"Enough is Enough"

workout-planet.com

You know how fantastic it feels when you have just finished your gym work out? The adrenalin is pumping, the endorphins are flowing and boy, do you feel goooood. I personally rate that first hour after an intense workout amongst the top 3 most amazing feelings in the world. You literally feel unstoppable, unbeatable, and unbreakable. Until about four hours down the line that is.

It happens to the best of us. When you find yourself in the “zone’ of your exercise routine – it could be running, lifting weights, doing squats, or even surya namaskars, you reach a certain point where you are faced with a choice. You could stop and end the session. Or you could push your body just a little further. The endorphin junkies amongst us would choose the second option. And push further. Nothing wrong with this as long as it’s within sensible limits, but once you go there, you have to deal with the consequences. Aching muscles. Pain when you walk, sit down, lie down, get up, and basically make any physical movement other than blink.

And at this point, you need to keep all lines of communications between you and your body clear. It is absolutely essential that you learn to interpret what your body is telling you to ensure that you are not only able to recover from an intense workout, but so that you can come back stronger and fitter. Here are what I like to call the Three Golden Rules.

First things first: ice works. A friend of mine convinced me to start using ice packs on my knees post my outdoor running sessions and since then I haven’t looked back. Trust me, this is the best medicine you could put on any sore muscles you might have after a workout. The cold temperature of the ice works to contract the inflamed muscle tissue and by doing so, prevents that feeling like you cant get out of bed the next day. Just take 15 to 20 minutes post workout to ice the areas which need it and you will be amazed how grateful your body will be. 

Second:  fuel your system. As important as getting an intense workout every so often is making sure you feed your body well after you exercise. During any heavy exercise you are burning a lot of energy, and while its important to burn extra calories, its also important to refuel your system post the workout to ensure that it is able to recover properly. Proteins are the key to efficient muscle recovery so make sure you are getting plenty of egg whites (omelets, boiled, or poached) and chicken (grilled is best) in your diet. If you are a vegetarian, load up on soya, tofu, and pulses (dals, chickpeas, kidney beans).

Third: rest. Perhaps most important of all the rules, this one is also hardest to follow, especially for those of us who looooove to sweat. But the best thing you can do for your body after an intensive exercise session, or a minor injury, is to rest it. Listen to the signals your body is sending to you. Rest it for a day or even two between workouts and you will appreciate how well it can bounce back.

So be smart with your body and come back harder, better, faster and stronger!

"Break Free from Bad Moods"

homepage.eircom.net

Simple Tips to Chase those Blues away...

Play with your pet: I call it “schmoozling” , but playing with your dog (or cat for that matter) can really allow you to escape your stress, even if its for a short while. And not just that, the act of looking after or giving love to your pet or any loved one is actually proven to be therapeutic to lifting those spirits.


Eat Right: you literally are what you eat. And a healthy diet is not just good for the body, its also good for the mind. Load up on those fruits, whole grains and veggies, which are actually shown to improve the mood and watch those sugary, high-fat foods people. In fact studies have shown that vitamin B-12 and omega-3 fatty acids are specifically helpful in beating the effects of depression. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in nuts, dark green veggies, flaxseed, salmon, and tune. Seafood and low-fat dairy products are also rich sources of B-12.The mind body connection is far more real that you and I give it credit for.

Cutting the caffeine: No need to panic people, I am not saying you need to banish those hot cups of java from your lives completely. But do you really need that third cup? Research has shown that too much caffeine can cause feelings of nervousness and anxiety. And really, is stress something you need to add more of to your life? Controlling the coffee will keep you jitter-free, not to mention give you a better nights sleep allowing you to wake up feeling calm and rested.

Hit the gym: Exercise is truly a great blues-buster. Not only do you get to sweat out the stress from your daily grind, you feel fantastic (thanks to those lovely endorphins), look better, and even sleep better, guaranteeing you will see that light at the end of the tunnel. And no, you don’t have to run a marathon. Choose from a brisk run, a dancing class, aerobics, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, even swimming! So what are you waiting for? Save your money, skip the shrink, therapy and pills, and just get moving. :)

"The Good News on Chocolate"

rivercitygiftco.com

I am a foodie. My mom is a foodie, my dads a foodie, even my dogs a foodie. One thing about us as a tribe (and indeed, foodies make connections in the most random parts of the world over things like a love for blueberry smoothies!) is that we are emotional eaters. And no, by that I don’t mean that we raid the fridge every time life gets tough or use snickers to fill our inner void (trust me, that habit can come with a big, big price – not to mention waistline!). What I mean by emotional eaters is simply this; that eating good, tasty food, makes us happy :)


So you can imagine the super warm and fuzzy feeling I got in my belly when I discovered the news about chocolate. Turns out, the stuff is not all trans fat, acne, and butt enhancing after all! Actually, researchers have discovered that eating chocolate can have the effect of relieving aches and pains in the human body. In fact, they go further to say that eating or even drinking anything for pleasure (read chocolate, caramel custard, honey nut crunch ice-cream) can literally act as a natural painkiller, and thus make us feel a little better when dealing with physical discomfort. Now you know why its called comfort food. Or why it just feels better to eat something a little decadent when you are dealing with those awful monthly cramps ladies.

And getting back to the matter at hand, chocolate (specifically dark chocolate) also contains antioxidants which protect the body from the damage done by free radicals (which cause aging and cancer among other things). Studies have found that consuming a bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure in individuals who suffer from high blood pressure. They also say that eating moderate amounts of the dark stuff is good for the cardiovascular functioning of the heart and that consuming it regularly has been shown to reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol) by up to ten per cent! Chocolate also contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant, and stimulates the production of endorphins in the body, which give you that “feel good” sensation. And now for the best part : it tastes grrrrreat :)

"To Stretch or Not to Stretch"

fitnessnyc.files.wordpress.com

Hello, my name is Diya and I am an adrenalin junkie. What some might call a “fitness freak”. Challenging my body and mind in different forms of exercise and physical activity is something I have loved ever since the day I first discovered the “feel good” burst of euphoria one can only get from endorphins being released into the bloodstream. And that, my friends, is the ultimate high :) In the last decade I have hiked up Table mountain (South Africa), completed multiple half-marathons, practiced yoga, hot yoga, power yoga, vinyasa yoga, taken salsa classes, kickboxing lessons, and some seriously tough pliometrics (aka army style exercises from hell).


But my point is that throughout it all, aches and pains, sore knees, and stiff muscles, not only was my body able to recover, but it was able to continue. And I attribute it all to the simple action of stretching. To many people, stretching is a waste of time which they are impatient to get through so that they can get to the “real exercise”. A lot of these same people end up with chronic ligament pain, stiffness they cant seem to get rid of, and joints which have little or no ability to stretch, at least not without significant discomfort. In my books, effective stretching plays one of the most critical, if not the most critical, part of any workout regime.

It’s the simple, gentle movements which take only upto a maximum of ten minutes which allow the body to slowly warm up, heating up the muscles and preparing them to engage in more challenging physical activity. In fact stretching post a workout (especially after running or any intensive activity) is the best time to work on increasing the flexibility of the body. Of course, there are also some who feel like stretching prior to exercise can also cause pain since the muscles are cold at this time…I personally do not agree, but would suggest you try it yourself and see how your body feels. Then, go with what feels good for you!

"Move the Body"

images5.exercise.com

Wake to the buzzer at 8am. Jump in the shower. Grab a shot of caffeine. Jump in the train/cab/car. Conference call in your commute. Fix the days agenda. Change the days agenda. Plan meetings. Delay meetings. Run into office by 10am – just in time for your boss’s bad mood. Work.Coffee.Work.Coffee.Work. Coffee. Pack up at 9pm. Lucky you, got out early. Leftovers for dinner. Lights out by mid-night.


Sound familiar? That’s because it is. Too many of us are living the same way: surviving on too little sleep, working on nervous energy, eating the wrong food, and basically headed straight for a heart attack. If this describes your life, you need to do something. Now.

It’s about small changes. They make a huge impact. Get yourself moving. Find a sport you love, join a dance class, start power yoga, or just run in your neighborhood. Don’t make an excuse. You can find the time to do this. Before work, after work, in your lunch break, on the weekends. Just do something. Find something you love, then stick to it. endorphins released in the body after about 35 minutes of cardiovascular exercise are directly related to improved moods. and when you add to that the fact that a regular workout improves the blood circulation and skin tone, giving you that glow and boosts your metabolic rate leading to a leaner, lighter you, it’s a no-brainer.

You’ll find yourself happier, feeling better about your life, working better, and best of all your body will thank you. So, get out there and do something!

"All You Need is Love"

wwwtt.org

Ever noticed how everything just seems umm…nicer, when you’re in love? The birds don’t caw, they chirp. The sun isn’t sweltering, its shining. The rain doesn’t pour, it pitter-patters. Even the harshest words from your boss seem to have a softness to their edge.


Everything feels better. Everything looks brighter. Everything tastes better.

Its true, when you’re in love, the world is a happier place to live in.

Some experts even think that before long, even doctors will start prescribing lots of hugs, cuddles, and romantic weekend trips as ways to better health! Why? Because it has been found that hugging actually induces the body to release Oxytocin. And Oxytocin is a hormone is a hormone that plays a critical role in labor, breastfeeding, and (blush!) even orgasms. In fact, it has been proven that those women with the highest levels of Oxytocin actually have blood pressure levels which are significantly lower than women with lower levels of Oxytocin. And not just that, here are some other reasons why love works! According to many experts love has the power to actually heal the body as well as traditional medicines and can prevent and improve the symptoms of multiple illnesses.

Falling in love induces a calming effect on the body and mind by increasing nerve growth levels, which works to revitalize the nervous system and improves memory by triggering the growth of new brain cells, actually making you brainier!! Corny but true, love is also good for your heart. When you interact with someone you find attractive, your brain actually gets stimulated and sends impulses to the heart making it beat three times faster than normal. The benefit? An increased amount of blood supply to the body, particularly the cheeks, giving you that rosy blush each time you talk to that certain someone!

Love also has another great side effect and this ones the kicker ladies and gentlemen: it’s the fountain of youth! The endorphins produced by the body when in love increase blood flow to the skin, which helps keep it soft and smooth, and reduce the development of wrinkles. Additionally, the increased supply of essential food and oxygen to skin cells when head of heels in love also give the face a happy, pink glow. So what are you waiting for? Lets fall in lovvvvveee……