The Benefits of Quitting Smoking

If you smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products, you no doubt have heard of the risk they pose to your health. Smokers face an increased risk of premature death and disability from heart attack, lung cancer, lung diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and stroke, among other ills. Being overweight also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, creating a health-risk double whammy when smoking and overweight are combined. But no matter how long you have been a smoker, it's never too late to quit and start reversing the damage tobacco use can cause.

If you need more inspiration, here are some additional benefits of quitting smoking:

• Reduced risk of mouth, throat, esophageal, bladder, and cervical cancer
• Reduced risk of peripheral artery disease (impaired circulation to the lower body)
• Fewer signs of premature aging of the skin
• Fewer breathing problems and coughs
• Fewer colds and other illnesses
• More energy
• Elimination of smoking odors and mess
• More money
• More control over your life

While quitting smoking is difficult, today there are more treatments and resources to help you do it than ever before. Talk to your doctor about your options, which include nicotine replacement patches or gum, behavioral therapy, support groups, and prescription medications like Zyban and Chantrix. There is excellent help and advice available at no charge from the National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines at 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669) and from the following Web sites:

• www.smokefree.gov
• www.cdc.gov/tobacco
• www.quitnet.com

As with other healthy lifestyle changes, like eating better or exercising regularly, the desire to make this change needs to come from you. If you don't feel you can make a firm decision to stop smoking, try making a list of the pros and cons that tobacco adds to your life. Ponder the negative aspects of smoking, and imagine the positives you'd gain by quitting. Start to visualize your life minus tobacco. This type of self-examination can often help you build motivation to take the next step.

Eating With Awareness

We all have them, those irresistible foods that we can't seem to eat enough of. If we're not paying attention as we eat them — perhaps because we're watching TV or doing work at our desks — we may look down to find we've eaten three helpings of lasagna or an entire bag of chips.

One way to prevent this kind of overeating is to practice eating with awareness, or "mindfully." When you eat mindfully, your aim is to focus solely on the here-and-now experience of eating — the sight, flavor, texture, and aroma of the food, plus the thoughts and feelings you have as you eat.

This week, use the following tips to help you practice mindful eating:

• Eat only when you are seated at your kitchen or dining room table. Don't eat while watching television, reading, standing by the sink, driving, lying or sitting in bed, or doing anything else that requires your attention.
• Keep the focus on the food rather than the conversation. Of course it's nice to chat with company while you eat, but don't get so wrapped up that you forget to notice and enjoy your food. Consider eating alone a few times until you get the hang of it. Then, add in conversation with others.
• Before you start eating, take a few deep breaths. As you eat, put your utensil down between bites. Take time to really savor each mouthful.
• Take a moment to assess your hunger. Are you a little hungry? Moderately hungry? Ravenously hungry?
• As you eat, pause to check in occasionally with your hunger. Aim to stop once you feel satisfied rather than eating until all the food is gone. Push your plate away, and give your body 15 to 20 minutes to register whether or not you are still hungry before you eat more.

Over time, learning to eat in the moment will help you break free from mindless eating and make your meals more enjoyable and satisfying.

SPARKLING WATER VS. PLAIN WATER

If you've swapped out your daily soda for sparkling water, or like to drink the bubbly stuff because plain H2O can be boring, I bet you're wondering how healthy it is. Fizzy water is not only refreshing, but it also hydrates your body as well as regular ol' water.

You may have heard that the carbon dioxide added to water to make it bubbly can be acidic, and can cause erosion to your tooth enamel. Don't worry because the damage is minimal, and one would have to drink massive amounts of sparkling water in order to wear away enamel faster than it's renewed. Sodas, on the other hand, contain phosphoric acid, which definitely rots your teeth.

What about sparkling water affecting your bones? To find out the truth, read more.

You may have also heard that carbonated water can leach calcium out of your bones and lead to osteoporosis, but no studies have been found to back this up. Actually, drinking sparkling water may even keep calcium locked in your bones.


One thing you need to watch out for is flavored sparkling waters. Some varieties are enhanced with natural fruit juices, but others contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, so be a label reader to avoid unnecessary calories. Some fizzy mineral water or club soda can also contain high amounts of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure. Another downside to opting for the bubbly is that some people may experience bloating or gas from drinking it.

Which do you drink more often, sparkling or regular water?

Do Antibiotics Actually Protect Us?

Americans are totally addicted to antibiotics. In our quest to kill anything around us that seems bothersome or threatening, we try to rid ourselves of every last germ with an arsenal of antibacterial products, we pump our livestock full of antibiotics — heck, we pump ourselves full of antibiotics.

Here's the deal: Not only is trying to eliminate most bacteria practically pointless but it can also be really counterproductive. Yes, there are lots of bad bacteria out there, and they can make us very sick. But there are also lots of good bacteria too. For example, beneficial bugs known as probiotics live in our stomachs and are integral to the healthy functioning of our immune and digestive systems. There's even some evidence that certain probiotics play a role in determining how many calories our bodies absorb from food and send to fat cells.

When you take antibiotics to wipe out the bad bacteria, you end up taking out probiotics, your best defense, at the same time. In addition, overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance — that is, the drugs become less effective over time because the bad bugs figure out how to adapt so they can survive. The best steps we can take to keep our immune systems strong and to maintain a healthy microbial balance are to eat the kinds of foods that replenish and feed our beneficial bacteria (like organic low-fat yogurt) and to choose organic meat and dairy products from animals that have been raised without the use of antibiotics. We also need to lose the habit of taking antibiotics every time we so much as sniffle.

Exercising When You're Away From Home

When you're traveling for business or pleasure, don't let being away from home become an excuse to take a vacation from fitness. While you may not be able to do the same routine you're used to doing at home, there are still plenty of options for staying active when you're on the road. Try the following strategies:

• Bring a pedometer and a pair of walking shoes with you. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. If you're sightseeing, this will probably be easy!
• Pack a resistance band. It will allow you to do strength training in your hotel room.
• Ask if the hotel you're staying in has a fitness center. Nowadays, many hotels do.
• Swim laps in the hotel pool.
• Bring along a fitness video, or ask if the hotel has any available to use.
• Take advantage of layovers and waits in airports by walking through the terminal.
• Plan activities during your trip to add movement to your day. If you're in a rural area, plan hikes or kayak trips; if you're in a city, take a bike tour or just wander and explore the local streets and shops.

If you're having trouble getting motivated to exercise on your trip, try thinking of it as an opportunity to break out of your usual routine. Think about how great you'll feel once your workout is done. Tell yourself you'll just start with five minutes of exercise and then see how you feel. Chances are, once you start moving, you won't want to stop!

Remember, there's always something you can do to stay active no matter where you are. With some creative planning, you can make sure travel doesn't get in the way of your fitness goals.

6 Health Benefits of Almond Milk

Almond milk contains more nutrients than other dairy milk alternatives like rice milk. The health benefits provided by this option even match dairy choices. Almond milk works as a great alternative for those with soy and lactose allergies.

Here are 6 benefits of almond milk:

Benefit #1: Weight Management

Plain almond milk without added sugars or flavoring contains 60 calories per each 8 oz serving size. This option works well for people looking to lose or maintain weight.

The low caloric content of almond milk causes less of an impact on our totally daily consumption of food calories. Some milk varieties contain more sugars than the cereal that they get combined with.

Benefit #2: Heart Health

Almond milk contains no cholesterol and only 5 mg of sodium per serving. Consuming foods low in sodium and cholesterol help us to maintain better heart health and normal blood pressure.

Without cholesterol, almond milk also decreases our chances of gaining bad cholesterol levels, all while increasing the good cholesterol levels. Almond milk also contains 150 mg of potassium in every serving. This mineral works to promote healthy blood pressure.

Benefit #3: Blood Sugar Friendly

Unlike other milk alternatives, the plain almond option contains only 8 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The 7 grams of sugars that make up the carbohydrate content have a limited affect on our blood sugar levels. When we consume simple sugars, our metabolic functions tend to miss the nutrients, storing much of the carbs as fat.

Instead, the low amount of sugars in almond milk have a low glycemic nature, meaning our bodies fully digest them and use them as energy. Diabetics benefit from this characteristic as well.

Benefit #4: Bone Health

Almond milk contains 30% of our recommended daily value of calcium and 25% of Vitamin D. These nutrients work together to build strong bones in men, women, children and infants.

Vitamin D also helps improve immunity and cell function. Some studies have shown that Vitamin D helps decrease osteoporosis and even Alzheimer’s disease. The magnesium in found in almond milk helps absorb more of the calcium provided by the nutritious beverage.

Benefit #5: Skin Care

Every serving of pure almond milk contains 50% of our recommended daily value of Vitamin E. This powerful nutrient has antioxidant abilities in that it helps regulate Vitamin A use and availability.

More importantly, Vitamin E acts the primary regulatory nutrient that improves skin health.

Benefit #5: Eye Health

The moderate levels of Vitamin A found in almond milk helps keep our eyes functioning properly. Vitamin A directly influences the eye’s ability to adjust to differences in light.

Benefit #6: More Muscle Power

Even though almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving, it does contain B Vitamins in the form of riboflavin, plus other muscle regulating nutrients like iron. Each serving of almond milk contains about 4% of our recommended daily intake of iron, which helps muscles absorb and use protein for energy, growth and repair.

Iron also regulates certain cell functions like oxygen absorption.

Get The Facts On Fats and Carbs – They're Not All Bad

Newsflash: All fats and carbs aren't making you gain weight. Blame the different kinds you're consuming — and their calorie counts — for that muffin top. Jillian Michaels breaks down foods that will keep you full and healthy.

What do you think makes you fat? If your answer is fat, you’re wrong.

But you’re not alone!

Many people believe that fats, and even carbs,

are the evildoers that ultimately pack on all the pounds.

But the devil is in the details: You want to know what makes you fat?

CALORIES! Consuming too many calories and eating POOR

QUALITY

fats and carbs will do you in.

Here’s the lowdown on the different types of fats, how they affect

your

body,

and more about why fats and carbs aren’t the enemy:

1. Trans Fat
Let’s start with the absolute disaster: Trans fat is man-made

through a process

called hydrogenation, which basically

involves heating up vegetable oil in the presence of hydrogen

gas and changing the structure so that the fat stays

solid at room temperature but melts when heated.

Trans fats raise LDL (“bad”)

cholesterol, lower HDL

(“good”) cholesterol, and increase inflammation, among

many other negative effects. And get this: Recent

studies suggest that even if

only 3 percent of

your daily calories come from trans fats, you can end up

raising your risk of heart disease by a whopping 23

percent.

Trans fats are DEADLY. You should

never EVER consume them!

2. Saturated Fat
This type of fat is derived from animal sources. You generally

find it in meat,

butter, and dairy products. Saturated fat has

gotten a really bad reputation over the years because it raises

LDL cholesterol, but it turns out that saturated

fats also do good by elevating your HDL cholesterol.

Since the effects of saturated fats on LDL and HDL appear

to cancel

each other out, researchers are starting to change

their tune. Now, saturated fats are considered good in

moderation. And animal proteins are no longer under

suspicion for being the main culprits in raising

cholesterol and increasing your risk of diabetes:

Instead, it turns out that processed

carbs (like Twinkies!) are to blame.

3. Monounsaturated Fat
This is pretty much hands-down a beneficial fat.

Monounsaturated

fat raises

your HDL cholesterol and lowers your LDL, helping to

reduce your risk of heart disease and other health conditions.

Monounsaturated fats are also easier to burn, so they’re

less likely to be stored as fat. Get your monounsaturated

fats guilt-free but still in MODERATION, from healthy sources

like extra-virgin olive oil, almonds, avocados, canola oil,

cashews, macadamia

nuts, peanuts and peanut oil,

pecans,

pistachios, and sesame oil.

4. Polyunsaturated Fat
Some of the polyunsaturated fats that are high in

omega-6

fatty acids, like walnuts,

flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, and

sunflower seeds are really good for you. Though others,

like corn, can create hormone-disrupting chemicals, or

eicosanoids, that cause inflammation and damage your

blood vessels.

Polyunsaturated

fats

that are high in

omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, like fish, cabbage,

cauliflower, broccoli, and tofu, are the best

kind of fats you

can possibly eat. Both omega-6s and omega-3s lower your “bad”

LDL cholesterol, but they also

lower your “good” HDL. What

makes omega-3s extremely beneficial is that they also reduce

inflammation, lower your risk of heart disease and heart attacks,

and they’re believed to help combat many other conditions

from diabetes to bipolar disorder.

And like monounsaturated

fats, they’re easy to burn, which makes them unlikely to stick

around as stored fat.

We now know that fat is an important element of

nutrition. It is crucial

for brain function.

Consuming fat is

also essential for pregnant women because it is integral to

fetal brain development. Fat helps fortify cell membranes,

and it insulates and helps protect your nerves. Fat

contributes to heart health, digestion, lung function,

and even your eye

health. It provides a constant level of

energy and enables your body to absorb more

nutrients, including essential vitamins and antioxidants.

And finally,

fat makes food taste GOOD and helps us

feel satiated.

If you’re still confused about why you should be blaming

calories

and not a whole

food group as your enemy in the

battle of the bulge, think of it this way: Calories are a unit of

energy and fat is astored energy. If you eat too many calories

of anything — whether it’s a good fat or a bad trans fat, a good

carb or a refined carb — you’ll have a surplus of energy, so

you’ll store it as fat and

gain

weight.