Month: August 2015

Categories
Wellbeing

Bad Blood: Why the Passive-Aggressive Way Women Fight Is So Toxic

You’ve probably heard Taylor Swift’s chart-topping “Bad Blood” about a thousand times at this point — but interestingly, although she’s known for penning post-breakup hits, this track is not about a man.

“Bad Blood” is reportedly about fellow performer Katy Perry. Taylor wrote the song after Katy allegedly stole her backup dancers. After the record dropped, Katy tweeted, “Watch out for Regina George in sheep’s clothing…” a reference to the 2004 hit film, Mean Girls.

In the age of Twitter, we’re able to see these “mean girl” feuds play out in real time — and it’s not the first time two big-name female celebs have been involved in passive-aggressive fighting on the platform.

Taylor Swift misunderstood Nicki Minaj’s tweets about missing out on a nod for Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs, assuming they were directed at her in some fashion. “I’ve done nothing but love & support you,” Swift wrote to Minaj. “It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot.” Nicki shot back that her tweets were actually about a lack of diversity in those rewarded for their work in the music industry, not about Swift — who had to eat her words and apologize to the “Anaconda” singer.

Katy Perry then chimed in with a tweet to her followers: “Finding it ironic to parade the pit women against other women argument about as one unmeasurably capitalizes on the take down of a woman…” Camilla Belle then tweeted, “Couldn’t have said it better…” in response to Perry. Her connection? Taylor reportedly penned a song about Belle, too — the track “Better Than Revenge” resulted after Joe Jonas dumped Taylor and paired off with Camilla.

Notice a pattern?

No one seems to be addressing their conflicts directly, but rather brewing toxic words behind closed doors — and making videos like Swift’s “Bad Blood,” featuring one girl squad taking up arms to fight another. “I don’t get the violence revenge thing,” Miley Cyrus confessed to Marie Claire. “That’s supposed to be a good example?”

Cyrus has got a point. Women in Hollywood are engaging in a very public form of passive-aggressive fighting, which is not a good example — and something women do all too frequently.

Passive-aggression can take many forms, but ultimately, it’s when you feel anger toward a specific person or group — but instead of addressing the problem in a straightforward manner, you might show sneaky resentment with cryptic remarks, sulking behavior, or withholding affection or kind words due to a perceived slight. This typically frustrates and confuses the recipient of the attacks; while they sense something is wrong, nothing about a passive-aggressive person’s behavior points to what exactly they’re upset about.

Sure, men do sometimes engage in passive-aggressive behaviors. But those are learned. Men are hard-wired to address conflicts directly with physical attacks or strong words. Passive-aggression is typically reserved for female-on-female fighting, confirmed with a 1994 study.

According to a pair of 2013 studies, women evolved to use sneaky tactics to take down other members of their sex and reduce competition: “To safeguard their health over a lifetime, girls use competitive strategies that reduce the probability of physical retaliation, including avoiding direct interference with another girl’s goals and disguising their striving for physical resources, alliances and status,” Emmanuel College psychology professor Joyce F. Benenson wrote in her study. “The development of human female competition: allies and adversaries.”

She continues: “Within the female community, girls reduce competition by demanding equality and punishing those who openly attempt to attain more than others.”

Passive-aggression is still a 21st-century problem

Our ancestors were passive-aggressive. But just because women aren’t fighting for men and resources as a means of survival doesn’t mean passive-aggression has basically died off. Case in point: Swift vs. Perry in a “Bad Blood” battle over backup dancers.

And this behavior is detrimental. According to psychiatrist Dean Burnett, PhD, an expert in neuroscience, “The brain doesn’t deal well with ambiguity or uncertainty; like with cognitive dissonance, acceptable’ behaviour combined with the hostile effects/mannerism causes mental distress and discomfort,” he writes in The Guardian. “With passive-aggressive behaviour the appropriate response is impossible to work out for certain, causing even more distress and frustration.”

What does this mean? Both parties are brewing in toxic energy. All. The. Time. One woman is angry or upset, refusing to clear the air with the person she’s perceived has wronged her; the other is confused and uncomfortable as her ‘friend’ (a.k.a. frenemy) launches unspoken grenades at her. Notably, this behavior is ultra-common in the workplace, where competition and tension are common — and it’s all very stressful.

While some mild daily stress is normal, hearty doses of chronic stress is not. It’s hugely detrimental for our bodies, according to Diane Robinson, PhD, a neuropsychologist at UF Health Cancer Center – Orlando Health. “Stress day in and day out, on end, can change the brain chemistry,” she once told me, “and it has huge implications for our immune systems.”

When your body is under daily stress, the cytokines that send messages throughout your body begin to overwork, flood your system and send mixed signals. The result? It can be Crohn’s disease, shingles, depression, IBS, insomnia… the list goes on.

So, don’t make like these Hollywood girls, fighting on Twitter and launching indirect attacks. Nix passive-aggression and get assertive instead. If a co-worker gives your boss a progress report about your project, and earns all the praise, don’t give into your baser instincts. Say, “Next time, I’d appreciate it if you waited for me to share our work with the boss.” If a friend seems to be throwing mental daggers at you? Speak up. “It seems like you’re upset with me. Did I do something wrong?”

By learning to get assertive with friends, co-workers, relationship partners (whoever), you bring all conflict out in the open so you can address it directly. You disarm your adversary, clearly seeking to bridge the gap kee
ping you both from peace.

And then you can move on, instead of wading out into the toxic waters of chronic stress. It’s important for a healthy mind and body.

Categories
Wellbeing

When You Can't Get Out of Your Funk

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wake up completely miserable? I’m not talking about getting up on the wrong side of the bed (whatever that means), or simply being in a bad mood. This is a deeply rooted feeling that is not only unshakeable, but also extremely painful.

Trying to shift your mood feels impossible. It’s like your strapped into a roller coaster being pulled along for the ride without any option of getting off. All around you the world continues to function yet you don’t want to get out of bed.

If you’re saying “WHAT? I’ve never felt like this” than call yourself lucky and stop reading.

If you know what I’m talking about then these are the moments, days, and even months of life where nothing you read, do or think can shift how you feel. It’s like a bout of nausea that you have to just let take its course while suffering through the discomfort until it passes.

I had one of these days recently. I hated everyone and everything, wanted to run away to somewhere remote or to hole up in my house without any contact. Dealing with people and facing life felt impossible, but somehow I survived and made it through. I wish I could tell you that I had some magic secret about how I endured this excruciating period of time, but the truth is that there are just some feelings and intrapersonal experiences that you have to just live through.

The culture at large would like you to believe that you can always fix your feelings. Just change your perspective, exercise, meditate, pray, dance, journal…the list goes on and on when it comes to prescriptions that will surely heal what ails you. If you ask any person who has felt this low what helps the least they’ll tell you that it’s the insensitive yet well meaning comments from the people around them.

“Just get some fresh air or exercise.”

“Watch a funny movie and forget about it.”

“Stay busy with work so you feel productive.”

“Volunteer to give yourself perspective.”

It’s my experience that the only option when the world goes this dark is to accept that it’s happening. This doesn’t mean not reaching out of for help or making attempts at easing the pain, but fully embracing the magnitude of your misery is the most efficient way to reduce suffering.

Buddhist teachings tell us that pain is an inevitable part of life and being human, and that most suffering is self-inflicted by the person trying to grapple with that pain. We make things worse for ourselves by trying to resist what’s happening and by pushing the feelings down with unhealthy coping mechanisms like work, alcohol or food.

The path of acceptance is not for the faint of heart when it comes to emotional pain. Resilience and tolerance definitely play a part, but even the most challenging situations pass with time and patience. As assuredly as the weather, something always shifts for your emotional pain to change course.

One of the hardest things to do when you feel out of control with your feelings is to trust them to be your best guide. Your emotions are what push you to seek help, reach out to others, and to recognize that something is off in your life.

Here are a few examples of what your darkest moments are telling you:

Go Retreat

When you’re feeling down it’s pretty likely that you’ll want to be alone. Isolating is a natural response when you aren’t in the best place for socializing or connecting with other people. The drive to retreat is protective because you’re vulnerable and fragile when your emotions are driving the ship. Listening to what you’re wanting leads you to what you’re needing so don’t try to convince yourself that it’s better to go out. This isn’t always the best solution.

Cry Your Eyes Out

Tears (not unlike sweat) are a natural release of toxins from the body. We are the only species to shed emotional tears that are directly connected to certain regions of the brain associated with our emotional life. As a culture we learn to “wipe away” our tears as if they are something to stop, but in truth crying is a beautiful way to process emotions and to reduce the stress that comes with built up feelings.

Reach For Help

We’ve all had that moment where we reach for the phone to call our go to person when things fall apart. It’s a natural instinct to cry out for help when things get rough, but instead we tell ourselves that we should be strong enough to handle our own stuff. This is just a form of denial and a tough love behavior you learned early on. Leaning on others in a time of need is natural and essential for anyone tangled up in blue.

The practice of sitting with pain long enough to see if it will pass, and reaching for help when you know it can’t be done alone are the keys to getting through some of the darkest days of your life. Learn to trust and honor your feelings in the same way you would trust someone else to tell you what to do.

No one knows your internal world better than you, and if a visit from your feelings feels like a stranger breaking into your house learn to make peace with them because they mean no harm.

Categories
Wellbeing

Is Facebook Bad for Your Mental Health?

Social Media, the place where we spend most of our time, has become what some might call a necessary evil. Most of us have a love hate relationship with Facebook. I know that I fluctuate regularly between canceling my account and feeling like I can’t stop checking it. In fact the only way I can truly get a break from the social media site is to shut down my gadgets and abstain for an extended period of time. The reality is that we are weak to resisting something that feels all at once so good and so bad.

The real question is how detrimental, if at all, is Facebook for our mental health?

Apparently this is a popular query because with over 900 million users worldwide, Facebook has become a very popular research topic. Studies have confirmed that using Facebook can be harmful to your self-esteem, your love relationships, and that it can cause psychological distress. While there isn’t much research out there countering these findings, there are plenty of blogs listing the possible benefits of using Facebook as a form of connection particularly for lonely or isolated individuals.

I think we’ve all accepted that fighting the behemoth known as Facebook is futile. It’s made its mark on our psyches and in our lives so we better learn how and when to include or exclude it. It’s up to us to be our own moderators of how much we use or don’t use it as part of our lives.

What we need to realize is that what we have with Facebook is a relationship, and like all relationships we get triggered by the things we see and hear. Going into each Facebook encounter with this in mind will help reduce the reactive response of wanting to reject or over consume it at any given time.

We need to take full responsibility for how the website affects us and our lives and the best way to do this is through education and self-reflection around our own Facebook usage and habits.

Pros and cons

In a world where being liked has become more of a question of livelihood than popularity, the social world of Facebook can either make you or break you.

Facebook can definitely have its pros and cons. If used at the wrong time or for the wrong purposes it can be extremely damaging and problematic. In the past Facebook has seen it’s share of cyber-bullying, and it has also contributed to bouts of jealousy when a new relationship gets splattered on the page of a recently heartbroken ex lover.

It has been highly problematic for younger adolescents who don’t have the social or emotional development to practice healthy Facebook habits, and who lack the self-confidence to withstand the onslaught of simple lives made to look fancy. For these kids an unliked post is the equivalent of getting a wedgie in the locker room.

Then there are examples of positive psychological effects when Facebook is used to revive and preserve relationships with old and new friends. It can also be a way to connect with other like-minded people who share the same passions and values. This kind of connection can empower and engage groups of people to promote social change and justice.

Old flames have been rekindled, and family members and friends have been reunited using the technology of Facebook. People who may have never connected are suddenly engaged in a way that would not have been possible without the social aspect of the site.

Fit or Flop

Facebook is a fit, and this is particularly true because there are no signs that it’s going away any time soon. As long as we are mindful and wise about how and when we use it, Facebook offers many great opportunities for connection and social advancement for our species. Social media has brought our world closer in many ways and this is something our disenfranchised communities need.

People with low self-esteem or who are vulnerable due to circumstance or age should use it sparingly and mindfully. Facebook is least detrimental when the user has a strong sense of self and ego because of the strong tendency it invokes toward comparison and self-judgment.

In a world where we are becoming more and more disconnected and working longer hours alone in an office, a website like Facebook offers a reprieve from loneliness and isolation. While it’s not a replacement for real human contact it can definitely provide a temporary experience of feeling a sense of belonging.

Categories
Sweat

How to Avoid Runner's Burnout

Ask any long-time runner how they manage maintain a regular and diligent workout schedule without losing motivation, and most will admit to experiencing some degree of burnout at one point or another. Make no mistake, running is a great way to stay in shape, lose weight, and improve your overall health. But it can also be an incredibly demanding form of exercise that can take its toll both mentally and physically. When extreme fatigue and lethargy begins to set in it can result in runner’s burnout, which can sometimes take weeks or even months to shake.
If you’ve found yourself lacking the motivation to lace up your running shoes lately, or can’t seem to summon up the enthusiasm needed to head out for a run, than perhaps you’re experiencing a bit of burnout yourself. Here are some simple ways to get your groove back, and run with strength and conviction once again.
Change It Up!
Let’s face it, runners are definitely creatures of habit. We usually run the same set of routes, maintain a set workout routine, and often even go for a run at the exact same time each day. Sticking to a regimented schedule is typically a good thing when it comes to exercise, but it can also lead to boredom and a lack of enthusiasm. When that happens, almost anyone will start to feel burnt out.
Add a little spice to your personal running routine by mixing in some different routes in a new part of town. Better yet, get off the road altogether and run a trail in a nearby park instead. Don’t be afraid to shift the time of day that you run as well, as you may find it gives you a completely fresh perspective on the world around you. The point is, if you change up your stale routine, you may find yourself more engaged with your running workouts once again.
Leave the Watch at Home
Many runners wear watches that keep track of their pace, heart rate, and distance covered. That data can be vitally important when training for a race, but crunching those numbers can become an all-consuming obsession at times too. We all want to beat our fastest times, and as a result we end up pushing ourselves harder than we need to.
Give yourself a break from the hardcore training and leave the watch at home on occasion. This will allow you to run a natural pace without constantly watching your time and distance. It may also remind you of why you fell in love with the sport in the first place, because when you’re off the clock the pure joy of running can return.
Cross Train
Sometimes runners stay motivated out of the irrational fear that if they take time off, they’ll start to gain weight or lose some of the level of fitness that they worked so hard to achieve. Cross training can help alleviate those issues, while still allowing us to take a break from running at the same time.
They say variety is the spice of life, and by simply adding a bit of cycling, swimming, yoga, or other exercises to your routine you’ll manage to break up the monotony that comes with running on a constant basis. This change in activities can help stave off burnout quite nicely, and you may even find that when you do start to run again, it will be with a renewed sense of zest as well.
Take a Rest Day… or Week!
No matter how hard you train, each and every one of us should be taking a rest day or two during our normal weekly workout schedule. Not only do those days off give you a break from the grind, they also allow nagging injuries to heal and give you a chance to recharge your batteries too.
But on occasion it is also okay to take a rest week. That isn’t to say that you don’t exercise at all during that time period, just that you step away from the running schedule and do other things instead. Use the time off to revitalize the legs and get a boost to your spirit. Relax, take it easy, and savor some down time. Chances are you’ve earned it, and you’re likely to return to your normal schedule with renewed vigor.
Perhaps the most important step in avoiding burnout is to learning to recognize the warning signs ahead of time. That way you can take steps to avoid it before it become a significant problem. But if you do start to feel those feelings coming on, recognize that it is a common problem for runners. Don’t be afraid to relax, step away from workout routine, and get some rest. Chances are it will help you get your mojo back, and you’ll be eager to start running again soon.

Categories
Lifestyle

Pollination, Almond Cookies, Colony Collapse, and How These All Relate

National Honey Bee Day is in August. Honey bees; an animal I usually disregard but take advantage of on a daily basis. 

As a child, one of my favorite cereals was Honey Nut Cheerios. That sweet tang was just enough to get me to eat breakfast. As I’ve grown older, I’ve relied heavily upon local honey to help relieve my seasonal allergies. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve taken this sweetener for granted. I mean, why not slather copious amounts of this sweet nectar onto my dry toast? Then, I began hearing and reading horror stories of how honey bees are on the brink of extinction and how our food supply will quickly dwindle if this is the case. 

I recently had the privilege to chat with Edward Spevak, the Curator of Invertebrates at the Saint Louis Zoo, regarding honey bee health, our ecosystem, and how pollination is essential to the food we consume. Spevak has not only devoted his time to the zoological park of Saint Louis, but he is also the Director of the Center for Native Pollinator Conservation and Bumble Bee Programme Officer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Bumblebee Specialist Group. Needless to say, he was the exact person I wanted to speak with about the latest “bee scare.”   

In 2006, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was identified. We still do not know the exact cause because, at the end of the day, there are a plethora of reasons why the collapse has been happening: pesticide use, loss of flower resources with habitat loss, and diseases are just some of the situations occurring. There’s a lot going on at once (United States Department of Agriculture).

Many issues stem from the bee collapse. One of the bigger problems manifesting itself is that commercial beekeepers are having a harder time providing adequate pollination services. Most crops rely on bees, but a lot of times there are not enough native bees to get the job done. So, beekeepers place honeybees in boxes and transport them wherever pollination is needed. When the number of hives a beekeeper maintain collapses then the number of crops being pollinated is severely reduced, which greatly reduces the crops we have for our consumption.

The process of bee pollination is largely instrumental in giving us nutrition. The plants that supply us with vitamins, minerals, lipids…they’re all dependent on bees. Many people don’t understand just how reliant we are on bees. To put it in perspective, 75% of our crops require pollinators. One out of every three bites we take relies on bees. We typically think that bees are pollinating flowers, but flowers are the crux to most crops that we eat: rice, oats, barley, and other grains.

We’ve made it a priority to expand our agriculture, but we’re not keeping a suitable habitat for pollinators. It’s impossible for us to survive on wind-based foods (essentially plants that receive their pollination via wind), since they will not provide us with the proper nutrition that is crucial for a balanced diet.

In addition to expanding our crop production, we’ve created a huge problem – habitat loss.

Habitat loss is a major issue that most wildlife is experiencing, but it’s not just occurring in and around our corn fields, it’s happening in our own backyards.

The current trend in suburbia is the desire for manicured lawns; the greener the better. But lawns are a biological desert. There are no wildflowers for pollination or trees to support other insects. Although the majority of people find lawns to be aesthetically pleasing, it is not sustainable for a healthy environment. The same goes for the roadsides. Commuters want roadsides to be mowed due to an aesthetic aspect, but milkweed and other wildflowers that are crucial for pollinators are being eliminated. States, such as Iowa, are developing roadsides specifically for pollinators. In fact, a presidential memorandum was released in 2015 that directs all federal departments to develop a pollinator plan since the decrease in bees can quickly affect the agriculture of our country.

It’s not just government policies that are beginning to make changes to secure the safety of the honey bees. The Saint Louis Zoo is a prime example of an organization that is not only protecting but is also raising awareness for the plight of these magnificent creatures. Their Monsanto Insectarium features honeybees and lets visitors take a peek inside a working beehive to show how these insects help pollinate our crops. Not only do they have a stunning information center but they have a meadow outside their butterfly house where a variety of bees is encouraged to pollinate in safety. Information plaques litter the Missouri Meadow so viewers can understand that there is more than one type of bee (STL Zoo).

In addition to the habitat loss, job security has been on a slow decline. Job security is firmly rooted in the access and livability of pollinators. Take, for example, almond trees. Almond trees only require pollination during the bloom period, and this is a very short time-span. Native bees are more than capable of pollinating almond trees, but there is nothing else in these regions to sustain the native bees year-round. Therefore, native bees have left these areas of California that play host to almond trees. And the same goes for blueberry plants. They have a fairly decent bloom time, but bees don’t have anywhere to be active before and after the bloom period. If you’re wanting to keep native bees around these plants, or any other seasonal plant, you’re going to need to cultivate a year long flowering garden (Beyond Toxics).

However, most agricultural producers don’t have the time or resources to create flowering gardens large enough to sustain the amount of bees that they need to pollinate their entire crop. Since native bees aren’t available for pollination, bee colonies are rented. Originally, honey bee rentals were about $30-35 per hive, but now hives are costing upwards of $200 because of the demand. Each year bees are driven in to pollinate seasonal plants so that farmers can yield a profitable crop. After pollination has occurred these bees are then shipped out to the next location. To put the gravity of the situation into perspective, about 1.7 million colonies of honey bees are placed in California almond orchards each year. That’s a frightfully large cost for pollination (Almonds).

Another economic issue that farmers are running into is that 50%, 60%, all the way to 80% of beehives have been lost by individual commercial beekeepers. You can split hives to make up for the loss, but you have to build them up. Unfortunately, this is a costly endeavor because of the efforts put in by the beekeepers and the increase in the total amount of crops that are requiring pollination services.

Aside from an economic perspective, the U.S. is finding a greater increase in obesity levels as well as people who are undernourished. Essentially, the lack of pollinators is creating a nutritional obstacle. Products that are dependent upon pollinators are going to provide long-term health benefits since we won’t have to rely so heavily on supplementary care. And if we take heed to the USDA food pyramid and follow it then it would be much healthier to rely upon crops that need pollination.

The implications from the loss of bees start off as economic and health-related. However, if we look beyond our U.S. borders, bees can create a national security issue as well. Loss of pollinators means that there may be food scarcity, which in turn can create civil unrest, propelling people to migrate to different countries. The U.S. is known for aiding countries in times of crisi
s, and if people are rioting over the lack of food or flooding to other borders then it is somewhat inevitable that military deployment may occur.

So far we’ve been looking at the loss of bees as a concern to a human’s well-being, but bees are crucial to other animals’ existence as well. Twenty-five percent of bird species are dependent upon fruits and nuts that require pollination as well as bears, mice, a

nd other wildlife. Additionally, many trees and other plants that create wildlife habitat, and provide other environment services require pollination as well. If this doesn’t sound the alarm for the need to protect a sustainable environment then I don’t know what will.

However, the takeaway from this discussion should not be that honey bees are the best or preferred pollinators. For instance, let’s take bumble bees. They are the only species, in the entire world, that can pollinate tomato plants. Then there are squash bees, alkali bees, and alfalfa bees, just to name a few. The native species that cover the globe is dizzying and puts the loss of one bee into perspective.

Although honeybees aren’t about to go extinct, native bees are becoming endangered through the loss of their habitat. 

Bees are one of the greatest creatures you can become familiar with. As long as we have a demand for fruits and vegetables, which we will, then the importance of bees will be even more visible to the naked eye. And to put those of you at ease who are scared of getting stung, Spevak makes a great point: when a bee is on a flower all they’re thinking about is food. The only time we should be concerned about getting stung is if we’re interfering with a colony. If the bees believe that their queen is in danger then they will attack. Bees are generally a solitary animal so chances are you’ll be fine.

Finding information about bees is easier than you’d imagine. The Saint Louis Zoo isn’t the only zoo in that has a fantastic program. Go to your local zoo or nursery and just strike up a casual conversation. In the span of five minutes, you’ll learn invaluable tools on how to respect our planet and help it thrive. So next time you’re hesitant to plant flowers because you’re worried of bees now you can remember they’re not there to harm but to help. 

Categories
Nosh

Eating Before A Workout

Do you eat before you work out? This question sparks a lot of controversy; I meet clients and fitness experts alike who are on both sides of the fence. Some are convinced that working out on an empty stomach optimizes fat burn, while others claim that working out without fuel does more harm than good.
Let’s take a closer look at each argument.
PROS: Really, there is one primary argument for eating before exercising, and it’s kind of a big deal: our bodies need energy to perform. You wouldn’t expect your car to run on empty, so don’t expect your body to, either. Food is fuel. Without it, you risk running into the following problems:
– Sluggish workouts; you can’t push your hardest and get the most out of exercise
– Protein losses; in the absence of other sources of energy, your body may need to break down muscle to meet demand
– Injury (theoretically, at least)
– Low blood sugar and dizziness, particularly if you have diabetes
– Slowed metabolism, which can occur if your body perceives the stress of energy demand (what you burn) to greatly exceed the amount of energy available (what you’ve eaten)
– Potential overeating afterward, though the research is mixed on this one
– Lower afterburn, meaning even if you technically burn more fat during the workout, you will burn way less after it ends
CONS:
– Eating too much too close to a workout can also cause sluggish workouts; the energy isn’t yet absorbed for the body to use, and in fact, digestion slows dramatically during exercise, which can cause discomfort and cramps.
– Exercise does not burn that many calories, so a pre-workout meal or snack could very easily “cancel out” the calories burned in a workout, which is particularly troublesome if your goal is weight loss.
THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT!
Although there are arguments to be made for both, there are more benefits to eating before exercising than there are risks, and vice versa. However, it’s equally important to consider the amount and timing of the food to maximize the benefits of a pre-workout snack and minimize the unwanted side effects:
– If it’s time to exercise and you ate a full, well-balanced meal in the past three hours, you don’t need an extra snack. A well-balanced meal contains adequate calories, protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and heart-healthy fats.
– If your workout is scheduled for more than three hours after a meal, consider a small, easily digestible snack about an hour before the workout. This should consist mostly of simple carbohydrates with a little bit of protein (a cup of yogurt or an apple with a hardboiled egg, for example); keep fat and fiber to a minimum, as these can slow digestion. (Normally, slow digestion is awesome, but right before a workout, it’s a recipe for discomfort.) And remember, if your goal is weight loss, these calories are part of your daily needs, not in addition to them.
– If you’re a morning workout kind of person who doesn’t want to wake up an hour earlier to allow for complete digestion of a pre-workout snack, try liquid forms of carbohydrates at least 15 minutes before starting your workout. A glass of low-fat milk is my favorite recommendation, but 100% fruit juice works, too.
Consider the intensity and duration of your workout. If you’re taking a light stroll around the park for an hour, you probably don’t need to worry too much about fueling up. If you’re going to a kickboxing class or are about to run a 5K, then yes, you should probably avoid doing it on a totally empty stomach. I’ve worked both with clients who insist on snacks to fuel their 45-minute leisurely walks and those who attempt three-mile runs immediately upon waking up. Neither is ideal.
In the end, you may need to experiment a little to find the right timing, amounts, and specific foods for you. Pay attention to how your body responds to different combinations. Do you feel energized after peanut butter and a banana, or a little sluggish? Do you try to go for a run first thing in the morning, only to wind up fading or feeling a bit out of sorts? That’s your body telling you that it’s time to try something different.
Remember, food is fuel. Calories are not the enemy, but too often we underestimate what we eat and overestimate what we burn. And, if you stop to listen to it, your body may well be the best tool you have in this crazy game called life. It’s about time we sat up and paid attention to what it has to say.

Categories
Sweat

5 Ways To Bike Your Way To Better Health

Learning to ride a bike is one of those rites of passage that most of us went through as a kid. Figuring out how to balance on just two wheels seemed like quite an accomplishment at the time, often coming after plenty of painful trial and error. But our bikes would eventually become our most prized possessions; providing endless hours of fun while giving us our first tastes of true independence.
We didn’t know it at the time, but learning to ride also provided us with a skill that could lead to a much happier and healthier lifestyle too. It turns out that riding a bike is a great way to exercise and burn calories, even as an adult. Whether you’re on a stationary bike indoors, or a road bike outside, here are five ways that cycling can help you to achieve your fitness goals.

1. Lose Weight

Cycling is a great way to lose weight, with riders burning as many as 500 calories or more per hour. To do that you’ll need to maintain a quick pace, and a high cadence, which is the number of revolutions that the crank on your bike makes in any given minute. By constantly pedaling, and rotating that chain, your body will achieve an elevated heart rate and burn calories at a surprising rate. A nice, leisurely bike ride is good for when you want to take it easy, but if your goal is to shed some pounds, you’ll need to work hard.

2. Improved Cardio

In addition to burning plenty of calories, keeping a high cadence will also work the lungs and heart as well. That leads to better levels of cardiovascular fitness, which translates into all kinds of benefits, including increased stamina, reduced risk of heart disease, a longer lifespan, and better energy levels.

3. Build Lean Muscles

Everyone knows that cycling is great for the leg muscles, but did you know that it can tone the muscle throughout the rest of your body too? Riding a bike is an excellent all-around workout that actually works the arms, chest, back, and shoulders along with the calves and thighs. This is particularly true while climbing hills, so don’t avoid those parts of your riding routes as they are often the most beneficial.

4. It’s Low-Impact With High Returns

As already mentioned above, cycling is a great way to burn a lot of calories and lose weight, But, it also happens to be a low-impact sport, meaning it puts much less stress on your joints than some other types of exercise. This makes riding a bike a great change of pace for runners, or athletes who are recovering from an injury. It also makes cycling a good option for cross training too, as it allows your body to recover from more high-impact activities, while still providing a tremendous workout.

5. A Stronger Immune System

Regular exercise can provide a significant boost to your immune system, helping you stave off such ailments as the flu or even the common cold. Riding your bike a few times a week can help contribute to improved immunity from these types of viruses, while also helping to create a lifestyle that is healthier in general.
Obviously cycling provides undeniable health benefits, which has helped to make it a popular activity for those looking to improve their overall levels of fitness. But riding a bike also happens to be a lot of fun too. We knew this as kids, and we can still appreciate those same exhilarating feelings of speed and freedom today. If you haven’t hopped on a bike in awhile, perhaps now is the time. You may discover that you not only still enjoy it, but it makes you a healthier person too.

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Wellbeing

Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Hangry

Have you ever lost your cool when you were hungry? You turned from angel to devil in the blink of an eye. You couldn’t imagine ever getting out of such a terrible mood, but then you took a bite of a sandwich, or maybe you munched on an apple or a bag of pretzels. Whatever it was, you magically felt better, like a weight had been lifted off you and you could finally smile and breathe again. Your friend says jokingly, “God, Jen, why’d you have to get so hangry?”

Hangry? Yes, hangry. Hangry is the new term blending both hungry and angry into a cute little package. It seems funny to joke about being hangry, and it also feels vaguely like an excuse. I mean, you can control snapping at your partner when you’re a little hungry, right? But alas, the hangry phenomenon is actually scientifically proven. Although scientists probably wouldn’t use the term hangry, it does get the point across.   

What Makes You Hangry?

The biggest factor to the “hangers” is your blood glucose levels. Medical researcher Amanda Salis has written a hefty article breaking down all the effects. “The carbohydrates, proteins and fats in everything you eat are digested into simple sugars (such as glucose), amino acids, and free fatty acids. These nutrients pass into your bloodstream from where they are distributed to your organs and tissues and used for energy.” So basically, everything you eat performs some function in the body (Salis).

Over time, all of the energy that you’ve digested is used. Whether you are riding your bike or journaling, little by little all of those nutrients are going to be sucked away. Glucose is your primary energy source, so it’s only logical that when there is an absence of glucose your body will go into life-or-death mode. Six hours is all it takes for your glucose levels to become depleted, and that’s when you begin to feel that angry and annoyed sensation (Bushak).

In addition to being your main source for energy, glucose is crucial for the operation of your brain. You’ll notice that you become muddled, slower at work, drop things, and are just not yourself. Some people have even noticed a sensation where their words are slightly slurred. Basically, simple things become that much harder. This is why we have a tendency to snap at friends and family–people we are close to–because being pleasant requires effort and our energy and resources have been depleted.

If you thought having a low energy supply was bad, how about adding this onto your current hangry state? When glucose levels are dwindling, four hormones are released, one of them being adrenaline. Scientists believe that adrenaline is released as a survival measure. If all organisms passively let others eat before them then there would be many extinct creatures. So when you’re feeling a little grumbly about missing your afternoon snack, know that there’s a very logical cause: Your body is worried about where its next food will come from. You’re in survival mode, and your friends don’t stand a chance.

So Is It All Glucose’s Fault?

All we’ve been hearing is glucose, glucose, glucose. Is there anything else that’s affected by your lack of nutrients? Well yes, as a matter of fact. Many people who suffer from depression and other ailments are believed to have low serotonin levels, thus doctors will prescribe medications that boost this chemical. But did you know that serotonin is released when we eat? So, when we don’t eat, guess what happens? Yep, we get angry. Many people assume that most people eat for pleasure, which is true to some extent.

Think back. When was the last time you were truly hungry? You hadn’t eaten for hours and you would’ve given anything for a little scrap of food. You see people around you eating and what are you feeling? Anxiety, frustration, irritation, and quite frankly, you’ve become emotional. The longer you deny your body food, the hangrier you’ll get. When you eat, the feeling of pleasure rushes through you, and some mistake this for happiness. In reality, serotonin is being released, which automatically boosts your mood. Clearly, the body’s processes are interconnected. We may not think that our brain is linked to our digestive tract, but it is (Currie).

How To Fight The Hangers

Snacks. The only way to prevent feeling hangry is to keep yourself properly nourished. Having small intermittent snacks throughout the day will keep your hunger at bay. There have been countless articles discussing the benefits of multiple small meals a day: boosting metabolism, producing energy, and staving off fatigue are just a few of the advantages.

So next time you feel your mood plummeting, grab some food. Not only will you save yourself frustration, but you’ll probably save some relationships as well! 

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Nosh

Kicking The Can: How To Break Up With Your Soda Habit

I have a confession: I used to drink soda a lot. I come by it naturally; my dad drank Coca-Cola for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all I wanted was to be allowed to do the same. As it was, I drank at least one tall glass nearly every day.
I never really decided to “quit” soda; it happened much more organically (and much less dramatically!) than that. Before I knew it, it had been months since my last glass and I hadn’t even missed it. I simply no longer enjoy it, a concept that, as a kid, I would have found foreign. (And if you’re wondering, my thrice-a-day soda loving dad has also cut back, savoring a bottle of his new, favorite craft root beer on special occasions.)
If we can do it, I promise, so can you.

Educate yourself.

We all know soda is “bad;” that is, we “shouldn’t” drink it. I liken this to how everyone knows smoking is harmful, but that no longer works as a motivator to quit. We get it, right? Still, dig deeper than “soda is bad.” Do you know what, exactly, soda does to your body? Type “soft drink soda infographic” into Pinterest and you can find a laundry list of worrisome effects. If that feels like too much work, here are my top concerns about too much soda:

Cut it back, not out.

This process should be a slow one, and everyone starts at a different place. If you normally drink soda three times every single day, your first goal might be to limit it to two times a day, two days a week; the remaining five days, you would still drink soda three times. If you tend to nurse bottles of soda throughout the day, you could try first confining them to mealtimes only. Every week or two, as you get more comfortable with a goal, progress it.

Add in other carbonation.

Sometimes what we really crave is the sensation or memory of a food. A similar beverage that reminds you of soda can help you transition. Start with flavored (preferably not sweetened) sparkling water; you can even add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice if you need a little extra sweetness. This isn’t a permanent solution, but it can help fill the soda void while you adjust to a life without fizz.

Pour it out.

This is where things get serious. When you have decreased your intake to less than once a day, gather up all of the soda in your house and get rid of it. If you have trouble wasting, simply donate it or give it to a friend (with explicit instructions to not give it back). I’d encourage you to keep one bottle to symbolically pour down the drain. Though wasteful, this is an important and empowering step to mark your commitment to change.
Now that soda is out of your home, it becomes something only available when out at restaurants and celebrations. (If you eat out frequently, you may want to consider also avoiding soda at restaurants and reserve it for truly special occasions that occur less often.)
Of course, if other people in your house drink soda and are not interested in stopping, this step may be more difficult. In this situation, you could consider labeling the sodas with other family members’ names or placing a note near them reminding you of what you aim to achieve by not drinking them.

Cut the cord, if you like.

The truly occasional glass of soda, when part of an overall nutrient-dense diet, is not likely to be particularly harmful. If possible, opt for one of the varieties made from real sugar as opposed to artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup, and consider splitting a can or bottle with a friend for a smaller serving.
Pretty soon, I’ll bet you’ll have gone months without soda and you won’t even miss it.

Categories
Wellbeing

Is the Healing Power of Nature an Alternative to Medication?

As human beings we spend 90% of our time indoors. As a result we have become completely disconnected from what would be considered our “natural habitat” leaving us sick, tired, depressed and stressed out.

While diet, exercise and spending time with friends have all been shown to improve wellbeing the one place we forget to turn to for healing is outside. More and more research is supporting the healing effects that the outer landscape can have on our inner landscape, and the importance of returning to nature as a place of reprieve and recovery.

Ask yourself these questions:

When was the last time you felt deeply connected to nature?

When did you most recently feel connected to something sacred? Do you make a conscious effort to get outside every day?

Most of us would be surprised to find how little time we spend even thinking about the importance of nature in our lives let alone the minimal amount of time we spend in it.

Research in the fields of Nature Therapy, Eco-Therapy and Green Therapy reveals that the environment can impact your body and overall wellbeing through the effects that it has on your nervous, endocrine and immunes systems. By studying the human-nature relationship, experts in these fields are concluding more and more that nature is an untapped resource that improves mood and many other states of being that reduce happiness.

If you are living or working in an unpleasant environment you will feel anxious, sad or helpless which in turn elevates your blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension while suppressing your immune system. A pleasing environment reverses that effect, and actually improves your health overall.

If you think about how differently you feel when walking through a park as compared to how you feel on a busy street you’ll realize that the environment profoundly impacts how you feel.

Pros and Cons

As human beings we are social creatures and we’re evolutionarily designed to live as part of nature. We have an inherent ecological wisdom that is wired into our cells so it’s absolutely in our best interest to spend as much time outdoors communing with the natural world as possible.

It’s unnatural to live so separate from something we are so inherently close to. It’s no wonder that as a culture we so often feel disconnected and alone much of the time.

While there is no downside to allowing the natural elements to infuse you with optimal health and wellbeing you may not be in striking distance or close enough to a natural setting to reap the full benefits.

When you live in a concrete jungle it becomes harder to access the prescription of nature, which makes popping a pill seem way easier and faster.

The good news for you is that the research being done in the fields of nature therapy have shown that creating an indoor landscape, or simply looking out at nature through a window has the same effects. In fact patients recovering from surgery have been studied and shown to heal faster when they are facing a window with a view of nature. Even having a plant in a room can have a significant impact on stress and anxiety.

Don’t forget that some of the interactions you have with nature may not seem like they’re healing, but they are. When you feel the freedom and relaxation that comes with gardening, the calm that comes over you when you cuddle with your pet, or when you look up at a tree on a busy urban street you’re connecting with nature.

Fit or Flop

Healing through nature is a definite fit. At a minimum nature is an adjunct to traditional medicine, and at a maximum a replacement for medication. As we become more and more industrialized we move further and further away from our natural needs to be in nature. Making time every day to spend a few moments with reconnected with your natural world will definitely shift your mind and body toward a higher state of wellbeing.

When time doesn’t permit the real thing you can watch a video, listen to nature sounds, spend a few minutes in natural sunlight or look through a nature magazine. The main goal is to reconnect to something sacred or indigenous, and to create a sense of connection with something greater.

It’s important to remember that we cannot utilize nature as a resource without giving back. Relationships are reciprocal and that includes the one we build with our natural environments.

Using nature as a resource for our own benefit is exactly why we see it disappearing every day. You must always show the respect, admiration and awe that nature deserves and we must ingest its beauty with the intention of giving back to the world what we receive.