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How to Find Your Best Exercise Style

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Are you trapped in an exercise routine that’s good for your body, but isn’t motivating your spirit? It’s time to find your exercise style. One way is to make a list of the pros and cons of the exercise options that are most convenient for you and that you really like. For instance, exercise classes offer a lot of variety, but if the commute is too long or you’re uncomfortable in a group, the negatives could outweigh the positives, and you might be better suited to working out at home. On the other hand, if it takes a trainer to push you beyond your comfort zone and lots of equipment to motivate you to strength train, working out at a gym might be the right style for you. Here are some other helpful considerations. If you like to stick to a set schedule, you want a routine that works with your everyday life. That might be early morning fitness classes or a post-dinner workout in a home gym. If you’re highly motivated to reach fitness goals and maximize your workout time, consider the one-on-one advantages of working with a trainer who can personalize a fitness plan and adjust it as you reach new goals. If you like the social aspect of fitness, you might like to join a walking group or tennis club to combine…  read on >

A Healthy Twist on a Classic Eggplant Recipe

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Eggplant is a high-fiber food that will leave you feeling satisfied and well-nourished. Most people think of the classic purple-colored vegetable, but eggplant comes in many varieties, colors and even shapes. All are perfect for a lighter take on a classic eggplant dish that your whole family will love. One secret to making this Italian standard healthier is using a skillet technique to cook the eggplant. This limits the amount of oil it will absorb. The slices won’t be greasy, and the dish will have fewer calories. Lighter Eggplant Parmesan 1 1-pound eggplant, sliced into half-inch rounds 1/4 teaspoon salt Non-stick cooking spray 1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta 1 egg 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 2 cups fresh or jarred marinara sauce, divided 2 cups grated part-skim mozzarella, divided 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt. Set in a colander for 30 minutes to release some of the vegetable’s moisture. Rinse and pat the slices dry. Coat a large, heavy skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the pan over medium heat and add a few of the eggplant slices. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook two to three minutes until the slices brown. Lightly spray the tops of the slices with cooking spray and flip them. Cook another two to three minutes, until browned.…  read on >

Sugary Sodas, Juices Tied to Higher Cancer Risk

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It’s long been known that sugary drinks help people pack on unwanted pounds. But new research suggests that sweetened sodas, sports drinks and even 100% fruit juice might raise your risk for some cancers. The study couldn’t prove cause and effect, but it found that drinking as little as 3 to 4 ounces of sugary drinks each day was tied to an 18% rise in overall risk for cancer. Among women, a similar consumption level was tied to a 22% rise in breast cancer risk, the French research team found. A spokesperson for the American Cancer Society (ACS) said the findings should give consumers pause, because obesity is a known risk factor for cancer. “A lot of the research on sugar-sweetened drinks and cancer has been tied to obesity,” noted Colleen Doyle, managing director of nutrition and physical activity at the ACS. “Across the board, it’s a good idea to reduce any sugar-sweetened beverage,” she advised. The new study was led by Mathilde Touvier, research director of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Paris. Her team collected data on more than 100,000 French men and women, average age 42, who took part in a national study. The participants answered questions about how much of 3,300 different foods and beverages they consumed each day, and were followed for up to nine years (from 2009 to 2018).…  read on >

No Amount of Running Is Too Hard on Your Heart

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Ultramarathons are grueling races that typically range anywhere from 30 to 100 miles, but new research suggests that even these distances don’t tax the heart unduly. “The good news is that while experienced runners pushed their heart limits during the ultramarathon, they did not show evidence of cardiac risk assessed through elevated biomarkers [such as cortisol levels],” said co-lead investigator Rodrigo Hohl. He’s a professor from the department of physiology at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora in Brazil. In the study, researchers conducted blood tests on 25 participants in a 24-hour ultramarathon before and after the event. Eleven of them were experienced ultramarathoners who’d trained a distance of more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) a week over five years, while 14 were first-time ultramarathoners who’d previously run at least one regular marathon. After the event, the experienced runners were more likely than the first-timers to have elevated levels of blood biomarkers that measure heart health, but those levels did not pose a risk of heart damage. The experienced runners did have higher levels of cortisol. The higher levels in the experienced runners reflected the greater load on the heart, according to the authors of the study published recently in the journal Heliyon. “Experienced runners performed with greater intensity and speed, which placed strains on their hearts. Novice runners ran with less intensity, which…  read on >

More Evidence Fried Food Ups Heart Disease, Stroke Risk

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Check out the menus at any county fair — corn dogs, fried Oreos, even fried butter — and you’ll quickly see that Americans love fried foods. But yet another study suggests that it’s time to put that corn dog down. The study found that eating fried foods increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. And the more fried foods you eat, the greater your risk. People who ate fried foods one to three times a week had a 7% higher risk of heart attack and stroke compared to those who ate fried foods less than once a week. For those who ate fried foods daily, the risk jumped to 14% higher. Registered dietitian Dana Angelo White said she wasn’t shocked by the findings, because this isn’t the first study to report a connection between fried foods and poor health outcomes. “Eating small amounts of something fried isn’t the end of the world, but the more you eat of fried foods, the worse it is for you,” explained White, who wasn’t involved with the study. She’s an associate professor at Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn. Frying foods is a common method of cooking in the United States, the study said. Yet previous research has linked fried foods to chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, heart failure, obesity and high blood pressure. A study released…  read on >

Health Tip: Make Traveling Easier on Your Pet

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(HealthDay News) — Taking your dog or cat on a flight may be no cakewalk, depending on the differing requirements of the airlines and various destinations. That’s why it’s best to research these things before you leave, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To reduce travel-related stress for you and your pet, the CDC recommends: Get your pet used to its carrier before the flight. Secure flights with fewer connections and layovers. If your pet is allowed in the cabin, check in as late as possible. Walk your pet before leaving home and again before checking in. Consult your veterinarian.

Health Tip: Preparing a Better Dessert

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(HealthDay News) — Desserts don’t have to be off-limits for people who want to eat healthier, says Johns Hopkins University. When preparing desserts, choose baked-good recipes made with skim milk, low-fat cream cheese or yogurt. Using bananas and applesauce as add-ins can also cut down on unhealthy oils and fats. Additionally, the university recommends ensuring that your sweets contain lots of vitamins and fiber, to help avoid spikes in blood sugar.

A Guide to Gift Shopping That’s Good for Your Health

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Shopping for a gift for a friend or loved one? Instead of wracking your brain over which sweater to buy, keep in mind that gifts for good health are always the right size. You can be extravagant with a gym membership or a state-of-the-art piece of home equipment, but there are also many choices that will fit even a frugal budget. For the gadget lover, there’s wearable technology, from activity trackers and smartwatches to heart-rate monitors and GPS tracking devices, the American College of Sports Medicine suggests. Or what about a new app that works with a smartphone? Many are free, but there’s often a bells-and-whistles version you can buy for just a few dollars. Consider a valued accessory for an activity that the recipient already enjoys, like a yoga mat or special yoga socks. You don’t have to be barefooted to feel grounded. Socks specially made for doing yoga provide the grip needed to hold poses and maintain balance during practice. Everyone can use better balance, making training items like a foam roller, balance board or stability ball great choices. Many come in fun colors. A powerful blender or juicer is great for making fast, high-energy breakfasts. But if an appliance isn’t in your budget, how about a reusable water bottle to carry their smoothie? And if food is on the gift list, skip…  read on >

Parent Who Listens Can Help Kids Thrive Despite Trauma

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Heartfelt talks between parent and child are essential to help kids overcome tough times and do their best at school, a new study says. Traumatic events in a kid’s life can cause the child to neglect school work and increase the odds that they’ll wind up repeating a grade, researchers found. But having even one parent lend a kind and caring ear appears to help kids work past the toxic stress caused by those events, resulting in better performance at school, according to the study. A sympathetic parent has a stronger impact on a troubled child’s educational performance than whether they eat regular family meals or live in a safe and well-kept neighborhood, said lead researcher Dr. Angelica Robles. She’s a pediatrician with Novant Health Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics in Charlotte, N.C. “The parent really had the biggest influence,” Robles said. “Kids were six times more likely to complete homework and six times more likely to care about school” if they had a parent who could share ideas or talk about things that matter. For their study, Robles and her colleagues analyzed data drawn from a 2011-2012 federal survey of more than 65,000 children ages 6 to 17. They found that adverse childhood events could seriously affect a child’s interest in school — among them domestic or neighborhood violence, economic hardship, substance abuse or mental illness in…  read on >

Health Tip: Causes of Appetite Loss

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(HealthDay News) — Any illness can reduce or eliminate your appetite. But if the illness is treatable, appetite should return after treatment, says MedlinePlus. MedlinePlus mentions potential causes of appetite loss: Emotions such as sadness, depression or grief. Serious illnesses such as cancer or HIV. Use of certain medications or street drugs. Hypothyroidism. Pregnancy. Aging. Contact a doctor if you are losing a lot of weight without trying, or if decreased appetite occurs along with other symptoms.