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Let's Talk About Exercise

Feb 12, 2015

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We hear it all the time right? "You must get at least 60 min of exercise every day." If you are anything like me, you would know what it feels like to go to the gym every day; I hate it.

Not using your body on a daily bases can have some long-term effects. And trust me, they are not good. Over time, your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Doctors say that inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking! Here are some benefits of exercising daily:
  • Helps prevent diseases.
  • Improves stamina.
  • Strengthens and tones.
  • Enhances flexibility.
  • Controls weight.
  • Improves quality of life.

Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.

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Unfortunately, whoever knows me, knows I am not an active person. Simply because I think it's boring. Going to the gym and getting on a treadmill or lifting weights is not something I enjoy. However, I know how important it is for your health to exercise. So I did some research.

Being a recent graduate it's easy for me to get stressed out about life. I heard how yoga is great for stress, so I looked into it. To be honest, I have never done yoga, nor did I know what it really was. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit root "yuj", which means "to yoke" the spirit and physical body together. Yoga has evolved over thousands of years to embrace a wide range of styles and disciplines.

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Yoga is a popular activity for athletes, children, and seniors. Yoga can be modified to suit all levels of fitness. Yoga has been proven to lower blood pressure and increases strength and flexibility. Yoga energizes you body and calms your mind. I thought why not try it? So I signed up with YogaWorks®. I found them most appealing because they offer a diverse array of yoga classes and levels. Their classes are paced moderately to vigorously depending upon the level. As a beginner, you can start with Level 1 and gradually build up to more advanced levels as your practice grows. Their yoga is also practical and geared toward addressing modern issues like releasing neck pain from computer usage and neutralizing the stress of a hectically paced day.

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Today was my third day doing yoga, as a beginner, and I love it! I have never felt more relaxed or energized in my life. I love that I am exercising my body and my mind at the same time. I highly recommend it to anyone who hates going to the gym or has a stressful schedule. I also found some other great benefits of yoga if you are thinking of considering it:

  • It increases endurance, strength and flexibility.
  • Mental endurance and physical stamina are tested through holding postures for extended breaths.
  • Arm and shoulder strength is multiplied as you use your own body weight for resistance.
  • Lats and other back muscles begin to support the spine better than before.
  • Abdominals and obliques are refined and sharpened through building core muscles.
  • Poor and average posture begins to correct itself over time.
  • Hip flexors are stretched and rebuilt.
  • Glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves are tightened and lengthened where they need to be.
So if you are anything like me and hate exercising, please know that it is very important. Maybe try taking fitness classes or even look into yoga. Hey, you might just fall in love like I did. Comment your favorite style of yoga, or your fitness experience. Namaste!
Author: Nazanin Yashar Sources: http://www.lululemon.com/education/yoga/?mnid=mn;education;yoga101 http://www.yogaworks.com/about.aspx http://life.gaiam.com/article/benefits-yoga http://www.healthdiscovery.net/articles/exercise_importa.htm

Treat the Root cause of Aging for Redheads

Feb 05, 2015

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This ones for you fiery beauties!

This week, I was stunned, through research, to find that redheads are not just beautifully unique but also more genetically unique than us brunettes and blonds. How so? Well, to start, red hair actually retains its natural pigment a lot longer than other shades. In other words, redheads don't go grey as fast as other hair colors. Instead, red hair simply fades with age through a glorious spectrum of faded copper to rosy-blonde colors, then to silvery-white.

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And if thats not enough to brag about, redheads generate their own Vitamin D. This makes me especially jealous since I have been Vitamin D deficient my whole life. My body has a hard time absorbing Vitamin D from the sun, it's in my genetics. Similarly, redheads can't absorb sufficient Vitamin D either because of low concentrations of eumelanin in their body. Even though this may sound like bad news, lower melanin-concentration means that gingers can cleverly produce their own Vitamin D within their body. In this case, very few redheads are vitamin D deficient throughout their lives, even if they are not frequently exposed to sunlight, or do not take Vitamin D supplements.

However, there is a downside, since redheads tend to have paler skin, they tend to burn more easily when exposed to UV rays, causing more sun damage and aging. It has also been studied that the gene responsible for red hair also leaves a person up to 100 times more susceptible to skin cancer.

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Today, U.S. researchers have found that a particular gene mutation that colors hair red leaves DNA in skin cells more prone to sun damage and aging. Laboratory and mouse experiments showed that the MC1R-RHC, the red hair gene, variant both lowered a cell's guard against harmful UV rays, and stimulated cancer-causing biological signals. Previous research had shown that the MC1R gene plays a key role in protecting melanocytes from UV-induced DNA damage. Under normal circumstances MC1R binds to and protects another genes well known for its ability to suppress tumors, PTEN. This is the gene mostly found in people with darker skin and hair color. However, research demonstrates that the red hair version of MC1R no longer acts as a PTEN guardian.

Study leader Dr Wenyi Wei, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, said: 'Together, our findings provide a possible molecular mechanism as to why red-haired individuals harboring MC1R mutations are much more susceptible to UV-induced skin damage than individuals with darker skin, resulting in a 10 to 100-fold higher frequency of melanoma.'

So how can you, or other redheads in your life, treat the root cause of aging and reduce the chances of skin cancer? Well, its simply about making lifestyle changes. Begin by taking a closer look at your sun habits. For example, how much time you are spending in the car, where your hands are fully exposed; or how much time you spend at the park with your arms or legs exposed to sunlight with no protection. I will completely agree that having to apply and reapply sunscreen every 20 min can be a big hassle. Investing in UV protective clothing is the best option, and a great lifestyle choice, especially for you redheads. By wearing protective clothing throughout your day, you can help reverse signs of aging and even prevent skin cancer.

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Sundriven®, based in Los Angeles California, produces eco-friendly, sustainable, fashion-forward, age-defying UV wear for women, designed to beautify skin and promote skin cancer awareness. Our fabric is SPF/UPF 50+ rated, blocking 99% of UVA/UVB rays. Dermatologist-tested and recommend by the Skin Cancer Foundation™.

We want more of that beauty and fierceness in this world so please stay safe and stylish, redheads!

Authors: Nazanin Yashar

Sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2400046/Red-heads-100-times-susceptible-worst-form-skin-cancer-warn-scientists.html http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/emmakelly/redhead-facts_b_4781153.html

Dipping Pineapples in Salt Water?

Jan 28, 2015

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Last week, Mitzi decided to pull out her favorite snack, sliced pineapples, to enjoy at the office. As she was about to enjoy her very first bite, Shaun, our production manager, mentioned that in his country, China, people always dip their pineapples in salt water before eating them. Mitzi and I were very confused as he explained that it was to get rid of some of the acid since pineapples are very acidic.

Of course, I decided to do some research and here is what I found...

Pineapples

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The Scientific name for the pineapple is Ananas comosus. Ananas comes from the Tupi word meaning “excellent fruit” and the word pineapple was coined because it looks like a pine cone. Pineapples were originally discovered in South Africa as an indigenous plant. From there it traveled to the Caribbean, Hawaii, southern California, Guam, Thailand the Philippines and Christopher Columbus brought some of the plants back to Europe. Southeast Asia currently dominates the world in pineapple production producing almost 2 million tons of pineapple each year.

Pineapples are the second favorite tropical fruit after bananas in America. Although the season for pineapple runs from March through June, they are available year-round in local markets. Pineapples are consumed both fresh and cooked, canned, or juiced; and can be used as a marinate meat.

Nutritional Benefits of Pineapples:

One cup of pineapple has 82 calories and provides the following nutrients—many of which act as natural antioxidants to help in the prevention of many diseases:

  • Calcium
  • Copper (9%)
  • Fiber (9.2%)
  • Folate (7.4%)
  • Manganese (76.5%)
  • Potassium
  • Thiamine (Vitamin B1) 18.6%
  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 18.6%
  • Vitamin C (131.4%)

Bromelain:

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Raw pineapple also contains a proteolytic enzyme called bromelain, and it is found mostly in the stem of the fruit. Bromelain breaks down protein. So, if you are someone who eats too much meat and suffers from indigestion, this is great for you! In many parts of the world, bromelain is also used as a post-injury medication because of its ability to reduce inflammation and swelling.

But, even though this enzyme is great for you for many reasons. In a lot of cases, eating pineapples can cause some uncomfortable side effects because of it. Such as a tingling or a burning sensation on the tip of the tongue, or heartburn.

Thankfully, you are able to minimize the effects of the enzyme in your mouth by cutting out the core of the pineapple before eating it. Also, like Shaun's grandmother, and many others in Asian countries, dipping the sliced pieces in salt water for a few seconds.

In conclusion ladies, adding salt to your pineapple will lessen its acidity, and lessen your chances of having a sensitive tongue or even worse, heart burn, all the while getting the healthy effects of this delicious fruit.

If you experience this or love pineapples as much as Mitzi does, comment and let us know!

Author: Nazanin Yashar

Sources: http://naturalhealthtechniques.com/pineapple.htm http://www.livestrong.com/article/503049-how-to-avoid-acid-burn-from-eating-pineapple/