Category Archives: Healthy Eating

How to Choose Olive Oil

Leave a reply

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.

 from Steven Wright

I think olive oil is delicious, healthy and a great addition to anyone’s diet. I enjoy it regularly, cook with it 20% of the time and honestly think it tastes WAY better than coconut oil.

Of course, that assumes you’re buying high-quality, non-rancid oil, which I’ve found to be extremely confusing and hard. In fact, if you think olive oil tastes kind of like canola oil or other manmade toxic oils (rapeseed, vegetable oil, soy, etc) — then it’s highly likely you’ve never actually tasted real olive oil.

How to Get Real Olive Oil

Visit any supermarket, gourmet store, or corner grocery and you’re likely to find an intimidatingly large selection of olive oils. Go online and the options multiply a hundredfold. Talk about a paradox of choice! I’ve spent what feels like hours in those aisles trying to figure out what bottle of olive oil to buy.

If the oil is fake, then it will likely not only taste like junk but also be harmful to my health, so it’s worth taking some extra care to figuring this out.

How can you choose the most nutritious olive oil for yourself and your family and avoid being duped?

Use the tips below to help you buy authentic extra virgin olive oil with confidence:

  1. The Olive Oil Secret: freshness is key to flavor and nutritional value. Forget about “use by” or “best by” dates. Look specifically for a harvest date on the label. Be suspicious of bottles that don’t include this information, as many don’t. Unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age. Anything over a year old is past its prime.
  2. Purchase olive oil from a retailer that has a fast turnover. This increases the likelihood that the oils are fresh.
  3. Always buy olive oil certified to be “extra virgin.” The terms “pure” or “light” indicate that the oil did not meet international standards for “extra virgin” and has been chemically refined to mask defects. Also, ignore terms like “cold-pressed” or “first-pressed.” They are meaningless in today’s olive oil industry.
  4. Buy olive oil in dark glass bottles, tins, or other opaque containers. Clear glass bottles might be aesthetically pleasing, but they do not protect the oils from natural or artificial light. (Prolonged exposure to light hastens deterioration of the oil.) At home, store olive oil in a cool, dark place – not next to the stovetop.
  5. Look for the country of origin on the label. Spain, Italy, and Greece may be the world’s largest producers, but high-quality olive oils are also being produced in Chile, Australia, the US, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, and even Croatia. You can maximize the freshness of olive oils in your kitchen by seasonally alternating your purchases between countries in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. (In September, for example, oils from the Southern Hemisphere are the freshest in the world. In January, the freshest oils will be from the Northern Hemisphere.)
  6. Find the olive oils that create a peppery tickle in the back of your throat or even induce a cough or two. This reaction is common when the oils are fresh and their polyphenol levels (natural antioxidants) are high. If you are not experiencing a certain pepperiness and bitterness with the oils you use, they are likely old, rancid, or fake.
  7. Look past the packaging – fancy bottles mean nothing, and price is not always an indicator of quality. However, high-quality olive oil with character and personality will not be cheap: a lot of labor and expertise go into creating an excellent product. Winners of international olive oil competitions will almost always feature these honors prominently on their labels. Gold and silver medals are especially prestigious, as they mean the oils’ producers have been recognized for their excellence by trained palates.
  8. When you try an oil, know that color is not a predictor of flavor. A golden-hued oil will not necessarily be buttery tasting. An intensely green oil would seem to suggest pepperiness and pungency, but might be very mild on the palate. Even judges fall prey to color prejudices, which is why professional tasters use color-obscuring tasting glasses, usually blue or brown.

Above all, remember lesson #1, the biggest thing that matters for olive oil is FRESHNESS! And a peppery or bitter tasting oil is one of the biggest indicators of freshness.

Stay Healthy!

7 Nutrition Myths We Grew Up With in the 90s

Leave a reply

COREY PEMBERTON

 

7-Nutrition-Myths-We-Grew-Up-With-In-The-90s

 

Are you hanging on to any nutrition myths?
Buying into nutrition myths is harmful enough, but things get really dicey when people start repeating them.
Hear something enough times, and popular opinions turn into “facts.” It becomes off limits to question them – at least for the average person trying to get healthy.
But more scientific studies are published every day questioning nutrition guidelines we grew up with a few decades ago. Cold, hard evidence is trumping what’s popular.
Most mainstream nutrition groups haven’t updated their advice to match the latest science. But you don’t have to listen to them anymore.
________________________________________
Here are seven common nutrition myths we grew up with in the 1990s:
1. Eating Fat Makes You Fat
This one is simple and easy to remember, two good reasons why this caught on during the anti-fat frenzy in the 1980s and 1990s.
But it just isn’t true.
Researchers found that a high-fat, low-carb diet was actually more effective for weight loss than a low-fat, calorie-restricted one . This nutrition myth ignores the fact that not all fats are created equal. Some fats will make you fat and unhealthy. But others aren’t unhealthy at all. They’re actually essential for your health. Healthy fats play a role when it comes to fighting inflammation, improving your cholesterol levels, stabilizing your heart, and many other key aspects of health. Following a Paleo diet—which emphasizes fats from animal products, avocados, coconuts, and other sources—gives your body the fuel it needs to stay full, energized, and healthy.

2. Low-Fat Foods Are Healthier
The “fat is evil” idea from the 80s and 90s is so dangerous because it ended up creating a bunch of other nutrition myths (like high-carb diets are better, saturated fat will give you a heart attack, and reduced-fat processed foods are healthy). Because so many people bought in to the idea that fats were bad, they were desperate for low-fat options whenever they went grocery shopping or out to eat. It didn’t take long for the food industry to take advantage. Companies started filling grocery store shelves with low-fat versions of cookies, crackers, and other food to cater to changing consumer tastes.
But the low-fat, processed foods were still junk foods. When food companies took the fat out, they ended up with products that tasted like cardboard. They added salt, sugar, and all kinds of other chemicals and preservatives to hide the bad taste. People ate less fat. But they were eating a heck of a lot more of the stuff shown to cause obesity, diabetes, and all kinds of other serious health issues so common today.
The verdict is in: “low fat” doesn’t mean healthy. It’s usually even worse for you than full-fat food options.

3. A Calorie Is a Calorie
While the amount of calories you take in and expend definitely matters, not all calories are created equal.
You could lose weight by eating Twinkies every day. But you’d rob yourself of key micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. You might lose weight now, but you’d set yourself up for long-term health consequences.
Studies have shown that this style of weight loss—calorie counting and restriction—hardly ever works in the long term. It’s actually a recipe for yo-yo dieting and constantly changing weight.
The quality of your calories is hugely important. High quality calories actually go through different pathways than low quality calories, and they have a significant effect on fat loss and regulating your appetite.

4. Eat Small, Frequent Meals to Lose Weight
Supporters of this myth argue that eating often “stokes the fire of your metabolism” and makes it easier for the pounds to come off…
But it just isn’t true.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that meal frequency doesn’t affect the speed of your metabolism
The truth: as long as you’re getting enough quality calories, it doesn’t matter how many meals you eat a day.
Eat when you’re hungry until you feel full. And don’t eat when you aren’t. Nice and simple.

5. Eating High-Cholesterol Foods Will Raise Your Cholesterol
Put down the red meat! Put down the egg yolks!
Are you crazy? Those things will jack up your cholesterol. You don’t want to end up with heart disease.
This was common advice in the 90s. Companies that sold egg whites and substitute meat products made a killing from it, but it didn’t do a thing for anyone’s health. The idea was that eating high-cholesterol foods would cause the cholesterol levels in your body to soar. And if you did this often, you’d put yourself at risk of a serious (potentially fatal) heart problem.
This just isn’t true.
Why not?
Because around 75 percent of your cholesterol is made inside your liver . Cholesterol helps your body make hormones, vitamin D, digest food, and all kinds of other key functions. It’s so important your body makes it all the time. Despite what the nutrition myth says, scientific studies have shown that eating high-cholesterol foods has very little impact on cholesterol levels for almost everyone . Finally, it might not even matter even if high-cholesterol foods did increase your cholesterol levels. More studies have seriously disputed the idea that high cholesterol is a solid marker for heart problems .

6. Meal Timing Matters
You’ve probably heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
And you’ve also probably heard how you shouldn’t eat after six, seven, or eight p.m.—especially if you want to lose weight.
Conventional thinking is that eating first thing in the morning gives you energy and primes your metabolism to burn quickly throughout the day. But plenty of people (including myself) have started skipping breakfast once they switched to Paleo, whether it’s part of an intermittent fast or just because they aren’t hungry when they wake up.
If anything, skipping breakfast if you aren’t hungry can make you more focused because your body isn’t bogged down digesting food. So the reality is straightforward: eat in the morning if you’re hungry, and don’t if you aren’t.
The other side of this myth—the idea that you shouldn’t eat after a certain time in the evening—doesn’t hold water either. Supposedly, calories consumed close to your bedtime are more likely to end up as extra body fat because your metabolism slows down while you sleep.
This isn’t true, either . Creating an artificial limit for yourself where you have to stop eating (even if you’re hungry) doesn’t help you lose weight. It just sets you up to be cranky, tired, and more likely to binge when you finally do eat.
Let your instincts be the guide. Eat when you’re hungry, and don’t force yourself to eat when you aren’t just because you’re “supposed” to.
7. A High-Carb, Low-Fat Diet Is the Healthiest Way to Eat
The idea that a high-carb, low-fat diet is the recipe for health is probably the most widespread nutrition myth around. It’s also probably the most dangerous.
In the 90s it was the food pyramid. Now, it’s MyPlate (which is slightlybetter, but still pretty awful). But there’s a common theme: grains and carb-heavy foods play a key role. But fats are something to avoid.
Yet scientific evidence has destroyed these guidelines. Studies have found that a low-carb, high-fat eating pattern—the exact opposite pattern of what the mainstream groups usually recommend—is far more effective when it comes to weight loss, as well as fighting type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome .
People who continue buying this myth put themselves on a path towards obesity, diabetes, and a host of other serious health problems.
________________________________________
Back to the Basics
Nutrition myths come and go, but the foundations of a solid diet are constant.
Focus on produce, animal products, safe starches, and nuts. Avoid grains, refined sugars, and processed foods.
That’s all there is to worry about. Tune out all the other noise, and watch your energy shoot up, health problems disappear, and the pounds melt off.
Have you ever bought into any of these nutrition myths? How did you break free of them? Leave a comment below and share your experience!

6 Health Benefits of Medjool Dates

Leave a reply
1. Decrease Cholesterol

Medjool dates are wise choice when it comes to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. When you eat them, you increase your insoluble and soluble fiber intake, which in turn can significantly lower cholesterol naturally.

2. Prevent & Relieve Constipation

Dates have high levels of soluble fiber, which keep bowel movements regular by adding bulk to stool and helping it move faster through the intestines. Next time you’re looking for a natural constipation relief remedy, try having a few Medjool dates.

3. Natural Energy Booster

Consuming a few Medjool dates or including them in a snack is an excellent idea when you’re looking for a healthy surge of energy. Worldwide, dates are used for an afternoon pick-me-up to ward off tiredness. Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, try a green smoothie recipe that includes some Medjool dates!

 

The Medjool dates guide - Dr. Axe

 

4. Reduce Triglyceride Levels

Medjool dates can give your heart a healthy boost. A  study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found Medjool dates are high in antioxidative properties in vitro. Ten healthy subjects consumed 100 grams daily of either Medjool or Hallawi dates for four weeks. According to the study, the consumption of Medjool dates reduced blood triglyceride levels by 8 percent.

5. Alternative Natural Sweetener

A delicious fruit, like a Medjool date, provides a truly satisfying alternative to eating a candy bar or brownie loaded with refined sugar.

6. Boost Bone Health

The significant amounts of key minerals found in Medjool dates make them superstars when it comes to strengthening bones and fighting off painful and debilitating bone diseases like osteoporosis — thus, add dates to your osteoporosis diet natural treatment plan.

Dates are high in calcium and a food high in phosphorus, which work closely together to build strong bones and teeth. Eating Medjool dates regularly is one way that you can up your intake of calcium and phosphorus.

 

Medjool dates nutrition - Dr. Axe

The sticky texture of Medjool dates makes them excellent for binding ingredients together whether you’re making a granola bar or tart crust.

Medjool dates can also make a delicious appetizer or snack when stuffed with various ingredients like goat cheese or paneer. Since Medjool dates don’t need to be refrigerated, they make a perfect tasty and healthy addition to a gift basket alongside some nuts, dark chocolate and other dried fruit.

Last but not least, when Medjool dates are made into a paste, they become an awesome, nutrient-dense sugar substitute. Date paste can be used one-to-one in most recipes, unlike stevia, and it adds bulk for baking.

How to make date paste:

  1. Soak Medjool dates in hot water until soft. If the water reaches room temperature and the dates aren’t soft enough, soak in hot water again.
  2. Reserve the soaking liquid, as it’s integral to making a good paste!
  3. Add the soaked dates to your food processor, along with one tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to create a thick rich paste.

You’re looking for the consistency of peanut butter. Use the paste in your favorite cookie or cake recipe to cut out refined sugar and boost the nutrients. You can also use date paste to sweeten your favorite muffins and pies.

Be Healthy!

 

Why You’re Bloated (And How to Get a Flat Belly)

Leave a reply

20-Reasons-You-are-Bloated744

JILLIAN SARNO TETA, ND

Everyone knows the feeling — uncomfortable, heavy, expansive — of being bloated. It is one of the most common complaints out there, and the causes for bloating number in the dozens.

Let us go through a quick list of the most common reasons for bloat in relationship to your gut — and what to do about them.

The Food You Eat

Paleo Salt

1. Foods that are well-known gas causers:  Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, beans, soy, gluten and dairy products all have a long record of bringing on the bloat.

2. Salt: Excessive salt consumption, particularly when combined with low water intake and/or a low mineral intake will actually pull water from your cells and deposit it in the spaces between cells, giving you the appearance of holding water and making you feel puffy.

Fake sugars like Splenda and aspartame can pull fluid and gas into the intestine, causing you to feel bloated.

3. Sugar alcohols and fake sweeteners: You’ve got to respect the maltitol. Anyone who has accidentally overeaten sugar-free candies knows exactly what I am talking about here. Sugar alcohols are not broken down by the human GI tract, remaining whole. They pull fluid and gas into the intestine. Xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol are also capable of exerting these effects. Fake sugars like Splenda, aspartame and others can also create these issues. Read those labels, folks, particularly in protein bars and protein shakes. Gum chewers who can’t pin down why they are bloated should consider their gum chewing habit.

4. Foods you are sensitive to: Many of us are walking around with a food sensitivity we are not aware of, because, well, we’ve always eaten that food! Finding and removing food sensitivities from your diet is a project you want to pursue if you have been having chronic gastrointestinal distress in spite of being told that you are “fine”.

5. FODMAPs: This acronym stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. It’s a big mouthful that refers to certain types of carbohydrates and fibers that are highly fermentable (gas-causing) to the gut bacteria.

6. Foods that aren’t appropriate for any diagnosis you may have: Like FODMAPs with IBS and SIBO, there are some foods that don’t work well in certain conditions, no matter how healthy. Examples of this are nightshades (white potatoes, tomatoes, bell pepper, eggplant) in those with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and gluten in those with autoimmune conditions.

Solution: The most reliable way to sort out which foods do what to your body does not lie with any test (though IgG food sensitivity testing can help guide, it is by no means definitive), but with an elimination-challenge diet. No test, checklist or hunch of a natural health guru trumps your own experience.

The Way You Eat

Summer Recipes

7. Not chewing well: Chewing helps pre-digest food by mechanically breaking it down and biochemical breaking it down via enzymes found in the saliva. When you don’t chew well, it puts more mechanical and biomechanical stress on the stomach and small intestine to break things down. This, in turn, can bring on the bloat.

8. Eating on the run: Shoveling food down as you stand next to the sink or the fridge does nothing to help prep your brain and gastrointestinal system to help you digest your food.

9. Overeating: Overconsumption of any food can create gas and bloating, for very similar reasons as not chewing your food does. A greater volume of food requires more energy and resources for breaking it down.

Solution: Insert mindfulness into mealtimes. When you eat, sit down. Pay attention to the taste and texture of your food. Chew. Don’t talk with your mouth full, as this introduces excessive air into your system. Slow down as you eat, to give your brain — and second brain (the enteric nervous system, ENS) — a chance to gauge when you are satisfied, and to orchestrate the creation/release of digestive enzymes, acid and bile.

Your Ability to Digest What You Eat

How-Your-Gut-Affects-Your-Happiness

10. Low digestive fire: I call the body’s ability to break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into their building-block constituent compounds of starches, fatty acids and amino acids through the use of enzymes, bile and stomach acid “digestive fire.” When we lack production of one of these factors, your body’s ability to break down these macronutrients is compromised. Thus, the ability to absorb them is also interrupted. Unbroken, partially-digested food compounds are more fermentable to the gut flora and more provocative to the immune system. The end result? That bloated feeling.

11. Carbohydrate malabsorption: Lactose intolerance is the most famous example of this, but fructose malabsorption and the inability to digest other carbohydrates is also a possibility. Undigested and unabsorbed compounds in your gut are likely to cause gas and bloating. Carbohydrate malabsorption is easily diagnosed via a breath test, particularly if you suspect fructose malabsorption. Many of those who are lactose intolerant discovered it through trial and error, but this is more difficult with other forms of carbohydrates.

Solution: If you feel your digestive fire may not be burning brightly, consider supplementing with a digestive enzyme at mealtimes. You may also try taking a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar before meals, incorporate ginger and turmeric into your diet, and follow the other solutions in this piece, as low fire is often caused by a combination of reasons.

The Health of Your Microbiome

12. Dysbiosis: Dysbiosis is an umbrella term for an imbalance in your microbiome. Your microbiome is a beneficial colony of one hundred trillion bacterial cells residing in your large intestine. When the numbers of good guys drop, or the number of unsavory characters increases, this is called dysbiosis. A dysbiotic gut flora is a gassy one. Unfortunately, dysbiosis irritates the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, as well, adding another layer of inflammation and with it, the potential for even more bloating.

13. Pathogenic infection: There are many types of specific dysbiosis, including frank infection with a parasite or harmful bacteria or overgrowth of Candida or other forms of yeast. These can be objectively measured and diagnosed with a stool test.

14. SIBO: Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth is a colonization of bacteria — even normal ones — where they don’t belong. The small intestine is supposed to be relatively sterile, but sometimes the guys from our microbiome move north and set up shop. There they do their bacterial thing, but because the location is off, we experience feelings of bloat, excessive gas and spasm. SIBO, unlike other forms of dysbiosis, is diagnosed via a breath test.

Solution: For those of you who have tuned up your nutrition and lifestyle and spruced up your digestive fire but are still experiencing symptoms, it is time to rule out dysbiosis and infection. This is done with a stool test. You can also help build a robust microbiome by eating lots of veggies (that you tolerate) and fermented foods, using antibiotics judiciously, laying off hand sanitizers and considering a probiotic.

The Integrity (or lack thereof) of Your Gut Lining

15. Your small intestine: The cells that line your small intestine are supposed to stand next to each other, tightly. Chronic inflammation from dysbiosis or inflammatory disease states, consuming foods you are sensitive to, high stress, alcohol binges and a host of other factors can disrupt this integrity and unbutton the cells.

With this interface disrupted, the immune system interacts with food and native bacterial compounds in a non-ideal way. It views them as invaders and generates an attack. These inflammatory compounds further disrupt the integrity of the lining, generate new food sensitivities, increase the risk of autoimmune reaction, and make you hold water and feel bloated.

16. Other problems with the lining: Ulcers, gastritis, esophagitis and even diverticulitis all can create the sensation of bloating.

Solution: While approaching any digestive issue, not only do we look to food, our ability to digest it and the health of the microbiome, we also must take steps to ensure that the structure that is housing all of this — the gut lining — is in good shape, too. There are many nutrients and compounds out there that help us accomplish this goal, including glutamine, n-acetyl glucosamine, chamomile, turmeric, zinc carnosine, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), bone broth, gelatin and many more.

Your Lifestyle

Low and High Intensity Exercises

17. Lack of sleep and downtime: The central nervous System (CNS) has two branches — “fight and flight” and “rest and digest.” When we are sleep-deprived, overworked and do not get enough rest, the fight or flight branch begins to dominate, and the rest and digest branch takes a back seat. This branch, however, helps keep things moving smoothly in the gut. When its function is suppressed, bloating can ensue.

18. Lack of Movement: Movement is life. All types of physical activity help keep the ENS, your second brain, running smoothly. The ENS is responsible for all of the minutiae of digestion, including the rate at which digestive factors are released and the regulation of peristalsis, the rhythmical, muscular contraction that propels food and gas down and out. There are few quicker ways to impair your ENS than to not move your body in some way, whether it is walking, stretching, yoga, weight training, sprints or whatever your pleasure.

19. Constipation: Bloating and constipation often go hand in hand. A slow bowel, much like a sedentary lifestyle, can leave you feeling full and uncomfortable. Addressing constipation is a key strategy in helping you de-bloat. Hydration, adequate fat, fiber and minerals, along with physical activity and sleep, are the first steps to take to tackle this common condition.

20. Stress: The prior two points are major causative factors of this point, but we can lump in here all types of mental, emotional and social stress for which we have no relief or release. As above, uncompensated stress greatly disrupts the ENS, which in turn creates a whole host of digestive distress, including bloating.

Solution: For starters, protect your sleep. Go to bed before 11:30 p.m. and do your best to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Indulge in a morning walk, using the mindfulness you are cultivating while eating to your walking experience, noticing the sights and sounds around you and the feel of air and sun on your skin. Develop a support network and start tackling your inner anxieties and stressors through self-development books or courses, physical activity or a combination of what suits you best.

As common and annoying as it is, bloating doesn’t have to be so. It is often an indicator that something is not quite right in paradise, and with some detective work and tweaking, we can determine for ourselves what is best for our body, and that is a very sweet place indeed.

Be Healthy always.

45 Reasons to Exercise and Eat Right That Aren’t Weight Loss

Leave a reply

Adapted from CHARLOTTE ANDERSEN
When you tally all the reasons to eat well and exercise, we’re not even sure weight loss should make the top 10. Face it: The number on the scale is not a reliable indicator of overall health. Even worse, according to one study, people who diet or exercise just to lose weight quit a lot sooner than people who make healthy changes for other reasons. The researchers found that the most successful motivation for sticking to a healthy lifestyle was “feeling better about themselves” for women and “better health” for men.

Here are 45 science-backed reasons to start living a healthier life today that have zilch to do with your weight.

The Best Reasons to Break a Sweat

1. It works as an antidepressant.
One study found that depression sufferers who did aerobic exercise showed just as much improvement in their symptoms as people on medication. In fact, after four months, 60 to 70 percent of the subjects couldn’t even be classified as having depression. Even better, a follow-up to the study found that the effects from the exercise lasted longer than those from the medication.
2. It reduces PMS.
In one study, teen girls—was there ever a moodier bunch?—performed 60-minute cardio sessions three times a week for eight weeks. Afterward they reported their symptoms from PMS, especially depression and anger, were markedly better, so much so that the researchers concluded that exercise should be prescribed as a cure for PMS.

3. It reduces stress and anxiety.
Pop quiz: When you’re super stressed out and worried about ________ (work/relationship status/the end of Serial/life in general) what is the fastest way to chill out? A) Mainline a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. B) Go for a serious sweat fest. or C) Call your mom. Sorry, Mom, but science says that working out is one of the fastest ways to clear cortisol, the stress hormone, out of your system and calm a frantic mind.

4. It boosts creativity.
The next time writer’s block hits or you need new ideas for your departmental meeting, try taking a quick stroll around the block. A recent study found that walking improved both convergent and divergent thinking, the two types associated with enhanced creativity.

5. It wipes out allergies.
Sneezing, watery eyes, and snot-cicles (’tis the season!) can really take the fun out of a workout, but there’s a good reason to lace up your gym shoes even with an allergy attack. Researchers in Thailand reported that running for 30 minutes can reduce sneezing, itching, congestion, and runny nose by up to 90 percent.

6. It strengthens your heart.
It may feel like your heart is thumping itself out of your chest during those hill sprints, but your ticker will thank you later. As shown in an extensive report from the American Heart Association, exercise strengthens your heart muscle as well as reduces your risk of heart disease and other related conditions. So the next time you’re sweating through spin class, just imagine it’s a Valentine you’re sending to your body.

7. It helps you resist temptation.
They don’t call it a “runner’s high” for nothing! Whether you’re addicted to sugar, cigarettes, or even heroin, exercise could play an important role in resisting your substance of choice. In one study, scientists found that the endorphin rush released during exercise acts on the same neural pathways as addictive substances. The result? Mice in this study opted for the treadmill over the high from an amphetamine-laced solution, suggesting that humans could do the same.

8. It reduces risk of metabolic syndrome…
Exercise can almost totally obliterate metabolic syndrome and even reverse the damage. Not all exercise works equally well, however, as one study proves intensity is key. So rather than stay at one steady pace, try intervals that will take your heart rate up and down.

9. … And lessens the risk of oodles of other diseases too.
Many types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease—we’d be here all day if we listed all the illnesses that exercising lowers your risk for. Exercise is such a health preventative superstar that Jordan Metzel, M.D., recently declared it to be “a miracle drug that prevents almost every illness, is 100 percent effective, and has very few side effects.” Even better, we don’t have to wait for FDA approval for this magical panacea!
10. It protects your eyes.
We hate to break this to you, but you’re staring at a screen right now. Welcome to the eye-strain club! But recent research found that one of the best ways to protect your eyes and stave off age-related vision loss is regular cardiovascular exercise. In one study, active mice kept twice as many retinal neurons as the sedentary fur balls. But it isn’t just a benefit for the four-legged; a separate study found a similar correlation in humans.

11. It adds years to your life…
People who exercise live longer. Yeah, we said it. Research has shown that you can add up to seven years to your life by exercising a minimum of 150 minutes a week (that’s just three days of working out for 50 minutes), regardless of what you weigh.

12. … And life to your years.
Even better, those extra years will be happy ones: A recent study found that people who exercise reported feeling happier, more excited, and had more enthusiasm for life than their couch-potato peers.

13. It makes you respect your body.
Using our bodies not only strengthens them but builds our gratitude for all the cool stuff they can do, and research supports this. After all, being an athlete has nothing to do the mirror—it’s about how your body can move.

14. It strengthens bones.
According to one landmark study, the best way to build bone density and reduce the risk of fractures and osteoporosis into old age is to do weight-bearing exercises like running or dancing. The researchers found that adults who exercised moderately or strenuously had better bone density than those who exercised little or not at all. Keep it up though: Adults who quit exercising later in life lost bone mass even if they’d exercised regularly earlier in their youth.
15. It saves money.
One Fortune 500 company estimates that for each dollar spent on preventive health, including exercise, it saves $2.71 in future health costs. That’s a wise practice to for you to adopt as the CEO of your health too.

16. It helps your fertility.
Harvard researchers found that men who exercised had a higher concentration of sperm in their semen and that the sperm was of better-than-average quality. A meta-analysis looking at nearly 27,000 women found that those who worked out had lower rates overall of infertility, higher rates of implantation, and lower rates of miscarriage. One caveat: Women who exercised too strenuously or too much impaired their fertility, so it’s all about balance. Researchers advise hitting the gym three times a week for an hour each time.

17. It makes you a sex god or goddess.
Good news for both ladies and gents: Sweating in the gym can improve your sweating in the bedroom. But in this case women really score (ahem), as certain exercises have been linked to “coregasms,” or getting an orgasm from doing abs work. (Strong abs and strong orgasms? It’s win-win.) But even if hanging leg raises don’t send you into ecstasy, you still benefit from increased strength in your pelvic floor. And a separate study found that men who work out have a lower incidence of impotency and erectile dysfunction while experiencing more powerful orgasms. Plus these guys reported having sex more often.

18. It improves self-esteem.
It doesn’t take magic to know that working out makes you look better on the outside. But scientific research adds that it also makes us feel better about ourselves on the inside. In an analysis of research on the subject, exercisers report higher self-esteem and lower incidence of negative thoughts about their bodies. Plus it boosts confidence at work and other in areas of life too.
19. It helps you sleep like a baby (or puppy).
In a meta-analysis that looked at dozens of sleep studies, researchers found that people who exercised regularly had less incidence of insomnia and a higher quality of sleep. In addition, for people who did suffer from insomnia, adding consistent daily exercise significantly reduced their sleepless nights.

20. It doesn’t just make you look younger, it makes you be younger.
Research has found that exercisers truly are younger, on a cellular level, than their same-aged peers. Telomeres, the cap on the ends of DNA, start out long at birth and get progressively shorter with age. Up until recently it was thought there wasn’t much we could do to change that, but a new study showed that endurance athletes have longer telomeres than their peers, while a second study found that moderate exercise can lengthen your telomeres by up to 10 percent. So now you can feel free to lie about your age with impunity!

21. It pumps you up.
Hey there, He-Man (or She-Ra)! You don’t need a scientist to tell you that working out builds muscle and coordination.

22. It blasts bad fat and boosts good fat. (Yes, there is good fat!)
We know busting a sweat can reduce fat in general, but belly fat is particularly susceptible to exercise, and a study from last year found that high-intensity interval training blasted belly fat the fastest.
23. It makes you a good example for your loved ones.
Your exercise encourages others to do the same. We regularly mirror others around us in our gestures and behaviors. So consider that every time you’re heading to the gym, you’re setting an example, encouraging others to do the same.

24. It makes you smarter.
So much for the dumb bodybuilder stereotype—building muscles also helps you build brain cells. A meta-analysis of the effects of exercise on the brain found that fitness improves memory, boosts cognition, helps you learn faster, increases brain volume, and even makes you a better reader. In addition, recent studies have found that working out helps prevent the cognitive decline as we age and diseases like Alzheimer’s.

25. It manages chronic pain.
When you’re living with chronic pain, getting out of bed is hard enough, much less heading out to pump some iron or go for a run. Yet research shows that a moderate exercise program gives both short-term and long-term improvements for people who have chronic pain, even if the underlying condition remains. In short, exercise may not fix all your problems, but it will help you deal with them better.

The Best Reasons to Start Eating Healthier

1. It fattens your wallet.
People often lament that healthy food is pricier than processed junk food.  But before you ditch that apple for an apple fritter, researchers say that when you include the cost savings from preventing health problems—a savings of $2.71 for every dollar spent—you still come out way ahead.
2. It makes you happier.
An apple a day keeps the blues away, say researchers from New Zealand. Their study found that on the days young adults ate more fruits and vegetables, they reported feeling calmer, happier, and more energetic than they normally did. And the scientists say it wasn’t just happy people eating more honeydew. The data showed these positive feelings were a direct result of hitting the salad bar.

3. It protects your bones.
Eating a healthy diet full of calcium from dairy products, vitamin D from produce, and folic acid from leafy greens supports your skeleton, preventing osteoporosis and fractures in later life.

4. It revs up your fertility.
This one’s for the dads-to-be: A recent study found that eating swimmers (as in fish) boosts your swimmers (as in sperm). For women, the effect of a good diet is even more potent, as a separate study found that access to a wide variety of healthful foods was the number one predictor of high fertility rates in women who aren’t using birth control.

5. It conquers cramps.
Ladies: Pick your PMS poison, and there’s a nutritional remedy for it. And no, it’s not based on old wives’ tales. Modern science backs up these claims: The fiber in fruits and veggies fights bloat, magnesium-rich foods (like dark chocolate!) prevent cramps, iron in red meat helps with fatigue, calcium in dairy products is calming, and the zinc in green plants helps can smooth out mood swings.

6. It gives you an iron-clad immune system.
Research has found that getting your ten-a-day of veggies and fruits can boost your immune system and save you five (or more) sick days. One study found that people who ate more produce got sick less often, regardless of whatever other foods they ate. And you might want to season those veggies with garlic: People who ate the clove daily got 64 percent fewer colds and recovered faster than those with less stinky breath.

7. It fixes your DNA.
Have you ever bemoaned your family history of heart attacks? Well, complain no more. A recent study in the brand-new field of epigentics found that eating a healthy diet can “turn on” good DNA and “turn off” some bad DNA, leading to long-term and even generational benefits. So while you probably can’t get a nutritional nose job, you can eat your way to less heart disease—and spare your children from inheriting the risk too.

8. It can help cure irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Sufferers experience debilitating pain, bloating, tenacious constipation, and embarrassing (sometimes public) displays of diarrhea. But new research has found a link between the bacteria living in a person’s gut and their chance of having IBS, saying that eating probiotics helped the majority of sufferers find some respite. And don’t just look to yogurt to get your fix. Remember the three Ks: kefir, kimchi, and kombucha.
9. It makes your (future) children smarter…
A pediatric study shows pregnant women who eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, DHA specifically, go on to have kids with higher IQs at age four than do moms who avoid seafood. And another study demonstrated that children who supplemented with DHA or ate a lot of fish also showed cognitive improvements.

10. … And it makes you smarter too.
Fish oil isn’t only for kids! Eating more fish can boost your cognitive capacity. But it is not just about toeing the (fishing) line; a diet rich in healthy fats, protein, and antioxidants from produce increases cognition and prevents memory loss later in life too, says a neuroscience study.

11. It’s the ultimate workout booster.
Just like exercise can help you eat better, eating better can help you crush it in the gym. Exercise, by definition, breaks you down. It’s tough on your muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system. It’s how your body heals all that damage that makes you stronger, and healthy foods support that growth and recovery process. Good carbohydrates boost your endurance, protein builds and maintains muscle, and vitamins and minerals keep everything working together as it should.

12. It chills you out.
People credit turkey’s tryptophan for a comfy food coma post-Thanksgiving (which isn’t strictly true: Blame the carb-overload for that). But tryptophan can help you chill out. Researchers found that men deprived of tryptophan experienced an immediate rise in anxiety, and some even had panic attacks. But once they were given tryptophan again, they calmed down like babies in a bubble bath. And no need to dig out your turkey baster—tryptophan is found in lots of healthy foods like dark chocolate, oats, dried fruit, seeds, eggs, fish, and dairy.
13. It delivers clearer skin.
Scientists say you may be able to eat your way to a clearer complexion. Sugary foods, dairy, and processed grains have all been linked to outbreaks of acne and rosacea.

14. It amps up your sex drive.
While many foods (think wine, chocolate, and oysters) have been hailed as aphrodisiacs, in scientific study, the effects have been mostly chalked up to the placebo effect. But new data suggests we look in the spice aisle. Researchers found that eating healthy spices like saffron and ginger measurably improved sexual desire and performance in both genders.

15. It prevents insomnia.
With about 50 percent of adults experiencing at least one bout of sleeplessness lasting longer than three weeks, insomnia is one of the major complaints people have about their health. Fortunately good nutrition can help you catch your zzzs. One study found that magnesium, found in foods like dark chocolate and whole oats, helped people fall asleep faster with less incidents of nighttime waking. In another study, people who ate fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir slept longer and had higher quality sleep.

16. It soothes sore muscles.
According to several studies, what you eat can greatly affect how quickly and how well your muscles recover after a workout. According to research, the biggest factor was getting enough protein, as that nutrient is responsible for building and repairing skeletal muscle.

17. It gives you energy.
The next time you’re feeling exhausted, skip the “energy” drinks and head for the blender and whip up a shake with a balance of carbohydrates for quick energy and complex protein to increase performance and help with recovery. A study of athletes found that those who drank the protein shake showed a significant improvement in performance on an athletic test than did those who relied on straight carbs alone.
18. It reduces cravings for bad food.
Researchers found that starting the day with a protein-rich meal for breakfast helped reduce cravings for junk food later on in the day. Rather than feel deprived of their favorite treats, subjects reported, well, not thinking about treats much at all. The researchers think that eating a healthy, protein-packed breakfast increased levels of dopamine in the brain. Since 91 percent of us report having intense food cravings, according to a Tufts study, we’ll be seeing you at the breakfast bar.

19. It makes you a faster runner.
In one study, runners who ate beets experienced a significant increase in their endurance and speed. But stick to whole beets rather than beet juices or extracts, as the effect was most pronounced from eating the food. Another study found that people who ate a Mediterranean style diet (heavy on fish, olive oil, and nuts, and light on gelato) increased their running endurance, upped their tolerance for exercise, and showed improvements in their cardiovascular health.

20. It will make you win at life.
In possibly the cutest study, Stanford researches had children face down delicious marshmallows in the ultimate battle of willpower. The results, chronicled in the book The Marshmallow Test, showed that tots who had strong enough willpower to resist the junk food ended up having higher SAT scores and great professional success as adults. But it doesn’t take a test to see there is a link between living your best life and treating your body well. Taking care of your health will not only give you all the benefits we’ve listed, and many more, but the confidence and self-knowledge in all aspects of your life—so bon appetit!