How to Sneak in Holiday Exercise

Who has time for exercise when we’re shopping for presents, running errands, and attending parties.

The trick is to plan for this holiday madness and build in ways to be active. According to the National Institutes of Health, most Americans add a pound over the holidays from the sheer amount of food and inactivity. For some, though, it can be as much as six pounds. Along with the benefit of avoiding the holiday weight-gain, sneaking in holiday exercise can help you manage blood sugar. The best news? You can use that holiday running around to get in some exercise. Here’s how.

Skip shopping online. When you’re being an online Santa, you’re burning as many calories as watching television. Instead, get out there and shop the mall, parking far away from the entrance. Don’t be one of those people waiting on a parking spot close to the store. You’ll get in a good walk even before you shop.
For a better workout: Don’t dilly-dally between stores; keep up a strong, steady pace as you move between shops. For an even-better calorie-burning workout, make trips to the car to stow bags instead of carrying them around.

Clear drives and sidewalks with a shovel. A snow blower is handy, but when you shovel your driveway by hand, you’re getting a chore done and burning about 400 calories an hour, based on a 150-pound person. And the UPS guy will thank you for the clean sidewalk.
For a better workout: Technique matters in snow shoveling. Spare your back those aches and pains; keep your spine straight and lift with your back and hips while rotating sideways. Don’t bend forward at the waist or pick up snow with just your arms. Snow shoveling should be a whole-body workout!

Intensely clean your house. You might be surprised to learn that the typical moves you make when house cleaning (such as reaching up for cobwebs or picking up kids’ toys) are similar to gym-type exercises and stretches. So, take advantage of your holiday cleaning by being very thorough. Even vacuuming burns about 240 calories per hour.
For a better workout: Brief spurts of high-intensity effort can benefit your heart. Take a few trips up and down the stairs. Move furniture for extra deep cleaning and more of a workout. When your house is clean, you’ve likely burned as many calories as taking a long walk.

Step out with Fido. The dog is by the back door waiting to go out to do his business. But during the winter, we’re tempted to just let him out while we stay inside. Bundle up and take the pooch for a peppy 20-minute walk. No dog? Offer walking services for the holiday or volunteer at an animal shelter. Bonus: When you go outside during winter, your body burns more calories.
For a better workout: Before coming inside after shoveling or returning home from work, take the dog for a walk. You already have your winter gear on, so you’re ready to brave the cold.

Turn your kitchen into a gym. Using a whisk burns almost 140 calories per hour. Have bottles or jugs of water handy to do quick curls while waiting for the casserole to finish baking. In addition to pumping you up, having those de facto dumbbells handy keeps you from snacking.
For a better workout: Another handy piece of kitchen equipment that can double as gym equipment: a chair. Instead of watching water boil, take the time to do some slow-motion squats over a chair. Act like you’re going to sit but make the motion sloooww. You’ll work your legs, back, and core muscles.

Create a new tradition. So many of our family traditions are based on foodGrandma’s famous apple-honey cake, Aunt Jean’s sumptuous apple pie. Try making some form of physical activity a tradition. Mixing the social and exercise activities during a holiday means you’ll all burn some of those extra calories.
For a better workout: Don’t limit yourself to just one activity; find something that everyone will enjoy. Go ice-skating or build snowmen. Also, there are often charity walks during the holidays. Make them your annual tradition.  

7 Foods for Fighting Pain

1. Ginger

Ginger's been used for thousands of years to help with a variety of ailments from stomachaches to heart conditions. This anti-inflammatory add-in is excellent on a variety of foods, even tea.

2. Sage

This anti-inflammatory herb has also been shown in some research to boost memory. Perfect in poultry dishes, sage has been used for centuries and contains flavonoids that help to reduce swelling. 

Recipe to try: Turkey SausagePatties

3. Coffee

One cup of black coffee can provide relief from headaches and provide more antioxidants than a serving of berries. Preliminary research has also shown that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of some cancers. 

4. Salmon

Filled with Omega-3s, salmon provides an excellent source of protein and antioxidants. The fatty acids from this fish can help to lubricate tight joints in the body. Recipe to try: Salmonwith Polenta

5. Green Tea

Used for centuries for a variety of medicinal purposes, green tea is an excellent source of polyphenols which may help to reduce free radicals in the body which can cause inflammation.

6. Olive Oil

Here's a powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient that's comparable to over the counter pain medications. A staple of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil helps reduce the risk of strokes and some cancers.

7. Cherries

Cherries help reduce inflammation by neutralizing free radicals in the body. These tart, sweet treats can also help to stop tissue inflammation.

青檸(Lime)燉雞治好糖尿病

在55歲那年，我不知怎麼地經常感覺口渴，希望能多喝水。而剛吃過飯又馬上覺得餓、腳常抽筋、身體出冷汗等症狀，於是去看醫生做全身檢查，診斷結果醫生認定是糖尿病，有時血醣高達250非常困擾我。有人說一旦得了糖尿病痊癒機率小，醫生開處方給我，吃藥病情未加重但仍然沒有根冶，連續吃了二年半的藥。

弟弟對我病情常關切，他住在馬來西亞是位非常成功的企業家，逄人便問可有什麼方法可冶糖尿病。57歲那年我去馬來西亞看弟弟，弟弟尋訪到一偏方，謂此偏方非常有效。曾有一福建人，患糖尿病多年，而併發症已引起雙腳無法行動，吃後即痊癒。此偏方為：雞一隻去頭去腳，加青檸檬四顆切開同時燉，只能加少許鹽，水淹過雞即可。

 

所謂青檸英文名為Lime，味道和檸檬差不多，但是形狀較圓較小，顏色較綠(檸檬有時為黃色)，在美國超級市場內很常見，在台灣好像cosco才有。我看這偏方吃了沒有什麼害處不妨一試，弟弟即吩咐管家燉給我吃吃看，前後吃了四隻雞。燉好的成品並不怎麼可口，但想到可以治病也就姑且吃之。大約一星期前前後後才能吃完一隻，而後再燉新的。兩個月後回台灣再去台大醫院檢查，醫生驚叫我快把糖尿病的藥停了，因為血醣已過低，當我告訴他我是吃青檸燉雞好的，他認為沒有科學根據。雖自此以後我仍定期檢查糖尿，但是血醣沒再高過。

如今我已71歲，十多年來糖尿病沒有再復發過，這期間我住過加拿大、美國，飲食都正常，仍不忘有時燉青檸雞來吃，這個偏方救了我。古時候大慈善家有施藥救人的說法，女兒認為我應該把它公佈出來給糖尿病的病友試試，反正雞與青檸都是經濟實惠的食材，吃了沒害處，若吃了無效就當做吃補一樣，所以野人獻曝與大家分享。

Protect Yourself from Alzheimer’s Disease

If everyone in the United States added just one healthy habit, it might prevent or delay a million cases of Alzheimer’s disease that would otherwise be expected to occur over five years, says psychiatrist Gary Small, MD, director of the UCLA Longevity Center. Research hasn’t yet proved that lifestyle changes can ward off the disease, he says in his new book, The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program “but if you read the small print, the evidence is compelling.” With the oldest baby boomers reaching their mid-60s, when Alzheimer’s risk starts to climb, we asked him what changes matter most.

Get some exercise.
Sure, that’s always the Answer to Everything, but studies have shown that when couch potatoes start a fitness program, it’s not just arm and leg muscles that bulk up; key portions of the brain do too. “You can build brain muscle,” Dr. Small says. “You don’t have to become a triathlete — park your car a bit of a distance from your destination. Take one flight of stairs. Start slowly and build up.”

Stretch your mind.
Crossword puzzles get all the attention, but mental challenges of every sort appear to help ward off Alzheimer’s, Dr. Small says. Take a class, or talk politics with a friend. As long as you avoid alienating each other, you’ll reap double benefits, since studies suggest that having a network of friends can lower the risk of dementia by as much as 60 percent.

Feed your brain.
Want to keep all your marbles? Eat well, just not too much: “If you’re overweight at midlife, it doubles your risk for dementia,” Dr. Small says. “If you’re obese, it quadruples it.” A Mediterranean-style diet (heavy on produce, whole grains, and fish) is good because it lowers the risk of diabetes — and diabetes is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

Manage your stress.
One study found that people who were easily stressed were twice as likely as calmer sorts to develop Alzheimer’s over about a five-year period. Meditation can help; studies show it can actually increase the size of parts of your brain that control memory. But so can tai chi, getting a massage, and taking an after-dinner walk with a friend. Whatever you do, don’t stress about your Alzheimer’s prevention plan, Dr. Small says. Little steps will take you a long way.

Some supplements may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
What the doctor recommends:
Definitely take: A MULTIVITAMIN
“As we get older, we don’t always absorb all the nutrients we need,” Dr. Small says. “I see it as insurance.”
Worth considering: FISH OIL
People who get lots of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The supplement is safe (if you don’t take megadoses) and relatively inexpensive.
Looks exciting: CURCUMIN
More research is needed, but this compound, found in turmeric, appears to lower levels of inflammation throughout the body — and, like fish oil, may prevent brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s.

5 Ways to Get Your Fill of Fiber

How do you go about adding more fiber? First, you don’t necessarily need to worry about “counting fiber” to get the recommended 25 to 30 grams per day. Simply work as many grains, beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet as you can. Here are five smart strategies:

Bump up beans. Whether dried, fresh or canned, beans and other legumes are among the best fiber sources on the planet. For example, half a cup of black beans provides about one-quarter of your recommended daily fiber intake.

Hail the whole. Whole-grain foods contain far more fiber than processed foods. For example, whole-grain bread contains about twice the fiber as bread made with refined flour. Often during processing, the fiber-rich grain parts such as bran are removed.

Preserve the peel. Routinely thrown away, the peel is often the most fiber-filled part of a fruit or vegetable. You’re better off eating apples, carrots, and potatoes with the peel still on—just be sure to wash them first if you eat them raw.

Savor stems. We also often toss out the stalky stems of vegetable like broccoli, but that’s where the plant’s fiber is most densely concentrated. To make them less tough, chop the stalks into small pieces and cook them a bit longer, adding the florets later.

Use fibrous fixings. Products such as bran cereal, oat bran, and wheat germ make good condiments when sprinkled over oatmeal (which is high in fiber itself), applesauce, cottage cheese, or salads. In recipes that call for breadcrumbs, try substituting oats.