Exercise: Tell someone you're going to, then do!
Compiled by Kurt Rheinheimer
Keeping records of exercise and pledging publicly to stick with it can have positive effects.
Documenting Exercise Helps
Studies have shown that those who keep a daily record of exercise tend to remain committed at higher rates than those who don't. And with social internet tools exploding, there are new avenues of both recording and revelation. Consider committing – to Facebook friends, in Twitter tweets, on your blog or in emails – to a month of daily exercise; and as you do, document your success daily.
Two in One: Keys to Brain and Heart Health Are Much The Same
The recommended steps to keep your brain functioning at its highest levels turn out to be pretty much the same steps to keep your heart healthy: regular exercise; sustained mental activity and learning; weight control; a diet based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains; monitoring/addressing of blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Fear Not The Coming Cold Season
Neither cold temperatures nor fluctuating temperatures increase the likelihood of catching cold; studies show that those who got chilled on a cold day are no more likely to get sick than those who don't. In fact, those who remain indoors may be more likely to catch cold, due to higher levels of germs inside.
Small Steps, Big Results
While the idea of "not sweating the small stuff" can have merit in some realms - personal interactions, traffic irritations, unavoidable delays - just the opposite is true in the arena of personal habits. "Small stuff," such as walking 15 minutes more per day, passing on that soda in favor of water, making that call for the check-up, add not only to daily performance but also to overall satisfaction in moving such steps from activity to habit to lifestyle.
Is That Steak Worth It?
A 10-year AARP study involving more than 500,000 people yields the information that those who eat the most red meat - averaging five ounces a day - are three times more likely to die prematurely that those eating little or no red meat. On the other hand, people who ate the most fish and poultry had a slightly reduced mortality rate.
What's "Moderate"?
With current guidelines recommending at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, the question arises of just what is "moderate." A recent study reveals that as related to walking, it's about 100 steps per minute. The long-standing recommendation to use a pedometer - to count distance and steps and to increase motivation - remains.
A Wealth of Wellness Info
The UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, an eight-page, info-packed monthly, is available by mail or online at WellnessLetter.com. Subscription price for the newsletter itself is $28 per year.
Have Food Manufacturers Really Snagged Our Brains?
The former head of the FDA spent years investigating if food makers manipulate ingredients akin to how tobacco companies manipulate nicotine levels. Dr. David A. Kessler, former Food & Drug Administration head and author of "The End of Overeating," asserts that food makers manipulate blends of sugar, salt and fat to stimulate our desire to eat. Among his prime points:
1 The triggered brain creates a feedback loop, seeking more of the same pleasure.
2 Kessler, citing his own food battles - having "gained and lost my body weight several times over" - recommends not dieting but structured eating and understanding of your own triggers.
3 Much of processed food combines fat, sugar and salt in ways to reach a "bliss point" - where ingredients, mouth feel and flavors blend to trigger the brain- reward system.
4 Like ex-smokers finding cigarettes repulsive, Kessler says perceptual shifts related to portion size and "loaded" processed foods are keys to ingestion control. |
