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Pixabay Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland found under the Adam's apple, which support the endocrine system and the production of hormones that control metabolic rate, heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure.

Hypothyroidism refers to the condition when the thyroid hormones are not released adequately by the thyroid gland. This affects cell growth, repair and the bodys metabolism. In majority of the cases, hypothyroidism is the result of Hashimotos thyroiditis, where the immune system malfunctions and destroys the thyroid gland mistakenly.

Genetics, iodine deficiency and surgery are the other causes behind primary hypothyroidism. These conditions occur even when there is enough thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) because thyroid glands do not release them. When the pituitary glands functioning is not at the optimal level, less of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is produced. This state is called secondary hypothyroidism.

How Hypothyroidism Affect Metabolism

When the body stops producing the thyroid hormone, it slows down the rate of metabolism in the body, thus burning fewer calories at rest. In fact, TSH controls the rate of metabolism, which is why fast metabolism indicates good health. The health risks accompanied by slow metabolism are plenty, such as high cholesterol and heart disease risk.

To increase the speed of metabolism, aerobic exercises could work, or even high intensity cardio. The effort does not endthere. In order to maintain your thyroid health, there is a certain diet you need to follow. Read ahead to find out what works best for people suffering with the condition.

What To Eat

Iodine is needed in order for the thyroid glands to produce the hormone. The deficiency makes people more susceptible to hypothyroidism, especially in developing countries. In the U.S., food with iodine content is easily available, hence this is less common. Food such as fish, eggs, seaweed and dairy are rich in iodine.

Taking a supplement may not be the solution since an excess of iodine is linked to health problems. Nuts, legumes, eggs, tuna and sardines are foods that can boost selenium levels that are necessary to stimulate the production of thyroid hormones. Iodine and selenium are both found in the yolks of eggs, hence eggs should be eaten whole.

The mineral also protects thyroid glands from the free radicals. The other mineral that performs the same function is zinc. Eating foods such as beef, chicken, lamb, oysters and shellfish could make up for zincs deficiency.

Adding protein could help increase the bodys metabolism which is lost while suffering the hypothyroidism condition. Cruciferous vegetables, fruits, gluten-free grains ( rice, quinoa, chia seeds and flax seeds ), dairy products and non-caffeinated beverages are all advised to be eaten when suffering from the condition.

Goitrogens are compounds found in spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, pine nuts, peanuts, millet, starchy plants and soy foods, which interfere with thyroid hormone production. Research suggests that this could only be true if the person suffers from iodine deficiency.

Related video: 6 things you didn't know about your thyroid [via Health]

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Hypothyroidism Diet: What To Eat When Suffering With Condition - msnNOW

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HOLMES COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) In the rolling hills of Holmes County, just over and hour away from downtown Cleveland, theres a farm that looks so idyllic, it could be right out of a picture book.

Its at Wholesome Valley Farm in Wilmot that part of Americas culinary heritage is being preserved by the raising of heritage turkeys just in time for Thanksgiving.

Trevor Clatterbuck is the owner of Wholesome Valley Farm where he and a dedicated team sustainably produce organic vegetables and pasture-raised beef, pork and poultry, including the rare Standard Bronze Heritage Turkey.

Its a breed thats been the same for the last 100 years, it tastes better, its more like a wild turkey, you can see they look very much like the Eastern Wild Turkey, Clatterbuck said.

One of the breeds most distinctive characteristics is its ability to mate and reproduce naturally, unlike turkeys bred industrially, which cant reproduce without the help of scientists and artificial insemination.

You wont find heritage turkeys on many farms because they take an extreme investment of time, effort and money on the part of the farmer, and they dont produce the profits most would like.

I would guess theres somewhere around 500 in the Northeast Ohio area, Clatterbuck said. And theres 275 right here, he continued, pointing to the heritage turkeys in their pasture.

Clatterbuck himself says hes considered stopping his heritage turkey program, but hes committed to what it represents in farming and knows customers all across Northeast Ohio wouldnt let him.

Its a lot of work and not big numbers, but they sell out every year. Customers come looking for them, weve always got a wait list, he said.

Like other pasture-raised poultry, heritage turkeys need a lot of space.

At Wholesome Valley Farm all the turkeys have free reign of 10 to 15 acres of land, which gives them a much different life than the typical Thanksgiving bird.

The trade-off for us is they take twice as long as one of the traditional hybrid or market turkeys, but the flavor, the additional fat, which is also flavor and moisture and the culinary heritage are all important to us, Clatterbuck explained.

And what about the flavor? How is it different? Heritage turkeys have smaller but more flavorful breast meat. They also have more dark meat, which Clatterbuck describes as having a gamey and rich flavor.

Wholesome Valley Farm starts their heritage birds in January and takes them from mating and reproduction to the egg, through incubation and hatching.

We keep them very warm about 99.5 degrees, theyre very, very picky. After about two weeks they start to get hardier, Clatterbuck said. Eventually, the turkeys are brought outside to fresh air where they roam the pastures, corn fields and even wooded areas of the farm.

The turkeys grow and mature over 28-30 weeks before being harvested, which is about double the time of turkeys raised in an industrial setting.

Clatterbuck faithfully monitors the turkeys activity levels and checks for illnesses on a daily basis. Every day they are moved to fresh pasture so they have lush green grass full of nutrients right under their beaks.

The turkeys also eat a combination of corn, smashed pumpkins, grasses, bugs and kitchen scraps.

Its more of a foraging diet that imitates what a turkey in the wild would have, Clatterbuck said.

Clatterbuck explains pumpkin seeds have natural antimicrobial properties and act almost as an antiviral medicine when the turkeys ingest them.

The foraging diet results in a flavorful, juicier and richer-tasting bird that grows at a slower and more natural rate, the way nature intended.

The birds themselves actually have more fat, which I find amazing, Clatterbuck said.

An estimated 45 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving every year. Heres hoping none of us dry ours out, but what we know for sure is that only a very small percentage of those turkeys carry on Americas culinary heritage.

If we can have a bird that tastes better and that happens to be from food the way it was done years ago, thats all were after, Clatterbuck said.

More on Wholesome Valley Farm here.

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Thanksgiving turkeys the way nature intended in Northeast Ohio - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you know what that means: Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, stuffing, pie, sweet potatoes, and every other delicious, carb-heavy food you can imagine. However, thats not always the most exciting prospect if youre on a diet. If after Thanksgiving you find yourself sluggish and struggling to get back to your normal healthy diet, here are a few exercise tips that can get you back on track.

Ultimately, when it comes down to it, the hardest part of getting back into the swing of things after a big holiday is getting your momentum back. Disruptions to your normal routine make it easy to put off working out again, especially if you generally live a fairly sedentary lifestyle. Theres no shame in struggling to stay active; in fact, around 28.0% of Americans, or 80.2 million people, aged six and older are physically inactive. The best way to get past this is to pick a day and do some sort of exercise it doesnt have to be much, it just has to be enough to get you off the couch. From there, you can use these methods to stay moving more frequently.

When most people think of exercise, they think of it as a hassle or a boring part of their day they dont want to do. Instead, try to pick an activity you already know you enjoy and make it into your daily workout. Are you a sports fan? Instead of watching your favorite game on TV, get involved in the action yourself. You dont have to be a professional athlete to see benefits simply playing tennis for fun, for example, can burn around 169 calories in 30 minutes for a woman, and 208 calories in 30 minutes for an average man. Many gyms offer indoor spaces for you to practice your favorite sport, so pick an activity and get to it.

Not much of a sports fan? There are still plenty of opportunities for you to tackle two chores in one by incorporating exercise into your other daily to-dos. Try to stay moving while cleaning up around the house, or take a few more trips up and down the stairs instead of carrying everything in one go. If youve got a household pet, try taking them on more frequent walks. Most dogs benefit from daily aerobic exercise and a 30-minute walk, and your own fitness goals can benefit as well.

Finally, one of the easiest ways to get back into the swing of working out is to make it as fun as possible. The more enjoyable you find exercise, the more likely you are to keep at it, even on days where you might feel a bit tired. Set goals and reward yourself for hitting them. On top of that, try adding something you enjoy to your normal workout routine, like listening to music. Listening to music while exercising can actually improve work out performance by 15%. Maybe invite a friend or two and turn your work-out routine into a group activity. The more ways you can make exercise enjoyable, the likelier it is youll be able to get back to it after the holidays.

Thanksgiving can throw a serious wrench into anyones diet and exercise plans, and if youre not careful, these bad habits can set you up for a struggle going into the new year. Instead, make use of these tips to crush your fitness goals as 2019 draws to a close.

Read more from the original source:
The Holiday Aftermath: How To Reset Your Workout - The National Memo

REAL Housewives of Orange County star Vicki Gunvalson has shared her pride for her daughter and her husband after they lost a combined 128lbs on the keto diet.

The happy couple had a family photoshoot to capture their new slim figures, along with their two sons.

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Proud mum Vicki, 57, shared one of the snaps and gushed: "Brianas photo shoot turned out so good. I am so proud of my daughter and Ryan for their incredible weightloss doing strict @keto. #myfamily #thoseboys#acrossthemiles."

Ryan, 32, thanked his mum-in-law for her kindness, while her followers also congratulated the pair on their achievement.

Explaining how they managed such a drastic transformation, Ryan posted on his Instagram page: "Smiles from a couple thats down a combined 128 pounds! No fads, workouts, or magic pills just a consistent Keto lifestyle!"

The keto diet involves eating lots of "good" fat, to curb hunger pangs, while cutting out carbs and eating moderate amounts of protein.

It's said to boost energy levels and help speed up weight loss. The diet relies on a normal metabolic process called ketosis - that helps the body keep working.

Starved of carbs for energy, the body starts to burn fat reserves instead.

Nurse Briana suffers from lupus and has struggled over the years with the various issues associated with it.

A friend close to Vicki told Hollywood Life: Vicki knows that Briana has struggled with her weight because of her health issues and as thrilled as she is for her daughters big loss, shes more grateful that she has her health again.

"Vicki understands that losing weight was out of Brianas control for a long time no matter what she did.

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"Her kids mean more to her than anything and to see Briana happy and healthy is all that matters. Shes thrilled to see how great they both look.

Vicki threatened to quit Real Housewives at the weekend unless Bravo gives her more scenes.

She has been demoted to "friend" of the show, despite starring as full-time cast for the its thirteen seasons.

However, she ruled out returning unless they beef up her role.

Speaking at BravoCon alongside Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, New Jersey's Teresa Guidice and New York's Luann de Lesseps, Gunvalson said: "I'm never coming back reduced again."

She explained that she "signed the reduced role contract in January", which she labelled "one of the hardest things I've ever done".

Later on a fan asked how they know when it's time to walk away from the show, Vicki said she was discussing it backstage with Kyle.

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Kyle said: "As long as we're having fun still. I know there's a lot of drama and a lot of conflict, but it's also a lot of fun."

However, this is in contrast with her comments in August, when Vicki told Jerry O'Connell on his talk show that she had no plans to leave.

She said: "Our producer, Scott Dunlop, said, 'Unless they kick you off the horse, don't voluntarily get off the horse'. So I'm still on the horse!"

The star added: "I don't know what my future is, but I'm having fun and they're my friends.

"I have very much love for my franchise - a love for what I've created [and] a lot of love for my cast, we've been through hell and back.

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"But truthfully, it's our reality. It's what my life has gone through for the last 14 years. And it's been some bumpiness."

Despite viewers calling for a boycott of the show until she's reinstated, the ratings were not affected.

The show's most recent episode drew 1.363 million viewers, remaining consistent with the rest of the season.

Original post:
Vicki Gunvalson is 'so proud' of her daughter Briana's weight loss after keto diet - The Sun

He knows what I like, so I feel I can roll with him, Williams said. I just call him Money Man. He dont miss a meal, you know? Its Money Man.

On his own, Williams has begun modifying his diet. He still likes to swing by Chipotle after practice, but hes stopped the late-night visits to his favorite local joint, Mainely Burgers. Hes also cut out soda, candy, and pizza. Hes even tried to ax his all-time favorite snack: Hot Cheetos.

I did have Hot Cheetos, though, two nights ago, Williams admitted. [Im keeping] it real.

While he eagerly awaits the start date of Money Man, Williams has taken advantage of the resources at the Auerbach Center, the Celtics practice facility. The free meal is the best meal, Williams said with a smile.

Like coach Brad Stevens and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, the Celtics chef and registered dietician, Nick Arcuri, noticed how Williams frequented the facility during the offseason. Not only was Williams around more, he also started arriving earlier so he could stop by the kitchen for a meal from Arcuri.

Arcuri emphasizes the process has been ongoing and gradual, with the pair collaborating to create an energizing fuel plan. There are no strict calorie or macronutrient requirements. Instead, Arcuri produces well-rounded meals and helps educate Williams on nutritional concepts such as properly timing and portioning his intake.

Were just trying to feed the beast that is Rob Williams, Arcuri said. To be effective, its not about reinventing the wheel or reinventing what hes doing every day. Its taking what hes doing and slowly but surely replacing some of the bad habits with good ones.

For breakfast, Williams likes to request four or five scrambled eggs with cheese and spinach, bacon, and a waffle. If Williams is running short on time, Arcuri will whip up a protein shake, such as the Green Man, which is loaded with avocado, kale, apple, pineapple, and mango. Those ingredients are all relatively new to Williams, who grew up a picky eater.

Im not a big fruit guy, he said. I dont eat a lot of fruit. I only eat grapes and apples. I dont really eat bananas. Ive been trying mangos and peaches, trying to venture out. Its iffy, but Im kind of getting on the train the fruit train. Ill eat a fruit salad before I eat a lettuce salad.

As Williams starts to break out of his old ways, Arcuri tries to be creative in how he integrates fruits and vegetables into dishes. His butternut squash macaroni and cheese has been a winner.

We tuck in something that may not be that attractive or familiar into something thats very attractive and very familiar, Arcuri said. Yes, its mac and cheese; yes, theres dairy; and yes, theres cheese; but theres also a whole serving of vegetables in every cup he puts on his plate.

At a little more than 240 pounds, the 6-foot-8-inch Williams said hes comfortable at his current weight but noted hes still got a lot of fat [hes] trying to muscle up.

Its hard, but its something youve got to do, he added. Its really just about getting a good meal that you like to eat every day. Thats why I like the chef that [Rozier] has and the chefs up here because they work with me. They know Im not going to sit here and eat a big salad.

Now that the season is under way, Williams has noticed an upgrade in his conditioning. Its helped my wind a lot, he said. Its helped my agility [and] my ability to turn angles pretty fast.

Williams remembers how exhausted he would be coming back to the bench during games last season. Assistant coach Jerome Allen said he and Williams have spoken about how being in shape as a big man can help him fight through fatigue and perform more consistently.

If youre not in shape, you cant run the floor, said Allen. You cant help defend ball screens. You cant give multiple efforts on the offensive glass. You cant contest shots with the right anticipation. I just think being in better shape has helped him put himself in position to do whats asked of him.

The hope is the changes in diet are the start of Williams showing more initiative. The other day in the kitchen, for example, Allen overheard Williams going over defensive clips on his iPad with video coordinator Matt Reynolds. It makes me smile, Allen said. Its all connected.

Williams, too, views his slimmer physique as just the beginning.

If you bring it every day, if youre accountable and youre reliable, thats where the respect comes in, he said. Thats what Im grinding for. Just that I belong.

Read more:
How Celtics center Robert Williams has slimmed down - The Boston Globe

Chances are youve heard of the latest diet and weight-loss fad sweeping the nation: the ketogenic diet (keto for short). Its a low-carb, high-fat plan thats become so popular, it was credited for making a dent in Weight Watchers numbers.

By drastically cutting back on carbs, keto followers reduce the amount of blood sugar available to be used as energy, which, in turn, causes their livers to produce more ketones for fuel. Since ketones are produced from fat and the body is relying on them for energy, fat burn increases dramatically.

As effective as keto may be, is it really healthy to manipulate the body in such a way? Dr. Joshua Latzman, cardiologist at Maple Medical, believes it can be. A well-formulated keto diet full of non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats and high-quality protein can be healthy, he says.

The keto diet isnt just an effective way to lose weightit may help improve your health in other aspects too. From a cardiac standpoint, reducing the amount of carbs in the diet generally improves triglyceride levels, Dr. Latzman says.

Keto may also help manage diabetes. The diet prevents swings in blood sugar that can result from ingesting large amounts of carbohydrates, especially in people whose bodies have difficulty regulating blood sugar, Dr. Latzman says. The keto diet is even suspected to be good for conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, and certain cancers, though much more research needs to be done.

But before you dive right in, consult with your doctor. People with elevated LDL should be careful about significantly increasing their intake of saturated fat when undertaking the keto diet, as this may further increase their LDL levels, Dr. Latzman warns. He recommends having bloodwork done prior to starting the keto diet and then being monitored on a regular basis to ensure that issues do not develop.

Additionally, people taking exogenous insulin must work closely with their endocrinologists when drastically lowering their carbohydrate intake, Dr. Latzman says. In fact, if youre on any medications, its a good idea to check in with your doctor just to make sure keto is the best plan for you. Taking the proper precautions is important whenever implementing a new diet or weight-loss plan, but generally, it is safe to give keto a go.

Heres what to eat:

Structure your diet to be low carb, moderate protein and high fat

Choose minimally processed, whole foods and avoid anything highly processed

Low-carb veggies such as arugula, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bell pepper, kale and zucchini

Low-sugar fruits such as tomatoes, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries

Healthy fats such as avocado, almonds, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, nut oils, walnuts, hazelnuts and macadamia nuts

Quality proteins such as wild or sustainably farmed salmon, tuna, codfish, shrimp, organic chicken, turkey, grass-fed organic beef and eggs

Snacks such as nut butters with no added sugars, sugar-free jerky, cheese, plain Greek yogurt, kale chips and dark chocolate thats at least 70 percent cacao

Read the original here:
Is the Keto Diet Really Healthy? - theLoop

Workout recovery is an art -- sometimes it means yoga and foam rolling; sometimes it means high tech tools. But no matter what, it's a long game,

A good workout, no matter the modality, leaves you struggling to walk up stairs or lift your arms overhead. To minimize the time you spend battling muscle soreness -- and the number of times you find yourself wondering if you really need to leave the house because, ow, even putting on clothes hurts -- you should know how to properly recover from your workouts.

Sure, you can minimize soreness with basic recovery techniques like stretching and foam rolling, but true workout recovery is a blend of physical manipulation and nutrition designed to replenish the exact muscles and mechanisms you taxed during your workout.

Read more: The best massage guns for recovery and chronic pain

Before you decide that that's too complicated, read this article, where you'll learn exactly how to recover from long runs, CrossFit workouts, HIIT and more.

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The actual distance of a "long run" differs for everyone depending on their cardiorespiratory fitness level, muscular endurance, current training cycle and more. For example, a long run during half-marathon training for me is 10 to 15 miles. Out of half-marathon training season, however, a run of five to eight miles suffices as a long run.

Whatever your distance, endurance training taxes your slow-twitch (type one) muscle fibers, or the muscle fibers responsible for low-intensity, repetitive exercise -- like running a marathon. If you run long enough, however, your body will also start to recruit your fast-twitch (type 2) muscle fibers to help with slow-twitch tasks, so long runs present the scenario of taxing all types of muscle.

Additionally, endurance training depletes your glycogen stores (carbohydrates stored in your muscles for instant energy) and trains your body to use fat for fuel. All that said, to recover properly from a long run, you should focus on preventing lactic acid buildup and replenishing your glycogen stores.

Training for endurance events, such as marathons, depletes your glycogen stores and taxes slow-twitch muscle fibers.

Physical recovery: Cold therapy has proven particularly effective at helping endurance athletes recover from training sessions, although the effect may be more on your perception of recovery versus actual recovery. You can try whole-body cryotherapy, take a cold shower or apply ice packs while you rest. Static stretching can prevent muscles and joints from tightening up, while gently massaging and elevating your legs can alleviate fluid build-up.

Nutrition recovery: Eat fast-digesting carbs as soon as you can after your long run, along with ample protein to repair microtraumas in your muscles. Examples of good fast-digesting carbs include bananas, fruit juice and white rice. Avoid high-fat foods during the window right after your run, as fats can slow digestion and can prevent you from rebounding from endurance training. Some fat won't hurt, so feel free to eat eggs or other lean protein sources cooked in a healthy oil. Don't forget to rehydrate with electrolytes!

Read more: When to replace your running shoes

Whether you run, bike, swim or use some other modality to get your sprints in, speed training primarily taxes fast-twitch muscle fibers, which allow your body to perform high-power, explosive movements. Sprinting burns a lot of calories in a short amount of time, utilizes high levels of blood oxygen and puts stress on your lower extremity joints (ankles, knees and hips). To recover from sprints, you should focus on mobilizing your joints and replenishing lost nutrients.

Explosive movements like sprinting require utilization of fast-twitch muscle fibers and high levels of blood oxygen.

Physical recovery: Spend 10 to 15 minutes performing dynamic stretches after a sprint workout. This helps to keep your joints mobile and your muscles flexible and can reduce the severity of soreness you experience the next day. Compression therapy may particularly help with sprint recovery, as it promotes healthy blood flow to the joints. Deep breathing may also offer some benefits, such as helping your heart rate return to a resting state and improving circulation.

Nutrition recovery: Similar to endurance training, speed training depletes your glycogen stores, so you'll want to replenish those with simple carbohydrates. You should also drink an electrolyte-fortified beverage, such as Powerade, and eat protein to fuel muscle repair and growth.

Even when you use only your own bodyweight, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) develops speed, power and endurance. The variety of movements, full-body focus and fast pace that characterizes HIIT workouts can lead to muscle knots, limited range of motion and lasting soreness if you aren't used to such intense exercise.

Physical recovery: The best thing you can do after a HIIT workout is to keep moving -- slowly. A few minutes of walking or slow cycling gives your heart a smoother transition from work to rest and keeps your blood flowing, delivering more nutrients and oxygen to your fatigued muscles. Follow up with joint mobilization via dynamic stretching and preempt muscle knots with massage or percussive therapy.

Read more: 5 reasons to buy a Theragun and how to use one when you're injured

Nutrition recovery: All exercise induces some level of oxidative stress (an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals in your body), but fast-paced, high-intensity exercise is particularly notorious for it. Because of that, you should consume antioxidant-rich foods after a HIIT workout in addition to the protein and carbohydrates your body needs to replenish and repair itself. Just a few examples of antioxidant-rich foods include berries, leafy greens, beets and broccoli.

CrossFit is essentially a type of high-intensity interval training that combines multiple types of exercise into one: strength, muscular endurance, cardio endurance and speed. As such, the best recovery techniques for CrossFit workouts vary significantly depending on the prominent feature of the workout. Overall, though, you should focus on joint mobilization, muscle repair and nutrient replenishment.

Physical recovery: Many CrossFit athletes are proponents of foam rolling and massage guns as the ultimate recovery tools, because they both help work out tight muscle knots that form in response to the fast-paced, compound movements characteristic of CrossFit. Icing your joints can help offset the pounding from high-impact exercises like box jumps and sprints, while static stretching helps you cool down from longer, more endurance-based workouts.

Nutrition recovery: Consume fast-digesting carbohydrates and protein as soon as you can after a CrossFit workout. You may also benefit from an amino acid drink, as amino acids are the building blocks of protein and spur protein synthesis, which facilitates muscle repair. Follow up a few hours after your post-workout meal with a hearty meal that includes complex carbohydrates, more protein and healthy fats.

You may consider strength training and weight training the same thing, but true strength training involves very low rep schemes and very heavy weights. According to the American Council on Exercise, strength-building workouts should include sets of less than six reps with weights at or higher than 85% of your one-rep max for particular movements. For example, if I was trying to get stronger at squatting, I'd program five sets of five (5x5) squats at 85% of my maximum squat.

This type of training tests your ability to generate maximal output, which fatigues your nervous system in addition to your type two muscle fibers. To recover from a strength training session, focus on muscle repair and nervous system modulation.

Heavy weightlifting taxes your nervous system as much as it taxes your muscles, so it's important to allow your body time to return to a resting state.

Physical recovery: Allow your body time to transition from maximal output to rest by engaging in five to 10 minutes of slow, steady-state cardio -- try walking, cycling or rowing on a rowing machine. Regulate your breathing as you do this to optimize nervous system recovery. After that, stretch the muscles used during your workout. Also, rest is imperative after a heavy lifting session: According to ACE, you should give yourself at least one full day to recover before training the same muscle group again.

Nutrition recovery: You can somewhat get a head start on your recovery by consuming protein or an amino acid supplement before your workout. Research shows that consuming protein alongside carbohydrates before a workout can trigger your body to utilize those nutrients during and immediately after the workout. Within 30 minutes of finishing your workout, you should eat a meal that consists of three to four grams of carbohydrates for every one gram of protein (e.g., 40 grams of protein and 120 grams of carbohydrates), according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

While bodybuilding also employs weight training, the level and modality of resistance differs from that of strength training. When people do bodybuilding workouts, the goal is to increase muscle mass. The type of training used to increase muscle mass is called hypertrophy training, and it typically involves higher rep schemes and lower weights than strength training.

According to ACE, to achieve hypertrophy, you should focus on sets of six to 12 reps with short to medium rest intervals, using moderate to moderately heavy weights. When you lift weights that way, you work both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscles because your body requires both power and endurance to perform moderately heavy lifts in succession. Like strength training, hypertrophy training also fatigues your nervous system, though not quite as heavily.

Medium to high volume weight training taxes both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles, as well as your nervous system.

Physical recovery: Mobility and blood flow should be your areas of focus after a bodybuilding workout. Dynamic and static stretching can help with mobility, as can foam rolling. Percussive massage may also help with recovery, though the mobility benefits of percussive massage seem to be most prominent before a workout. To encourage blood flow, engage in a few minutes of steady-state cardio, try compression therapy or use heat therapy to increase blood flow to a particular area.

Nutrition recovery: As you might've noticed, carbohydrates and protein are essential post-workout nutrients. To optimize potential increases in muscle mass, you should consistently aim for a high-protein, high-carbohydrate within 30 minutes of finishing a hypertrophy workout. Because high-rep weightlifting routines may cause you to sweat more than low-rep routines, make sure to also replenish your electrolytes with a sports drink.

For ultimate recovery, you should incorporate both the physical and nutritional elements. Sometimes, that might mean getting sitting in compression boots and drinking a protein shake, while other times it might mean stretching and drinking a green juice.

While most recovery tactics prove most effective when employed immediately after exercising, workout recovery is a long game. In addition to utilizing these techniques, you should implement recovery into your daily and weekly regimen beyond the 30 to 60 minute post-workout window.

That means eating a diet that supports your fitness goals; engaging in gentle, mobilizing exercise like stretching and yoga; staying hydrated before, during and after workouts; getting enough sleep on a regular basis; and practicing stress-relief and self-care activities that keep you emotionally healthy.

Another way to ensure that you don't end up with an overuse injury is to vary your training and space out workouts of the same modality. For instance, if you're a runner, you shouldn't plan three speed training workouts in a row.

A week of solid training for a runner might look like this:

Now that you know how to recover from your favorite sweat sesh, learn how to warm up beforehand to prevent injuries and track the intensity of your workouts without a smart watch.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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How to recover from long runs, CrossFit workouts, HIIT and more - CNET

One of the hottest fitness trends for 2019 is incidental fitness you know, the kind of exercise you barely notice taking the stairs instead of the lift, parking the car as far from the shops as you can, standing up for meetings

But if you really want to next-level your incidental fitness, you might want to think about swerving the bus, car or train on your morning commute in favour of your bike. The health rewards are astonishing.

According to a five-year study by the University of Glasgow, a daily bike ride could prolong your life by reducing the risk of death of cardiovascular disease.

And before you start arguing that the participants were probably lycra-clad Tour de France wannabes, they actually only averaged 30 miles per week (three miles each way, five days a week).

Still dont fancy getting back in the saddle? Running or walking to work, indeed any regular exercise can also massively improve your health and well-being.

Why? Because exercise helps us burn calories and fat, and improves muscle strength and lung function. Plus, according to research by Harvard University, exercise could lower blood pressure as the heart becomes stronger, it pumps more blood around the body with less effort, reducing the pressure on arteries.

It promotes a healthy mind too. Exercise sends endorphins around your body, which improves your mood and confidence, says celebrity trainer Chris Richardson of Zero Gravity Pilates. Still not convinced? A study by the University of Nebraska reveals aerobic exercise such as cycling or running may reduce depression and anxiety.

1 Walking

Why try it: If youre new to exercise, it can ramp up your fitness gradually, while still burning around 300 calories an hour.

Step it up: Add ankle and/or arm weights to increase the body weight youre moving: it will elevate your energy output and burn more calories. Or why not inject interval training to boost your heart rate? Speed-walk for one minute, then reduce the pace for 30 seconds and repeat.

2 Running

Why try it: This full-body workout can burn around 600 calories an hour. Plus, its high-impact, which studies show can help strengthen the skeleton in older people.

Step it up: Download PaceDJ (Free, iOS). It matches your playlist to your preferred running pace, to ensure you stay on track and dont slack off.

3 Cycling

Why try it: It targets your largest muscle your glutes to help you reduce fat and burn on average 300 calories per hour if you take it slow; much more if youve got some pace on. And, as its low-impact, it can be a less painful form of cardio for people with bad knees or ankle joints.

Step it up: Sign up to tracking app Strava. You can measure your distance and time and even compete with other users cycling the same route.

Find out about whether your company offers a Cycle to Work scheme to subsidise the cost of a new bike.

Avoid pollution:Ditch the main roads for side streets and you could cut toxic fumes by 53 per cent, according to a study by Kings College London.

Visit walkit.com to plan a less-polluted commute.

To help you support your health and well-being outside and in, Centrum has partnered with Telegraph Spark to help you make small yet effective changes*.

Centrum wants to motivate you to boost your health in a simple, enjoyable and sustainable way. Working with leading experts and nutritionists, exercise and wellness brands, we have curated a wealth of tip-packed, easy-to-follow content from healthy eating ideas to on-trend activities and ways to de-stress and relax. Centrums range of multivitamins is specially tailored to help support you every day based on your age, gender, lifestyle and nutritional needs.*

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*Multivitamins are intended to supplement your diet and should not be regarded as a substitute for a varied diet and a healthy lifestyle. Centrum contains vitamin D, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system, and vitamin B12, which contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Original post:
Why the health benefits of cycling to work could prolong your life - Telegraph.co.uk

Not many people can get excited about plaque, but Christina Warinner loves the stuff.

The recently appointed assistant professor of anthropology in FAS and Sally Starling Seaver Assistant Professor at the Radcliffe Institute, Warinner was among the first researchers to realize that calcified plaque, otherwise known as dental calculus, could shed new light on everything from ancient diet and disease to the spread of dairying and the roles of women in society.

Its like a time capsule, she said. Its the single richest source of ancient DNA in the archaeological record. There are so many things we can learn from it everything from pollution in the environment to peoples occupations to aspects of health. Its all in there.

And it was a discovery, Warinner said, that happened almost entirely by accident.

After receiving her Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in the Anthropology Departments archaeology program, the Kansas native took a postdoc at the University of Zurich in what was then the new Center for Evolutionary Medicine. There she set out to investigate whether it would be possible to identify pathogens in the archaeological record to study the evolution of diseases. She chose dental caries, or cavities, as a case study, because they are visible amid skeletal remains and abundant in the archaeological record. She set out to examine whether the bacteria that caused caries in ancient teeth could be identified genetically.

I started to notice all this dental calculus, which is very common on teeth, and was always getting in the way, she said. Most people would just take it off and throw it away, but I thought it could be interesting, so I turned that thought around and looked at it from a different angle.

As a side project, I started applying genomic and proteomic techniques to it, which hadnt been done before, she continued. Its not perfect, and not everything preserves but it turns out we can say an awful lot about the past through calculus.

Applying genomic tools has allowed Warinner to get the clearest picture yet of not only ancient genomes, but ancient microbiomes as well.

We have a project running now on the evolution of the oral microbiome where we are comparing looking at New World monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, Neanderthals, and a diverse range of humans, she said. Were looking to see if there are shifts in oral microbial communities through time, and whether functional shifts might indicate changes in diet or other adaptations.

[Plaque is] like a time capsule. Its the single richest source of ancient DNA in the archaeological record. There are so many things we can learn from it everything from pollution in the environment to peoples occupations to aspects of health. Its all in there.

Christina Warinner

She also investigates paleofeces, and another project in her lab focuses on understanding recent evolution in the gut microbiome. A number of studies have shown that the gut microbiome of traditional societies around the world is very differently structured than that of industrialized populations. We can tell that it is the industrialized gut microbiome that has changed, but the question is: Over what time scale? Is it 100 years? A thousand years? Ten thousand years? What caused it to shift? Was it agriculture? Was it industrialization?

Answering those questions, Warinner said, is important from a public health perspective as well as a historical one.

The thing that characterizes, more than anything else, the industrialized gut microbiome is a lack of diversity, she said. Microbial loss may lead to reduced resiliency and a higher susceptibility to disease. Conditions like Crohns disease, IBD [inflammatory bowel disease], and many gastrointestinal disorders share, as a common feature, reduced or altered microbial diversity, and it may be that theres something about our current, industrialized diet that is driving this pattern.

In addition to modern ailments, Warinners work has also shed light on one of the most mysterious puzzles in medical history the cause of a 16th-century epidemic that decimated the indigenous populations of colonial Mexico and Central America, and that was known only as cocoliztli, the Aztec word for pestilence.

Most people know that when the Spanish came to the Americas they introduced a number of diseases, she said. In the 16th century alone, there were 11 documented epidemics, including an outbreak of smallpox in 1520 that contributed to the fall of the Aztec Empire. However, the worst epidemic the one considered to be the single greatest killer in terms of loss of life occurred two decades later in 1545, and neither the Spanish nor the Aztecs knew what it was.

Though researchers had debated the exact nature of the epidemic for more than four centuries, with hypotheses ranging from influenza to plague to hemorrhagic fever, there was scant evidence to support any one theory.

In 2006, Warinner, then a grad student, was part of a team of archaeologists who stumbled onto a mass burial site for cocoliztli victims, but it wasnt until 2018 that she and colleagues at the Max Planck Institute finally were able to identify a rare strain of Salmonella enterica that they believe was responsible for the epidemic.

Warinner has also used the study of dental calculus to shed light on cultural practices, including the production of medieval books.

Several years ago, we started a study on periodontal disease and as part of that study we analyzed the teeth of individuals buried at a small medieval monastery in Germany. Quite unexpectedly, we found that one womans dental calculus was full of blue crystals we later determined to be pigment from lapis lazuli, she said. At the time, that was one of the rarest and most expensive mineral pigments in Europe, and the only explanation that made sense was that she must have used the pigment, likely as an illustrator. Only a very skilled artist would have been entrusted with such a valuable substance, and here it was on the teeth of a woman buried at a rural womens religious community. So this discovery revealed new information about trade routes and the more extensive use of this pigment during this early time period, as well as the involvement of women in art.

Here is the original post:
Researcher looks at plaque to gain insight about the past - Harvard Gazette

As we enter the holiday season, Americans are abandoning their attempts to be healthy and half will break their diet to give into the temptation of holiday food, according to new research.

The survey of 2,000 Americans who celebrate a winter holiday found that 47 percent have given into the lure of their favorite treats and ended up quitting their diet as a result.

But theyre not alone in making unhealthy decisions at the end of the year results of the second annual Writing Off the End of the Year survey found that 41 percent use the holidays as an excuse to postpone being healthy, compared to 47 percent the previous year.

Commissioned by Herbalife Nutrition and conducted by OnePoll, the survey found that for those taking a start again in January approach, a third start postponing their healthy habits by mid-November.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said it was hardest to stay healthy during the winter holiday season, and food is a major reason why.

Forty-four percent admit to having eaten more than one dessert at a meal, while 36 percent have eaten more than one holiday dinner in a day and 30 percent say theyve had to undo a button on their pants because of eating too much.

In fact, the average person expects to gain six pounds during the holiday season, according to both the 2018 and this years survey.

The biggest food temptations were found to be cookies (53 percent), pies or cakes (53 percent) and home-cooked holiday meals (44 percent).

And the survey found that three in 10 actually plan to eat more during the holidays specifically because their New Years resolution is to be healthier.

In addition to overindulging, not getting enough exercise was another reason respondents might be piling on the pounds during the holidays.

Twenty-seven percent of respondents say they exercise less during the holidays and of those, the average time spent working out each week was two hours less than usual.

Interestingly, this years survey showed that respondents are less optimistic about their ability to stay healthy in the new year (45 percent), as compared to 2018 in which 54 percent believed their efforts would be successful.

Enjoying the holidays doesnt mean you have to completely abandon your attempts to be healthy and make healthy choices, says Dr. John Agwunobi, co-president and chief health and nutrition officer at Herbalife Nutrition.

Healthy snacking is a useful tool in combating overindulgence. Consuming protein-rich snacks before heading out to a holiday feast can help make you feel full, so that you dont overindulge.

But with January comes a new year, new me attitude and results found that 33 percent are planning to make a New Years resolution compared to 34 percent last year.

The top resolution for the second consecutive year is to exercise more, but it ranked higher among last years respondents (71 percent vs. 59 percent).

For those looking ahead to 2020, this was followed by eating healthier (59 percent) and saving more money (53 percent).

Staying on track can be hard especially if you are tackling it on your own. Developing a support system of people who know your goals, strengths and weaknesses can be extremely beneficial in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially during the challenging times of the year, Dr. Agwunobi added.

Read the original:
The top tempting holiday treats Americans abandon their diets for - New York Post

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