January 22, 2014 | Shayna Robinson, MSPT, PhD
Can Shoulder Stand Save You Too?
Risky Business: Are Your Vitamins Good For You?
Are your #supplements certified by the #FDA to be in #compliance? Look for #NPA GMP, and #NSF GMP certified supplements. These are industry regulated and exceed the current FDA regulation of dietary supplement.
What are Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)? What is the difference between compliance and certification? What do the alphabet of names
Glutathione: Power Antioxidant
Glutathione is the mother of all antioxidants, the master detoxifier and maestro of immunity. GOOD NEWS, our body produces it. BAD NEWS, when the body becomes overloaded with toxins, it switches off the gene that allows for Glutathione to be created and recycled within the body.
Nearly every person who suffers from chronicfatigue syndrome, heartdisease, cancer, chronicinfections, autoimmune disease, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer‘s disease, Parkinson‘s disease, arthritis, asthma, kidney, liver disease and more is missing the functional ability of the GSTM1 gene.
Post by CoreFitChicago.
Sip Away Stress
The way to banish stress may be a sip away. Green tea is rich in catechins, an antioxidant compound, and contains high levels of EGCG, a polyphenol that has been previously found to reduce levels of oxidizing compounds that contribute to physical and mental fatigue. Tohoku University (Japan) researchers analyzed data relating to tea consumption, psychological distress, and lifestyle factors collected on 42,093 Japanese men and women, ages 40 years and older. The team determined that those subjects who drank five cups of green tea daily reduced their levels of psychological distress by 20%.
A popular beverage worldwide, green tea may help to alleviate mental stress and may promote psychological well-being. To ensure maximum antioxidant potency, be sure your green tea leaves are fresh, and preferably — organically grown.
Your Daily Detox
If you wake up feeling tired, sore and generally puffy, you may want to try adding a Liver Support supplement to your daily routine. The liver plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein synthesis, hormone production, and detoxification. In a nutshell, this organ controls how you produce, store or burn fat and calories.
Beyond eating healthy and staying physically fit, supplements can aid your body in detoxification, so your organs don’t have to work so hard to get rid of the fat and toxins in your blood. My favorite supplement in this category is the NOW foods brand Liver Detoxifier and Regenerator.
‘Caution’ Warranted if Consuming Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners may seem like a god send, but they cause havoc within your body if you’re not careful. In fact, the evidence is adding up that consumption of noncaloric, artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) is associated with an increased risk for a variety of chronic diseases including obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes.
In an article
Review: My Fit Foods
Today my fitness/beach/stylist partner-in-crime Jen and I stumbled upon My Fit Foods in the Boystown neck of Lakeview. I had seen it open up shop in Chicago on North Ave., just east of Wells and this was my first opp to check out a fast food concept that “strives to make fresh, healthy meals to go that are designed to increase energy levels and help you lose weight safe and naturally.”
“Ok, let’s give it a shot,” we say as we shift gears away from our go-to snack spot (Starbucks).
When you’re literally running your business from your cell phone and trying to fit in that all too important beach date with the dogs in, eating on the go is a must. That’s why a company that boasts 90% of their meals gluten free, calorie and fat reduced and has several portion size options is a road we’re willing to traverse.
Walk in and go immediately to the fridge where the meals are broken down into easy to decide categories; snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner. Okay, easy enough.
We head over to snacks. Not only do they have a ton of options (in this category alone, I saw 8), they also have portions–small, medium and large–with the calories and fat literally printed on the side. So even these lazy beach combers can’t plead the fifth when it comes to not being aware of what we’ve just stuck in our mouths.
I had the tuna salad snack which consists of a yummy scoop of spicy and crunchy tuna salad, some zucchini wedges, grape tomatoes and a few rice crisps for good measure. Turns out, this was the perfect serving size and I felt full and satisfied after.
I love that it’s fast, love that it’s portion controlled and that it displays the nutritional information as clear as day. You really can’t screw it up when you eat here.
Be sure to pick up the snack cookie and gluten-free energy bar too for later. They were both low cal, high protein and extremely tasty. Especially the cookie 
It’s About Eating Right
The Good Nutrition Reading List
The consumer market overflows with publications on nutrition, fitness and health. These are my two favorite publications representing resources covering a broad range of nutrition and health topics. They provide reliable, evidence based information in a timely manner to give you the most efficient way to practice healthy living.
Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals:
- Sound nutrition is essential for high-quality sport training and competition. This new edition is a joint venture between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) dietetic practice group. The book is a go-to source for specific evidenced-based information on different sports nutrition topics.
100 Questions and Answers About Sports Nutrition & Exercise:
- Provides easily accessible answers to questions that athletes, athletic trainers and coaches may have about sports nutrition. Equipped with case studies, quick tips, and testimonials, this practical guide covers topics such as: vitamins and minerals, fluids, medications and supplements, weight management, warm ups and cool downs, flexibility, and more
Forks Over Knives; Plant Based Diets
Looking for a non-diet nutritional plan? Focusing solely on fat or calories often leads to yo-yo dieting–which as we all know, is not healthy. Aim to maintain your weight by reducing your meat intake and sticking to a healthy (TASTY!) vegetarian routine. I follow the 3 day dinner rule: meat every 3rd day for dinner. Repeat till the week is over and you’ll shed pounds fast.
Day 1: 6-80zSalmon with 12oz veggies
Day 2: All vegetarian meal
Day 3: 6-8oz Chicken breast with 12oz veggies
Reach for a fork over a knife and increase your health benefits by going veg for a week. I like this recipe from Wendy Solganik over at Forks Over Knives. It’s a website dedicated to healthy vegetarian eating.
Italian White Bean, Kale and Potato Stew
Serves 6
Ingredients
Body On Fire
The immune system is supposed to be our greatest defense in defending against pathogens and rebuilding damaged tissue. Without it, your cold would win and your sore back would never heal. Chronic inflammation, brought on by an immune system in overdrive, could lead to illnesses including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Inflammation-signaling cells or C-reactive proteins (CRP), is a molecule released by the liver as part of the immune response. These levels should go back to normal levels after defending the body, but instead hang out in the blood. What keeps the battle going? Recurring irritants, such as cigarette smoke, for one. Or, as we now know, carrying too much extra weight, or simply getting older.
The efficiency with which your liver detoxes your blood and circulation are two huge contributing factors to your CRP levels.
