Category Archives: anti-aging

Food Habits That Age You

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These unhealthy eating patterns don’t just trigger weight gain and undermine your energy. They age you from the inside out.

If the only edible indiscretions you worry about are those that make you gain weight, you may have your priorities mixed up. The worst dietary demons — including many sugary, fatty, refined, and highly processed foods — do more than add unwanted pounds. They subtract years from your life.

Nutrition, not age, determines the body’s internal chemistry, which in turn affects the quality and resilience of virtually every organ, cell, and system in the body.

“Aging is not the passive process we once thought,” says Henry S. Lodge, MD, coauthor of Younger Next Year. “How gracefully you age is reflected by the food you eat.”

The condition of your skin and the quality of your bones, brain, and connective tissue are all influenced by diet. Your eating habits, therefore, play a big role in determining how quickly you see and feel the effects of aging.

The human body is a perpetual construction zone, replacing most of its cells every few months. The secret to aging well is to give your body the best tools for the job: whole, healthy food.

Of course, no one makes perfect choices all the time. But if weekly transgressions morph into daily habits, your body’s repair system will be undermined, says Lodge. “Bad food habits are like calling in the demolition team every day, but never calling the construction crew.”

Here’s how to identify and fix some age-accelerating food habits.

BODY-AGING HABIT NO. 1: A WEAKNESS FOR CONVENIENCE FOODS

Big Offender: Partially hydrogenated oils (a source of trans fats), which manufacturers manipulate to increase stability and shelf life.

How It Ages You: Lurking in many processed convenience foods, partially hydrogenated oils take their aging toll by promoting inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a low-grade, systemic irritation that smolders deep inside the body. Like rust that spreads through a car, inflammation erodes the body’s basic mechanics.

Specifically, chronic inflammation ages the body by nibbling away at telomeres — the caps on the ends of your chromosomes that are key to protecting your genes. Telomeres shorten naturally with each cell division, and eventually telomeres are used up and cells become inactive or die. Cell death is natural, but lifestyle factors — such as eating a lot of hydrogenated oils — can shorten telomeres prematurely and accelerate aging.

“Inflammation is the No. 1 enemy of telomeres,” says Shawn Talbott, PhD, CNS, a nutritional biochemist and author of The Secret of Vigor. He explains that prematurely shortened telomeres are linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Partially hydrogenated oils are full of trans fat. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently made moves to ban its use in human food products, a legal loophole allows small amounts of trans fats to go into processed foods while still permitting those foods to be labeled as trans-fat-free.

A new report by the consumer-advocate Environmental Working Group noted that while “trans fat” appears on only 2 percent of Nutrition Facts labels, the fat is used in an estimated 37 percent of all supermarket foods.

“People think the war on trans fat has been won, but sleeper cells were left behind,” says Lodge. “Remember, food labeling is not completely honest.”

Bottom line: If your go-to meals are processed or if you snack on packaged cookies or crackers without paying close attention to serving size, you may be ingesting several grams of trans fats each day.

The Fix
Eat fewer processed foods. Shop the perimeter of grocery stores, where produce and fresh foods are displayed.

Eat more high-quality fats and get the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, halibut, anchovies, grouper, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and sesame seeds. These fats boost brain and nervous-system health by nourishing cell membranes, says Kathie Madonna Swift, MS, RDN, LDN, cofounder of the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy and coauthor of The Swift Diet.

A diet high in phytonutrients and antioxidants is also linked to longer telomeres, so eat plenty of leafy greens, berries, cruciferous veggies, and other brightly colored produce, and drink lots of green tea.

BODY-AGING HABIT NO. 2: GIVING IN TO A SERIOUS SWEET TOOTH

Big Offender: Sugar, whether sucrose (the refined, highly processed and crystalized version of plant sugars), glucose, dextrose, fructose, or other types of added sweeteners.

How It Ages You: Excess sugar in your diet loiters in the blood and causes trouble by glomming on to protein molecules. This process, called glycation, causes cellular aging in several ways.

First, it slows the body’s repair mechanism. Although glycation’s effects are mostly internal, aging skin is a prime external sign. “Sugar molecules gum up the collagen in your skin,” says Talbott, making skin less elastic and causing it to wrinkle faster.

Glycation also ages the body by creating oxidative stress. Oxidation eventually leads to a buildup of toxins called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. The accumulation of some AGEs is normal, but eating poorly is like hitting the fast-forward button on aging.

That’s because AGEs build up in the body and damage our cellular engines:mitochondria. The loss of cellular energy gives rise to such age-related complaints as loss of memory, hearing, vision, and stamina.

Some findings show AGEs build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s (increasingly referred to as “type 3 diabetes”). AGEs are also linked to the more rapid development of arterial plaque in people with heart disease, and appear to be associated with Parkinson’s disease as well.

The Fix
If you can go cold turkey on processed sugar, great. If not, cut back as far as you can. For the sweets you do eat, choose foods made with less heavily processed natural sweeteners, such as honey or maple syrup, instead of refined (white) sugar.

“Although natural sugars aren’t much better for your health, foods sweetened naturally tend to be less refined and contain other whole-food  ingredients, and that is beneficial for reducing sugar load,” says Talbott.

Cut back on the sugar you use in recipes at home, and try adding less sugar to your coffee, tea, and other frequently consumed beverages.

One more tip: Don’t swap your sugar for artificial sweeteners. There’s evidence that they can do as much or more damage to your health in other ways (see “Secret Ingredients“).

BODY-AGING HABIT NO. 3: WAITING TO EAT UNTIL YOU’RE FAMISHED

Big Offender: Crashing and spiking blood sugar, which wreaks hormonal havoc, promotes inflammation, and drives unhealthy food cravings.

How It Ages You: When the stomach is empty, its secretion of ghrelin, also called the “hunger hormone,” doubles. When the stomach is full, secretion of ghrelin slows and its hormonal opposite, leptin, signals that the body is satiated. But it can take 20 minutes for this process to unfold. During this time, it’s easy to overeat.

“Going for a long period without food and then gorging is the textbook way to gain weight,” says Talbott. “When you gorge, you eat more, your blood sugar spikes higher, and your body stores more calories for later because it’s in feast-or-famine mode.”

Significantly, frequent blood-sugar spikes are linked to insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and to bodywide inflammation.

“As we get older, we get metabolically less flexible, meaning our bodies have difficulty using insulin to shift micronutrients from the bloodstream into cells,” says Deanna Minich, PhD, FACN, CNS, author of The Complete Handbook of Quantum Healing. “An inability to use insulin effectively hastens aging by zapping a person’s vitality, strength, and sex drive.”

The Fix
Don’t wait until you’re voracious to eat. Tune in to your body and get to know what it feels like to be moderately hungry, says Swift: “This is the sweet spot.”

To satisfy moderate hunger, eat a healthy mix of macronutrients — proteins, fats, and nonstarchy carbs. This trifecta offers high-quality, long-lasting energy. Swift recommends hummus and veggies, nut butter and apple slices, or nuts and seeds mixed with a little dried fruit.

BODY-AGING HABIT NO. 4: EATING TOO MANY REFINED CARBS

Big Offender: Refined, starchy carbohydrates (healthy carbs stripped of all the good stuff).

How It Ages You: Refined carbs are simply sugars in disguise. “Starch turns into sugar the minute it hits your bloodstream,” says Lodge. Beyond causing glycation (see Habit No. 2), refined carbs set the stage for insulin resistance.

Lodge notes that the human body evolved with a limited ability to break down sugars (and limited exposure to sugar in concentrated forms), so it hasn’t kept pace with the modern diet.

After a meal laden with refined carbohydrates, the body’s blood-sugar levels soar, and the pancreas sprays insulin into the bloodstream to help cells convert the food’s energy (glucose) into fuel. It often miscalculates and releases too much insulin.

As a result of this excess insulin, blood-sugar levels drop, and 30 minutes later you’re hungry again. “The body wasn’t designed for this yo-yo effect,” says Lodge. The technical term for this effect is “insulin resistance”; it’s a precursor to such age-related diseases as type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.

In addition, because simple carbohydrates burn quickly, they leave nothing to nourish the health-promoting microbes that reside in our large intestines.

“We’ve learned a lot lately about the importance of carbohydrates to our gut ecosystem,” says Swift, who explains that healthy gut flora feed on fermentable fibers and resistant starches found in many complex carbohydrates.

These so-called indigestible carbs produce short-chain fatty acids that in turn affect glucose regulation, blood-sugar regulation, and insulin resistance. “Eating the right type of carbs is critical to supporting this milieu,” she says.

The Fix

Stick to whole-food carbohydrates, such as vegetables, legumes, and whole-kernel grains. Because whole-kernel grains are left intact (versus being pulverized into flour or stripped of their germ and bran), they take longer for the body to digest, and the sugar is released in a slow, steady stream.

The resistant starches and fermentable fibers in complex carbs also feed your hungry gut flora and influence signaling molecules that help moderate insulin release.

“These foods provide critical information for your body,” says Swift. “They’re our primary currency for aging well — one of the best investments we can make.”

BODY-AGING HABIT NO. 5: EATING WHEN YOU’RE STRESSED

Big Offender: Cortisol, the stress hormone secreted by your adrenal glands.

How It Ages You: Stress hormones (automatically released by the body under all kinds of stressful circumstances) are antithetical to digestion in a couple of ways.

First, the release of adrenaline and cortisol — fight-or-flight chemicals — diverts blood toward your limbs and away from your stomach and intestines. As a result, food may ferment in the intestines, upsetting the balance of good and bad bacteria, says Lodge, and hindering the intestines’ ability to break down and absorb key nutrients like vitamin B12.

“Eating when you’re stressed damages your body and locks out the repair crew,” says Lodge.

Stressed or distracted eating can also lead to unconscious eating. You may eat more than you intended or eat foods you wouldn’t have chosen under better circumstances.

The Fix

If you are stressed and tempted to raid the cupboard, Lodge says, drink a glass of water and go for a five-minute walk instead.

Whenever possible, eat in places where you feel calm and happy. At home, create a relaxing atmosphere: Set the table and light a candle, suggests Kevin Spelman, PhD, an adjunct professor at the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Ore. “Just as your senses assimilate that environment in a pleasant way, your body will assimilate food in a more efficient way.”

BODY-AGING HABIT NO. 6: YOU EAT A LOT OF ROASTED, GRILLED, OR DEEP-FRIED FOOD

Big Offender: Advanced glycation end products, known as AGEs.

How It Ages You: AGEs are toxins that speed aging by causing oxidative stress and inflammation. You make some AGEs naturally, but most enter your body via food. The biggest culprits are foods that are deep-fried, broiled, roasted, or grilled. Those sear marks on a grilled steak, the crispy skin on a piece of fried chicken, even the browned edges of roasted vegetables are all signs of AGEs in your food.

“Most people don’t realize aging well is not just about choosing healthy foods, but about preparing them in healthy ways,” says Deanna Minich, PhD, FACN, CNS, and author of The Complete Handbook of Quantum Healing.

Your skin is a good place to see AGEs at work. As you age, AGEs accumulate in the skin’s tissue and break down collagen proteins, resulting in wrinkles. But the skin is just the beginning.

High AGE levels in the body are linked to neurodegeneration, tendon dysfunction, and blood-vessel stiffness. Indeed, most age-related illnesses — including Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis — are connected to high amounts of AGEs.

The Fix: Reduce AGEs in your diet by eating more raw fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Cook meat and veggies at lower temperatures, utilizing techniques that rely on moisture, which keeps AGEs at bay. For example, steam or blanch vegetables, or sauté lightly with a little olive oil. Seafood can be steamed, chicken can be poached, and red meat can be stewed or braised. “Go low and go slow,” says Swift.

If loss of flavor is a concern, Swift recommends marinades: “Not only do marinades — particularly those made with vinegars or lemon juice — add flavor, they also help lower your body’s levels of AGEs.”

9 Surprising Relationships Between Food & Mood

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shutterstock_86731981Is a Mediterranean diet protective against depression?

We already know that a Mediterranean diet full of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish, and olive oil reduces inflammation and may be beneficial for heart health. A large study with 10,094 healthy Spanish people showed that eating a Mediterranean diet was protective for the prevention of depressive disorders (Sanchez-Villegas et al., Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2009).  If you aren’t going to Spain or Greece on over the holidays, pretend you are there by copying their diet. Add more veggies to your holiday potlucks, or shake on the herbs and spices to reduce inflammation caused by your meal!

Will eating fast foods lead to an increased risk for depression?

Eating fast foods like hamburgers, sausages, and pizza, as well as commercial baked goods such as muffins, doughnuts, and croissants has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of depression (Sanchez-Villegas et al., Public Health Nutr. 2012).  Do your best to balance out your food choices with some healthy, fresh options whenever available.

shutterstock_274989101Will being in a positive mood lead to eating more?

It’s not just a bad mood that can lead to eating more food. Researchers at the King’s College in London Institute of Psychiatry recently showed that negative mood and positive mood BOTH lead to more food intake (Cardi et al., Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015).  This research doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be in a good mood! Try to find balance in your moods, keeping steady and stable without the extreme peaks and valleys that could cause you to overeat.

Can you eat yourself into a bad mood in just two days?

A study with 44 college students at Penn State University revealed that the more calories, saturated fat, and sodium they ate, the more negative mood they reported two days later. The researchers suggest that the food causes mood shifts (Hendy, Appetite, 2012).  If you find yourself in a bad mood, look at what you are eating. You can make some immediate changes that will translate into quick lifts in your mood.

shutterstock_59055922Can snacks impact your well-being?

100 students at Cardiff University were asked to complete an online questionnaire about how they were feeling emotionally and physically. They were then randomly assigned to one of two snacking conditions – chocolate/crisps or fruit – which they ate daily in the mid-afternoon for 10 days.  At the end of the 10 days, they completed the questionnaire again. The results showed that consumption of fruit was associated with lower anxiety, depression, and emotional distress than consumption of crisps/chocolate. Similarly, scores for somatic symptoms, cognitive difficulties, and fatigue were greater in the crisps/chocolate condition (Smith and Rogers,Front Nutr. 2014).  Take note of your snacking behaviors during the holidays! If you find yourself eating too many cookies or indulging in lots of chocolate, shake up your snacking routine by getting some fresh fruit. Your mood will thank you for it (and those around you will, too!).

Can your emotions change how you taste?

A study came out this month that assessed taste and emotions of 550 people who attended hockey games. There were a total of 8 games, 4 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie. The researchers found that positive emotions during the winning games correlated with enhanced sweet and diminished sour intensities while negative emotions lead to heightened sour and decreased sweet tastes (Noel and Dando, Appetite, 2015).  Take time to taste your food and have awareness that the emotions you are feeling are not only influencing what you are eating, but how things taste. If you take your time to eat mindfully, you’ll be more in the moment, and, as the studies suggest, you’ll likely eat less and feel more satisfied.

shutterstock_65835514Can being bored drive you to eat?

Researchers at the North Dakota State University would say “yes”! In a sample of 552 college students, they discovered that those prone to being bored and lacking emotional coping skills led to inappropriate eating behavior, like eating when bored or in response to negative emotions (Crockett et al., J Health Psychol. 2015).  Being bored is probably the least of your worries during the holidays; however, you may have more down time which means that you could be looking for things to do. Fill your time with healthy communities and physical activity to keep you pleasantly busy!

Does your personality drive your eating habits?

An interesting publication in the journal Appetite earlier this year brought to light many findings about one’s personality and eating: (1) “…high openness to experience were associated with higher fruit, vegetable and salad and lower meat and soft drink consumption”; (2) “High agreeableness was associated with low meat consumption.” (3) Conscientiousness mainly promoted fruit consumption, prevented meat consumption and intake of sweet and savory foods and of sugar-sweetened soft drinks. (4) Neuroticism promoted consumption of sweet and savory foods by promoting emotional and external eating.   Well, perhaps we can’t change who we are, but we can become more aware of our actions! If you find that you are always on edge and feeling neurotic, try to put yourself in the space of agreeableness and openness, which will contribute positively to your eating habits.

shutterstock_138284549Does being a ‘morning person’ make you less apt to eat emotionally?

If you like mornings more than evenings and you find yourself more alert in the early hours, researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, would tell you that you probably have lower depressive symptoms and emotional eating based on their study with 2325 men and 2699 women  (Konttinen et al., Chronobiol Int, 2014).  Make sure you are getting sufficient sleep during the holidays so you do not crave foods. If possible, try to mirror your rhythm with that of nature: waking up early with the sun and going to bed early when it is dark. You’ll be more in balance on the inside through the cues on the outside!

 

Superfood: 8 Powerful Alfalfa Benefits

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Superfood Spotlight- 8 Powerful Alfalfa Benefits

Alfalfa benefits our health in some amazing ways.

What is Alfalfa?

Alfalfa is an extraordinary superfood and has been prized for its healing properties for centuries.

The ancient literature on this incredible plant—the edible parts look like tufts of bean sprouts—dates back to 1300 B.C., and it was used in Iran as fodder for horses. It would find later use in traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurveda as a treatment for a plethora of ailments.

Alfalfa is a perennial plant that grows in a temperate climates and sends its roots up to 20-30 feet deep into the ground.

This allows it to extract essential minerals from the earth that make it such a wonderfully nutritious source of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family, which also includes the humble pea. Although alfalfa is not always thought of as a green, the name itself derives from the arabic term for “green fodder”. That’s good enough for me!

Nutritional Benefits of Alfalfa

Alfalfa benefits milk-producing livestock because of its high protein content and digestible fiber, and is primarily used as both a fresh and dried fodder for horses and livestock.

Besides being a rich source of protein and fiber, alfalfa is also rich in most of the vitamins and some essential minerals like zinc, manganese, magnesium, iron and calcium.

Eventually, the health benefits of alfalfa came to made use of by humans as well.

In its grassy (cellulose) form, it’s problematic for our digestion, but used as seed sprouts, juice, or as dried leaves in powder, tablet or tea form, it’s a wonderful addition to our diet.

I personally love alfalfa sprouts in my salads and lettuce wraps.

How the Superfood Alfalfa Benefits Your Health 

With it being a virtual nutritional powerhouse, it is not surprising that alfalfa benefits us in so many varied ways. I’ve listed some of its most important benefits here:

1. Reduction of Serum Cholesterol

Alfalfa is rich in saponins, phytoestrogen, antioxidants and digestible fiber, all of which prevent fat from clogging up our arteries. Though the sprouts are not very rich in saponins, the dried leaf powder does manage to control serum cholesterol significantly.

2. Control of Diabetes and Obesity

Its high digestible fiber content ensures a feeling of satiety which can reduce our hunger and also our obesity. All of this indirectly benefits patients suffering from diabetes and obesity.

3. Relief from Constipation

The presence of digestive fiber and digestive enzymes in alfalfa is of humongous benefit to our digestion.

4. A Great Source of Protein

Alfalfa sprouts and dried leaf powder are rich sources of easily digestible protein and are therefore a great source of protein for vegans and vegetarians.

5. A Source of Essential Vitamins

Alfalfa is perhaps one of the few foods that can take care of most of your body’s vitamin requirements.

The phytonutrients in the plant include phytoestrogens, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, coumarins, phytosterols, amino acids, vitamins, terpenes and digestive enzymes.

That’s a mouthful, but that’s not all!

It’s also a rich source of Vitamins C and K and caters to the daily requirements of the B complex family of vitamins.

In addition to the vitamins, the daily requirements of some essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and calcium are adequately fulfilled by eating alfalfa.

Zinc and magnesium are essential ingredients required for the production of testosterone, which makes them an essential requirement for reproductive health, especially in the males.

Adequate testosterone levels are essential for physically active people—especially athletes.Considering this, it’s clear that consumption of alfalfa is a good way to build your body for high performance. I wish I ate more of it when I was a professional football player!

6. Cardiovascular Health

Alfalfa contains certain compounds that prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and clots.

Alfalfa also provides the body with flavonoids, which help in the relaxation of the vascular smooth muscles, thereby rendering them more pliant and thus less susceptible to clogging.

This directly decreases the chances of a cerebrovascular accident and myocardial infarction. In short, it does wonders for your cardiovascular health.

7. Alleviating Kidney Problems and Relieving Fluid Retention

Sluggish kidneys are known to improve with regular use of alfalfa. In fact, it has been traditionally used as a diuretic and many herbalists prescribe it in kidney and prostate ailments.

The thinking is that it reduces the blood urea levels and improves creatinine clearance. This has a cascading effect in relieving fluid retention in patients, which in turn improves overall health.

8. Hormonal Benefits for Women

Alfalfa benefits women deeply as it’s an extremely rich source of phytoestrogens.

Regular use of alfalfa provides for a hormonal balance in premenopausal and menopausal women.

These are just a few scientifically proven benefits of alfalfa. If you take a look at the history of its use in the realm of folk healing, there are so many more to consider.

Alfalfa tea has been traditionally prescribed to people suffering from various respiratory conditions, everything from bronchitis and whooping cough to allergies and hay fever.

It has also been known as a folk remedy for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Finally, alfalfa acts as an adaptogen, which helps your body restore itself to a general state of balance.

YURI ELKAIM

6 Daily Gratitude Habits That Will Attract More Abundance and Joy into Your Life

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gratitude-rock

6 Daily Gratitude Habits That Will Attract More Abundance and Joy into Your Life

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”
– Mother Teresa, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to experience  joy, love, and appreciation every day of the year? How would it change your life if you did?

Gratitude attracts more good things to be grateful for

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
– Oprah Winfrey

Appreciation is one of the highest emotional states you can experience. When you cultivate gratitude, you’re able to feel true joy and contentment, no matter what you have or don’t have in your life. And since the Law of Attraction states that like attracts like, when you’re grateful for what you already have, you will naturally attract more for which you can be grateful.

However, many people find that it requires great diligence to cultivate a persistent attitude of appreciation. That’s because we’ve been culturally conditioned to focus on what we don’t have, rather than appreciating what we’ve already received or achieved.

To help you combat this conditioning, here are 6 simple tips on how to make gratitude a natural part of your daily routine, so you can attract more joy and abundance into your life all year long:

1. Take 7 minutes each morning to write down everything you appreciate in life

Starting your day this way primes you to be receptive and grateful for everything your day will bring. It also helps you cultivate an air of positivity that makes you naturally more attractive to other positive people – and inspires them to want to help you achieve your goals.

2. Make a conscious effort to appreciate at least 3 people every day

By letting people know how much you appreciate them, you increase their own sense of appreciation and self-worth, and encourage them to pay this positive energy forward to other people.

While most people enjoy receiving verbal appreciation, written notes are also nice because they can be saved and re-read.

3. Play the Appreciation Game

Set a specific time each day to consciously appreciate everything you encounter. An ideal time to do this is on your way to or from work. Appreciate the people you pass, the road you walk on, the cars that let you merge into a different lane, the street signs that make it easy for you to know where you’re going, the rain that’s nourishing the plants and trees, and so on.

Look for the good in all situations – even those you would normally view as negative. As the saying goes, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” For example, when my wife was in a car accident a few years ago, she could have chosen to berate herself or question her judgment. Instead, she focused on her gratitude for suffering only minor injuries and for the help she received from other drivers.

4.  Carry a physical token of gratitude in your pocket, such as a heart-shaped stone, crystal, or some other small item

A physical reminder can bring you back to your practice of gratitude when your mind has drifted elsewhere. As you reach into your pocket throughout the day and feel the token, use it as a reminder to stop, breathe and take a moment to fully experience the emotion of gratitude. The more conscious effort you put into seeking it out, the easier it will be to find it – and the more powerful your experience will be.

5. Remember to appreciate the smallest blessings

The best way to activate your gratitude is by acknowledging the gifts most people take for granted. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes in your closet and a roof over your head, you are better off than 75 percent of the world’s population.

If you eat three meals a day, you are far better off than the 1 billion people on the planet who eat once a day at most.

Do you have a phone?  How about a car that allows you to travel to work or to explore the country? Is your family healthy? Do you have a computer and Internet access to stay in touch with the world, get access to education, and perform work for which you are paid? Do you have clean water to drink?

Celebrate these simple blessings. These daily conveniences are gifts that most people in the world do not enjoy.

6. Appreciate yourself

Finally, don’t forget to appreciate your OWN positive qualities and accomplishments. In addition to celebrating your big successes, acknowledge your small daily successes too. We all need acknowledgement, but the most important acknowledgement is that which we give ourselves.

One of the most powerful ways to acknowledge and appreciate yourself is by doing the Mirror Exercise. This powerful exercise requires you to appreciate yourself for the day’s accomplishments while talking to yourself in a mirror.

It may not feel natural at first to focus on appreciating what you already have, but by faithfully practicing the Daily Appreciation Habits outlined in this article, you’ll begin to change your conditioning.

To kick-start your daily gratitude practice, take a few moments to share at least three things for which you’re grateful for in the comments. Even the smallest act of gratitude will have a positive impact on your life.

Thanksgiving challenge: Tell me what you’re grateful for right now!

I look forward to reading what you share!

 

Deskercise! 33 Smart Ways to Exercise at Work

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EMILY MILAM

Recent research suggests that the recommended 30 minutes of cardio five times per week may not undo the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle .

So what’s a worker chained to his or her desk to do? Luckily short bouts of aerobics, strength exercises, and stretching in between conference calls and Gchats can help improve fitness levels and heart health . While these deskercises, or desk exercises for the cubicle-bound, won’t promise Olympic mile times or six-pack abs, they might just improve strength and burn a few extra calories to boot.

Cardio

1. The Twinkle Toe: Tap into your inner Fred Astaire by speedily tapping those toes on the floor under your desk. Or graduate to a harder (and less inconspicuous) move: Stand in front of a small trashcan and lift up those legs to tap the toes on its edge, alternating feet, in soccer-drill fashion.

2. The Stair Master: Want to avoid elevator small talk in favor of elevating the heart rate? Take the stairs! Accelerate on the straight-aways and take two at a time every other flight for a real leg burn.

3. The Slog, Then Jog:  Pop up from your chair  and jog in place. Willing to huff and puff a little more? Pick up those knees! Continue for one minute, return to spreadsheets, and repeat.

4. The Celebratory Split Squat Jumps: With feet hip-width apart, step the left leg back two feet and balance on the ball of the foot. Next, lower into a lunge, and then accelerate upwards in an explosion of celebration. While in the air, switch feet so that the left foot is planted firmly in front and the right leg is now behind. Repeat 10-12 times on each side.

5. The Cubicle Wanderer: Walking during work is totally underrated . Take a stroll down the hall to catch up with coworkers or welcome a new employee.

6. The Mover and Shaker: Release stress and spark some energy with a quick bout of seated dancing when no one is looking!

 

Butt and Legs

7. The Wall (Street) Sit: Wall sits are great for building strength and endurance. Standing with your back against the wall, bend the knees and slide your back down the wall until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Sit and hold for 30-60 seconds. For some extra burn, try crossing the right ankle over the left knee, hold for 15 seconds, then switch!

8. The Last Man Standing: Sure, standing around isn’t exactly traditional exercise, but research shows it’s got more than a leg up on sitting. After all, long periods of sitting are linked to increased risk for diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, whereas standing significantly increases your daily caloric expenditure . Stand whenever you can, and consider roping in other coworkers to have standing meetings too!

9. The Patient Printer: Why lackadaisically stand by the printing pages when you could be sculpting your calves with calf raises? Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, press up onto the tippy toes, pause at the top, then lower back down. Repeat for three sets of 12-15 reps, or until the printing, faxing, or scanning is done. Ready to level up? Try raising only one leg at a time.

10. The Silent Seat Squeeze: Believe it or not, some deskercises can be kept under wraps, and this isometric glutes exercise is one of them. To start toning, simply squeeze the buttocks, hold for 5-10 seconds, and release. Repeat until the agenda wraps up or the glutes tire. The results will be uplifting in more ways than one.

11. The Seated Leg Raiser: When pay raises are nowhere to be seen, consider the leg raise. (Bonus: they’re hardly noticeable underneath the desk!) While seated, straighten one or both legs and hold in place for five or more seconds. Then lower the leg(s) back to the ground without letting the feet touch the floor. Repeat (alternating legs if raising them separately) for 15 reps. Underwhelmed? Loop a purse or briefcase strap over the ankle for added weight, or for more of an abs workout, add a crunch.

12. The Desk Squat: Mastered the art of standing around? Add a squat! Start standing with feet together (and the desk chair pushed out of the way). Bend the knees slightly so the thighs are almost parallel to the ground, as if sitting in a chair. As you bend, raise the arms straight up or towards the computer screen. Keep the knees together and aligned. Hold for 15 seconds and release. Repeat for 4-6 reps.

13. The Lunch Break Hammy: Strengthen the hamstrings with this standing leg curl. Stand behind your chair and hold onto it for support. Gently kick one foot back, aiming the heel for the top of your thigh. Lower the foot back down and repeat exercise with the other leg. Do 10 reps, take a bite of your lunch, and then do 10 more.

14. The Grim Reamer: Scope out the office for a ream of paper, or a sealed package of printing paper. While seated, place the stack in between the knees and press legs inward, engaging the inner thighs. Continue squeezing the paper ream in place for 30-60 seconds while sorting through the morning’s flood of emails. (Now that’s multitasking!)

 

Shoulders and Arms

15. The Cubicle Dip: Triceps dips can be done almost anywhere, including a cubicle. Using a sturdy desk or a non-rolling chair, sit at the very edge and place hands on either side of the body while gripping the chair’s edge. With the feet planted on the floor a step or two away from the desk or chair, straighten up the arms to lift up the body. Next, bend the arms to reach a 90-degree angle so that your body dips down, hold, and re-straighten while keeping the body raised above the chair. Complete 8-10 reps.

16. The Stapler Curl: Trusty staplers are always guarded closely, especially the red ones. Seated or standing, take the stapler in one hand with the palm facing upwards. Starting at the thighs, bend the elbow and curl the arm up towards the chest, just like a regular dumbbell biceps curl. Pause momentarily and then lower the stapler back down. Continue for 12-15 reps, then switch. Don’t have a weighty stapler? Try using a filled water bottle or a heavy change purse (the vending machine can wait!).

17. The Namaste:  Seated upright with feet flat on the floor, bring the palms together in front of the chest and push both hands together powerfully until you feel the arm muscles contract. Hold the prayer hands pushed together for 20 seconds. Release and repeat the sequence until you feel a little more zen.

18. The Secret Handshake: Let’s make a deal. Sitting up and with feet flat on the floor, clasp hands together as if giving yourself a handshake (with one hand’s thumb pointing to the floor and the other pointing to the ceiling). Then pull! Resist the motion of both arms (you should definitely feel this in those biceps). Hold for 10 seconds or more, release, and repeat.

19. The Fist Pump: Received approval from the head honcho for extra vacation days? Time to rock out to that Bruce Springsteen playlist while simultaneously toning the arms. Fist punch into the air like a champ (alternating arms, of course), and continue for 60 seconds or more—or until you realize the boss is right behind you.

20. The Knuckle Sandwich: So the big cheese said no to the promotion and returned your project covered in red ink. To relieve frustration and get a fab arm fix, try shadow boxing to the perfect boxing playlist. Stand (if you can) and throw out a few jabs, hooks, and uppercuts in rapid succession (just watch out for computers and coworkers!). Continue for a minute or longer to blow off steam and tone the arms, chest, and core.

21. The Flapper:  Standing with arms by your sides and palms facing behind, pulse the arms backward for 5 seconds. Release and repeat for 12-15 reps. For best results, make sure to keep the arms long and straight!

22. The Casual Lean: Waiting in the hall for a meeting to start? Perfect time to nonchalantly work out the upper arms! Casually lean against the nearest wall, supporting your body with the forearm only. Now lean into the wall until the upper arm almost touches it, and then push back out. Repeat for 15 reps or until the meeting gets underway.

23. The Lumberjack: Stand and clasp the hands together, resting them on the right shoulder as if holding an axe. Gently swing the imaginary “axe” by straightening the elbows and moving the hands toward the left thigh. Next, bring the clasped hands to the left shoulder followed by a swing to right thigh. Repeat 15 times on each side, or until all office plants have been hacked down.

24. The Office Genie: Want to add a little magic to the workday? Raise the legs into a criss-cross applesauce position while seated in a chair. With your hands on the armrests, push upwards to raise the body off the seat and remain floating for 10-20 seconds. After granting a few wishes, release back down to the chair, rest for a minute, and repeat. Craving more magic? Try this balancing act while in a chair that spins.

Chest, Back, and Neck

25. The Pencil Pinch: Roll back the shoulders until the shoulder blades are pinched together. Pretend you’re holding a pencil between the scapulas (or try it for real!). Hold for 5-10 seconds, release, and repeat for 12-15 reps.

26. The Shoulder Shrug: Simply raise both shoulders up toward the ears, hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat for 15 reps. Feeling unstoppable? Try advanced shoulder shrugs while standing and holding a paper ream in each hand.

27. The Pinstripe Push-Up: This slightly modified wall push-up is more suitable for suits. Standing one to two feet from a sturdy wall (not a cubicle divider!), lean forward until palms are flush against the wall, with arms straight and parallel to the ground. Next, bend the elbows to bring the body towards the wall, hold for two seconds, then push back to the starting position. Complete 12-15 reps.

28. The Nape Shaper: Turtleneck season is over—it’s time to tone that neck! For the first isometric neck strengthening trick, put your head in your hands as if exasperated by the workday (you may already be in this position), and press your palms into your forehead as if trying to push the head backward. Resist the motion by engaging the neck muscles. Next, clasp the hands behind the back of the head and try to push the head backward, resisting the motion with your hands. Hold each deskercise for 5 seconds, or until The Evolution of Ryan Gosling has finally loaded. Slowly release, rest, and repeat 5 times each.

Core

29. The Desk Chair Swivel: Lucky enough to have a fun swivel chair? Use its twirl to your advantage with this oblique abs fix. Sitting upright and with the feet hovering over the floor, hold the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumb. Next, use the core to swivel the chair from side to side. Swish back and forth for 15 rounds.

30. The “Weeee” Desk Chair Wheel: Go ahead, play with your wheelie chair (everyone wants to!). While seated in a chair with wheels, position yourself at arm’s length from a desk or table and grasp its edge with your hands. Next, engage the core, raise the feet slightly off the ground, and pull with your arms until the chair slowly rolls forward and your chest touches the desk’s edge. Then roll back by pushing away, with the feet still raised. Repeat 20 times, or until you burn holes into the carpet.

31. The Posture Perfecter: Perfect posture is a must for long days at the desk. Practice safe desk ergonomics by adjusting the chair height to make sure the feet, hips, and arms are at 90-degree angles to the floor. Engage the core to keep the back straight throughout the day. No slouching allowed!

32. The Fab Abs Squeeze: Another silent deskercise, this one can be covertly executed when walking down the hall or seated during a call. Simply take a deep breath and tighten the abdominal muscles, bringing them in towards the spine as you exhale. Stay squeezed for 5-10 seconds and release. Repeat for 12-15 reps.

33. The “Crunch Time” Crunch: The deadlines are looming, as are hopes for a six-pack by summer. (And maybe a six-pack of Corona, too.) While most jobs don’t condone in-office boozing, you can get the other six-pack with some seated isometric crunches. With both elbows on the thighs, try to curl the chest in towards the legs while resisting the movement with the arms. Hold for 10 seconds, release, and repeat times 10.

Also Check Out: 50 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Keep forgetting to do your deskercises at work? We know you’re a Microsoft Outlook pro! Make a calendar reminder or apply sticky notes around the workstation. Embarrassed? Seek out an empty conference room on a lunch break. We bet our biceps that coworkers will not only enjoy your deskercise routine, but admire it.

Stay Healthy anywhere. There’s no excuse not to.