Fun Facts about our Health....Take a Peak!

I've been doing tons of reading this past while...I'm a bit of a nerd for 'fun facts' anout pretty much anything....here's a bunch I found interesting and wanted to share...bet you'll find them pretty interesting as well.

1. Taking care of your teeth can have a dramatic impact on heart health. If you develop gum disease, your chance having a heart attack or a stroke increases by 50%....so get flossing!!!

2. Laughing can be a great workout for your heart. Whenever you laugh, the blood flow in your heart is increased for up to 45 minutes, which in turn improves your heart health. :)

3. Women have a better sense of smell than men. (They haven't met my dad...lol)

4. Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren't.

5. Wearing tight pants can lead to impotence in men. (and this is why skinny jeans and boys don't mix)

6. Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing. (huh!)

  

7. Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die. (then I'm in trouble..)

8. You mostly breathe from only one nostril at a time!

9. Perspiration is odorless; it is the bacteria on the skin that creates an odor.

10. Every hour one billion cells in the body must be replaced....EVERY HOUR!!!

11. From the age of thirty, humans gradually begin to shrink in size.( I was't tall to begin with...shoot)   

12. Children are more allergic to cockroaches than they are to cats! (note to self)

13. Although they won't admit it, women fart as much as men. (YES..it true..lol)

14. Termites are the largest producers of farts...(huh!?!)

15.  Blueberry juice boosts memory.

16. You can overdose on caffeine. (ouffff!)

17. To burn off one plain M&M candy, you need to walk the full length of a football field. (that's 1 people....1)

18. There are more nutrients in the cornflake package itself than there are in the actual cornflakes.

19.  The average chocolate bar has 8 insects' legs in it. (yuckkkkkkkkkkk!)

20. Strawberries have more vitamin c than oranges.

21. You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television. 

22.  When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop ... Even your heart.

23. Once a human reaches the age of 35, he/she will start losing approximately 7,000 brain cells a day. The cells will never be replaced. (shoot!)

Rowaida

 

"A Goal Without A Plan Is Just A Wish".........

Salt and vinegar chips are so mouth savory and delicious. Doritos sweet and spicy are so addictive. Fries and better yet, fries with gravy, warm in the mouth and full of wonderful flavour. Cheesecake so rich and smooth, you need to grab a glass of milk or water. Cookies....chewy cookies....yummmmy....the list of foods and sentiments that are attached to them can go on and on. Are these the thoughts you have? Come on...you can admit it. You are feeling those things and so are millions of others, as well...present company included.

Too bad that such yummy foods can be so yucky when it comes to the side effects. Yes, SIDE EFFECTS!!! What does that mean?

Well, let's think about it for a moment. Eat enough of these delicious foods and the side effects will include increased calorie intake, increase body fat %, decrease in energy levels, chances of emotional ups and downs....and this is not including the damage it does to your body internally. It's as if there should be fine print on these items where sold or when seeing a commercial about these products...LOL... like we see on TV for adds on different types of medicine...that low voice should pop up near the end that talks super super super fast mentioning all the side effects and risks of the product after they just spent 30 sec before that talking about how great and effective there product is. 

But the reality is, we all know the negative effects of eating too much of these types of foods. I'm not talking about the once in a while moments when at get-togethers and you're munching on those chips...I'm talking about the, almost, daily intake of the 'bad' foods.Many of us do it...3 pm comes crawling along with that mid-afternoon energy crash that has us snacking on pretty much anything tasty around. Most, don't plan snacks before hand so end up buying what's in the vending machine or convenient store...

Then one day, we look in the mirror or get on the scale and, for some reason, are shocked and disappointed with what we see. Our favorite jeans seem to have shrunk in the wash....a year and a half after we bought them...now this I know we've ALL felt at some point or another. And this is when we hit a crossroad. We hit these crossroads many times during our lives...the crossroad happens seconds after the 'shock' we feel when we see what we don't want to be seeing...we either take the decision to take action. Start planning workouts and meals or we decide to be upset about the situation and feel sorry for ourselves...and do nothing but wallow when thinking about it...then let it go. A few months after we may hit this situation again...same reaction...this is when we end up gaining 50 lbs that just seemed to creep up at us...like out of no where.

OK...let's go back to 'reaction 1'...planning workouts and meals. "A goal without a plan is just a wish"...I love that quote. No idea where it came from but remembered the words after hearing them. Looking at your calender, plan your physical activity....some simple tips are given in the previous blog article.

Then there is your meals...this doesn't have to be hard nor time consuming but some time is required to carry through the plan. During the week most of us work....so pre-cooking your meats is recommended. Keep 2 or 3 days worth in your fridge and freeze the rest until later in the week. Unfreeze portions as the week progresses the night before...when cooking rice, pasta, etc...make extra to have enough for the next day's lunch and maybe supper, too.This takes max 15 min...same goes for salads, fruits and veggy snacks. One thing's for sure, you will have a few tupperwares with you during the day, full of healthy snacks and meals...and it would have taken you less than 20 min to prepare the night before...day after day follow this pattern and before you know it you'll be dropping pounds.

Keep your food as clean and fresh as possible. Have some carbs in at least 3 of your meals...whole grain as much as possible. Lots of fruits and veggies. Have some nuts, as well...some dairy, too....these are all necessary for a complete diet...but portion size is CRUCIAL...you do not need to feel FULL to end your meal...proper portion sizes will leave you satisfied but never full...you should be able to get up and do some physical activity about half an hour after the meal if you wanted to.

Ok, then what happens when you're not crazy about fruits and veggies....or how about meat...well, if you can, find ways of cooking these foods that entice your taste buds...various spices and such...try legumes, such as fava beans...fruits and veggies....there's got to be some that you like...and whatever you do like, buy lots of it....better the same few fruits and veggies than nothing at all.

Remember...."A goal without a plan is just a wish"....so lets work on a plan........................

Rowaida

Get Active....Where and How to Start....

Work schedule is hectic, home is hectic, maybe you have kids, helping family and friends out with something, you haven`t trained in years, or maybe you`ve never trained..period...all this to say, we ALWAYS have something to do. It`s normal. That`s life. But it`s also the reasons we tend to use as excuses, as well. Granted, time can be tight...but every schedule can be altered, even slightly, to fit in some kind of physical activity.

I say `some kind`of physical activity because it can be anything. We often think that getting in shape, getting active, means going to the gym 6 days a week. SO, we don`t because how many people can actually do that. Though many can, many can`t! Does that mean it over... Does that mean it`s not possible... YES it is! You don`t have to enjoy the gym or taking aerobics classes. Maybe you love to dance....take a dance class. Maybe you love team sports...join a team. Bottom line, even if it`s for 1 hour a week, it`s 1 hour more than you were doing before. Is it enough... Truthfully, long term, no, but it`s a great start.

Then there`s the question of budgets...valid...but there are ways around that, too. We are lucky to have the options we do. Some companies have a gym in-house that`s free or inexpensive. Take advantage of that. Train at lunch, right after work and avoid the traffic, maybe right before work. If your company has no gym, and funds are tight, get together with some friends and do an activity together...even purchase a DVD of something fun like Turbo-Jam (which I LOVE and it`s an amazing workout), Tae-bo with Billy blanks...there are plenty. You can do these in the convenience of your own home at your convenience alone or with friends. A good workout DVD can be priceless at the end.

Then there`s the weather...in the summer, go outside. Go for a brisk walk, jog, hike, rollerblading...I could go on and on. In the winter, dress up in warm clothes and go outside...walking at a good pace when it`s cold out can be a mega work out in itself...make sure you dress well and go!!!!

Options...we`ve got plenty. No matter the budget, schedule or season, there are always activities you can do to cater to your personal situation. Take a piece of paper and write down your daily schedule for the week. This will make it easier to fit in an activity...you can see your entire week right in front of you. Make an appointment with yourself...yes yourself...maybe with friends, too but at least make it and keep it like you would keep an appointment with your doctor. This, essentially, might keep you away from the doctor for longer....you`ll be healthier and feel better. You`ll be around for more birthdays, be able to play with your kids more, maybe grand kids...you`ll be able to fit in that bikini you love, or that dress....Make the appointment.

If you`re having trouble starting, write me...I`ll help you out. If you have ideas that worked for you, let everyone know....comment...we`ll all appreciate reading about it! Who knows...that may be what helps someone out to get started.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!!! Happy planning!

Rowaida