For Active Lifestyles On The Go!
August 27, 2008 at 9:32 pm · Filed under Health
1. Laughing is an allover body workout.
Research from Stanford University says that 100 hearty laughs are as good for your heart as 15 minutes on a stationary bike. Now that’s an excellent punch line.
2. Laughter also boosts your immune system.
When you crack up over your best friend’s antics, the levels of disease and virus fighting cells in your body increase, according to a study from Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
3. Spending time with friends helps you chill.
A UCLA study found that the experience of bonding with other people when you’re stressed out triggers the release of the calm-inducing chemical oxytocin in your body.
4. Happy hour strengthens your heart.
A recent American Heart Association study says a glass of red wine a day can lower your heart disease risk by more than 20 percent.
5. Talking with friends wards off depression.
According to a British study of chronically depressed women, those who met with volunteer confidants experienced a 72 percent remission of depression – the same success rate as many antidepressants and cognitive therapy!
August 8, 2008 at 10:22 pm · Filed under Nutrition
The two most weight gaining habits that are making your belly look like jelly are snacking on high-sugar, high-carb foods late at night and drinking alcohol. There are a few solutions that can improve your health and make you leaner.
You should first make sure you eat enough during the day and at 3-4 hour intervals. This enables your body to burn fat all day, keep your metabolism at a steady rate and provides your body with nutrients all day. This will also prevent you from binging or being hungry at night. You should stop eating at least 3 hours before you go to bed because your metabolism slows down at night, leaving your late-night snacks as unburned calories and stored as fat.
You should avoid eating foods with a high-glycemic carbohydrate index. High- glycemic carbs increase blood sugar and increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease. You should avoid eating high-glycemic snacks such as ice cream, potato chips, and cookies. You should replace them with low-glycemic index carbs such as fruits and vegetables. A great idea for a healthy snack that is full of protein is a smoothie. Smoothies are often made from real fruit juice and rarely have added sugar.
If you’re on the path of trying to lose weight, you should say no to alcohol. Alcohol is full of calories and slows down your metabolism. When alcohol is ingested, it passes through the stomach and intestines, into the bloodstream, then into the liver. In the liver, it is converted into acetaldehyde, which is then converted into acetate. Because acetate is readily bio-available, your body will burn it first, instead of carbs, protein, or fat. If you do choose to have a drink, you should have it with food to slow down its absorption rate and protect the lining of the stomach and small intestine.
The next time you’re having bad-for-you food craving, pass up the donuts and go for something like a healthy smoothie. You can improve your health and lose weight today by making these simple changes to your lifestyle.
July 8, 2008 at 5:16 pm · Filed under Nutrition
| Move over pomegranates, açaí might just be the perfect food! This wild-harvested, nutrient-packed palmberry from the Amazon Rainforest is the world’s healthiest fruit. In addition to giving you a whopping boost of 100% natural energy, this “superfood” can help improve cardiovascular health, promote a healthy digestive system, reduce cholesterol, increase brain function, decrease the risk of cancer and diminish the signs of aging. How? Look below to learn more.
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| Amazon Mania (AM) has established a reputation for producing the best tasting and healthiest açaí in Brazil. What makes us different? The most obvious answer is taste. Taste test after taste test, Brazilians and Americans prefer the flavor of AçaíTwistTM to that of any other brand. In addition to its delicious taste, similar to a blend of berries and chocolate, AçaiTwistTM contains the least amount of added sugar and preservatives. A hint of guaraná is added for taste, as well as to enhance mental awareness and stamina. Moreover, AM is the only brand of açaí in the U.S. that is unpasteurized, which means it retains the taste of all of the very nutrients for which it is famous. In fact, we guarantee it is the best tasting açaí you’ll ever try. But don’t trust us, taste it for yourself. Also look for AçaíRawTM, simply pure, raw Amazon Mania Açaí.
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| Amazon Mania (AM) has quickly become one of Brazil’s top açaí suppliers. Its success can be attributed to its products’ quality, as well as its social and environmental consciousness. AM’s brand is synonymous with the world’s healthiest and best tasting açaí. Additionally, AM is dedicated to saving the Amazon by contributing 15% of net profits to funds that support education for the local, indigenous people and create economic incentives to regenerate the Rainforest. Thus, your purchase of AM products directly supports initiatives that prevent further deforestation of the Amazon.
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| There are so many uses for AçaíTwistTM that you are only limited by your imagination. Blend it by itself or add any number of healthy (or not so healthy) ingredients to create a delicious and nutritious smoothie, cocktail or snack. Try it with fruit, juice, soy milk, yogurt, liquor or ice cream. Add champagne for a refreshing brunch libation or mix in Kahlua, Bailey’s and/or vodka for a soothing nightcap. Experiment with an açaí reduction sauce for your meat or poultry. Or just sprinkle it with granola to enjoy it the traditional Brazilian way. The tasty combinations are endless. |
July 3, 2008 at 10:18 pm · Filed under Health
Consumption of green tea has been associated with a number of positive effects on health. Several studies have shown regular use of green tea can aid fat loss. Green tea is believed to augment norepinephrine, a hormone that promotes fat breakdown. Other possible benefits of green tea include decreased food intake and decreased formation of fat.
Polyphenols, the bioactive compounds in green tea, account for a third of the dry weight of the leaves. The predominant polyphenols are the catechins including epicatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Most research has focused on EGCG as the predominant polyphenol.
German researchers recently tested the effects of EGCG rates of carbohydrate and fat oxidation. Subjects consumed either 300 mg of EGCG or placebo, supplementation with EGCG caused a shift in energy utilization from carbohydrate to fat oxidation. The effect was more pronounced after eating a meal. In the placebo trial, only 30% of the total energy burned after the meal was attributed to fat, whereas 54% of the energy burned came from fat oxidation after EGCG supplementation.
These results show supplementation with 300 mg EGCG encourages use of fat over carbohydrate as fuel, which provides a plausible mechanism to explain the anti-obesity effects of green tea.
June 12, 2008 at 7:37 pm · Filed under Health
A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons to fight cardiovascular disease. It’s not as hard as you may think! Remember, it’s the overall pattern of your choices that counts.
Make the simple steps below part of your life for long-term benefits to your health and your heart.
Use up at least as many calories as you take in.
Start by knowing how many calories you should be eating and drinking to maintain your weight. Don’t eat more calories than you know you can burn up every day. Increase the amount and intensity of your physical activity to match the number of calories you take in. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week or — best of all — at least 30 minutes every day. Regular physical activity can help you maintain your weight, keep off weight that you lose and help you reach physical and cardiovascular fitness. If you can’t do at least 30 minutes at one time, you can add up 10-minute sessions throughout the day. more
Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups.
You may be eating plenty of food, but your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Nutrient-rich foods have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients but are lower in calories. To get the nutrients you need, choose foods like vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often. more
- Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber — and they’re low in calories. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help you control your weight and your blood pressure.
- Unrefined whole-grain foods contain fiber that can help lower your blood cholesterol and help you feel full, which may help you manage your weight.
- Eat fish at least twice a week. Recent research shows that eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (for example, salmon, trout, and herring) may help lower your risk of death from coronary artery disease.
Eat less of the nutrient-poor foods.
The right number of calories to eat each day is based on your age and physical activity level and whether you’re trying to gain, lose or maintain your weight. You could use your daily allotment of calories on a few high-calorie foods and beverages, but you probably wouldn’t get the nutrients your body needs to be healthy. Limit foods and beverages high in calories but low in nutrients, and limit how much saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium. Read labels carefully — the Nutrition Facts panel will tell you how much of those nutrients each food or beverage contains.
As you make daily food choices, base your eating pattern on these recommendations:
- Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
- Select fat-free, 1 percent fat, and low-fat dairy products.
- Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.
- Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day.
- Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.
- Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
- If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means one drink per day if you’re a woman and two drinks per day if you’re a man.
- Follow the American Heart Association recommendations when you eat out, and keep an eye on your portion sizes.
Also, don’t smoke tobacco — and stay away from tobacco smoke. more
(Source : American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations) 
May 30, 2008 at 8:57 pm · Filed under Health, Smoothies
MixStirs was designed for the “Active Lifestyle on the Go”. Our “Stirs” as we like to call them, are made from real fruit and juice with no sugar added. We have a wide variety that will meet all of your needs ranging from the “Classic and Fruit Stirs” to the “Vitamin Powered Stirs” to the “Create Your Own Protein Power Stirs”. We have fruits from California and fruits from Brazil like the Acai Berry which has more than twice the antioxidants of blueberries and more than 30 times that of red wine. Our locations are primarily located in Health Clubs and Fitness Centers however we do have full service locations as well.
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