The Worst Foods for Sleep

A glass of warm milk, a cup of chamomile tea, a few slices of tryptophan-laced turkey breast -- a number of foods are at least rumored to help us drift off to sleep. But, besides the obvious (hello, 4 p.m. Starbucks run), could there be foods that are actually keeping us up at night?

For the most part, the research surrounding sleep and diet focuses on how your sleep patterns affect what -- and how much -- you eat, says Kelly Glazer Baron, Ph.D., M.P.H, a sleep researcher and neurology instructor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. We know that too little sleep clouds our food judgementand that the most sleep-deprived among us are likely to serve ourselves larger portions. We also know that both too little and too much sleep can lead to weight gain, for the reasons above and more.

Still, says Baron, "we've known for a long time that there are foods that promote or inhibit sleep."

Of course, no one food or drink is likely to cure a true sleep disorder, like insomnia. But there are some foods that, when consumed too close to bedtime, could be stealing your slumber. Here are some of the worst offenders.

Weekend Challenge

Sprint 50 meters
10 push ups
10 rounds

More Friends, Fewer Colds?

By Denny Watkins from Men's Health

Frigid winter weather may keep you huddled indoors all weekend, but here’s a reason to venture out and be social: Loneliness wrecks your immune system, according to a study from The Ohio State University.

Researchers performed two studies to assess how feeling lonely—as opposed to actuallyhaving very few friends—squashed your health. In one, the loneliest people had the highest amounts of antibodies for two cold-like viruses that live on harmlessly in your body after you get well—a sign of a weakened immune system.

In the second study, the researchers found that when 134 people were faced with sudden stress (by having only 10 minutes to prepare to give a 5-minute speech), the loneliest ones experienced a much bigger spike in markers of inflammation as a result of the stress than people who felt less alone.

Scientists are still trying to pin down exactly how the psychological state of feeling unloved can affect your physical well-being. But it’s likely because the isolation piles on yet another misery in your already stressful life. “Many of the links between stress and physiological changes, such as immune function, should also apply to loneliness,” says study author Lisa Jaremka, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at Ohio State.

To make matters worse, inflammation and a compromised immune system aren’t the only health problems caused by flying through life solo. Here are five more reasons why you should buddy up:

Get the 5!  

Vitamin D May Help Maintain Stronger Muscles

From the  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

INDIANAPOLIS – Vitamin D supplementation should be examined as a strategy to maintain muscle strength in adults, according to research published in the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. This study, in the January edition of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise_®, shows that research participants with higher levels of vitamin D also had more muscle strength even after adjusting for multiple other factors.

“The results of this study indicate that vitamin D may be a viable treatment for muscle strength loss in adults. This is a key area of aging research since people lose strength as they age, but maintaining muscle strength helps prevent falls and fractures, and preserves the ability to live independently,” said the primary investigator, Paul D. Thompson, M.D., FACSM, chief of cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.  Read the rest!

Weekend Challenge

10 push-ups 
10 squats 
10 sit ups 
10 rounds

4 Skills That'll Make You a Healthy Home Cook

by Leta Shy for fitsugar.com 

The first step to eating healthier is to nix the three-times-a-week delivery habit. But the second step is a little more difficult; if you're not used to cooking your own meals, knowing how to whip up a healthy meal in your kitchen takes effort. Master these four skills and you'll be a healthy home cook in no time.

• Keep the nutrients in: Boiling, peeling, and steaming can strip those veggies of their nutrients. Instead of peeling potatoes and carrots or throwing away the leaves of your radishes, scrub your veggies until they are clean and use them with skin and leaves on to keep vitamins intact. And when you are done boiling or blanching a pot of vegetables, save the nutrient-rich water to use later in stocks, stews, or sauces. Get more tricks on how to keep the nutrients in your food here.
• Stay well stocked: A kitchen well stocked with healthy supplies will ensure that you have practically all you need for a quick and healthful meal. Keep this printable poster of healthy pantry staples on your fridge and take it with you to the store when it's time to restock.
• Swap the fat: Sautéing in butter and oil can make even the most vegetable-filled dinner high in calories or fats. And even if you're cooking with healthy fats like olive oil, there can be too much of a good thing. Instead of dumping more butter and oil into your pan, use one to two tablespoons of low-sodium broth when you sauté. You can also invest in a qualitycast-iron skillet to cook without the need of a potentially chemically laden nonstick pan or too much butter or oil. Keep Reading. . .

Weekend Challenge

10 vertical jumps  
10 push ups
10 sit ups
4 rounds

The Top 10 Workout Songs for January

Do you turn on the tunes when running?  Here are some to add to your playlist from runhundred.com


Top 10 Workout Songs for January

• Nicki Minaj -- "Va Va Voom" -- 128 BPM
• Coldplay -- "Charlie Brown" -- 138 BPM
• Icona Pop & Charli XCX - "I Love It" -- 126 BPM
• Pitbull & TJR -- "Don't Stop the Party" -- 126 BPM
• 50 Cent, Eminem & Adam Levine -- "My Life" -- 89 BPM
• The Wanted -- "Chasing the Sun (Danny Verde Remix)" -- 129 BPM
• Macklemore, Ryan Lewis & Wanz -- "Thrift Shop" -- 96 BPM
• Fun. & Janelle Monae -- "We Are Young (Betatraxx Remix)" -- 106 BPM
• Will.I.Am & Britney Spears -- "Scream & Shout" -- 131 BPM
• One Direction -- "Live While We're Young (Dave Aude Remix)" -- 130 BPM

Weekend Challenge

10 rounds
10 Squats
10 pushups
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 burpees

Soda Consumption Linked With Higher Depression Risk In Study (And The Opposite Goes For Coffee)

from huffingtonpost.com 

What you drink could be linked with how you feel, according to new research.

A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurologysuggests an increased risk of depression from drinking sweetened beverages, as well as a decreased risk of depression from drinking coffee.

Specifically, researchers found an association between drinking four cups/cans of soda daily and a 30 percent higher risk of depression, as well as an association between drinking four cans of fruit punch daily and a 38 percent high risk of depression. The effect was more pronounced with diet fruit punch/soda, compared with non-diet versions of the drinks.

Meanwhile, researchers found an association between drinking four cups of coffee daily and a 10 percent lower risk of depression.  keep reading . . .

Prep Once Eat All Week!

It sounds great; get all your stuff ready to roll Sunday and eat well all week.  When I read this article on shape.com, I   thought "that is doable."  Check it out the ingredient list and click through for the recipes:

Prep!

CHOP
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup lettuce
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp yellow onion
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp fresh basil
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp white onion
1/4 cup cauliflower florets
4 cloves garlic

COARSELY GRIND
1 tbsp pecans

DICE
3/4 cup tomatoes
1/3 cup mango, peeled
1/4 cup sweet potato, peeled

HALVE
2 plum tomatoes (lengthwise)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

MARINATE
1 link (3 1/2 oz) turkey sausage, pierced with a fork, in 12 oz light beer

POUND
4 oz chicken breast until 1/4 inch thick

RINSE AND DRAIN
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/3 cup low-sodium black beans
1/3 cup cannellini beans

SLICE (lengthwise)
1 sweet potato (for fries)
1/4 bell pepper

SLICE (widthwise)
1/4 sweet potato (thinly)
1/4 yellow onion (3 thin slices)
1/8 eggplant (two 1/4-inch thick wheels)

TOAST
2 tbsp slivered almonds (Toast in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking occasionally, until fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes.)

ZEST AND JUICE
1 lime
1/2 lemon

SHAPE.com for the recipes.  

6 January Superfoods

Eating in season isn't only delicious, it's also cheaper!  Check out the slideshow on huffingtonpost.com to see what's best this month.

4 Tips For Traveling To An Athletic Event

Maybe 2013 has some races in your future-check out these tips from Maile Keone for the huffingtonpost.com to make your travel races easy!

Sweating and getting your heart pumping on vacation is an amazing opportunity, but it can take special preparation to make it a success. My job requires me to travel, so I'm naturally very particular about my leisure travel planning. I enjoy traveling for a fitness or athletic event because it creates an experience you wouldn't ordinarily have in that destination. Taking a trip for a fitness or athletic event is different in many ways than a regular getaway, so I'll share a few of the things I do to make fitness travel great.

Luckily, I have a best friend who is much more of a fitness fanatic than I am. She loves the idea of traveling for road bike races, mountain biking, running and pretty much any other fitness event. We recently traveled to Moab, Utah to participate in the Winter Sun 10K Run. Moab is in red-rock country with ruggedly beautiful canyons and vistas. It's a breathtaking backdrop for a run to say the least.

Don't stress or take yourself too seriously. Please take special note that it was a "run," and not a "race." I mention this because we didn't train, but rather than excusing ourselves from running, we laughed and decided to enjoy ourselves anyway. Some people go to seriously compete -- we are not those people. You don't have to win to have a good time. The Moab run started out on a gorgeous December morning and wound through the town and local parks. We ended at the local high school with a lap around the track, welcomed in by the hundreds of folks who had trained and already finished.

Arrive early and take your time. Give yourself enough time to scope out the town and have a good dinner the night before the event. Try to hit a museum or squeeze in a hike to see a destination from all perspectives. The day after our run we chose to hike Slick Rock. It was painful doing post run, but great views made the day. Going somewhere for a fitness event allows you to see things you might not have seen and to go somewhere you might never have considered.  Keep Reading.

Travel Fitness: A Plan of Action to Keep You Active

Traveling can easily get you out of your routine so here are a few tips to keep you in motivated and ready to exercise while traveling for the holidays!

Travel Fitness: A Plan of Action to Keep You Active

It is easy to let a vacation or business trip destroy your fitness schedule and eating habits, but why let something as rewarding as a vacation or as exciting as a business trip leave you feeling unhealthy upon return?

With a little research and proper planning, you can create an easy-to-follow plan to keep you fit and healthy no matter where you travel, and you can come home feeling more healthy and energized than when you left.

Nature’s Playground and Man’s Monuments

There is no excuse for not finding places to exercise when every city has a great staircase, stadium or tall buildings where you can master the stairs without a machine. If stairs aren’t your thing, cities have lots of places good for walking, running or even hiking. Ask the hotel concierge if there are parks or trails nearby; or if you have ventured to the mountains, ask for a map of local hiking trails.

It is also a good idea to ask the concierge for a map of the city to find out how many of your destinations are reachable by foot. (Walking will increase your fitness and decrease your taxi fares.)

Prior to departure on your trip, find out if your hotel has a workout facility and a pool, and remember to pack your bathing suit and workout clothes. If they don’t have a facility, they may be affiliated with a local gym where you can get a one-day pass for a small fee.

There are no limits to the exercise you can do while exploring new territory. Make the most of your trip, and get to know the city by foot.

Prepare for Power, No Excuses

If your hotel doesn’t offer fitness accommodations, bring along a jump rope and an exercise tube. They are both lightweight and easy to transport. Jumping rope is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise, and you can do it anywhere.

With the exercise tube and a prearranged plan to keep you motivated, you can keep your entire body toned and energized without entering a gym or stepping on a piece of exercise equipment. Numerous magazines and websites offer workout instructions for each body part.

And, of course, body-weight exercises such as push-ups and crunches require no equipment at all. The point is to find a workout routine that suits your needs and follow it. Plan a specific time each day or every other day to do your strengthening and cardiovascular routines (a good plan is to alternate days between the two).

Remember that the 20 to 60 minutes you spend working out each day is for you, and try to stay on schedule.

Have Fun

Be sure to enjoy yourself and make the most of the area to which you have traveled. Remember to bring comfortable shoes so that you can easily get a workout while using your feet as your main mode of transportation.

Whether your trip is for business or vacation, remember that you should have some time for yourself every day. Why not dedicate that time to improving your health and making yourself feel better?

Nutrition Road Tips

Always drink plenty of water, particularly if you’re flying.

Conjure up a healthy meal in your mind prior to entering a restaurant, and stick to your plan as closely as possible.

Try to eat at least three times per day to keep you from feeling famished and overindulging at any one time.

Pick up portable, healthy snacks at a local market so you won’t be caught hungry in front of the mini-bar.

Go ahead and splurge on regional dishes or local cuisine, but balance your diet by choosing lower-calorie foods at other meals.

Additional Resources

Schlosberg, S. (2002). Fitness for Travelers: The Ultimate Workout Guide for the Road. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books. Available at www.acefitness.org.

About.com: www.exercise.about.com/cs/fittingitin/a/ontheroadex.htm

33% of All U.S. Cancer Deaths Linked to Diet & Exercise

Many of us are motivated to work out and participate in boot camps to "stay healthy" but rarely do we think about what that means or what we're actually doing for our bodies beyond the physical look of them.  Read this article from Emory University's Tiffany Barrett to find out how you're reducing your risk of cancer when you're out yelling "hooah!"

33% of All U.S. Cancer Deaths Linked to Diet & Exercise

Studies consistently show that a good diet and regular exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease, but did you know you can also reduce your risk of cancer by eating well and regularly exercising? Our genes play a large role in whether we develop cancer (some cancer types more than others), but studies show, and our experts at the Winship Cancer Institute confirm, we can take action to lower our risk of developing many cancer types. By avoiding tobacco products, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet and staying active, you can dramatically reduce your risk of dying from cancer.

I hosted an online chat on the topic of healthy eating during the holidays this week, and in it we covered lots of topics related to nutrition, health, exercise and wellness. Below are some of the most important takeaways from the chat for you to apply not just during the holidays, but year round!

Exercise: 

• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. We may tire of hearing it, but maintaining a healthy body weight is essential to your health.
• As many as 1 out of 5 of all cancer-related deaths are linked to excessive body weight. Obesity is clearly linked with increase in several types of cancer, including breast, colon and rectum, edometrial, esophageal, kidney and pancreatic cancer.
• Regular physical activity is critical to your health and wellness. Physical activity can help reduce the risk of breast, colon, endometrial and prostate cancers.

• Adults should try to exercise for either 75 minutes per week at high intensity, or at least 150 minutes at moderate intensity each week. The latter equates to just two and a half hours of walking.
• Children should exercise one hour each day at moderate intensity, but 3 days a week at high intensity, and limit sedentary activities such as sitting, lying down, playing video games, watching TV, etc.

Nutrition:

Maintain healthy eating habits by emphasizing consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. As I mentioned in the chat, all fruits and vegetables have protective and preventive cancer benefits. Here are some guidelines to consider when it comes to nutrition:

Continue reading . . .

Granola Clusters

With the craziness of the holidays-or any busy period-it can be more challenging to stay on track with our eating.  Try whipping up a batch of these Granola Clusters from multiplyDelicious.com for some on the go snacking or even a gift.

from multiplydelicious.com

1 cup rolled oats (I used gluten-free oats)

1 cup quinoa flakes

1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)

1/4 cup dried blueberries (or cranberries)

1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Get the how to at multiplyDelicious.com 

Running in Reverse

If you've ever been to one of our sessions, it's quite likely you have spent some time back pedaling.  Check out this article from the nytimes online to find out some of its benefits.

By Gretchen Reynolds.  This column appears in the Dec. 9 issue of The New York Times Magazine.

Backward running, also known as reverse or retro running, is not as celebrated as barefoot running and will never be mistaken for the natural way to run. But a small body of science suggests that backward running enables people to avoid or recover from common injuries, burn extra calories, sharpen balance and, not least, mix up their daily routine.

The technique is simple enough. Most of us have done it, at least in a modified, abbreviated form, and probably recently, perhaps hopping back from a curb as a bus went by or pushing away from the oven with a roasting pan in both hands. But training with backward running is different. Biomechanically, it is forward motion’s doppelgänger. In a study published last year, biomechanics researchers at the University of Milan in Italy had a group of runners stride forward and backward at a steady pace along a track equipped with force sensors and cameras.

They found that, as expected, the runners struck the ground near the back of their feet when going forward and rolled onto the front of their feet for takeoff. When they went backward though, they landed near the front of their feet and took off from the heels. They tended to lean slightly forward even when running backward. As a result, their muscles fired differently. In forward running, the muscles and tendons were pulled taut during landing and responded by coiling, a process that creates elastic energy (think rubber bands) that is then released during toe-off. When running backward, muscles and tendons were coiled during landing and stretched at takeoff. The backward runners’ legs didn’t benefit from stored elastic energy. In fact, the researchers found, running backward required nearly 30 percent more energy than running forward at the same speed. But backward running also produced far less hard pounding.  Keep Reading . . . 

'Tis the Season to Be Stressed: A Survival Guide

by Arianna Huffington from Huffington Post Healthy Living

The holiday season is upon us -- a time to lovingly connect with family, to relax, recharge and emerge happy, content and revitalized. Just kidding. In fact, of course, it's usually the complete opposite. But why is that? What is it about special occasions -- whether it's holidays or weddings or birthdays or even just dinner parties -- that fill us with such stress? Instead of leaving us recharged, the holiday season is more likely to leave us drained. Or "blorft," as Tina Fey calls it. "'Blorft' is an adjective I just made up," she writes in Bossy Pants, "that means 'Completely overwhelmed but proceeding as if everything is fine and reacting to the stress with the torpor of a possum.'" Most of us have been there, felt that. And many will be blorft again this week, as the harried prep for Thanksgiving unofficially marks the opening of the Stress Season that will last through New Year's Day, when we can officially start feeling guilty about breaking the resolutions we'll make in response to the stress-induced overindulgence of the holiday season.

So that's why this is the perfect moment -- right before it all starts -- to slow down and reflect on why what should be a time of generosity, celebration, and coming together so often becomes a time of high anxiety. It's also a moment to focus on the steps we can take to truly enjoy the holiday season. Because it's not just enjoyment that holiday stress can take from us, but our health, as well. In the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation, Dr. Robert Kloner coined the maladies the "Merry Christmas Coronary" and the "Happy New Year Heart Attack" to describe the increase in cardiac problems during the holiday season -- so there's a lot more at stake than dealing with your mother-in-law's passive-aggressive compliments ("I didn't know you could do this with a turkey -- so creative!").   Get the rest from huffingtonpost.com  

Raise Your Athletic IQ

from RunnersWorld.com read this quick article to avoid meltdowns while running-or boot camping!  

Whether you're trying to finish your first race, nail a PR, or increase your weekly mileage, runners who are most successful in achieving their goals have a high "athletic intelligence." That's a catchy way of saying these athletes are skilled at reading their body's cues and making the necessary on-the-spot adjustments–to pace, form, or attitude–to power through their workouts and races, says Dominic Micklewright, Ph.D., a sports psychologist at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. Here's how you can raise your athletic IQ to reach your full performance potential.

Tune Into Your Body
Many runners try to ignore the various twinges and aches they experience during a workout. Rather than spending the run dismissing these sensations, "pay attention and learn what they mean," says Micklewright. Your goal is to get to the point where you know your body so well that you can distinguish between the fatigue and muscle burning that's part of pushing through or what could be the start of an injury. "It's only by listening to your body's cues that you know what they're telling you," he says.

[IQ Booster] Leave Your Tech Devices at Home
At least for the next few workouts, says John Raglin, Ph.D., a sports psychologist at Indiana University. You'll learn to rely less on the objective data you're receiving from your heart-rate monitor or GPS and more on the wisdom your body is providing. It also helps to do a self-check every mile or so, adds Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., a sports psychology consultant and professor at Minnesota State University. "Just take a moment to consider how your legs feel, how your heart feels," she says. "That way you're reminding yourself to take in those body cues and decide what to do with the information–push through, back off, bail."

Plan for (a Little) Pain
Running your PR is going to hurt–sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. If you expect and prepare for discomfort, "then you can reframe how you think of pain," says Kamphoff, who's studied the mental strategies of both recreational and elite marathoners. This kind of preparedness also teaches you what you're capable of tolerating. "Pain you expect is easier to cope with, especially if you're confident you can handle it," Micklewright says. Studies show that recreational runners tend to listen to music or daydream to distract their minds from their pain, whereas top runners zone in on it. "Many elites tell me they push harder to overcome discomfort," says Kamphoff. "So they're stepping it up a notch, and say they soon feel better."

keep reading at runnersworld.com 

Five Reasons to Run with Your Daughter

The author may have had daughters in mind but these reasons are great for ones for anyone to run!  From athleta.com

1. Running is about empowerment. Running does wonders for your body…sure. But the real wonder comes in how it makes a person feel. Running is feminism at its finest. When you run you OWN yourself, your body, your breath, your thoughts and your intention. Running with your daughter provides her with the experience of body ownership. I can make it run, leap, laugh, think and sweat. I am one with it. It’s mine. I own it.

2. Running together is time together. The T.V. is off. The to-do list, cell phone, homework, housework and bills are at home. For thirty minutes, you’ve got the air around you, the sunshine, your feet, your breathing, your words, your voice and your hands should you want to hold each other’s. Running or walking together can satisfy that yearning you’ve both had to connect, love, share and just be… together.

3. Running is quiet. Do this. Don’t do this. Try this, Buy this. Eat this. Don’t eat this. Listen to this. Don’t say that. Lose Weight. Add these, Apply that to those. Take this. We are constantly hit by advertising messages that have, over the course of our “growing up,” replaced the “knowing and strength” of our own inner voice.  Running with your daughter provides an amazing opportunity to intentionally NOT talk–to just share the space, the time and the quiet. Who knows what your inner voice might tell you? “You’re beautiful just the way you are,” might actually be a phrase that makes its way back into your self-talk.

get the other two!