Sliding Spinach into Your Diet

How to take the green stuff from the food aisle and into your meals on a regular basis.

If you didn't grow up eating much spinach, it may be difficult to find ways to toss it in your meals on a regular basis. However, as spinach is rich with vitamins C and A, as well as folate, calcium, iron, and magnesium, adding it to your dishes is a great way to boost your health today and well into the future.

Here are a few tasty and easy ways to make sure your diet is as spinach-centric as possible.

Slide It in Your Salad

This is by far the easiest way to pump spinach into your diet. All you have to do is find some fresh spinach leaves, toss them in a bowl along with your favorite salad additives (think tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots), finish it off with some healthy dressing, and voila! A delicious spinach-based salad that'll tickle your taste buds and do your body good.

Want to give your immune system some help? Like having beautiful skin and hair? Then you better start sliding more spinach into your diet!

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Heart-Healthy Eating

Is your diet lending your heart a helping hand or kicking it to the curb?

When it comes to body parts your body can't do without, the heart is king. But if you're like many people, you may be treating your beloved heart like an ignored servant. How can you make sure your heart receives a kingly welcome? By eating right.

The Basics

First, it's a good idea to know what heart-healthy eating actually is. Contrary to popular belief, a diet that is heart healthy isn't going to keep you from eating anything with flavor. You're not going to be miserable while on a heart-healthy diet. Actually, you shouldn't go on a heart-healthy diet - at least not one that lasts for a few months and fades away with your New Year's resolutions.

Rather, you should maintain heart-healthy eating habits every day of the year.
The simplest recipe for heart-healthy eating habits is to go natural. Most foods you find in nature and eat in their raw or cooked forms are very good for you and many of them actively work to strengthen your heart. On the other hand, manmade foods that are highly processed or infused with ingredients that add flavor and fat often put your heart in harm's way.

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Eat for Exercise's Sake

What you can do to make sure what you put in your body will give you a boost in the gym.

Every day, you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or maybe you've found the perks of eating more frequent meals. No matter if you're stuck on a traditional three-meal-a-day routine or have moved into the five- or six-meal plan, you need to eat the right stuff to be prepared for whatever is thrown your way in the middle of your workout.

So what should be on your mind while eating? Exercise. And here are a few eating tips that keep your upcoming workout front and center.

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What's Your Personality?

Figuring out your personality and how it affects how you handle life.

While a letter can't define your entire person, determining whether you have a type A or B personality helps you make sense of yourself. It can also help others better understand why you act the way you do. So what kind of personality are you carrying around with you every day?

Read on to find out.

How Fit Are You?

Exactly how fit are you? It's an intriguing question. Many people over and under estimate their own fitness. Often, the fitter people get, the more critical they are of their own fitness. The ways of measuring your fitness is almost as varied as the ways you can get fit. So how do we find out how fit we are?

Measuring your fitness is important for a few reasons. Knowing your current fitness level will enable you to make clear goals for your workout program. You'll be able to measure your fitness after some time, and see how far you've progressed. This will help to maintain your motivation. Finally, it's important to know your fitness level so that you can choose the most appropriate exercise and strength training for your body.

There are four primary components of fitness that you can measure. The first is aerobic fitness. This is your endurance level, and it is dependent upon your age, gender, and improves with proper training. Aerobic fitness is directly related to the proportion of your bodyweight that is free of fat. Your level of aerobic fitness implies a level of health, and thus is a very important measurement.

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Artichokes

Simple and delicious steamed artichokes. Serve these with melted butter for dipping. You will need a pan with a steamer insert.

Categories: Low Carb, Snack, Appetizers, Low Calorie, Low Sodium, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian

Here's What You Need

• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 whole artichokes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

Instructions

1. Fill the pan with just enough water to cover bottom.
2. Bring to a full boil over high heat.
3. While water is heating, trim and discard the stems and tough outer leaves of artichokes.
4. Tuck slivers of butter and slices of garlic into artichoke leaves.
5. When water is boiling, place steamer insert in pot and set artichokes in steamer, stem-side down.
6. Cover pot with lid and allow artichokes to steam for approximately 20 minutes, until tender.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 2, Calories: 132, Fat: 11.6g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 166mg, Carbohydrate: 6.7g, Protein: 2.1g

Reduce Muscle Soreness

Many people should probably exercise more often and with more intensity. Now is the time to kick excuses out the door, because you're about to learn how to reduce your risk of sore muscles. You'll feel so good that you will be motivated to make time in your day to exercise. So get started!

Okay, so now you might be thinking about where to start. Should you warm up or stretch first? Here's the simple answer - both.

Start with a good warm-up to lower your risk of having sore muscles the next day. Warming up your muscles (especially the major muscle groups you'll be using during exercise) is one of the best ways to prevent muscle stiffness and injury. A good warm-up consists of moving your body by slowly walking, gently jogging, and light participation in the activity you're warming up for. The goal is to increase your heart rate a little bit, which increases your muscles' temperature so they move more easily. Your warm-up period doesn't have to take long, either. Five minutes or so will do the trick.

Once you've revved up your body with a good warm-up, you're ready to start stretching. Stretches are most beneficial when you hold them for at least 30 seconds, but a good rule of thumb is to start by holding a stretch for just five seconds and work your way up to 30 seconds as your body gets used to the stretching and exercise. As you stretch, be sure not to bounce as this action can increase your risk of injury. If you're not sure how to stretch or you want to make sure you are performing your warm-up and stretching properly, visit your local gym for advice.

It's true that the warm-up period of your exercise is more self explanatory than stretching, so here are a few simple stretching techniques and positions that may help.

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Lies You Believe about Exercise

The truth will set you free…to exercise better!

Everyone falls prey to lies and myths on occasion. But if you buy into one of these and your exercise routine is affected by it, you could be in a world of danger. What lies may be affecting your ability to work out safely and with maximum results? Read on to find out.

Lie 1: Big Size = Big Strength

Okay, so the big guys are often rather strong (you won't see a lot of skinny folks lifting cars), but you don't have to be super beefy to be strong. Actually, too much muscle mass can make it difficult to perform certain activities. Instead of focusing on getting bigger, bigger, bigger, go for exercises that help you get in good shape, have good muscle definition, and retain your ability to move quickly.

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Speed Up Your Slow Metabolism

What a faster metabolism can do for your body.

There's a lot of talk about metabolism, and it seems that all the skinny folks have a large amount of it. But what exactly is metabolism, why is it important to your body, and what can you do to increase your metabolism? You're about to find out!

What Is Metabolism?

Inside your body, a complex process is going on that involves hormones, enzymes, and food. Known as metabolism, this process is responsible for your body's ability to take food and turn it into energy. Additionally, your metabolism determines if you take that energy and burn it off with ease or if it sits around on your body and goes nowhere fast.

Though you probably wish your metabolism was sky high (everyone wants that sleek body - right?), there are a number of factors you can't change that determine the level of your metabolism. These include age, sex, and your genes. That's right - being over 40 decreases your metabolism, as does being a woman or having a family history of slow metabolism.

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Most Effective Exercises

Most Effective Exercises

During your exercise routine, you may find yourself wasting time and sitting around on occasion. At other times, you're focused and working nonstop. Whatever kind of day you're having at the gym, it's important that the exercises you perform do their job well. Otherwise, you could spend countless hours without ever getting the full benefit you seek.

To help your routines always leave you with results, be sure to include some of the most effective exercises ever created. Without further ado, please welcome the best exercises your body will ever perform.

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All Protein Meatloaf

This is a great alternative meatloaf for people on high-protein low-carb diets. It tastes delicious, and one serving keeps you full for hours! Great with a salad!

Categories: Low Carb, Lunch, Dinner, High Protein, Dairy-Free

Here's What You Need

• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 tablespoon garlic pepper seasoning
• 1 (4 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1/3 cup crushed fried pork skins

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce.
3. tomato sauce, crushed pork skins, and eggs.
4. Season with chili powder, garlic salt, and garlic pepper.
5. Mix until well blended.
6. Form into a loaf, and place into a greased loaf pan.
7. Bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
8. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 8, Calories: 318, Fat: 25.5g, Cholesterol: 129mg, Sodium: 1124mg, Carbohydrate: 3.2g, Protein: 18.5g

Food Fit for a Bride

How to modify your diet to be your best on your big day.

With your wedding only a few months or weeks away, you may be scrambling to figure out all the final details. But there's one detail you can't afford to overlook. That detail is you.

What should you do to make sure you're primed and ready for the best day of your life? Eat the right foods, and leave the junk foods for another day. Here are a few ways the right foods will prep you for your vows.

Proper Foods = Proper Fit

Want to make sure you fit perfectly into your dress? To leave everyone staring at your picture-perfect physique during your wedding, you'll have to do be picky when choosing what to put into your body. That means leaving some of your favorite fattening snacks, entrees, and desserts on the table.

Obvious offenders are fried foods and sweets. However, you'll also want to avoid indulging in too many pre-nuptial celebrations that include copious amounts of alcohol. Instead, keep your body well hydrated with plenty of water, and make sure you are particularly careful to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables during this time of your life. Have a hunkering for beef? Not a problem. Just make sure it has as little fat as possible and is grilled, not fried.

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
- Michael Leunig

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Up Your Endurance

Tired of running out of steam before the end of the race? It's time to up your endurance.

You've got a triathlon. You're trying to lose a few pounds from your midsection. You want to see how hard and long you can push your body. No matter what your reason for exercising, your body won't get the full benefit of working out if you don't have enough endurance to push a little bit longer and harder today than you could a year ago. But how do you teach your body to do more than it currently will?
By building your endurance. And it all starts with a few tried-and-true steps.

Step 1: Prepare for Discipline

If you want to make gains in your endurance, you can't hit the gym on an inconsistent basis. You'll need to be disciplined in order to give your body opportunity to make advances in its ability to endure. This may mean going from three to four hard workouts a week. Or maybe it means a little bit more time spent at the gym during each workout. Know your body and your schedule well enough to know the most effective way for you to build your endurance, and then stick to it no matter what.

Endurance is patience concentrated
- Thomas Carlyle


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Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice?

Getting the scoop on what's really inside your makeup.

A few years ago, there were all sorts of frightening rumors about what was in your makeup. Unfortunately, while the truth is not necessarily all that frightening, it is a little less exciting than urban myths. For the most part, makeup is made of completely safe and even regulated materials. That doesn't mean that everything about makeup is safe for everyone.

What should you be on the lookout for in your makeup? You're about find out.

Animals

While there are now plenty of animal-free options, some makeup manufacturers continue to include animal products in their products. Though many people have no qualms over this practice, others do. If you want to avoid products that use animal product, carefully read the label on your makeup of choice. Don't feel you get the answers you need? Call or e-mail the company directly and get answers to your questions.

Additionally, some products are tested on animals before being put on the market. And while their labels may insist the product is not currently tested on animals (“cruelty free”), the same product may have been tested on animals previously. If you don't support companies that perform animal testing or did at one time perform animal testing, you'll have to pick up the phone to find out whether your products were ever tested on non-human critters.

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Getting a Handle on Headaches

Painless insight into the various types of headache coming to a skull near you.

Inside your head sits one of your most important body parts. Your head is also a center of potentially debilitating pain. What kind of headache are you dealing with? What is the best way to treat it? Use this chart to get a handle on your headaches.

Acute Headache

Symptoms: The most common type of headache, acute headaches cause pain the head that is usually short-lived and mild in intensity.

Causes: Causes of acute headaches are wide-ranging. A few include illness, infection, and skipping meals.

Treatment: Many acute headaches can be taken care of with over-the-counter pain medication, eating, drinking water, or waiting it out.

Prevention: Recognize triggers that cause you to suffer an acute headache and avoid them.

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MMmm Avocado!

Asian Avocado

Here is a very different and simple way of enjoying avocados. Use low sodium soy sauce if desired, but full flavored is best.

Categories: Low Carb, Snack, Appetizers, Low Calorie, Low Sodium, Low Cholesterol, Dairy-Free, High Fiber Diet, Vegetarian

Here's What You Need

• 1 avocado
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions

1. Stir together garlic, ginger, and soy sauce; set aside for five minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
2. Cut the avocado in half, and discard the pit; divide the sauce between the avocado halves.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 2, Calories: 165, Fat: 15.4g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 162mg, Carbohydrate: 8g, Protein: 2.2g

Surviving Sweaty Hands

What you can do to get on with life - even if your hands are a bit damp.

Your hair or makeup is in place, you smell fantastic, and your teeth are gleaming white. But you feel uncomfortable. You want to make a great first impression, but the pouring out of your palms makes it unlikely.

What is causing your clammy hands, and what can you do to control it on a daily basis? Read on to find out!

Behind the Sweat Scene

It's normal to sweat a little bit - especially if you're stuck in hot weather or are performing physical labor. If you find your hands are sweaty even when you're working in the air conditioning at your office, it may be caused by excessive sweating, a condition also known as hyperhidrosis. Capable of causing excessive sweating in the hands, feet, face, and armpits, excessive sweating is not just embarrassing. It may be a sign of something more dangerous.

While many cases of hyperhidrosis are brought on by certain emotions (fear, anger, etc.), others are linked to conditions ranging from infection to spinal cord injury. Therefore, if home treatment does not remedy the sweaty problem, you should consider seeking medical attention to ensure your sweating is not a complication of another disease. If it is, getting the underlying condition taken care of should also resolve your wet-hand dilemma.

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Complete Sun Protection

Because your skin should always be healthy and happy.

You want to get outside and have some fun in the sun, but you don't want to wind up suffering the consequences of prolonged sun exposure. So what are you to do? Keep some common sense sun safety tips in mind and you'll protect your skin for years to come.

Spread the Block

The most common way to protect against sunburn is by using sunscreen. And for good reason. It's one of the most effective defenses from suffering injury by the hot, hot sun. However, while you may know that wearing sunscreen is a good idea, you may not be wearing it properly.

To get the most out of your sunscreen, wear sunscreen with the highest SPF (sun protection factor) available. This high-SPF sunscreen (think 30, 45, or higher) may keep you from getting a bronze tan, but you'll reap the rewards when your skin is healthy years down the road. And no matter how high the SPF is, be sure to apply it a few minutes before going outside and reapply every couple hours for maximum protection.

Did You Know? When your skin gets tan, it is actually skin bruising. Doesn't sound so attractive any more, does it?

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Boost Your Balance...

...with a few easy exercises.

Until you take a hard fall, you don't realize how important good balance is. But if you don't work to maintain good balance, you put yourself at risk for a variety of injuries, from bumps and bruises to broken bones. While you may not think you're at risk for balance problems, working to improve it today will ensure your good balance tomorrow.
What can you do to better your balance? Give these exercises a shot:

Balance on One: With your feet hip-width apart, put your hands on your hips and lift your right leg off the floor, bending the right knee. Hold as long as possible (up to 30 seconds), return to the starting position, and repeat with the other leg. To try something different, extend your non-weight-bearing leg forward as far as possible during the exercise.

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Wave Goodbye to Underarm Flab

Because Flab Ain't Fab

Thanks to push-up bras and BOTOX parties, women have new opportunity to reverse the power of gravity and time. But what about the sagging that so often takes place on the underside of women's arms? You could undergo plastic surgery, but wouldn't you rather try a low-cost method that gives you a sense of accomplishment?
If you're wondering how to keep the flab at bay or to banish it once and for all, you've come to the right place. Keep reading to learn what exercises you should be leaning on to keep flabby underarms from hanging out with you.

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How does that Drink Affect You?

You've got plans to sip on a beer or a glass of wine. But what's it going to do to you and your athletic prowess?

No matter what you may hear, a drink here or a drink there won't cause irreparable damage to your insides. In fact, a little alcohol on occasion seems to reap some health benefits. But more on that later. Because not knowing how to drink in moderation can lead to some serious performance downsides.

So how does alcohol affect your physical abilities, and what does that mean for your drinking days?

It Puts You at Risk

Got plans for anything athletic or physically demanding? You'd be better off - much better off - leaving the alcohol for another time. Because as great as a cold one may taste right now, ingesting alcohol before or while playing softball, riding a snowboard, or lifting heavy objects puts you at greater risk for injury.

The causes of increased injury risk are many. As you may know, alcohol consumption may cause you to lose your coordination and have a decreased reaction time. These two side effects result in many sports-related injuries and cause all sorts of dangerous and deadly accidents. Pile on the fact that alcohol decreases your strength significantly, and it becomes clear that alcohol and athletics should not be combined.

The first thing in the human personality that dissolves in alcohol is dignity. - Author Unknown

You'll Run Down Faster

When exercising, the last thing you want is to run out of gas before you're ready to be finished with your routine. Therefore, you're going to have to keep alcohol at arm's length. Because not only will an alcoholic beverage increase your risk for injury during exercise, but it will also prevent you from working out as long and hard as you planned.

And before you decide to settle down with a drink after a hard workout, there's something else you should know. That drink you have to celebrate a hard day at the gym may keep you from having an equally successful day tomorrow - especially if it's the first thing you ingest post-workout. So instead of ruining tomorrow's workout with today's celebration, drink some water and eat a meal before tossing back a brew or mixed drink. Once you have a drink, you should also be wary of drinking too many more, as this can fill you up with unneeded calories that will serve to slow down your weight-loss or weight-maintenance efforts.

You'll Be Healthier

Now that you know the downsides to drinking at the wrong time, you're probably ready for some good news about alcohol. Ready? Drinking alcohol in moderation is good for your health. That's right - sip on a little wine now and then or enjoy your other alcoholic beverage of choice, and you'll actually help improve your health. How? Good question. Alcohol, when drank in moderation, drops your risk for heart disease, but you've got to be careful. Drink more than one or two glasses of alcohol a day, and your risk for heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure stops going down. When you drink more than a little bit of alcohol each day, and your risks for these issues all begin to climb.

For improved protection against heart disease, you've probably heard that you need to improve your good cholesterol. Known as HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, this good cholesterol is found in one of your favorite dinner drinks: white or red wine. But as with all other alcohol, you'll need to be cautious. Don't get the cheapest wine available, as it may contain chemicals that are known for causing breathing difficulty and headaches. Instead, hunt down organic wines. It'll taste better and leave you feeling good immediately after drinking and well after.