"Play Time"

doggypads.com

Best friends. Who says they have to be human? After all, many of us share our closest friendships with creatures who are often much more loveable, huggable, cuddly, and definitely more forgiving that most high-maintenance humans we know. And while it’s a joy unlike any other to come home to that friendly wagging tail, and those puppy dog eyes that can melt the hardest soul, its also true that with that joy comes responsibility. Just like you need to look after your own health, its vital that you ensure your furry friend is getting the right kind of food and exercise as well! And hey, while you are at it, why not burn some calories of your own? Look at it this way, not only are you ensuring that your darling doggie gets to like a long, happy and healthy life, you are also getting to spend quality time with your best friend WHILE you work off that chocolate cake! It’s play time folks.



Jogging: Choose between an early morning run or a sunset jog with your four-legged friend and enjoy burning those calories while giving him that energizing run. Especially perfect for those with bigger, more athletic dogs who need the exercise.

Swimming: If your Fido likes the water, there’s nothing for fun than enjoying some pool time together. You can do your 20 laps while he does the doggy paddle.

Park play: got a playful puppy? Nothing makes them happier than chasing an object flying across a field. Play Frisbee or even Go Fetch and teach him to catch and bring it back to you so you can keep the game going. A great way to work those arms and get puppy tired enough to sleep through the night!

Walking: Probably the safest, most comfortable form of exercise for all pets and owners. Take your pooch out to a pet-friendly track, hook up your ipod and get yourself a nice long power walk.

Dancing: Having tried this one myself, I can honestly say, it’s got to be the most fun way to stay fit with your pet. Just put on a rocking new track (say “I gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas), pump up the volume, and shake what yo mama gave you! Your dog will love it and so will you :)

Hiking: for those of you who love the great outdoors, why not take your dog along? You’d be amazed how fast they take to natural surroundings while you are exploring new places.

"The Return of the Packed Lunch"

delight.com

It’s officially been a month into the new year and you’ve just about got things under control. Work is going full swing while all the relatives and friends who were visiting for the holidays have returned to their homes. New Year’s resolutions of diets, quitting those bad habits, and exercising regularly are all going strong and yes, you are feeling pretty darn good about things. So where’s the problem?


Well, for some reason it feels like despite all your attempts at a regime of healthy breakfasts combined with light dinners, your jeans don’t seem to be getting any looser. Instead, they fit just the same as they always have, sometimes even tighter than they were BEFORE you began your diet. The villain in this scary picture? Lunch. And by lunch I mean your office lunch. That greasy, oily, fatty, calorie-loaded, monster of a menu which offers only food geared to give you early cholesterol.

You need to lose that lunch people. Don’t panic. I am not advocating you skip meals to get skinny. Now that’s a really bad idea. No, what I am suggesting is that you get smart about your lunch and make it a power packed one. Think about it, not only will you end up saving money by using what’s already in your fridge or shopping smart instead of wasting money on a huge amount of unnecessary calories, you will also get a super-healthy, yummy lunch that’s fresh and fantastic. Picture this. A multi-grain sandwich made with pesto, rocket, sundried tomatoes and maybe a little grilled chicken. A lightly tossed salad with mung sprouts, cucumber, red, green and yellow peppers doused with a dressing of lemon and olive oil. Even a creative pasta salad topped with some crunchy pine nuts using leftovers from last night.

Take a month to try it, and thank me after those jeans show you the difference. :)

"The Salty Facts"

todaysseniorsnetwork.com

Today I want to talk to you about one instance where you can literally have too much of a good thing. Salt. Containing the ingredient sodium, salt is actually very good for our bodies when consumed in moderation. Sodium helps the body to balance its fluid absorption and also works to help muscles and nerves to perform their functions effectively. In short, we do need the stuff in our daily diets. About a teaspoon or so every day is probably the healthiest amount of us to intake on a daily basis.


So where’s the problem? And why avoid the salt anyway? For starters, too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, an increased risk of heart disease, kidney problems, and stroke. Additionally, it also causes water retention which can make you feel and look bloated – not so nice when you are working hard trying to lose those extra pounds, or even trying to maintain your weight levels.

Ah ha. Well the problem lies in the fact that even when we are careful about the amount of salt used in our own kitchens, it is not always possible to know the salt content of other foods. In fact, you would be surprised to discover the unexpected places we can find this tasty fiend.

Breakfast cereal: always read the label. Some brands of corn flakes can contain up to 340mg of sodium per cup serving! And if need be, buy a sodium-free option so that you can enjoy your morning meal without worrying about upping your salt intake.

Soups: they may taste the nicest on a cold winter day but those packaged soups promising health and fitness usually come loaded with sodium. Again, check your labels twice before you decide you want soup for lunch every day. And if so, make it a home cooked option!

Sauces: ketchup, chilly sauce, teriyaki, mustard, sweet sauce, even your mum’s home made pickle all tend to contain huge amounts of sodium so watch the general amount of dousing you do on a regular basis. Looking for an option to make your meal more interesting? Try a little lemon or even some vinegar.

Nuts: although nuts are generally a great choice when you are looking to carry a healthy snack on the go, buyer beware. Some of the packaged nuts sold in the stores have a ginornous amount of sodium in them, literally making it a health hazard to eat too much of them! So next time, just look for the label that says ‘low-sodium” or even better, buy the unsalted variety and munch away :)

Other “goodies” you would be smart to watch out for when it comes to the salt factor include all your regular potato chips, baked snacks, pre-cooked meals like instant noodles and “ready to eat” foods of any kind!

"Can you Chew on this?"

peopletv.org

Ever wonder why certain foods are almost always shown in those advertisements for eating healthy and living longer? Usually there are a bunch of the greenest vegetables ever shown falling into a pan, and often to break up the green, you see a hint of colors, usually red or yellow. More often than not, that flash of red is our familiar old carrot. Which got me thinking…what is really the big deal about these long, semi-sweet, not really detestable, but then again not really loveable, vegetable?


Honestly speaking, the only thing that really comes to my mind when I think about your average carrot is the fact that Bugs Bunny was obsessed with them. Which prompted me to dig a little deeper, and boy, do I have news for you!! Here’s why we need to give those simple little carrots on our plates some more credit!

Antioxidants: just like we hear about the innumerable benefits from sipping of green tea all day long, carrots also contain a large amount of disease fighters including the super star beta carotene. This substance has been linked to the prevention of heart disease, proven effective in lowering cholesterol levels in the body and has even been shown to ward off certain kinds of cancer.

Improves eyesight: no, it’s not just an old wives’ tale girls and boys. Munching on carrots regularly, which happen to be rich in vitamin A, has shown to benefit the vision.

Anti-aging: another plus from eating something containing those antioxidants, which also prevent cell degeneration. Translation? You get to keep your youthful looks longer!

 Skin saver: Making a tasty mix of carrot juice and drinking it with your breakfast in the morning is also a great way to keep your skin looking fresh and acne-free. Added bonus? It’s also keeps your hair and nails looking strong and healthy!

"Winter Skin Woes"

pure-by-chance.com

Don’t get me wrong, I love the cool mornings, the chill in the air, the fresh veggies, all characteristic of a wonderful winter, but there are some things I wish I could do without. Like feeling like my body has lost all its moisture entirely. Not to mention the scratchy dry skin, the constantly chapped lips, and the oh-so-pretty cracked heels! Luckily, I did some research and guess what? There are some secrets to fixing these skin torments during the winter folks. Read on and yes, you can thank me when they work for you :)


Drink lots of water: while I know winter isn’t usually the season which makes us feel too thirsty, the fact is that the skin needs hydration to combat the dry season. And the best way to quench that thirsty skin is to drink up.

Lip love: carry some petroleum jelly or chap stick in your bag wherever you go. Not only will this guarantee you have kissable lips all winter long, you will also avoid those painful days of chapped, burning lip syndrome! Vaseline or Nivea are great option I have tried myself.

Soothing socks: the simplest way to handle cracked, sometimes even painful heels? Rub a generous dollop of petroleum jelly on them at night before you go to bed and then put on a pair of socks. Give it three days and see the difference.

Hand holding: Unlike other parts of the body, the hands are often exposed almost all of the time during those cold winter days. To protect them, make a habit out of using a heavier hand cream three or four times a day.

Lather up: during the months of winter be sure to prevent further dryness of the skin by using a moisture-rich soap which moisturizes the skin while cleansing it. Dove works great for me!

Body basics: unlike the summer, when you can make do with a light body lotion, during the cooler weather it would be a smart idea to switch to a heavier body lotion which protects your skin from dryness longer.

Shower time: although most of us love nothing more than lounging under a steaming hot shower when there’s an early morning nip in the air, the truth is that hot showers are not exactly the best skin for the skin. In fact, hot water tends to rob the skin of its moisture, leading it to feel dry and itchy. Your best bet? Cool to lukewarm showers that stay short.

Double the dose: Invest in a small bottle of baby oil, and use it post your shower and before you towel dry your body on a daily basis. This extra dose of rich moisture helps to lock the water into your skin, keeping it hydrated longer.

"The Low Down on Low-Carb Diets"

aww.ninemsn.com.au

Low-carb diet. Its one of those phrases everyone seems to be tossing around these days. You hear the babes from the bollywood brigade swear by it. You listen to the fitness gurus talk about it. Heck, you even overhear the aunty on the treadmill next door to you showing off her “latest” knowledge to the aunty speed walking next to her!


So what exactly is the so called “low-carb diet” and is it really all that its been made out to be? Or are there some things about it which might not be all that great for you after all? Fear not boys and girls, for I am here to break it down for you. To begin with, the low-carb diet is just that. Exactly what it sounds like. It’s a diet that focuses on keeping the amount of carbohydrates consumed to a lower amount. And what do I mean by carbs? Rice, roti, pasta, noodles, bread, muffins, cake, cereals, upma, poha, idli, puris, dosa, pizza, and basically anything that has something of a thick (or thin) doughy consistency. Now there are different variations of this sort of diet. Some people will eat their carbs in the day time and choose not to touch any food containing carbs after 7pm (so that they can burn the carb calories during the day which is easier than during the night, when the body is generally at rest). Others will choose to avoid carbs entirely and design there meals around larger amounts of proteins (chicken, dals, soya) and veggies instead.

While it is a fact that changing ones diet to a low-carb diet for a temporary period of time does aid in weight loss, and has also been proven to lower blood pressure for people who suffer from high blood pressure, its important to understand that this diet should be followed only for short periods of time and not attempted on a permanent basis. I for one believe that there is nutritional value to be gained from all food groups, and banishing one from your diet forever could lead not only to a deficiency of some sort, but also to a host of physical problems. Instead, its most essential to keep a sense of balance in your diet. Even if you do decide you would like to cut down on your carb intake, consider perhaps switching to the whole wheat version of certain kinds of carbs, for instance brown rice, whole wheat pasta, even multi-grain bread, all of which contain healthy doses of fiber which promote good digestion and provide the body fuel. Also, last but not least, always talk to your doctor before you decide to make any drastic changes in your daily diet. You have just one body boys and girls, so do yourself a favor and respect it.