Easter--the "other" candy-filled holiday of the year--is right around the corner.
I won't even get into the level of creepy involved with this holiday (a giant bunny sneaks into the house and leaves candy-filled eggs and chocolate bunnies that we decapitate with our mouths???? Whose idea was this???) Kids love it. I loved it. I still love it...let's not lie.
So let's talk about the how to avoid eating all that candy:
Step 1. Don't buy it. Easy. Save money and calories.
Step 2. If you've got a kid or kids in your life in some capacity, you know as well as I know that it's impossible to not have candy around during Easter. Try to get them interested in darker chocolates rather milk chocolates. At least dark chocolate has some health benefits.
Step 3. Fill the plastic Easter eggs with tiny toys, stickers, playdo, or dried fruit instead of candy. In other words, turn the candy eating into some type of activity or fruit consumption.
When in doubt, default to step 1. Just don't buy the delicious junk.
And I'd just like to add: yay for adults dressed as giant bunnies giving candy to our youth! We are weird...no matter how fun it is...we. Are. WEIRD. I digress...
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Streeeeetch: hurts so good
Alrighty fellow health-nerds. Let's talk about that thing that we all pretend to do but never actually spend time doing:
STRETCHING
Back in my ballet golden days, I stretched every day...but then this thing called laziness happened. oops.
So why should we stretch?
1. to avoid injury
2. to improve your sport of choice
Stretching your muscles, tendons, and ligaments more flexible. Think about it--I'll use dancing as an example (I wonder why...): Okay, so you are in the middle of performing or competing or just social dancing and you go to try a new move that involves a deep back bend. Then all of a sudden "@#$*!#$&"--crazy bad pain starts shooting in your back. It's probably because you tried to bend your back farther than you should have because it is not flexible enough.
Life Lesson by AntiUnhealthy #1: You stretch more--you bend more.
As for the second reason, stretching obviously helps improve your sport of choice because it enables you to complete more strenuous tasks. No need to explain this one, I hope.
So a few pressing questions:
1. When should we stretch?
2. How long should we stretch?
3. What types of stretches should we do?
1. Muy importante! It is a common misconception that we should use stretching as our warm-up or do it first thing. Nooooooooo sirry. False. Negative. Stop it. You should stretch with warrrrrrrrrrrrm muscles. Walk for a few minutes, then stretch, then exercise. Or use stretching to end your cooldown. Your muscles are still warm from the activity so they are able to stretch deeper. Think of your muscles like a rod of metal (only not as strong of course). In order for welders to bend rods into different shapes, they have to heat them first so they are more malleable. Your muscles should be shown a similar kindness--warm them up so they can stretch easier and don't tear. (Okay, that might have been a poor example...you guys know what I mean though!)
2. Most sources say stretch for 5-10 minutes. When I do actually stretch, I stay closer to the 5 minute side. To help make this time go quicker without getting bored, do your stretches near a tv or while one of your top 5 jam-out songs is on your iPod. It helps distract you from the boredom.
Check out this MayoClinic article for more information on this topic.
3. It depends on the part of the body. Here is a link to the Stretching Injury Clinic website showing excellent stretches for multiple parts of the body.
CAUTION: Don't overstretch! How? By listening to your body. But my body doesn't talk. Shut up.
There is a difference between stretching and pain. If you feel straight up pain, stop immediately. Stretching should HURT SO GOOD, not hurt so bad--kinda like a massage. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments are very complex and interesting tissues. Maybe in another post, I'll go into the anatomy and physiology of how they actually work to provide further insight.
STRETCHING
Back in my ballet golden days, I stretched every day...but then this thing called laziness happened. oops.
So why should we stretch?
1. to avoid injury
2. to improve your sport of choice
Stretching your muscles, tendons, and ligaments more flexible. Think about it--I'll use dancing as an example (I wonder why...): Okay, so you are in the middle of performing or competing or just social dancing and you go to try a new move that involves a deep back bend. Then all of a sudden "@#$*!#$&"--crazy bad pain starts shooting in your back. It's probably because you tried to bend your back farther than you should have because it is not flexible enough.
Life Lesson by AntiUnhealthy #1: You stretch more--you bend more.
As for the second reason, stretching obviously helps improve your sport of choice because it enables you to complete more strenuous tasks. No need to explain this one, I hope.
So a few pressing questions:
1. When should we stretch?
2. How long should we stretch?
3. What types of stretches should we do?
1. Muy importante! It is a common misconception that we should use stretching as our warm-up or do it first thing. Nooooooooo sirry. False. Negative. Stop it. You should stretch with warrrrrrrrrrrrm muscles. Walk for a few minutes, then stretch, then exercise. Or use stretching to end your cooldown. Your muscles are still warm from the activity so they are able to stretch deeper. Think of your muscles like a rod of metal (only not as strong of course). In order for welders to bend rods into different shapes, they have to heat them first so they are more malleable. Your muscles should be shown a similar kindness--warm them up so they can stretch easier and don't tear. (Okay, that might have been a poor example...you guys know what I mean though!)
2. Most sources say stretch for 5-10 minutes. When I do actually stretch, I stay closer to the 5 minute side. To help make this time go quicker without getting bored, do your stretches near a tv or while one of your top 5 jam-out songs is on your iPod. It helps distract you from the boredom.
Check out this MayoClinic article for more information on this topic.
3. It depends on the part of the body. Here is a link to the Stretching Injury Clinic website showing excellent stretches for multiple parts of the body.
CAUTION: Don't overstretch! How? By listening to your body. But my body doesn't talk. Shut up.
There is a difference between stretching and pain. If you feel straight up pain, stop immediately. Stretching should HURT SO GOOD, not hurt so bad--kinda like a massage. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments are very complex and interesting tissues. Maybe in another post, I'll go into the anatomy and physiology of how they actually work to provide further insight.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Canker sore or Cold sore?
Okay...let's get one thing straight: canker sore does not equal cold sore.
What is a canker sore?
It's a mouth ulcer--a rather painful, open sore inside the mouth that looks white or yellowish and is surrounded by a bright red area (in case you didn't know, redness is one of the key hints from your body that it is mad at you because something is wrong).
Most canker sores are caused by:
Most of the time, these little jerks go away with time. Check out this PubMed article for treatments and other home remedies. Pretty good ideas here.
Now listen...this is important: If you have a canker sore that won't go away or you get them often, you should ask your doctor about it because there might be something else going on. Remember that your body has ways of giving you red flags or warnings. If you get canker sores a lot, it's most likely your body's way of telling you that you are lacking something important or consuming something you shouldn't be.
What is a cold sore?
AKA a fever blister...this little bugger is a straight up infection. To be specific, it is an infection caused by Herpes Simplex Virus 1. Don't freak out and please pay attention to this next statement: Herpes Simplex 1 does not equal Herpes Simplex 2. HSV-1 is Oral herpes and HSV-2 is genital herpes. There are ways that 2 can be found in the mouth but we won't get into that on this episode of 'Health Education 101 by AntiUnhealthy'.
So to focus on HSV-1, here are some signs you are getting a cold sore:
Okay, so how do you know? Canker sore or Cold sore?
The most straightforward way to tell the difference is the location. Most of the time, canker sores are found on the inside of the mouth and cold sores are found on the outside of the mouth.
Hope this clarified some things for ya. And just some advice, whether you want it or not, don't complain to other people that you have a painful cold sore if it is actually a canker sore. You might get a less-than-happy response...especially if it's your better half. Just sayin...
What is a canker sore?
It's a mouth ulcer--a rather painful, open sore inside the mouth that looks white or yellowish and is surrounded by a bright red area (in case you didn't know, redness is one of the key hints from your body that it is mad at you because something is wrong).
Most canker sores are caused by:
- stress
- hormonal changes
- lack of certain nutrients (iron, folic acid, and B-12 are the ones to keep an eye out for)
- food allergies
Most of the time, these little jerks go away with time. Check out this PubMed article for treatments and other home remedies. Pretty good ideas here.
Now listen...this is important: If you have a canker sore that won't go away or you get them often, you should ask your doctor about it because there might be something else going on. Remember that your body has ways of giving you red flags or warnings. If you get canker sores a lot, it's most likely your body's way of telling you that you are lacking something important or consuming something you shouldn't be.
What is a cold sore?
AKA a fever blister...this little bugger is a straight up infection. To be specific, it is an infection caused by Herpes Simplex Virus 1. Don't freak out and please pay attention to this next statement: Herpes Simplex 1 does not equal Herpes Simplex 2. HSV-1 is Oral herpes and HSV-2 is genital herpes. There are ways that 2 can be found in the mouth but we won't get into that on this episode of 'Health Education 101 by AntiUnhealthy'.
So to focus on HSV-1, here are some signs you are getting a cold sore:
- itchy, burny, or tingly lips
- sore throat, fever, or swollen glands
- appearance of blister on gums, lips, mouth, or throat
Okay, so how do you know? Canker sore or Cold sore?
The most straightforward way to tell the difference is the location. Most of the time, canker sores are found on the inside of the mouth and cold sores are found on the outside of the mouth.
Hope this clarified some things for ya. And just some advice, whether you want it or not, don't complain to other people that you have a painful cold sore if it is actually a canker sore. You might get a less-than-happy response...especially if it's your better half. Just sayin...
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Why won't my eye stop twitching?!?!
Don't lie, folks...You alllll know what I'm talking about.
It is quite possibly the most annoying, involuntary action your body can make:
the infamous eye twitch.
It's that annoying pulse thing your eyelid does sometimes. Makes you just wanna close your eyes or wear an eye patch like a pirate (argh!), or just hold your eyelid down and scream, "STOP IT EYEBALL!!!!"
My infamous eye twitch has recently gotten so annoying that I decided to ask the all-knowing...google. I asked, "why won't my eye stop twitching?" Google led me to WebMD.
The technical name of this annoyance is blepharospasm. It usually manifests itself as the upper eyelid twitching, but can also manifest itself as uncontrollable blinking. The major causes are also major parts of my life (go figure): fatigue, stress, and caffeine. I'm working on fixing the first two, but the third one helps with the first two so it will not be fixed any time soon. C'est la vie.
Keep in mind though, if this occurrence is regular for you, it could be a sign of a more significant issue and you should consult your eye doctor.
Another note: There are 3 main types of an eye twitch including minor eyelid twitch (which is what I'm talking about), benign essential blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm. Take a look at the WebMD article for more specifics on these types, especially if you think you suffer from more than the minor eyelid twitch. If this is something that just happens occassionally (like it is for me), then don't fret. It's harmless and painless and is purely annoyance.
The cure? Decrease stress (ha! tell that to my life), sleep more (once again, pretty sure my life would get a kick out of that), and cut down the coffee (is "no" a good enough answer?)
Now it would be great if I could get mine to stop twitching so I could actually proofread this blog...juuuuuuuuuuuuuust kidding...ish.
:-D
It is quite possibly the most annoying, involuntary action your body can make:
the infamous eye twitch.
It's that annoying pulse thing your eyelid does sometimes. Makes you just wanna close your eyes or wear an eye patch like a pirate (argh!), or just hold your eyelid down and scream, "STOP IT EYEBALL!!!!"
My infamous eye twitch has recently gotten so annoying that I decided to ask the all-knowing...google. I asked, "why won't my eye stop twitching?" Google led me to WebMD.
The technical name of this annoyance is blepharospasm. It usually manifests itself as the upper eyelid twitching, but can also manifest itself as uncontrollable blinking. The major causes are also major parts of my life (go figure): fatigue, stress, and caffeine. I'm working on fixing the first two, but the third one helps with the first two so it will not be fixed any time soon. C'est la vie.
Keep in mind though, if this occurrence is regular for you, it could be a sign of a more significant issue and you should consult your eye doctor.
Another note: There are 3 main types of an eye twitch including minor eyelid twitch (which is what I'm talking about), benign essential blepharospasm, and hemifacial spasm. Take a look at the WebMD article for more specifics on these types, especially if you think you suffer from more than the minor eyelid twitch. If this is something that just happens occassionally (like it is for me), then don't fret. It's harmless and painless and is purely annoyance.
The cure? Decrease stress (ha! tell that to my life), sleep more (once again, pretty sure my life would get a kick out of that), and cut down the coffee (is "no" a good enough answer?)
Now it would be great if I could get mine to stop twitching so I could actually proofread this blog...juuuuuuuuuuuuuust kidding...ish.
:-D
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Impossibly Healthy Mashed Potatoes
Healthy Mashed Potatoes...say what??? impossible.
That is probably one of the top 5 food oxymorons that exist.
But I'm not kidding. It's a real thing. I made it for dinner the other night and it was not only healthy, but it was also delicious (even according the the manfriend who is an awesome cook).
Here's how you do it for 2 people (of course use your brains and do math if you are making it for more people):
3 potatoes--we did have a ton of leftovers though so it should probably be 1 potato per person instead
1 tablespoon of some form of healthy butter--margarine, butter made with olive oil, low cholesterol butter, etc. There are a ton of healthy-ish butters in the cold food section.
1/2 cup of unsweetened original almond milk
pepper and a tiny bit of salt
1. Peel and cut those potatoes and boil them until you can poke a fork into one easily.
2. Drain the water, add the healthy butter, almond milk, saltpep (that's my new shorthand for salt and pepper...deal with it).
3. Mash mash mash mash mash (hey! you get an arm workout by making this too!)
4. Add more almond milk to match your desired level of creaminess.
**SIDE NOTE: I'm pretty sure the almond milk is the key that makes these delicious. BUT! Make sure you get UNSWEETENED AND ORIGINAL. If you use a sweetened version or the vanilla version, your potatoes will have this strange sweet taste that mashed potatoes shouldn't have. It's just weird. Don't do it. If you trust me on anything...trust me on this.
Here's the lowdown on the nutrition per person (remember the amounts listed above yielded quite a bit of leftovers, so the actual caloric intake is less than this).
A medium potato has about 160 calories.
Half of a tablespoon of margarine has about 45 calories.
A fourth of a cup of unsweetened almond milk has only about 20 calories.
So that adds up to 225 calories for mashed potatoes if you eat WAYYYYYYYY too much (and I've got some Irish blood in me so I can put away mashed taters.) Normal mashed potatoes are a lot more because of the regular butter and regular milk.
Couple this recipe with a lean piece of chicken and some baked or grilled veggies, and you are in for one healthy and delicious meal.
Go enjoy those mashed taters!!
That is probably one of the top 5 food oxymorons that exist.
But I'm not kidding. It's a real thing. I made it for dinner the other night and it was not only healthy, but it was also delicious (even according the the manfriend who is an awesome cook).
Here's how you do it for 2 people (of course use your brains and do math if you are making it for more people):
3 potatoes--we did have a ton of leftovers though so it should probably be 1 potato per person instead
1 tablespoon of some form of healthy butter--margarine, butter made with olive oil, low cholesterol butter, etc. There are a ton of healthy-ish butters in the cold food section.
1/2 cup of unsweetened original almond milk
pepper and a tiny bit of salt
1. Peel and cut those potatoes and boil them until you can poke a fork into one easily.
2. Drain the water, add the healthy butter, almond milk, saltpep (that's my new shorthand for salt and pepper...deal with it).
3. Mash mash mash mash mash (hey! you get an arm workout by making this too!)
4. Add more almond milk to match your desired level of creaminess.
**SIDE NOTE: I'm pretty sure the almond milk is the key that makes these delicious. BUT! Make sure you get UNSWEETENED AND ORIGINAL. If you use a sweetened version or the vanilla version, your potatoes will have this strange sweet taste that mashed potatoes shouldn't have. It's just weird. Don't do it. If you trust me on anything...trust me on this.
Here's the lowdown on the nutrition per person (remember the amounts listed above yielded quite a bit of leftovers, so the actual caloric intake is less than this).
A medium potato has about 160 calories.
Half of a tablespoon of margarine has about 45 calories.
A fourth of a cup of unsweetened almond milk has only about 20 calories.
So that adds up to 225 calories for mashed potatoes if you eat WAYYYYYYYY too much (and I've got some Irish blood in me so I can put away mashed taters.) Normal mashed potatoes are a lot more because of the regular butter and regular milk.
Couple this recipe with a lean piece of chicken and some baked or grilled veggies, and you are in for one healthy and delicious meal.
Go enjoy those mashed taters!!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
National Chocolate Day
Okay so maybe Valentine's Day isn't actually National Chocolate Day but it might as well be. I admit it: I'm a chocolate lover. But I'm also female, so it basically comes with the whole estrogen territory. As everyone who was ever born knows, today is Valentine's Day (or Singles Awareness Day)...one in the same. Regardless, everyone should eat chocolate. It doesn't count on holidays, right? Well, maybe not in our heads, but our bodies certainly count it.
Here are a few tips for chocolate consumption on V-day:
1. Take the Dark Chocolate option. Dark choc is loaded with antioxidants that are beneficial for your cardiovascular system. Granted a lot of foods have antioxidants, but if you must eat chocolate, the darker the better. The dark stuff also has lower amounts of sugar than other chocolates. Definitely a positive.
2. Make yourself drink 5 gulps of water after every piece of chocolate. I promise you won't be able to eat as much...or it will take you a lot longer to eat it.
3. Put the box of chocolates in a different room than where you are for the majority of the time. It will force you to walk to go get a piece, which burns a few tiny calories and also prevents you from eating it if you are lazy enough.
4. Have your better half feed it to you. That will force you to take smaller bites or at least eat it slower. Not to mention it's super sexy (or completely ridiculous if I'm involved.)
5. Dip fruit into your chocolate. If you get your chocolate fix that way, at least you are eating fruit at the same time. Yummmmm.
Now go enjoy that deliciousness. Yes puhhhhlease!
Here are a few tips for chocolate consumption on V-day:
1. Take the Dark Chocolate option. Dark choc is loaded with antioxidants that are beneficial for your cardiovascular system. Granted a lot of foods have antioxidants, but if you must eat chocolate, the darker the better. The dark stuff also has lower amounts of sugar than other chocolates. Definitely a positive.
2. Make yourself drink 5 gulps of water after every piece of chocolate. I promise you won't be able to eat as much...or it will take you a lot longer to eat it.
3. Put the box of chocolates in a different room than where you are for the majority of the time. It will force you to walk to go get a piece, which burns a few tiny calories and also prevents you from eating it if you are lazy enough.
4. Have your better half feed it to you. That will force you to take smaller bites or at least eat it slower. Not to mention it's super sexy (or completely ridiculous if I'm involved.)
5. Dip fruit into your chocolate. If you get your chocolate fix that way, at least you are eating fruit at the same time. Yummmmm.
Now go enjoy that deliciousness. Yes puhhhhlease!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Winter Blues
Being cold sucks.
I.
hate.
it.
I especially hate when my hands are cold...and my feet...and my face...and my ears. Ughhh. What REEEEALLY sucks is when those body parts are so cold that they hurt. It's the worst! I would much rather be sweating profusely than be so cold that it hurts.
I think part of that has to do with the fact that I grew up in a pretty mild climate down in Northeast Tennessee (please read that in a Southern accent and if you can't do one, I'll demo in person). I always tell my misinformed Yankee friends and family who think that the entirety of Tennessee is a scene from The Hills Have Eyes or that you will hear a creepy banjo playing if you go to a certain place, that TN aint all that bad. Sure our education system sucks (but so does the rest of America's if you compare it to Europe), sure it is in the heart of the Bible Belt which makes for some extremely judgmental and closed-minded people (although there are normal people too!), and sure my town is known primarily for a ginormous Nascar track (yes...the city is compensating for something...), but daaaaaaaaaamn we have good weather. We have normal, bearable seasons. It gets nice and hot in the summers, comfortable in the springs and falls, and cold enough in the winters. Of course we get things like snow, rain, thunderstorms, flooding, and tornadoes; but NONE of those weather events trend on the extreme side. The majority of the time, everything is manageable and not catastrophic. The weather rocks.
The only thing I hate more in Boston than Boston drivers (because you all suck...I love you...but you can't drive), is Boston winters. So last winter wasn't bad at all compared to the one before. (The one before was the one that welcomed me when I first moved up here and that resulted in a black eye...Snow Shovel: 1; Me: 0.)
But beyond the snow, IT'S COLD!!!!! I consider anything less than 45 degrees as cold...and you crazies up here are like, "ohhhh it's not negative 37 degrees so it's not cold at all, just put on a light jacket."
Shut up. I'm cold. and I don't like it. Thank goodness my boyfriend has the metabolism of a baby spider monkey and produces heat like a werewolf because basically, he has become my personal space heater. (I was looking for an animal to pick here and I picked spider monkey because he has crazy long arms like a monkey and he's hairy, and it reminds me of Talladega Nights which brings us back to Nascar. bam! full circle).
So now that I spent half the blog prepping the whole point of this blog, I guess I'll finally get to the point:
I get sad in the winter--I gots da Winter Blues. I like to be outside, but I can't go outside in the winter because my body hates the cold. My Winter Blues aren't severe, but there is a more severe version of what I feel. It's a real thing called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD (is it bad that I find it amusing that the acronym is sad?)
According to WebMD, SAD is basically depression during the winter that is thought to be linked to your body's clock being "out of synch" and lack of enough direct sunlight.
Symptoms include: extreme fatigue, too much sleep, concentration problems, and weight gain.
Here are some ways to fix it without talking to your doc:
If none of these things work, consider consulting a doctor. There might be actual imbalances in your body that a doc can fix (i.e. melatonin deficiency or seratonin deficiency).
Here's to learning to find joy in the winter! We can do it!
I.
hate.
it.
I especially hate when my hands are cold...and my feet...and my face...and my ears. Ughhh. What REEEEALLY sucks is when those body parts are so cold that they hurt. It's the worst! I would much rather be sweating profusely than be so cold that it hurts.
I think part of that has to do with the fact that I grew up in a pretty mild climate down in Northeast Tennessee (please read that in a Southern accent and if you can't do one, I'll demo in person). I always tell my misinformed Yankee friends and family who think that the entirety of Tennessee is a scene from The Hills Have Eyes or that you will hear a creepy banjo playing if you go to a certain place, that TN aint all that bad. Sure our education system sucks (but so does the rest of America's if you compare it to Europe), sure it is in the heart of the Bible Belt which makes for some extremely judgmental and closed-minded people (although there are normal people too!), and sure my town is known primarily for a ginormous Nascar track (yes...the city is compensating for something...), but daaaaaaaaaamn we have good weather. We have normal, bearable seasons. It gets nice and hot in the summers, comfortable in the springs and falls, and cold enough in the winters. Of course we get things like snow, rain, thunderstorms, flooding, and tornadoes; but NONE of those weather events trend on the extreme side. The majority of the time, everything is manageable and not catastrophic. The weather rocks.
The only thing I hate more in Boston than Boston drivers (because you all suck...I love you...but you can't drive), is Boston winters. So last winter wasn't bad at all compared to the one before. (The one before was the one that welcomed me when I first moved up here and that resulted in a black eye...Snow Shovel: 1; Me: 0.)
But beyond the snow, IT'S COLD!!!!! I consider anything less than 45 degrees as cold...and you crazies up here are like, "ohhhh it's not negative 37 degrees so it's not cold at all, just put on a light jacket."
Shut up. I'm cold. and I don't like it. Thank goodness my boyfriend has the metabolism of a baby spider monkey and produces heat like a werewolf because basically, he has become my personal space heater. (I was looking for an animal to pick here and I picked spider monkey because he has crazy long arms like a monkey and he's hairy, and it reminds me of Talladega Nights which brings us back to Nascar. bam! full circle).
So now that I spent half the blog prepping the whole point of this blog, I guess I'll finally get to the point:
I get sad in the winter--I gots da Winter Blues. I like to be outside, but I can't go outside in the winter because my body hates the cold. My Winter Blues aren't severe, but there is a more severe version of what I feel. It's a real thing called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD (is it bad that I find it amusing that the acronym is sad?)
According to WebMD, SAD is basically depression during the winter that is thought to be linked to your body's clock being "out of synch" and lack of enough direct sunlight.
Symptoms include: extreme fatigue, too much sleep, concentration problems, and weight gain.
Here are some ways to fix it without talking to your doc:
- Light therapy--Find a way to get direct light. "Dawn stimulation" is a pretty interesting technique.
- Don't watch depressing things...like the news
- Stay active and force yourself to keep moving
- Don't give in to the cravings for sweets and carbs.
- Confide in someone!
If none of these things work, consider consulting a doctor. There might be actual imbalances in your body that a doc can fix (i.e. melatonin deficiency or seratonin deficiency).
Here's to learning to find joy in the winter! We can do it!
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