Can you “Sweat” off the Pounds?

Hot and sunny or cold and cloudy, either way, it won’t be difficult to find one person running in a full sweat-suit and the next person wearing shorts and a tank top. The reason for such variance in apparel is typically associated with the claim, “sweating more when running burns more calories.”

Proven Fact:

Running in warm cloths yields a greater weight loss

Proven Fact:

The Truth About Gluten

Lately many grocery stores have been stocking their shelves with gluten free alternatives to nearly every kind food.  This is a result of the widely spreading gluten free diet.  Millions around the world have either completely eliminated gluten from their diet, or have greatly reduced the amount they consume each day.

The reason for this change in diet is actually quite simple.  Many people are reducing their gluten consumption because they have celiac disease; when gluten causes inflammation in the small intestine of those with this illness.  Most people with this disease go their whole lives without even noticing it because in most cases the inflammation is minor, but in fact 70-80% of the population has some form of gluten sensitivity and most likely that includes you.

There are various studies that claim terminal diseases come from the consumption from gluten but the source of many of these trials is unreliable so the credibility of those claims isn’t strong.  Most people react to gluten in a more mild form such as stomach pains, acne, and binge eating.

Meals for Miles

What you eat for dinner Friday night, can have a major impact on your athletic performance Saturday morning.  Most people simply focus on what they are going to eat the day of their big basketball game or track meet, when in fact, what you eat the night before is just as important.

The first thing to do, even before considering your meal, is make sure to drink an abundance of water.  It’s impossible to adequately stress the importance of hydration and the major role it plays in the function of your brain, heart, and muscles.  Your body needs more than just a few hours to completely absorb the water you are consuming so while drinking water the morning before your event is crucial, it’s more effective if you start to hydrate the day before.

Interval Training

The Yoga Essentials

Will Skipping Breakfast Really Make you Fat?

The importance of eating a healthy breakfast every morning is nutrition gospel.  Everyone “knows” that eating a morning meal will help you stay lean and that skipping one could have the opposite effect.

But is what everybody knows actually the truth?

Most research regarding the effect of breakfast on the body shows that breakfast eaters tend to be leaner than those who skip their morning meal.  However, there is a large amount of scientific research which doesn’t actually prove exactly what people think it does.

I Bet You Can’t…

…lie in Superman position, with your knees and arms off the ground, for 2 minutes (time may vary depending of fitness level)

…bring your leg around your neck

…eat pudding out of a mayonnaise jar in public

MQ: Comfort Zone

The Vile Diet of your “Everyday” MMA Fighter

I’m not sure if any of you have seen the movie Rocky, but I found the strict and unique diet he followed to be quite out of the ordinary.  After watching Rocky Balboa chug a glass of raw eggs, I became inspired to explore the various dieting methods boxers use to maintain their muscular physique.

Boxers are encouraged to consume a large amount of carbohydrates each day, however, they don’t receive their daily carb intake through white flour such as bread and pasta but instead eat yams, beans, oatmeal, and whole-wheat grains in order to get the appropriate serving of carbohydrates.  Protein is also an essential part of their diet so boxers often incorporate chicken, eggs, tuna, and protein in their diets.  Since their bodies are constantly in dire need of protein, MMA fighters often drink protein shakes before and after their workouts.  They receive a majority of their fats from fish and nuts since they contain omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that is healthier than say the kind of fat you would find in McDonald’s french fries.  The body also needs monounsaturated fats found in avocados, seeds, and olives.

Your Toast is Giving you Cancer

In 2007, a Dutch study showed an increased risk if cancer in women who were exposed to the chemical acrylamide– which forms on burnt foods. The study prevailed that women double their chances of acquiring cancer by consuming approximately 40 micrograms of acrylamide a day.