Delicious Fit

More Green in Your Diet

Dana Prince — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:10:37 +0000

Saint Patrick’s Day has come and gone now but it’s not too late to get into the ‘green’. Your diet could use more greens. Are you getting enough leafy green vegetables on a daily basis? Upping your intake could provide some significant benefits. Read some tips at Patch.com about how you might want to approach this. Tip: Don’t stick to the average iceberg lettuce salad, for example.

Image: morguefile

The post More Green in Your Diet appeared first on Delicious Fit.

Slash Calories by 50 per Meal with These Tips

Dana Prince — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:07:50 +0000

It’s not easy to dramatically lower your calorie intake and that’s a problem that plagues many dieters who feel deprived and find themselves hungry. But Fitbie listed 25 ways to cut 50 calories a meal and these changes feel subtle but can add up to significant impact. Tips include: switching the type of mayo you use, cutting calories out of your usual bread consumption, slashing the caloric intake of the average salad, and more.

Image: Morguefile

Get more info at Fitbie.

The post Slash Calories by 50 per Meal with These Tips appeared first on Delicious Fit.

Foods for Pain Relief

Dana Prince — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:49:23 +0000

Food can have an impact on pain levels. If you suffer from ongoing / chronic pain you may be advised to tweak your diet. Some common foods for pain relief include: whole grains, salmon, olive oil, ginger, turmeric, strawberries, and a green salad. The better you eat, the better chance you have of being healthy and well.

Image - Morguefile

Learn more at RealAge

The post Foods for Pain Relief appeared first on Delicious Fit.

GI Diet Basics

Dana Prince — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:06:41 +0000

Image: Morguefile

The Glycemic Index Diet, often abbreviated as the GI Diet, is built upon the idea that blood sugar regulation leads to weight loss. Keep reading for more details.

The Scoop on GI Ratings

This dietary regimen focuses on foods that have low glycemic index ratings. The human body digests carbohydrates at different speeds, and foods that have a low glycemic index, such as 55 or less, are digested more slowly, and can cause blood sugars to stay at more regular levels. Conversely, foods with a high glycemic index rating at 70 or above can cause rapid blood sugar spikes and subsequent drops.

Experts say that by choosing foods with a low GI rating, people might avoid problems like and heart disease type II diabetes, plus enjoy better appetite management, since slower digestion rates can mean feeling fuller longer.

Are There Risks of the GI Diet?

Since the Glycemic Index Diet does not require a person to count carbs or calories, people may find it more appealing than stricter weight loss options. Also, the Mayo Clinic mentions that studies have not revealed any particular health risks associated with following the diet.

However, professionals there clarify that if a person chooses to eat foods with a low glycemic index, but load up on items that are high in sugar or saturated fats, those habits may counteract many of the benefits that are frequently associated with the GI Diet.

If you’re curious about trying it for yourself, there are a few simple things to do. Start by avoiding overcooking your vegetables, and serve pasta el dente when possible. Also, swap instant rice for traditionally cooked white or brown varieties.

Finally, remember that even if you eat a food with a high glycemic index, it’s usually helpful to balance things out by pairing it with a low GI option.

More info: Mayo Clinic, CBC

The post GI Diet Basics appeared first on Delicious Fit.

Improve Brain Power with Tips from a Memory Champion

Dana Prince — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:20:12 +0000

Image: FreeDigital Photos

Two-time memory champion Nelson Dellis wowed a Fox News correspondent by correctly rattling off the specific order of a deck of cards after looking at them for about a minute. Want to learn a few of his secrets?

Find the Significance

After correctly identifying portions of the deck of cards, Dellis explained that each card has significance to him. He said that one card even reminded him of a past relationship, and somehow made it easier to recall the card type. Whether you’re trying to remember a person’s name, certain date or one of the cards in a full deck, try thinking in a way that capitalizes on events in your life instead of just memorizing things in unorganized ways.

Eat Berries for Memory

Dellis also noted that he likes to eat blackberries and blueberries to boost his memory. A past study supported those habits by finding that blueberries particularly help protect against memory loss in women, even if they only eat as little as a half a cup per week.

Additionally, Nelson Dellis said he believes that berries with high antioxidant contents reduce oxidative stress in the brain and make it easier to think clearly.

Get Omega-3s Through Salmon

Despite some recent studies that found Omega-3 fatty acids may not be as beneficial as previously thought, Dellis discussed how he likes to add salmon to his diet as a way to improve cognitive function.

Also, it’s worth noting that some studies, which determined that Omega-3 fatty acids provided no additional benefits when compared with a placebo, were performed over a relatively short-term basis. Some people think that positive effects may occur across longer lengths of time.

Try sharpening your recall skills today by taking inspiration from Nelson Dellis and assuming a multiple dimensional approach that incorporates both mental techniques and dietary alterations.

More info: Yahoo News

Image: phanlop88

The post Improve Brain Power with Tips from a Memory Champion appeared first on Delicious Fit.

Twinkies Coming Back?

Dana Prince — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:35:30 +0000

Twinkies are, of course, not the healthiest of snacks but they have a long history in North America and the recent talks about them disappearing got a lot of people nostalgic and stockpiling a Twinkie supply. You may not have to ration much longer, though. The cream filled snack cakes with a seemingly infinite shelf life could be back on shelves in a few months. Learn more: Delish

The post Twinkies Coming Back? appeared first on Delicious Fit.

Autoimmune Disease from Salt

Dana Prince — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:32:17 +0000

Too much sodium in your diet could be causing even more problems than you think. It could cause problems with your immune system. Some recent findings are resulting in a closer look at salt consumption regarding MS and diabetes. Could your salt consumption cause problems like MS, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis? Read more about why you might want to manage your salt intake better in your diet: Natureworldnews

The post Autoimmune Disease from Salt appeared first on Delicious Fit.

Exercise Helps Self Control

Dana Prince — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:27:08 +0000

Short bursts of physical activity could be good for more than your waist line!. Exercise could help you exert more self control. Even short bursts of physical activity could be helpful, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Exercise will boost blood flow to certain parts of the brain, which could be responsible for some decision making, memory, and concentration.

Image: Morguefile

Victoria Beckham Talks Fitness, Secrets, and More

Dana Prince — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:21:39 +0000

Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham, spills some secrets about how she stays fit, what she eats, and more. Harper’s Bazaar has the details but she hints about the fact that she sleeps naked, shares her beauty favorites, and talks about what she likes to eat. She eats a lot of sushi and her kids love it, too. Get some details at Radar Online about how the 38 year old is aging gracefully.

Image: Wikipedia

The post Victoria Beckham Talks Fitness, Secrets, and More appeared first on Delicious Fit.

Does Exercise Still Work if it Stresses You Out?

Dana Prince — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:02:07 +0000

Health experts have long mentioned how exercise releases endorphins that can boost the mood, but a blogger at the New York Times recently wondered whether, if a person is being forced to exercise because of a doctor’s orders or at the insistence of a well-meaning spouse, does that stress outweigh the positive effects? Scientists at the Center for Neuroscience at the University of Colorado at Boulder decided to find out by conducting a study with rats.

Specifics of the Project

The study had the rats either exercise or remain sedentary for six weeks, and then gauged their reactions related to being in an unfamiliar cage that was set up like a maze. One group of rats was allowed to exercise at will, while another group was permitted to exercise, but only in ways that the scientists controlled.

In comparison to the rats that were sedentary, some that were allowed to exercise were more able to cope with the strange new cage, and were willing to explore its boundaries the next day.

Oddly, there was a further difference in rats that were allowed to progress through stops and starts, and those who had to run continuously on a treadmill. The continuous runners behaved in much the same way as the sedentary rats, in that they were very anxious about the new cage.

Scientists concluded that exercise leads to a better state of mind, whether or not the animals were enjoying their workout routines, but having the ability to stop periodically seems to add to benefits.

Improving the Stress Response

Since the 1980s, scientists have performed studies that found how exercise increases the brain’s production of norepinephrine in the locus coeruleus, which is linked to stress response.

As the rat study showed, exercise could be helpful even if you’re not looking forward to it, seemingly negating one more excuse that some people might use if they’re not keen on breaking a sweat.

Sources: APA, Mayo Clinic

The post Does Exercise Still Work if it Stresses You Out? appeared first on Delicious Fit.