How to get Better Sleep

While browsing the Internet I came across a site with excellent information about getting better sleep. I am going to cover some of the important points but there is a ton of information on this site so here is the link:
http://helpguide.org/life/slpeep_tips.htm

In order to achieve better sleep you must first improve your daytime habits. We all know the importance of exercise for overall better health including improvement in sleep, so keep up that routine! Avoid naps. If you must nap it is suggested that you take a power nap no longer than 30 minutes, and in the early afternoon. Habits like alcohol caffeine and smoking all affect how well you sleep, so it is best to avoid them as much as possible.

The second important part of getting great sleep is your sleeping environment. Make sure your mattress is not impairing your sleep, that your room is kept dark, and that noise is kept to minimum. It is also recommended that your bedroom becomes a place primarily for sleep, and you should avoid things like the television and computer while in your bed so that you do not distract yourself from sleeping.

Thirdly you need to prepare yourself for sleep. Keeping a regular sleep schedule is most important. Research has shown that when a person keeps a regular routine and does not change when they are going to bed and waking up, that person will get better sleep overall.

Also avoid eating heavy and rich foods as bedtime snacks. Good bedtime snacks that may actually help you sleep include:

* A glass of warm milk with a half of a peanut butter or turkey sand which.
* Whole grain, low-sugar cereal or granola with low-fat fruit or yogurt.
* A banana and a cup of hot Chamomile tea.

KFC new Chicken Sandwhich (AKA Heart Attack on a Plate!!)

KFC is test marketing a new breadless chicken sandwich called, The KFC Double Down Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich will sell for $4.99 and consists of bacon, Swiss, pepper jack cheese and special sauce nestled in between two pieces of fried chicken, which are to act as the bread.

The sandwich is currently being test marketed in Rhode island and Omaha, Nebraska and is estimated to contain about 62.4 grams of fat and 858 calories.

With items like this popping up on fast food restaurants it almost make sense that we are facing such a problem with obesity. Also i feel that it encourages me to be as aware as possible of what I am consuming. It takes common sense to know that a sandwhich like this is not healthy, but people need to be aware of everything that they are eathing and where there food is coming from in order to stay healthy and prevent future problems.

The Health Benifits of Yoga!

With the cold weather approaching I have become interested in researching activities to help myself remain active throughout the winter season. I have always been interested in Yoga but was also nervous to try it because I do not consider myself a very flexible or patient person, so I think holding the poses may be somewhat difficult. But I am very interested in the relaxation benefits so I decided to do some research to see whether or not it is worth trying.


Within my research I found that the main benefits from practicing yoga are flexibility strength and posture. I also looked up near by gyms that provide yoga classes and found many that provide beginner classes and recommend them to start.


According to Webmd, yoga works by safely stretching your muscles releasing lactic acid that builds up with muscle and causes stiffness, tension, pain, and fatigue. Yoga also increases the range of motion in joints and is said to create a sense of ease and fluidity throughout your body. According to WebMd, "Participants in yoga had up to a 35% improvement in flexibility after only 8 weeks of yoga.

After my research and looking up some classes I feel better about trying somthing new and the benifits are great as long as it is somthing that you are willing to stick with.

www.webmd.com/balance/the-health-benefits-of-yoga

Personal Trainers for Children!?

With childhood obesity on the rise it is important for parents to find ways to keep their kids active and healthy. But in order to do so, some parents are going in a less traditional direction and a hiring personal trainers for their children.

Many of these parents are on the wealthy side and believe that hiring a personal trainer is a great way for an overweight child to receive quick results and that a trainer helps to reinforce the benefits of fitness to their children.

I feel that yes personal trainers are a good way to reinforce health benefits, but not for kids! I think that there are far more better ways for children to stay active and have fun, options like sports teams, dance, clubs, boy scouts, school plays, the options are endless. If a child seems to be gaining weight, get them involved in something that they enjoy doing, that way they will stick to it and realize the health benefits over time. Personal trainers may take the fun out of being active for a child because it makes exercise more of a routine than an activity for them, which will be good eventually in thier lives but not now when there are so many other alternatives.

Holiday Season Do's and Dont's

While watching an episode of the television show The Doctors, I became very interested in some facts about the holiday season that I felt were worthy of sharing.

With the approach of Thanksgiving and Christmas it is likely that we will all be over eating at least a bit in the near future. But it shocked me to learn how much more the average person eats during the holiday season. According to the show the average person eats an extra 610 calories a day once the Holiday season begins! This seemed very high to me at first but when you think about all the high calorie comfort foods that we indulge in when it gets cold out it makes a little more sense. (macaroni and cheese, baked goods, lots of gravy with mashed potatoes)

Another shocking discovery on the show was made when they counted up all of the calories in what someone may eat as their Thanksgiving dinner and came up with 3,500 calories, IN ONE MEAL which we all know is also the equivalent to the amount of calories it takes to make one pound. So when you think about it it makes sense that we seem to put on a little weight during the Holidays.

Remember that prevention is always key, and just being mindful of, how things are cooked, how much you put on your plate, and just over all portion control will all help out in the long run. You can still eat your holiday favorites, just be aware of how much a serving actually is and try to stick to that!

Winter Fitness!

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, winter is indeed on its way. With the approach of cold weather and holiday parties it may start becoming harder and harder to keep stay active and eat healthy. So I decided to find some helpful tips to keep us moving during the holidays.

First of all when the snow comes it may seem difficult to keep up with your regular routine, especially if you like to utilize the outdoors as a place for exercise. If you dont have a problem with the winter weather then it can be easy to stay active outside with things like winter hiking, snkowshoing, skiing and snowboarding.

But some of these things can be expensive, especially if they recuire you to buy special winter gear, so they may not be practicle for the average college student to do more than a couple of times during the season.

In order to maintain a routine I recommend to get involed in an activity consistently somthing like an indoor sport team, (indoor soccor, volleyball, swimming, raquetball) or if teams arn't your thing you could try enrolling in areobics, yoga, dance, or even a karate class. It's important to find somthing that interests you that way you know that you will keep coming back in order to keep it in your routine.

If you find it easier to uztilize your home, it would probably be a good idea to invest in items like an exersice mat, jump rope and free wieghts.

Also dont forget about the gym, even if you find it difficult to go to the gym remember the extras that they provide, most gyms offer personal trainer services as well as classes like aerobics and kickboxing. So if you find it hard to get going on your own remember to think about all of your options and no matter what stay moving!

New Sneakers claim to Firm your Butt!

While watching TV I became interested in a commercial for a new pair of sneakers, Reebok Easytones. These sneakers claim to firm your butt and thighs if you wear them while walking. According to Reebok the sneakers simulate a "workout" similar to as if you were walking on sand.
According to the stats on the Reebok website the sneakers work your glutes 28% more than walking alone, and work your hamstrings and calves up to 11% more when used correctly.

The new workout shoes are similar to another new product you may have seen, Sketchers Shape-ups, claim to do the same type of thing but have a much more clunky and weird shape to them, making it obvious that they are not a normal sneaker.

When I first heard about these new products i viewed them as another diet fad that will quickly disappear. I have always felt that the best way to shape up is to actually just go hit the gym. Although I think these products may be helpful to someone who consistently walks for exercise because it is difficult for them to do a more strenuous workout (older women with osteoperosis or joint problems.)

But I am curious to see if they actually do make a noticeable difference. As well as improving the look of your butt the sketchers version of the shoe claim to improve your posture, imporve blood circulation, and reduce knee joint stress.

And the Reebok style of the shoe is actually pretty cute, much more practicle looking than the sketchers version, and the commercial made almost made me want to go get a pair for the days that I don't feel like hitting the gym. Thoughts?

"Anti-Energy" Drinks

Within the last few years Energy Drinks have become increasingly more popular. But not everyone wants or needs that extra boost. There are many people who are naturally hyperactive and could use a bit of a wind down instead.

With this in mind, there are two companies that have come out with there own versions of an "Anti-Energy Drink." These drinks are infused with herbs and other calming ingredients including theanine, chamomile, valerian root, passiflora and melatonin.

The two drinks that I have come across are called Slow Cow, made in Canada and Drank, made here in the U.S.A.

Drank is endorsed by many members of the hip-hop community, including Keri Hillson who is shown sipping the beverage in one of her recent music videos. Drank is reported to be hitting 7/11 Stores across the Country throughout this year and is marketed as the first extreme relaxation drink, with it's catch phrase, "Slow Your Roll."

I have never been a huge fan of energy drinks and feel about the same when it comes to these new anti-energy drinks. I would be curious to try one of the the drinks to see how it works, but there are many other natural methods of relaxation that I would feel more comfertable using, things like meditaion, deep breathing or just winding down and watching a movie. Also items like these tend to have unknown side effects because they are not fully inspected by the FDA and I would be very cautious when trying these new beverages as well as energy drinks currently on the market.

Here are some links to learn more about these products:

http://www.drankbeverage.com/

http://www.slowcowdrink.com/english.asp?no=122

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbacPUaGNf0

How to Avoid Fast Food!

Its not always easy to eat healthy on a busy day when your running from one place to another but it is not impossible. The first step to avoiding the fast food temptation is to plan ahead. Pack well balanced lunches the night before a busy day in order to prevent eating out or even keep a few healthy snacks (granola, nutrition bars) in your car in order to avoid cravings and to hold your appetite off until you can eat a real meal. Everyone knows that you should always drink plenty of water, so try keeping a bottle with you or in your car at all times.

For those who may find planning ahead difficult another alternative to stopping at the first burger joint you see would be to stop at a convenience store instead. Gas station quicky marts do not sound like the best place to buy your food, but if you are on the go and want to eat relativity healthy you can you can commonly find acceptable snacks to hold you over. Look for things like small packs of nuts granola or nutrition bars and single serving packs or whole grain cereal, some of these places even have a section with fresh fruit! Try to combine snacks so that you get a balance of protein and carbs which should help stop some of your junk food cravings.

Lastly if you find it impossible to avoid fast food all together, at least be willing to compromise what you order. Menus these days have added healthy alternatives like fruit and yogurt parfaits or side salads. If you still are finding yourself at the drive through line try to at least substitute your fries and soda with some healthy alternatives, but watch out for calories and fats in dressing if you decide to go with the salad. If you need to order a cheese burger try ordering a classic rather than a double or quarter pounder.

Most importantly just be aware of what you are eating, try to plan ahead as much as possible, avoid processed foods and saturated fats, and stay balanced!