Author: Burk Krohe

Categories
Lifestyle

Grocery Store Actually Takes Mom's Suggestion To Heart

Typically, complaints to any restaurant or business are met with a polite apology and not much else. One grocery store in Ireland went the extra mile, though. 

Gina Grant, a mother from County Donegal, was having a difficult time shopping for groceries. Her son Francis has Mitochondrial Disease and is totally reliant on her. Grant only had two options while shopping: Try to push a wheelchair and a cart simultaneously or put Francis in the cart with the groceries. Neither situation was ideal. 

“Ordinarily I have to put my son in the back of the trolley along with the food, which he finds incredibly stressful,” Grant told the Irish Mirror. 

After one especially trying trip to Dunnes Stores, Grant petitioned store management for an accommodation. She wanted a cart that would make shopping with Francis less stressful. To her surprise, Dunnes exceeded her expectations.

Grant showed up to the store one day, anticipating another difficult trip when the staff told her Francis’ cart was ready. 

“They brought it over and it had a special padded seat, head support, safety harnesses, the works! If I had of won the lottery, I couldn’t have been happier. It was amazing, I haven’t stopped smiling since. It was a wonderful thing to do,” Grant told the Irish Mirror.

Grant said it was a “pleasure” to shop for once and that “such a small thing” can make an incredible difference. She won’t be the only one to benefit either. The cart, which is the first of its kind in the Donegal, will be available for anyone who needs it. Additionally, Dunnes plans to make 155 specialized carts available in stores across the country. 

The happy mother commended the store. 

“I am over the moon that Dunnes have decided to do this,” she said. “I know how much a difference this little thing has had in my life. So to think that me pushing Dunnes to get me a trolley for my son will bring normality to other parents in the same situation, it makes me very chuffed.”

Categories
Lifestyle

Little Sisters Make Origami To Raise Money For Wells All Over The World

Folding origami is pretty impressive, but what these sisters are doing takes it to another level. 

In 2011, Katherine Adams started folding origami with her father while her older sister when to school. Around the same time, the precocious 5 year old learned that people in other countries go thirsty every day and many girls can’t go to school because they’re hauling water all day.

She decided to do something about it. 

Katherine enlisted the help of her 8-year-old sister Isabelle and her parents. The girls, and a few other volunteers, hosted an origami sale at a Starbucks in Dallas. All of the proceeds went toward building a fresh-water well in Ethiopia. Katherine and Isabelle hoped to make $500, but they made much more. The origami ornaments sold out the first day, and two months later they had raised more than $10,000.

It was more than enough to cover the cost of a new well that benefitted a whole village. 

The venture was so successful that the sisters are now co-presidents of Paper For Water. The organization has hundreds of volunteers who fold and sell origami ornaments. With their help, Paper For Water has raised more than $650,000 during the last four years. The money has gone toward 70 new wells in various places in Africa, India, and even the United States.

The girls have made an amazing effort, but it’s a drop in the bucket considering what still needs to be done. Nearly 800 million people lack access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities could cost up to $20 billion, the girls’ father Dr. Ken Adams said. The girls are optimistic, though.

“If everyone in this world helps a little, it all adds up to a lot,” Isabelle told Good News Network. “Folding origami is an easy way for people of any age to help change the world.”

The family has visited two of the wells that have been built, one in India and the other on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. In 2017, the family plans to go on a “world tour” of the wells that have been built. 

If you want to help, you can buy ornaments on their website. 

Categories
Sweat

Learn the Native Language Before Visiting Crossfit Country

CrossFit has a cultural and language all its own. It can be a little intimidating walking into that sort of thing. We’re here to help you navigate your new fitness endeavor with a helpful glossary of CrossFit terms. 

AMRAP: As many reps as possible. Basically, you’re doing as much as you can for a certain amount of time or until your body physically can’t do it any more. 

Box: This is a CrossFit gym. It’s usually a large space (think warehouse) that has some very basic equipment you’ll be using for your workout.

BP: Your standard bench press.

BS: Back squat, which is basically your standard squat. You’re putting the barbell across the meaty part of shoulders (not on your neck), squatting, and powering up back to a standing position. 

C&J: The clean and jerk. This lift consists of two motions. The first is lifting a barbell from the floor to a racked position across your chest. The next involves lifting the barbell over your head to a stationary position. 

CLN: And another lift, the clean. Obviously, the clean is the first part of the clean and jerk. 

C2: This is a specific type of rowing machine that’s used by CrossFit.

DL: Your standard deadlift. You’re lifting a barbell from the ground to the hips and back to ground. 

EMOM: Every minute on the minute. You need to do a certain number of reps at the start of each new minute. 

Firebreather: Apparently, a very fit CrossFitter. 

FS: Front squat. This is similar to a the back squat, except you’re resting the barbell across the front of your body on the deltoids. 

The Games: An abbreviation of The CrossFit Games, which is an annual competition to determine the most fit CrossFitters. 

HRPU: Hand release push up. This is a variation on the standard push up that involves taking your hands off the ground and balancing on your chest before returning to the starting position. 

KB: Kettlebell. Otherwise known as the dumbbell looking thing you’ve been too scared to use until now. 

K2E: This is a core exercise called knees to elbows. 

ME: Maximal effort. In other words, go all out without stopping. 

MetCon: A term for metabolic conditioning. It’s a short, high-intensity workout that will help your cardiovascular system.

MP: Military press. The military press can be done standing or seated. You’ll start with the barbell on your shoulders and lift it straight over your head. 

MU: A muscleup, which is a very difficult pushup.

OHS: Overhead squat. This one the most difficult variations of the standard squat. You’re starting with a barbell lifted overhead with locked elbows. Than you’re lowering yourself into a squatting position and powering back up to a standing position. 

PC: No, not politically correct, but power clean. This is pretty much the same as a regular clean, but “power” means that you’ll land in a partial squat as opposed to a full squat.

Pood (PD): First, stop laughing. Alright, pood is a unit of measurement specifically used for kettlebells. One pood equals 35 pounds.

PP: Push press. This lift is similar to the military press, except for a few things. You’re almost always starting from a standing position with the barbell across the front of your shoulders. However, the lift is started with movement from the legs. 

PR: It stands for personal record, which CrossFit encourages you to keep track of. 

PSN: Power snatch (yet another lift). Again, “power” means you’ll land in a partial squat position. 

PU: Pull up or push up. Don’t worry, you’ll be doing a lot of these.  

Rx: This means as prescribed. You don’t have to change weight or reps at all.

SN: Snatch (you guessed it! Another lift!). This is similar to the clean and jerk, except you’re lifting the barbell from the floor to a stationary position over your head in one continuous motion.

SQ: Squat. For all intents and purposes, this is the back squat. 

TGU: Turkish getup, which is a difficult full-body exercise, incorporating a kettlebell. 

T2B: Toes to Bar. This is a pretty intense core exercise, similar to knees to elbows. 

WOD: Last but not least is the workout of the day. Your box’s workout, which can be designed by you coach or be taken daily from crossfit.com. 

Categories
Lifestyle

First Of Its Kind Chemical-Free Pool Makes A Splash

Minnesota might not be the first place to come to mind when you hear the words sustainability or environmentalism. However, the Land of 10,000 Lakes recently completed an incredible green initiative. 

Webber pool in northern Minneapolis is the first naturally filtered pool in the country open to the public. The pool doesn’t use chemicals such as chlorine to cleanse the water. Instead, the pool is filtered and cleansed with a piping filtration system and a “regeneration basin.” Every 12 hours the water in the pool (around 500,000 gallons) slowly drains in and out of the basin. It utilizes more than 7,000 aquatic plants, gravel, and limestone. 

The plants consume bacteria and nutrients in the water, while anything remaining sticks to the gravel. It’s a rather ingenious, and natural, approach to creating a hygienic pool. A cleaning crew and a vacuum system help to keep the surface of the pool clean, as well. The pool itself consists of 21,000 square feet of swimming space and features shallow and deep ends, a wading pool, diving area, and lap area. 

Since the pool relies on natural processes for filtration, the water looks more akin to to a lake or pond than the crystal clear pools to which most Americans are accustomed. It can take some getting used to for some swimmers. The benefits are probably worth it, though. Taking chlorine out of the equation eliminates many of the irritating side effects of a traditional pool such as red eyes, dry hair and skin, and bleached swimsuits.

Pools like Webber have been popular in Europe for some time. The first natural pools were built in Austria and Germany in the 1980s. Currently, there are 20,000 natural pools in Europe, 100 of which are public pools in Germany. In the U.S., natural pools have been mostly reserved for a handful of well-off private citizens. Opening natural pools to the public has been difficult due to a number of state-mandated regulations on the use of chemicals to treat bacteria. 

The Webber project certainly faced its share of obstacles.

The pool was supposed to open in 2013, but construction delays, equipment failure, unexpected wildlife migrations, and other issues pushed the completion date to 2015. There have been financial issues as well. When the project started the pool was estimated to cost around $4 million. However, it was completed for more than $6 million. 

Jayne Miller, superintendent of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, said sometimes you have to pay a price for innovation. 

She told Upworthy, “You do something new and innovative like this, there are risks. … But we’re getting a ton of coverage on this nationally, and a lot of people are paying attention. I suspect this will be the beginning of many more natural pools in the U.S.”

With ideas like this, it’s easy to see why Minneapolis and St. Paul have the two top-ranked park systems in the country.

Hopefully, this ground-breaking project will be an example to other states and municipalities around the country! 

Categories
Nosh

Study Shows It Pays To Be An Adventurous Eater

The term “foodie” has been somewhat maligned in recent years. Some feel these hipster food lovers are overly precious about food and should stop Instagramming every single meal.

You probably know people like this. Friends who shop at farmers markets and always have a restaurant recommendation. A relative who frowns when you mention McDonald’s. A co-worker with an array of special ordered chef’s knives. 

They might be on to something, though. 

According to a study conducted by the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, those who seek out things such as sushi, lingua tacos, and tabouleh might be healthier than their more picky counterparts. The study surveyed 500 American women about their eating habits, perceptions about food, life choices, weight satisfaction, and a number of other personal characteristics. 

A questionnaire asked participants if they had tried 16 different foods uncommon in American diets such as Kimchi, seitan, polenta and beef tongue. Those that had tried nine or more of the foods were deemed neophiles, or “adventurous eaters.” The researchers found that the adventurous eaters had lower BMIs, weighed less, exercised more often and were more health conscious in general.

The co-author of the study, Dr. Brian Wansink released a statement on it saying, “These findings are important to dieters because they show that promoting adventurous eating may provide a way for people–especially women–to lose or maintain weight without feeling restricted by a strict diet.”

The study makes the connection between adventurous eating and health, but the exact cause is a bit murkier.

Some dietitians theorize that trying new foods can lead you to develop a taste for foods that are healthier and more nutritious than your typical fare. Another factor is a love for cooking. Adventurous eaters are more likely to cook at home, which can be healthier than hitting the drive-thru. They’re also more likely to have friends over for dinner and be more excited about food in general. 

There are some less positive implications from the study, though.

For one, the BMI (or body mass index) isn’t a very precise indicator of health. A mathematician, who had no background in the human body, developed it hundreds of years ago. Furthermore, it doesn’t take into account relative proportions of bone, muscle and fat. Thus, someone with high muscle mass can be classified as overweight, even if he/she is perfectly healthy.

Consequently, reporting that adventurous eaters have lower BMIs might not say as much as you would think. There might be a more uncomfortable implication hidden in the study, as well. 

Being an adventurous eater, or a foodie, requires a certain amount of resources not everyone has access to. Eating out at hip ethnic restaurants and shopping for specialty ingredients takes time and money. It’s time and money a lot of people don’t have. Residents of low-income neighborhoods don’t have nearly enough access to fresh, nutritious foods much less edgy, new eateries. It’s not complicated to see being a foodie is often possible due to a certain amount of privilege and that health is directly aided by that privilege. 

As The Telegraph’s Amy Fleming notes, “It could be money. Surely anyone with an economic advantage will be more likely to be neophilic by the study’s criteria? (I think it’d be pretty hard to find many comfortably-off folks who haven’t tried nine of the foods on the list). If you’re better educated about health and culture, well travelled, can afford exotic foods and experimental restaurants, then you’ll be a neophile for this study’s purposes.”

Those sticking points aside, a varied diet does seem to make sense in terms of health.

For example, introducing people to Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian food is a great way to show how vegetables can be packed full of flavor. It could be the first step in changing your tastes and, potentially, your cravings. That’s only the beginning. Assuming you have the means, you’re missing a whole world of interesting and healthy food if you eat the same few things each week. 

So go ahead and try something new! Your health just might depend on it.

Categories
Nosh

Bottoms Up! Why You Should Be Drinking More Water

Adding water to your diet is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your health.

Unfortunately, many kids in the United States are raised on sugary sodas and juices and grow up skipping the H20. This habit often persists into adulthood with potentially detrimental effects. 

The standard for water intake used to be eight cups a day, but many experts have backed off that guideline in recent years. In reality, everyone needs a different amount of water based on diet, exercise, and various other factors. That being said, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that drinking less than four cups of water a day is probably inadequate for a healthy adult. 

In a 2007 CDC study, 43.7 percent of respondents reported drinking less than four cups of water a day. That doesn’t sound too troubling until you consider that our brains are about 85 percent water, and our muscles are 70-75 percent water. In short, it’s an essential chemical component of our bodies that we should be replenishing.

Here are several ways that increasing your water intake can provide health benefits:

Hydration

The most obvious benefit to drinking more water is hydration. The Internet has helped spread the idea that 75 percent of the country’s population is chronically dehydrated. That’s probably an exaggeration, but there are definitely a lot of people who could use some more of the clear stuff. 

Dehydration can drain your energy, making you sluggish. It can also cause headaches when your body starts to squeeze your brain and muscles for any bit of water it can find. Try grabbing a glass of H20 to counteract these effects. You’ll feel better in no time!

Calorie Control

One of the best things about water is that it has 0 calories. Slamming bottles of water isn’t going to magically make you shed 50 pounds. But when you consider a can of regular soda contains more than 100 calories, it’s an easy substitution that could save you hundreds of calories per day. 

Water might also be valuable in curbing hunger because it fills your stomach. A 2010 clinical trial found that drinking two cups of water before meals decreased calorie intake and aided weight loss. Additionally, drinking cold water forces the body to warm up slightly to keep a consistent temperature of 98.6. It only burns about eight calories, but that’s better than nothing!

Increased Metabolism

Experts have gone back and forth on whether water truly helps people lose weight. A 2004 German study presented interesting results on the subject, though. The study showed that after drinking 17 ounces of water, the subjects’ metabolic rates increased by 30 percent for both men and women. 

The study said the increase started within 10 minutes of drinking water and peaked after about half an hour. The researchers estimated an average person could burn thousands of extra calories a year simply by drinking more water every day. It probably won’t give you a six pack, but it won’t hurt either!

Energizing Muscles

Drinking water is especially important when exercising. If your muscles don’t maintain a normal balance of water and electrolytes, this can lead to muscle fatigue. That’s bad enough, as it can result in reduced power, speed, and mental focus. However, dehydration and muscle fatigue during exercise are also thought to contribute to muscle cramps.

It’s a rather painful ordeal that no one wants to endure. To avoid this, make sure your water intake is adequate before exercising. According to the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, you should drink 17 ounces (about two cups) of water at least two hours ahead of exercise to avoid dehydration.

Flushing Toxins 

Keeping hydrated is the best way to flush toxins from your body. We get rid of that waste primarily through urine, and drinking plenty of water helps the process because it’s a natural diuretic. More bathroom trips might be annoying, but that’s a small price to pay for your health. 

Evidence also suggests that drinking plenty of water helps prevent kidney stones (something you really don’t want to experience) and urinary tract infections. 

Gastrointestinal Tract

Water also plays an important role in digestion. It can stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, which helps digestion and intestinal transit. That’s a fancy way to say water will help keep you from becoming constipated. 

More often than not, simply drinking more water (instead of relying on harsh laxatives) will resolve problems with constipation.

Smooth Skin

Dry wrinkled skin is another nasty side effect of dehydration. Your skin contains water (like many other parts of your body) and needs it to function properly. Taking in plenty of water will keep you looking your best. 

Remember this the next time someone asks for your drink order!

Categories
Lifestyle

Smart Palm Trees – When Will the US Catch Up?

Most of the headlines you see about Dubai probably focus on extravagant wealth and things that would seem insane in any other industrialized country (like the police driving Ferraris). However, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates is installing one piece of technology that could be the wave of the future.
Smart palm trees.
The idea is to create a “smart city” by installing these self-sustaining features to provide connectivity, data, energy, and relief from the sun.  The city recently installed two trees, which stand about 20 feet and are constructed of stylized white metal. The trees have solar panels on the broad palm fronds that store energy to be used in the evening.
But they do so much more!
Aside from storing power, the trees and seating areas below them include several charging points for mobile devices. The company behind the tree, D Idea, claims the trees will charge a device twice a fast as a home charger. You can do more than charge your phone, though. You can also use the Internet. The tree includes a built-in WiFi hotspot that extends for about around 300 feet in every direction.
Additionally, D Idea included a “user friendly” touch screen where information about the city (in multiple languages!) is provided. The company also made safety a priority. Each tree has a 360-degree infrared camera, closed-circuit television camera and an emergency button.
Right now, D Idea has a contract with the city to put the trees in 103 locations.
Several cities in the U.S. have tried public solar charging stations, but nothing as ambitious as 103 locations. New York and San Francisco have both installed solar energy stations, but the rest of the country is still catching up.
Maybe the U.S. should start looking at the sun a bit more closely. You know, just not literally.

Categories
Wellbeing

11 Lessons on Living Mindfully Like Warren Buffett

Warren Buffet is known as the “Oracle of Omaha” for his expertise in business and investing. Buffet, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is now a self-made billionaire thanks to the choices he’s made over the years. When a self-made billionaire give you advice, you better take it!

1. Focus On You

Buffet has said, “investing in yourself is the best thing you can do.” An investment in yourself is an investment of which you have total control. You need to trust yourself and know where your talents lie. Once you know that, double down and do everything you can to improve those talents. Even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time, it will pay off down the road. 

2. Breaking Bad…Habits

Recognizing bad habits or weaknesses in you is tough for everyone. However, it’s even tougher to recognize a bad habit and make a change. The younger you recognize destructive behavior, the better. Buffet said it’s one of main things that hold people back. But you can decide to make a change before it becomes ingrained. Buffett told the students at University of Florida: “You can get rid of it a lot easier at your age than at my age, because most behaviors are habitual. The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.”

3. Strengths and Weaknesses

The previous entries add up to this: Know your strengths and weaknesses. Not everyone is Superman. Be realistic and know your limits. It’s to your advantage to not to get in over your head. In 2001, Buffet told Georgia State University students, “You don’t have to be an expert on everything, but knowing where the perimeter of that circle of what you know and what you don’t know is, and staying inside of it is all important.”

4. Think About The Risks You’re Taking

There’s nothing wrong with taking a risk every once and while, but think about why you’re doing it. Buffet said he’s seen many individuals fall prey to greed and take risks for something they didn’t need, or even really want. Essentially, never risk something you need to get something you don’t need. 

5. Love What You Do

Buffet’s advice is to try to find a job that lets you do something you would do if you didn’t have to worry about money. You’ll be ready to learn and excited to work each day. It’s hard to put a price on that sort of thing. “I get to work in a job that I love, but I have always worked at a job that I loved.” Buffett said. “I loved it just as much when I thought it was a big deal to make $1,000.”

6. The Golden Rule

This is pretty simple; treat others how you would like to be treated. Or as Buffet put it, “It’s so simple that it’s almost too obvious to notice. Look around at the people you like. Isn’t it a logical assumption that if you like traits in other people, then other people would like you if you developed those same traits?”

7. Think of Time As a Resource

Now, you’re probably not a billionaire like Buffet, but your time is still valuable. You only get 24 hours in each day, so use them wisely. Don’t fill up your day with appointments and functions that provide no value or educational opportunities to you. 

8. Find Those You Admire

Mentorship is an important aspect of any job or education. Buffet has been very open about the importance of his mentor Benjamin Graham, his professor at Columbia University, to his education and investment career. Graham helped Buffet build an investment philosophy responsible for his empire. Of his mentor, Buffet said, “He was a generous man.”

9. Fear Factor

It’s important to face your fears. If you don’t, you’ll only regret the opportunities you missed because you were afraid. Buffet himself was very afraid of public speaking. However, at some point in his career, he realized he would be required to do it. He decided to take the Dale Carnegie public speaking course. Now, because of his proactive approach, he’s one of the most highly regarded public speakers in the country. 

10. Recognize Opportunity

While addressing students at Georgia State, Buffet said, “We don’t do very many things, but when we get the chance to do something that’s right and big, we’ve got to do it. And even to do it in a small scale is just as big a mistake almost as not doing it at all.” He continued, “You’ve really got to grab them when they come, because you’re not going to get 500 great opportunities.”

11. Body and Mind

Last but not least, make sure you’re taking care of your body and mind. It sounds simple, but it’s something a lot of people ignore. Buffet illustrated the importance with a hypothetical situation. He said to imagine a genie came to you at the age of 16 and said you can have your dream car, any car you want. However, the catch is, it’s the only car you’ll own for your entire life. Buffet said if that were the case, he would read the manual over and over, garage it whenever he could and fix any scratch, dent or problem immediately. Buffet said, “That’s exactly the position you are in concerning your mind and body. You only get one mind and one body. And it’s got to last a lifetime. Now, it’s very easy to let them ride for many years. But if you don’t take care of that mind and that body, they’ll be a wreck 40 years later, just like the car would be.”

Now that Warren Buffet has set you straight, go seize the day!

Categories
Sweat

An Accident-Prone Person's Guide To Embarrassing Yourself While Exercising

In theory, the most important thing about exercising is making the effort to improve yourself. It’s about taking care of your body so you can still be active later in life. It’s about making positive choices.

In theory.

I suspect there’s more to it than that. Secretly, I think people want to look cool–or at the very least competent–while exercising. We hope to look like the sculpted, glistening people at CrossFit or in P90X videos. Athletic wear companies are certainly aware of this. Why else would they spend so much time and money developing and marketing sleek-looking workout gear and colorful cross training shoes?

Reality often has other ideas. I know from personal experience. 

I consider myself a decent athlete. I grew up playing baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, and sports have always been part of my life. I’ve hit the gym several days a week for years. I also like to think I’m more coordinated than the average person. 

Despite this, I’m also very accident-prone. To an almost unreasonable degree. All of this is to say: I’ve embarrassed myself more than a few times exercising. In the interest of healing (literally and figuratively), I would like to share a few stories about looking decidedly uncool while exercising. 

The first incident that comes to mind is every gym-goer’s worst nightmare. 

When I lived in Kansas, I went to a small 24-hour gym in town. The exterior was made up almost entirely of glass windows, which, if I’m being honest, was a bit awkward. Gawking patrons from the nearby shopping center aside, I liked the gym very much. It was small and there were limited machines and equipment, but it was immaculately clean and the people were friendly. 

One day after work I decided to hop on a treadmill for some interval running. For those of you unfamiliar, interval running involves sprinting for a set amount of time then walking for a set amount of time. Anyone who works out during the week knows that the gym is usually packed between 4 and 6 p.m. with the after-work crowd. I numbered among them and felt lucky to snag an open treadmill.

I wouldn’t feel lucky for much longer. 

The sprinting and walking started, and I had a good sweat going. But something was bothering me. Something on the inside hem of my gym shorts kept rubbing me the wrong way. Literally.

I was in the middle of one of my sprints, and I just couldn’t take it any longer. A normal person would have stepped off the treadmill for a minute to take care of the offending loose threads. Or at the very least, waited for a walking interval. I didn’t do either of those things. I did something so stupid, I can’t believe I’m actually about to write it.

Instead of stopping, I thought I could quickly pull out the loose threads while I was running. It turned out to be a poor decision. 

My footing faltered immediately. My legs came out from under me, and gravity pulled me toward the spinning belt of the treadmill. I was able to turn a bit so I didn’t fall directly on my face. I landed on the left side of my back and left shoulder. The belt, which was moving at a considerable pace, immediately tore up a section of my back. It then proceeded to shoot me several feet to the foot of an exercise bike. 

Naturally, the cardio section was full when this happened, and a dozen people saw me embarrass myself in a way that didn’t seem possible until that very moment. I remained on the ground for a little bit to gain my composure. The belt left a sizable burn on my back, and the unceremonious exit from the treadmill left a few bruises on my side where I landed. But otherwise my injuries were minor compared to what could have happened. 

Someone was nice enough to help me up as I assured everyone I was fine. I walked away, nursing my ego and cursing myself for picking such a busy time of the day to act like a jackass. 

Another embarrassing incident happened in high school (insert your own joke here).

I grew up in northern Illinois where it’s winter for roughly eight months out of the year. When baseball season started, my high school team had to practice indoors until the fields were suitable for use. 

A common indoor practice was to separate into groups and do a hitting circuit. The circuit included several stations, each focused on a different hitting drill. Obviously, the best station was the batting cage. After a few stations, my group got to the batting cage, but we realized we had to adjust the pitching machine. One of my teammates went to the end of the tunnel to sort it out. 

He wasn’t doing a very good job, though. 

I was getting fed up since we only had so much time at each station. The longer we took to adjust the machine the fewer swings we each got. I lifted up the net and yelled down the tunnel, “Hey, I think I can do it! Let me try!” My teammate didn’t hear me. He turned around and yelled “What?!” as he put another ball in the machine. Why you would just put a ball in the machine without looking is beyond me.

What happened next was like watching a car wreck in slow motion. 

I was jogging down the middle of the tunnel as he put the ball in. I saw it coming right at me and realized it was too late to get out of the way. My muscles tensed as I briefly anticipated getting Happy Gilmore’d at point-blank range. Taking a fastball to the chest seemed inevitable, but what actually happened might have been worse.

The ball hit me square in the crotch, and my protective cup made a loud “THUNK.” The force of the impact knocked my feet out from under me, and I tumbled to the ground. Sure, the cup mitigated some of the damage, but it was still one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. I felt sick and weak and had to sit out the next few drills.

I could go on and on. 

During a high school football practice, my own teammate managed to get his elbow in my face mask and give me a mean bloody nose. I also broke my finger simply deflecting a pass during practice the next year. I was fielding a ground ball in a rec league baseball game when I saw it hit a rock and take an unbelievable bounce. The ball proceeded to tag me directly under my left eye. In the weight room, I managed to crush one of my fingers between two metal dumbbells. After a set of bench flyes, I dropped my dumbbells in relief. Someone hadn’t returned his set to the rack and my left ring finger was smashed as a result. More recently, I’m easily the least flexible person in my yoga class and can’t do positions others have no problem with.

I think you get the point. 

Anyway, if you’ve been putting off the gym–or exercise in general–because you want to avoid embarrassing yourself or looking silly, look at me. I work out all the time and still find new and inventive ways to look like an idiot. Those people who look like they have it together at the gym have made their fair share of mistakes, too.

Yes, you might make mistakes, and you might fall, but you can always get up again.

Plus, you might end up with a few funny stories. 

Categories
Nosh

A Pickle a Day Could Have Unexpected Benefits

We’re all familiar with the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But mom never said anything about pickles. 

It turns out that pickles, which often play second fiddle to deli sandwiches, are more than a garnish.  

A new study shows that fermented foods such as pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi might have unexpected benefits. Chief among them is the potential to reduce social anxiety.

It’s been obvious for years that the mind can affect our guts. Stress and anxiety can cause nausea and loss of appetite, among other symptoms. What’s becoming more obvious is that it’s a two-way street.

Studies on mice have shown that the bacteria living in our body plays a role in mental health. Healthy bodies contain thousands of different species of bacteria, but the balance of these bacteria can be a delicate thing. In the West, we often throw it off with too many processed foods and over-exposure to antibiotics, eliminating necessary bacteria. It seems as if it not only exposes us to food allergies and other ailments, but also affects mental health. 

So how do pickles help?

Pickles are great sources of good bacteria (those probiotics you’ve heard so much about). When those probiotics enter your system, they trigger your brain to release cortisol, which is a stress-fighting hormone. In turn, the cortisol activates anti-stress and anti-inflammatory pathways.

Additionally, some believe pickles, and other fermented foods, are rich sources of GABA, a chemical messenger that reduces excitability in the nervous system. Certain anti-anxiety drugs work by activating GABA.

There’s also a benefit to fermented foods, like pickles, over the probiotic supplements you find at the drug store. The foods are made up of many complex components and, thus, more likely to promote diversity of bacteria in your body. 

But that’s not all!

Pickles, like other vegetables, contain antioxidants, or micronutrients that protect the body from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable chemicals that react with the body and affect DNA. However, foods rich in antioxidants can fight that process. That’s why you see so many people putting an emphasis on them nowadays. 

Pickles are also a good source of several vitamins and minerals. A typical pickle supplies calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. More importantly, pickles are an excellent source of vitamin K. Many Americans are lacking in the vitamin K department because traditionally we eat few fermented foods. It’s important for essential bodily functions, though.

Vitamin K is well known for aiding in the creation of blood clotting factor, but it’s useful in other ways, as well. It’s essential in improving bone density and preventing osteoporosis. It also plays a role in heart health, as it prevents the hardening of arteries. 

On the other hand, pickles tend to contain a large amount of sodium, so don’t go crazy.

Others swear by small amounts of pickle juice to alleviate muscle cramps and cure hangovers, although there are doubters. Some women even use it as a homemade remedy for period cramps. 

So, remember, find some pickles or kimchi next time you feel a bit on edge or had a tough work out!