but roast beef will score you almost three times as much iron, vitamin B. Ham contains more sodium than roast beef.

Chocolate kisses or candy canes?
This one goes to the cane. Although candy canes are almost pure sugar, nibbling on one of these will hold you over longer than a kiss.

Check the link for more tips like gingerbread vs. sugar cookies and coco vs eggnog as well. And as always, consider alternative tricks while out during the holidays. Filling up before you go out will save you from munching too much, and socializing away from the kitchen counter will also help you limit snacking on holiday treats.

Nutritious choices on a budget

Recently I've heard a lot of talk from friends about how hard it is to stay healthy with a hectic life. In addition to that, much of the issue is on food and money.

Nutrition education has started to grow because of our national obesity epidemic, and although lots of women understand what eating healthy takes, few can actually afford a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.

However, eating healthy is not just about the expensive produce section. There are other ways to eat well, especially on a budget.

Canned Fruits- I must admit, if given the choice, I would always vote for fresh fruit over canned. However, canned fruit is one of the cheapest items in a grocery store, and also one of the most versatile and often over looked.

Canned fruits can be strained and washed for a fantastic quick fruit salad, and the juices left behind can be tossed with any sort of meat, used as dressing for salad or pasta, or the liquid base for rice.

Frozen Vegetables- Again, not nearly as glamorous as the fresh section, but there are many benefits to buying frozen. First off, frozen assorted vegetables are quick and easy. You can throw them in the freezer and forget about them for awhile, and still come back to them later, something not remotely possible in their fresh form. Also, they are much more affordable and often pre-cut.

One example of the beauty of frozen vegetables is my favorite pineapple chicken stir fry which takes literally 5 minutes to make and is well under $10. Combine frozen veggies, grilled chicken strips with canned pineapple bits (and or pineapple juice, very cheap) and soy sauce.

Get your meat in on a budget-Sadly, there's not too many ways to get around this one. Getting fried chicken at KFC is always going to be cheaper than buying the good healthy version.

I like to buy the biggest bag of frozen chicken breasts I can find and keep it in my freezer for whenever I need it. It can get a little pricey, but you definitely get your money's worth and if you can split it with roommates, you'd be in good shape.

How to do carbs right- Whole wheat products, again, are most expensive than white bread or plain pasta. However, this may be helpful in your nutrition quest.

As a pastaholic, I haven't quite found a love for whole wheat pasta. When I do eat pasta, I try to mix half whole wheat and half regular, which has cut my noodle consumption.

What are some budget and health issues you have? What tricks do you use to manage your nutrition? What aspects of your health are still tricky for you to manage?

New tool & usage- adding stretch bands to your workout

I was first introduced to stretch bands as means of alternate strength training during my swimming career about 7 years ago.

Like big rubber bands, these training tools can be used in a variety of ways during exercising. Because of their variety and ease, stretch bands make for a great travel companion.

I've been hunting for awhile to create a good post about exercising while traveling, and stretch bands have definitely proven to be a great tool to keep fit on the go. Because stretch bands work of the resistance of your own body, they are especially great to use for anyone with an injury, handicap, or new to exercising.

They're also quite inexpensive, and mold to different routines as your ability changes. One new blog that caught my eye this week had a great feature on stretch bands, including a video with different usages as well.

I highly suggest any readers who aren't familiar with the use of stretch bands to check out the video or this link which shows some typical exercises using stretch bands with handles on end.

Here is a link to an Amazon.com page selling stretch bands with handles, and here at yogaaccessories.com is another great place to order stretch bands at a great price.

Personalized Calorie Counter

Your daily calorie intake depends on several different factors. If you're younger, more active, or smaller framed, you'll need more calories daily than someone older or less active.

Counting calories daily is one of life's less exciting chores, and can also be near impossible. But knowing what your intake should be is a good way to figure out a ballpark to base your shopping and daily intake off of.

RealAge has a great online calculator where you can plug in your personal stats to determine your personal calorie intake. The site also breaks down your fats, carbs and protein intake by percentage, grams and calories specifically, helping you narrow down your intake even further.

Favorite Links

Fast Food Freaks Rejoice Here's a great look at how to use takeout and fast food menus to your advantage. The site offers some great tips on how to eat well when you're faced with the choices of burgers and fries. Definitely a must read article for anyone who travels often or drawn to the golden arches.

Laptops & Posture One of my recent new favorite blogs takes a look at the health risks to using laptops, especially in those late teens to twenties. Definitely worth thinking about our time and attitude while at work or school and on a computer.

Energy Drink Evaluation I've wanted to write a post on the real effects of energy drinks for awhile, but this post summed up my thoughts pretty well. Keep in mind that the companies of these products are not held responsible for the advertising and terms they print on the cans; a theory that is also looked at in this link.

Dietary Fat Explained I know as a non-nutritionist, my knowledge for the nutrition label only goes so far. When it comes to dietary fats. In this link, a trained fitness professional does a great job of breaking down trans-fats, saturated fats, monounsatuated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Make your own protein bars

Protein and granola bars are great to keep on hand. If you're on the go, need a quick breakfast, or a fast snack, reaching for something prepackaged is always tempting. However, packaged snack bars can be full of sugar, or quite expensive for the healthier versions.

A favorite among my siblings when we were little were Kudos bars, which were basically a chocolate covered granola bars plus chocolate chips and candy bar crumbles.

As evident by Kudos, the idea of nutritional snack bars has quickly spun out of control. Marketing to obese consumers who are more interested in flavor than nutritional values, snack companies are competing and taking over those companies who pride themselves on nutritional products.

Especially for parents, creating a healthy snack they can make with their children that is tasty is a perk. I'm all for home making simple dishes as often as possible, to control intake. So, when I caught an article and video post for making your own protein bars, I had to share it with my readers.

The recipe I found was very simple and also included the nutritional information as well. In addition, it seems fairly easy to substitute ingredients for something else. Dried fruit, cereal, or broken pretzels, could all be great additions to snack bars. While the following recipe was recommended, but altering the ingredients could keep some healthy variety in your life. Here's the recipe as given from the article I saw.

Stir together the following:
2 cups raw oatmeal
1 cup protein powder
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups trail mix
1/2 cup ground walnut
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup honey
2 cups peanut butter

Move into oiled container & cut into bars

nutrtition facts: serving size 1 bar (68g) serving per recipe 24 amount per serving: calories 310 total carb. 31g 10% dietary fiber 4.2g 17% protein 11g

Here's a quick link to the article, and also a link directly to the video.

100th Post!

Dear Readers-

After just over 3 & 1/2 months of blogging, asizableapple has reached its 100th post!

I'd like to take this time to thank all my readers (be it your first time on the site or 100th!) for making posting every day a joy. I have truly enjoyed bringing you the best information on women's health and fitness I can find, and also love reading all your comments and emails.

As always, please feel free to email me (asizableapple@gmail.com) with any questions, comments or ideas you have for the blog. Happy Reading!

Health Dilemmas Solved

It's a matter of life- should I have another chocolate? Work out twice today? Pizza for dinner or Chinese? As human beings, we're not perfect, and days come and go with health toss-ups and decisions.

Thankfully, Real Simple magazine has paired up some of the toughest food and wellness choices to find the best choice all together. Here are some of my favorites-

Post dinner restaurant woes-
Your meal is wrapping up, but your night isn't finished yet. Should you go for a second glass of wine or dessert? RS says dessert! Real Simple says women should have one serving of alcohol a day, although they do suggest to choose your post dinner treat with moderation.

Sleep in or workout-
Real Simple says although eight hours of sleep is a recommendation, daily workout beats snooze time. Even those who enjoy their beauty sleep can grow accustom to waking up early.

"Going outside to exercise in the morning light will help reset your body clock and eventually make it easier to wake up earlier," explains Shawn D. Youngstedt, Ph.D., a sleep researcher at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Do or don't doughnut in the morning-
If it comes down to the doughnut or skimping on breakfast in the morning, RS suggests going with the doughnut. Although the pastry isn't the best for your body, starting the morning on empty is even worse for your system.

As for Chinese or pizza, RS suggests Chinese instead. Pizza is higher in calories and fat while you may get a couple good for you veggies in your Chinese takeout.

I'd highly suggest checking out the link for some great other tips on weights vs. cardio, stretching vs. walking for warm-up, and 3 workouts a week vs. a massive weekend blow-out.

What sort of toss-ups do you face throughout the week? How do you decide?

How Much To Burn?

A candy bar now and then is no problem. Many women trade off the enjoyment of a quick bar of chocolate for a longer workout. But how hard do you really need to work to burn off your not so healthy lunch?

RealAge has a great calculator to figure out what it will take to burn off whatever you munch on. From fresh fruit, to candy, breads, soups and condiments, the calculator has an extensive list so you can choose an almost perfect match.

A second drop down menu lets you pick your form of activity. The program then matches the two and figures the time it would take to burn off the food.

Working out daily for the time the program requests to burn off the food you intake in a day is not realistic and not healthy. However, it's interesting to look at the site and see just how much that Kit Kat is costing you.

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Related Resources:

No matter what fitness company you go to, majority will prefer
stepper amongst the entire range of fitness equipment available.
A few may go for the trampoline too.

BMI- TMI

My take on health sites that depend on user information and hidden formulas to determine health statistics.

After all the health hunting I've done on the internet, I've come across many pages that promise to help you with this, that, and figure out exactly what you need based on your plug ins. I've been told what my body age is (as apposed to to my annual calendar age), what my exact workout plan should be, my daily calorie intake number down to a tee, and now my body mass index as well.

While some of these sites are obviously more legit than others, it's an interesting thought to plug in minimal information about yourself to be chugged through a hidden system and provided with a figure. What do you believe? If you run with the information from every site, you're a fool of the system. What kind of calculator and system are these sites using? Is someone behind the site a legitimate health figure, or someone after your visit?

I've always tried to pass along sites that I believe are the most accurate and well handled. However I'm not a doctor and I only have what I've learned through blogging, nutrition and my web knowledge. I hope that as readers, you visit every site with a grain of salt and take nothing as a serious end all be all word.

That said, the latest site I've come across, offers a body mass index finder which uses your height and weight to determine your standings. This site actually shares their equation, plus backs their information up with a government health site. While their calculator cannot determine your fat to muscle ratio, it does warn at the bottom that they may incorrectly place you depending on your athletic build.

While I always think relying on a computer program to give you such important health figures is dangerous (a doctors visit is always best), keeping a general figure in mind is good to have in mind for those health conscious.

Exercise Boosts Mental Health

Keeping up with routine workouts has been linked to help strengthen mental health. One recent article I found did a great job of breaking down how your brain is really effected by biking at the gym.

Mood
Regular workouts has have been proven to lessen anxiety and lead to generally all around happiness. The increase in flexibility and physical implications make every day tasks easier and generally more enjoyable for adults which adds to the increased level of happiness when constantly working out.

Memory
The same study found that those with an increase in daily activity scored better in cognitive testing than adults who skimp out on regular exercise. Keeping physically active has a positive effect on memory and has been proven to lengthen the time in which older adults may start to loose memory function.

Stroke & Alzheimer's
Studies show brain flow begins to slow at an older age, leaving adults more prone to stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Constant exercise keeps blood flow throughout the body and brain regular, lessening the risk for these two common health issues later in life.

Scientists have shown that exercise can increase the number of brain cells as well as increase levels of protective molecules in the brain. This means that exercise has the potential to slow neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, or repair damaged or aged brains.

Do I look fat in this suit?

This past weekend I was sitting at home watching football with my dad and sister's fiance. Charles Barkley was shown on the sidelines in a extremely unflattering shot from the gut up. The commentators followed with a line about how many Thanksgiving dinners he's enjoyed. I made a comment about how unflattering the whole scene was.

My dad and sister's finace added with their thoughts on Barkley and the comments. In addition, one of my male friends at school is constantly worried about his weight and expresses concern to get to the gym more often.

Point being, I think as women, we tend to forget that body image issues are not a single sex issue.

Men also have body image concerns, and while they are not as open and discussed as typical female image concerns, theirs linger just the same. One site I found said that when surveyed, 45% of men admit they are unhappy with their appearance to the 55% of women who were less than satisfied with their physiques.

However unlikely this sounds, its a true testimate to the conversational differences between men and women. While women's body issues gain more media attention on television, magazines, and around all local water coolers; men's body concerns are rarely discussed. This concept leads women to believe men are much more confident creatures, and often lead to body talk escalating.

Advertisements in all media outlets have always favored the thinner most beautiful women to lead in every campaign from cologne to chocolate. While men are less represented. What women sometimes fail to understand is while females take these ads to heart, men do as well.

What areas of your body are you most self conscious about? Have you noticed any body image concerns with men?

Serious Calorie Cuts

Thanksgiving may be over, but more holiday dinners are just around the corner. Looking for ways to home cook holiday meals is a definite way to help control calorie and fat intake. But, some of the best tips I've come across can be used all year round to drastically change your calorie intake in some of your favorite recipes.

Women's Health Magazine has an outstanding article on short cuts to trimming oils and substituting to make the best of your favorites.

Tips like an oil spritz, baking for fried flavor, and substituting with broth are some of the most notable tips shared which cut from 100 to almost 3,000 calories.

The site also gives great tips on cutting calories with pasta substitutes. Cauliflower, squash, or tofu noodles can save you hundreds of calories.

Overall, I definitely recommend checking it out for every day solutions and daily swaps that can save you a bundle. What substitutions do you make at home? What kinds of non-healthy favorite flavors are you looking to switch up for?

Favorite Links

Nutrition Lingo Defined
In a fog when it comes to antioxidants, and free radicals? This site defines a few of the common nutritional jargons.

Diet Ditching
Keeping to a strict diet is hard, especially when trying to enjoy food with a larger group of friends or family who may not be so thrilled about skipping cheese for your shredding of pounds. It comes with an 8 week layout of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks to keep you on the right track. This link gives some great tips and recipe ideas for all around healthy dinners that everyone can leave feeling good about.

Cooking Methods for Health
Bake, broil or microwave? The way you prepare your food can drastically change its health benefits. Here's a good rundown of the top 5 ways to take care of preparing your food, along with some great recipes to practice.

Snack Successes
When the next meal is just too far away, this site gives 9 tips on healthy snacking that will keep you away from chips and cookies.

Breakfast Woes
For busy bees on the go, getting in your morning honey is easier said than done. The most valuable meal of the day often goes skipped or skimped without much attention. Here's a good look at a couple different options for breakfast that are quick and delicious. The site has a good variety and even dresses up the doughnut in a healthy way.

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Favorite Links

Girlshealth
This government run site was designed specifically for girls in the 10-16 age group. If you're a parent of any aged child, or have any younger girls close to you, I would recommend taking a look around the site and perhaps passing it on. It gives younger girls the chance to feel accepted within a community that gives relevant correct information that they may not feel comfortable talking to other friends or parents about.

Pain Management
This site combines articles from doctors with great in depth information on pain management through multiple different healing options. It also has a decent dictionary like feature to find a correct name to what your pain may really be.

Coping with Stress
This sunny site has some great tips on dealing with stress, as well as a community message board feature. There's an area to search for a therapist in your area if you're looking for that kind of help, tips of the day, tips from a health expert and several great articles about dealing with stress as well.

Alternative Medicine
Another site formated like the two above, with message boards, links to articles, helpful tips, ect. An interesting look at alternative medicine organized really well with a lot of very authoritative sources.

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! No new post today, check yesterday's double post for a great lengthy feature on holiday eating.

Holiday Control

A Sizable Apple Readers:
I wanted to post a holiday eating guide before Thanksgiving. Here's a few tips to managing the season of food successfully. Enjoy the early post, and have a good Thanksgiving!

Welcome the holiday season, time for family, friends and the temptation of mass amounts of food. It's the time of year where a majority of diets go sour, and the beginning of the I'll definitely get to the gym tomorrow compromise for another cookie which turns into six.

The Washington Post estimates that Americans eat about 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving alone, which is more than double the daily recommendation.

This year, don't let the holidays be your excuse to give in no matter what stage of health you're in. Being ahead of the gang come the New Years resolution rush will make staying on track past February much easier.

For Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners, think about these steps for staying true to your figure.

Helping Hand-
Offering to help make dinner or bring a dish to share is not only thoughtful and impressive, but can help you better control your intake. There are several ways to cut back on the calories in traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

The skin on meets, extra cheese in casserole dishes, and salty foods are dangerous additions to your plate. Here is a great site that gives tips on substitutions for holiday meals.

Portion Control-
This becomes a bit harder as it seems plates grow in size, and are piled higher. Stay true to your normal portions. Choose to be served on smaller plates than the rest of your family. Serve yourself smaller than normal portions to make yourself feel better about going back for seconds.

When you are fixing your plate, try to fill it more with vegetables than starches. Less mashed potatoes and gravy, more green beens.

Stall-
Eat until you feel full and you'll most likely feel like you're about to explode 15 minutes later. This is because our bodies take some time to digest food, thus the feeling of over eating that Thanksgiving is known for.

Stalling during dinner is a perfect way to keep from going wild on stuffing. Think about leading dinner time conversation, drinking more water or cutting up your food into smaller pieces.

Snack-
In this case, snacking may not be the enemy, but if you're munching on some left over veggies from the stuffing, you can skip the need to stuff your face at dinner.

Thanksgiving isn't an excuse to skip lunch. Making it to dinner content instead of starving will help you eat less.

Tread Tradition-
Exercising right after turkey dinner isn't everyone's idea of a great time, but getting your family to go on a walk between dinner and dessert is a better alternative to laying on the couch watching football.

As with all tips for controlling your intake during the holiday season, make sure to eat consciously, and be attentive your plate to know when its time to turn away the extra dessert. What keeps you on plan during the holidays? How do you know when you've had enough?

Workout variation

Doing the same in the gym day in and day out becomes quickly redundant and boring. Without adding some variety to your workout, the odds of making gym visits regular dwindles.

Many women head to the gym with the mindset- if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it, or are afraid to stray from their routine without knowing what would work best for them.

Here is a great site that offers lots of variation on a few widely used workouts. The site shows you different workouts you can do for your core, upper, lower and total body, giving new ideas to the same concept. You can drag over each exercise you like and print off your own workout plan for your next gym date.

Favorite Links

Working out, eating right and still not meeting your weight goals? According to a Women's Health Magazine article, there may be some stranger reasons you're not dropping dress sizes. Air conditioning, unrealistic goals and lack of potassium may all be hindering your fitness plans.

How do you do Thanksgiving without giving it all up? Here's a start, a recipe for a healthy gravy you can feel good about slathering on mashed potatoes and stuffing. If you're heading to a family dinner, suggest bringing a dish with you. Not only will you be a big hit for the help, but you have a level of control and feel nutritiously confident with at least one dish going around the table.

For women of all ages, skin issues can be an image issue. RealAge has a good skin care quiz that can help determine some great products and ways to care for your particular skin issues if getting to the dermatologist is too tricky.

Is your kitchen out of control? Here's a great list of health conscious foods to restock your pantry with. There's a quick print link to the list at the bottom. Consider printing it out and going over what you currently buy and what healthier alternatives may be on the list.

Twenty minutes of extra downtime at lunch? Waiting in line for too long wishing you could be making better use of your time? There are great workouts you can do on your own with no equipment, wherever, whenever. Check out these 18 variations with pictures and descriptions on quick workouts when a trip to the gym is out of the question.

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Ultimate Fitness Plan

I was looking at Women's Health Magazine online, (one of my favorite inspirations for blog posts) and came across a guest blog. This woman has been on WHM's Ultimate Fitness Plan 07 and has been recording her progress. So, I got a little curious and poked around for what kind of "ultimate" plan she was talking about.

Apparently, more than just that blogger thought the fitness plan was a good idea, according to this press release, 21,000 people participated in the first month alone.

Turns out, WHM has a pretty cool program going on. They boast that their six month program will buff you up to be in the best shape of your life. The program comes with an expert designed 5 part test that determines which what level you should start out at. The tests are really simple, and well described, and really should only take a few minutes of your time. Even for the fitness gurus reading, the fitness test may be a good way to see where you're at anyway.

In addition, the Ultimate Fitness Plan promises to better your health and specifically increase your abilities in the 5 part test. Every two weeks WHM provides a new workout routine, changing things consistently, and new exercises every 8 weeks for more variation. WHM also has all your questions and motivation issues covered. Expert advice for all your concerns and daily tips and motivation will keep you going.

Overall, their program definitely sounds interesting, and complied with all their extra factors and the guest blog of a real woman participating are all great additions to going at it on your own.

Although the challenge was created in December of last year, thus a little dated, but I'll make sure to post if I see a new fitness plan coming up for the next year.

Your workout

No two women are made alike, so why should we stick to the same workout routine? While the benefits of having a workout buddy are undeniable, working together is bound to benefit one of you more than the other.

Understanding your shape and the way your body functions is the first step in customizing your perfect workout routine. Using the shape of your body and information about your metabolism, Women’s Health Magazine has devised 6 specific workout plans.

For the full detailed article and to pick your specific shape, see the article in its entirety here .

Generally speaking, a pear figure is one with more curvature, or bottom heavy (weight gain around hips), while apples appear to have less shape or gain weight in a rounded way (weight gain around belly).

For mid-sized pears, the article recommends a good 40-60 minutes of moderate cardio (think able to talk but not tell a whole story in one breath) twice a week. Concentrate on building your upper body for a more balanced look, while toning your lower body to elongate muscles with extra reps without bulking up. Lifting more for fewer reps can increase your power and build curves.

Mid-sized apples should focus on a slightly different routine. Apples should work a good 30 minutes worth of cardio into their week about three times. Core specific workouts are key to the apple shape, and working core with weights is a perk (think stability ball). Extra leg work with heavier weights and less reps is recommended to build your backside, and think about the opposite for toning arms and shoulders.

Eating too well?

A great article in Runner’s World Magazine discussed how health conscious runners are watching what they eat too carefully and missing out on other key nutrients. If you are turning away red meat, nuts and dairy, you’re most likely short on iron, vitamin E and calcium.

Trying to replenish these nutrients with supplements may not be the answer either, as over doing it can harm your liver or not be effective all together. The advice from Runner’s World is to mix your diet up to incorporate quantities of nutrients you may be lacking, but would rather not eat a full meal of.

Mixing nuts in your yogurt or adding beans to your meal can boost level of iron in your body. Yogurt, spinach, and calcium-fortified energy bars and orange juice are all great providers of calcium without too much added fat. To meet your vitamin E needs, think almonds and sunflower seeds, both of which are significantly less fatty than some others. For those steering clear of red meat, look for darker poultry, clams, oysters, green peas, broccoli and beans.

As important as it is to watch your diet, getting too wrapped up in nutrition is something to steer clear from. Generally speaking, if you're eating fresh fruits and vegetables and trying to meet the revised food pyramid as best as possible, you shouldn't stray from other categories. All foods contain some level of fat, but don't write off a group before you do some reserach to find healthier alternatives.

Dips, sips and desserts

Party dips, smoothies and dessert are all a dieters’ nightmare. You can forget about enjoying yourself while tailgating or watching football at home, vacationing on the beach, or attending any dessert infested occasion, right?

Runners World Magazine has some great tips on how to lighten up your favorites, and enjoy what your friends do.

Start smart-
There’s more to a milkshake than ice cream, and more to dips than loads of sour cream. Think about substituting the following in your dips, smoothies or shakes:

blended beans, roasted peppers, eggplant
soft tofu or tofu yogurt
low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese, cream cheese, or plain Greek-style yogurt
(from Runners World)

Additions-
Add to the taste and incorporate some nutrients by adding in flavorful twists:

fresh herbs
fresh garlic and green onion
lime or lemon juice
fresh or dried hot peppers
(from Runners World)

Lose the cracker-
Forget about chips and crackers to go with your dip. Think about healthier alternatives like fresh vegetables, fruits, or whole-wheat home made baked pita chips.

These tricks allow you to have more control over your snacking and take part in traditions.

Diet friendly desserts

iVillage had a feature of fabulous diet friendly desserts that I had to share with all my readers. Check out the link for a few great after dinner delights.

5 steps to a healthy heart

Last Friday I posted a great 5 step article from iVillage about fighting osteoporosis. This week, there's a new 5 tip out for taking care of your heart. While living by moderation (food, smoking, drinking) are all the obvious ways to keep your healthy, there are several other quick tips to giving back to this important organ.

Get tested-

Knowing where you stand is the first step to becoming healthier. A doctors visit would be the best, but some local stores like Wallgreens and K-Mart have a machine that will administer heart healthy testing for you in a few minutes. Of course these are not as accurate as a doctor visit, but checking in the pharmacy section of your local drug store and taking some time out to get tested here is a great way to know where you stand.

Cut the salt-

A salt reduced diet is one of the best ways to treat your heart. Most of us forget, however, that without adding salt we can still be at risk because of the additives in store bought products. The iVillage article gives some great alternatives. First, cook with your own fresh ingredients instead of relying on store bought sauces and products. Tomato sauces can be made very simply on your own and can cut back on salt intake dramatically. Also think about your intake of condiments and diet sodas. Both contain high quantities of salt and can be easily substituted or used in extreme moderation.

Be mindful of your fats-

Not all fats are bad, some have heart helping qualities. Cut all trans-fats (aka hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils) and stick to fats that help instead of harm.

* Opt for vegetable fats over animal fats.
* Choose leaner protein sources like fish over red meat.
* Enjoy foods like walnuts and salmon for your crucial Omega-3s — a subset of "good" fat that fights coronary disease and lowers blood pressure.
* And remember to get your anti-oxidants, which enhance blood-vessel flexibility. They're found in the pigments of fruits and veggies. Think peppers, bok choy and blueberries.

(iVillage tips)

De-stress-

Sometimes we forget how harmful feeling stressed can be. It's OK and normal to be busy, but make sure you have a few minutes to yourself to relax, even if it's just before bed.

Exercise-

Nothing helps the heart than regular exercise. Anything from dancing to heading to the gym every day is a great help wellness in general.

Aging diet

Here's a great link to an article specifically for those older readers. It gives some great information on how your diet should change as you age.

5 steps to fighting osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a big problem among women. Even if you think you're getting enough calcium in your diet, underweight white women, those with a family history of the disorder and women who drink or smoke more than moderation are more at risk than others. What can you do to fight osteoporosis? IVillage.com had a great feature with 5 steps to fighting the disease.

1: Increase your calcium intake.
Simple enough- calcium strengthens bones, as young as possible, load up on low-fat cheese, fortified orange juice, fish and fruits and vegetables.

Also, watch your caffeine intake, as it increases the body's ability to excrete calcium through urine.

2: Double up
IVillage article puts it best-

"It's hard to rely on food alone for an ample amount of calcium — we women need at least 1200 mgs per day. Look for supplements of about 500 mgs calcium plus 200-400 mgs of vitamin D. Try ViActive Calcium Soft Chews — they double as dessert! (Bonus: Calcium also keeps blood pressure low.)"

Check your multivitamins to see how much calcium is really included. Most do not include enough to meet daily recommendations.

3: EXERCISE! Adding about 30 minutes a day of low-medium impact exercise to your day is another way to strengthen bones. Lucky for you non-gym goers out there, the IVillage article suggests walking, dancing or gardening all as great ways to strengthen bones without putting them at risk of fracture.

4: Get Tested- Women should start getting tested for bone density as their physician recommends it. Especially post-menopause, women should be tested every two years.

"It's simple, non-invasive and pain-free — you don't even have to undress! "Not only does it determine your actual bone density, it also predicts your risk for developing osteoporosis in the future," says Moore. "Your doctor may have forgotten to bring it up; be proactive and ask him.""


Your results could be the life line you need. The test can show if you are osteopenic, meaning your bone mass is less than normal, leaving you time to take care of yourself and fight osteoporosis.

5: Watch for bone breakers-
Eating disorders, over activity, some medications and smoking all add to the stress on bones.

Watch out for these in particular and double up on calcium supplements!

Favorite Links

Hey readers- I'm skipping out on posting today to bring you a series of articles I found most interesting lately. Each has a good short description on the story so you can choose what you may be more interested in looking at. Happy reading!

This past weekend, a British woman won the New York Marathon- 9 months after giving birth to her daughter. It's an incredible story, and while not all of us are post pregnancy marathon winners, this story- printed before the race takes an interesting look at Paula Radcliffe and the controversy over exercising during pregnancy.

Here is an interesting in depth look at how our little quirks at the gym may be more than that. While some of these cases may seem a little far fetched and intense, think about your comfort zone at the gym, what machines you choose over others, and the atmosphere you enjoy the most. Are you a little workout OCD as well?

A national concern that we should all be paying attention to, this is a good look at the MRSA (staph) infection lurking at the gym. The article has some really good stats as well as good tips and information for prevention measures.

Know of a blog or article that should make A Sizable Apple's favorite links? Email Dana at asizableapple@gmail.com

Real Age

Doctors say that we actually have two ages. Our calendar age, and our real age. Your real age takes into account your current health standings combined with your family history to form a better perspective of how old you really are. There are plenty of online questionnaires that can help you determine the age of your body. Of course seeing a doctor and getting the results from real testing would be most beneficial, if you're looking for a general idea of where you stand, taking time out for one of these is a good plan. Below are links to my two favorite real age tests.

Real Age is a website dedicated to the results of this test. Their daily health tips always come with a keynote of how many years each specific change in your lifestyle can take off your life. Their test has been featured on many prominent news programs and has been formulated with the help of doctors. It does take a bit of time to fill out, and has quite a few questions. If you have free time, I would suggest filing it out in spurts while completing another project. It also requires that you know about your family's medical history and your own medical history fairly in depth, although there are always options to skip questions if you are unsure.

Real Age Test Link

This next link is one for those who may not have as much time, or may not know their family history or their own medical history with detail. It allows you to move a dial on a scale to the general area you think you may stand for each question. It goes much faster than the other link, at about 34 questions in total. However, I could not find any research that linked this site to any doctor or personal with medical knowledge.

Life Expectancy Calculator

After taking both, I personally prefer the Real Age test. I think it's a bit more accurate and asks deeper questions. Even though I didn't know the answers to all of them, they were thought provoking and opened my eyes to what key issues effect health. Checking your real age is a good way to look at where you are with your health choices.

Workout playlists

No matter what your workout routine is like, having the perfect music to go along with it makes it all seem better. I found a cool link on one of my favorite sites that gives some great workout play list ideas. Better yet, if you don’t have the time to look at other’s suggestions, the Itunes link at the bottom allows you to create your own to share with others or to send to your Ipod.

Here’s my playlist, click the Itunes text at the bottom of it to make your own!