Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 1,026«..1020..1,0251,0261,0271,028..1,0401,050..»

Home » Page 1026

Our body literally makes itself out of the nutrients our food provides it thats right, you very much are what you eat. In the case of your skin, the food you consume can have a much larger impact that just a few zits after a late-night sweets binge. If you have issues with inflammatory skin conditions like severe acne, psoriasis, or rosacea, youll want to know what researchers at UC Davis Health have discovered.

The typical American diet is certainly tasty, but not as healthy as it is delicious. High sugar and fat consumption with low fiber intake characterize most standard American diets. While we know that weight gain and even obesity are the usual outcomes of this diet, there is an even earlier result that will make your beauty regiment less effective.

Health researchers tested the effects that this high fat and sugar diet had on lab mice and found that before the mice experienced the expected outcome of weight gain, skin issues presented themselves. These mice who were put on an unhealthy diet for only four weeks began showing signs of skin inflammation, including the development of psoriasis. Before even gaining weight, the mice on the high sugar and fat diet suffered worse skin health outcomes than the mice on an exclusively high-fat diet. Thats right, put down the second serving of that dessert.

Not the most polite dinner table conversation but it turns out that bile may play a more important role in your skins health than youve ever thought (if youve ever thought). Researchers found that using a drug that lowered cholesterol levels by binding bile acids in the intestine actually worked to lower the level of skin inflammation. This finding indicates theres an important connection here that researchers will need to probe further.

If youre wondering what all this bile and diet information means for you in your everyday life, its as simple as making a few more conscious choices around your eating habits. Its easy to treat ourselves to high fat and high sugar foods, but these findings that place a direct link between skin inflammation, including psoriasis, and your diet can serve as a healthy dose of fitspo to get you back on track to make healthier dietary choices. Just remember, dont undo all the work and money that goes into your skincare regiment with diet.

Go here to see the original:
There's a Direct Link Between the Western High-Fat & Sugar Diet and Skin Conditions - YouBeauty

Read More..

She has also been mourning her friend, Mark Blum, the actor whom she worked with on the film Sister of the Groom. He died of Covid-19 at 69 in March. Its a really sad, scary time for so many people, she said.

Her daily routine involves sensible self-nourishment. I always bring everything back to diet, she said. When I dont eat well, I dont feel well, and then my moods go all over the place. Ms. Silverstone has been eating meals filled with fresh herbs, greens, miso soup and ginger tea. She has found comfort in cooking, of course, but also in daily long walks, yoga, writing in a journal and meditation.

She has also been focused on finding activities to do with Bear Blu, now 9, when hes not with Mr. Jarecki like bouncing on the mini trampoline, dancing or jump roping. My son and I take baths together, and when hes not with me, I take a bath and that really feels nourishing and comforting, Ms. Silverstone said.

She is still amazed by the brilliant genius of Ms. Heckerling. Its generational, Ms. Silverstone said. The people that were watching it when it came out have shared it with their children, and so it just keeps going and keeps living. I dont know why that happens to some movies and others it doesnt, but Im so grateful to be a part of it.

In 2017, she introduced a screening of the film at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and took her son to see the movie for the first time. I didnt want to miss out on this opportunity to show him the movie on the big screen like that with 4,000 people outside, she said. It just felt like a moment.

For her, whats most memorable about the film are the costumes that make entrances. After filming, she even kept some of her favorite items like Chers Mary Janes, but shes since given all of the items away. Back then, Ms. Silverstone said, she had no style and wore the same green T-shirt and jeans every day for four years.

When asked which actor should play Cher in a reboot, Ms. Silverstone laughed. Shes far removed from the film that once made her a star: Im like a grandma at my house whos going to help climate change and raise my son.

Original post:
Alicia Silverstone Wants Us to Eat Our Fruits and Vegetables - The New York Times

Read More..

It's rare to see Kevin Hart having a serious moment. We're used to watching him cracking jokescenter-stageand leaving fans in tearsfrom laughing so hardsometimes about things that make us uncomfortable. Hart tapped into his serious side on The Joe Rogan Experiencepodcast and revealed that he has a newfound appreciation for life after his near-death experience in a car crash last September. "I'm a plant-based eater," he tells Rogan. For him, everything changed after the crash. He also told Rogan that in the hospital and the days at home not able to walk, hemasqueraded the pain andworked hard toget back intotip-top shape through eatinghis new diet and boxing.

"It can change like that," Hart says to Rogan, snapping his fingers. The car Hart was a passenger in went off an embankment in Calabasas and the two otherpeople in the car had to be cut from the vehicle, while Hart himself suffered a serious spinal cord injury.

Since the Septemberaccident, Hart hasn't said muchabout his recovery, but he toldRoganthat he had to getserious about his health, and that part of the equation was to try to recover his full health and not be so dependent on his wife and kids, who in the first days of his recuperation, had to do everything for him while he was unable to do the smallest things like reach for the remote.

Hart talked to Rogan about everything fromhis childhood and growing up in North Philadelphiato his new health-minded lifestyle, post-recovery.The crash and having to work his way back to full health hasledHart on a journeyin search of knowledgeabout how to be his healthiest self.

"Health and wellness sh*t is way bigger than you think it is," Hart declared. His diet is now totally free ofred meat, fish, or any seafood. Hart admitted he does have the occasional piece of chicken but he identifies as being a "plant-based eater." His advice when switching your diet: "Learn it, understand it, and see if there are benefits that work for you."

Hart is following medical and science-based research: Plant-based eating has been linked to healing after injurybylowering inflammation, so doctors often urge patients who want to heal faster or recover from injury to stay off the meat and dairy.Chronic inflammationcan slow down cell regrowth.

In the ensuing months, Hart found plant-based proteins he loves to eat such as Beyond Meatand even became an ambassador for the company.Along with celebrities like Joaquin Phoenix and Kate Mara, he joined the Feed a Million+ campaignwhich helped deliver food to hospitals and others on the front line of the pandemic. With Beyond Meat's help, in April Hart delivered burgers to the Northridge Hospital that treated his injuries after the crash.

Hart got into the details of his accident with Rogan, explaining: If it had not been for hisdedication to training and focus onfitness prior to the crash he would have likely ended up paralyzed and unable to ever walk again. But because of his fitness level, he was able to recover.

"Doctors looked me in the eyes and said, 'You're lucky to be alive.If your core wasn't in the shape it was, if you didn't have the strength to take whatever that impact was, you would've been snapped and wouldn't walk again.'"Hart believes that the work he put into his fitness over the years led him to recover fully.

Hart will turn 41 this coming July 6th and said that he has only one birthday wish: To have 8.5% body fat. That wish is pretty close to coming true already since he is already at about 10% body fat today.

We wish him that and more since Hart obviously has had a life-altering experience and is making the best of what happens next.

See the article here:
Kevin Hart Reveals He is a "Plant-Based Eater" to Joe Rogan - The Beet

Read More..

ProfessorChristian Bugge Henriksen, a climate and food security expert at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, says that feeding city dwellers sustainably is a triple challenge.

The first part of it is increasing urbanisation: by 2050, its expected that 6.5 billion of us will live in megacities thatsnearly two out of every three people. The second issue is the negative effects on our climate; forests are cleared to produce farmland, ruminants produce methane, and transportation of food from farms to cities emits huge amounts of carbon dioxide. The third part is malnutrition: many of us, especially in cities, eat too much of the wrong things, particularly processed meat. Currently, 70% of all deaths in Europe can be somehow linked to non-communicable diseases that are affected by malnutrition, said Prof. Henriksen.

One solution might lie in having the inhabitants of cities eat food that is produced as close to them as possible. It is commonly believed that eating locally produced food is better for the environment because it has travelled a shorter distance from farm to fork. But what does the evidence say?

Truth be told, there isnt an awful lot of it, which is why ProfessorMatthew Gortonat Newcastle University, UK, began coordinating theStrength2Foodproject. This is a sprawling endeavour, looking at short food supply chains in terms of their environmental and social sustainability.

Prof. Gorton says that, in general, the project has found that short food supply chains live up to their good reputation. By and large, they provide better margins to producers, the carbon footprints tend to be lower, with also better indicators for social sustainability, he said.

But there are instructive anomalies. Take a part of the project where Prof. Gorton and his colleagues looked at the fishing industry around the Newcastle area. The main catch landed here is langoustine, but it is nearly all exported to Italy, France and Spain, while UK consumers eat mainly imported fish such as salmon, he says.

One of the things were interested in is: how can we improve that? said Prof. Gorton. How can we get local fish on the menu in the north east of England?

Fish box

One idea the team explored was to create a fish box containing fresh local catch that people couldnt otherwise buy. But it wasnt a quick win. It turned out consumers wanted recipes and cooking instructions as well as the fish, and some wanted it more or less often. Also, subscribers of which there are currently only 45 pick up the boxes from local restaurants, which means the service isnt easy to scale up quickly and involves a dedicated car journey separate from the customers supermarket shop.

But while the scheme wasnt an overnight hit, it provided some useful lessons, such as how crucial it is to not ask consumers to make several separate journeys to pick up food.

One way to solve that is to get local food into supermarkets. The trouble is that people often think with their purse when out for their weekly food shop and tend to buy cheaper options even if they like the idea of local food. Prof. Gorton suspected that this could be remedied if there were point of sale displays to remind people of the benefits of local food.

This idea was tested out with one of the projects partners, Konzum, a supermarket chain. The team set up an experiment in 18 stores across Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia where local apples were sold alongside cheaper imported apples in three different ways.

In one group of stores the local apples had point of sale displays with the slogan: I buy local; I buy it fresher; I support the local farmer. A second group of stores had a picture of a young and healthy-looking farmer with the national flag. In both of these groups, the idea was to send the message that these local apples were healthy and buying them supported local people. The third group was a control, with no extra marketing material.

The team found this promotional material had a significant effect on peoples buying habits. For example, in stores in and around Zagreb, Croatia, local apples accounted for only 34% of the sales in the control stores during the test, but that rose to 56% in the stores with the pictorial point of sale displays.

The time is really ripe to go in and transform the food system.

Prof. Christian Bugge Henriksen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

All this suggests short food supply chains are a positive move and can be made to work, even if its not easy. But how do we scale up the schemes that work? An answer should be forthcoming from theFoodSHIFT2030 project, which is led by Prof. Henriksen.

His team is looking at how we can scale-up innovations that will help make food in urban areas both more sustainable and more healthy. There is a particular focus on getting people to switch to a plant-based diet, which canhalve the carbon emissions associated with an omnivorous diet.

Its early days for the project, which formally began in January 2020. But it has already established spaces known asaccelerator labs, in nine cities around Europe that are each exploring different innovations that could be scalable. These range fromeducating school pupils about local foodin Athens, Greece, tovertical farming and other food production technologiesin Barcelona, Spain.

Urban agriculture

Besides short food supply chains there is also potential for scaling up urban farming. Aglobal studyhas demonstrated that up to 10% of the global output of legumes, roots and tubers, and vegetable crops could be produced by urban agriculture, said Prof. Henriksen. In other words, cities could grow a significant amount of the vegetables their populations need on roofs, allotments and other bits and pieces of space.

Scaling up any innovation to an entire city requires political buy-in, but there are some good signs on this front. For example, in 2015 theMilan Urban Food Policy Pactwas launched and this collective commitment to develop sustainable food systems is now signed by 209 cities around the world.

Theres also the Good Food Policies Declaration,organised through the C40 cities networkfor the worlds megacities. Signatory cities to this pact have agreed to work towards achieving thePlanetary Health Dietby 2030. This diet, developed by EAT, a non-profit organisation, in partnership withThe Lancetmedical journal, is mostly composed of plants and whole grains and is designed to be healthy and environmentally sustainable for the whole world population.

As well as this, Prof. Henriksen thinks the Covid-19 pandemic might provide added impetus for authorities to rethink food supply chains. So far, long international food supply chains have been remarkably resilient but its not clear how long that will last or that any future pandemic would be so forgiving. At the very least, change is in the air when it comes to food in cities.

You could say, said Prof. Henriksen, that the time is really ripe to go in and transform the food system.

The global food system is responsible for up to 37% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a2019 report from the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

In March 2020, the EUs Group of Chief Scientific Advisors publishedadvice on how to make Europes food system environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

Among the recommendations are treating food as a common good rather than a commodity and addressing power asymmetries in the food system by requiring food manufacturers and retailers to be sustainable and helping consumers make informed food choices.

Professor Matthew Gorton gives his top tips for making local food systems work most sustainably.

Think about the benefits to consumers.Many local food initiatives can have a vaguely charitable feel to them, says Gorton, with a support local famers vibe. That may be laudable but its unlikely to work in the long term if its the only appeal to consumers. Its better to sell local produce on the tangible benefits to consumers, such as improved freshness or taste.

And convenience.Local produce boxes can be popular. But the logistics of getting to consumers can be tricky. If people have to make a special trip that not convenient for them, it also adds carbon emissions. Better to think smart and try to organise larger scale activities, like local produce markets or deliveries to large workplaces.

It takes time.Getting people to change their behaviour is tricky and can take time. Too often this isnt recognised in retail for example supermarkets will often trial products for a week or two and pull them if sales dont take off. Behaviour change takes time to bed in.

The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.

Published by Horizon

Visit link:
Eating local and plant-based diets: how to feed cities... - ScienceBlog.com

Read More..

Lindsey Vonn has made some significant changes to her diet! When the professional athlete was competing, she typically consumed things like oatmeal and Red Bull, but now that shes retired from competitive ski racing, Vonn is able to have a bit more fun with her food.

When I used to race it was a little more challenging because were always staying at hotels and you never know what youre going to be able to get, Vonn, 35, told Delish in a video interview on Wednesday, May 27. In the morning, usually, I tried to eat eggs and oatmeal, or in Europe they have muesli, which is like grains and fruit.

Once she got up on the mountain and was ready to ski, Vonn said she would usually snack on a protein bar, but recalled being too nervous to eat much more than that. She did, however, drink a Red Bull prior to each race for a little bit of extra energy.

After each race, when it was time to replenish and refuel, the Minnesota native would eat a banana and a protein shake. I just always ate what I could find. Whatever was available, Id put in my mouth, she added with a laugh.

Dinner was a balance between protein, carbs and veggies, and Vonns ideal meal was salmon, rice and vegetables, which is what she usually ate prior to a race. In fact, according to the former World Cup alpine ski racer, she feasted on the healthy fish the night before she won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Her pre-race eats also included banana bread, which she made herself. I won the Olympics on banana bread and salmon, she quipped.

As for foods that were off limits? Vonn explained that she avoided meat while competing. No steaks, no burgers. Your body is spending a lot of energy trying to digest it instead of using your energy to recover and rest and get ready for a race, she said. I never ate meat the night before a race.

Pasta was another food that the gold medalist avoided. As she put it: I think too much carbohydrates is not good.

These days, Vonns diet is a bit more relaxed. My eating has definitely changed a lot since competing, it doesnt really look anything like it used to, she dished. I still try to eat really healthy, but I definitely let myself indulge a bit more.

Scroll down to see what the skiing sensation eats in a day!

More here:
Lindsey Vonn Reveals What She Eats in a Day, How Her Diet Has Changed Since She Retired From Skiing - Us Weekly

Read More..

Buy Photo

Tyler Wilmer had to overcome an eating disorder while he was a freshman and sophomore at Riverheads, but now he's ready to help others who face similar issues.(Photo: Patrick Hite/The News Leader)

STAUNTON - It was the night before the state cross country meet in 2017. The Riverheads boys team had qualified for the race and Tyler Wilmer, then a sophomore, was excited about getting the opportunity to run.

A call from his doctor changed all of that. Blood work had come back indicating Wilmer'selectrolytes were too low.His heart rate was low also, and the doctor said that if Wilmer ran, he could die. Heart failure was a very real concern.

Jessica Wilmerhad to break the news to her sonthat he couldn't run in the state meet.

"It was pretty devastating," she said. "He had worked so hard."

It was a health issue that had started more than a year earlier when Wilmer was a freshman. He began to have negative thoughts about himself, feeling like he wasn't good enough or that he didn't perform well enough on the cross country course. He didn't like the way he looked.

"I started having these terrible mental thoughts about myself," he said.

He coped with those thoughts by using extreme diets and long exercise routines. He started dropping weight, which he was happy about, but he was never satisfied that it was enough. He ate less and less.

Your support helps us continue telling important stories. Please consider a subscription to The New Leader. It's only with your help that our small team can provide you with community journalism that matters.

Jessica Wilmer noticed something was wrong with her son. At first, she and her husband, Andy, just thought he was losing weight because he started running. But they began to realize it was more than typical weight loss. He was being very restrictive with what he ate, and his parents knew that wasn't good.

"Then it kind of snowballed until we knew something was really wrong," Jessica Wilmersaid.

She took him to the pediatrician, but could never get a diagnosis that seemed correct. That's when his parentstook him to the Teen and Young Adult Health Center at the University of Virginia. They diagnosed him almost immediately.

Wilmer was suffering from anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by weight loss and a distorted body image. At the beginning of his freshman year Wilmer weighed 165pounds. By his sophomore year, he was down to 104 pounds.

Tyler Wilmer, standing between his parents, Jessica and Andy, struggled with an eating disorder during his freshman and sophomore years at Riverheads.(Photo: Submitted)

"It was a very difficult sophomore and junior year for me," he said.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)cited a study showing that males represent 25% of individuals with anorexia nervosa, and they are at a higher risk of dying from the disease.

Young people in general, those between the ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia, have 10 times the risk of dying compared to their peers in the same age group, according to NEDA.

Until he was healthier, running was out for Wilmer.He not only missed that state cross country meet as a sophomore, but he also missed the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

He was hospitalized three times. He took classes and was in therapy. None of it seemed to be working until he found residential treatment, a live-in healthcare facility where Wilmer stayed for five weeks in the summer before his junior year.

There were other people around his age in treatment with him, but Wilmer had very limited contact with anyone outside of the facility. That included no contact with family for the first three days.

More: Valley restaurants, breweries and vineyards re-open, and people respond: Rebuilding America

More: Talking to Francis Collins: Now on the coronavirus treatment hunt, he's no stranger to tackling mysteries, from genome to God

More: No more bad hair days? Barbers and stylists rekindling relationships with clients: Rebuilding America

When the shorter hospitalizations weren't working, Jessica Wilmerknew that residential treatment was probably the next step.

"It was a hard decision," she said. "Probably the hardest one we ever had to make."

The first 72 hours there were the most difficult. He didn't go willingly. Looking back now, he said he was in "complete denial," and wasn't happy that he was placed in treatment, butalmost two yearslater he understands the benefits.

"It made like a spark go off in my head that I needed to recover," he said, "and I needed to really focus on becoming happy again."

He returned to running as a junior. And now, with high school over, Wilmer is ready for the next chapter in his life. He'll be attending Roanoke College in the fall, where he'll run cross country and track.

Tyler Wilmer will be running for Roanoke College next year.(Photo: Tom Jacobs/The News Leader)

He also wants to major in health and physical education. For now he's considering going into the mental health field when college is over, possibly as a therapist or nutritionist. He believes he can talk to others dealing with similar issues. He wants to help them avoid the struggles he faced.

"I know that he is going to help somebody along the way," his mom said. "If he can just help one person not to have to go through this I think he'll have done his job."

Wilmer is now between 130 and 135 pounds and said his doctors are happy with that weight. They'd like for him to weigha little more, but as a runner that's not easy.They continue to do blood work to monitor his health, which is good now as he gets ready for college.

That doesn't mean he's completely healthy. It's a daily battle he faces, one of negative thoughts toward himself. Doctors and others who have been through this tell him those will probably never go away completely.

"They kind of haunt you in the back of your head," he said. "It's more of having to see through the fog and realize that it's something you can't do to yourself again. It's something that you need to kind of ignore those bad thoughts. It's a very challenging thing to do."

His mom knows it's been a struggle for their son, for the entire family. It could tear some families apart, she said, but for them their bond grew tighter.Now, she's excited to see where he goes next.

"He came out stronger," she said, "and we're super proud of him."

Follow Patrick on Twitter @Patrick_Hite

Support communityjournalism by subscribing to The News Leader

See the rest here:
Negative thoughts led to eating disorder for Riverheads runner - The News Leader

Read More..

After recovering from several knee surgeries, Ned from YouTube's Try Guys embarked on an ongoing mission to improve his health and personal fitness. "I want to feel strong, I want to feel healthy," he says in his latest video. "What better expression of that than getting a hot, shredded bod?"

While stuck in lockdown, Ned resolves to get fit, with the specific goal of working on his abs and developing a six-pack in a six-week period.

"For Ned to get a six-pack, he needs to work on a few things," says personal trainer JP Amistoso. "He needs to work on his diet and nutrition, and also his amount of exercise. So one of the things I'd advise him to do is work on his macros." JP recommends a macro split of 40 percent carbs, 40 percent protein and 20 percent fat.

When it comes to exercise, part of the challenge is that it has to fit into Ned's existing daily routine, so JP prescribes high-intensity workouts that only last 30 to 40 minutes.

One of the toughest adjustments of the challenge for Ned at first comes from the nutrition side. "The diet has been so hard," he says going into week 2. "I am not the type of man that can just eat a fist of pasta and call it a day! I have no idea how to make salads!"

By week 3, however, he is encouraged by the results he is starting to see, and by his overall improved mood. He is also spurred on in his workouts when he starts participating in live-streamed, fat-burning HIIT sessions. "I feel like a gym is a really good community, and doing it remotely on a conference call is a way to stay connected," he says. "Also, I think I work harder and sweat more."

That energy drops off in week 4, however . "I saw this initial spurt of changes and increased confidence just from exercising, but since I'm not doing the diet, I'm not seeing additional changes."

Ned decides that the only way he's going to see the results he wants is to double down on the nutrition (abs are made in the kitchen, after all), and his progress looks up as he heads into week 5, with the semblance of a "four-pack" on show. His endurance in the exercises has also improved, and he is able to get through a cardio workout and a core-busting plank hold without breaking. "I feel the need to really go hard these last two weeks," he says.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

At the end of the 42 days, Ned's stomach is considerably flatter, with visibly toned abs. "I don't actually look that different, but I'm more defined, and more muscular," he says. And perhaps just as importantly as the visible results, he feels good about how the experience will stand him in good stead for the future.

"Doing this for six weeks really made me build healthy habits," he says. "The challenge ended, and the next day I still exercised. It became a really fun part of my morning."

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.

Read the rest here:
Watch How This Guy Trained to Get Six-Pack Abs in Just 6 Weeks - menshealth.com

Read More..

Can a Nintendo Switch workout be as beneficial as a traditional full body workout? Can you really get fit and aid weight loss by playing video games? I've been trying the best Nintendo Switch games for fitness and particularly in the case of Ring Fit Adventure I can confidently say the answer is YES. Sure, it's not like some hardcore 15-minute six-pack workout, but for a lot people who find all that grunting and sweating off-putting, this could be THE best home workout.

Getting fit by playing video games was largely unheard of until the introduction of the Nintendo Wii, which brought physical movement into the console realm, most notably with Wii Fit. Fast-forward 14 years and Ring Fit Adventure, among other titles, is taking the Nintendo Switch to a whole new level of swole.

These dedicated fitness games with special controllers are designed to transform you from Mario to Luigi, and then into erm, one of those really ripped Nintendo characters. Er Trevor Belmont or Samus Aran. Someone like that.

Where to buy Nintendo Switch: these retailers have stock now

I put a selection of the best Nintendo Switch games for fitness to the test, to find out if they are any good at helping you to lose belly fat fast. In order to keep track of the calories burned playing all the games in question, I used a heart rate monitor because these are still the most precise fitness wearables to track heart rate and also because I didn't need the altimeters, GPSand other sensors they pack into running watches on this occasion.

Each game was played for approximately half an hour and if there was an option, I chose the most physical way of playing them. For instance, in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, you can play using buttons only but for the test, the dual or if not available, single controller setup was chosen. In Ring Fit Adventure, I chose the 'Extreme' difficulty setting. For the other two games on this list, I used the default controller settings.

Today's best Nintendo Switch deals

NEW NINTENDO SWITCH FATE /...

Nintendo Switch Console - Neon

Nintendo Switch Console - Grey

My initial thought was 'no' but after trying the games, I must say they certainly burn calories, and can definitely improve your physical fitness, if you play them correctly and regularly. Not all Nintendo Switch fitness games were created equal, but they all have their uses, as you'll see.

Overall, the game that can not only help you lose weight but potentially help you get stronger as well is Ring Fit Adventure, not surprisingly. Thanks to the special controller that provides some resistance and the variety of exercise you can perform in the game (once they have been unlocked), playing Ring Fit Adventure can effectively help you burn fat and build muscle mass. The game is not without issues, but overall it's excellent.

Playing Ring Fit Adventure regularly can get you in shape for sure

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: all fitness needs, even building muscles but definitely losing weight

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 245 kcal

Ring Fit Adventure is an amazing game. It is not easy but it makes exercising a little bit more fun without compromising on the quality of the workout. There are over 40 different exercises you can do in the game (once all unlocked), not to mention the mini games that targets certain muscle groups and the custom workouts you can put together for yourself.

You'll have to grind through the main story mode in order to unlock new moves. Needless to say, the story is not overly complicated but you don't play this game for the immersing story. Different moves have different attack points and you must use some strategy if you want to beat your opponents before they take you down.

Ring Fit Adventure is an indoor game and Nintendo thankfully included some features to make working out with this game more neighbour friendly. You can play in "Silent Mode" where you can squat pulse as opposed to stationary jog in order to move your virtual avatar forward on the screen, reducing the amount of vibrations and sounds you make as you defeat your opponents.

Thanks to the special controllers and the way they are worn, playing Ring Fit Adventure provides a full body workout. You can train your legs and improve your cardiovascular system just by stationary jogging/squat pulsing, let alone doing actual squats during Fit Battles in the game.

One of the downsides of the game is the lack of variety in the exercises at the beginning of the game: you can only choose from 4-5 to start off with and you unlock one at the time as you progress in the story. You can also choose which exercises you want to do in each battle and although I appreciate the flexibility, a more structured approach could ensure that players don't slack off picking the easier exercises to progress.

Playing Ring Fit Adventure is not a like-for-like replacement for working out with kettlebells, dumbbells or suspension training systems, but it is a fun way to introduce people to resistance training and get them healthier too.

Today's best Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure deals

Ring Fit Adventure Nintendo...

Genuine Ring Fit Adventure...

Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo...

Ring Fit Adventure for...

Get those arms toned with Fitness Boxing

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: improving aerobic fitness, toning the arms

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 183 kcal

Fitness Boxing is seemingly the love-child of the original Wii Fit and Just Dance 2020, or any generic dance game for that matter. In Fitness Boxing, you need to perform a set of moves while following the beat of the music, with the cues floating into the screen from the bottom.

It's fun to do, especially if you like to work out to listening pop music. There are even incentives, like unlocking new music and the ability to dress your instructor up in new outfits, as you put the hours into the game. Better still, you can do workouts that target different body parts and even set the time you would like to work them out for. When training the biceps, your workout will include a lot of uppercuts and the pecs will be attacked by doing hooks.

Needless to say, your legs won't be worked too much, all that is required from your lower body is some light bouncing around, at least at the beginning. If you want to build leg muscles, check out our best glute workout piece for inspiration.

Due to the sensors in the Joy Con controllers not being as precise as an atomic clock, some of the punches are not registered and even if they were, getting them 'perfect' each time is anything but easy. If you don't mind the lack of precision, you'll be rewarded by being able to relive the glory days of aerobic boxing workouts of the early 90s with Fitness Boxing.

Today's best Nintendo Fitness Boxing deals

Fitness Boxing 2 for Nintendo...

Fitness Boxing (Nintendo...

Compete with friends in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: HIIT upper body workouts, group exercising

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 191 kcal

The Mario & Sonic at the Olympics series is not new the first game came out in 2007 and given the subject matter, the games in this series always had a sporty aura around them. This is the case in the latest iteration, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which probably should be renamed Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2021 at this point but never mind.

In the game, you can try mimicking different sports using the dual Joy Con setup and from my experience, the running-related sports are the most challenging. Some other principles, like climbing, are pretty impossible to do using the sensors: it just wouldn't register the position of the arms, even if you wave them around like a lunatic.

Where Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 really shines is the multiplayer mode.If you have a big enough TV and big enough space four people can play this game simultaneously, making it the perfect fitness party game.

There is even a story mode if you prefer to play alone and better still, there are some retro games available in this mode that can also be played later using classic characters from both the Mario and Sonic franchises.

Today's best Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 deals

You won't burn many calories exploring post-apocalyptic Hyrule

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: puzzle solving (not for improving fitness for sure)

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 30 kcal

Zelda: Breath of The Wild is an amazing game with a lot of depth and it will most likely entertain you for at least a few months after you start playing with it. This game will keep your mind occupied with its shrine-puzzles and complex mechanics, not to mention the cooking feature and the bazillion side quests available to complete.

One thing Zelda: BoTW won't get you is fit, though, since you don't use any muscles to move Link around on the screen. Sure, your brain is responsible for a big chunk of your resting metabolic calories burned, but even focusing really hard on this game won't increase calorie expenditure much.

Maybe you should try doing 10 pushups every time you unlock a shrine might help you building some arm definition?

Today's best The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild deals

The Legend of Zelda Breath of...

The Legend of Zelda Breath of...

The Legend of Zelda Breath of...

The Legend of Zelda Breath of...

Excerpt from:
Weight loss can be fun! We tried Ring Fit Adventure on Nintendo Switch and it is a REAL workout - T3

Read More..

Photo: FilippoBacci | Getty Images

How to Reward Employees in Uncertain Times

With limited funds, increased physical distanceand general uncertainty, you might find it difficult to even consider employee rewards and recognition right now. Yet its arguably more important than ever to acknowledge those who continue to commit to their work, whether they are on the front lines or working from home.

If you need some inspiration for employee rewards during times of crisis, consider the following ideas.

Related: What Freelancers Can Teach You About Keeping Your Skills Sharp

Reward employees for their hard workby helping them cover the cost of food and grocery delivery. Services like Instacart, Shipt and Postmates offer annual subscriptions for free delivery for 12 months. The services typically work with several local grocery stores and restaurants to ensure a variety of choices.

Subscription costs can be as little as $99. For your employee, this reduces the overall cost, becauseeach delivery often includes a fee of between $4 and $10. They can order online or through the delivery service app to avoid venturing outside to stores.

Another option that your employees might enjoy while working remotely is a monthly gift subscription box. You have lots of options to send, including many necessities such as fresh produce, meat, prepared foodsand healthy snacks. Some subscription boxes might even help deliver a well-balanced diet. That can be a welcome gift, especially when some food items aredifficult to come by.

Alternatively, you can select a box themed around the recipients hobbies or interests. These types of subscription boxes help your team member pass the time and prove that youve been paying attention to them as well. Knowing what your employees like and need shows your personal interest in them. Theyll also realize that you are concerned about their physical and mental health.

Related: How Remote Education Is Evolving During the Crisis

Your companys employee reward doesnt necessarily need a dollar value attached to it. Often, employees simply want some recognition for the effort they make. Why not recognize and praise them on your social media channels? Share their achievements with your audience and let them enjoy the spotlight.

You can also write a post that includes a picture or video and a summary of how valuable they are to you and your company. This is also a good way to highlight your teams reflection of company values, which can resonate with other employees and customers.

Now that many workers have a bit more time on their hands, its a perfect opportunity to help employees focus on their personal and professional development. Ask them what skills they would like to develop, then give them the chance to choose whats important to them.

Give them access to online courses that focus on their chosen skills. Platforms such as Udemy and Coursera offer hundreds of free or low-cost courses that you can give your employees. Even universities are introducing free and low-cost courses for continuing development opportunities.

Related: 4 Ways to Determine If Now Is the Right Time to Launch Your Business

Once your employees take a course, ask them about their experience and what they learned. As business improves, work with them to pinpoint opportunities for the application of those skills to company goals and projects. An educational opportunity can then be the gift that keeps on giving for everyone concerned.

When youre working from home, it is often difficult to step away from work the way you would if you had a physical office. Consequently, your employees may find themselves working more than they should. A paid break from work helps them step away from the screen and recharge.

Even though your employees may not be able to go anywhere, theyll still appreciate that you are giving them a paid mental health day. You can also offer it as two afternoons off if that makes it easier for your employees. Again, it shows you want whats best for your team members, including adequate physical and mental rest.

Another way to reward employees is to do something special for the whole team. As weeks of working from home drag on, motivation may become a struggle. This approach helps the team to focus on something positive while showing them how much you appreciate their efforts.

Related: What You Can Learn From Freelancers Right Now

In-person parties arent feasible in most areas right now, so why not host an online social event?Pick a theme and encourage everyone to dress up for the theme. You can send party packages to the team so they can decorate and participate in any games you decide to include. Even just turning your regular video call into a social hour can help your team unwind.

Make it a habit to thank your employees for what they do. Try to reference a specific reason for your appreciation. This adds authenticity to your message while also connecting the value you see in them with the results theyve achieved for you and the company.

Related:

See the article here:
How to Reward Employees in Uncertain Times - The Advocate

Read More..

The 5:2 diet is a popular intermittent fasting plan that focuses on fasting for two days a week, while eating a normal diet for five days a week. It's a very handy way to avoid weight gain at home, during lockdown. As with all diets, there are a few variations of the 5:2 diet, particularly when it comes to how many calories you eat on your fast days, and what foods you should or shouldnt eat on your days off. It's a good way to Get fit in 2020.

The term intermittent fasting refers to meal plans that revolve around regulated, periods of eating and then not eating, and there are several ways you can use intermittent fasting for weight loss. The most popular variations of intermittent fasting are the 5:2 and the 16:8 diets. On the 16:8 diet you only eat during an eight hour period, and therefore fast for 16 hours a day (obviously, the period when you are asleep is included in this, which helps a tad.)

The 5:2 diet applies the principle of intermittent fasting to days, rather than hours, and so you fast for two out of every seven days. It works by significantly restricting your calorie intake on those days, which means your overall calorie intake is lower, providing that you dont compensate and eat more than usual on your off days.

The original 5:2 diet plan, popularised by the Doctor and journalist Michael Mosley, recommends that on fast days women should consume 500 calories and men should consume 600 calories, which equates to roughly 25% of their normal recommended daily intake.

Since the publication of Mosley's first 5:2 diet plan, The Fast Diet, in 2013, variations have arisen, including from Moseley himself. His most recently-revised plan, published as the blood sugar diet because of the benefits of intermittent fasting on blood sugar levels well touch on this later recommends eating no more than 800 calories on fast days.

(Image credit: Pexels)

One thing that makes the 5:2 diet so popular is that in theory you can eat whatever you want on your 'off' days. It's true that no food is off limits and you don't have to totally deny yourself the foods you love. However, its important to be aware that what you eat on your 'off' days will impact your weight loss.

While the 5:2 diet only requires you to restrict and count calories for two days a week, naturally the better you eat on your 'off' days, the more likely you are to a significant amount of weight. If youre looking to lose weight fast youll need to be reasonably strict on your 'off' days and follow a Mediterranean diet on the non-fasting days.

If, however, youre looking for a sustainable diet that will help you lose weight and keep it off long term, then you can expect to lose around 1lb a week by fasting for two days and eating normally for five.

So what should you eat on your fast days? Its important to choose nutrient-dense foods that will fill you up more, making the calories you consume work harder for you. Vegetables, eggs, fish, lean meat and natural, unsweetened yogurt and are all good choices.

(Image credit: Pixabay)

The most obvious benefit of intermittent fasting is weight loss, because of the restriction on calorie intake. Whatever you eat, weight loss essentially comes down to calories in versus calories out: also known as your calorie deficit. In short, if you consume more calories than you burn in a day, the excess energy will be stored as fat. If, however, you burn more calories than you consume, your body will start to take energy from your stored fat, resulting in weight loss.

As well as this, intermittent fasting also benefits our blood sugar levels. When we fast whether thats not eating or eating less the insulin levels in our blood drops. Insulin is used by our cells to absorb sugar from the food we eat, so without insulin the cells are less able to use sugar for energy and so the rate of fat oxidation increases. Fat oxidation simply means when fat molecules are combined with oxygen to provide energy its what you or I would call burning.

What's more, some studies have shown that intermittent fasting helps you to lose fat without losing muscle, because fasting increases the level of human growth hormone in your body which in turn helps build muscle mass.

(Image credit: Pixabay)

The main difference between the 5:2 and 16:8 diets is the period of time for which you fast. On the 5:2 you fast for two days out of seven, but fasting is defined as consuming 500 - 600 calories. On the 16:8 you fast for just 16 hours at a time, but this means you consume nothing but water during the fast period.

Importantly, the weight loss principle is the same for both diets. By restricting your calorie intake for an extending period of time 16 hours or 24 hours your body runs out of carbohydrate to burn and instead begins to burn fat for energy.

Because neither diet restricts what you can eat, which one will work better for you comes down to lifestyle more than the diet itself. For people who have a regular routine around which they can plan meals, or who prefer not to eat early in the morning or late in the evening, the 16:8 diet is arguably easier to follow than the 5:2. On the other hand, the 16:8 requires you to fast every day, whereas the 5:2 only requires it two days a week.

What's more, the 5:2 is more likely to have a positive impact on your overall eating habits. People who normally skip breakfast and eat dinner around 7pm may find themselves accidentally following the 16:8 diet (providing they don't snack after their last meal). This could mean they don't make any conscious changes to what they eat. It's very unlikely that anyone's normal diet limits them to 500 - 600 calories, and so with the 5:2 there has to be a conscious effort to adapt your diet and make healthier choices. We think that's a good thing if you're serious about losing weight well and keeping it off.

Some users have found that it takes a little while for the weight loss to kick start, but nevertheless, the 5:2 diet works: "Initially there were two weeks when nothing happened, but after four weeks I started to lose weight," says Jackie, who began the 5:2 diet in January 2018.

Before starting the 5:2 diet Jackie weighed 9 stone 6 lbs, which put her towards the top end of the healthy weight range for her height and age. She wanted to lose half a stone on the diet, but ended up losing 1 stone 3 lbs in around five months.

"The 5:2 diet made methink more about what I was eating and how much I was eating on my 'off' days. While I didnt give anything up, I did reduce my portion sizes, particularly when it came to treats like cheese and cake. I found that fairly easy to do," says Jackie.So eating cheese and cake is compatible with losing weight? It seems so.

What Jackie found hardest was getting into the routine of cooking the lunchtime meals suggested in Mosley's book, and instead she found herself eating easier to prepare but less satisfying lunches like a sandwich made from one piece of bread. "I was always relieved to get to the end of the second fast day. Not so much because I was hungry, but because of the thought that the next day I could have things I really wanted - just not in great portions," she says.

As well as the necessity of good meal prep, users not surprisingly note that following the 5:2 diet requires willpower in order to overcome hunger on fast days. Other side effects include tiredness and low energy levels, and so its vital that you speak to a healthcare professional before starting the 5:2 diet if you are at all concerned about your health, are pregnant or have previously suffered from an eating disorder.

Want to keep track of your progress?

See the original post:
The 5:2 diet: it requires willpower but can be powerfully effective - T3

Read More..

Contact Us Today

Page 1,026«..1020..1,0251,0261,0271,028..1,0401,050..»

Home » Page 1026