Get Aquified!

                Forget about the Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates for a minute. Water is the most important nutrient for your body BY FAR. According to USGS, up to 90% of our body weight comes from water. Our blood is 83% water, and our "lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight."  [2]

                Water is not only an abundant resource, it is also critical to the way we operate our body. According to research most athletes suffer a physical performance drop of around 5% with as little as 1-2 percent dehydration. [1]  These staggering numbers can be applied to most North Americans, as 75% of us are chronically dehydrated. [3]

Tips For Hydration:

Drink 1 liter of water within the first hour of being awake -

                Think about it. You just went 8 hours without drinking anything. (if you get a full night's rest!) Your body is begging you for water. Caffeine is dehydrating as well. If you are a coffee drinker, as a rule of thumb, drink an additional cup of water for every cup of coffee that you consume.

Make sure that you drink enough during the day -

                Everyone has a different body. In my case, my constant goal is to drink enough to make me urinate every 1 to 2 hours. If my pee is darker than a clear light-colored yellow, I increase my water intake. (TMI? Nah, You can handle it.) I typically try to average around a cup of water every 30 minutes to an hour.

                Remember this. it takes 4-6 hours to hydrate your system. That means that if you don't drink anything before a workout and expect to drink everything while you're at the gym, you're wrong. Prepare ahead of time by drinking plenty of water throughout the day to truly maximize your workout.

SOURCES

1. http://www.nbata.com/Portals/41/Basketball%20and%20Hydration.pdf

2. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html

3. http://www.waterbusiness.net/amst/publish/printer_66.shtml

Healthy Chicken Stew for the Broke College Kid

INGREDIENTS -

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, precooked and shredded -

          Total Fat - 1g, Total Carbs - 0g, Total Protein - 27g

Half of an onion, diced -

          Total Fat - 0.08g, Total Carbs - 7.4g, Total Protein - .87g

1/2 cup of thinly diced Portobello mushrooms -

          Total Fat - 0.3g, Total Carbs - 7.4g, Total Protein - 2g

1 cup of baby spinach leaves -

          Total Fat - 0.1g, Total Carbs - 1.1g, Total Protein - 0.9g

2 1/4  cups of water

4 minced garlic cloves -

          Total Fat - 0.0g, Total Carbs - 0.0g, Total Protein - 0.0g

5 plum tomatoes -

          Total Fat - 0.0g, Total Carbs - 5.0g, Total Protein - 1.0g

8 ounces of black beans -

          Total Fat - 0.0g, Total Carbs - 56g, Total Protein - 16g

1 tbsp of olive oil (for cooking the veggies)

Total Macros:

Fat - 2.96 grams

Carbohydrates - 76.9 grams

Protein - 47.77 grams

Using a medium-sized sauce pan, heat the olive oil at a high heat. After the pan is hot, add the chicken, the onions, the mushrooms and the garlic cloves. Stir.

After about 7 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly) add beans, tomatoes and 2 and a quarter (1/4) cups of water. Increase heat to high and let the stew boil for a minute.

After a minute of bubbling, reduce the heat and let the stew simmer. Add the baby spinach leaves. Stir. Add more water if needed. Turn the heat off and put a lid on the sauce pan. Let the stew rest for 5 minutes before serving.

It's Never Too Late to Start Exercising. Part 2 (guest blog post courtesy of oldandonthego.blogspot)

(continued from previous blog post)

Before you get started:

·         Be sure to check with your physician before beginning any kind of exercise program or physical activity.

·        None of the exercises you do should cause pain. The range within which you move your arms and legs should never hurt.

·        With the decline of balance, falling is a major issue. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of every three Americans over the age of 65 falls each year, and among individuals 65-84, falls account for 87% of all fractures and are the second leading cause of spinal cord and brain injury.  Exercise does reduce the risk of falling but perhaps have a spotter while doing any exercises that might cause you to lose your balance.^[1][]

·        What the difference between muscle soreness and sore joints? Muscle soreness lasting up to a few days and slight fatigue are normal after muscle-building exercises, but exhaustion, sore joints, and unpleasant muscle pulling aren't. The latter symptoms mean you are overdoing it.

How to get started?

·         Research. Your reading this blog post and that’s a good start but research more than one site and find more qualified sources. I’ve already got you start but still research some more on your own.

·         Start a weekly plan. Make sure to document your progression. Write down the days and  the time span of the activities by the types of activities you do.

·         Be realistic. You’re not trying to become a bodybuilder and exercise wont reverse your clock so don’t over exert yourself by pretending your more capable then you are.

·         Warm up first. Before you start any exercise make sure you warm up your muscles first. Light walking or stretches work.

·         Start slowly and build up gradually. Start off with walking for five minutes or doing some light stretches.

Still not convinced exercise is for you? Then ask yourself this do you want to be the guy who can offer your arm and support to all the charming gals around you or be the guy in need of a push in his wheel chair?

Bibliography

" akulilo." akulilo. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://akulilo.wordpress.com/>. ^[1]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. "Guideline Summary ." National Guideline Clearinghouse . American Heart Association, Inc. (AHA), 12 Feb. 2008. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <guidelines.gov/content.aspx?id=11691>.^[2]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "FASTSTATS - Older Persons Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/older_americans.htm>.^[3]

Corbin, David E. , and Josie Metal-Corbin. "Exercises for Older Adults." UNO - University of Nebraska at Omaha. Eddie Bowers Publishing Company, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.unomaha.edu/~healthed/HNS.htm>.^[4]

Dutta, Chanda , Marcia Ory, David Buchner, Marie Elaine Cress, William Evans, Maria Fiatarone Singh, Alan Jette, Thomas R. Prohaska, and Anita Stewart. "Table of Contents." NASA's Space Biology Outreach Program - Web of Life. The National Institute on Aging and part of the National Institutes of Health, n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://weboflife.ksc.nasa.gov/exerciseandaging/toc.html>.^[5]

GmaGoldie. "Swim Fitness | Swimming | Water Aerobics | Biondi Torres and More." GmaGoldie on HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://gmagoldie.hubpages.com/hub/Swim-Fitness>.^[6]

E, MV. "Old and on the Go." Old and on the Go. MVE, 7 Dec. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://oldandonthego.blogspot.com/>.

Elsawy, Bassem, and Kim Higgins. "Exercise in Older Adults - January 1, 2010 - American Family Physician." Home Page -- AAFP. he American Academy of Family Physicians, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0101/p60.html>.^[7]

Elsawy, Bassem, and Kim Higgins. "Physical Activity Guidelines for Older Adults - January 1, 2010 - American Family Physician." Home Page -- AAFP. the American Academy of Family Physicians, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0101/p55.html>.^[9]

McNeaely, Ed. "Training to Improve Bone Density in Adults: A Review and Recommendations | The Sport Journal." volume 15 | The Sport Journal. The United States Sports Acaday, 6 Dec. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/training-improve-bone-density-adults-review-and-recommendations>.^[10]

Weil, Richard . "Senior Exercise." MedicineNet.com. MedicineNet, Inc, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <www.medicinenet.com/senior_exercise/article.htm>.^[11]

Willoughby, Darryn S. . "Resistance Training and the Older Adult." ACSM CURRENT COMMENT. American College of Sports Medicine, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <www.acsm.org/docs/current-comments/resistancetrainingandtheoa.pdf>.^[12]

Guest Blog post courtesy of MVE, OldandOntheGo.blogspot

It's Never Too Late to Start Exercising. Part 1 (guest blog post courtesy of oldandonthego.blogspot)

You have to face reality. You age. That becomes pretty obvious after you typing in “exercise workout” in  the Google search engine and got a bunch of  links like “Ten Exercises to a Flat Stomach”, “Bodybuilding”, “Gwen Stefani Diet, Exercise, and workout Tips”, “50 Bodyweight Exercise  You Can Do Anywhere”, or maybe even “Exercises during Pregnancy”. If the titles weren’t the first clue, the smiling photos and YouTube videos filled with youth make you face that fact that you’re older then you use to be. And just like you have to adapt your search to “Old people exercise” you have to adjust your life style.

Those of us who are concerned with quality of life as we age, exercise is one of the keys. Can you exercise when your old an grey? Yes, physicians encourage you to exercise just as they would to any other age. But you exercise regime will be a lot different from when you were younger. Those “15 Minute Insanity Cardio Workout Exercise” links that you got in your first web search aren’t for you. Exercise that you did when you were younger will hurt you now that you’re older.

Generally when you’ve reached the age of 65 you’ve already experienced some decrease in muscle but you’re not taking ibuprofen with every meal. In 2010, the percentage of  noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over in fair or poor health was 24.4%  and  the percent of noninstitutionalized individuals 65+ who need help with personal care from other people was only 7.3%. ^[3] The Center for Disease Control and Prevention calculates men at 65 to have another 17.6 years left to complete their bucket list and women are expected to have 20.3 more years of life in them.^[3]

If the thought of experiencing the most out of your life appeals to you, keep reading this post  as I explain the benefits of exercising in old age and tips on how to get started.

Here’s the bad news:

·         Muscle mass decreases as we age.

o   Beginning in the fourth decade of life, adults lose 3%-5% of muscle mass per decade, and the decline increases to 1%-2% per year after age 50. ^[11]

·         Endurance declines as we age.

o   In study, data collected on more than 41,000 men and women from 1990 to 2001 were analyzed to find the relationship between walking and mortality. It was reported that men and women who walked 30 minutes or more per day during the study period had fewer deaths than those who walked less than 30 minutes.^[11]

·         Flexibility declines as we age.

o   Pain or stiffness in your neck can make it harder to look over your shoulder to change lanes or look left and right at intersections to check for other traffic or pedestrians.

·         Balance declines as we age.

o   Falling is a major cause of severe injures like broken hips that cause disability and can cause you your loses of independence

·         Bone density declines as we age.

o   In the U.S., it has been estimated that by 2025 the number of hip fractures attributed to osteoporosis will double to nearly 2.6 million with a greater percentage increase in men than in women.^[10]

Now here’s the good news:

·         Exercise helps with all that and more!

How does exercise help your cognitive functions?

·         The number of neurons in your brain increase after a few days or weeks of regular physical activity, which is great because neurons help your ability to think, perform physical functions, and memory.

How does exercise improve your mood?

·         While there is no study that proves that exercise improves ones mood going out and getting a breath of fresh air and letting the sunshine fall on your shoulders doesn’t sound like it would make you depressed now does it?

Don’t forget the importance of stretching!

·         Studies suggest that significant improvements in the range of motion of various joints (neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle) can occur when stretching exercises are prescribed.

What does Endurance and Aerobic Exercises do for you?

Because endurance and aerobic exercises increase the rate of your heart and breath, they improve the strength of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. Endurance increases your stamina which is necessary for ever day tasks you need to do to live independently on your own.

What does Strength and Resistance Exercises do for you?

Strength and Resistance exercises not only make you stronger but also give you the independence to do things on your own, increase your metabolism, and help keep your weight down.

What does Flexibility and Balance Exercises do for you?

Try to keep your body limber through flexibility exercises which help you stretch your muscles and the tissues that hold your body’ structure in place. While losing your balance and falling is a major cause of severe injures like broken hips that cause disability and can cause you your loses of independence, you should do balance exercise to help prevent falls. Just make sure to have someone who can catch you be your spotter when you try activities that require balance.

(topic continued in next blog post)

Bibliography

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "FASTSTATS - Older Persons Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/older_americans.htm>.^[3]

GmaGoldie. "Swim Fitness | Swimming | Water Aerobics | Biondi Torres and More." GmaGoldie on HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://gmagoldie.hubpages.com/hub/Swim-Fitness>.^[6]

McNeaely, Ed. "Training to Improve Bone Density in Adults: A Review and Recommendations | The Sport Journal." volume 15 | The Sport Journal. The United States Sports Acaday, 6 Dec. 2012. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. <http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/training-improve-bone-density-adults-review-and-recommendations>.^[10]

Weil, Richard . "Senior Exercise." MedicineNet.com. MedicineNet, Inc, n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <www.medicinenet.com/senior_exercise/article.htm>.^[11]

Guest Blog post courtesy of MVE, OldandOntheGo.blogspot

Sleep. Get a lot of it.

                Sleep is hard to come by, especially to a busy college student like me.  Many college students are completely deprived of sleep due to studying and/or partying. These people often fail to see the huge impact sleep can have on their health. Sleep increases your energy output the following day, and also serves to repair and recharge your muscles. Sleep even recharges your brain after long study sessions!

Here are a few ways to improving the quality of your slumber:

Avoid Eating Large Meals -

Snacks are okay, and can even cause you to fall asleep faster, but large meals can activate your digestive system and keep you awake.

Avoid Exercising Right Before Bedtime -

 Watch out for those late-night workout sessions. Although exercising during the day can cause you to flop on your bed and pass out, working out right before bed keeps you energetic and unable to fall asleep.

Relax -

Stress can be a huge factor in the type of sleep you get. Play some soft music before you go to bed. Read a book. Anything that takes your mind off of the daily grind can help you out right before you go to bed.

Avoid Caffeinated Beverages -

This one is pretty obvious. Caffeine keeps you awake and energetic. That's what it's made for, don't drink it right before going to bed.

Stretching, It's Not as Simple as it Sounds.

Warm up reps, as many people know, are crucial to preventing injuries. Warm ups, quite literally increase the core temperature of the body, allowing the muscles to become more flexible (1). One way to warm up is called dynamic stretching. Another way to stretch is known as static stretching, which many of us were taught in P.E. class as the "Touch-your-toes" drill.

STATIC STRETCHING

                Many of us were taught to stretch out each individual muscle by holding a straining pose for an extended amount of time. There has been a lot of controversy over whether or not static stretching actually has any real benefit. There have been a large amount of recent studies that seem to suggest that static stretching could have a negative effect on lifts (2,3). The benefits of static stretching are still being disputed, so tread lightly the next time you attempt to do that hamstring stretch.

DYNAMIC STRETCHING

                Static stretching may be controversial, but dynamic stretching has been proven to reduce injuries. Dynamic stretching can be defined as a movement that repetitively propels the muscle to a point of slight tension, gradually increasing the tension with each repetition. High knees, for example are a form of dynamic stretching that involves the propulsion of the knees towards the chest while limbering up the glutes. Dynamic stretching is a good way to warm up your muscles and avoid injuries, as opposed to static stretching, which can arguably be harmful to your workout.

Sources:

1. BISHOP, D. Warm up I. Potential mechanisms and the effects of passive warm up on

                exercise performance. Sports Med. 33:439-454. 2003

2. BEHM, D.G., D.C. BUTTON, AND J.C. BUTT. Factors affecting force loss with

                prolonged stretching. Can. J. Appl. Physiol. 26:261-272. 2001.

3. EVETOVICH, T.K., N.J. NAUMAN, D.S. CONLEY, AND J.B. TODD. Effect of static

                stretching of the biceps brachii on torque, electromyography, and mechanomyography

                during concentric isokinetic muscle actions. J. Strength Cond. Res. 17:484-488. 2003.

Preachy Chad - Staying Motivated

Stay Motivated.

                Everyone has, at one point in their lives, thought to themselves "Why am I putting myself through this? It would be easier to quit." This terrible mindset can cause personal goals to become unreachable, and will ultimately lead to failure. Here are some ways that I keep myself motivated, both in the gym, and in the real world as well.

                Focus on the positives instead of the negatives. If you can't make gains, just keep trying until you do. Take pride in all of your achievements ( even the tiny ones), and don't take anything for granted. Don't allow failures to discourage you. If anything, failures are just stepping blocks to success, and every time you try to overcome the obstacle again you will learn more about yourself.

                Be proud of the sacrifices that you are making to accomplish your goals. It takes a lot of perseverance to achieve greatness. Give yourself a pat on the back every once in a while!

                Most importantly, I ask myself why I started in the first place. Remember how passionate you were at the beginning of your journey? Your reasons for starting must have been good. Remind yourself what your reasons were in the first place, and realize how much distance you have covered.

                A positive thought process yields positive results. Never stop chasing your goals.