A Cycling Lifestyle and the Benefits it Endows

There is plenty of scientific evidence that cycling is good for your health in general. It is a low-impact form of physical exercise that has many of the same benefits as other aerobic forms of exercise, such as walking and running. Unlike running, however, it is much easier on your joints and can be performed even in old age. This is because it causes less strain on your joints and muscles and is also associated with fewer injuries than other forms of physical exercise. There is very little equipment needed, and it can be a very inexpensive way to get in shape because it does not require a monthly gym fee.

One of the best things about cycling is that it is very easy to fit into your daily lifestyle. For example, you can replace a quick trip in your car to the market with a simple bike ride. It is a great way to sneak in extra exercise without being bored and losing your motivation at a traditional gym. In addition, cycling is a great way to work all of your major muscle groups at once. It is a much more comprehensive and engaging workout than simply going for a leisurely walk. 

Even if you consider yourself to be uncoordinated, it does not take much effort at all to be able to pick up on cycling and get the hang of it for good. In fact, even if you have not tried cycling for many years, you never lose the skills and can literally hop back on a bike again without a problem. 

The major aerobic benefits are that it increases your strength, stamina and general level of fitness. Along those lines, regular cycling can even make other forms of working out much easier if you are looking to mix it up every once in a while. You can also scale your level of cycling to your general fitness level. If you have not worked out in a while, you can build up your level of intensity while cycling over time so that you do not injure yourself or get burned out too quickly.

There are also many social benefits of cycling because it is easy to do as a group activity. Incorporating some socialization into your workout is a good way to stay fit and find some extra motivation to stay on track with your exercise program. If you develop a group of friends who all like cycling, you can plan to meet up to exercise, which will keep you stimulated and active for longer. 

Tips to Find the Tastiest Ways to Eat Healthy

As you get older, eating healthy becomes increasingly important. A lot of people view this as a dreaded chore and see it as the end of enjoying food, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can continue to enjoy food, even while learning to up your game nutritionally.

1) Learn to Shop
Learn how to choose good quality produce. Many fruits and veggies taste good raw or with minimum preparation, assuming they are of good quality to begin with. Melons can often be checked by feeling how firm the rind is. Generally speaking, the flesh of berries and other fruits should be firm, but not hard. If you aren't good at this, ask a friend to teach you all about it.

2) Learn to Store Food Properly
Fresh produce is best if consumed fairly promptly, but if you don't shop daily, you need to learn to store it so it stays fresh. Rinse fruits and vegetables before putting them in the fridge to remove any pesticide residue. Grapes should be pulled off the stem before being put away. Celery should be placed in a glass of water to keep it crisp. Bananas should be hung from a hook to forestall spoilage. Apples should be stored separately from other items because they give off a gas that can hasten spoilage for some items.

3) Learn to Stir Fry
Stir fry involves cutting foods up into relatively small pieces -- because small pieces cook quickly -- and cooking them on high heat for a short period of time. If you aren't a fan of oriental foods, you do not have to eat anything you find weird. You can use the same technique to make familiar foods healthier because stir frying involves less oil and less exposure to heat, thus helping to preserve nutrients and reduce the amount of fat in your diet. If you adapt familiar recipes to a stir fry version, you can improve your nutrition and cut fat from your diet without making big changes to the kinds of foods you like to eat.

4) Learn to Spice
Generally speaking, most healthy diets require you to cut fat and sugar. These are both big sources of flavor for many people. Learning to use spices can help add flavor to your diet so you don't miss the fats and sugars so much. Stir fry some sweet potato slices with cinnamon and nutmeg and you may be happy with just a pinch of brown sugar instead of a spoonful. Add onions, chives or black pepper to your baked potato and you may be less grumpy about cutting back on the butter, cheese and bacon.

Contrary to popular opinion, eating healthy does not have to be a fate worse than death. If you learn to up your game on food selection, storage, and preparation, it is possible to not only enjoy healthy foods, but to enjoy them even more than low quality junk food while also doing your body some good.

Will Special Shoes Alleviate Your Arthritis Pain?

New research indicates "unloading" shoes do not offer any benefits over traditional walking shoes for people who suffer from arthritic knees.

"Unloading" shoes have modified midsoles and are meant to reduce the load, or force, placed on the knee joint with each step, according to the manufacturer of the shoes.

A study out of Australia focused on the Gel Melbourne OA, made by Asics, and concluded they were no better at relieving arthritis pain than standard shoes.

According to researchers, the unloading shoes do significantly reduce the forces on the knee joint, but wearers of the shoes did not report more pain relief with the modified shoes when compared to regular shoes.

Both the unloading shoes and standard shoes improved physical function and created significant pain relief among study participants; this led the researchers to question whether supportive lace-up athletic shoes should become the recommended footwear.

Knee osteoarthritis results in the wearing away of knee cartilage over time. This leads to stiffness, swelling, and pain around the joint that can impede a person's ability to walk, climb, or even complete tasks they do every day. It is most common after age 60.

There is no cure, so treatment focuses on lifestyle. Doctors recommend low-impact exercise like swimming, as well as maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight if necessary. In addition, if any activity becomes painful, it's best to avoid it if possible.

Anti-inflammatory medications, ice, heat, and pain relief creams may also provide relief. In addition, physical therapy can help improve mobility and flexibility by strengthening the surrounding muscle groups, among other things. In more severe cases, patients may undergo surgery—from partial or total joint replacement to joint-lining removal.

Some clinicians may also suggest the use of a knee brace, a cane, or new shoes such as standard walking shoes. The manufacturer says unloading shoes include shock-absorbing inserts as well as stiffer-than-normal soles. These modifications aim to reposition the foot and reduce the load on the knee. It encourages pronation, or an inward roll of the foot.

This study involved 160 knee arthritis patients over the age of 49. They were split into two groups and randomly assigned to wear conventional Asics shoes or the Asics Gel Melbourne OA.

After six months, roughly 54 percent of each group reported improved pain levels. Forty-four percent of the unloading group reported improved physical function compared to 48 percent of the conventional Asics group. 

Finding the Right Food Plan and What it Means for You

We have all heard that eating right and getting enough exercise are the keys to maintaining a healthy weight and staying healthy in general. Rather than simply going on a crash diet plan or deciding that you are going to only eat a select few foods, the way to make sure you are starting out with a sustainable eating plan. While one of the reasons you may be considering ways to improve your diet is that you want to lose weight, there are also many other health benefits of sticking with healthy eating, such as higher energy levels, improved overall mood and lowering your risk for many preventable diseases.

When you are picking the right food plan, you need to do more than simply figure out the unhealthy foods to eliminate from your diet. In addition to this, you need to find the specific foods that will boost your nutrient intake and help you fight off cravings throughout the day. As you find foods to eliminate, make sure to replace them with healthy, low-calorie alternatives. Along with eliminating unhealthy foods, you should pay attention to your portion control. Eating too much of relatively healthy foods can still contribute to weight gain. If you need help with portion control, you can try preparing your meals ahead of time using containers with the correct proportion sizes for your needs.

You should also think about your daily schedule and ask yourself if you are eating at the right times during the day. For example, if you are skipping breakfast every day and then snacking before lunch, this could be an opportunity to adjust your meal time and save on unhealthy calories. One of the best methods for portion control and a healthy eating schedule is to make sure that you eat breakfast during the day and then consume more frequent, smaller-sized meals rather than a massive lunch and dinner. Another cardinal rule is to avoid eating late at night because your metabolism will be slower.

While everyone may have different specific nutrient needs, a good general rule of thumb is to reduce the amount of sugar that you are eating during the day. Consider replacing sugary drinks with water and sugary foods with fruit as healthier alternatives. This will also help you stay fuller longer and avoid snacking on unhealthy choices in between meals. If you need a good transition from sugary drinks like soda to water, try switching to unsweetened iced tea first.

Stressed Out Dads May Influence Toddler's Development

A new study suggested dads who stress out about parenting could negatively effect their toddler's development.

The study involved 730 families and concluded that families in which the fathers experienced high levels of stress over parenting had sons with lower language skills at 3 years old than other families. Both girls and boys tended to score lower on cognitive tests, which involve skills such as learning, reasoning, and paying attention.

This study's findings add to a growing body of research explaining how fathers influence the development of their children. Most studies regarding kids' well being focus primarily on the mothers' influence, rather than the fathers'. More recent studies have begun looking into the influence of both parents or that of the father.

This study found that dads involved in their child's upbringing affect their preschoolers' emotional development and language skills, in addition to older children's risk for depression and behavioral problems.

Gender roles are shifting as times change. There are more fathers sharing responsibility for raising kids, as well as more fathers acting as stay-at-home parents. The study focused on lower-income couples in the United States, with a focus on their parenting related stress in particular. Participating families filled out a standard questionnaire for researchers to assess stress levels. They had to agree or disagree with statements such as "Sometimes I feel my child doesn't like me" or "I feel trapped…"

The study overall concluded the fathers' level of parenting stress influenced cognitive development and language development in young children. In addition, the study concluded kids more often had behavioral problems throughout their childhoods if the father experienced depression symptoms or was chronically stressed.

The researchers noted that the fathers' influenced seemed independent of the mothers; in other words, the fathers were not stressed because their wives were stressed.

The study established an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship, but nonetheless either parents' stress could influence a child's development. For example, if a parent's mind is racing, frantic, or busy, they may be less responsive to cues from their child, including words and behavior.

This study supports growing research on the importance of fathers in children's behavioral and cognitive development. In general, fathers can provide unique encouragement. For example, fathers are generally more likely to encourage young children to take risks, explore, and be clearer with their words.

This study underlines the importance of a father's wellbeing to the development of their child. As with many care-giving situations, it is very important to care for yourself in order to better care for your family. 

Summer Strong: Keeping You Kids Active While School’s Out

A local Physical Education teacher has been working with UCLA on a study that encourages children to stay active during summer months while school is out.

Martin Wurmlinger is that physical education teacher and he is working with the University of California in Los Angeles’ Sound Body Sound Mind organization. He has stressed that “getting out and finding an activity that keeps [kids] moving and raises heart rate levels” is the most important thing a child can do to keep healthy during the summer months.

While the simple task of raising heart rate levels is important in Mr. Wurmlinger’s opinion he offers a five-pronged approach to maximize a child’s athletic performance. The five important areas to focus on are: muscle strength, heart endurance, muscle endurance, flexibility, and body composition.

There are various ways to tackle these areas of athletic performance.

To fight the summer heat Mr. Wurmlinger suggests that children exercise in a pool, if they have access to one. Swimming can activate more than one of these five core areas of athletic competency.

Another full-body exercise that the organization from UCLA suggests is the burpee. With these exercise your child will start in a standing position, squat into a plank position, then jump into the air from that plank. You can find out more how to do a burpee in THIS YouTube video.

Finally, one of Mr. Wurmlinger’s most unique ideas is to give your child a pedometer. You and your child should sit down at a map and find a location that is far way that your child might like to travel to. This could be Disney World, China, or maybe even around the world. Determine how far in miles these locations are from your front door and have your child try and travel this distance on his or her pedometer over the course of the summer, or even year. This gives children a goal, something to strive towards.

It’s easy to let your kids stare at the TV screen or play video games all summer long. This summer we suggest that you take some of the advice that the Sound Body Sound Mind organization have presented in this new study and get your kid moving.

To learn more about Mr. Wurmlinger’s project and the Sound Body Sound Mind organization you can find their website HERE.

What Foods Boost Immune System

Fighting colds and flus doesn't have to be a yearly experience when you eat the proper foods. Explore some particular superfoods that actually boost your immune system and keep you healthy.

Your immune system is always ready for a fight as foreign cells enter your body on a daily basis. White-blood cells lead the charge as they try to balance the body into a healthy homeostasis. As you grow older, however, fighting off germs becomes difficult. There are some foods that you can eat, which will strengthen your immune system through enhanced vitamin resources.

Orange-Colored Produce

Molecular compounds called carotenoids are found in produce that's bright orange. Keep a healthy stock of sweet potatoes, carrots and squash in the house because the carotenoids within each of these items turns into vitamin A as the digestive system breaks them down. Your body uses this vitamin in an antioxidant capacity, which fights off infection as foreign cells invade your body. Other produce, such as pumpkin, is also rich in carotenoids. Simply look for colors as you shop, and adding vitamin A to your diet will be simple.

Oysters

Oysters can be a secret weapon against sickness because they hold countless nutrients. Their main offering is zinc, which tends to calm inflammation down. When the body becomes inflamed, certain areas are so swollen that fighting off infection is often difficult. By reducing the inflammation, zinc allows the immune response to be more centralized to the foreign body. You also gain omega-3 fatty acids, protein and calcium from oysters. All of these essential nutrients improve the body's response to germs as it recovers from almost any sickness.

Citrus

Although no foods can actually prevent sickness, citrus comes close to that ultimate dream. The vitamin C hidden within this food helps the body form defenses against invading germs. Scientists don't know exactly how vitamin C works for the immune system, but it seems to boost white-blood cells' strength against colds and flus. Try oranges, lemons and limes in your daily diet in order to achieve the best effects.

Bananas

Vitamin B6 and potassium are both found in bananas. The vitamin alone is reason enough to eat at least one banana each day because it helps your body with hundreds of critical biochemical reactions. With cells that can react with ferocity, those invading germs can be killed off before they reproduce into huge numbers.

Chicken

Get your fill of lean chicken cuts because they're rich in iron. This element is crucial to oxygen transport around the body. Without oxygen permeating your tissues, the immune system becomes weakened and allows germs to invade. Consider a chicken-based meal twice a week in order to gain the most iron out of this cut.

If fresh foods are hard to find at certain times of year, head toward the freezer aisle at the local grocery store. Frozen fruits, meats and vegetables have the same nutritional values as the items in the produce or meat sections. By being creative with your eating habits, the immune system can win out against almost any invader.

Change can be Difficult, But it's Worth It!

Staying on top of your health is one of the most important things you can do during rough periods of time. No matter whether you are dealing with an illness or trying to stop the development of one, taking a proactive approach towards your health always yields results. If you are not sure where to begin, consider some of these easy exercises and lifestyle changes you can make to live better and enjoy change at a slow, comfortable pace.

One of the most important things that all people can do to improve the quality of their health is to eat better. This means taking the time to look into nutritional information to make sure that you only put what you want into your body. Look for foods that are high in proteins and fibers and low in fats and calories to make the most out of your lifestyle.

Always exercise whenever you have the chance as well. When exercising comes to mind, many people think that it means taking time out of the day to do an entire routine. While this can bring about the best and most desired results, the fact of the matter is that any amount of exercise can help. Take a walk instead of driving, and take the stairs instead of the elevator and see what a difference it can make.

Limit the amount of alcohol that you drink as well. Alcohol, in moderation, can be a great way to enjoy some additional health benefits. However, drinking in excess can have the opposite effect. Reducing the frequency of other bad habits, such as smoking and taking recreational drugs can also have a profoundly positive effect on your health.

Finally, be sure to stay social and reduce stress. Keeping your overall stress levels low is one of the best ways for you to achieve a longer life. Stress is directly linked to a number of different diseases, and taking the time to relax and enjoy a slower pace can be tremendously beneficial. Take some time out of your busy day to enjoy the activities that reduce your stress levels and be sure to keep up with friends to improve your efforts further.

Seatbelt Use Important in ALL Seats

Be sure to fasten your seatbelt, regardless of what seat you’re in in the car.

Hundreds of people die in car wrecks every year because they don’t buckle up in the backseat, according to a new report.

There were almost 900 deaths in 2013 among kids 8 and older who were in the backseats and not wearing their seatbelt. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), more than 400 of them would likely have survived if they had worn a seatbelt.

Sitting in the back seat and not wearing a seatbelt makes you about three times more likely to die in a wreck. Yet 32 states still do not have solid seatbelt laws for passengers in vehicle back seats.

Just 78 percent of adults who sit in the back seat wear a seatbelt, compared to 87 percent of adults in the front seat. Seatbelt use in fatal car crashes are 60 percent for rear passengers and 74 percent for front passengers, according to the study.

The GHSA emphasizes the need to wear your seatbelt regardless of which seat you’re in. Almost 42 million people in the United States drive 50 miles or more from home JUST for Thanksgiving. Also around Thanksgiving, there are more than 400 deaths from car accidents.

Seatbelts are there to protect passengers, and it’s important to use your seatbelt regardless of whether you are driving or sitting in a rear seat, as is common for families traveling together around holidays. Many think they are protected by the seatbacks in front of them when they’re in the back seat, but this is simply not the case.

Buckle up in every seat for every trip, no matter how far or near, front or rear. Convincing adults of this will necessitate a united effort among highway safety professionals and lawmakers alike. It will save lives, though, and be more than worthwhile.

According to the GHSA, seat belt use in states that require use in rear seats is at 83 percent compared to 74 percent in states that do not have such laws.

Top Five Reasons Mosquitos Love to Bite You

Do you ever feel as if mosquitos just love you for some reason? Well scientists say this is due to much more than paranoia. Some people are naturally more appealing to mosquitos because of the chemicals and odors they secrete. Here is why you might be a favorite for feasting mosquitoes:

1. You’re sweating

You may be one of those hard core runners, who runs no matter how hot it is outside. Well beware of the bugs. The lactic acid that is released when you sweat attracts hungry mosquitos. When you sweat a lot during intense exercise, your rising body temperature is also attractive to mosquitos looking for a warm host. It is best to work out indoors during hot, buggy days.

2. You’ve got a bun in the oven

That’s right. If you’re pregnant, the mosquitos just can’t get enough of you. Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide. The female ones, the ones that bite us, even have specific receptors that help them discover the gas around them. When you are pregnant, especially in the final trimester, you exhale about 21% more carbon dioxide then the rest of us. That is why pregnant women experience about twice as many bug bites on average. Researchers believe that pregnant women may also release certain odors that are pleasing to insects, drawing them closer. Make sure to wear your bug repellent this summer.

3. You are drinking an iced cold beer

Beer is tasty to mosquitos and humans. In fact, studies in West Africa and Japan show that people who drank beer rather than water were much more attractive to mosquitoes. Make sure to protect against bites at those outdoor sporting events and concerts this summer.

4. You have the right kind of blood

That’s right, blood-sucking mosquitoes have a preference when it comes to blood type, and unfortunately for people with type O, it’s you. Apparently type O blood may have a certain odor that is particularly pleasing to a hungry mosquito, and you are her number one landing preference.

5. You have that special something

Studies that include identical twins have shown that certain genetic make-up can cause you to be more susceptible to bug bites. Some people naturally repel mosquitos because of their genes, while others might actually attract bugs just by being who they are, genetically.

The best way to avoid those pesky bites is to cover up. Wear long-sleeved clothing and apply bug spray that includes DEET to your exposed skin and over your clothes.