Be Healthy.

                       Merry Christmas

Relieve That Holiday Stress By Walking

Feeling stressed, particularly around the holidays, is not good for your health.  That's when your exercise program is needed the most.  Exercise will increase your energy, make you feel more productive and relieve stress.  Tell yourself that taking a walk will help you accomplish more on your to do list.  You can think about your holiday gift list or plan your holiday menu while you walk.  Try to take your walk first thing in the morning to give yourself an opportunity to get focused.  If your schedule is so busy that you can't find a chunk of time for your walk, take advantage of small minutes throughout the day.  Take a 10 minute walk before or after lunch, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther away from store entrances.  Even 5 minutes of walking is enough to give you an energy boost and relieve some stress.

This Easy Switch May Keep You Healthy

A new study says that eating brown rice instead of white rice may help prevent type 2 diabetes.

The research led by Harvard School of Public Health found that the more white rice the participants consumed, the higher their risk of diabetes.  But when the participates in the study replaced their white rice with brown rice, their diabetes risk decreased.  White rice is produced from brown rice.  In the process, many beneficial nutrients are lost, including the fiber.  Without the fiber, white rice is more readily absorbed into the blood stream which leads to blood sugar spikes after eating.  You can now find organic brown rice that is precooked and frozen in most grocery stores.  You just microwave it for 3 minutes and it comes out perfectly done!  Add a little olive oil and sea salt and it tastes great.  There are several brands and they all taste great.  Check your local grocery store.

Picking Out The Perfect Walking Shoes

If you're gearing up to get in shape for the New Year, you'll probably need to invest in a new pair of sneakers.  Before you buy those walking shoes, remember these tips. 

• Shop at the end of the day.  That's when your feet are the largest.  If you're going to take your walks in the mornings, just adjust your fit with socks.
• Take a pair of your walking socks with you to the store so you can try them on with the sneakers.  This will help you to get the right fit.
• Get your feet measured at the store.  As you get older, your feet tend to flatten out and as you walk, your feet tend to swell.  Most foot problems among women are a result of wearing too small a shoe.  Ladies, stop worrying about your shoe size!  Buy a size that fits comfortably.

• When trying on sneakers, you need at least a fingers width beyond the end of your big toe.  Make sure you are standing up when you measure this.

Sneakers should feel great on your feet before you buy them.

Is It Possible To Get In Shape When You Are Really Far Gone?

No matter what condition you're in, you can get in better shape without it hurting.  If you're starting from absolute zero, you're overweight, you're sedentary, and you haven't worked out in years, expect to start slowly.  Exercise does not have to be hard in order for it to be beneficial.  Start by working out 2 days a week for 20 to 30 minutes.  Use light dumbbells, such as 2lbs, for your weight training.   Even though the weight may feel light, start with those.  It will keep you from getting too sore and feeling too tired the first couple of times.  After the first week, increase the weight to 3lbs.  Stick with this for another week or two. Then increase it to 4 or 5 lb dumbbells. 
For your cardio, start by walking at a comfortable pace on a treadmill or outside for 10 minutes.  Then each week increase your time by 5 minutes.  Keep your pace comfortable.  You should be able to work your way up to 20 minutes in 2 to 3 weeks.  
The secret to exercise is to not make it so hard that you don't enjoy it.  It takes time to get your body in shape.  Each time you work out you will feel a little bit stronger and have more stamina. 

High Fructose Corn Syrup Is Changing Its Name. Watch out!

High Fructose Corn Syrup is the refined sweetener found in everything from jams and sodas to breads and tomato sauce.  HFCS has received a lot of negative press in the last couple of years and as a result more and more consumers are avoiding products that contain HFCS.  Companies such as Gatorade and Hunt's Ketchup have even removed the ingredient from their products.  And you are now seeing more products that say "no high fructose corn syrup" on the label.  Although most research has shown no significant
difference between HFCS and sugar, there is still a lot of concern about how healthy it is.  Because of all this negative press, the Corn Refiners Association has petitioned the FDA to change the name high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar.  Sneaky.  Very sneaky.  The Corn Refiners Association says it's asking to change its name because they want to clear up confusion about its product.  I say they are full of crap. Watch out for products containing corn sugar.